I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Madam’s expression flickered. She shared her suspicions with Princess Fuke, saying, "If there truly is a conspiracy behind this, we must be on our guard."

"I have already sent my people back to Yan City to investigate. This matter is of great importance, so naturally, I cannot take it lightly. However, based on the information I received earlier, it probably wasn’t targeting Minister Song. It’s possible it was just a coincidental, accidental fire. But as for whether there will be any ’accidents’ while transporting the tax grain to the Capital City after the fire... that’s hard to say."

Madam’s heart pounded. The Baozhuang Building incident wasn’t even over, and now something like this had happened. ’The Song family is truly having a run of bad luck this year,’ she thought. ’I must go to the temple to burn some incense another day.’

After seeing Princess Fuke off, Madam waited for the right moment to find Song Nanzhen when he returned to the manor. She explained the situation to him and concluded, "Third Brother, whether this is aimed at you or not, you must be careful."

Rage flared in Song Nanzhen. "They dare to cover up something as huge as a granary burning down? Those corrupt dogs are truly audacious! Sister-in-law, this isn’t just about the tax grain. The granary affects all the common people in that region. With it destroyed, what will the people do next year?"

The granary held the seed grain.

Madam didn’t quite understand these matters, but seeing the dark look on her third brother-in-law’s face, she asked, "What do you plan to do about this?"

"This cannot be tolerated!" Song Nanzhen declared resolutely. "I must report this to the Left and Right Ministers immediately."

"Wait." Madam stopped him. "Princess Fuke was the one who told us this. You can’t drag the Princess into it."

"Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. I know what to do." Song Nanzhen didn’t pause for a moment, turning and heading out.

An entire region’s granary, affecting thousands of common lives... How could he let these people deceive their superiors and fool those below?

Madam didn’t know if this was a good or bad development. After returning to her quarters, she immediately wrote a letter to her husband, telling him to rush back overnight.

When Old Master Song received the letter, he was already not far from the Capital City. He traveled through the night for two consecutive days and finally arrived.

Upon his return to the Capital City, Song Nanyong didn’t even have time for his wife and children. He immediately summoned his younger brother, and the two of them closed the doors to discuss the matter.

"What did the Left and Right Ministers say?" Song Nanyong asked his brother.

"Brother, the Left and Right Ministers have opposing views, and they haven’t decided on a course of action yet." Song Nanzhen was helpless. He was only the Minister of Revenue; once he reported the matter, how it was handled was not something he could interfere with.

"The Right Minister has been echoing His Majesty for the past two years, while the Left Minister operates differently. It seems the Left Minister intends to protect Yan City," Song Nanyong said.

Song Nanzhen sighed at his words. "How can he still protect those damn curs!"

"One cannot act as an official based solely on personal feelings. The fact that the local officials in Yan City are trying so hard to cover up the granary incident means there must be more to the story. Have the Left and Right Ministers sent anyone to investigate?"

"They’ve already sent people secretly from the Capital City to Yan City."

Song Nanyong let out a long sigh of relief. "In that case, you don’t need to worry about it anymore."

"But..."

"No buts!" Song Nanyong said with a firm expression. "Third Brother, you’ve already done what you can. The rest is not for you to interfere in. The Song family is already being watched in the Capital City. You must act with caution."

Song Nanzhen was simply worried for the local populace. Knowing his brother’s words were reasonable, he finally nodded. "I’ll listen to you, Brother."

’It seems I’ll have to see if I can prepare an extra supply of seed grain. If Yan City needs it, I’ll be able to provide it. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Revenue has no surplus grain. I’ll have to think of another way.’

’The officials failed in their duty, but why must the people suffer?’

After admonishing his brother, Song Nanyong didn’t stay long. He went directly back to his wife’s side, changed his clothes, and said to her, "Come with me to your family’s home."

Madam was taken aback. "At a time like this?"

"I have an important matter to consult your father about. It would be too conspicuous if I went alone."

Madam understood. "In that case, I’ll prepare some gifts for the visit. Please, sit down and rest for a moment, my lord. I’ll have everything arranged shortly."

Old Master Song nodded. "Sorry to trouble you."

Madam shot him a sideways glance. "We’ve been married for years. Why stand on ceremony?"

With that, Madam lifted the curtain and went out. Only then did Old Master Song relax his body, leaning back against a soft pillow. After rushing his journey, his old bones were indeed a bit tired.

When Madam returned after making the arrangements, she found her husband had already fallen asleep. She hesitated for a moment but still gently woke him.

Old Master Song opened his eyes and collected himself. He turned his head to look at his wife. "Are the preparations made? Let’s go then."

Madam immediately followed her husband and said, "I’ve already sent someone ahead to my family’s home to let them know we’re coming. You don’t need to rush; we can take our time getting there."

Old Master Song nodded and boarded the carriage with his wife. As it began to move, he looked at her and said, "This business in Yan City could be either a major or minor affair. The Left and Right Ministers hold opposing views. Although your father is in the Ministry of Rites, all Six Ministries work in the same environment. It’s inevitable that he could get caught in the maelstrom. I want to give him a heads-up so he can be prepared."

The couple spoke quietly, and soon they arrived at the Jiang family estate.

Madam’s elder brother was waiting for them personally outside the gate. One could not be dismissive of the newly appointed Ning’an Bo. ’Who would have thought that at her age, my own sister would become the wife of a Bo?’

Having not seen each other for many years, Old Master Song was also very happy to see his brother-in-law. The two men chatted and laughed as they entered the gate, with Madam and her sister-in-law following behind.

Old Master Song first went to pay his respects to his mother-in-law. Old Mrs. Jiang was delighted to see her son-in-law and said to him, "Your father-in-law isn’t back yet, but we’ve sent a message, so he should be here soon. Sit down and rest your feet. Your journey back to the Capital City must have been very taxing, wasn’t it? You should have rested at home for a few days before coming over."

Old Master Song held his parents-in-law in high regard. Hearing his mother-in-law’s words, he said, "I have been serving as an official away from the capital for these past few years and have had few opportunities to show my filial piety. It is a source of shame for me. I am fortunate to have your understanding."

Listening from the side, Mr. Jiang said, "Father and Mother know your intentions, so there’s no need to feel guilty. You’ve returned to the Capital City and been granted a title of nobility—this is a joyous occasion! We two brothers-in-law will have to have a good drink later."

The room was filled with a warm and happy atmosphere when Minister Jiang returned. The moment he entered, Old Master Song immediately stepped forward to bow. Minister Jiang caught his son-in-law by the arm, chuckled, and said, "It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back. Why did you come over without resting for a few days? Did you travel through the night to get here?"

After saying this, the look in Minister Jiang’s eyes changed slightly as he met his son-in-law’s gaze.

The father-in-law and son-in-law didn’t say anything else. They chatted with Old Mrs. Jiang for a while before Minister Jiang led his son-in-law to the front study, sending his son off to prepare for a banquet.

Mr. Jiang knew at a glance that his father must have something to discuss with his brother-in-law. He tactfully excused himself and went to find his wife to discuss the banquet arrangements.

Once in the study, Jiang Lun looked at his son-in-law and said directly, "Alright, out with it. What’s happened?"

Old Master Song looked up at his father-in-law. "Father, have you noticed anything different about the Left and Right Ministers these past two days?"