Against the Current - Chapter 117
Chapter 117 - Scoundrel
Song Ke had not expected Xianglan to ask such a question, and a brief silence fell between them. Xianglan waited a moment, and seeing that Song Ke still did not answer, her heart slowly sank. She pulled her hand back from Song Ke's palm and forced a smile, saying, "You shouldn't stay here for too long either; you should hurry back."
Song Ke hastily grabbed Xianglan's hand and said, "Your and my affairs... Once I get through this busy spell, I will slowly bring it up with my mother."
Xianglan raised her head abruptly. Seeing Song Ke looking at her with a smile, her cheeks flushed slightly and she hesitated, "You..."
Song Ke reached out a finger to lightly flick the bridge of her nose. "I'll invite a matchmaker to come and propose before going to the capital."
Xianglan felt as though a warm, glowing fire was burning in her chest. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come; tears welled up in her eyes, carrying a bitter ache yet an overwhelming joy, fluttering like a chattering little bird about to burst from her heart.
Song Ke reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face, smiling. "Silly girl, why are you crying? Tears of joy?"
Only then did Xianglan realize her face was already bathed in tears. She hurriedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, raised her face, and beamed a bright smile at Song Ke.
This smile was like the rising morning sun, radiant and dazzling as a blooming lotus, leaving Song Ke momentarily dazed and entranced. Originally, he had harbored immense hesitation. Ever since he placed in the second rank of the imperial examinations, high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital had learned he was still unmarried, scrambling to have matchmakers make introductions, including quite a few daughters of prestigious families. If it were before, he would have carefully vetted them for a matching family background and character, seeking out a father-in-law he could lean on to secure a backing for his official career. Yet somehow, every time he thought of the matter, his thoughts drifted to Xianglan. He always felt that Xianglan was his wife from a past life, who had merely drunk Mengpo's soup and forgotten her past existence, only to cross paths by fate and seek him out in this lifetime. He already held deep gratitude and affection for Lady Shen, and now he poured that devotion doubly onto Xianglan. Moreover, loving her intelligence and charm, he simply could not let her go.
When Xianglan asked him for a decision today, he had originally intended to ask for a few more days to think. But upon seeing her look of disappointment, a stir in his heart made him unconsciously blurt out those words. A faint wave of regret followed immediately after the words left his mouth, but seeing Xianglan's radiant joy now, he suddenly felt that marrying Xianglan like this wasn't such a bad thing after all—countless scholars from humble backgrounds married their rustic wives and still climbed the ranks step by step. Song Ke was no less capable than anyone else; relying on his own strength, he would certainly carve out a successful career for himself.
The two smiled at each other. Just as Xianglan was about to tell him about her past-life memories, she heard Douzi whispering from outside the front gate, "Eldest Master, Chen Auntie is about to come back out from the neighbor's house."
Song Ke hurriedly said, "I'm leaving first. I'll come back in a few days." With that, he pulled the door open and slipped away.
A smile played at the corners of Xianglan's lips. She plucked a wild rose blossom, tucked it into her hair, and hummed a tune as she walked back into the room, though we will leave her be for the moment.
Meanwhile, Song Ke rode his horse back to the Song residence. As soon as he stepped through the gates, he saw Juanhua waiting to invite him to Aunt Song's quarters. The moment Aunt "Song laid eyes on him, she blurted out, "Where on earth did you run off to just now? Come over here quickly—you've been out of the house for so long, and I have several matters to discuss with you."
Song Ke sat down and asked, "What matters?"
Aunt Song smiled warmly and said, "Xianjie from the Duke of Xian's household—you've met her before. What do you think of her?"
Song Ke was taken aback.
Aunt Song continued, "When you placed on the imperial roll this time, the Duke of Xian's household went out of their way to send over a wealth of congratulatory gifts. Their lady mother and grand-aunt came as well, praising you to the skies. Between the lines, the grand-aunt hinted at this very possibility, and the Duke of Xian is also quite fond of you. If you are interested, we can directly invite a matchmaker to their doorstep, and I guarantee a single word will seal the match." Zheng Baiyuan had originally looked down on Song Ke entirely, but Zheng Jingxian pestered him day in and day out with childish cooing and spoiling, endlessly praising Song Ke's virtues. Now that Song Ke had successfully placed as a jinshi, Zheng Baiyuan saw that such a young man possessed extraordinary prospects and considered him a moldable talent who could eventually elevate and protect his family's status. Coupled with his deep indulgence toward Zheng Jingxian—knowing how proud and haughty she was, and that ordinary men could never catch her eye—he tacitly gave his internal approval now that she had finally taken a liking to someone with a promising future.
Song Ke lowered his head. After a long silence, he raised his face and said, "Miss Zheng is still a child at heart, and she remains somewhat willful and self-indulgent. I am not very fond of her."
Aunt Song said offhandedly, "Oh, pshaw! Reared daughters inevitably have a bit of a temper, which is only natural. You can slowly guide and teach her in the future. I think she's quite nice, well-read, and proper."
Song Ke said gravely, "Mother, have you forgotten those days when it was just the two of us—an isolated mother and orphan? The moment my father died, people grew cold and distant; the Duke of Xian didn't even bother to send a proper burial, and when I went to seek his help regarding the division of our family estate, he wouldn't even grant me an audience. With such old grievances standing between us, I truly cannot marry his daughter."
Hearing Song Ke put it this way, Aunt Song's enthusiasm deflated, and she sighed, "Ah, what you say makes sense, too. I just thought Xianjie was a good match, and her family background is prestigious..."
Song Ke softened his tone and said, "As the saying goes, 'Marry a wife from a humble background, but marry a daughter into a higher one.' If we brought a daughter-in-law from such a high lineage into our home, Mother wouldn't even dare order her around—wouldn't she end up being enshrined like an imperial concubine instead?"
Aunt Song chuckled. "What would I need to order her around for? As long as the two of you live happily together, I'd gladly be a beast of burden for you." Seeing that Song Ke was unresponsive to the idea, she felt a trace of internal disappointment, figuring she would slowly persuade him later on. Pausing, she continued, "There is another matter. Once the first month passed, a matchmaker came to our door to propose marriage for Tan'jie. The suitor is Wu Liang, the only son of Wu Youwei, the Zhejiang Regional Inspector. Since it's the family of a Regional Inspector, it sounds extremely prestigious. But when I discreetly asked the inner-quarters matrons of the Lin family, they all advised me to look closely at his character. After all, since it's our family's private affair, they couldn't speak too bluntly, but seeing how evasive their words were has left me feeling rather uneasy... Later on, that Wu Liang paid a visit to our house and even brought along a generous assortment of gifts. While I noticed he wasn't particularly tall, he looked respectable and spirited, and his tongue was exceedingly sweet, which made me worry he might be slippery and insincere... I heard their family is planning to purchase an official title for him, and he himself claimed to own fields and lands, live in a three-courtyard residence, and possess a sizable garden."
Song Ke pondered for a moment before saying, "The Zhejiang Regional Inspector holds a minor official rank, but he wields substantial real power and can report directly to the Throne. The family background is indeed prestigious. However, since Wu Liang's character remains unknown, I will have someone look into him and inquire about his reputation."
Aunt Song nodded repeatedly.
The next day, Song Ke went to pay a visit to the Lin residence. After greeting his elders, he sat down to drink tea with Lin Jingting. Amidst their banter, the topic of Wu Liang's marriage proposal came up. Lin Jingting laughed and said, "So Wu Liang has been stirred by mortal desires and actually proposed to your family! That fellow has always lived a life adrift among flowers; setting his sights on your cousin is the first time he's ever shown any discernment."
Upon hearing this, Song Ke knitted his brows and asked, "'Lived a life adrift among flowers'—what is that supposed to mean?"
Lin Jingting explained, "It means he has a rather romantic reputation. He has kept a few courtesans and mistresses in the pleasure quarters, and he's quite fond of drinking and gambling. Yet he's by no means a mediocre fool—his mind is fiercely sharp. Don't let his father's slightly pedantic air fool you; Wu Liang himself is exceptionally skilled at accumulating wealth. He uses his father's banner to rake in vast sums of silver and has managed to grease palms at every level. Not long ago, they arrested a salt smuggler who should have at worst faced exile. Somehow, that smuggler managed to hook up with Wu Liang, who was ruthless enough to demand nearly half the man's entire household estate as a bribe. After working the channels above and below, guess what happened? Within a couple of days, that salt smuggler was back home, having found some unfortunate scapegoat to take the fall. Though that scapegoat had also dabbled in petty salt smuggling, who could have expected him to be dragged into such a colossal disaster? His family bankrupted themselves trying to save him, but he was ultimately forced into a confession under torture and exiled to Zhangzhou, bringing the case to a close."
Song Ke's face darkened as he said, "This is outrageous! Does Wu Liang have any regard for heavenly principles or national law? A toad trying to swallow swan meat—with a character like that, we absolutely cannot marry my sister to him! Otherwise, not only would my mother and sister resent me for the rest of my lives, but becoming relatives with such a person would be utterly shameful. He has not an ounce of capability, yet his belly is filled with malicious schemes. A dissolute, arrogant prodigal would be one thing, but using his father as a grand banner to engage in corruption, violate the law, and commit crimes means he'll inevitably crash and burn one day. As the saying goes, 'A son's misbehavior is the father's fault'; to think his own father actually indulges him."
Lin Jingting replied, "Wu Youwei had this son late in life, and the whole family dotes on him like the apple of their eye, so even if he wanted to discipline him, he couldn't bear to... Furthermore, Wu Youwei is swamped with official duties, and Wu Liang is adept at sweet-talking and putting on a good front, so his father probably has no idea what kind of wicked deeds he's committing outside. Yifei, if you reject him, be sure to find a polite and tactful excuse; the man is petty and vindictive, so let's avoid making an enemy of him."
Song Ke smiled. "I understand. Thank you for telling me the honest truth." After exchanging a few more words, he took his leave. Later on, he dismissed the proposal by claiming that Song Chai was still too young and that he, as her brother, had not yet married, meaning she could not be wedded ahead of him—thus turning down the Wu family.
The matter should have ended there. However, while they were drinking tea in the study that day, Lin Jingting's page-boy, Lu'er, had been serving tea nearby and overheard the conversation between the two men. Lu'er was a loose-lipped fellow. Later on, after getting drunk outside, he recounted the whole story with exaggerated embellishments to others. At the time, it was just shared as idle amusement, but who could have guessed the gossip would spread, twisting through various channels until it finally reached Wu Liang's ears? Wu Liang instantly flew into a rage, thinking to himself, "Ah, so it's you, Song Ke—just a minor official who barely passed the jinshi exams! What do you mean by a 'toad trying to swallow swan meat'? How dare you openly show contempt for me, Master Wu, and go around spreading such disgraceful rumors everywhere? Just wait until I catch an opportunity to fix you; I'll teach you what my methods are truly like!" From then on, he secretly harbored a grudge.
To keep the narrative brief, we shall skip the minor details.
When Song Ke returned home, he had spent the first few days consumed by social obligations and finalizing the sale of their properties, while secretly pondering how to broach the topic of Xianglan to Aunt Song. Just as he was buried to his ears in work, another complication arose. It turned out that Song Ke had intended to sell an estate they owned in Jinling. The buyer, a man named Li Jia, had already agreed upon a price, but for reasons of his own, Li Jia went back on his word and stubbornly insisted on purchasing it at a heavily discounted rate. Naturally, the Song family refused to sell at such terms. Li Jia came over to make a scene, throwing tantrums and rolling around on the ground, until a verbal dispute broke out during which the Song family steward accidentally injured Li Jia in the scuffle. Song Ke promptly ordered gifts to be prepared and sent someone to visit and check on him. Once Li Jia received the compensation and favors, he quieted down.
The incident should have blown over as a minor storm. But who could have anticipated that within a few days, malicious rumors began circulating outside, claiming that Song Ke "exercised lax supervision, allowed his arrogant servants to stir up trouble," and "relied on power and influence to oppress the common folk"? Assuming it was simply idle gossip stirred up by bored troublemakers, but mindful that the rumors were damaging his reputation, Song Ke personally prepared gifts and went to visit Li Jia's household. However, Li Jia slammed the door in Song Ke's face, repeatedly proclaiming to anyone who would listen how innocent he allegedly was.
What shocked Song Ke even more was that this incident actually provoked the imperial censors into submitting memorials impeaching him, calling out his behavior as "drunken with success and unworthy of heavy responsibilities." Song Ke had no deep-rooted connections in the imperial court to begin with, and his young age at achieving the jinshi degree had already stoked the envy and jealousy of countless rivals. Consequently, a horde of ghouls and goblins suddenly crawled out of the woodwork, seizing the moment to kick him while he was down. Naturally, there were upright men of justice in the court who spoke up in Song Ke's defense, but there were also those with ulterior motives who used the situation to strike at their political opponents. For a time, this minor domestic dispute spread like wildfire, growing increasingly intense by the day.