Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 346 You don't want anyone to know about you and Yang Miaoqing, do you? (Seeking monthly votes on the last day of the month)

"Aaaaaah, my eyes... my eyes..."

He staggered backward, lost his balance, and fell to the ground with a thud. Blood seeped from between his fingers and rolled down his face, making him look like a vengeful ghost. Hearing Song Yi's sharp, hoarse screams, everyone in the government office felt goosebumps all over, as if a chilling wind was blowing beneath the plaque that read "The Mirror of Justice."

Song Yan was somewhat surprised by Zi Yu's methods.

He knew that Ziyu was a ninth-rank martial artist.

They also knew about the Hehuan Sect's martial arts, which were known for their unpredictability.

But no one could have imagined that Ziyu could strike with such ease. The seemingly weak slap landed on Song Yi's face, but instead of shattering his skull and turning his brain into mush, it spared Song Yi's life while blowing off one of his eyes and ruining half of his face.

The application of internal force is exquisitely subtle.

Having witnessed Ziyu and her sister-in-law fighting, he subconsciously assumed that Ziyu and her sister-in-law were evenly matched.

But now it seems that although they are both ninth-rank martial artists, Ziyu's true strength is obviously slightly stronger than her sister-in-law's, roughly the difference between the late ninth-rank and the great perfection of the ninth-rank? Or perhaps half a step into the grandmaster realm? However, the division of realms in this world is not that detailed.

He glanced at his sister-in-law out of the corner of his eye, and sure enough, he could clearly see some surprise and resentment on her face, as well as some eagerness to try again, perhaps wanting to compete with Ziyu again.

Song Yan was also somewhat relieved; although Zi Yu was ruthless, she was still careful.

Song Yi held no official position, but he had a degree of merit. He insulted a marquis or a member of the imperial family, so it was acceptable to slap him, though perhaps a little too hard.

But if Song Yi is really killed, then he will go from being in the right to being in the wrong.

Within Dongling City, at least on the surface, Song Yan would not do anything illegal or disorderly; he was definitely a law-abiding citizen.

Song Yan pursed his lips, turned to Fang Shan, and cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Fang, I have overstepped my bounds, please forgive me."

Fang Shan smiled and said, "Marquis of Champion, don't take it to heart. You are a member of the royal family, and there are many precedents for you to personally carry out such executions. It is not an overstepping of your bounds."

Just kidding, would he dare say it counts?

What if Ziyu rushes over and slaps him too?
Song Jincheng, Song Huai, and even Song Zhe, who was lying on the ground, were all shocked by this scene. Who would have thought that such a delicate little girl would be so ruthless?

From that moment on, Song Yi was essentially a useless person.

Song Jincheng and Song Huai rushed to Song Yi's side, but when they saw the blood gushing from Song Yi's eye hole, they were helpless. Along with Song Zhe, the three of them stared fiercely at Song Yan, their eyes filled with hatred as if they wanted to tear Song Yan to pieces and grind his bones to dust.

Especially Song Huai.

He and Song Yi were about the same age and were very close.

Seeing Song Yi's miserable state, it was as if he had suffered a heart-wrenching pain.

Facial spasms, pupil constriction, and even the chest cavity heaves violently.

After a long silence, Song Huai finally looked at Song Yan, his gaze like an icicle, chilling to the bone:

"Song Yan, this is your second brother! How could you be so cruel? Do you really want to sever ties with the Song family?"

The sound was like cracked ice, devoid of any warmth.

"Don't think that just because you've become a prince consort and an earl, you're some kind of superior person. How much of your current success is due to the Song family's support behind the scenes?"

"Without the Song family, you're nothing but a wild...weed."

He ultimately didn't have the courage to utter the words "bastard" again. He hated Song Yan, but he didn't want Song Yan to have any leverage over him and end up like Song Yi.

Song Yan smiled, never expecting Song Huai to be so shameless.
"Second brother? Is the second brother you're talking about the kind of person who would push his younger brother into the water and let him struggle while he laughs on the shore?"

"Assistance?"

“What kind of help did the Song family give me? In the fifteen years I lived in the Song family, all I suffered was endless bullying, the pain of my sister’s disappearance and my mother’s death from poisoning, and the loneliness of a dark and gloomy courtyard…” Song Yan sighed: “Can you imagine what it’s like for a four-year-old to kneel in the snow for a day and a night? Can you imagine what it feels like for a six-year-old to be suddenly pushed into the water? Can you imagine what it tastes like to have all sorts of poisons added to your food? Can you imagine how terrified you were to only dare to take one bite at a time, wait half an hour to make sure there was no poisoning before continuing to eat?”

"Song Huai, don't tell me that you know nothing about the many illegitimate sons, daughters, and concubines who died in the Song State Duke's family."

Living in the Song family, survival is truly not easy.

Everyone present was intelligent and quickly understood what Song Yan meant. In an instant, even the constables and the common people watching the commotion outside the government office looked at Song Huai, Song Yi, and Song Jincheng with disdain.

Treating illegitimate sons poorly has existed since ancient times.

There are very few people who can go this far.

How did the prestigious Song family, a family of dukes, end up in such a precarious situation?

No wonder this marquis, after rising rapidly in rank, showed no affection for his brothers and was so ruthless in his actions.

“If this is the Song family’s way of helping me, then I would rather not have it.” Song Yan blinked: “You just said that without the Song family I am just a weed? Actually, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a weed. You used to step on me, and now I will grow on your graves.”

"Don't rush, there's still plenty of time. We'll probably be entangled with each other for a long time to come."

Gudong.

Song Huai inexplicably swallowed.

Although Song Yan's tone was calm, Song Huai could sense a deep killing intent through that calm voice... Song Yan has gone mad. He has already killed Song Zhen, Song Yun, and his mother; he also wants to kill Song Yi, Song Zhe, and everyone in the Song family.

damn it.

He should have been killed when he was still a child.

Song Jincheng remained silent, his body trembling uncontrollably. Song Yi should be able to survive, but even if he did, he would be a cripple. This was his own son! Seeing his son in this state, Song Jincheng's heart ached terribly.

The Song brothers, Mingyu and Mingzhou, were also startled, but their eyes showed more schadenfreude.

Song Yan ignored Song Huai and looked at Fang Shan again: "Lord Fang, we've already wasted a lot of time, why don't we continue the trial?" Song Yi jumped out and bought Song Zhe a few more minutes to live, but it was only a few minutes.

Today, Song Zhe must die.

Fang Shan nodded slightly and then looked at Song Jincheng: "Lord Song, I am about to hold a court hearing. May all those who are not involved leave first?"

One son was already ruined; he couldn't bear to watch another son suffer the same fate here. If he left, who knew what vicious methods these people would use to torture Zhe'er. Thinking of this, Song Jincheng took a deep breath: "I am Song Zhe's uncle, and I am naturally qualified to listen in here. Does Lord Fang think that some of your methods are inconvenient to use with me here?" This was already a threat; he couldn't possibly watch Fang Shan torture his most beloved and talented son.

Fangshan was displeased.

He hadn't served as the Prefect of Dongling for very long, but he didn't need a Minister of Works to teach him how to handle cases.

Fang Shan glanced at Song Yi sideways and said, "If Lord Song wishes to listen in, that's fine, but this is a courtroom, not a marketplace. What kind of behavior is this, with all this noise?"

Song Jincheng knew that Fangshan was referring to Song Yi, but he couldn't retort. After all, Song Yi was seriously injured, and his screams were getting louder and louder. It was indeed not appropriate for him to stay in the government office. Desperately suppressing the anger and murderous intent in his heart, Song Jincheng looked at Song Mingyu and Song Mingzhou: "You two, take your cousin to Huichuntang first."

Song Mingyu and Song Mingzhou wanted to stay and watch the excitement, but their father had already given the order, and the two brothers had no choice but to carry Song Yi away.

Once the noise subsided, Fang Shan turned to Song Zhe and slammed his gavel on the table. Song Zhe trembled involuntarily, his face pale, whether from the fear of having done too many wrongdoings or from excessive blood loss.

"Suspect Song Zhe, Marquis Anning Zhao Gaizhi accuses you of instigating Zhao Feng to attempt to kill Marquis Champion with a car. Is this true?" Fang Shan asked in a deep voice. Perhaps because he had handled many cases on a daily basis, his words carried an air of authority.

Song Zhe's eyes narrowed slightly. He forced himself to endure the throbbing pain in his buttocks and vehemently denied it: "Nonsense, absolutely not."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gaizhi immediately became restless and stood up abruptly: "Song Zhe, you wretch! You were the one who went to the Marquis's mansion to find my son and told him that you had been bullied and asked my son to avenge you, but you didn't mention that the person was Song Yan. My son is kind-hearted and, considering that he has some friendship with you, agreed without hesitation. How dare you deny it?"

Song Zhe's face was grim, his bloodshot eyes revealing a sinister glint. To plot against the current Marquis of Champion and a member of the imperial family was an extremely serious crime. Currently, he held neither official position nor merit; if he were to bear this charge, he wouldn't even know how he died. At the same time, he inwardly cursed Zhao Feng as a useless piece of trash, unable to even handle such a small matter, a waste of his large frame.

While a variety of thoughts raced through his mind, Song Zhe spoke without the slightest hesitation: "Why should I admit to something I didn't do?"

Song Jincheng and Song Huai nodded slightly.

Since it was a trial, the two couldn't easily talk to each other.

But with this kind of thing, you can just grit your teeth and not admit it.

After all, it involved murdering members of the imperial family. It's somewhat plausible that Zhao Feng was afraid of taking responsibility and resorted to making baseless accusations.

Song Zhe clearly shared the same plan. When he discussed this matter with Zhao Feng, they were in a private room at Qunyu Garden, without even a prostitute by their side. Without evidence, Zhao Feng's testimony alone wouldn't be enough to destroy him. Thinking of this, Song Zhe felt much more at ease, and even the pain in his buttocks seemed to lessen somewhat. A slight sneer appeared on his face: "Uncle Zhao, Zhao Feng and I have always had a good relationship. I never expected you to slander me."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gaizhi seemed to have suffered a great humiliation. His face instantly turned red, and he could no longer control the anger in his chest. He picked up the curved knife on the ground and rushed towards Song Zhe, as if he was preparing to cut off Song Zhe's head.

Several constables reacted quickly and stopped Marquis Anning. Zhao Gaizhi continued to struggle, his eyes wide, and he shouted, "Slandering you?"

"Are you saying I'm using the lives of my only son and wife to slander you?"

"You bastard, you dare to say that?" Seeing this, Song Zhe and Song Jincheng were both startled, seemingly not expecting the Marquis of Anning to be so insane. Only then did they notice Zhao Gaizhi's mourning attire, and recalling his earlier words—using the lives of his only son and wife…

Could it be...

Almost simultaneously, Song Zhe and Song Jincheng realized something, and their expressions changed drastically.

Especially Song Zhe.

Are Zhao Feng and his mother both dead?
Who did it?

Song Yan!

There is no other possibility but him.

Although Song Zhe already knew that Song Yan was ruthless and that countless people had died at his hands, he never expected that Song Yan would still dare to be so outrageous in Dongling.

On the very first night, they killed a marquis's son and a marquis's wife.

Is this guy completely lawless?
Subconsciously, Song Zhe subtly raised his head slightly, looking in Song Yan's direction, only to meet Song Yan's gaze, which held a half-smile. An indescribable chill instantly swept through his body, and Song Zhe felt his entire body become icy cold.

He understood Song Yan's gaze.

He wanted to kill himself; he really wanted to kill himself.

How dare he?

Never before had Song Zhe felt death so close. His scalp tingled, and his hair stood on end. As if triggered by something, he suddenly raised his head and screamed, "No! I didn't discuss anything with Zhao Feng! To convict me, you'll need other evidence..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion broke out outside. Then, two men dressed as porters walked straight toward the main hall of the government office. They were stopped by the constables as soon as they reached the entrance.

After all, it's a government office; not just anyone can come in.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Song Yan felt that these two people seemed to resemble Lin Xiangwan somewhat.

Immediately, one of them knelt down facing the direction of Fangshan, kowtowed, and then said loudly, "Your Honor, I have evidence."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Song Zhe, Song Jincheng, and Song Huai changed drastically.

Especially Song Jincheng, whose eyes were like those of a venomous snake, staring intently at the two people who had suddenly appeared, the murderous intent in his eyes almost overflowing from their sockets.

Fangshan waved his hand, signaling the constables to let the two men in.

Just as the two were about to enter the main hall, Song Jincheng finally couldn't help but take a step forward. His cold gaze swept across their faces. One of them was in his thirties and the other was in his twenties. Both of them had dark, rough skin and looked like farmers who toiled in the yellow earth. Song Jincheng never expected that these two farmers would have the courage to come to the government office to testify.

Upon seeing Song Jincheng, the two trembled, and fear clearly appeared on their faces.

Song Yan gave a cold laugh and stepped in front of Song Jincheng before he could speak: "Second Uncle, what are you trying to do?"

At this moment, Song Jincheng almost hated Song Yan to death, wishing he could tear Song Yan to pieces. However, Song Yan's status was such that even he couldn't do anything to him. He pursed his lips and said calmly, "I see that these two are just ignorant commoners, so I want to warn them that lying is not allowed in the court."

"Does the Marquis of Champion think I did something wrong?"

"Or is it that the Marquis of Champion is worried that I, the Minister, will see something wrong?"

Song Yan smiled wryly: "Whether there are problems or not, Lord Fang is right here and can naturally interrogate them thoroughly. Second Uncle, you are the Minister of Works, so you shouldn't interfere in the case."

Song Jincheng smiled and said, "That's true, but Zhe'er is my nephew after all. Although I won't bend the law for personal gain, I can't help but care a little."

The way he said it first made it clear that he would not bend the law for personal gain, and then he said that it was his nephew, and since he was his nephew, it was normal for him to care a little. No one could find any fault with that.

As expected of a seasoned veteran in officialdom, his eloquence is truly unmatched.

Song Yan found Song Jincheng to be a bit annoying.

All I want is to kill one of your sons, is it really worth making such a fuss about?
Anyway, you have so many sons, one or two more won't make a difference.

However, Song Jincheng was, after all, the Minister of Works, a very high-ranking official in the eyes of ordinary people. If Song Jincheng were to intimidate these two men, it could lead to unnecessary trouble. Moreover, if Song Jincheng continued to cause trouble and try to beat Song Zhe to death, it might not be so easy.

Most importantly, seeing Song Jincheng's calm and indifferent appearance, Song Yan felt inexplicably displeased.

With a smirk, Song Yanxing walked to Song Jincheng's side. He felt a sense of disgust and wanted to create some distance, but just then a voice drifted into his ears:

"Song Jincheng, you don't want others to know about your affair with your sister-in-law, do you?"

In an instant, Song Jincheng felt a buzzing in his mind, his mind went blank, and his body trembled uncontrollably. His originally calm face turned deathly pale.

The pupils contracted violently, as if in an earthquake.

In a short time, shock, fear, and murderous intent shifted through his expression, eventually culminating in an almost distorted, ferocious look. His eyes were fixed on Song Yan, that damned bastard. How did he know? How much did he know? What was he trying to do by saying all this?
Various thoughts surged wildly in my mind.

That's exactly how it should be.

Where is your peace?
Where is your composure?
Seeing the sudden change in expression, Song Yan felt inexplicably pleased. He smiled and said, "Second Uncle, this case is Lord Fang's business. We shouldn't disturb him, right?"

His throat moved involuntarily, but Song Jincheng ultimately couldn't say anything more and silently took a step back.

The moment Song Yan uttered those words, all of Song Jincheng's thoughts vanished. He knew very well what kind of impact these things would have on him if they got out; his career, his entire life, would be over.

At this moment, Song Zhe's last support was gone.

Song Yan smiled and sat back down in her seat.

The trial continues.

Two young men knelt in the middle of the hall and recounted everything they had seen and heard.

Neither of them witnessed Zhao Feng and Song Zhe's discussion; they only saw Zhao Feng go to the Minister of Works' residence to cause trouble for Song Zhe and give him a severe beating.

Of course, the process of beating someone up was inevitably accompanied by cursing and swearing.

Such as:

"Zhao Feng, have you gone mad?"

"Song Zhe, you bastard, why didn't you tell me that person was Song Yan? You dare to trick me, I'll kill you."

Such statements became the most fatal evidence.

Song Huai was unwilling, but Song Jincheng, standing beside him, pressed down on Song Huai's shoulder and shook his head at him with a gloomy expression. Song Zhe never expected that his second uncle, who usually doted on him the most, would abandon him so easily.

For a moment, he was almost in despair. Despair fueled his madness. Song Zhe struggled desperately like a madman, raising his head high and howling out of his mouth: "This is slander! I didn't do these things! I didn't!"

"Song Yan, you bastard, you just want to kill me."

Song Yan remained calm and silent.

Fang Shan raised an eyebrow and slammed the gavel on the table: "Suspect Song Zhe, the evidence against you is now irrefutable, yet you still dare to roar in court! Guards, give him thirty lashes!"

At a command, five constables immediately stepped forward. Two of them held down Song Zhe's hands, one pulled down Song Zhe's pants, and the remaining two raised their batons high and swung them down at Song Zhe's buttocks.

Snapped.

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah……

One blow landed, and immediately a blood-curdling scream erupted.

Song Zhe felt as if something was frantically cutting through his intestines, his flesh, and his bones.

He felt something sharp piercing through his rectum.

pain.

It hurts.

That pain was ten times, a hundred times more intense than before.

Song Zhe felt his vision blurring, his body writhing and struggling like a lowly maggot, but the two constables held down his shoulders, making his struggles seem futile.

Snapped!
Snapped!
Snapped!
Before long, the once white flesh had become a bloody mess, with small chunks of flesh mixed in with the gushing blood.

(End of this chapter)