Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 347 I'll See You Off (Thanks to Yong Su for being the Alliance Leader)

Snapped!
Snapped!
Snapped!
The stern-wielding baton, raised high, fell heavily again and again.

Each time, it triggered a blood-curdling scream.

There's a certain art to this kind of beating. As the saying goes, "raise it high, put it down gently." This means that some people with connections can use their influence beforehand. When the stick falls, it looks fierce and powerful, but when it hits a person, it's not exactly light, but it's definitely not enough to break bones. After a short rest at home, the person can be jumping around again.

Those without connections will face the full force of the rod.

Ten strokes of the cane tear the skin and flesh; thirty strokes break bones and tendons; fifty strokes scatter the soul and spirit.

Twenty strokes of the cane is already an extremely severe punishment.

The depiction of people being given eighty or one hundred strokes of the cane in movies and TV dramas is nonsense; very few people can actually withstand that.

This Song Zhe is really too arrogant, and Song Jincheng isn't a good person either. His own superior is handling the case, why should a Minister of Works like you be pointing fingers here? Most importantly, you didn't bribe anyone, so these twenty lashes are definitely the real deal.

Before long, Song Zhe's once fair and tender skin had become tattered and bloody, a truly horrifying sight. To make matters worse, blood was gushing out from between his buttocks. As a constable of the Dongling Prefecture, he had been punished with a cane before, but this strange scene was truly the first he had ever seen, comparable to a fountain.

For a moment, only Song Zhe's screams echoed in everyone's ears in the huge government office.

Song Huai could no longer bear to look at the bloody scene. He looked away and happened to see Song Yan sitting there with a smile on his lips, looking carefree. A surge of anger rushed to his head.

That damned little bastard.

Don't you even realize that if it weren't for the Song family, would he have grown up to be this big?
Now that they've married into the family, been granted a title, and grown powerful, they've turned their backs on us?

What a heartless ingrate!

As for what his brothers did to Song Yan, his sister, and their mother when they were young, Song Huai didn't care much. It was just brotherly play—pushing someone into the water, making them kneel as punishment in the snow—so what? They're still alive and well, aren't they? It's all trivial stuff, what does it matter?
This Song Yan has harbored resentment for so many years; he is truly vindictive and petty.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Song Yan slowly raised his head. The moment their eyes met, Song Huai felt his body skip a beat, and his heart rate suddenly increased. In that instant, he felt like a toad being stared at by a poisonous snake. A moment of fear made Song Huai's scalp tingle.

As if by instinct, Song Huai averted his gaze.

Looking down, I realized that the back of my hands and arms were covered with tiny bumps.

He figured it out...

Song Yan not only wanted to kill Song Zhe, he... he also wanted to kill himself.

What a heartless beast… But he's not Song Zhe; his life isn't something to be taken lightly. Song Huai's expression gradually darkened, his eyelids drooping. He had already made up his mind. Rather than waiting for Song Yan to kill him, wouldn't it be better to strike first?
Standing beside Song Huai, Song Jincheng felt even more heartbroken.

Every scream from Song Zhe was like a sharp knife stabbing into his heart.

The stick, raised high, seemed to fall on him each time.

Seeing Song Zhe suffer, Song Jincheng felt extremely distressed, but there was nothing he could do.

He hadn't figured out how much Song Yan knew about him and Yang Miaoqing, whether Song Yan had any evidence, or what Song Yan's purpose was. Under these circumstances, even if he felt sorry for Song Zhe, he dared not do anything.

What an agony it must be to watch your most beloved son suffer such torment right before your eyes.

Beating one's own son to death in front of his biological father seems to have a rather perverse sense of humor.

Song Yan silently watched Song Zhe, watching Song Zhe's limbs gradually twist and blood flow, listening to Song Zhe's screams, with only a faint smile on his face.

not enough.

This is far from enough.

Song Yan's gaze gradually turned cold.

The mother's death was caused by poisoning by Yang Miaoqing.

Behind Yang Miaoqing was Song Zhe's instigation.

Song Yan would never forget what Liang Qiaofeng had once told him:
"Until one day, the sixth young master Song Zhe suddenly found Yang Shi and said: 'I was passing by the garden and saw the gardener tidying up the weeds, so I asked the gardener why weeds always grow every year even though we have to remove them.'"

“The gardener replied: It’s because the root has not been removed.”

Three days later, Aunt Meixue died suddenly from an illness.

Song Yan would never forget that night when his mother, like a madwoman, snatched dinner from his hands. She smiled foolishly at him, eating and crying at the same time.

My heart aches a little.

At that time, he really thought his mother had gone mad.

It wasn't until Yang Miaoqing died that he finally understood that his mother had always been perfectly fine; she had only pretended to be insane to keep herself alive. She had already been so humble, yet Song Zhe and Yang Miaoqing were determined to ruthlessly crush even this small wish of hers.

Compared to everything he had gone through, the injuries Song Zhe suffered were nothing.

The stern warning stick was raised high once again.

Song Yan could vaguely see a hint of a wicked smile on the constable's face.

call.

Click.

The next moment, a voice that was clearly different from the previous one rang out.

That was... the sound of bones breaking.

Song Zhe's head suddenly rose, and his scream increased by several decibels until, a few breaths later, his head, which he had forcefully raised, slammed back to the ground with a thud.

He was completely unconscious and had passed out.

However, it was the ischium in the buttocks that was brutally shattered.

Song Jincheng watched quietly, his complexion gradually returning to normal. His gaze swept over Song Zhe and then landed on Song Yan. Suddenly, a smile appeared on Song Jincheng's face: "Yan'er, it seems things here are over. Your second uncle is going back. If you have time, come visit your second uncle's house. Our Song family has finally found someone as promising as you after all these years. Your aunt has been talking about you at home many times, wanting to see what our Song family's true prodigy looks like."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow; this Song Jincheng did indeed have some skill.

Even though his own son was beaten to a pulp, he can still speak so gently. I underestimated him before.

If Song Jincheng loses control, goes berserk, and becomes enraged, launching a reckless revenge, Song Yan doesn't need to worry. After all, this kind of person only has a few methods, making him much easier to deal with.

On the contrary, those who are treacherous, cunning, and deeply calculating are the more troublesome ones.

Such a person will never act lightly without sufficient confidence, and once they do, it will be fatal!

But it doesn't matter, he can just make the first move, right?

Thinking this, Song Yan smiled gently and said, "Second Uncle is too kind. I am not worthy of being called the Song family's prodigy. If I have time, I will definitely visit your home."

Song Jincheng nodded, and even expressed his apologies to Fang Hai and Fang Shan. Song Zhe was his nephew, so it was normal for him to be concerned. Moreover, after the evidence was presented, Song Jincheng really did not interfere anymore. If Fang Hai and Fang Shan had continued to pursue the matter, it would have been beneath them.

For a moment, the government office was peaceful and serene; it would have been even more beautiful if it weren't for the bloodied body in the middle.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Fang Hai and Fang Shan, Song Jincheng left the Dongling government office. Song Huai's face was gloomy, and he glared at Song Yan. Although he was smart, compared with someone like Song Jincheng, he was ultimately less shrewd and not worth worrying about.

After all these people left, the onlookers at the entrance gradually dispersed.

Even Marquis Anning, Zhao Gaizhi, left. There was nothing he could do; his accusation that Song Yan had murdered Zhao Feng and Yang Shuxuan lacked sufficient evidence and required further investigation. On the other hand, the evidence against his son for attempting to murder Song Yan was conclusive. However, even as he was leaving, Zhao Gaizhi still glared fiercely at Song Yan, like a wild beast ready to devour its prey.

Fang Shan organized the case file and prepared to submit it to the Ministry of Justice... Intentionally plotting to harm a member of the imperial family was punishable by immediate execution, which was already an extremely lenient sentence. Normally, such an act would result in the extermination of nine generations of the family, or even the extermination of three generations. However, on the one hand, Song Yan's status as a member of the imperial family was somewhat questionable, as he was merely a prince consort, and on the other hand, Song Zhe had already been expelled from the Song family genealogy by Song Hongtao.

In other words, Song Zhe is now all alone.

Even if their entire family is executed, not a single head will be lost.

Song Yan expressed his gratitude to Fangshan.

He could tell that these constables had obviously received a warning from Fangshan.

That final blow broke his ischium; he must have used all his strength. If it weren't for Fangshan's instructions, and the constables weren't related to him, there would have been no need for such effort.

Fang Shan just smiled and didn't say anything more. His father valued Song Yan highly and even wanted to arrange a marriage between them. Fang Shan had been entrusted with this task. For him, it was just a matter of giving a word. He could also gain Song Yan's favor and a personal connection. Why not?
He's not like Fang Jiang, Fang He, or Fang Hu, those shallow-minded guys.

In reality, although Song Yan has already accumulated many merits and is even the Marquis of Champion, there are still many people in a place like Dongling who look down on him.

In the eyes of these people, Song Yanzuo was nothing more than a nouveau riche who got rich by sheer luck.

As a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family, he has completely disgraced himself as a man.

Although they annihilated the Japanese pirates, they were just a bunch of dwarfs, not worth mentioning.

Even if they trampled the royal court, it was only because they were lucky that they encountered internal strife among the Jurchens.

I could do it too.

This is probably the thought of many sons of noble families.

But Fangshan saw it differently. So what if he was a live-in son-in-law? To put it bluntly, many of the men who married princesses in the Great Wu Dynasty and the Great Han Dynasty were practically live-in sons-in-law, weren't they? It's true that the Japanese pirates were short, but they were ferocious by nature, like wild beasts. They ravaged the coastal areas for years. The fact that a few thousand men could wipe out tens of thousands of Japanese pirates shows that their military skills were extraordinary.

As for trampling the Jurchen royal court... I could do it too? What a joke! Those noble sons of Dongling City, if thrown into that icy and snowy place, they'd be lucky if they didn't get lost, let alone the fact that they had the merit of annihilating five Jurchen tribes and beheading tens of thousands. This is definitely not just a matter of good luck.

Furthermore, although he acted unruly and shamelessly in the imperial court, seemingly losing face, he easily resolved the impeachment attempts by the censors of the Censorate. Not only did Song Yan suffer no harm, but the censors were demoted and had their salaries reduced.

Now, they have seized an opportunity to put Song Zhe to death.

In military affairs, he was a master strategist, invincible in battle, and unstoppable in attack.

Politically, he employs unorthodox, cunning, and insidious methods.

Fang Shan believed that Song Yan was a very capable person, so he didn't mind leaving behind a good relationship.

Thinking this, Fang Shan waved his hand, and several constables immediately grabbed Song Zhe and headed for the dungeon. Fang Shan then walked straight to Song Yan, took out a token from his sleeve, and stuffed it into Song Yan's hand: "Lord Marquis... I'll take the liberty of calling you my nephew."

"Now the matter is considered resolved."

"I've also sent the case file to the Ministry of Justice. This time the evidence is conclusive, and there shouldn't be any problems."

Song Yan also understood that the so-called "immediate execution" did not mean that he would be dragged out and beheaded immediately. Generally speaking, such death penalty cases needed to be reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, and after confirmation, the execution would take place in the autumn of the following year.

Before this, death row inmates were still imprisoned in the dungeon of the Dongling Prefecture.

“Hey, the dungeon in Dongling Prefecture is really in terrible condition. More than half of the death row inmates don’t even make it to next autumn… Nephew, listen to your uncle’s advice. Song Zhe is still your brother, no matter what. You should go and see him. You can also say what you need to say. Don’t leave any regrets.”

As he spoke, Fang Shan patted Song Yan on the shoulder with a knowing look, as if to say, "I've been there, listen to me."

Song Yan's forehead was covered in black lines... Seriously, did he really have to beat around the bush like this? What's the difference between this and just saying: I've given you the dungeon token, so if you want to kill him yourself, you'd better hurry up and do it.
However, Song Yan was very grateful that Fang Shan was willing to open this door for him, and immediately bowed to Fang Shan: "Thank you for your teaching, Uncle. I am grateful for your guidance."

Fang Shan quickly helped Song Yan up, saying, "Nephew, please don't do this, please don't do this."

"I have some official business to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer. I'll invite you to Wangjiang Tower for drinks another day when you're free."

Earlier, Song Yan had dined with Old Master Fang De at the Fang family home. Fang Shan, being an illegitimate son, was not entitled to be present at the table. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Song Yan and Fang Hai left the Dongling government office.

"Nephew, what are your plans next? Are you going back to the Fang family?"

Song Yan blinked and waved the token in his hand: "There is still a small matter to take care of."

Fang Hai was a shrewd old fox, and naturally understood what Song Yan was about to do. He laughed and said, "In that case, I won't bother you any longer."

Watching Fang Hai leave, Song Yan stretched.

Looking up at the sky, the sun is setting.

The clouds on the horizon were dyed scarlet, and the setting sun was like blood.

The sunlight wasn't so harsh anymore; it wasn't dazzling.

Song Yan let out a soft breath, feeling light and refreshed.

He started walking towards the dungeon. It wasn't far, only a few hundred steps. Ziyu and Luotianyi exchanged a glance and quickly followed behind.

Just as they rounded a corner, two people suddenly appeared in front of Song Yan.

They had barely appeared when they immediately knelt on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the cold stone slab. They were the two farmers who had testified at the government office earlier.

"I've met the Marquis."

"Get up, don't be like this." Song Yan waved his hand, and after the two stood up, his gaze swept over their faces: "What are you two to Lin Xiangwan?" Before, Song Yan felt that the two looked somewhat similar to Song Hongtao's concubine Lin Xiangwan, and now that they were up close, the similarity became even more obvious.

“Reporting to Your Excellency, Xiang Wan is my younger sister.” The older young man quickly said, “My name is Lin Xiangdong, and this is my younger brother, Lin Xiangnan.”

Sure enough.

Lin Xiangwan arranged for two people in Dongling City to keep an eye on the Ministry of Works' residence and on Song Zhe. Song Yan had heard about this from Steward Wang, but he never expected that the person Lin Xiangwan arranged was actually his own brother.

Perhaps Lin Xiangwan also understood that although she was currently favored by Song Hongtao, she was just a rootless duckweed.

The people in the Duke of Song's mansion were outwardly respectful to her, but their loyalty was questionable. That's why she felt at ease letting her brother handle certain matters, since they were family and their fates were intertwined.

She knew very well that whether the child in her womb could inherit the title of Duke of Song depended not on Song Hongtao, but on Song Yan. Therefore, clinging to Song Yan was the most important thing. But simply clinging to him wasn't enough; she also had to demonstrate her value so that Song Yan would support her in ascending to the throne.

The Lin brothers deserve much credit for their ability to resolve the conflict with Song Zhe so smoothly this time.

Although Song Yan had other methods, it saved him a lot of trouble.

Thinking this, Song Yan nodded: "You two did a great job."

The two brothers' faces immediately lit up with joy.

"However, you must leave Dongling City immediately, the sooner the better, without any delay."

"Although Song Jincheng's power is not as great as before, he is still the Minister of Works. You two absolutely cannot afford his revenge."

Upon hearing this, the two brothers' expressions changed drastically, and a hint of fear appeared in their eyes.

Song Yan rummaged in his sleeve and pulled out a few silver ingots, handing them to Lin Xiangdong: "Let's go."

The two brothers realized what was happening, exchanged a glance, and then turned and ran towards the city gate.

After settling the two brothers, Song Yan continued walking towards the dungeon. In less than a quarter of an hour, the dungeon came into view.

A slope leading down.

At the end of the slope was a dark door.

Torches were stuck into the walls on both sides, and even though it was only evening, the atmosphere was already somewhat eerie.

Two rows of dozens of constables stood guard at the entrance. Upon seeing Song Yan, Zi Yu, and Luo Tianyi appear, they immediately blocked their way. Song Yan took out the token given to him by Fang Shan and waved it, and the constables immediately made way. One of the constables, a man in his forties, opened the dungeon door, and a stench of decay hit them, mixed with a nauseating stench.

In the dim light, one could almost see countless tiny dust particles and stains floating in the air.

"Tianyi, Ziyu, you two stay here. I'll go inside by myself."

Although they needed to protect Song Yan's safety, the environment inside was so terrible that even a ninth-rank martial artist would find it unbearable. The two exchanged a glance and finally stopped at the door... Moreover, there were some things that Song Yan probably didn't want them to hear.

With their capabilities, they can react promptly to any disturbance inside; a mere iron gate cannot stop them.

The cell door behind him slowly closed.

Torches flickered on the walls, so the dungeon was not dark.

The jailer had clearly received instructions; he didn't say much, but simply led Song Yan to the deepest part of the dungeon.

Along the way, on both sides were dilapidated, narrow, low, and suffocating cages, with some dirty, moldy, and rotten straw inside, which served as the prisoners' beds.

Some prisoners were fast asleep on the straw.

Some prisoners were gripping the bars of their cages, shaking them violently, and making strange, indescribable noises; they had probably gone mad.

When encountering such a person, the jailer would lash him with a whip, and he would immediately become obedient.

Some people kept shouting that they were wronged, but it was to no avail.

Almost every prisoner was disheveled and unkempt.

Fortunately, it was winter. If it were summer, we might have seen rats, cockroaches, flies, maggots, and the like.

After walking for a while, the cage suddenly became empty, and not a single prisoner could be seen. After walking another hundred or so steps, until reaching the end of the dungeon, they finally saw that familiar figure again.

It's Song Zhe.

He lay on the ground like a dead dog.

Perhaps the bailiffs were a bit too rough when they were taking him away, because Song Zhe woke up.

Hearing footsteps, he raised his head. His cloudy, tired eyes lit up with a glimmer of light when he recognized Song Yan. He grinned, revealing what appeared to be an ugly smile: "Song Yan...it's you?"

Song Yan nodded: "Okay, I'll see you off."

Song Zhe's eyelids drooped; he knew his life was about to end.

He wouldn't survive. Even if Song Yan didn't kill him, such severe injuries would certainly kill him.

"In the end, I lost." Song Zhe smiled again. "It shouldn't be just that, right?"

"Perhaps you also want to ask me why I insisted on killing your mother in the first place?"

(End of this chapter)