The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 660 - 659: The Truth About One’s Background

Chapter 660: Chapter 659: The Truth About One’s Background

Song Hong was indeed Song Chongjin’s biological father, and Song Chongjin’s mother was named Qi Huan, the daughter of the Hanlin Scholar Qi during the previous Emperor’s reign.

If the Song Family had retained the glory from when Duke Weiguo founded the country, the two families would have certainly kept to their own affairs, never interfering with each other.

However, Song Hong’s grandfather had sided with the wrong faction before the previous Emperor ascended the throne, so after his ascent, Duke Weiguo became obediently low-profile.

Every dynasty, upon its establishment, would foster the arts and devalue military accomplishments.

After dimming down their presence, the Song Family aimed to cultivate their children in the ways of scholars, thus deliberately seeking closeness with the Qi Family.

Song Hong and Qi Huan shared a childhood friendship, their relationship being particularly affectionate.

Both families were happy to bless the young lovers, having arranged a marriage early on, waiting only for Qi Huan to reach marriageable age to hold the wedding.

Unexpectedly, two months before Qi Huan’s coming-of-age ceremony, the Emperor, now old and senile, became enraged because during a court session, Scholar Qi had spoken out fairly against the Emperor’s indiscriminate killing.

The Qi Family was decimated, the male family members were exiled thousands of miles away, and the women were sold. Overnight, the Qi Family, once the most noble among the civil officials, vanished like smoke in the air.

At that time, the Song Family was not favored by the Emperor and was cautious by nature, dare not speak out against the injustice done to the Qi Family; no one in the court dared either.

They could only spend silver to make the journey of exile somewhat more bearable for the Qi Family.

Song Hong secretly bought Qi Huan from the Official Slave Department.

The Qi Family had always been sparsely populated. Qi Huan’s father was Scholar Qi’s eldest son. His wife had died early on, and after remarrying, his stepwife, during the confiscation of their home, forced Qi Huan’s father to grant her a divorce, thereby escaping disaster.

Scholar Qi had only two sons, and the younger’s wife was the daughter of a minor official; they were deeply in love. To avoid being sold into official servitude, she killed herself by running into a pillar on the spot.

The whereabouts of the remaining female family members became unknown.

Now, Qi Huan’s status was awkward. From being the Song Family’s future Wife of the Heir-Apparent, she had fallen to being an official servant, unable to properly enter the Duke Weiguo’s doors.

With no other choice, Song Hong kept Qi Huan outside, visiting her every day, comforting her, keeping her company, and bringing her news from the Song Family.

Qi Huan, who had fallen from being the pampered daughter of the Emperor to a cloud-toppling tragedy, hid outside where she could not meet anyone, and one could only imagine her heartfelt pain.

Seeing Qi Huan’s melancholy and depressed every day, Song Hong thought of ways to cheer her up, but with Qi Huan worrying about her family’s safety, not even mountains of gold and silver could lift her spirits.

Watching Qi Huan grow increasingly emaciated, he feared she might not survive much longer.

In determination, he coaxed Qi Huan, saying he would find a way to overturn the Qi Family’s verdict, to bring her relatives back from exile,

In the nearly hopeless life of Qi Huan, there finally sparked a glimmer of hope. She began to eat more and tried harder to live, knowing that only if she stayed alive was there hope for her family far away.

Once she had recovered somewhat, whether it was out of gratitude or to repay Song Hong, on the day that would have been their wedding if fate hadn’t intervened, she became the woman of Song Hong, kept in his residence without an official title or recognition.

Song Hong had always cherished Qi Huan. After they became intimate as husband and wife, his affection only deepened, spending nearly every day with her at her side rather than returning to the Duke Weiguo Mansion.

They became inseparable, reluctant to be apart even for a moment.

It was only after learning of Qi Huan’s pregnancy that things slightly improved.

The Duke Weiguo Residence, knowing Song Hong spent his days away because he was keeping Qi Huan outside, turned a blind eye to it. However, when they heard of Qi Huan’s pregnancy, they became anxious.

A child born outside the family home would be considered illegitimate. Therefore, Song Hong’s mother proposed that he take a wife, so that when his new wife entered the household, they could bring Qi Huan into the home, granting her the status of a concubine. This would sound better in reputational terms, and the child would have a status, avoiding questions and slander.

Song Hong had initially been reluctant, but he couldn’t resist his mother laying out the facts for him. Even if he was unwilling, from the day the Qi Family was raided, Qi Huan could no longer be his wife.

Rather than dragging things on, and waiting for Qi Huan to give birth before marrying another wife, which would likely make things even more unsightly.

It would be better to marry someone now with a clear family background that could help the current state of the Song Family. First, it could lend a hand to the Song Family, and it was not to mention anything else – just having someone speak a few good words for the Song Family in the imperial court was enough.

Secondly, it would also allow Qi Huan to assume a new identity and come closer to the mansion. After all, the incident of having a child without an official wife entering the door was something other meticulous families would find distasteful.

While Song Hong felt reluctant in his heart, he knew that his family was speaking the truth and was indeed thinking about him, Qi Huan, and the child in her womb.

He gritted his teeth and agreed.

Feeling guilty, he even took the extra step of visiting Qi Huan to compensate her properly.

The Song Family was known for its swift action, no sooner had the news of Song Hong getting a wife been released than matchmakers almost trampled down the Duke Weiguo Residence.

Song Hong was born handsome and charismatic, well-known in the Capital City as a dashing gentleman and the dream lover of countless young ladies.

In the past, he was betrothed, and Qi Huan was a rare beauty, the two of them were well-matched in love and appearance, which left others only to watch and make envious remarks.

Now that the Qi Family had fallen and the Song Family was looking for a wife for Song Hong, wouldn’t they grab the opportunity? Otherwise, wouldn’t Song Hong become someone else’s bargain?

Thus, the Capital City was abuzz with rare excitement.

At that moment, the child in Qi Huan’s womb was about four or five months along. Worried Qi Huan might find out he was getting married, Song Hong strictly ordered the residents in the outer house not to mention a word in front of Qi Huan, to let her rest and nourish the fetus in peace.

Before long, the Song Family had decided on Lady Gao, the daughter of County Monarch Rongyi, as his wife.

The two families quickly settled the matter and then prepared for the wedding.

Naturally, Song Hong’s visits to Qi Huan became much less frequent. He pacified Qi Huan, saying that for the Qi Family’s sake, he had to hustle outside.

Qi Huan had no suspicion and was instead filled with anticipation.

For a while, seeing Qi Huan’s trust, Song Hong actually felt even more guilty and became increasingly reluctant to see her.

Using wedding preparations as an excuse, he made fewer and fewer visits, sometimes not showing up for days.

Qi Huan merely had a change in status, not a loss in intelligence. She naturally sensed something was amiss.

Being a clever person, she remained composed on the surface but kept watchful.

It wasn’t long before she received a letter. As the messenger arrived, there was a lively commotion outside with gongs and drums, and firecrackers popping joyously.

Casually, Qi Huan inquired, "Is someone having a wedding celebration? It’s quite lively."

The messenger casually replied that the Duke Weiguo’s Princely Heir was taking a wife today, marrying the daughter of County Monarch Rongyi.

No one knew what went through Qi Huan’s mind then, but no trace of emotion showed on her face.

Even the maid who attended closely to Qi Huan couldn’t discern anything unusual about her.

Three days after the wedding, when Song Hong finally remembered Qi Huan and found an opportunity to visit her, he discovered she had disappeared.

She left behind a letter, first congratulating him on his marriage, then thanking him for his shelter. Only at the end did she bring up that their fates had ended, that she had learned of her family’s whereabouts, and was leaving to join them. From now on, with mountains vast and waters wide, she bade farewell, never to meet again.