tallest building

Chapter 55 Heart-to-Heart Talk

In order to force Wen Mingqian, Song knelt down at Lingyue Pavilion.

The servants in the mansion all found out and couldn't help but gossip about it.

Except for a very few, everyone thought Wen Mingqian was too heartless and refused to save the master.

This forced Aunt Song, who was pregnant, to kneel down and beg her.

"We have to save face. Why don't you go out and try to persuade her?" Wen Mingqian gently put down his teacup, yawned, and said, "I got up a little early today. I need to catch up on some sleep."

“Yes, girl, you should rest,” Zhang Ma said. “I’ll go and say a few words to her.”

After saying this, she swayed her plump body into the courtyard, where she indeed saw Madam Song kneeling there. Granny Yang and her two maids were also kneeling beside her.

"Aunt Song, what are you doing? Haven't you already made things clear to the old lady?" Zhang Ma said, picking her teeth with a toothpick in her hand.

"Mama Zhang, I only beg Madam to hurry up and save Master, I have no other intentions," Madam Song said pitifully.

"What are you saying? Didn't Madam already agree? Why are you still doing this?" Zhang Ma spat out the toothpick.

"Madam said we'd go tomorrow, but I'm afraid things might change if we wait too long." Madam Song started crying, looking completely lost. "You know, every moment you endure this, my husband will suffer in prison for just as long."

“We can’t see Lord Zhu right now, since he’s in the yamen! We have to wait until he gets home.” Zhang Ma sneered. “Since you’re in such a hurry, why don’t you just go and call Lord Zhu back from the yamen? If you can, Madam can also go out today.”

“I…” Madam Song choked, “I think it would be safer to ask the Prince of Zhao for help…”

"You surnamed Song! You really are pushing your luck and have a black heart!" Zhang Ma stopped talking nicely and started cursing, "You forced Madam to send the Fourth Young Master to become a monk right away, what a cruel heart you have! You won't even allow him two more days, even if the court kills someone, they will wait until autumn to be executed."

So you're really hoping to send the fourth young master to the temple so your son can inherit the whole family fortune!

"No, I... I didn't mean that! I was just worried about Master!" Madam Song cried. "I wanted to get him out as soon as possible."

"You worry about the master, but doesn't the madam worry about the master? Is the master yours alone?!" Zhang Ma spat hard on Song Shi's face. "That's right, all these years you've monopolized the master. I heard you even got rid of a concubine before. You're so ruthless!"

You keep saying you're worried about the master, but aren't the mistress and the old lady worried too? We've already discussed what to do, yet you're still so relentless. Are you trying to drive someone to their death?!
Even if we beg the King of Zhao, we can't rescue the master that very day. I don't believe you don't understand this; you're just deliberately trying to embarrass the madam!"

As Zhang Ma rebuked them, everyone roughly understood what was going on. Although they didn't say anything, they all felt that Song Shi was being too unreasonable.

That's exactly right. Gong Xu was imprisoned; how could he be released so easily? Even the emperor would have to discuss it with his ministers and issue an edict.

“Mother Zhang, I was really flustered. I didn’t mean to pressure Madam.”

"I also feel sorry for Madam, so I came here to kneel down, hoping to make myself feel better." Seeing that the situation was turning against her, Madam Song quickly changed her tune.

“Hehe, you all heard it. She insisted on kneeling here. We didn’t make her kneel,” Zhang Ma said to everyone. “Zhu Mama, go and tell the old lady that Aunt Song did this and that, and see how she will deal with it.”

The words startled Song Shi, who quickly gave Yang Pozi a meaningful look. Yang Pozi hurriedly got up and pulled Zhu Mama back, saying, "Old sister, don't go. The old lady is already upset enough. Let's not upset her any further."

Madam Zhu was originally an honest person, but she couldn't stand seeing her mistress and servants bullying her like this, so she said in annoyance, "Isn't it you who have to make such a fuss? Crying and kneeling, you just take advantage of Madam's good temper and keep making things difficult for her."

"Yes, yes, it's all our fault. We'll go back right away." Granny Yang hurriedly went to help Song Shi.

"What? Aunt Song, aren't you going to kneel anymore?" Zhang Ma asked with dead fish eyes. "This matter must be told to the old lady no matter what, so that you won't complain to the master later, saying that the madam forced you to kneel."

Just then, Madam Wei arrived with a maid.

He was stunned by the scene and asked, "What happened?"

“Madam, you’ve come at the perfect time,” said Zhang Ma. “Otherwise, we would have gone to the old lady to settle this matter.”

Then she briefly told Madam Wei the whole story, saying, "Aunt Song is going too far. She's holding a knife in one hand, trying to gouge out our lady's heart, and she's trying to cover her mouth with the other. She doesn't want our lady to have an easy time at all."

“I didn’t… I was just confused for a moment. I was too worried about Master… so I couldn’t help but speak and act in a careless way.” Madam Song sobbed.

“Aunt Song, you are pregnant, how can you put your body through such hardship?” Madam Wei sighed. “Mingqian must be suffering even more than you, but she is too prudent to show it.”

You should go back and stay quiet! If you keep causing trouble, you'll make a scene even if there's nothing wrong with it.

He turned back to Zhang Ma and said, "It's enough that I know about this. Don't tell the old lady. If you really disturb her peace, you'll be in the wrong even if you're not at fault."

Song Shi got up shyly and went back to her own courtyard.

Wen Mingqian came out of the house and said to Madam Wei with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you're here. Please come in. I just woke up from a nap."

“The old lady also had trouble sleeping at night. She’s catching up on sleep now. I saw she was alright, so I came over to check on you and say a few words,” said Madam Wei as she entered the house.

Gong Chang'an was practicing calligraphy in the outer room when he quickly rose to greet her. Madam Wei felt a pang of sadness seeing him. She thought to herself that this child was good in every way, but once he became a substitute, he would be destined to spend his life in seclusion, studying Buddhist scriptures and practicing vegetarianism.

"Please sit down, sister-in-law. I'll have them make some tea quickly." Wen Mingqian ushered Madam Wei into the inner room. "I've been wanting to talk to you alone, but the old lady can't do without you."

“Sister-in-law, you have suffered so much these years.” Madam Wei held Wen Mingqian’s hand. “But I haven’t been able to help you at all.”

“Sister-in-law, don’t say that. I know you must have tried to find a way to protect my son and me in front of the old lady.” Wen Mingqian squeezed Wei’s hand back. “But in the end, this is my own misfortune, and I have to deal with it myself.”

“Mingqian, I’ve come to see you because I want to have a few words from my heart,” Madam Wei said in a low voice. “You must be careful.”

If you and your second brother can reconcile, having more children in the future would be fine. But if he refuses to come back, who else can you rely on?

"Sister-in-law, thank you for reminding me." Wen Mingqian was genuinely grateful to Madam Wei. "I only have this one son, and I won't have any more in the future. Tomorrow I will do my best to get things done and prevent Chang'an from being sent away."

(End of this chapter)