Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 394 Song Hongtao's Doomsday (10,000 words)
Another year passed.

Butler Wang had visibly aged considerably; the lines on his face seemed deeper than before, his eyes were more cloudy, his back was more hunched, and he walked with a swaying gait. However, when he saw Song Yan, a smile involuntarily appeared on Butler Wang's face, and he seemed to be in much better spirits.

Even his favorite pipe tobacco was put away, for fear of offending the Ninth Young Master.

Song Yan didn't have any ill feelings towards Steward Wang.

Not to mention that Steward Wang was now his spy in the Duke's mansion, even in the past, Steward Wang had never bullied or mistreated him and his mother like the other servants. Sometimes, he would even stand up for them and seek justice. However, this was ultimately a matter concerning Song Hongtao's inner quarters, and even though Steward Wang had great power in the Duke's mansion, he couldn't always interfere... Nevertheless, Song Yan remembered those times he helped.

Upon seeing Steward Wang again, Song Yan couldn't help but smile. He didn't pay attention to what Steward Wang had said, but simply extended his right hand and made a gesture of taking a pulse. Steward Wang then happily raised his wrist. In a small place like Ningping County, who among those with a little knowledge didn't know that the Ninth Young Master was a genuine miracle doctor?

Even the tuberculosis-stricken daughter of the Luo family was cured by the Ninth Young Master. The Ninth Young Master was concerned about his health, which deeply moved Butler Wang.

This scene, however, left Mei Wu, sitting in the carriage, with a bitter taste in his mouth. He was, after all, Song Yan's maternal grandfather, yet for so long Song Yan always addressed him as Duke Mei or Duke Lu, never once calling him "Grandpa." Seeing Song Yan's concern for Steward Wang, he felt a pang of envy. But despite his envy, he knew he owed Song Yan and his mother a great deal. He pursed his lips and said nothing, only wondering to himself how he could make Song Yan call him "Grandpa."

Since learning of Mei Yingxue's passing, Mei Wu was heartbroken for a long time, and then he devoted all his energy to Song Yan, who was probably his only source of support in life.

Just then, Song Yan's fingers left Butler Wang's wrist: "Aside from being a little irritable, he has no other problems!" In this era, and for an elderly man, it's truly remarkable that he can maintain his current health. He pointed to the pipe clipped to his belt: "You should avoid smoking this if you can, it's bad for your health."

Butler Wang laughed heartily: "I can stop you from drinking alcohol and eating meat, but you really can't stop me from smoking this. I've been smoking for over twenty years, and I can't quit."

Song Yan smiled and didn't insist. It's good for someone of her age to have a hobby. She turned around, gave a brief instruction, and the carriages temporarily left for the Luo family.

Only Ziyu remains here.

Ever since they learned that the day before leaving Dongling City, Song Yan had gone to Meijia Village alone and wiped out Mei Wen's entire family, Tianxuan and Tianyi had been feeling a bit scared.

After all, there are quite a few people in Ningguo who want Song Yan dead. Even though Song Yan is a sixth-rank martial artist and his strength is not weak, since then, no matter where Song Yan goes, he always has to be accompanied by a real expert. Sometimes it is Tianxuan, sometimes it is Tianyi. This time, because Luo Tianxuan and Luo Tianyi do not have a good impression of the Song family, it was Ziyu who stayed behind.

Mei Wu naturally wanted to teach Song Hongtao a lesson himself; if Song Hongtao hadn't been so indifferent, Mei Yingxue wouldn't have died so young. However, Mei Wu could see that Song Yan's hatred for Song Hongtao was no less than his own. Remembering Song Yan's ruthless methods in dealing with the Song brothers, Song Hongtao's fate was predictable. Coupled with his own injuries, he decided to leave the matter entirely to Song Yan.

Steward Wang then led Song Yan into the Duke's mansion. The place was originally quite lively, but upon seeing Song Yan, everyone's expression changed immediately. They lowered their heads and dared not utter a sound, as if they were afraid of being targeted by Song Yan.

Although the Ninth Young Master has not returned for a long time, the legend that those who are targeted by the Ninth Young Master will not have a good death has been circulating in the Duke's Mansion.

Song Yan was also happy to be at ease: "Grandpa, what did you mean by Song Hongtao trying to harm me? Did Song Hongtao discover something?"

Butler Wang shook his head: "No, not at all."

"Aunt Lin Xiangwan has given birth to a son, and the Duke has been very happy lately."

"Because Song Huai, none of Song Yi's eight sons were his biological children, so he doted on this youngest son to the extreme. He said more than once that the position of Duke's heir must belong to Song Qi... Oh, Song Qi is the name of the tenth prince."

Song Yan chuckled.

Youngest son?
It's a pity this one isn't his biological child either.

Song Hongtao is definitely destined to be childless for the rest of his life.

No, it's not that they have no children.

Before him, the several illegitimate sons killed by Yang Miaoqing were Song Hongtao's own children; the several illegitimate daughters who disappeared under Yang Miaoqing's scheme and were hastily married off were also her own children. Thinking of Song Hongtao, watching Yang Miaoqing harm her own children without any regard for them, and finally focusing all her affection on other people's children, even preparing to hand over all the glory and foundation built by the Song family patriarch throughout his life to this child, Song Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He couldn't help but want to tell Song Hongtao the truth.

Even a fool could guess that Song Hongtao's expression must have been priceless when he learned the truth.

He'll probably break down.

She might even cry.

And Lin Xiangwan is also quite formidable.

Song Yan originally thought that Song Hongtao was preparing to take action against him, probably because he knew that the child in Lin Xiangwan's belly was not his, and that he knew that she had deceived him, so he was angry and ashamed. But now it seems that this is not the case at all.

Butler Wang's old face showed a hint of mockery: "That guy is stupid. He has some cleverness, but he always uses it in the wrong places. Song Hongtao wanted to pass the title of Duke to Song Qi, but he was worried that his older brothers would harm Song Qi, so he thought of making Song Huai and the others kill each other, and then he also plotted against the Ninth Young Master."

“Song Hongtao wrote many letters, all of which he asked me to send to Dongling. I have read the contents of all the letters.”

Song Yan suddenly realized.

“In the past two months, Song Hongtao has spent a lot of money to hire a number of high-level martial artists, probably just to deal with you guys.”

Behind her, Ziyu covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

High-level martial artist?
She couldn't believe that a duke who had already fallen on hard times could still invite a grandmaster; she couldn't possibly be this unlucky forever.

"Now, Yang Miaoqing, Song Zhen, Song Yun, and Song Zhe are dead, and Song Huai, Song Yi, Song Jing, and Song An are wanted by the authorities. Song Hongtao has taken the opportunity to expel them from the family register as well..."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow: "Can the Song clan elders agree to expelling so many offspring from the family genealogy at once?"

Butler Wang chuckled: "Does Ninth Young Master really think the Song family is a large clan? The Song family was indeed quite large in the past, but it has long since fallen into decline. Nowadays, apart from Song Jincheng being somewhat successful and Song Hongtao inheriting the title of Duke, the Song family is basically an empty shell. The so-called elders of the Song clan are nothing more than elderly farmers. How much say can they have in front of a Duke?"

"Moreover, Song Hongtao is not only the Duke of Song, but also the head of the Song family. The so-called elders cannot stop him from doing what he wants to do."

“Being expelled from the family genealogy means you are no longer qualified to inherit the family business. So the only obstacles that might become Song Qi are Song Lu and you, Ninth Young Master. Eighth Young Master Song Lu is studying at Songzhou Academy. Some time ago, after school, he was playing by the river with some classmates when he accidentally fell into the water.”

Song Yan felt like her brain was about to cramp up.

No, why do these people always seem to enjoy accidentally falling into the water?

Why not try another method?

"People are dead?"

"No, not at all. He was rescued." Butler Wang smiled. "He just bumped into rocks when he fell into the water, broke a bone, and cut his leg on the rocks, which caused an ulcer. Although he is out of danger, he is now lame."

"They have been taken back to the Duke's mansion to recuperate, but the treatment they receive is much worse than before."

“A cripple naturally cannot inherit the title of Duke, so he is out of the running.”

Song Yan clicked his tongue, realizing he had underestimated Song Hongtao. After all, Song Lu had been under his care for over a decade, yet he acted so decisively, crippling the man without leaving any trace of wrongdoing. He was quite capable.

"So, the one who's being targeted by the Duke now is you, Ninth Young Master." Butler Wang pursed his slightly chapped lips. "Song Hongtao didn't want any trouble, so a few days ago he sent a memorial to the higher authorities, requesting that Song Qi be conferred the title of Duke's Heir."

Song Yan's eyes lit up.

Song Hongtao is truly a good person.

The reason Song Hongtao's life had been spared was because if Song Hongtao died, the position of Duke would likely fall into the hands of Song Huai and his ilk, which was something Song Yan did not want to see.

Now, the Song brothers are either dead or wanted by the police.

The only Song Dynasty law that was beyond the reach of the authorities was abolished by Song Hongtao himself.

Now, even a memorial requesting the investiture of the crown prince has been submitted.

It seemed as if all worries had been cleared away in an instant... Song Yan scratched his chin, his expression strange. Song Hongtao had already cooperated to this extent. If he were to continue to hold back and not make a move, wouldn't that be a bit unfair to him?

Why not take advantage of this trip back and deal with Song Hongtao as well? Just then, several guards passed by. Song Yan didn't recognize these people; they were probably recently recruited by Song Hongtao. Naturally, they didn't know who Song Yan was either. However, when they saw Steward Wang, they all curled their lips in disdain.

That gaze was as if it were directed at a dead person.

"Who are these people?"

"The martial artists hired by Song Hongtao are all notorious figures in the martial arts world. This time, Song Hongtao has gone all out, hiring a total of sixteen high-level martial artists, including one eighth-rank martial artist."

"Eighth rank, that's scary." Song Yan smiled. "These martial artists have a very bad attitude towards you."

"That's right, after all, I'm also on Song Hongtao's death list."

"Why?" Song Yan asked, somewhat curious.

Over the years, Song Hongtao has relied heavily on Butler Wang, so why would he suddenly want to kill him?

"He probably doesn't want people to know about his shameful deeds." Butler Wang wasn't too sad. After all, he had already witnessed the cold-heartedness of the Song family. He chuckled and said, "Being cuckolded is a disgrace for a person's entire life. The more people who know, the more ashamed Song Hongtao feels. It's like burying his head in the sand. Song Hongtao seems to think that as long as everyone who knows he's been cuckolded no longer exists, the fact that he's been cuckolded will also cease to exist."

Good philosophical idea.

"It's really unlucky that the only two people who know about these things are the Ninth Young Master and this old man."

"Oh, right, and Song Jincheng too."

"After dealing with the two of us, Song Hongtao will probably make his move on Song Jincheng. Lately, Song Hongtao has been somewhat obsessed."

Song Yan also felt that Song Hongtao had really gone a bit crazy. Perhaps it was out of love for his youngest son? He wanted to clear away all the obstacles for Song Qi before he could no longer move?
Butler Wang pursed his lips and continued, "Ninth Young Master, are you interested in the title of Duke of Song?"

“Absolutely no interest.” Song Yan shrugged. “If I wanted to be a Duke, with my abilities, it wouldn’t take more than a few years. Even something higher than a Duke wouldn’t be impossible.”

Above the Duke?

Prince?

Or perhaps... the emperor?
Butler Wang glanced at Song Yan and suddenly felt that such a rebellious act didn't seem so wrong when it happened to his own Ninth Young Master.

"Old Master, you should know that I am not actually of the Song family bloodline, right?" The sky grew darker, and Song Yan looked towards the horizon. The setting sun painted the sky with golden-red hues. Although this matter was a secret, Song Yan believed that with Steward Wang's wisdom, he could see some clues: "Back then, when the old master chose you as the steward of the Duke's mansion, it must have been because he valued your talent, and most likely he also instructed you to look after the mansion. If you plan to push me to the position of Duke of Song, wouldn't that be betraying the old master's trust?"

"When we first helped Young Master Jiu, it was partly because of his intelligence and resourcefulness," Butler Wang smiled, not hiding anything. "On the other hand, it was also because Young Master Jiu is the Duke's son, both of whom are of the old Duke's bloodline. So what difference does it make who gets the Duke?"

"I think that if the Ninth Young Master becomes the Duke of Song, he might be able to rebuild the glory of the fallen Song family."

"But none of that matters now."

With his cloudy old eyes, Wang, the steward, scanned the Duke's mansion. It was a place where he had lived for many years, yet now his eyes held little nostalgia, only disgust. "The Ninth Young Master is known as the number one talent in Ningguo. I was a little less talented than him back then, but I could still be considered the number one talent in Songzhou Prefecture." Wang seemed somewhat embarrassed. "Back then, I was aiming to take the imperial examinations and become an official. If it weren't for the kindness the Duke showed me, I wouldn't be stuck in the Duke's mansion as a steward."

"kindness?"

“Yes.” Butler Wang nodded: “Back then, when I took the prefectural examination, someone reported me for cheating in the examination room, and cheat sheets were found under my inkstone… As you know, Ninth Young Master, Ningguo attaches great importance to the imperial examination, and the punishment for cheating in the imperial examination is not light. Not only will you be stripped of all your academic titles, but you will also be imprisoned.”

"When I thought my life was over, it was Lord Song who stepped in and saved me. I could no longer become a scholar, and there was no possibility of taking the imperial examinations, but at least I didn't have to go to jail. Moreover, when we were young, Lord Song and I were classmates at the same academy. After the incident, everyone looked down on me and ostracized me. Only Lord Song believed that I was innocent, so I was very grateful to Lord Song and gladly agreed to his request to become a steward in the Duke of Song's mansion."

His voice and calmness made it seem as if he were simply telling a story completely unrelated to himself:
"This has been going on for decades."

“After Mr. Song passed away, I continued to work as Song Hongtao’s housekeeper.”

"Lord Song was a wise man. He didn't want his brothers to fight amongst themselves, so he insisted on establishing the eldest son as heir. He also saw that Song Hongtao was incompetent. On his deathbed, he instructed me to keep a close eye on Song Hongtao. He didn't expect Song Hongtao to bring glory to the Duke's mansion, he just wanted him to live peacefully. This can be considered as entrusting his son to someone."

"Because of this relationship, Song Hongtao also respects me."

"Initially, I was also diligent and never slacked off. In those years, although I dare not say that the Duke's Mansion was thriving, at least it did not decline."

"However, the Yang family's interference rendered all my efforts futile."

"At that time, I took a liking to the Ninth Young Master. He is intelligent and quick-witted. I believed that with his talent and my assistance, the Duke's Mansion would surely prosper. When I learned that the Ninth Young Master was not Song Hongtao's biological son, I did hesitate for a long time. But then I thought, since neither of them are his biological son, what difference does it make who I choose?"

These words left Song Yan speechless.

“During this period, Lin Xiangwan relied on me a lot.”

"Song Hongtao then sought out Aunt Lin Xiangwan, expressing that he would give me an important position, but also wary of me... Because Lin Xiangwan had given birth to a son for Song Hongtao, Song Hongtao trusted her completely and kept nothing from her, including some of the Duke's secrets. For example... the person who reported me for cheating in the examination was someone arranged by Lord Song."

"Lord Song wants to use my talents to maintain the prestige of the Duke's mansion."

"The kindness of sparing me from imprisonment is something I can repay for the rest of my life. And all those involved in this matter have been eliminated by Lord Song. Even if I wanted to investigate, I couldn't."

"Lord Song relied on me, but he also kept a close eye on me. He entrusted me with his son and also instructed Song Hongtao to keep an eye on me at all times, and to kill me if I showed any disloyalty."

"Fortunately, I've been careful and cautious, and I haven't been caught doing anything wrong over the years."

"Song Hongtao didn't know that Aunt Lin Xiangwan was the Ninth Young Master's person. She told me immediately after she found out."

Butler Wang smiled, a hearty laugh: "Therefore, I feel no psychological pressure at all about putting someone who has no blood relation to the Song family into a position in the Duke's mansion."

This is cause and effect.

The reason why Lord Song harmed and used Steward Wang was because of this.

Steward Wang passed the title of Duke to a complete stranger, thus severing the glorious bloodline of the Song family. This was the consequence.

The two chatted casually like that.

They walked very slowly.

"By the way, where is Song Lu now?" Song Yan stretched, his joints creaking, the fatigue from the long carriage ride finally dissipating somewhat: "His elder brother was injured, so it's only right and proper for me, as his younger brother, to visit him."

"Since Song Hongtao wants to take action, it wouldn't be appropriate not to give him enough time to prepare."

Butler Wang chuckled: "Indeed, Ninth Young Master is as meticulous as ever. Right now, the power dynamics within the Duke's mansion are chaotic. On one side are my people, on the other are Lin Xiangwan's people, and on the other are the Duke's people. I'm sure they'll get the news soon. I'm really curious to see what they'll do."

"By the way, when we meet the Eighth Young Master and the Ninth Young Master later, they might be quite surprised."

Two figures, one tall and one short, one old and one young, headed towards the backyard.

……

Just as Steward Wang said, the speed at which news spreads in the Duke's mansion is now terrifying.

At this very moment, Song Hongtao and Lin Xiangwan were enjoying their time together in the study.

The little guy, only a few months old, was soft, chubby, and incredibly cute. Even Song Hongtao, who was already somewhat obsessed with him, couldn't help but hold him a little longer.

Just then, news of Song Yan's return reached the two of them.

In an instant, both Song Hongtao and Lin Xiangwan's expressions changed slightly.

(End of this chapter)