It is true, as Mr Xu Er said, that the Minister of Household is an old fox, and even though he has much resentment against the old man in his heart, he has done a good job on the surface.
After welcoming the two men into the parlour, he ordered his servants to serve tea and asked, “What do you want to do today, old man?”
The old gentleman had always been a puritan, and had no involvement with any official in the dynasty, let alone going to that official’s house.
“This is ……”, the old gentleman opened the door, “the emperor has transferred Song Si to the Ministry of the Household, as the minister of the Household, I brought him here today, because I want the Shang Shu Lord to look after him in the future for my sake. ”
The Minister of Household was slightly stunned, “When did this happen, how come I didn’t know?”
He was the Minister of the Household, so he would be the first to know if there was a transfer of staff, but he had not received any news so far.
“Just after Song Si and Yue Er donated silver to the Ministry of War.”
It dawned on the Minister of Household.
After Song Si and Song Wan Yue had donated a million taels of silver, all the people were speculating how the Emperor would reward them, but there had been no news from the palace, but it turned out that Song Si had been reassigned to be the Minister of Household, which was Wen Zhong’s original position.
When he thought of Wen Zhong, the Minister of Household Affairs thought of his first daughter, who lived with his two children in a separate compound outside the city. He looked at Song Si for a few moments, speculating on the emperor’s intention to transfer someone else to the Household Department, but said, “You don’t need to make a personal trip for such a small matter, just send someone over to tell me, and I will naturally take care of it.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
“You’re welcome, old man, Song Si is the top scholar of this school, with his knowledge, I will also look up to him.”
The old gentleman nodded his head, “Song Si, don’t thank Lord Shang Shu yet.”
Song Si got up and gave a big salute.
The Minister of the Household Department gave him a dignified virtual support, “In future, if you encounter anything in the Household Department, or if there is anything you don’t understand, just ask me, we are also considered family, don’t be polite.”
“Thank you very much, Your Excellency.”
……
The Minister of Household personally saw the two out, and after watching them get into the carriage, he turned around and went back, his face sinking. Back then, when Wen Zhong was still appreciated by the old gentleman, he hadn’t seen the old gentleman come and give himself a gift for him, but now he was just a relative who had turned the corner, and the old gentleman would amble over and bring him personally.
“Come, men!”
The butler came over.
“Throw the things they brought today into the street!”
The steward answered, called out to two underlings, went to the parlour, picked up the things on the table and threw them out into the street outside the side door.
Naturally, the old gentleman and Song Si did not know all this had happened after they had left and returned home in the carriage.
Song Wangyue was happily fiddling with her sleeve arrows.
The old gentleman could see at a glance that it was the same set Xu Yan had built back then and said with a smile, “This is your uncle’s treasured possession, it seems he lost.”
“It’s not just a loss, it’s a terrible loss.”
Xu Yan said this, but the smile in his eyes could not be concealed.
He inherited his chess skills from the old man and few people had beaten him, yet Yue’er had beaten him in a quarter of an hour, more than a prodigy.
“Oh?”
“It didn’t take a quarter of an hour.”
The old gentleman was astonished, Yue had won in a quarter of an hour? So, this girl used to hide her moves when she played chess with herself?
“It was uncle who lost on purpose, he just wanted to give me a sleeve arrow.”
Xu Yan was stunned, then laughed, “You, girl, are really good at giving uncle face, but uncle doesn’t appreciate this, uncle lost, so he lost.”
The old gentleman’s hands itched to hear this and immediately asked Xu Liang to set up the chessboard, “Come, girl, play a game with your great-grandfather, if you beat me within a quarter of an hour, your great-grandfather will promise you a condition.”
“Grandfather, you are purely cheating children ……”, Song Wangyue complained, “I am afraid that no one in the world can beat you in a quarter of an hour with your chess skills.
Several people in the room were amused, and even Xu Liang, who was standing at the door waiting, could not help but laugh.
“You girl ……”, the old gentleman pointed out to him with a spoiled smile, “Then it will be two quarters of an hour, no more, any more than that and grandfather will not agree to your terms.”
Song Wangyue thought seriously for a moment before nodding cautiously, “Grand great grandfather has to keep his word, as long as I win, you have to agree to whatever conditions are proposed.”
“That’s natural ……”, the old man couldn’t wait to sit down, “Come here quickly, let’s begin.”
Song Wan Yue sat over, Xu Yan and Song Si each moved a stool and sat on either side to watch.
Song Wangyue used her own chess path, and as soon as she came up, she was sharp and tight, and the old gentleman was unhurried in meeting the battle.
After a quarter of an hour had passed, the board was half full of black and white pieces, and it was impossible to see the winner.
But Song Wan Yue took a few more pieces in her hand and played with them while looking at the board, while the old man looked solemn, his eyes fixed on the board.
Song Wangyue had combined her and Gu Yi’s moves and the old gentleman was unable to understand her routine.
Seeing that two quarters of an hour were about to arrive, Song Wan Yue held the pieces in her right hand and gently dropped them, enclosing the black pieces in a circle, “I win.”
Not only the old gentleman, but also Mr Xu Er and Song Si were incredulous, both of them were sitting on the side, they didn’t even see when Song Wan Yue had formed the siege.
“Wonderful, just wonderful.”
The old gentleman was overwhelmed with praise, putting the remaining pieces in his hand into the chess box, “How can Grandfather be willing to bet and concede, tell me, what conditions do you want to propose.”
“I want to go home tomorrow.”
When Song Wangyue’s words fell, the room was silent.
The smile on the old gentleman’s face receded.
The emperor had scheduled for the fourth prince to perform the ceremony of worship on the eighth day of the first month, which was an important event, and he had to be present at that time.
“I want the Gu family to be buried early.”
When Song Wangyue’s words came out, the old man swallowed back the words he wanted to dissuade. The dead were the greatest, and the 113 members of the Gu family had not found peace after their deaths, following them to the capital.
“Let your parents accompany you back, and after the worship ceremony, I will bring Xu Liang over.”
Song Wan Yue shook her head, “You are already old and we don’t feel comfortable with only Xu Liang accompanying you.
“No!”
The old gentleman refused without thinking, she was still a child, what if she encountered danger on the way.
“I have sleeve arrows.”
“That won’t work either, either let your parents go back with you, or we can go back together after the eighth day.”
“You just said you would promise me if I won.”
“I’m backtracking now ……”, the old man was firm, “Anyway, you can’t go back alone.”
“Big brother.”
Song Wangyue turned to Song Si for help.
Knowing that she was eager to return home, Song Si thought of a solution, “It’s too dangerous for Yue’er to go back alone, I’ll go to the Ding Guo Gong and ask grandfather to send someone to escort her all the way.”