Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 343 Song Zhe's Doomsday (6,000 words)

The constables from the Dongling Prefecture government office have arrived.

Song Yan's lips curled into a slight smile. Originally, he had Emperor Ninghe as his backer, but in the end, he still felt somewhat insecure. On the one hand, Song Yan was unsure of Emperor Ninghe's true attitude towards him, and on the other hand, Emperor Ninghe himself was subject to many restrictions, and there were many things he could not take care of while in the palace.

But now that Hua Lianyue and Luo Tianxuan have both arrived in Dongling, what is there to worry about?
That's a grandmaster.

It was a force powerful enough to dominate the entire Central Plains.

Still two.

Even if he might not be a match for the 90,000 soldiers of the Imperial Guard, the Golden Guard, and the Silver Feather Guard, if he just wanted to escape with him, no one could stop him.

That's how domineering a grandmaster is.

Song Yan felt a strong sense of security. Although it might seem like he was living off a woman, not just anyone could do that.

There's nothing to be ashamed of.

As for Ziyu, Song Yan's intentions were probably somewhat deliberate.

The fight between Ziyu and Luo Tianyi just now clearly shows that Ziyu's strength is extremely high, no less than her sister-in-law's, a solid ninth-rank martial artist. Now that Ziyu's life is in the hands of Hua Lianyue and Luo Tianxuan, if she could stay by his side, she would definitely be a very capable bodyguard. Dongling isn't Pingyang, nor is it Song Yan's stronghold; it's better to have more experts around. Song Yan could also see that Ziyu had a subtle dislike for him, but so what if she disliked him? He didn't care, as long as she could protect him.

Inside the Fang residence, although Fang Hai had dismissed all the servants, he secretly peeked through the crack in the door, observing the commotion outside.

The appearance of Ziyu made Fang Hai feel a sense of crisis.

The Fang family was determined to form a marriage alliance with Song Yan, but before they could even take any action, one beautiful woman after another started to gravitate towards Song Yan.

Bah, vixen.

She was clearly a seductive and alluring woman from a bad family. Nephew Song Yan, didn't you know how to be a little more reserved? How could this woman compare to the pure and innocent daughters of the Fang family… Uh, thinking of Fang Lingyue and Fang Lingyu, the idea of ​​pure and innocent made him a little uneasy. Could all the women of the Fang family be like this? He couldn't help but worry. Just then, Fang Hai also saw the group of constables heading straight for Song Yan. He frowned and came out from behind the door: "Nephew, are they here for you?"

Song Yan glanced at Fang Hai, finding it somewhat amusing. He hadn't expected this guy to have a gossipy hobby, but he was truly kind to him, standing behind him without asking any questions when he sensed potential trouble. He nodded, "Probably."

"What did you do to attract the attention of the government officials? But don't worry, the Prefect of Dongling is my younger brother. Although we're not blood brothers, we have a good relationship and he won't let anything happen to you," Fang Hai said.

Song Yan smiled and said nothing more. As he spoke, the group of constables arrived in front of him, and the head constable bowed and asked, "Is this the Marquis of Champion in person?"

Song Yan nodded: "It's me."

"May I ask the Marquis of Champion to come to the government office? There's a case that requires your cooperation." The head constable had a smile on his face, completely unlike his usual arrogance when summoning prisoners. In fact, his face was a little pale, and his forehead was covered in sweat.

Fang Hai was somewhat bewildered, unsure of the situation. Although the constables held low status, they represented the face of the government. Normally, they were cautious when dealing with nobles and officials, but never this servile. What had this nephew done this time to make these constables so afraid?
Song Yan, however, acted very amiably: "Of course, according to Ningguo law, every citizen of Ningguo has an obligation to cooperate with the government in investigating cases, so how could I refuse?"

Well, you do know how to talk.

But if you are truly the kind of person who abides by the law, then we wouldn't need to make this trip.

He breathed a sigh of relief. He was genuinely afraid that the Marquis, in a fit of anger, would chop off all their heads and pile them into a small mound of skulls. He'd heard that this Marquis had a particular fondness for building mounds of skulls; he'd never mind 30,000 or 50,000, or even three or four. As long as there were heads, he could build a mound of skulls. It was truly terrifying, and among some powerful figures, he'd even been dubbed the "Mound-Building Maniac."

Even the four young masters of Dongling, who were notorious for causing trouble in Dongling City, were obedient and submissive in front of this man, not daring to cause the slightest trouble. They had come here with the determination to become raw materials for a mound of corpses. They hadn't expected the Marquis of Champion to be so easy to talk to, leaving these constables somewhat flattered.

"Uncle, may I borrow your carriage?"

"no problem."

Fang Hai gave a shout, and immediately a servant drove a carriage over.

Seeing that everyone had climbed into the carriage, the head constable's lips twitched. Good heavens, who goes to the government office with a constable and has to take a carriage... But this man is the Marquis of Champion, the Jingguan fanatic. It's already a huge honor for him to come along. They didn't dare to remind him that this was against the rules.

The group of constables exchanged glances and then led the way.

Before long, they were out of the outer city, and after another quarter of an hour, the Dongling Prefecture government office came into view. As soon as they got off the carriage, the head constable immediately approached them with a fawning smile and extended his hand: "My lord, please."

Upon entering the main hall of the government office, one would see two rows of constables, each holding a vermilion stick, standing ramrod straight, exuding a sense of solemnity and authority. If an ordinary person were to see such a scene, they would likely feel a sense of dread.

That crimson stick must have been the disciplinary rod.

The so-called "deterrent rod" was an ancient form of corporal punishment used on criminals, intended to "break their authority and make them obedient." It was primarily used on newly imprisoned prisoners or those exiled to the army. In some extreme cases, prisoners were even given twenty strokes of the rod before interrogation, supposedly to make them more compliant and confess! Of course, these are mostly fictional tales from novels and storytelling. While these rods were indeed used for beatings, it's unlikely that they were used to inflict such a beating before interrogation.

Entering such a place for the first time, Song Yan was a little curious. Looking around, the entire government hall was dark and gloomy, giving people an indescribable sense of oppression. Looking up, he saw a plaque that read: "A clear mirror hangs high."

Beneath the plaque stood a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a bluish-purple official robe. He was Fang Shan, the half-brother of Fang Hai, the Prefect of Dongling!

Right in the middle of the hall, kneeling was a man dressed in a white robe, with a white hemp cloth tied around his forehead. At first glance, he looked like he was wearing mourning clothes. Who else could it be but Marquis Anning, Zhao Gaizhi? This attire is a bit excessive. What kind of father wears mourning clothes for his son? Moreover, as a marquis, you are not required to kneel before officials.

Zhao Gaizhi was really going all out to stir things up.

Right in front of Zhao Gaizhi were two boxes, each containing a bloodied head. It has to be said that the scene was truly bizarre; even someone as quick-witted as Fang Hai couldn't immediately understand what was going on.

Hearing footsteps, Zhao Gaizhi straightened up. The moment he saw Song Yan, he seemed to be greatly shocked. His body trembled violently, his face turned red, and his eyes flashed with a murderous light. With a roar, he instantly sprang to his feet.
"Song Yan, give me back my son's life!"

With that shrill roar, Zhao Gaizhi pounced like a madman, grabbed a curved knife from his waist, and slashed it straight at Song Yan's head.

Zi Yu and Luo Tianyi both frowned. One's life was tied to Song Yan's, and the other couldn't allow her brother-in-law to be in any danger. In an instant, the two figures darted out, their speed as fast as the blink of an eye. Zi Yu's fingers had already landed on Zhao Gaizhi's wrist. With a flick of her finger, Zhao Gaizhi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His body instantly stiffened on the spot, and his fingers involuntarily loosened. With a clang, the curved knife fell to the ground.

At the same time, a gleaming longsword was drawn and placed horizontally against Zhao Gaizhi's shoulder. With a slight exertion, Zhao Gaizhi felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulder; his legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud. There was no doubt that if Luo Tianyi had added a little more force, the blade could have easily severed Zhao Gaizhi's head. Even so, Zhao Gaizhi struggled desperately, a wild, ferocious roar emanating from deep within his throat.

Outside the government office, among the crowd of onlookers, stood a slender figure. Anyone familiar with the Yang family would immediately recognize this man as Yang Rui, the eldest son of Yang Guochen and elder brother of Yang Ming. Since the Yang family had decided to bring the Marquis of Anning into their camp, they naturally needed to thoroughly investigate him. Unable to trust ordinary people, Yang Guochen had arranged for his eldest son to come.

That last strike was indeed delivered without any reservation.

Looking at the current state of Anning Marquis, who seemed to have gone mad, Yang Rui nodded slightly, a smile curving his lips: This Anning Marquis truly hates Song Yan to death, there shouldn't be any problem.

Song Yan's expression was somewhat strange. He hadn't expected that Zhao Gaizhi would actually have a talent for acting. Tsk tsk, look at those scarlet eyes, look at the tears in the corners of his eyes, and look at the constantly convulsing facial muscles. Song Yan even began to doubt whether he had really cut off Zhao Feng and Yang Shuxuan's heads with his own hands.

After glancing casually, Song Yan looked at Fang Shan sitting behind him, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency. May I ask why Your Excellency summoned me here?"

Fang Shan dared not accept such a courtesy and hurriedly stood up to return the greeting: "You are too kind, Marquis Champion." After a pause, Fang Shan spoke again: "Does Your Excellency know that a bloody incident occurred at the Marquis of Anning's residence last night? The Marquis's mistress, Yang Shuxuan, the Marquis's heir, Zhao Feng, and two maids were all chopped into mincemeat and their heads were cut off and piled up like a mound of corpses."

Upon hearing this, Fang Hai, who was initially somewhat indignant, and Zi Yu both changed their expressions. Their suspicious gazes swept over Song Yan, and even Luo Tianyi's expression seemed a bit strange, especially regarding the Jingguan (a mound of corpses), which really seemed like something her brother-in-law would do.

Song Yan blinked and said, "Oh? Is that so? That's really scary."

Fang Hai's forehead creased with annoyance. "Couldn't you have sounded a little more surprised? Your tone is so calm, anyone would start to doubt you."

Fang Shan also looked bitter. He cleared his throat and spoke again: "The Marquis of Anning suspects you are the murderer. Does the Marquis have anything to say?" It was impossible to make the Marquis of Champion kneel, and torture was even more impossible. He had been the Prefect of Dongling for several months, and this was the first time Fang Shan had felt so frustrated.

"That's pure slander." Song Yan's words were resolute: "I have always abided by the law, how could I have committed such a heinous act as murder?"

Upon hearing this, a chorus of boos could be faintly heard.

Obey the law? Won't kill anyone?
So, all those officials, including Qian Yaozu and his relatives, totaling over a thousand people, died in vain?
So, the Jingguan (a mound of stones) in Ningping County wasn't built by you?

Just how shameless must this person be to utter such brazen words?
Song Yan ignored the strange looks from others and turned his gaze to the Marquis of Anning, who was still struggling desperately: "My lord, I know you are heartbroken because your wife and son have died, but that is no reason for you to slander me. I only arrived in Dongling yesterday and have no grudge against your son, so why did I have to kill him?"

Marquis Anning trembled violently, as if he was about to be driven mad by Song Yan's shamelessness. Upon hearing this, he was clearly enraged and began to howl: "Naturally, it's because my son almost ran you over yesterday, so you held a grudge and took revenge under the cover of night."

Upon hearing this, many constables clicked their tongues in disapproval.

Marquis Anning must have lost his mind in anger. How could he say such a thing so casually?

In that case, wouldn't it be that your son committed the crime first, and even if he was killed by the Marquis of Champion, it would be a pointless death?

As expected, Song Yan immediately seized this opportunity, a smile playing on his lips. He bowed to Fang Shan and said, "Your Excellency, I am accusing Zhao Feng, the heir of the Marquis of Anning, of premeditatedly murdering an official of the court. This is something the Marquis of Anning himself admitted to, and the evidence is conclusive."

Fang Shan was stunned. It wasn't unheard of for someone to file a counter-suit in court, but he had never encountered a situation like this before. He felt a headache coming on for a moment: "Champion Marquis, this... Zhao Feng is already dead."

Song Yan smiled and said, "The person is dead, but the body is still here."

"Wheting the corpse, feeding it to the dogs, or grinding the bones to ashes are all acceptable."

hiss.

In an instant, a collective gasp filled the air.

The eyes that looked at Song Yan were filled with fear.

This person is too ruthless!
The man is already dead, yet they still want to whip his corpse and feed it to the dogs. Do they want Zhao Feng to never find peace even in death?

Marquis Anning's eyes rolled back, and he almost fainted. He pointed a finger at Song Yan and said, "You, you... how could you be so despicable? You've already killed my son, and you still want to desecrate his corpse..."

"Hehe, Marquis Anning, don't talk nonsense." Song Yan smiled: "I killed Zhao Feng purely because of your slander, but Zhao Feng attempted to assassinate an official of the court, which you admitted yourself. You can't mix the two together."

"Although your son is dead, I am still heartbroken."

"But, if you do something wrong, you have to be punished. I heard that your son's body was chopped into hundreds of pieces, so I took pity on him and decided not to mutilate the corpse. However, leaving the body to rot in the wilderness is inevitable. It's strange, though. I have no grudge against your son. Why would he attack me? Could it be that the Marquis is instigating this behind the scenes?"

Marquis Anning was clearly flustered: "No, it wasn't me, it was Song Zhe... Yes, it was Song Zhe."

“It was Song Zhe who usurped my son’s power, making him drive the carriage and try to run you over. This is not my son’s fault.”

These words caused another uproar in the audience.

Yang Rui shook his head from outside the door, thinking that this Marquis of Anning was still too stupid.

Death absolves all sins. Ningguo has no punishments like mutilating corpses or feeding them to dogs. Besides, even if you instigated it behind the scenes, so what? Everyone's already dead. As long as you grit your teeth and refuse to admit it, how can Song Yan pry your mouth open? It was just Song Yan deliberately scaring him, and the Marquis of Anning took it seriously and confessed everything he should and shouldn't have said... He's really stupid enough, but being stupid is good too, as he's easier to control.

A marquis has status; a fool is easy to control—the perfect tool.

Grandfather was being far too cautious.

It's just a pity for Song Zhe; he's probably doomed now.

However, it didn't matter. Although he had met Song Zhe a few times before and their relationship seemed decent on the surface, Song Zhe was actually just a distant, poor relative trying to curry favor with the Yang family, so there wasn't much affection between them. In fact, Yang Rui should even thank Song Zhe. If Song Zhe hadn't ruined Yang Ming, he would still be constantly worried about his position. Yang Rui knew very well that although Yang Ming was an illegitimate son, he had none of the proper conduct expected of one and was single-mindedly focused on climbing the social ladder.

As expected, Song Yan's smile deepened: "Your Excellency, I request permission to arrest Song Zhe."

Fangshan did not refuse this time. He waved his hand, and a constable led a large group of constables straight to the Ministry of Works' residence.

Unwittingly, Song Yan and Zhao Gaizhi's eyes met in mid-air, and both could see the smile deep in each other's eyes.

Finally, the blame was shifted onto Song Zhe.

On the other side, Song Yan glanced furtively at the side and behind him, and he could clearly feel a burning gaze fixed on him.

It must be someone arranged by the Yang family to keep watch.

Just by looking at Zhao Gaizhi's current appearance, one can probably conclude that Marquis Anning and Song Yan are locked in a life-or-death struggle.

In this way, an initial level of trust can be gained.

This is a pretty good start.

……

the other side.

Ministry of Industry Shangshu Mansion.

Song Zhe was pacing back and forth in the front yard, his face showing extreme unease. He didn't know what was wrong, but he had a restless feeling all day, as if something bad was about to happen.

The Minister of Works' residence wasn't particularly luxurious, but it was still a powerful family home. There were quite a few servants in the mansion, and some of the maids looked at Song Zhe with disgust and contempt. Initially, they held him in awe because of his reputation as the Song family's prodigy, but as Song Zhe's disgusting deeds were exposed one by one, his academic achievements, his status as a student of Bailu Academy, and his position as the eldest son of a duke were stripped away, and his true nature was gradually revealed.

Who would have thought that this person, who appears gentle and refined, is actually so despicable inside?

If it weren't for what Song Zhe's mother did, why would our young master have been demoted and punished?
If it weren't for the disgusting things Song Zhe did, why would our young master's chance to make a comeback have been wasted, or even become a distant prospect?

Despite bringing numerous disasters to the Minister's Mansion, he shamelessly clings to it, demanding to be served three meals a day. Does he really think he's still the young master he once was?

Song Zhe could sense the maid's contempt and disgust towards him, but he was currently in a volatile mood and had no time to care about such things. Suddenly, Song Zhe stopped, looked up, and his eyes were filled with deep fear; the sense of danger was growing stronger.

His throat bobbed, and Song Zhe suddenly turned around and went back to his bedroom, ransacking the room of all the money. Then he rushed outside. As soon as he stepped out of the gate of the Minister's mansion, he saw a group of constables coming towards him.

His expression changed drastically, and he turned and ran.

But how could a weak scholar outrun a group of constables? In just a few breaths, he was pinned down by the constables, his wrists were tied, he was dragged up from the ground, and they dragged Song Zhe's body towards the government office.

No one noticed that, just behind them, on a rooftop, a burly, tall man was staring intently at Song Zhe's back. His name was Wulitu, and he was the last survivor of the Wugulun tribe.

A longbow in his hand had already been drawn silently.

Under the sunlight, the arrow gleamed with a chilling light.

(End of this chapter)