Chapter 184: Chapter 172: No One Is Unluckier Than Him (Part 1)
Song Yuanbao was overly excited last night, and shortly after getting on the ox cart, he began to nod off.
Song Wei let him lean on his leg, and before long, the little guy was truly asleep.
Old Song knew that Song Wei wasn’t in a hurry, so he deliberately had the ox cart slow down, afraid of waking his eldest grandson.
They picked up Xie Zheng at Qingshui Bay, and the ox cart headed towards the county town.
When they arrived, Song Yuanbao still hadn’t woken up.
Old Song looked at his eldest grandson with a face full of affection, a hint of helplessness in his tone, "This boy, I told him to sleep early last night, but he wouldn’t listen. Now he’s got no energy in the early morning, and who knows if he’ll hold up."
Song Wei said, "Don’t worry, Dad, we have plenty of time this trip, no rush on the road. Once we arrive, we’ll find an inn, and Yuanbao will get his rest."
Old Song helped them take out the book basket and took the opportunity to lift his eldest grandson down from the ox cart.
It was only then that Song Yuanbao woke up, still obviously not having had enough sleep. Standing steady on the ground, he yawned, rubbed his eyes, and gazed at Song Wei in a confused manner, "Dad, are we there?"
Old Song couldn’t help but laugh, "Dear grandson, we’ve arrived at the county town."
Song Yuanbao uttered an "oh" and mumbled, "I’m so tired."
Song Wei looked at him, "Hold on a little longer. Once we find a carriage, you can sleep however you like."
Song Yuanbao’s eyes brightened, "There’s a carriage too?"
He had never ridden in a carriage before, having heard that it was more comfortable than an ox cart.
Song Wei gave a nod.
Originally, he planned to travel with a caravan, but earlier that year, Xu Shu sent another letter, asking for his schedule to Beijing, saying he would arrange for a carriage to pick them up in advance. Traveling with a caravan was far and circuitous, a torment on the road; by the time they bumped along to the Capital, the cabbage would have cooled.
Song Wei thought of Yuanbao going along and didn’t refuse.
Adults enduring a bit of hardship was nothing significant, but there was no need for the child to suffer too.
After bidding farewell to Old Song, Song Wei took Xie Zheng and Song Yuanbao to the designated meeting point.
Xu Shu still arranged for the same driver as last time, who only managed to arrive today. Upon seeing Song Wei and the others, he greeted them with a smile, then promptly halted the carriage, getting down to help bring up their belongings.
Xie Zheng noticed the carriage was more spacious and luxurious than the usual ones from carriage businesses, giving Song Wei a sidelong glance, "Looks like your year in the Capital wasn’t wasted!"
Song Wei heard the surprise at his connection with influential figures and smiled, "I only know this one person."
Xie Zheng felt a twinge of envy, saying, "Having someone come all this way to pick you up, such a friend is worth ten Hao Yuns."
Song Wei remained noncommittal.
Xu Shu, although of a rough nature, had a good heart, being straightforward and transparent. He expressed every thought on his face, without scheming.
Hao Yun was different; he was opportunistic and inconsistent.
He was the one who wanted Song Wei to be his mentor for advice, and also the one who treated Song Wei as a rival, determined to oppress him.
At present, Hao Yun was accustomed to overshadowing Song Wei in all things, trying to use this as false achievement to mask his inherent inferiority.
But no matter how well-hidden, some intrinsic traits, like a shadow of the bone, can never be eradicated.
On that day at the restaurant gathering, Hao Yun’s roundabout way of inviting County Magistrate Cao to speak revealed his insecurity.
Indeed, in recent exams, he did surpass Song Wei, earning genuine admiration and envy from others.
However, once leaving Ningzhou and arriving in the Emperor’s domain, it was a different matter entirely.
No matter how poorly Song Wei performed, he was still a student from the Imperial College, with a certain circle in the Capital, capable of standing firm.
Hao Yun didn’t want to lose to Song Wei, yet having no connections of his own, he could only seek ways to climb back up.
Would Song Wei be his stepping stone twice?
...
Sitting in the large, comfortable carriage, Song Yuanbao lifted the curtain to look around, finding everything extraordinarily new, his sleepiness dissipated, and his little face filled with excitement.
Xie Zheng was also riding a carriage for the first time.
But compared to the little child, he appeared very calm, giving a casual glance before looking at Song Wei, "Last time at the restaurant, you outright refused to take Hao Yun to Beijing. With his temperament, he’ll probably retaliate secretly, so we should be cautious on the road."
Song Wei nodded, and Xie Zheng was thinking along the same lines.
Before leaving, Wanwan, although without specific foresight, also advised him to stay away from Hao Yun.
Unexpectedly, they traveled safely for four or five days in a row, so smoothly that Song Wei began to wonder if he was imagining things.
Otherwise, given his destiny, he should have encountered trouble from the moment he stepped out.
Song Wei ultimately credits everything to Wanwan’s "foresight" and Yuanbao’s ability to "bring prosperity to his father."
But it’s not really like that.
Just after their carriage left the county, those scholars, who had their qualifications for the imperial examination revoked last time in the province, were incited by Hao Yun. They arrived first at the halfway point, planning to settle scores with Song Wei.
Yet Hao Yun calculated countless times, but failed to anticipate that Song Wei was the son-in-law of the Eldest Princess and Prince Consort Lu. Would they watch their daughter’s husband encounter trouble? They had already secretly sent people to protect him along the way.
Seeing a few immature boys trying to cause trouble, the Hidden Guard didn’t plan to harm them. Instead, they discreetly lit a few strings of firecrackers and threw them into the forest, scaring the scholars into a panic.
By the time Song Wei’s carriage passed by, those people were long gone, so the journey was smooth.
However, without Wen Wan accompanying him, Song Wei’s unfortunate destiny was unavoidable. The Eldest Princess’s Hidden Guards could thwart Hao Yun’s plans, but couldn’t prevent him from cutting his hand while peeling a fruit or spraining his ankle when the inn’s floor, evidently not slippery, still caused him to fall.
Xie Zheng remarked that his Third Cousin was truly unfortunate, and there might not be anyone more unlucky in the world.
Without his mother around, Song Yuanbao had to tirelessly serve his father: bandaging wounds, acting as a crutch to help him walk.
He dared not give his father food that was too hot, nor water that was too cold. Even going to the toilet was concerning lest he accidentally fall in and couldn’t get out.
Xie Zheng watched Little Yuanbao busyly panting and couldn’t help curling his lips, "Well, now I understand the benefit of your son coming along; he serves his father in and out, almost like half a mother. This blessing is not something most can enjoy."
Song Wei did not feel he was sponging off anyone, "You might want your son to serve you too, but you have to have my skill first."
Xie Zheng sneered, "That lousy fly-attracting unlucky skill of yours, even if given for free, I’ll think twice before accepting it."
Looking at Xie Zheng, Song Wei suddenly remembered what Wanwan had mentioned at home, and his lax demeanor vanished, "Have you ever thought about teaching your sister-in-law to read and write?"
Xie Zheng was stunned for a moment and looked over, "What do you mean?"
Song Wei’s gaze carried a hint of jest, "If one day you achieve academic success, are you planning to emulate Chen Shimei, seeking wealth by abandoning your wife and children?"
Xie Zheng sat upright, his back tense, "I say, don’t wrongfully accuse a good person! If this spreads, I’d have a tall hat placed on my head."
Song Wei chuckled lightly, "Since you won’t, then find an opportunity to teach well."
Xie Zheng was quick-witted. Song Wei had started the topic, and he understood the implication. He realized his Third Cousin was suggesting that the gap between Yang and him shouldn’t be too wide to avoid trouble in the future.
Regarding Yang, he might have slight dissatisfaction in certain aspects, but not to the extent of needing a Divorce Letter to let her go.
Facing Song Wei’s suggestion, Xie Zheng seriously reflected, and thought, his Third Sister-in-law, unable to talk, was made literate by his Third Cousin. His own woman, being fully capable, could certainly learn without much difficulty.
Nodding, Xie Zheng replied, "After finishing all the exams, I’ll find time to teach."
——
On the day they reached the Capital, Xu Shu personally came to meet them at the city gate.
Seeing a teenage boy behind Song Wei, and hearing him call Song Wei "dad," Xu Shu was startled and asked, "Song Wei, how many things have you done to wrong your wife?"
Song Wei: "..."
Xie Zheng nearly couldn’t hold back.
In front of Song Yuanbao, Song Wei couldn’t explain too much, so he calmly changed the topic, "No one lives in the alley courtyard, and it’s too late to cook, let’s find somewhere to eat today."
Xu Shu nodded, "You’ve come a long way, as friends, we should show hospitality. I’ve already chosen a restaurant, it’s close to your place, just head there directly."
Returning inside the carriage, Song Yuanbao asked Song Wei, "Who was that just now?"
"He’s the young master from the General Mansion, studying at the Imperial College."
Song Yuanbao asked again, "Are the students at the Imperial College all of high status?"
Song Wei truthfully said, "Most students who enter by quota have family backgrounds."
Xie Zheng interjected, "So, it seems that the Imperial College is also not easy to deal with."
Just listening suggested there were plenty of spoiled brats inside.
Song Wei remained noncommittal. Encountering someone like Lu Yanqing, most people would be unsure how to handle him, making a misstep could invite trouble.
Even he had to carefully consider every time he met Lu Yanqing.
In the face of power, there is no right or wrong; occasional submission is to ensure long-term survival.
For Song Wei, Lu Yanqing was just a spoiled brat, not worthy of mention. What he feared was the power behind Lu Yanqing.
When one’s wings have not yet matured, self-preservation is the most important. Being overly assertive will only lead to quicker downfall.
Song Wei understands the lesson of a chicken egg against a stone better than anyone.