bestfiction Chapter 851 A Matter of Stamping
Chapter 851 A Matter of Stamping
Song Ruier knew that Ji Changsheng was afraid. Those sons of high-ranking families all said that he had offended the Princess Zhenguo, and the Princess Zhenguo would not let him off. Qiao Lian'er was a favorite of the Emperor. Even if their family had a century-old foundation, they would not dare to easily oppose her, and there was no need for them to have such a powerful enemy as Qiao Lian'er for his sake.
He sneered inwardly. These people, who used to act as if they were willing to go through fire and water for him, had all turned into cowards now, including Ji Changsheng, who was no better.
After finding a teahouse and taking a seat, Ji Changsheng felt uneasy, as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
"Brother Pang, I heard you haven't been doing well lately."
Song Ruier sighed: "What else can we do? Everyone thinks that Princess Zhenguo has a problem with me and keeps her distance from me, but that's not the case."
"Could there be another hidden story behind this?" Ji Changsheng quickly asked.
He still regarded Song Ruier as his savior and as a friend.
However, with the Princess Zhenguo gaining power, he had to avoid suspicion for the sake of his family.
"My hand was accidentally poisoned. I heard that Princess Zhenguo was very capable, so I begged her to heal my hand. However, I didn't know her well, and she was unwilling to help. That's why the scene on the street that day happened. I never expected that people would spread rumors and make it sound like this."
“Brother Ji, think about it. I am just a student who has worked hard to pass the civil service exam. Everyone can see that I am buried in my studies all day long. How could I possibly have any grudge against Princess Zhenguo? She is a favorite of the Emperor. If I offend her, wouldn’t I be asking for trouble?”
"Brother Pang, are you telling the truth? Oh dear, if that's the case, why don't you explain it to everyone?"
Song Ruier raised his right hand: "Everyone is keeping their distance from me, not only because of the misunderstanding between me and the Princess Zhenguo, but also because my right hand is crippled, and they all think I have no future."
"However, I think that since I saved Brother Ji's life, things are a little different. Fortunately, Brother Ji is willing to see me."
Ji Changsheng sighed.
"With Brother Pang's perseverance and intelligence, I believe that even if his right hand becomes useless, he will still find a way to make a living in the future."
As he spoke, he took out several silver notes from his sleeve and placed them in front of Song Ruier. These silver notes were either worth five thousand taels or ten thousand taels.
“Brother Pang, even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have remembered this kindness. Now that you are in a bad situation, I should do something. Please accept this small token of my appreciation.”
If it were anyone else in this situation, seeing these 100,000 taels of silver notes, it would be impossible not to be tempted.
But for Song Ruier, what he will be able to get in the future is far more than just 100,000 taels.
Moreover, his hatred for Qiao Lian'er cannot be dissolved even a little by this amount of 100,000 taels.
Therefore, he looked at the 100,000 taels of silver without being moved, and instead pushed it in front of Ji Changsheng.
"Brother Ji, I didn't call you here this time to ask you for this."
"That Brother Pang was doing this for—"
"Actually, I felt very uneasy after disturbing Princess Zhenguo that day. I kept thinking about what I could do to make amends and improve her impression of me," Song Ruier said.
"However, Princess Zhenguo is very busy with her affairs, and I am just a nobody, so it is not appropriate for me to go and bother her. Therefore, I plan to do something for her in private."
Ji Changsheng was stunned.
"Just yesterday, Princess Zhenguo's relatives from her hometown on the southern border came to visit. The whole family had suffered a misfortune and fallen on hard times. They originally wanted to go to Princess Zhenguo, but were afraid of appearing abrupt. They happened to meet me, which I think is a kind of fate. After thinking it over, I decided to first settle them down as relatives, and then have the Bureau of Settlement take them to see Princess Zhenguo so that their family could be reunited. In this way, I can offer my heartfelt wishes and hope to dispel Princess Zhenguo's prejudice against me."
Ji Changsheng finally understood.
Think back to when Pang You saved him, showing such righteousness. Now he's settling relatives for Princess Zhenguo. It's not just about currying favor with Princess Zhenguo; it's probably also because he has a kind heart.
He couldn't help but sigh, "It has to be someone like Brother Pang who, even when he's not doing well, maintains his enthusiasm and kindness. I feel really guilty. I shouldn't have been avoiding Brother Pang these days; I should have been the first to offer him help in his time of need."
His eyes reddened as he spoke.
Seeing that Ji Changsheng was completely under her control, Song Ruier thought to herself that a fool is indeed a fool, completely unguarded, and didn't let him waste too much of his breath.
"I considered it carefully before coming to see Brother Ji, for fear of putting you in a difficult position."
Ji Changsheng waved his hand: "This is doing good deeds and accumulating merit. There's no trouble at all. It just so happens that my father is a physician in the Department of Establishment and Management. He can decide and arrange these matters. I'll talk to my father and ask him to give me the relevant information about this family. It will be settled very quickly."
Song Ruier revealed a somewhat mysterious smile: "Actually, the Ji family also deserves credit for helping the Duke of Zhenguo accomplish these things, and they might even benefit from it."
Ji Changsheng said, "This is my way of helping Brother Pang solve his problems. As for any benefits, they are just icing on the cake. It's good if there are any, but it doesn't matter if there aren't."
As they parted, Ji Changsheng still slipped ten thousand taels of silver into Song Ruier's purse.
Song Ruier is currently short of money. With this 10,000 taels, he no longer needs to painstakingly use the abacus, which takes up a lot of his time. Instead, he can focus on the palace examination.
So after pretending to refuse twice, I finally accepted it.
Upon seeing the Song family again, Song Ruier recorded all their relevant information in a book, including their place of origin, age, appearance, and the reason for their arrival in the capital, before handing it over to Ji Changsheng.
He stopped halfway through his journey.
No, Ji Changsheng is easy to deal with, but Ji Changsheng's father is a serious and old-fashioned man, and I'm afraid it will arouse his suspicion.
Song Ruier bribed several people to guard the road that Ji Langzhong always took when he finished his duties. When Ji Langzhong's carriage passed by, the men rushed up and overturned it. Ji Langzhong fell to the ground and was seriously injured.
When I saw Ji Changsheng again, he looked worried and troubled.
"Oh, Brother Pang, my father was suddenly attacked by villains and is now bedridden with injuries. I'm afraid this matter will be delayed. Why don't you wait a few days?"
Song Ruier also appeared very anxious.
"But that family has nowhere to stay now, they are wandering in the capital, unfamiliar with the place and people, and they are in a hurry to settle down. I also promised them that I would get things done today."
"Then, what should we do?" Ji Changsheng was filled with unease, unable to keep his promise.
“Brother Ji, how about this, you go to the yamen and use Doctor Ji’s seal to stamp it, it’s just a matter of doing it sooner or later anyway,” Song Ruier said.