Chapter 72: Blame Him
Song Hemei's pupils trembled; for a moment, she couldn't process his meaning.
What did she mean, how did she know she didn't have the ability?
What ability? That if she pleaded with him a little, he might show mercy?
But this was an offense against the law. How could it be up to him to decide?
Song Hemei steadied her mind and replied coldly, "Is Lord Yu deliberately toying with me?"
Yu Yeqing felt his heart jolt under her stare. Impulse and reason were locked in an unresolved battle. He didn't know what answer he could give her right now. The only answer he could give was, "I have no intention of toying with you."
His chest felt tight and bitter. In the end, he couldn't suppress the words. "Is it because, in your heart, I am certain to kill him? That's why you never thought I might show leniency because of you?"
He spoke with such seriousness, emotions churning in his eyes, that it gave Song Hemei a feeling of being scorched by his words.
He seemed to be blaming her, but not for old grievances or new hatred. There was a strange kind of petulance in it.
Petulance… that sort of thing, which had nothing to do with him, had bizarrely appeared in her mind.
Song Hemei opened her mouth, thrown off-kilter by the thought. "Since you are carrying out your official duties impartially, why would I think about discussing personal sentiment with you? What ability do I have? An ability to change the law?"
She stared at the man before her, bewildered, feeling that both his words and his tone carried an elusive quality.
Having said this, Song Hemei was the first to look away. "Can I go in now?"
Yu Yeqing's breath grew heavier. His hand instinctively lifted, but there was no place it was authorized to fall.
Catching the movement from the corner of her eye, Song Hemei turned her head back, her gaze landing on his hand. She asked, puzzled, "Do I need to pay you silver to go in?"
Yu Yeqing lowered his eyes helplessly, curled his long fingers, and withdrew his hand.
"No need. Follow me."
He led the way, entering the prison. The jailer on duty inside heard the commotion and came forward, bowing his head and clasping his hands in greeting, calling out, "My Lord."
Yu Yeqing only acknowledged him with a grunt before continuing further in.
The weather outside was already unbearably hot and stuffy. Within this dark, damp prison, the oppressive heat was magnified tenfold.
Song Hemei had never been to such a filthy, disordered place. She knew her brother's stay here couldn't be comfortable. There was little light, and she had to focus on where she was stepping.
She had only taken a few steps when she felt something block her path. Looking up, she saw Yu Yeqing extending his arm toward her, his fist clenched.
His expression was normal, as if he saw nothing improper. But Song Hemei felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She didn't need to turn around to know the jailer at the entrance must have seen everything.
Steeling herself, she said, "Thank you for your consideration, Lord, but this breaks decorum."
The last sentence was uttered in a voice so low it was almost hissed through gritted teeth.
Yu Yeqing, however, seemed unconcerned. "It's merely a wrist and arm. It's not some other kind of entanglement. There's nothing improper about it."
Song Hemei's temple throbbed. What difference was there? Wasn't this just blatantly handing over gossip on a silver platter?
Was he truly not afraid of idle talk?
She couldn't understand how his thoughtfulness could be so ill-timed, to the point where she couldn't even stop to ponder its origin. She could only stiffly repeat, "There's no need, Lord Yu."
Yu Yeqing's arm stiffened. He gave her a deep, searching look before slowly withdrawing it.
As they resumed walking, he slowed his pace. Song Hemei followed behind him. The further they went, the stronger the stench of filth became. It made it hard for her attention to settle on Yu Yeqing, and she could only regret not bringing some clothes or food before entering.
After rounding the last corner, she could see her brother in the cell at the very end. Yu Yeqing stopped. Song Hemei understood his meaning—he was unwilling to see, and also inconvenient to see.
She gathered her skirts and walked forward alone. With every step closer, her heart sank further. When she finally stood before the cell holding her brother, she felt a sudden constriction in her chest, a wave of suffocation washing over her.
The cell was, of course, a mess of filth and chaos. Dry, withered straw covered the floor. Directly opposite was a window in the wall, no larger than the palm of a hand. Her brother sat dejectedly on a narrow, wooden plank bed. Hearing her, he looked over.
Song Yunyao focused his eyes, taking a moment to recognize the visitor. He immediately stood and rushed over. "Mei'er? Why are you here? This filthy place is no place for a young lady like you."
He gripped the wooden bars tightly, tears already welling in his eyes at the sight of his sister. "Mei'er, I don't blame you. The fact that you came to see me, I know you still care about our bond as siblings. Listen to me, go back now."
Song Hemei's heart ached. Clenching her jaw, she forcibly hardened her expression. "What should I blame me for? Something like this happens, and you want to blame me for calling you back? You're truly muddled. You are the main culprit. Haven't you heard of Heaven's net being vast? Surely you've heard the saying, 'The monk may run away, but the temple can't.' If you had let yourself flee, what would you have had Mother and Father do? By the time you were caught, do you think you would have had any chance to defend yourself?"
Song Yunyao slapped the bars in agitation. "What do you know about the inside story? This matter can't possibly be investigated thoroughly! What good would my return do? Wouldn't it just be giving that Yu bastard a chance to vent his anger?"
He rested his head against the bars, his face full of regret. "Why did you have to provoke him back then? If it weren't for the things that happened in the past, how could he cling to this so tightly against me? All he'd need to do is investigate a little to know this can't be pursued. Why would I have to suffer this imprisonment?"
Song Hemei stared at him, pressing the question. "What does that mean? There's another layer to this, isn't there?"
Song Yunyao avoided the question. "Mei'er, just don't ask. Knowing too much won't do you any good. Rest assured, the bigger this gets, the harder it will be for that Yu bastard to wrap it up. Just wait for him to lift a rock only to drop it on his own foot. However he threw me in here, that's how he'll have to let me out!"
The more he spoke, the more alarming it became.
If he had shown fear or terror, it might just have been an unspeakable secret he had to keep.
But his current air of brazen confidence, as if he had nothing to fear, was the most suspicious thing. It suggested he was deeply embroiled in this affair. The deeper the entanglement, the more someone would protect him. And the deeper the guilt.
Song Hemei's heart was trembling. Lowering her voice, she said, "Have you lost your mind? What exactly have you gotten involved in? Are you truly not afraid of dragging the entire Song family down with you? Father's health has been poor, and Mother is getting on in years. Do you really want them to live in fear and worry because of you?"
Song Yunyao's face was full of distress. "Mei'er, it's useless even if you know. All we can do now is wait. Do you think I really wanted to take such a risk? Back then, I had no choice. Could I really use the Song family to fill a bottomless pit? The horses exist every day! It takes silver for their keep, silver for their fodder, silver for the land to keep them. Relying on selling them one by one, when would that ever be enough?"
He waved his sleeve dismissively. "The people who bought the horses are people of our dynasty. The territory where they were sold was within our borders. What has the identity of the person who passed them on to another got to do with me? Let that Yu Yeqing investigate if he has the ability! I want to see how long he can swagger after offending someone he shouldn't. Let me be clear with you: control your mouth, and you control your life!"
Song Hemei was so angry she laughed. "Stop spouting those delusional words. If you did it for the Song family, why didn't I see you put the silver you earned into the public accounts? How did it find its way into your private coffers? You're in a prison cell now! If they decide to behead you, they won't wait until after autumn. Where will your 'life' be then?"
"That's a different matter. If the silver went into the public accounts, wouldn't that be just asking to be investigated?"
"But putting it in your private accounts still got it discovered, didn't it?"
Song Yunyao choked on her rebuttal. His voice faltered for a moment before he waved his hand helplessly. "Now isn't the time to talk about this. You should go. This place is filthy. What if you catch an illness, a young lady like you? Hurry up and leave."
Song Hemei didn't move. "Elder Brother, I'm not joking with you. If the charge of consorting with the enemy truly falls, it will drag the entire nine generations of the family into it. How can you have no concern at all?"
"I told you, it will absolutely not blow up that big. I've figured it out. That Yu Yeqing has probably already figured out this matter can't be pursued, so he's locked me up temporarily to wear me down. He'll let me go when the heat is off."
He sighed several times in a row. "You, you just had to provoke him back then, didn't you? Why couldn't you have just lived peacefully as the First Madam in the Shao family? Why did you have to bring this nemesis upon us? I think he's doing this on purpose. Still, it's fine this way. He's worn me down, vented his anger. From now on, we can all live in peace."
Song Yunyao raised his eyes to look at his sister, deeply moved. "I am your elder brother. Even though this is a debt you incurred, if I can repay it for you, that's a good thing. Let him come after me. Don't let him come after you. You're doing well in the Shao family now. You absolutely cannot let him disturb you."
Song Hemei was so angry her gums ached. No matter how much she questioned him, in the end, Song Yunyao only repeated the same few lines before insisting she leave.
Seeing her brother's stubborn, unyielding attitude, her heart grew cold by half. Fuming, she said, "Fine! Stay just like this then. When our entire family is on the road to the Yellow Springs, we'll teach you to keep a low profile and mind your own business in your next life."
Furious, she spun around and left, not sparing her brother another glance. But just as she rounded the corner, she saw Yu Yeqing standing to the side with his arms crossed. Her anger deflated instantly.
She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
He must have heard everything her brother said. Those stubborn, unrepentant words, along with the slander, would surely deepen his grudge against her brother.
Yu Yeqing still wore that same cold, icy expression. He only uttered two words: "Follow me."
He turned and left. Song Hemei hurried to keep up. This time, he didn't consider her, walking much faster than when they had entered.
Song Hemei's heart sank deeper and deeper.
It was over. He must be angry.
She followed him all the way out of the prison, but he didn't say where they were going. Song Hemei could only keep following. Once they stepped onto the covered corridor, she bit her lip and tentatively spoke. "Lord Yu, my brother was arrogant, but you must have been able to tell. He was only thinking of selling horses. He definitely didn't participate in the rest. Is there any way to handle his case with discretion?"
Yu Yeqing's steps halted. He turned around abruptly.
Song Hemei stopped immediately, but instinctively took half a step back from the chill emanating from him.
Yu Yeqing said coldly, "Discretion? There have been cases in history where those who consort with the enemy had their entire clan—up to the tenth generation—executed."
Song Hemei anxiously protested, "But he wasn't the mastermind in this matter. How could the sentence be so harsh? Moreover, the entire Song clan is innocent…"
"Why do you think he's still alive?"
Yu Yeqing lowered his eyes, staring intently at her. It made her breath catch. "Why?"
A buzzing filled her ears for a moment. Then, his hoarse voice reached her ears.
"If you weren't involved, do you think he would still have his life?"
"Song Hemei."
It was as if he was calling her name for the very first time. Every syllable, steeped and filtered through his throat, seemed to send uncontrollable tremors and thrills through her.
His Adam's apple bobbed. His voice carried a stubbornness born of helplessness. "You cannot blame me."
Get instant access to all chapters now.
Post a Comment