Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 403 Song Hongtao's Despair (6,000 words)
At the end of the Xu hour, the stars twinkled in the sky.

The night wind howled in Ningping County. The violently murdered body lay quietly in the guest hall of the Duke's mansion, motionless. The stench of blood emanating from the windows and doors gradually spread with the night wind, and the flickering candlelight cast shimmering shadows in the Duke's mansion.

"After all, this isn't your son."

He's not your son!

son!!
Song Yan's voice seemed to have an echo, reverberating in the ears of Song Hongtao and Song Lü.

Rumble, rumble!

Despite the bright moon and sparse stars, and the fine weather, Song Hongtao felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. His body, which had just stood up, swayed violently, and he almost fell. His eyes widened, and his brain seemed to become exceptionally slow in an instant.

Not his son?
Who?
Song Qi?
What does this mean?
Haha, Song Yan really knows how to joke. If Song Qi isn't his son, whose is he? Could it be that Lin Xiangwan had a child with some other man outside?
Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Song Lu was not dead yet.

Although Song Hongtao had stabbed him in the shoulder, it wasn't fatal. His head had been slammed to the ground a dozen times, but luckily it was dirt, not a pavement. While he was dizzy and his head had been badly injured, at least his skull wasn't fractured. Of course, Song Lu's condition was far from good either. His body was already in a terrible state, and the beating left him barely breathing.

But now, upon suddenly hearing Song Yan's words, he suddenly perked up. Even though his face was bruised and swollen, almost resembling a pig's head, he still desperately opened his eyes, grinned, and looked at Song Hongtao with a mocking expression.

It even let out a mocking snort from between its nostrils.

He didn't care whether Song Yan was telling the truth or simply wanted to make Song Hongtao unhappy; he was happy and excited to see Song Hongtao suffer.

Song Hongtao's mind went blank for a moment, but Song Yan didn't care. He reached out to Lin Xiangwan, who smiled and placed the child in Song Yan's hands. This action showed her absolute trust in Song Yan, as if she wasn't worried at all that Song Yan would hurt the baby.

Song Yan hates bratty kids.

But I really like these soft and cuddly little babies, though things like pooping and diaper changes are another matter.

He casually pinched the baby's face; it was soft and tender, though his fingers seemed a little rough. The baby seemed to feel a tickle, and opened its bright eyes, looking at Song Yan with curiosity. It waved its little hands and made babbling sounds.

After a quick check, the baby was found to be in good health, with no other problems except for slightly yellow skin. The baby was then returned to Lin Xiangwan: "Hold the baby and let him bask in the sun when it's sunny."

Song Yan only gave a casual reminder, but Lin Xiangwan took it to heart.

Song Yan is a legendary doctor; what he says is absolutely true.

Just then, Song Hongtao's body trembled, finally breaking free from his own world. His eyes were filled with resentment and venom, and he couldn't help but scream, "Impossible! This is my son, my own son..." Then, as if he suddenly realized something, Song Hongtao laughed like a madman, "I understand, I understand everything... Song Yan, you are so vicious."

"You're saying this on purpose because you want me to die with my eyes open, right?"

"You want me to die with no peace... Hahaha, your methods are too childish, I won't fall for it."

"will not."

Song Hongtao's eyes bulged out, almost popping out of their sockets. He was nearly insane, constantly repeating in a neurotic manner:

"I won't be fooled."

“I don’t care, this is my own son.”

"You promised me you would never hurt Song Qi, and you have to keep your word."

Compared to Song Hongtao's madness, Song Yan remained calm. Even when those noisy voices entered his ears, he showed no annoyance whatsoever. He simply nodded and said, "I have said more than once that I will not hurt Song Qi and will let Song Qi inherit the position of the Duke's Mansion. Don't worry, I keep my word."

Seeing Song Yan agree so readily and decisively, and looking at Song Yan's calm yet mocking expression, Song Hongtao's heart sank lower and lower.

Could it be that Song Qi really...

He inadvertently saw Lin Xiangwan smiling, holding her child peacefully beside Song Yan. For some reason, this scene filled Song Hongtao with a strong sense of unease. Suddenly, Song Hongtao trembled, his face turning deathly pale, his pupils constricting as he stared intently at Song Yan and Lin Xiangwan: "You...you two..."

When did you two get together?

"Is Song Qi your child?"

"Song Yan, you beast! Lin Xiangwan is your aunt!"

"This is incestuous!"

Song Hongtao's voice was extremely mournful, like a cuckoo weeping blood.

Song Yan could even clearly feel the sound of Song Hongtao's throat being torn apart.

Song Hongtao finally realized what was wrong. His scream earlier must have echoed throughout the Duke's mansion. How could Lin Xiangwan not have heard it? Moreover, with so many servants and guards watching, even their gossip would have been enough for Lin Xiangwan to know what had happened.

Knowing there was danger here, she still dared to bring the child here, which could be explained by Lin Xiangwan's concern for her.

But what's going on now?
Despite seeing that she was covered in blood, Lin Xiangwan didn't utter a single word of concern.

She even stood obediently and meekly beside Song Yan, completely unconcerned that Song Yan would do anything bad to her, and even handed the doll in her arms to Song Yan with complete peace of mind. This behavior was extremely abnormal, and Song Hongtao couldn't think of any other reason besides the fact that Song Yan and Lin Xiangwan had already hooked up.

The sons of the legal wife were not his own; the old steward who had worked in the Duke's mansion for decades had been bribed by Song Yan, and now even the most favored concubine was having an affair with Song Yan... In an instant, Song Hongtao felt a chill run through his body.

This is what it means to be abandoned by everyone and even one's own family.

Now Song Hongtao finally understood why Song Yan would so easily agree not to harm Song Qi, and even let Song Qi inherit the title of Duke of Song... After all, Song Qi was the bastard born of the two adulterers, how could Song Yan harm his own son?

Then think about yourself. In order to protect Song Yan and Lin Xiangwan's illegitimate child, you didn't even care about your own life. You even handed over all the secrets that the Duke's mansion had kept hidden for so many years to Song Yan, and knelt down in front of Song Yan to beg for mercy.

The Treasure of the Rebel King.

The Duke's Mansion.

The title of Duke.

Just moments ago, he was still feeling self-satisfied with his love for his own son, but now he felt like a ridiculous clown. He wondered what Song Yan's feelings were when he saw him kneeling on the ground begging. Was it mockery? Ridicule? Disdain?

Suppression, anger, madness, resentment, regret—all sorts of thoughts frantically grew in my heart, making me feel extremely suffocated, as if my heart was about to burst.

Then he thought of Yang Miaoqing, and the fact that none of the eight sons she had given birth to were his own, and the constant cuckolding... Was he destined to be cuckolded for the rest of his life?

The jumble of thoughts completely overwhelmed Song Hongtao.

A sharp pain shot through my heart, then my body trembled, and a stream of scarlet blood gushed from my mouth.

He instantly became listless, his face deathly pale, like bones that had been exposed to the sun for years. His energy seemed to have been drained away in that instant; his body hunched over, his eyes empty and lifeless.

Song Lu's eyes grew increasingly excited, his mouth agape. Despite his bruised face and throbbing pain all over his body, his spirits soared, and he snorted louder and louder as he laughed without restraint.

The more unlucky Song Hongtao was, the happier he became.

Watch, my dear father, this is your end.

Song Yan and Lin Xiangwan exchanged a glance after hearing Song Hongtao's words, their expressions somewhat awkward.

Unexpectedly, Song Hongtao has such a good imagination.

Song Yan still cared about his reputation to some extent. He could disregard the reputation of being called the "Jingguan Madman" since he had already made a name for himself. However, the reputation of seducing his concubine was too bad, even worse than being called the "Jingguan Madman".

"What do you mean, 'got together'? That's an awful thing to say." Song Yan blinked. "Aunt Lin and I are completely innocent. Don't slander me for no reason."

Song Hongtao didn't believe him at all. With blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, he stared at Song Yan with a hateful and venomous look in his eyes: "It's come to this point already, and you're still trying to cover it up. This only makes me despise you. If this bastard isn't yours, then tell me whose it is?"

"Anyway, it's not yours."

Squeak.

Another spurt of blood gushed from Song Hongtao's mouth.

Song Yan's words were infuriating. Just now, Song Hongtao felt like he was about to suffocate from holding his breath in his chest.

"Of course, you can't blame me for this." Song Yan smiled, feeling happy to see Song Hongtao suffering and vomiting blood.

He is kind and compassionate.

They didn't mind revealing the bloody truth to Song Hongtao bit by bit.

"You probably don't know this, but a few years after you and Yang Miaoqing got married, Yang Miaoqing secretly drugged you." Song Yan said confidently, "These are all things that Yang Miaoqing said before she died, so there's no doubt about their credibility. The drug didn't have any special effects; it just slightly affected your ability in bed, making it impossible for you to have children."

In more scientific terms, it's roughly a drug with spermicidal properties.

"You've been drinking like this for years without really understanding what's going on, and you've just watched Yang Miaoqing get pregnant again and again."

“Every time Yang Miaoqing got pregnant, you would anxiously rub your hands together, your face full of excitement; every time the baby was born, you would be as happy as a child, holding the baby and kissing it again and again, while Yang Miaoqing would watch smugly from the side, secretly cursing you as a fool.”

Every word Song Yan uttered was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into Song Hongtao's chest, causing him unbearable pain.

"No way, this is impossible."

"Why did she do this?"

Even excluding Song Zhen, Yang Miaoqing had seven children with Song Jincheng, so why would she treat herself like this?
"Why else could it be? It's simple, Yang Miaoqing has never been interested in you."

"Marrying you is an unbearable humiliation for Yang Miaoqing, so she deliberately used this method to shame you and make you a cuckold."

turtle.

turtle.

The two words pierced Song Hongtao's heart deeply. He felt his heart clench, his vision went black, and he swayed unsteadily, on the verge of fainting. Song Yan quickly stepped forward and pinched Song Hongtao's philtrum hard.

Just kidding, the bloody truth has only just been revealed. If I faint now, wouldn't that take away far too much of the fun?

A sharp pain shot through Song Hongtao, causing him to shudder and regain consciousness.

His eyes widened, and he struggled desperately, trying to back away.

He could guess that Song Yan's next words would surely send him into a bottomless hell. No matter how much he wanted to know the truth, he didn't want to hear those things.

"Do you still remember Song Shichang?" Song Yan asked with a smile.

Song Hongtao was stunned for a moment. He felt that the name was somewhat familiar, but he just couldn't remember it.

"This is the eldest son born to you by Concubine Liu, have you forgotten?"

Do you still remember Song Shifeng?

Do you still remember Song Shize?

With each name uttered, Song Hongtao's face paled further. He seemed to know what Song Yan wanted to say, his face filled with terror: "Shut up."

"They are all your sons."

"Shut up."

“Back then, before you took the medicine, the concubines in the Duke’s mansion couldn’t even leave their homes on ordinary days, so they didn’t even have the chance to have an affair. Therefore… these three must be your own sons.”

"I told you to shut up!" Song Hongtao roared angrily, his face contorted like a lion out of control.

Song Yan's eyes grew even colder: "Yang Miaoqing killed all three of them. Do you dare say you didn't know? No, you know very well. You were just watching coldly from the sidelines."

"Because in your heart, all you want is to curry favor with the Yang family. It's just a few illegitimate sons who have died. If you can make Yang Miaoqing happy and say a few good words for you in front of the Yang family, you will feel that the deaths of these illegitimate sons are worthwhile. After all, in your eyes, so-called illegitimate sons are no different from servants."

"That's not how it is, that's not how it is..." Song Hongtao roared.

"It's a pity. Yang Miaoqing despises you to the core. Even after killing your son, she didn't say a single good word for you in the Yang family. All your own sons were killed just like that, and then you were like a fool, stupidly raising those bastards one by one."

"Now they're childless and have no descendants..."

"This is your retribution."

"The Song family ancestors spent their lives on the battlefield to earn the title of Duke, but now, the Song family is extinct."

"You want to pass on the title of Duke to a completely unrelated person? How can you face the ancestors of the Song family?"

People in this era place the greatest importance on the continuation of bloodlines.

To be childless and without descendants is truly the cruelest curse and punishment, more terrible than death.

Killing people and killing people is nothing more than that.

Squeak.

A strange sound came from Song Hongtao's mouth again, and a stream of bright red blood gushed from his lips, staining a large area of ​​his chest.

"And your illegitimate daughters, they are all your bloodline."

"Now I wonder where they're suffering in some remote corner."

Song Hongtao raised his dazed eyes, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

"Do you know what kind of men Yang Miaoqing chose for them? A lame widower, a drunkard who beat his wife to death, a gambler, or even someone sold to the deep mountains and forests to be a wife shared by five or six men..."

"You don't naively think that Yang Miaoqing would find a good family for your daughter, do you?"

Song Hongtao's heart ached as if it were riddled with holes; every word Song Yan uttered made his heart bleed.

Regret, an unprecedented sense of remorse, swept over me.

Song Yan slowly exhaled and turned to look at Lin Xiangwan.

Lin Xiangwan smiled and slowly stepped forward, holding the child: "Song Hongtao, give up on that idea. This child is not yours."

"It belongs to my man."

"Do you know who my man is? He's a scholar from a village in Ningping County." The smile on her lips was tinged with disdain and resentment. "I was originally just the daughter of a merchant. My man, though not a scholar, was gentle and refined. We were a perfect couple, and we were going to live happily ever after. But then one day, your son appeared, that Song Zhen who deserves to go to the eighteenth level of hell."

"He has his eye on me."

“They broke into my house in the middle of the night. Their henchmen broke my husband’s legs and then insulted me in front of him.”

Lin Xiangwan's body was trembling slightly, as if she had recalled her past nightmares, and her face was deathly pale.

“My father-in-law came to our door demanding an explanation, and was beaten to death by the servants you arranged.”

"A perfectly good family was destroyed and its members died just like that."

“If it weren’t for my husband with a broken leg to take care of, I would have jumped into the river and committed suicide long ago.”

Song Hongtao looked at Lin Xiangwan with a face full of horror. Lin Xiangwan was usually gentle and elegant, and spoke softly. But at this moment, her voice was sharp and shrill, like a vicious ghost: "But I am not reconciled."

"Why has my family become like this, while the Duke's mansion has not received the slightest punishment? Why? Are the lives of ordinary people so worthless?"

A worthless life.

It's probably true.

But Lin Xiangwan was unwilling to give up.

“I want revenge, I want the Duke’s mansion to pay the price, so I dressed up deliberately and went to the places you frequent. Sure enough, you took a liking to me, kept me outside, and then brought me back to the mansion... Do you know, every time your body was on top of me, I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.”

"But I endured it because I didn't see the Duke's family destroyed and its members die."

“When I first met Ninth Young Master, I pledged my allegiance to him… By staying by your side, I was able to obtain quite a bit of information. Did you know that the evidence that led to Song Zhe’s death was provided by my brother? I would have someone inform Ninth Young Master about everything that happened at the Duke’s Mansion. I also informed him immediately about the fact that you had ambushed experts here to assassinate him.”

"I'm willing to do anything as long as I can see someone die in your Duke's mansion."

Song Hongtao trembled violently, pointing a finger at Lin Xiangwan: "You, you poisonous woman."

"A poisonous woman?" Lin Xiangwan laughed. "Compared to your Duke's mansion, I feel I'm already quite kind."

"By the way, you might actually have a biological son who's still alive," Lin Xiangwan said abruptly.

Song Hongtao's body stiffened, his face filled with disbelief: "Who?"

Lin Xiangwan's gaze drifted to Song Lu, who was lying on the ground.

Song Lu's pupils suddenly contracted, and Song Hongtao's face was filled with despair: "No, this is impossible... I, I was drugged by Yang Miaoqing."

“I know those medicines.” Song Yan spread his hands: “They’re nothing more than Tripterygium wilfordii, Sophora flavescens, Paris polyphylla, dried earthworm, Cnidium monnieri, Cremastra appendiculata, and Lysimachia christinae…”

"These things can make it difficult for people to get pregnant."

"However, it's not 100% impossible to get pregnant."

"Moreover, it is reversible; as long as you stop taking the medication for a period of time, your body can gradually recover."

Song Hongtao's teeth chattered violently, his hands and feet were ice-cold. His fingers were stiff and bent, like eagle claws.

“I asked Steward Wang to investigate. Before Yang Miaoqing became pregnant with Song Lu, you had just left the Duke’s mansion for a period of time, about three months. This period of time was enough for your body to regain its vitality, which could make you, to some extent, capable of conceiving a woman.”

“Even if Yang Miaoqing resumed your medication the moment you returned, it will still take ten days to half a month for it to gradually take effect.”

"And Yang Miaoqing became pregnant with Song Lu during this very period."

"There is no record of Yang Miaoqing and Song Jincheng having an affair at Suhua Temple during this period."

Song Yan shrugged, his eyes full of pity: "So... Song Lu must really be your son."

"My own child."

“Look at his face. Of the eight sons of the Yang family, he looks most like you.”

"only……"

"He's dying, you did it."

puff.

This time, the most fatal blow was delivered straight to Song Hongtao's heart.

A mouthful of blood spurted out.

Song Hongtao's face was loose and dull, his pupils were stiff, his lips were drooping and crooked, his jaw was clenched, and then his body fell straight backward.

Song Yan's eyelids twitched. Could it be that he had suffered a brain hemorrhage or stroke from anger?
(End of this chapter)