Three Kingdoms: Domination of the World

Song Qi was one of the many dandies in the imperial capital, often frequenting the brothels and entertainment districts. He was known for his generosity, though he was short on cash. He was always welcoming to those who brought him gifts.

"Please come this way, both of you! My father is in the study."

"Xiao Si, go inform the master that there are guests coming. I will go to the reception room to entertain the two distinguished guests."

"Okay! Uncle."

Xiao Si trotted all the way and went ahead to inform the master.

Song Qi lacked the abilities of the nobles like Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Cao Cao, and his sister opposed his pursuit of a career in officialdom. While being a wealthy man wasn't necessarily bad, he couldn't hang out with those upper-class nobles. But the world is unpredictable, and the unexpected can happen. If Suo Chao hadn't appeared in this time and space, the Song family would have been doomed, and he, too, would have been subject to execution.

Walking into the residence of the father-in-law, the scenery that comes into view is quite Jiangnan style, with green trees, flowers, small bridges, flowing water, pavilions and towers. The layout is well-arranged.

"Uncle, the environment here is quite fresh and unique!"

"Haha, my mother is from Yangzhou. The furnishings here are all built according to the layout of my grandfather's house. Not bad, right?"

"Hmm! It seems that the father-in-law loves his wife very much! The north is dry and rainy, so it takes a lot of effort to decorate a courtyard here in the style of Jiangnan."

"Yes! My mother was homesick, and my father came up with many ideas, and the layout of this house was one of them."

"Don't look at him as a warrior, but my father is a very thoughtful person!"

Song Qi talked incessantly and told a lot of heartwarming stories about his parents.

......

The three of them walked and chatted until they soon reached the reception room. At the front of the room, a middle-aged man in his forties sat at the table. Tea, fruits, and melons were laid out on tables on either side. Over the years, all sorts of exotic fruits and drinks had been unearthed, greatly enriching the lives of the common people of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Of course, many items, such as tea, were also treasured by officials and their families. Suo Chao and the other two found their seats.

Song Feng was a burly, robust man, seven feet tall, with a dark complexion and calloused hands, evident from years of martial arts training. He sat upright and spoke.

"This is Lushan Cloud Mist! I bought it at an auction house recently. It tastes great, you might want to try it."

"As for why it's called Lushan Clouds and Mist, I don't know."

Suo Chao smiled slightly. He naturally knew the origin of this tea, but these were all names from later generations. But everyone loves to hear compliments.

"Father-in-law! This tea must be extraordinary. You have a keen eye for gems!"

"Hmm! It really took me a lot of effort to get this tea."

"Thank you, Father-in-law. We are truly fortunate to have this opportunity to taste this fragrant tea."

The four of them drank tea and chatted about the trivialities of their family. Suo Chao presented his greetings, and both the emperor's father-in-law and the young uncle were very happy.

"My dear little brother! I feel ashamed to receive such a generous gift from you on our first meeting."

"If you have any needs, I will definitely not refuse if I can do it."

"Father-in-law! I'll obey your command. I do need your help with something.

"This is confidential. I only want to tell you."

Song Feng frowned and called the servants away. Song Qi also knew what to do and did not have the time to pry into this boring secret.

"Father-in-law! How long has the Queen been married to His Majesty?"

"Eight years!"

"Has the Queen ever conceived a child for Your Majesty?"

"I did get pregnant, but she died. My son is so unlucky!"

"Is this a common occurrence in the palace?"

"A lot! Many concubines' children died young."

Suo Chao bowed and said solemnly.

"Father-in-law! I have some knowledge of the art of divination based on the I Ching."

"A few days ago, I had a feeling in my heart and made a fortune-telling for Queen Song."

"Oh! I didn't expect you to be so proficient in this. I wonder what the result is?"

"There is water in the upper ridge and water in the lower ridge."

"What does this hexagram mean?"

"The Kan hexagram is a very ominous hexagram. It indicates that the Queen is in a bad situation these days! She will be in danger soon!"

"The first six lines indicate many obstacles and dangers, falling into a deep pit, which is dangerous."

"This line indicates that there must be villains around the Queen, and she will be plotted against by them in the near future."

"I believe that the father-in-law has some understanding of the intrigues and dangers within the palace, right?"

"Well, I'm on duty in the palace, so I know a little bit about it. Once you enter the palace, you're in deep water!"

"Hmm! The father-in-law is right. I would say that the many cases of young princes dying were not due to misfortunes, but rather man-made disasters."

Song Feng was horrified. Thinking about his daughter's situation over the past few years, he realized something was amiss. The concubines' children had repeatedly died young, and His Majesty couldn't pinpoint the culprit. He had no choice but to send the eldest prince, Liu Bian, out of the palace.

Concubine He gave birth to a prince for His Majesty, and her status has risen rapidly. She has always been at odds with my daughter. If she were to whisper in His Majesty's ear, my daughter's situation would become even more dangerous. He sighed helplessly and turned to Suo Chao.

"Little brother, is there any way to turn this disaster into a blessing?"

"Nine and two lines, encountering danger, just pray for peace."

"The sixth and third lines, retreat to avoid danger, you might end up falling into a deep pit, don't act rashly"

"The sixth and fourth lines indicate contentment, freedom from desire and craving, and the end without disaster."

Suo Chao looked at his father-in-law, who was so eager to learn, and felt pity for him. He had said all this just to get the Queen Song into danger. Although Suo Chao was a bit overthinking, the effect was immediate. It was clear that the father-in-law was buying into his trick. Then the rest of the matter would be easy.

"Father-in-law! Queen Song, you will be attacked by a villain in the near future. The villain is powerful and it is difficult to guard against him."

"If there is a chance, please arrange for me to meet with Queen Song."

"During this period, Queen Song must keep a low profile. I want to find the person who framed her."

Song Feng was secretly sad and pondered.

"Little brother, how are they going to frame my daughter?"

"The disaster of witchcraft!"

"What? How can they be so vicious!"

"Father-in-law, some people will do anything for the sake of profit. Who asked Queen Song to stand in the way of their immense wealth and glory?"

"Alas! I was greedy for fame and fortune and harmed my daughter!"

"In fact, there is more to it than that. Queen Song has recently been investigating the rebellion of Prince Bohai and has offended Marquis Guanjun Wangfu."

"What a silly girl! My sister's affairs are all in the past, why did she want to get involved in this mess?"

Song Feng understood the stakes involved. In recent years, His Majesty's favor towards his daughter had declined. It wasn't easy for him to see his daughter alone.

However, he was the Praetorian Guard in the palace, and he could still see his daughter by taking advantage of his position. However, introducing Suo Chao to his daughter was a bit difficult.

"Little brother! Please stay in my house for the time being. When I go on duty tomorrow, see if you can see my daughter."

"If I ever meet her, I'll find a way to introduce you to her."

"Okay, thank you, father-in-law."

"No need to thank me! If this is true, then you are the savior that our whole family should be grateful to!"

......

The next morning, Song Fengru arrived at the palace for his usual duty. He was kind and generous, and never put on airs, like a father-in-law. The other brothers on duty also enjoyed chatting with him.

"Brothers! I have to leave for a while today. Please help me take over my position."

"Father-in-law! Are you going to see the Queen? We'll keep an eye on you here, nothing will go wrong. Please go quickly and come back soon."

"Thank you all, brothers!"

After Song Feng left, the Praefectus Urbi on duty began to gossip.

"Alas! I didn't expect that the father-in-law would be on duty with us. Isn't this beneath our dignity?"

"It's because Empress Song is not favored. She has not given birth to a child for Your Majesty yet."

"Don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense about His Majesty and the Queen. Be careful of your words."

......