Li Tianchong's eyes revealed a trace of weariness as he closed them, turning authoritative again when he opened them.
"You haven't offended her, have you?"
Li Zien looked up, his expression somewhat startled, not expecting his father to care about this.
He shook his head in reply. "No, I haven't. Last time we met at Sweet Snow Pavilion, I even treated her to quite a few pastries and tea."
After all, she was someone the Emperor had decreed to reward. Even if he was displeased inwardly, he wouldn't show it openly.
Li Tianchong gave a satisfied, slight nod.
"Good that you haven't offended her. The Emperor issued a decree rewarding Song Jinzhao, and she has also gained face in front of the Duke of Qing and Prefect Meng. Such a person is not only someone we must not provoke, but someone we should actively seek to win over."
"If one day her brother passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, he could become an asset to us. It's only business within Anyang Prefecture; losing a few thousand taels of silver is not a major issue."
Li Zien frowned. "Father, aren't you thinking too far ahead? Song Qiming hasn't even passed the county-level exam yet."
Li Tianchong's brow furrowed in displeasure. "If you were more capable, I wouldn't need to think about winning over others."
"Right now, all our reliance is on your sister. If there is no one from our Li family in the imperial court, even if the Second Prince ascends the throne one day and your sister gives birth to a prince, how could he reach the supreme position without support from his maternal family? A throne cannot be bought with money alone."
Li Zien lowered his head in sullen silence. "I just think that trying to win over Song Qiming is less effective than sponsoring some poor students studying at Anyang Academy. His sister is very clever and has her own principles; she's not someone who can be swayed by money."
Li Tianchong's face darkened. "I'm telling you to build good relations with them, not to buy them off. Can't you learn to win people's hearts?"
In a sudden flash of inspiration, Li Zien looked up, his eyes gleaming.
"Father, what if I take Song Jinzhao as a concubine? Once she becomes part of our Li family, both the business and the honors bestowed by the Emperor would belong to us."
Li Tianchong's fingers, which had been tapping the table, stopped. He let out a cold laugh. "Don't say concubine; I'm afraid even a position as your principal wife wouldn't be enough to tempt her."
Li Zien shot to his feet. "Father, how can you say that about me? I do hold the rank of Scholar, our family is immensely wealthy, we're related to the imperial family, and I'm considered quite handsome and dashing. How could Song Jinzhao possibly look down on me?"
Li Tianchong stood up, clenching his fist. "Do as you please. Just don't offend anyone. Those who achieve great things don't get bogged down in minor details. Your vision cannot be limited to money alone; you must also see power."
It seemed he had worried too much. His son probably didn't have the nerve to sabotage Song Qiming during the academy exams just to force Song Jinzhao to leave Anyang Prefecture.
The window was open. Raindrops pattered noisily on the loquat leaves, waking Song Jinzhao from her sleep in bed.
She got up and went to close the window, but then heard the sound of splintering wood and a crash from the neighboring courtyard.
She paused, listening. A strained, muffled sob came through.
Song Jinzhao's eyebrow arched slightly. She picked up an umbrella and leaped onto the top of the courtyard wall.
A large window near the small pond had been smashed, a big hole torn in it, half collapsed.
A man in cyan underclothes lay sprawled on the ground, struggling to drag himself forward across the slippery stone tiles.
White hair, crippled legs—it was Ye Liangyu.
With great difficulty, he crawled to the edge of the small pond, carefully cupped a koi carp from the ground, and placed it back into the water.
Soaked to the skin, his hair dripping wet, pushing his crippled legs to crawl on the ground—all to save a single fish!
Raindrops dripped from Ye Liangyu's eyelashes. He stared blankly at the koi he had just released into the pond; the fish had already sunk beneath the surface.
In the flickering light, only a faint yellowish shadow was visible.
Song Jinzhao stared at that aged, frail figure. He reminded her of modern patients with terminal illnesses—some desperately wanting to live, others unable to bear the pain and wishing to die.
Yet, Ye Liangyu, who seemed to have a heart as still as death on the surface, actually still wanted to live.
That fish, in his heart, was himself. That's why he would go to such lengths, looking so wretched and disregarding his own injuries to save it.
Song Jinzhao turned and jumped down from the wall. In his current state, he probably wouldn't want to be seen.
A loud plop, water splashing everywhere.
A sharp glint flashed in her eyes. Song Jinzhao threw aside her umbrella and vaulted back onto the wall.
The figure that had been lying by the pond was gone. All she could see was a cyan form churning up and down in the water. After two cries for help, it sank beneath the surface.
The man-made pond wasn't very deep, but Ye Liangyu, with his crippled legs, couldn't stand in the water. He could only watch himself being submerged, experiencing the despair of drowning.
Song Jinzhao jumped down from the wall, ran over, and grabbed the hair floating on the water's surface.
She pulled his head above water, then seized the clothes at his shoulder and dragged him out.
Water streamed noisily from his trouser legs and sleeves. Ye Liangyu choked, coughing incessantly, his stomach full of water.
Song Jinzhao placed him on a chair in the hall. Unnoticed, his knee slammed heavily against the edge of the armrest.
Ye Liangyu's face turned deathly pale, wracked with pain that made his whole body convulse. "It hurts."
