Chapter 1291: Chapter 1291: The First Lady’s Journey of Learning (10)
After this son’s fan, Tang Li’s other fans also stormed the councilman’s personal homepage.
Councilman Liu was furious and immediately fired back.
After a day and a night of intense battle, Councilman Liu finally gave up, describing this group of ’paid posters’ hired by their First Lady as ’locusts passing through’, and then ended this mutual damage with a line: ’Fear not the shattered bones, but leave a good name in the world’.
Afterward, Councilman Liu gave an interview to a local TV station, once again using the current First Lady as a negative example, pointing out that not only does she never participate in public welfare activities, but she also never appears with His Excellency, enjoying the privileges of being the First Lady while unwilling to fulfill her obligations.
"Bringing that fandom culture into politics makes everything seem like a joke!"
After the program aired, the Tan Palace spokesperson also responded at a press conference the next day—
"There’s nothing wrong with Councilman Liu, he just has a big mouth."
This remark was, to say the least, rather blunt.
It didn’t quite fit with the usual conciliatory style of the Tan Palace spokesperson.
A reporter seized the opportunity to ask, "Is this also the sentiment of His Excellency?"
The spokesperson gave a polite and restrained smile: "His Excellency is busy with official duties. The only free time he has each day is the few hours he sleeps. If he were like Councilman Liu, governing the country on social media every day, the documents at Tan Palace would pile up higher than mountains."
As the press conference ended, everyone began to leave.
A young reporter from the Capital Daily walked out, pondering how to write the article on ’Councilman Liu running his mouth’, afraid of being too critical and appearing sycophantic, yet also fearing a lack of sharpness would fail to attract attention, as many media outlets are covering the same news.
With year-end approaching, he hadn’t met his KPI targets yet.
Just as he left the main building, he heard a child’s voice from the side: "Hello!"
The young man turned his head to see a round corgi rear and a small head peeping out from behind a pillar.
He recognized the person at once—it was His Excellency’s brother.
Song Jingtian was still wearing his school uniform, holding Tiger Whip as he approached the young reporter: "Are you the reporter?"
Although unsure why the First Brother was asking, the young man nodded: "Most of our newspaper’s news about Tan Palace is written by me."
Song Jingtian, with hands behind his back, casually mentioned: "That Councilman Liu has been really annoying lately, spreading rumors about my sister-in-law, who’s clearly busy self-learning eight foreign languages and has no time for showy deeds."
The young man was struck by the statement, immediately asking: "Are you saying the reason the First Lady is not appearing in public is to present a better version of herself in the future?"
This would be an exclusive big news story.
The young man felt he must have been blessed by the goddess of fortune!
Messages about the First Lady at Tan Palace have been sparse over the past two years.
If he could write a well-argued article refuting Councilman Liu, he wouldn’t have to worry about not finding the key to traffic.
Thinking this, the young man took out a voice recorder from his pocket.
"If you don’t mind, I’d like to conduct a brief interview with you."
"This... doesn’t seem right," Song Jingtian appeared hesitant.
The young man encouraged gently: "Didn’t you just say that you’re troubled by Councilman Liu’s slanders against the First Lady? Now there’s a chance to clarify, don’t you want to seize it?"
"But, but I’m afraid my brother would scold me if he found out."
Song Jingtian tightened his lips, "My brother said just yesterday that a real man mustn’t gossip. If I acted like Councilman Liu, my brother would definitely smack my hands."
——His Excellency called Councilman Liu a gossip.
The young man processed the information and pledged: "Don’t worry, I won’t reveal your identity. Once I finish the article, I will delete the relevant materials, making sure no second person ever hears this recording."
"You promise?"
"I promise!"
"...Alright then." The First Brother finally stopped hesitating, "What would you like to know, I’ll tell you whatever I can."
Ten minutes later, the young man left Tan Palace.
He could say he gained a lot.
He believed this time he would surely write a novel report!
As he watched the greenhorn reporter walk away, Song Jingtian resumed clasping his hands behind his back—the high-class hunter often appears in the guise of prey; this move of his was truly bloodless warfare.
Tang Li learned there was a councilman criticizing her from a video link sent by Li Ling.
But she had been following her mentor working on projects recently, also studying Norwegian on the side, practically living at the mentor’s place, and hadn’t called home for several days. By the time she saw the related videos, there was already a second and third episode online.
Leaving aside the innuendo in the Tan Palace spokesperson’s remarks about Councilman Liu, there was also a Tan Palace insider who, anonymously, shared with the Capital Daily reporter the untold story of the First Lady’s ’study hard’ progress—
[To master eight foreign languages, she sleeps only about two hours a day...]
[Later, even when she fell sick and needed IV drips, she refused to lie down and rest, continuously chanting ’Help me up, I can still keep learning’...]
At the end of the article, the writer posed a soul-stirring question—
[If the First Lady is already rising at the break of dawn, do you have any reason not to work hard?!]
Tang Li: ......
Tang Li wanted to dispel the rumors.
She had been learning under her mentor for a year and a half, aside from Norwegian and English, she could at most utter a few phrases in German.
To claim proficiency in eight languages was pure nonsense.
She wondered who was behind this smear.
Just as Tang Li logged into her social account to post an update, the doorbell rang downstairs.
Usually, special agents would answer the door.
However, today seemed somewhat unusual.
Hearing the doorbell again, Tang Li put down her coffee, got up from the lazy sofa, slipped on her slippers, dressed in a sweater and leggings, and headed downstairs.
When the doorbell rang a third time, Tang Li had already reached the foyer.
In January, Oslo was virtually snowed in.
The moment Tang Li opened the door, the cold wind rushed in, and in the snow mixing streetlights and darkness stood a tall and straight silhouette.
The person slowly turned around at the sound.
The next second, Tang Li was stunned.
Snowflakes fell on Song Baiyan’s dark gray coat, like pear flowers, blooming in her heart.
——
——
See you tonight!
