Chapter 55 The Elders

“So is my eldest cousin here too?” Wei Changying knew that Song Zaitian was coming, but she was going to see Shen Zhou today. She was so nervous that she forgot Song Zaitian. At that moment, she was reminded by Old Madam Song. She rolled her eyes and saluted respectfully. “I often heard my mother talking about my uncle and two cousins. But I was too young and forgot. I thought I would see you in the future. Unexpectedly, I have the chance to see you now.”

Compared with her meeting with Shen Zhou, Wei Changying was closer to Song Zaitian, but she didn’t offend Shen Zhou. After all, Wei Changying hadn’t got married yet. Even if she was already a member of the Shen Family in name and Shen Zhou just said this, however, a daughter of an eminent family needed to have a reserved manner before getting married, which showed her dignity as the lineal daughter of the Wei Family.

What’s more, Shen Zhou was an elder, and it was the first time that they had met. With the presence of Wei Huan and Old Madam Song, if Wei Changying talked too much, she would not be dignified enough. Song Zaitian was in the same generation as Wei Changying and was her lineal cousin. Old Madam Song said that Wei Changying had seen him when she was a baby. At this time, proper intimacy could show that Wei Changying was graceful and good at getting along with people.

Wei Changying took a glance and saw her eldest cousin with bright eyes and gentle manners. The scholar’s style lying between his eyebrows was very strong. She could tell that he was the son of a scholar. He was wearing a light red robe, a headscarf, a jade belt around the waist, and a ring on the thumb. He was sitting in a dignified and respectful manner but he was also close to the Wei Family. He had the temperament of a young master of a noble family. Though he didn’t attract all the attention, his performance was also impeccable.

According to the usual instructions of Old Madam Song and Madam Song, such a person might not show his ability, but he would be very rigorous. He had plans and ideas in everything and didn’t like to be disobeyed. Wei Changying thought that maybe this cousin was like her stubborn uncle.

Although Wei Changying speculated that her eldest cousin was not open to persuasion, Song Zaitian was very kind and let his cousin get up at the moment. He said with a smile, “Thanks for asking. My father often misses your mother. Speaking of this, when I first met you, you were under one year old. In a flash, you are going to get married. How time flies. When I came to Fengzhou this time, my father also told me to bring special trousseau for you, which can be added to your dowry in advance.”

He was gentle in speech and expression, and easy to leave people a good impression. He was the model of an elder brother who was kind to younger brothers and sisters. When her marriage was mentioned in public, Wei Changying’s white cheek was still stained with crimson. She looked away slightly and glanced at the upper hall. At that time, Old Madam Song laughed and said, “Yuwang is too polite. You’ve had a long journey.”

And she asked Wei Changying to stand behind her.

Wei Changying regretted that she couldn’t leave yet, but she still maintained a dignified manner on the surface. She walked to her grandma and stood behind her. When she came to a stop, Wei Huan opened his mouth and said to Shen Zhou, “This battle in the north of the province…”

They hadn’t finished the business yet. Wei Changying didn’t know why she was called to meet them now.

Taking advantage of the situation, Wei Changying looked at Shen Zhou quietly.

Her future uncle was about fifty years old, and his face was as bold and generous as his voice. In fairness, Shen Zhou also had regular features, broad eyebrows, and an angular mouth. However, he had lion-like hair and bronze-like skin color. There was a murderous look lying between his eyebrows, which was astringent but hard to hide. At the height of his enthusiasm, he lifted up his sleeves excitedly and didn’t care even if the tea was stained on his forepart. This kind of rough and informal style was quite at odds with the elegant and white style advocated by the families and gentlefolks currently.

Wei Changying was deeply influenced by the mainstream aesthetic and always judged men by Wei Zhenghong’s appearance. She fell into deep regret after seeing the uncle’s appearance clearly.

“Forget it, I don’t expect to have a crush on Shen Cangfeng.”

“Husband, as long as I can beat him!”

She comforted herself like that.

Because of this great disappointment, Wei Changying didn’t even want to listen to the elders’ conversation until the time to light up. A servant came in to report and woke her up, “Vice-governor Song and his son Song Duan have arrived in the front yard. They wanted to see the envoy of the Emperor.”

When Wei Changying was stunned, her grandfather calmly stroked his chin and said with a smile, “Ah, I think they are finished. In that case, then… What do you think, Danxiao?”

Danxiao was the style of Shen Zhou. According to the rules that elders called the juniors by names and peers called each other by style, Wei Huan called his style to show respect for the envoy of the Emperor. However, although Shen Zhou was around fifty years old, he was not as old as Wei Huan in terms of seniority. And the two families were going to be in-laws, so he was not arrogant at all. He said modestly, “Mr. Wei, you can just call me by the name.” Then he replied, “Now it’s late. I feel very tired and sleepy. I’m afraid that I can’t announce the imperial decree. How about… Please let vice-governor Song wait for one night, and I’ll announce the imperial decree that praises them tomorrow.”

Wei Huan smiled peacefully and said, “You should do so. You had a long journey today. Now it’s too late. It’s not good to announce the imperial decree in a hurry. Song Han and Song Duan are both reasonable people. They won’t mind.”

They looked at each other and smiled. Wei Huan nodded to the servant, “Go.”

The servant who came in to ask for instructions understood and bowed, “I’ll tell vice-governor Song and his son right now.”

Hearing this, Wei Changying understood.

Because of Zhiben Hall’s conspiracy, although Ruiyu Hall knew that Song Han and Song Duan took the credits of a common person Mo Binwei, they couldn’t breathe a word about it, so as not to fall into Wei Qi’s trap. But it was impossible for Ruiyu Hall not to do anything. Especially this time, it was Shen Zhou who came to Fengzhou to praise them. Before, Wei Changfeng escorted two elder sisters back from Little Bamboo Hill. Then he invited Deng Zongqi to the Wei Family to recuperate. Wasn’t he immediately sent out to attract the talent Mo Binwei?

But unless the truth was revealed, Song Han and Song Duan were both considered to be great heroes. Normally, after Shen Zhou announced the imperial edict praising Wei Huan and Wei Shengnian, even if he didn’t immediately announce the imperial edict praising Song Han and his son, he should also call them to Ruiyu Hall to encourage them. Even if Shen Zhou didn’t bring it up, Wei Huan should mention it to show that as a superior, he was not envious of the capable subordinates.

This was also an opportunity for Song Han and Song Duan to have a better reputation.

But Wei Huan wanted to tell Shen Zhou and Song Zaitian the truth. He didn’t want to have Song Han and his son around, and he didn’t want to get the reputation of desolating meritorious officials. So… He would either managed to make something happen to stop Song Han and Song Duan, so that they couldn’t come in time; or the people he sent simply couldn’t find them “all the time”; or they couldn’t even enter the house of the Wei Family when they came. In a word, Wei Huan sent people to find them, but these two men didn’t arrive. The responsibility, of course, was on Song Han and Song Duan.

So Wei Huan, who was “kind-hearted” and “considerate” to subordinates, specially invited Shen Zhou to the back hall and asked his old wife and Song Zaitian to accompany. He also called his own granddaughter, who was engaged with the Shen Family, to see him, in order to cover up Song Han’s neglect to the envoy of the Emperor and to ease the atmosphere.

That was why Wei Changying was not sent back to Xianshuang Court after meeting Shen Zhou and Song Zaitian, but was left here. And after that, the elders didn’t mention the engagement or fetching the bride any more, but immediately went on to talk about the serious business.

Calling her was just a cover to further prove Wei Huan’s tolerance for Song Han and his son.

As Old Madam Song said before, the Song Family in Jiangnan was one of the six gentlefolk in this country. And Song Xinping, the Family Head, claimed that he always kept his promises. Such a family must do what they said. Even if they knew that the Crown Prince was dissolute and would be a bad husband, how could they break off the engagement?! That was not what the Song Family should do! The Song Family had always kept their words. But if Honored Consort Deng or someone else intervened to let Song Zaishui not marry the Crown Prince, there would be nothing they could do!

The Song Family was also a victim!

The current situation was that Wei Huan spared no effort to praise Song Han and Song Duan, but they were disappointing. They were too late and neglected the envoy of the Emperor, and also made Wei Huan lose face. Even so, Wei Huan still called out his granddaughter to mediate for them. He was such a good superior and most perfectly fulfilled both in love and duty. It was all Song Han and Song Duan’s bad. Maybe they were relying on the victory in the north of the province and began to feel complacent.

In fact, Wei Huan, such an important official of the country, had caught up with such a short-sighted vice-governor when he returned home to live out his life in retirement. He was also very helpless.

It could be described as “kill three birds with one stone”. He not only won the time to communicate with Shen Zhou and Song Zaitian first but also blackened Song Han and Song Duan, shaking their impression as heroes in the heart of people who didn’t know the truth. And by the way, he also handled their private affairs—let his own granddaughter visit the elders of her husband’s family.

And there was also a little selfishness of Wei Huan here. Couldn’t he know whether his granddaughter Wei Changying was really virtuous and gentle or not? Although Old Madam Song and Madam Song had carefully taught her, Wei Changying was not an obedient person! Now they had something serious to talk about. How could Shen Zhou have time to pay attention to his nephew’s future daughter-in-law. He could take this opportunity to let his granddaughter, who he worried about, pass the test.

In Fengzhou, naturally, it would be easy for the Family Head of the Wei Family to deal with someone.

Next morning, Wei Changying heard Zhu Shi and Zhu Lan gossiping in the corridor. It was about what happened last night. She called the two girls and asked. It turned out that it was widely spread in the mansion that Song Han and Song Duan were so arrogant that they even ignored the envoy of the Emperor and let Family Head lose face.

This was reported to Madam Song by Granny Shi in Xianshuang Court in the evening. The rumor had been spread in vivid detail. Even the reason why they neglected the envoy of the Emperor was made up. Song Han and Song Duan thought that they had made great contributions in the battle in the north of the province, so they were very dissatisfied with that Wei Huan didn’t let them participate in the reception of the envoy of the Emperor. After receiving the praise for him and his son, Wei Huan wanted to send people to call Song Han and Song Duan to see the envoy of the Emperor, but this honor was regarded as humiliation by Song Han. He deliberately delayed until the time to light the lights.

It was not over. Last night, it was Wei Huan and Shen Zhou who made a tacit understanding. They sent Song Han and Dong Duan away on the pretext that it was late and Shen Zhou was tired. However, in the rumor, it turned into, “The envoy of the Emperor hurried on with his journey in the daytime, and read imperial edict praising the Family Head and the third Old Master. He was exhausted. What’s more, he had been waiting for Song Han and Song Duan for a long time, but they didn’t come. Naturally, he wanted to ask why! Unexpectedly, when a servant was sent to ask why they were late, these two were so arrogant that they had changed their countenance and left angrily!”