Chapter 59

  Exile

  Yin Haicheng did not know that his daughter had already planned her own marriage. Seeing that his daughter was no longer depressed, he put his mind at ease. He still had many things to do, first of which was to send a letter to General Song and inform him of everything that had happened here.

  Song Zirong looks impressive on the surface, but is actually a softie. No need for severe punishment, just scaring him a few times and he confessed everything with tears and snot.

  Mrs. Song was much more stubborn than her son, admitting that she didn't like the woman from the brothel, but refusing to admit to arson and murder.

  "Your Highness, it seems that those two maids can be let go." Yin Ruofei said after hearing Rong Shi's report.

  "Your heart is still too soft." Rong Jingze glanced at him and smiled slightly.

  "My intention is only to dissolve the engagement, not to bring about the downfall of the Song family. Moreover, although Madam Song and her son are of poor character, General Song is a pillar of the state. To harm such a national hero for the sake of these petty individuals would be most unworthy."

  "Recently, the military book's battle strategy has been quite good." Rong Jingze waved his hand towards Rong Shi, who glanced at Yin Ruofei with a hint of surprise in his heart. He had known that this child was favored by Master, but he hadn't expected him to have such influence on Master's decision-making now.

  "Your Highness..." Yin Ruofei was lifted up by Rong Jingze's chin, "Is this really what you think?" Yin Ruofei turned his head away from those somewhat cold fingers and sneered, "Does Your Highness think I'm a ruthless person?"

  Rong Jingze withdrew his hand, "I was just hoping you'd be ruthless and merciless, so as to avoid repeating past mistakes."

  Yin Ruofei was taken aback, unsure of what the other meant, and wanted to ask, but Rong Jingze had already lain down sideways. "I've been feeling weak lately, give Your Majesty a massage."

  "Yes." Yin Ruofei rolled up his sleeves and massaged Yong Jingze's body. His arms and legs were easy to deal with, but Yong Jingze, although looking slender, actually had a sturdy physique due to martial arts practice. His tight back and waist were indeed laborious to massage.

  Although he followed to practice martial arts, after all, he was young and had a short time practicing martial arts, the strength in his fingers was not enough.

  "What? Tired?" Rong Jingze slightly raised his head, "I, the king, have been worried and tired for you, yet you're already exhausted from doing just this small thing?"

  "I'm not young and weak, am I? Otherwise, I'd climb onto your back, Your Highness..."

  "Presumptuous!" Before Yin Ruofei could finish speaking, Rong Jingze had already flipped over and gotten up, his movements faster than ever before. With a furious expression, he pointed at Yin Ruofei, "You still want to get on top of me? You're going against the norm! You can only be under me!"

  Rong Jingze stormed off in a rage, and Gong Jiu jumped down from the rooftop. "Angered the king again?"

  Yin Ruofei sighed helplessly and smiled wryly, "No choice, the weather is dry, the king's liver fire is flourishing, it seems I have to go to the kitchen to see if there's any soup that can clear the fire."

  A large sand pot of steaming lotus root and pork rib soup, Yin Ruofei personally held it with the serving palace maid and brought it over.

  "Prince Wang, try some of my soup." Yin Ruofei ladled out a bowl and presented it to Rong Jingze with both hands. Gong Jiu watched from the beam above, smiling faintly.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, Rong Jingze just glared at him with a pair of eyes, but did not refuse that bowl of soup.

  The ribs are tender and delicate, the lotus root is wrapped in a silky texture. The broth, which has been simmered for most of the day, appears light but is rich in flavor. When you take a sip, it's hard to describe the fresh and delicious taste.

  "Is this something you made yourself?" After eating several mouthfuls in a row, Rong Jingze finally put down his bowl and elegantly wiped his mouth before asking.

  "A gentleman keeps a distance from the kitchen. But I'm worried about your health, Your Highness, and have forgotten the sage's words." Yin Ruofei smiled sincerely, "Although this wasn't made by my own hands, it was still made under my guidance and supervision."

  These words were spoken with utmost sincerity, and Rong Jing Ze Ming knew that the other party was just saying something pleasant to hear, but he couldn't help but reveal a smile.

  The nine palaces on the house were all thick-skinned and disdainful of Yin Ruofei. It was obvious that he had pulled a chaise longue into the small kitchen to take a nap.

  A big bowl of soup, Rong Jingze didn't leave a single drop, nor did he share it with Yin Ruofei. Yin Ruofei didn't mind, anyway, apart from that pot of soup, the other dishes were also delicious, and no one was competing with him for them.

  Although he was in the palace before, Ze Wang also opened his own partnership, but after arriving at his own mansion, Yin Ruofei discovered that Rong Jingze was a thorough meat-eater. Every meal must have mutton, whether it's braised or roasted, and it's necessary to kill several sheep.

  The best part of the kitchen will be served in front of Rong Jingze, and the rest will be taken care of by the twenty-eight guards.

  Apart from mutton, pork, various poultry and fresh fish were also abundant. Especially after moving into the residence, the Emperor was afraid that he wouldn't eat well, so every day he ordered people to send vegetables and meat to Ze Wang Fu, which was no less than when they lived in the palace before.

  Normally, nothing would be left over, but Rong Jingze would use his own way to force Yin Ruofei to eat faster, and if he slowed down a bit, only the leftover soup would remain.

  Today, watching Zewang slowly drinking soup and eating slowly, Yin Ruifei had the idea of sending him soup every day.

  On one side was a poor and helpless woman, on the other was the wife and children of a general guarding the border. Zhang Jingyue had intended to take in this kind of prodigal son and clean up this poisonous woman, preparing to memorialize the emperor, when suddenly there was a report from an attendant outside.

  "What's going on?" Zhang Jingyue was pondering how to write a note and was interrupted, feeling somewhat displeased.

  "Sir, two women have come from outside and say..."

  "What is it?"

  "The two servant girls who were burned to death in the case that the master is currently reviewing."

  "What?" Zhang Jingyue felt a chill run down the back of his neck.

  "No, no, it's not that, sir. I'm saying those two women are a pair of red-haired concubines, they weren't burned to death." The attendant hastily explained.

  "You can't even talk clearly." Zhang Jingyue was so angry that he made a gesture to kick his opponent away.

  "Hurry up and go, the adults are waiting."

  The two maidservants looked like they were only thirteen or fourteen years old, and seemed honest and pitiful. Yizhi Hong had already been brought into the hall by Master Yan, and was now hugging the two maidservants tightly, crying uncontrollably.

  "A red branch, are these two women your concubines?" Mr. Nian's face turned cold. This case has unexpectedly sprouted new branches.

  "In response to your words, it was indeed those two maidservants of Madame Min. One branch's red face still had tears that hadn't dried."

  "Didn't you say they were burned to death?"

  "This... sir, I don't know either..."

  "Adults, adults, it's like this..." Two girls cried and told the story, "That night, a fire suddenly broke out, and we woke up from our sleep, not knowing what was happening. The front door was already on fire, and we couldn't get out at all. Fortunately, our room was next to a thatched hut, which wasn't very sturdy. In desperation, we pushed the water tank over and hit it, surprisingly creating a crack, and then hitting a small hole, and we crawled out."

  Two girls were hugging each other and crying so hard that they could hardly breathe.

  "What about afterwards?" Zhang asked, unable to contain himself, "Didn't you go to rescue your master?"

  "The fire in our main house was fierce, and by the time we woke up, it had already started and we couldn't get inside. We wanted to run out and shout for help, but after inhaling too much thick smoke, we became dizzy and disoriented. We were sent to the doctor, and when we came to, it was already the next day. We heard that our mistress had rushed over to file a lawsuit on our behalf."

  "So it was." Zhang and Nian exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. The plaintiff hadn't died, but this case...

  "Take them away for now and keep a close eye on them," said Director Zhang with a shake of his head.

  "Director Zhang, what do you think about this matter..."

  "It's better to report to the Emperor first." Magistrate Zhang detested Madam Song and her son, but they were going to be relatives of the Marquis of Yin in the future. Moreover, the victim had appeared again. What made him even angrier was that the steward of the Song household had taken responsibility for the fire prevention measures, saying it was his own idea. The steward was Madam Song's cousin from her natal family, and the whole family relied on the Song household for a living. Now, he insisted it was his own idea, and at most, Madam Song would be punished for being a poor manager of the household.

  "Just report it like this, General Song didn't have an easy time either." General Song came from a poor background and had managed to marry into the Song family, which was considered a good match at the time. However, as General Song achieved more and more successes, his official position rose, and he acquired a general's mansion in the capital city. As a result, Mrs. Song also became part of the aristocracy in the capital city.

  It's just that her family's foundation is too shallow compared to the old aristocratic families in Beijing. Previously, it was rumored that the Song family had a good reputation. However, Mrs. Song relied on her own noble birth and guarded the Song Mansion tightly. Those concubines couldn't even give birth to a child, and until now, there's only one descendant, Song Zirong. Now that these things have happened, it seems that Mrs. Song is a hypocrite who hides her true nature in front of people but might be a venomous woman behind their backs.

  Zhang Gong and Nian Gong both had a bad impression of Mrs. Song, so naturally they wouldn't write anything good about her in the memorial. Soon, the emperor's edict came down.

  Someone like Song Zirong, who is disloyal and unfilial, and also dares to defy the ban on usury, will be exiled a thousand miles away for ten years, not allowed to return to the capital. As for Madame Song, although there is no evidence that she instructed someone to set fire and commit murder, and the mistress's life was not in danger, she was forced to step down, and a divorce letter was sent back to her natal family, with a fine of one thousand taels of silver, which will be compensated to the three women.

  There is also a shadow of Yin Haicheng in this. The letter sent by fast horse whip was quickly replied by General Song. General Song had married such a shrew, and he had been suffocating in his heart for a long time. He didn't take action because he was often away from home and feared that divorcing his wife would lead to misunderstandings from others.

  Unexpectedly, his only son was spoiled by his wife to such an extent. After his mother's death, he was deprived of his emotions and didn't even return for the funeral. His son showed filial piety by taking a concubine, which really chilled his heart.

  The emperor's edict helped him divorce his wife, but it was exactly what he wanted. General Song had long since set his sights on a woman in the border town, the only daughter of a pharmacy owner, who possessed excellent medical skills passed down from her family, and the two had met because of this. General Song had originally intended to take her as a concubine, but was afraid she would suffer at the hands of his own wife, so he didn't mention it.

  Now that this has happened, he just needs to wait for the mourning period to be over and then he can formally marry her. It seems like in the future they will definitely be able to live a peaceful life.

  Song Zirong was exiled, and it was also a crime of this kind, so the engagement between the two families came to nothing. Yin Ruofei let out a sigh of relief, his elder sisters were living happily, he was reassured by more than half, as for his younger sister, that's still early days yet.

  Unfortunately, the easy days didn't last long, and soon news came from the Hou Mansion that Madame Chen had given birth prematurely.

  Yin Ruofei suddenly stood up in shock and then sat back down with a gloomy face.

  In her previous life, Chen was also a victim of small production. Unexpectedly, Lin has been locked up now, and Chen still can't escape this disaster.