Chapter 122: You Cannot Write Two Songs with One Stroke

Once the family dinner concluded, Song Zhicheng followed his elder brother into the study. The two brothers sat before the desk, each cradling a cup of tea. Before Song Zhiyuan lay a stack of documents, all gathered and compiled by Song Zhicheng.

"Elder brother, has Mother truly recovered? It seems to me as if she cannot remember things very well," Song Zhicheng said, frowning at his eldest brother, his boisterous demeanor from Chunhui Hall entirely vanished.

Song Zhiyuan flipped through the documents, looked up, and replied, "She suffered a stroke. It causes memory loss; the longer it goes on, the more she will forget."

Song Zhicheng’s complexion shifted. "Elder brother, this..."

Song Zhiyuan pursed his lips and said, "Chief Imperial Physician Lu says there is no remedy. Forgetting things is still better than being bedridden and unable to care for oneself, and certainly better than..."

He did not finish the sentence, but Song Zhicheng understood all too well: it was better than losing her entirely.

Even so, he could not suppress the heartache and sorrow. His mother had suffered for most of her life, and just as she was meant to enjoy her twilight years in peace, she had to endure such a calamity. His mother—she had suffered so much!

Song Zhicheng, a man of several decades, felt his eyes grow red with grief.

"There is a female physician attending to Mother now, and her recuperation is going well. Her complexion is much improved compared to when the illness first struck. Aside from her memory lapses, her temperament has become much more cheerful; we should be grateful for that."

Song Zhicheng sniffled and said, "I have noticed it too; Mother even makes jokes now. But elder brother, seeing her like this makes me feel even more uneasy."

When a person’s temperament changes, it is usually because they have experienced a major upheaval. In Song Ci’s case, this change was triggered by a severe illness. At her age, the fear was that she knew her own condition and was acting this way because she realized she did not have much time left.

Song Zhiyuan said, "As long as you are aware, that is enough. As long as Mother is well, the Song Manor remains steady. Second brother, I will not hide it from you: now that I have reached this position, the things I must do in the future will be more frequent and far more dangerous."

Song Zhicheng’s heart skipped a beat. "Elder brother?"

"The fourth is still young and has never experienced such things, and the third..." Song Zhiyuan tightened his lips. "Never mind the third. Second brother, we are brothers of the same blood. For all these years, I have burdened you with managing the family’s affairs and expanding our businesses."

Song Zhiyuan was not a man of pristine, empty-handed integrity; he could not afford to be. The family did not run massive commercial empires, but the various manors, household affairs, and joint ventures were profitable. Otherwise, relying solely on his official salary, he could never have sustained such a large household.

In truth, Song Zhicheng had dreamt of being a general since childhood and had practiced martial arts. However, because his eldest brother had become a high-ranking official and the third had followed suit, Song Zhicheng could neither take the imperial examinations nor join the military. He had wholeheartedly taken up the management of the family’s affairs. Why? Only to ensure that the one on the throne felt at ease.

Otherwise, if everyone in the family were officials and generals, what would it look like? Did they want to change this Chu-surnamed empire into a Song-surnamed one?

Song Zhiyuan felt a deep sense of guilt toward his brother, which was why he nurtured his brother’s sons as if they were his own.

Song Zhicheng replied, "Elder brother, we are of the same blood; for you to say such things is to look down on me."

"Very well, I shall say no more." Song Zhiyuan patted his shoulder. "Second brother, it is lonely at the top. The Song Manor is already a thorn in the side of many, and perhaps in the future, it will be a thorn for 'that one' as well... To ensure the stability of the Song Manor, we must leave ourselves a way out, as a precaution."

Song Zhiyuan’s voice dropped to a whisper, speaking almost directly into Song Zhicheng’s ear. "Second brother, you are the only one I can trust."

Song Zhicheng’s body stiffened slightly, his voice deep and solemn: "Just tell me what needs to be done, elder brother."