Chen Hong it was even more absurd to the point where he felt that he might be hallucinating.
Concubine Bai said: “I know that you have always regarded Madam as your biological mother, and you have never been willing to get close to me.”
Chen Hong said: “It’s not that I’m unwilling… it’s just that I’m not used to it. What does this have to do with father? Do you think all of this was father’s fault? ”
Concubine Bai said, “If he hadn’t sent you to the bookstore to learn the three fundamental relationships and the five constant virtues, how could you have developed such a pedantic mind? As your biological mother, you wouldn’t even dare to call me “Mother”, Madam has her own biological son. What are you considered? If the master passes away and the young master grows up, what inheritance will you get? Do you think the master and Madam sent you to study for your own good? Look at what you have become. You don’t even care about family happiness. I think studying is not a good thing. The more you study, the more ruthless you become. If you continue like this, do I still have a place in your heart? Children do not find their mothers ugly, but what about you? Do you disdain me for being just a concubine who can’t be acknowledged publicly? You still want to take the imperial examinations. If this exam were so good, how could your uncle still struggle to put food on the table? I think it was better to inherit your father’s estate. Now that your father has passed away, as the only grown-up male, who will inherit this family property if not you? When the young master grows up, you will have firmly controlled this estate. You don’t need to worry about those troublesome examinations and you won’t end up like me. Where everything from food to clothing is controlled by others. Isn’t this all for your own good?”
[三纲五常” (sān gāng wǔ cháng) is a Confucian concept that refers to the three fundamental relationships and the five constant virtues, which are essential principles governing human behavior and social harmony in traditional Chinese culture. These principles are seen as the foundation of moral conduct and social order in Confucian philosophy. They emphasize the importance of proper relationships and virtuous behavior in maintaining harmony within society]
At first, Chen Hong wanted to defend himself. He did not mean to look down on Concubine Bai, but the more he heard about it, the more dumbfounded he became. He even felt that he could not communicate with Concubine Bai. Concubine Bai was from a humble background and has limited knowledge, but she was unexpectedly capable when it comes to taking people’s lives and framing others. If she had the opportunity to learn and broaden her horizons through reading and education, perhaps her existing beliefs would be challenged and reshaped, but there is no such thing as if.
Such Concubine Bai made Chen Hong feel terrible, and also made him feel deeply confused. Why can a person have two completely opposite sides? A mother who loved her children deeply could become a ruthless killer, plotting a murder for financial gain with such cold-heartedness.and the victim being someone close to her.
Concubine Bai personally admitted the murder and Song Que took her into prison. After returning to the mansion, Ji Qiong remained depressed.
Song Que glanced at him and said, “What are you thinking about?”
Ji Qiong with an air of maturity beyond his age said, “I’m thinking about why you want young master Chen to be involved in this scheme, using it to make Concubine Bai confess. Isn’t that a bit cruel for young master Chen…”
Although Song Que didn’t smile often and always spoke sharply when confronting suspects, Ji Qiong still felt that he was a very gentle person.
Song Que remained silent for a moment. He tugged at the corner of his mouth. which couldn’t be considered as a smile, but more like a sigh.
“Brother Qiong, I am not as perfect as you might think, capable of handling every situation delicately. I am just an ordinary person. I chose this path because what I most want to do is uncover the truth for these silent corpses, to bring justice and closure. Involving Chen Hong is a last resort. It may be of some benefit to him, but human feelings cannot always be measured by external objects, and I don’t know whether this is good or bad for him. ”
Ji Qiong thought about it. Indeed, the most difficult position in this matter would be for Chen Hong. His biological mother killed his father. Setting aside the emotional turmoil he must be experiencing, his future was also ruined. As a son from a concubine, It was extremely rare for Madam Chen not only not hinder his progress but also to support him. But now that this incident has happened, it was almost impossible for him to make achievements in the imperial examination. If he were to consider inheriting the family estate, Concubine Bai’s actions have blocked that path as well. Even if Madam Chen was willing to forgive him, the people in the clan would definitely use this as an excuse to obstruct him in every possible way. With only Madam Chen and Chen Hai, an orphaned child, left in the family, dividing Master Chen’s estate would become much easier.
Song Que involved Chen Hong in this affair, making it appear that Chen Hong had betrayed his own family’s interests. Madam Chen had already spared no effort in nurturing Chen Hong, and now, with Master Chen death, Chen Hong was truly indispensable compared to the covetous clan members. He could use this as a legitimate excuse to fend off the others. Due to Concubine Bai’s act of murder, Chen Hong’s path to success in the imperial examinations was undoubtedly ruined. At least now, he has one way out
Ji Qiong thought about this and sighed along. Truly, there was no perfect solution in this world.. If Chen Hong was not involved in this affair, and let him suddenly learn the ridiculous truth in the end, and then lose all his prospects overnight, would that have been better for him? But as it stands now, it still evoked pity, and this matter was destined to have no perfect answer.
“Dad!”
A childish voice interrupted the two people’s contemplation.
The little girl Song Yuerong can now walk and talk, and has entered the stage that Song Que feared the most. However, he still has to open the door, otherwise this little girl would cry outside the door,
Song Que opened the door and found that Song Yuerong was not the only one. His cousin Su Xiuxiu was holding Song Yuerong in one hand and Song Shu in the other. Song Yi was following behind Song Yuerong. The little child acted like he was afraid of the little girl falling.
Song Que chuckled.
Su Xiuxiu was a little embarrassed and said, “Cousin, Rong Rong and others want to see you, so I brought them here. I hope we’re not disturbing you?” ”
Song Que shook his head, invited them in, and picked up Song Yuerong. He didn’t know what happened to the others, but since the child was still young and had lost her mother early on. Song Que was still happy to get close to the child. If he acted too imposing, it might leave psychological scars on the child.
Song Yuerong was three years old. Her small face looked like a round jade, and her dark eyes seemed to sparkle when she looked at others. She always knew how to melt Song Que’s heart.
Song Shu was almost eight years old and understood more things now. She stood there smiling faintly, showing no signs of disappointment. Su Xiuxiu pulled her to sit next to her, hugged her shoulders affectionately, and said. “A-Shu is a big girl now. Cousin can’t easily carry you anymore. Come sit with me.”
Song Shu blushed slightly, holding Su Xiuxiu’s hand, finally showing a hint of daughterly affection. Only then did Song Que realize Song Shu’s awkwardness.
Among the twins, Song Shu was the more obedient one. She rarely showed her emotions, which sometimes led to her being overlooked. No matter how considerate Song Que was, he was still a man, he was not as attentive as Su Xiuxiu, who had a keen eye for detail. Su Xiuxiu’s thoughtful nature allowed her to notice things and say just the right words, making people feel comforted and at ease..
Although Song Yi’s temper has restrained a lot, because of Song Que’s indulgence towards them, his initial liveliness had returned. At this moment, he hide behind Ji Qiong and makes faces at Song Shu, saying: “Shame on you, You’re grown up now, but still jealous of your own niece for attention.”
Song Shu was so angry that she wanted to tear his mouth off, but Song Yi immediately ran away. Song Que knew that the two of them were sensible and would not mess up the objects in the study, so he happily watched them chasing each other.
After watching for a while, he finally withdrew his gaze, just in time to see Su Xiuxiu pouring herself a cup of tea. Since there was no maid nearby, Song Que picked up the teapot with one hand and poured her a cup of tea.
Previously, when his aunt inquired about his plans for the two maidservants, Song Que realized that keeping them around at this time might imply something more. Song Que thought about it and summoned the two of them and encouraged them to seriously consider marriage. Song Que didn’t want to meddle in their personal lives too much, but he did play a role in matchmaking for them. It’s hard to describe Cheng Zhu and Cheng Bi’s expressions at that time, but in the end it was a good outcome, and both found suitors. Cheng Bi finally married the son of a village head of the Song family and left the Song Mansion. Cheng Zhu married the housekeeper’s son and was still taking care of Song Yuerong. If it weren’t for Su Xiuxiu bringing people over and Song Yi not allowing anyone to follow, she would have also come over.
Seeing Song Que’s action, Su Xiuxiu smiled embarrassedly.
“Cousin, you don’t have to be like this. I’m not that helpless.”
She touched her right wrist, still unaccustomed to being taken care of like this. Su Xiuxiu’s hand was injured when she was young, leaving a deep scar that not only hindered her strength but also made it difficult for her to exert force..
Aunt Song had been worried that Su Xiuxiu’s right hand injury would affect her marriage. Fortunately, she finally found a respectable family, and Song Que even went to help her. They were a good family, but the prospect of Su Xiuxiu having to move to another place made her feel uncomfortable. The aunt hesitated for a long time. But the marriage went through because Su Xiuxiu herself agreed to it..
Thinking of this, Song Que joked: “Cousin’s wedding is approaching. Regardless of whether you’re capable or not, you should relax a bit. This is your natal family. How can you not enjoy some blessings in your natal family?”
Su Xiuxiu felt a little embarrassed when mentioning her marriage, glared at Song Que angrily. She lowered head and did not dare to look at anyone.
Although Chen Hong’s incident weighed heavily on people’s hearts, it gradually faded away as time passed slowly. Those who work in this industry would face countless corpses, including trivial things and layers of conspiracies. This case was just one of the many bizarre cases and it was easily buried in the passage of time.
Fifteen-year-old Ji Qiong was already a scholar candidate, but he still followed Song Que wherever he went.
“Sir, why don’t you take the imperial examination?”
Song Que had a headache when he heard this, and said, “Are you influenced by Brother Wutong?”
Song Que did not take the imperial examination, which made Gao Fenglin and Ji Qiong increasingly anxious.
Ji Qiong was doing well, but he just felt it was a pity that Song Qing would not continue to take the imperial examination. Ji Qiong inherited his father’s sharp mind, and with Song Que’s guidance, he achieved outstanding results in exams. The more people praised him, the more he admired Song Que’s profound knowledge. After all, the abilities he displayed were all cultivated by Song Que little by little, and were far less than Song Que’s own qualities. Although he had never participated in a higher-level examination, he always felt that surpassing Song Que was an achievable goal.
Gao Fenglin thought more. He admired Song Que’s talent and ability. He believed that with Song Que’s ability, his performance in the imperial examination would definitely be as good as his. With his charismatic demeanor, Gao Fenglin foresaw a promising future ahead. However, Song Que seemed indifferent to ambition. He was fully dedicated to handling cases and resolving injustices, excelling in his role as a top-notch investigator. Yet, he stubbornly refused to allocate time and energy to travel to the capital and participate in the examinations..
Because of Song Que, Gao Fenglin has made many achievements over the years, and his wife has handled all necessary arrangements. Gao Fenglin didn’t know how long he would stay here. If a new county magistrate comes, he wondered whether Song Que could continue solving cases as efficiently and swiftly as he did now. It’s a pity that he was worried about this all day long, but Song Que remained unruffled and composed as ever.
