Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 390 A Rewritten Fate (11,000 words)

The jade pendant containing plum blossoms was held in Song Yan's hand and hung in front of the old man.

The jade pendant swayed slightly in the night breeze.

In the candlelight, the jade pendant was tinged with an orange-yellow hue.

"plum……"

"Yingxue!"

The old man's lips moved, uttering labored sounds.

Coupled with what Mei Zicong said earlier, although the exact reason is unknown, it was indeed Mei Zicong's own grandmother who killed Mei Yingxue... This is the beginning of all the evil.

Mei Yingxue, however, somehow survived and eventually became Mei Xue, Song Hongtao's concubine, and Song Yan's mother, before finally dying at the hands of Yang Miaoqing.

As for the old man in front of him, who was covered in wounds and had large festering sores on his back, he was his maternal grandfather.

Song Yan remained remarkably calm.

Unlike in TV dramas, he didn't become overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears after finally finding his relatives. Even his expression didn't change much; he remained as indifferent as ever, as if he hadn't found blood relatives but was merely mechanically confirming something, nothing more.

Perhaps it's because, when my mother and I needed him most, my maternal grandfather wasn't there to support us.

Come to think of it, if Song Hongtao knew that his mother's father was the Duke of Lu and the Grand Tutor of the court, he would have paid more attention to it no matter what, and Yang Miaoqing would probably have been more cautious as well.

And now, my mother has passed away long ago.

I have climbed to a point where I no longer need anyone's protection.

This marriage won't have much value.

Mei Zicong's body was still pressed against the wall, blood gushing from his shoulder. Before long, his clothes were stained crimson with blood. However, Mei Zicong seemed oblivious to his condition, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the jade pendant in Song Yan's hand, a low growl like that of a wild beast escaping his throat.

Damn.

He had only had some doubts before.

But now, seeing the jade pendant with his own eyes, Mei Zicong was completely convinced that Song Yan was indeed Mei Wu's grandson. Looking at Song Yan, who was still handsome and dashing even after emerging from the smoke and dust, and then looking at himself covered in blood and filth, he felt like a mudfish rolling in the mud, lowly and ugly in comparison.

It was as if it was stimulating Mei Zicong's nerves, making him realize how filthy the blood flowing in his veins was.

Intense self-loathing made Mei Zicong's face almost ferocious.

why?
Why did Song Yan want to come back?
He was only one step away from inheriting the title of Duke, so why did Song Yan have to appear and take everything away from him?
Why didn't that bitch Mei Yingxue just die quietly? Why did she have to live on and give birth to that bastard Song Yan?

Thoughts, like writhing maggots, kept gnawing at Mei Zicong's heart, causing an unbearable, dull pain in his chest.

“Song Yan…” Mei Zicong opened his mouth in a hoarse voice: “The position of Duke of Lu is mine, and you can’t take it from me.” He probably understood that it was pointless to do anything superficial in the current situation, so Mei Zicong just roared, as if a louder voice would give him more courage.

Song Yan had no interest in even glancing at Mei Zicong; he was only staring at the old man on the bed. Seeing that the old man had difficulty speaking, he reached out and placed his hand on the old man's wrist.

That kind of ignoring was probably more humiliating to Mui Chi-chung than a barrage of insults.

He couldn't help but move closer to Song Yan: "Song Yan, look at me... Hey, I'm talking to you, did you hear me? Look at me..."

Song Yan, who was taking a pulse, was interrupted by Mei Zicong. He looked slightly impatient and glanced at Mei Zicong.

For some reason, that one look made Mei Zicong's heart leap with joy. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Song Yan spoke up: "Break his legs, don't let him get away."

Mei Zicong's expression changed drastically.

Before he could react, a figure flashed before his eyes, and Hua Lian Yue appeared in front of Mei Zi Cong. At close range, Mei Zi Cong realized that this voluptuous and alluring mature woman had an unbelievably beautiful face. Hua Lian Yue even smiled at Mei Zi Cong.

At that moment, however, Mei Zicong had no time to appreciate the allure of that smile.

The next instant, Hua Lianyue's delicate hand landed on Mei Zicong's shoulder.

Immediately afterwards, an unimaginable force surged out from Hua Lian Yue's small hand, and in an instant, Mei Zi Cong felt as if a high mountain was pressing down on him.

Straight legs simply cannot support such weight.

With a snap, his legs burst open at the knees.

As blood spurted out, he collapsed to his knees with a thud.

The kneecap was completely shattered, with some broken bone fragments piercing the skin, revealing a horrifying white blood.

Ah ah ah ah ah……

Mei Zicong, who had originally wanted to say something, could only let out a shrill scream. Waves of excruciating pain shot through his wounds to his head, causing his face to spasm.

It hurts.

It hurts so much, it hurts so much!

His already pale face was now completely devoid of color, and beads of sweat kept seeping out from his pores, gathering together to form droplets.

Song Yan felt somewhat helpless and became even more talkative.

If I didn't want to know more about the truth and details from Mei Zicong, I probably would have just taken his head off, or at least cut off his tongue, to stop him from making such a fuss.

"Throw it out."

Song Yan said this.

Hua Lianyue smiled, grabbed Mei Zicong's shoulder, and dragged him outside. Broken wounds and bones rubbed against the ground as they went. Along the short distance, Mei Zicong's increasingly shrill screams filled the air.

By the time he reached the door, Mei Zicong was in so much pain that he almost lost consciousness.

Two long trails of blood were left behind him.

There were also some broken bones and flesh.

With a casual toss, Mei Zicong's body flew out.

puff.

He was lucky this time; he landed on his buttocks, so at least he wasn't killed.

But luck wasn't all that great; right under his buttocks was a round, round rock, and just as he was about to fall, he heard a sharp cracking sound, probably because his ischium had been smashed to pieces.

He screamed in agony; he had no strength left.

Mei Zicong's body was like a round maggot, slowly wriggling, rolling, and twisting on the ground. His eyes were tightly closed, his teeth were clenched, and his body trembled uncontrollably as if he had been electrocuted.

The room was finally quiet. Song Yan nodded with satisfaction and began taking pulses again.

After about a minute, Song Yan removed his fingers from Mei Wu's wrist: "He's been poisoned." He then picked up the broken bowl on the ground, rubbed a little black medicine between his fingers, and brought it to his nose to sniff.

"Drunken horse grass".

Most people don't know what kind of plant "drunken horse grass" is, but if you call it by another name, it's absolutely well-known and famous...heartbreak grass.

A frequent character in martial arts novels.

It is a perennial herb with scale buds at the base of the root, hard leaf surface, and rolled edges. It grows in arid places such as high mountains, plateaus, and hillsides at altitudes of about 1,700 to 4,200 meters.

The entire plant is poisonous, but its medicinal value is greater than that of the poisonous Gelsemium elegans.

When taken in moderation, it can effectively relieve symptoms such as neurasthenia and insomnia, and also has anesthetic and sedative effects. It can relieve joint pain caused by arthritis, and the crushed root can be chewed between teeth to treat toothache. It contains strychnine, which can even inhibit the growth of tumor cells; each milligram is worth thousands of yuan. Because horses that consume it will exhibit symptoms such as lethargy and unsteady gait, resembling drunkenness, it is called "Drunken Horse Grass."

Taking a large dose will kill you.

If taken in very small amounts, it can cause numbness in the limbs, abnormal behavior, and depression.

Ordinary doctors would have a hard time finding out what the problem is, since these symptoms can be found in any old man.

Furthermore, since the herb Gelsemium elegans is not abundant in the Central Plains, no one would even consider this possibility.

From this perspective, Mei Zicong is quite clever. Each time he added a little bit of the Heartbreak Grass to Mei Wu's medicine, over time, Mei Wu's body became increasingly out of control and he could no longer move. Even if he lost his life one day, it would be normal in the eyes of others.

Unfortunately, he met Song Yan.

After noticing Mei Wu's problem, Song Yan pondered for a moment. There wasn't a good way to deal with the poison of the Heartbreak Grass; the best method was to pump out the stomach and induce vomiting.

However, Mei Wu did not take a large dose at once, so inducing vomiting and lavaging the stomach would not be very effective.

After thinking for a moment, he left the side room and plucked a lump of yellow earth from the courtyard wall. He found a charcoal stove and an earthenware pot in the kitchen, so he threw the yellow earth into the pot, added water, lit the charcoal, and slowly simmered it.

This is a folk remedy called "Yellow Earth Soup," which is said to have a miraculous effect on Gelsemium elegans (a type of herb).

During this agonizing time, some noises came from outside.

Looking up, they saw a group of imperial guards armed with weapons who had entered the Duke's mansion. It was likely that the guards on night patrol had heard the screams coming from the mansion and had come to investigate. However, upon seeing the corpses scattered all over the place, they all felt a chill run down their spines.

The intense stench of blood and the twisted limbs made the Imperial Guards feel as if they had entered a ghost realm.

Then he heard some noise in the backyard. He looked up and saw that Mei Zicong, the heir of the Duke of Lu, was lying on the ground slowly crawling with broken legs. Judging from the bloody appearance of his knees, even if he survived, he would probably be a cripple.

To murder the heir of a current duke?

Good heavens, this is a big case.

Everyone's expression immediately turned serious.

Just then, footsteps sounded again, and Song Yan walked over carrying a bowl of boiled yellow clay soup. He paused when he saw the group of imperial guards: "What is it?"

hiss.

It was clearly a small squad of Imperial Guards, a full thirty burly men. But the moment they saw Song Yan, their bodies stiffened instantly, and their faces turned pale.

Well, it turns out to be this jinx. No wonder the scene here is like a living hell.

Isn't this person about to leave Dongling Prefecture? Is he planning to pull off a big heist before leaving?
Seeing the Imperial Guards appear, Mei Zicong, who was lying on the ground, felt a glimmer of hope. His eyes lit up, and he desperately opened his mouth, crying, "Help...help me."

Save your sister!

The team leader was quicker to react, immediately putting on a warm smile and shaking his head vigorously: "No, it's nothing. We just heard some noise over here and came to check, but it's just a stray cat. You're busy, you're busy, we won't bother you anymore."

As soon as he finished speaking, he frantically winked at his companions, and then the group ran away in a swarm, as if they had never seen the corpse on the ground, leaving Mei Zicong frozen on the ground, his face full of disbelief.

Song Yan didn't take it seriously. As he passed Mei Zicong, he kicked the talkative Mei Zicong in the face before entering the bedroom, helping Mei Wu up, and pouring the yellow soil soup down his throat. It was called yellow soil soup, but it was actually the clear liquid on top after boiling and settling yellow soil. Although it wasn't very clean, it was fundamentally different from eating yellow soil directly.

After drinking a bowl of yellow earth soup, Mei Wu's complexion improved considerably. Of course, this was just an illusion; at most, it was simply because he hadn't eaten or drunk anything warm for a long time, and the yellow earth soup warmed his body.

Although hesitant, Song Yan still disinfected Mei Wu's wound with iodine, cleaned the festering wound, removed the rotten flesh, and finally wrapped bandages around Mei Wu's body. The process of removing rotten flesh was naturally not comfortable, but Mei Wu was a tough guy and didn't utter a sound throughout the whole process... However, after everything was finished, the old man, who was already weak from the long torture, finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

Song Yan then left the side room and returned to Mei Zicong's side.

Mei Zicong instinctively curled up: "You, what do you want to do? I am the heir of the Duke of Lu, kill me..."

"So what if I kill you?" Song Yan blinked and asked back.

Mei Zicong's breath hitched, his face fell. Yes, what difference would it make if he killed himself?

In the month since we arrived in Dongling, how many people have died at Song Yan's hands?
And who can punish Song Yan?

Even the Yang family, who were extremely at odds with Song Yan, obediently sent two cartloads of silver when Song Yan moved into his new home.

Even the Left Censor-in-Chief went to great lengths to acquire a large piece of red coral. Even on the Emperor's birthday, the Left Censor-in-Chief never went to such lengths.

At this moment, Mei Zicong finally understood that he was nothing in front of Song Yan...

"I'll ask, you answer." Song Yan picked up a stone from the ground beside him and weighed it in his hand. "What's your grandmother's name?"

Mei Zicong grinned: "Do you think I'd tell you?" Although he already understood that he was nothing but an ant in front of Song Yan, he probably didn't want Song Yan to get away with it so easily, so Mei Zicong persisted in his last bit of defiance.

Snapped.

Mei Zicong responded with a stone.

The stone hit Mei Zicong's mouth, smashing and piercing his lips. One of his teeth was broken off, leaving him bleeding profusely.

woo woo woo woo……

A sound that was hard to describe came from his throat.

"I'll ask you one more time, what's your grandmother's name?" Song Yan remained calm, this time pointing the blood-stained stone at Mei Zicong's eyes.

Its sharp, angular edges slowly approached Mei Zicong's eyes.

With every inch of movement, the pressure on Mei Zicong increased exponentially.

As the sharp stone was about to hit Mei Zicong's eyeball, this pampered young master finally couldn't take it anymore: "Gao Cuicui, my grandmother's name is Gao Cuicui."

Song Yan then moved the stone away a little, quite satisfied. The intense fear made Mei Zicong even forget his broken lips, and he was panting heavily. You could even see some flesh flying up and down with his panting.

"Why did Gao Cuicui want to kill my mother..."

Another problem.

This time, the stone moved down slightly, aiming directly at Mei Zicong's crotch.

Mei Zicong shuddered. He finally understood that Song Yan was a rogue and a scoundrel. He would never reason with him. Once in Song Yan's hands, he would do everything in his power to pry open his mouth. As for what would become of him, that was never within Song Yan's consideration.

He subconsciously licked his lips, his tongue touching the shredded meat, which stung painfully.

The mouthful of blood made Mei Zicong feel even worse.

Suddenly, a strong hatred for his grandmother welled up in his heart.

If it weren't for his grandmother, he wouldn't have had to endure such torment.

It's all that old geezer's fault, it's all his fault.

Under such mental and physical torment, Mei Zicong became exceptionally cooperative, even confessing everything he knew without Song Yan asking him anything.

Actually, the story is quite dramatic.

It was simply that although Mei Wu was granted the title of Duke, he was not a nobleman whose position had been passed down through generations. He was not very familiar with the filth among the nobility. When his wife became pregnant and he went to war, he instructed his mother to take good care of her, thinking that with his mother watching over her, nothing would happen. Coincidentally, his eldest son's wife was also pregnant, so he brought his eldest daughter-in-law, Gao Cuicui, to the Duke's mansion to take care of her as well.

Seeing the luxurious life in the Duke's mansion, Gao Cuicui couldn't help but feel envious and jealous, and a wicked thought began to take hold. She couldn't control her idea of ​​a marriage exchange. If the marriage exchange was successful, her child could stay in the Duke's mansion and enjoy a life of luxury. If her son could inherit the Duke's mansion's vast fortune in the future, she herself would also benefit greatly.

Unexpectedly, Mei Wu's wife gave birth to a daughter, while he himself gave birth to a son, and this was even seen by others.

A marriage exchange is obviously not an option.

But once malicious intent arises, it is almost impossible to stop it.

Since a marriage exchange is not possible, then adoption will be the solution.

But as long as Mei Yingxue lives, the chances of her being adopted are slim. After all, Mei Wu can choose to marry into the family, and the Duke's power and status will ultimately not fall into their hands. Therefore, Mei Yingxue must die. Gao Cuicui must have discussed this carefully with her husband, Mei Wu's elder brother Mei Wen, and Mei Wen agreed to his wife's plan.

On one hand, he was greedy for the power and wealth of the Duke's mansion, and on the other hand, he was jealous. Mei Wu was already a Duke, and as his elder brother, he asked Mei Wu to arrange a title for him as well, not too high, just a marquis would be fine. But Mei Wu refused, and he had already held a grudge since then.

Just then, Mei Wu went to war, and most of the Duke's family's retainers took him with them. The remaining retainers rarely went in and out of the backyard, which gave Gao Cuicui an opportunity. Mei Wen seized the opportunity, snatched the newborn girl from Mei Wu's wife, threw her heavily to the ground, and then forced the woman to drink a drug that he had prepared in advance.

Thus, one died, and the other went mad.

As for Mei Yingxue, who had just been born at that time, this wicked couple naturally wouldn't give her a proper burial. They carelessly dumped her in a mass grave, where she would likely be devoured by wild animals in no time. As he recounted this, Mei Zicong's face was filled with resentment. He blamed his grandparents for not being careful enough; if they had truly nailed Mei Yingxue to the coffin, she would probably be completely dead, and none of this would have happened.
Song Yan, who was listening quietly, couldn't help but sigh. He had to admit that the plan was full of flaws and loopholes.

Putting everything else aside, Gao Cuicui and Mei Wen thought that killing Mei Yingxue would leave Mei Wu without an heir, but... wouldn't Mei Wu have another child? Even if Mei Wu's wife went mad, wouldn't Mei Wu remarry and take concubines? What if Mei Wu remarried and had three or four wives and concubines, and had a house full of children and grandchildren? Then what would be the point of adoption? What would be the point of Gao Cuicui and Mei Wen's plan?
Ultimately, it was just a decision made in the heat of the moment by ignorant villagers.

They were mostly blinded by the luxury and status of the Duke's mansion, and didn't seriously consider anything else.

Unexpectedly, Mei Wu's health was damaged on the battlefield, making it extremely difficult for women to conceive. In addition, Mei Wu was deeply in love with his wife and never remarried after her death. Although it is unknown why, Mei Wu seemed to always believe that Mei Yingxue was alive. However, as the years went by, he probably felt that the possibility of finding Mei Yingxue was not high, so he agreed to the adoption. However, the adopted child was not Gao Cuicui and Mei Wen's son, but his grandson Mei Zicong.

By sheer coincidence, Gao Cuicui and Mei Wen actually succeeded.

Hearing this, Song Yan even felt an urge to laugh.

If Mei Wen and Gao Cuicui had used their brains even a little, things probably wouldn't be like this now.

Just because of the greed and stupidity of a pair of ignorant villagers, the mother's fate was rewritten!
Song Yan exhaled, glanced down at Mei Zicong, slowly stood up, and drew a steel knife from his waist.

The gleaming blade reflected a chilling light under the moonlight.

The next instant, the steel knife, raised high, suddenly fell.

puff.

puff.

puff.

The sound of a knife cutting into flesh.

The sound of a blade striking bone.

At this moment, Song Yan felt as if he had become Zhao Gaizhi.

At first, Mei Zicong could still let out a few screams, but at some point, his reactions became weaker and weaker, with only slight tremors remaining to prove that he was still alive.

One hundred dollars?

Two hundred dollars?

Song Yan didn't know either.

All he knew was that Mei Zicong, who was standing in front of him, had somehow turned into a pile of mangled meat paste.

Song Yan finally stopped when he felt a little tired. He reached out and grabbed Mei Zicong's hair, lifting his head up.

He's probably dead.

Below the neck were tattered skin and minced meat, already separated from the body.

His face was frozen in pain, despair, and hatred.

"Lian Yue..."

"Hmm?" Hua Lianyue quietly appeared behind Song Yan.

"Could you please take Mei Wu to the Marquis's residence?" Song Yan blinked, her tone as calm as ever, even her agitated heartbeat gradually returning to normal.

"I want to go out."

"where to?"

"Meijia Village".

Killing just one person is ultimately not enough.

The suffering that the mother endured must be paid for with the lives of Gao Cuicui and Mei Wen's entire family.

(End of this chapter)