AMLFS Chapter 71
by VolareMore than half a month after Zhao Fangye left, Song Huaixi received a letter from Hanzhou.
“Your Highness, Prince Zhao has sent a letter from Hanzhou,” Deputy General Sun announced upon entering.
When Zhao Fangye went to Hanzhou, he left Deputy General Sun behind. He also gave him a team of soldiers to protect the safety of the Song Mansion.
After all, with him gone, the eyes fixed on him would surely become restless.
This was also why he needed to seize the time to resolve the flood in Hanzhou.
The longer he stayed in Hanzhou, the more danger Song Huaixi would be in.
As soon as he heard that there was a letter from Hanzhou, Song Huaixi, who had been struggling with the words in his book, completely abandoned it.
He jumped up from the table and rushed to Deputy General Sun: “Zhao Fangye wrote to me! Give it to me quickly, I want to read it!”
Seeing his eagerness, Deputy General Sun quickly handed the letter to him.
Song Huaixi tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, but he encountered a problem.
It was true that he had attended the academy for a few days, but he didn’t know many words.
Holding the letter, Song Huaixi handed it back to Deputy General Sun.
His expectant eyes looked at him, urging, “I can’t understand it, Deputy General Sun, read it to me.”
Deputy General Sun hesitated.
This was a letter from the Prince to the Prince Consort, how could he read it? But unable to resist Song Huaixi’s expectant gaze, he unfolded the letter and began to read.
As soon as his eyes fell on the letter, Deputy General Sun calmed down.
Zhao Fangye had even considered that Song Huaixi couldn’t read. He specifically instructed the person who saw this letter to only report the good news and not the bad.
The language in the letter was brief.
The language of the letter was concise, and a short passage was mostly about Zhao Fangye’s concern and instructions for Song Huaixi.
The rest was to say something about the current situation in Hanzhou, telling Song Huaixi that he would return as soon as possible.
After Deputy General Sun finished reading, he could feel even more deeply how much his Prince cared for and loved the Prince Consort.
When the voice stopped, Song Huaixi listened intently as if he was still waiting for the next part.
“That’s it, Your Highness,” Deputy General Sun said, handing the letter back to him.
Song Huaixi didn’t take it, pushing the letter back to him. He sat next to him, propping his face up with his hands, and asked, “Can you read it again?”
During the days when he couldn’t see Zhao Fangye, only this letter could bring him a few words of comfort.
Song Huaixi missed the sound of him holding him gently and speaking to him.
The words on the letter all turned into instructions in his ear.
Deputy General Sun certainly wouldn’t refuse, and he read it again.
Then, he read it again and again.
Deputy General Sun felt his mouth was dry from reading, and he could almost recite the contents of the letter backward.
Only then was Song Huaixi finally satisfied and carefully put the letter away.
In the following days, Song Huaixi’s mood visibly improved.
The Song family was a little surprised, and only understood when they learned that he had received a letter from Zhao Fangye.
At the dinner table, Lin Rugui teased him: “Ever since our Huaixi entered the Prince’s Mansion, my words don’t work anymore. With the Prince’s letter, our listless Huaixi immediately perked up. It’s true that once a child grows up, they won’t stay with their parents.”
Everyone laughed, and Song Huaixi could feel that everyone was teasing him. He also laughed along.
Seeing that his spirits were better, everyone was relieved.
Zhao Qiongwan also took the opportunity to say, “Huaixi, you’ve been cooped up in the mansion for more than half a month. How about going out to stroll the streets with your sister-in-law tomorrow?”
“Okay!” Song Huaixi nodded and agreed without hesitation.
Seeing him agree so quickly, Lin Rugui smiled and said, “Oh, the Prince’s words are indeed extraordinary.”
Song Huaixi silently recalled the letter Zhao Fangye wrote to him, Zhao Fangye said to take good care of himself and to be happy.
Of course, he would do as he was told.
The next day, Song Huaixi boarded the carriage with Zhao Qiongwan.
Spring was gradually coming, and the streets were gradually becoming lively.
Song Huaixi wore a tender green robe made of fine brocade, his hair was not tied up, but held up with a white jade hairpin. A colorful small sachet hung from his waist.
Paired with his childish face, he looked like a delicate and handsome young man.
Deputy General Sun led his men to protect the carriage, in case anything unexpected happened.
Zhao Qiongwan and Song Huaixi strolled on the bustling street, wanting to see all kinds of novel things.
Zhao Qiongwan saw a stall making sugar figures ahead, and pulled Song Huaixi forward.
She said to the vendor, “Shopkeeper, make a little rabbit for my younger brother.”
“Alright, you watch!”
The shopkeeper skillfully scooped up a spoonful of sugar syrup and quickly outlined the shape of a rabbit on the chopping board, then gently picked it up with a bamboo skewer, and a lively and lovely little rabbit was made.
Song Huaixi watched with rapt attention and couldn’t help but clap his hands and cheer.
Zhao Qiongwan smiled and paid the money, handing the little rabbit to Song Huaixi, saying, “Here you go, I remember you were born in the year of the Rabbit, right?”
“Yes, thank you, sister-in-law! It’s so pretty!” Song Huaixi carefully took the sugar rabbit, his heart full of joy.
The two continued to stroll the streets, having fun when suddenly a large group of soldiers rushed towards them on the street.
Zhao Qiongwan quickly pulled Song Huaixi behind her.
“Sister-in-law, what are they doing?” Holding the sugar painting, Song Huaixi asked, looking at the group of soldiers.
Zhao Qiongwan frowned, some past events flashed through her mind. Her expression was disgusted: “Just a bunch of lackeys.”
Looking in the direction of the group, Zhao Qiongwan felt inexplicably panicked. She said to Song Huaixi, “Huaixi, are you tired? Let’s go back.”
Nodding, Song Huaixi didn’t want to play anymore and obediently replied, “Okay.”
Before the carriage reached the Song Mansion, a burst of noise came. Deputy General Sun led his men and saw soldiers entering and exiting the Song Mansion in the distance.
His eyelids twitched violently, and he thought to himself that things were bad.
He immediately ordered: “Immediately turn the carriage around and escort the Prince Consort back to the Prince’s Mansion!”
Hearing the noise, Zhao Qiongwan leaned out and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Before Deputy General Sun could answer, two soldiers immediately stepped forward: “Who is it? Get out of the carriage! We are arresting a traitor, get out of the carriage and accept the inspection!”
“Impudent!” Deputy General Sun went up and kicked the person in the chest.
“Are you blind? This is the carriage of the Ning Prince Consort. How dare you, you dog slave, swagger around here!”
When the two soldiers heard that it was the carriage of the Ning Prince Consort, and saw the soldiers around them, they showed disdain in their eyes. But they had no choice but to submit: “This little one’s eyes are blind, I didn’t know it was the Prince Consort’s carriage.”
In a few words, Zhao Qiongwan vaguely guessed what was going on.
She lifted the curtain, her voice trembling: “What did you just say? Arresting a traitor! What exactly is going on! Speak!”
The two didn’t know that this woman was from the Song Mansion, and seeing her in the Prince Consort’s carriage, they told the truth.
“Song Zigen, colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. The Emperor ordered the arrest of the entire Song family and sent them to the Ministry of Punishments for trial.”