How had the family produced such an oddball as Song Yaoyao?
Afterward, the dishes arrived, and Gao Jiayou returned as well.
Song Yaoyao busied herself wolfing down her food. Her inner voice offered all sorts of opinions on the dishes, but she never brought up anything else!
Once they finished eating and left the restaurant, Xiao Minglang and Gao Jiayou departed first. Song Qingyu planned to take his two younger sisters home before returning to the Academy.
What they did not know was that as soon as they left the restaurant, the people in several other private rooms also began leaving one after another.
Following Little Lord Song always meant getting a taste of fresh gossip!
Today's trip had not been wasted!
They had stayed hungry all this time just to feast on gossip.
Once Song Yaoyao left, the gossip-hungry spectators hurriedly dispersed too.
First, they needed to find somewhere to fill their stomachs!
The restaurant was less crowded now, with quite a few private rooms freed up. Some people simply ordered food there, deciding to eat their fill before heading home.
Others went straight home after dispersing. Their residences had everything they needed, and they could eat as soon as they returned!
However, word spread that Gao Jiayou, the Military Governor's legitimate son, had to compose a poem even when he needed to use the privy!
Some thought Gao Jiayou was nothing but a bookworm. How simple was it to say "use the privy"? Yet he insisted on coming up with a poem, leaving everyone guessing for ages before they understood what he meant.
If some family's daughter married a bookworm like that, how would she ever get through the days ahead?
If Gao Jiayou composed a poem every so often, anyone whose mind worked a little slowly would have no idea what he was talking about!
But others said that a scholar ought to behave like a scholar. How refined it was to express the need to use the privy through verse!
Gao Jiayou truly deserved his reputation as a gifted scholar!
In short, people had all sorts of opinions!
The poem Gao Jiayou had composed about using the privy spread as well.
From that day onward, whenever people saw Gao Jiayou, they would invariably tease him:
"Brother Gao, have you composed a few poems today?"
"Brother Gao, did poetic inspiration strike again when you used the privy today?"
Gao Jiayou could only burn with embarrassment!
But there was nothing he could do. He really had composed that poem, and there was no denying it.
Besides, with so many people teasing him, he was hopelessly outnumbered. He could not beat them in a fight anyway!
Moreover, a gentleman used his words, not his fists. How could he strike someone?
If his teachers and the Academy heads found out, who knew how they would punish them?
In the carriage, Song Yaoyao hesitated for a long time before finally saying to Song Qingyu:
"Big Brother, I learned something. Rong Feifei, the Left Remonstrance Councillor's concubine-born daughter, bought a drug. She wants to use it on the Third Prince..."
Neither Song Qingyu nor Song Qingling spoke. They quietly listened to their younger sister.
Song Yaoyao continued:
"Lord Rong Ping, the Left Remonstrance Councillor, is a loyal official. I want to warn him. If anything happens to the Third Prince, all nine branches of the Rong family will probably face execution. I just don't know how to warn him."
Song Qingyu rubbed Song Yaoyao's head.
"You don't need to worry about this. Leave it to your big brother."
"Aren't you going to ask where I got the information, Big Brother?"
"When you're ready to tell me, you naturally will!"
Song Qingyu guessed that the system called Guagua had told Song Yaoyao.
After so many years of testing, anything Guagua said was certain to be true!
Naturally, the matter involving Rong Feifei was true as well!
Song Yaoyao gave him a sweet smile.
"Thank you for believing me, Big Brother.
"Since you've said that, I'll leave warning Lord Rong to you!" After they returned home, Song Qingling and Song Yaoyao went back to their respective courtyards. Song Qingyu went to find Assistant Minister Song and told him about Rong Feifei, as well as Song Yaoyao's wish to help Rong Ping.
Song Qingyu asked:
"Father, should we warn Lord Rong about this?"
After a moment of silence, Assistant Minister Song said:
"Lord Rong is indeed a good official. It would be a real shame for the court to lose someone like him!
"Leave this to me. You needn't concern yourself with it. Hurry back to the Academy instead. Don't fall behind on your afternoon studies."
"Yes."
After Song Qingyu left, Assistant Minister Song considered the matter, then picked up his brush and wrote a letter. Once he had sealed it, he sent someone to deliver it to Lord Rong's residence, instructing the guard to place it directly into Lord Rong's hands and not pass it to anyone else along the way.
The guard acknowledged the order and left.
When the guard reached the Rong Residence, he explained why he had come!
The gatekeeper wondered what was going on today. Several people had already asked specifically to see his master.
Though puzzled, the gatekeeper hurried to announce him. Before long, the guard was brought into the Rong Residence.
When Lord Rong read the letter, his expression darkened, but he showed no surprise.
Lord Rong thanked him:
"Thank your master for the warning. Once I've resolved this matter in a few days, I will visit him personally to express my gratitude."
Lord Rong had someone give the guard a reward, then sent him on his way!
This was not the first letter of warning Lord Rong had received that day.
Earlier, several officials on good terms with him had also sent people with letters containing much the same information.
Upon receiving the first letter, Lord Rong had already sent someone to inquire about what had happened that day.
There had been many people present, so finding out what had happened was easy!
However, everyone deliberately avoided the subject of Song Yaoyao's inner voice. No one mentioned it.
Lord Rong had already heard Song Yaoyao's inner voice at the Palace Banquet and at that morning's court session.
The matter involving Liu Guangxu had already proved that everything Song Yaoyao's inner voice said was true.
Thus, his concubine-born daughter had offended her today and had her secret exposed in public. That secret was surely real too!
Lord Rong had already investigated. Fortunately, after Rong Feifei was escorted home to fetch the money, she had not left the residence again.
Now that the matter had been exposed early, his rebellious daughter had not yet found an opportunity to leave and carry out her plan. Nothing had happened yet, and he still had time to stop her.
Lord Rong went to Madam Rong and told her everything. After hearing him out, Madam Rong nearly fainted with rage.
Lord Rong and Madam Rong headed straight for Rong Feifei's courtyard, accompanied by maids, older serving women, and manservants.
Upon arriving, Madam Rong immediately ordered the serving women to drag Rong Feifei out of her room.
When Rong Feifei was flung to the ground, she still looked utterly bewildered.
Madam Rong continued:
"Go inside and search."
Several serving women rushed in together, heading straight into Rong Feifei's bedchamber.
Now Rong Feifei panicked. Her room absolutely could not be searched. Those things absolutely could not be found.
Looking as though she had suffered the greatest injustice under heaven, Rong Feifei spoke with tears hovering in her eyes:
"Father, Mother, what are you doing?
"What has your daughter done wrong?
"Why are you searching my room?"
Lord Rong and Madam Rong looked at their concubine-born daughter's affected display with undisguised disgust.
Neither Lord Rong nor Madam Rong could be bothered to waste words on her. They said nothing, simply waiting for the serving women's search results.