After sending Lu Xingzhou off, Song Wei went to the main room, ate a few casual bites, and put down his chopsticks.
Granny Song asked him, "Is tonight’s al not to your liking?"
Song Wei smiled and said no, it’s a bit hot, not feeling very hungry.
"I heard from your wife that the Prince Consort ca to visit, what’s the matter?"
Already having been excited by the imperial edict, Granny Song didn’t feel much about the Prince Consort’s visit anymore.
"It’s official duties at the governnt office." Song Wei made up an excuse casually.
Old Song and Granny Song were both country folks and didn’t know that the Prince Consort couldn’t participate in politics, they just believed that the Third Son wouldn’t lie, whatever he said, they generally wouldn’t doubt.
Upon hearing it was official duties, Granny Song didn’t ask further, instead, she started talking about his return to Ningzhou, asking when he would set off.
Song Wei said the earliest would be the day after tomorrow, he still had to go to the Hanlin Academy tomorrow to hand over his work to his colleagues. Besides, Wanwan also needs ti to ask the teacher for leave.
Old Song asked, "Are both of you going?"
Wen Wan was a bit embarrassed and didn’t know what to say.
Granny Song spoke to cover for the daughter-in-law, "When the Third Son goes, it will be at least a month before he returns, can he not take soone to serve him along the way?"
"I am just worried about Jinbao."
"Jinbao is already weaned, he doesn’t need to be breastfed every day, if he cries, won’t it be enough to coax him a bit?"
In front of the son and daughter-in-law, so things were hard for Old Song to say, so after dinner, when he returned to the room and closed the door, he looked at his wife and said that what you said at the table wasn’t right, Jinbao’s first birthday is coming, although we don’t have many relatives in the Capital, it’s the little grandson’s first birthday, shouldn’t we have a celebration? If neither his father nor his mother is there, what’s the point?
Old Song’s reminder made Granny Song realize that the little grandson’s first birthday was approaching, and it should be properly celebrated.
But the Third Son’s trip to Ningzhou wasn’t to return ho in triumph, but to investigate a case by imperial order. When the Third Son leaves, the Third Son’s wife can’t stay behind either, otherwise, if anything happens to the Third Son on the way, what will we do?
Granny Song pondered over it, and ultimately felt that the Third Son’s life was more important than anything else. They might just miss the little grandson’s first birthday, but they can make up for it later, if anything were to happen to the son, the sky of this family would completely collapse.
"Jinbao’s first birthday, we’ll be there, right? Invite the daughter-in-law and the Xie Family next door, with so many people, why shouldn’t it be lively?"
Old Song thought his wife was a bit unreasonable.
No matter how loving the Third Son and his wife were, it was just a separation for a month, they couldn’t possibly leave the son unaccompanied.
Granny Song couldn’t explain to him.
This old stubborn, aside from the Third Son’s unlucky fate, he didn’t believe in any other superstitions. If he knew the Third Son’s wife had an extraordinary skill to help the son avoid trouble better than a talisman, he might imagine the daughter-in-law as a man-eating monster.
No way to explain, Granny Song gave up, spread her hands, "That’s it, if you’re not happy with sothing, just swallow it back!"
Old Song: "..."
——
The northern room had quieted down, but conversations in the eastern room were just starting.
Wen Wan had noticed her husband’s odd mood at the dinner table, couldn’t ask then, now seizing the opportunity, she directly asked, "Did the Prince Consort co to see you about sothing?"
Song Wei didn’t hide it, "The Prince Consort ant to have spare Lu Yanqing’s life at the last mont."
Wen Wan didn’t quite agree, "If you let him go, what about those miners buried alive at the mine? Regardless of status, isn’t everyone also raised by parents?"
Seeing her getting a bit agitated, Song Wei pulled her to sit beside him, speaking gently, "It’s not about letting Lu Yanqing completely off the hook and roam free, rather choosing between being sentenced to death and living with penal servitude, they choose the latter. From a parental standpoint, it’s understandable."
Once sentenced to death, Lu Yanqing would be no more as soon as he closed his eyes.
But if he were alive, even if suffering so punishnt, at least he would still be there.
After hearing Song Wei’s explanation, Wen Wan didn’t insist on her previous denunciation. Her husband was right, from a parental perspective, wanting children to live well isn’t wrong.
However, Lu Yanqing must pay for his heinous actions. This is inevitable.
——
The next day, Song Wei went to the Hanlin Academy for the final handover, Wen Wan went to Hongwen Academy to ask the teacher for leave.
Wen Wan was slow to learn things, the teacher worried she might lag behind if she took a month off, Wen Wan could only promise to work harder to catch up with classmates when she returned, but family matters cannot be avoided.
Seeing her insistence, the teacher didn’t hold her back, granting her a leave of over a month.
Coming out of Hongwen Academy, Wen Wan rembered her promise to Lin Xiaoyue, but now she wanted to explain, yet didn’t know where Lin Xiaoyue’s ho was.
In a daze, Wen Wan recalled last ti when Lin Xiaoyue ca to find her, Su Yaoqi was not far off, Lin Xiaoyue said Su Yaoqi was a relative of her family.
Later her husband told her that Su Yaoqi was Pri Minister Su’s son.
If Lin Xiaoyue and Su Yaoqi were relatives, it shouldn’t be too hard to inquire through the Su Family.
However, Lin Xiaoyue sneaked in, concealing her identity and age, if she actually finds soone and exposes the other’s identity, wouldn’t it be awkward afterwards?
Wen Wan was hesitating over what to do about this, when she saw soone approaching not far ahead, upon a closer look, it turned out to be Song Wei.
"Husband." Wen Wan stood still, hands clasped, feeling a bit awkward since she didn’t expect him to co.
Song Wei quickly walked to her, lifting his wide sleeve to shield her from the blazing sun, asking, "What did the teacher say?"
Wen Wan replied, "The teacher granted the extended leave, it’s just that one thing is hard to manage."
Song Wei glanced at the carriage not far away, Uncle Lin was still waiting, he called, "Wanwan."
"Yes?"
"It’s hot outside, let’s talk in the carriage."
Realizing he was still shading her with his sleeve and feeling slightly apologetic, Wen Wan stepped into the carriage after him.
Seated, Song Wei recalled her previous remark, "What’s so hard to manage?"
Wen Wan said, "I have a classmate who took a three-month leave, I promised to help her copy the key points of each class from the teacher, but now I’ve taken leave too, and can’t find her to explain face-to-face."
Song Wei asked her, "Should I ask Xu Shu for help?"
"Better not." Wen Wan disagreed, "Let’s wait until I return!"
Sitting beside Song Wei, she hadn’t ntioned Lin Xiaoyue even once, nor had she told him that the young lady perhaps had hidden her identity after marriage just like herself.
Having been with Song Wei for a long ti, she too learned not to judge others hastily behind their backs.
Wen Wan always felt that Song Wei, to her, was not just a husband, but also a teacher.
Since the day she married him, he had been subtly teaching her how to conduct herself.
Many things she couldn’t do, or could but did wrongly, were learned and even corrected from him.
It’s precisely for this reason that her inherently childish temperant matured after marriage, instead of growing astray.
——
Ti was tight, Song Wei didn’t even have ti to bid Xu Shu and the others a proper goodbye, and simply exchanged a few words with Xie Zheng who was close by before leaving.
In order to stay by Song Wei’s side at all tis, Wen Wan dressed as a man. From today on, she beca the Lord Imperial Envoy’s little follower, responsible for tea serving, massage, and the like.
The Jinyiwei Commander didn’t show up personally but arranged for more than twenty people to accompany Song Wei. When gathering outside the city gates, no one paid much attention to Wen Wan, so she easily passed unnoticed.
Song Wei briefly negotiated with the leading Jinyiwei, then boarded the carriage with Wen Wan, and the group set off.
Inside the carriage, Song Wei glanced at the young girl beside him, dressed in coarse blue clothing, hair tied high with a wooden hairpin, and a fair face, feeling sowhat uncomfortable.
Since she was three years old, he had watched her grow, whether it was her adorable childhood, her growth spurt from age ten, or her graceful maturity after reaching womanhood, every phase he rembered vividly, except for this outfit, which was a first today.
Wen Wan noticed her husband’s peculiar gaze and looked up at him, giving a smile, "What would you like to instruct, sir?"
Seeing her like this, Song Wei couldn’t help but laugh, "You ca up with this, didn’t you?"
Indeed, the idea of dressing as a man was Wen Wan’s own, because she felt her female attire was too restrictive, so occasions she couldn’t even follow. To protect her husband anywhere, she needed a way to stay by his side at all tis.
Thus ca Wen Wan in this disguise.
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