Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 529 The Death of Song Hongtao (5,000 words)

Flies licked the festering sores on Song Hongtao's body.

Maggots wriggled in the gruesome wound.

The grayish-white viscous liquid slowly rolled down the tattered skin, and even the silk clothes on the body could not absorb it, because the silk had already absorbed far too much and solidified into stiff lumps.

Given Song Hongtao's current appearance, it's hard to believe he's still alive.

This is probably what it means to be worse off than dead.

Hearing the door open, Song Hongtao's eyes darted around frantically. When he caught sight of Song Yan out of the corner of his eye, Song Hongtao became agitated. Unfortunately, his entire body was completely paralyzed, with only his face twitching. Song Hongtao's body was slowly recovering, and he could even make small movements with his fingers. He felt that one day he would be able to stand up again.

That was his moment of revenge.

He will torture Lin Xiangwan, that wicked woman, with the cruelest methods. He will repay her tenfold, a hundredfold, the pain she once inflicted on him. He will make Lin Xiangwan understand what true despair is.

And that bastard Song Yan, I won't let him get away with this.

And then there are those bastards like Song Huai, Song Yi, and Song An, and that son of a bitch Song Jincheng.

He will cast all those he hates into hell.

But those hopes were dashed.

On the very day Song Jing appeared, Lin Xiangwan noticed his abnormality. After that, she doubled the amount of all sorts of random medicine he was given. His body, which had barely recovered a little, collapsed again, even more completely than before. This time, apart from his head, Song Hongtao couldn't even feel the existence of any other part of his body.

"Song..."

“Song Yan…”

A hoarse voice escaped from Song Hongtao's mouth, and his eyes seemed to be blazing with intense heat. He managed to retain the ability to speak, albeit with some difficulty.

His eyes were filled with hatred and resentment, like those of the most venomous snake.

"Your Highness, you may not know this, but I went to great lengths to keep Song Hongtao paralyzed here without killing him." Lin Xiangwan looked exhausted. "There was a time when this guy almost died. I had to search all over Songzhou for famous doctors and finally managed to save his life."

"At that time, I found ginseng, deer antler, and all kinds of tonics, and finally managed to make him recover a little. He even gained a little weight before the new round of torment began."

hiss.

Chu Yue and Chu Menglan exchanged a glance, both able to see the fear in each other's eyes.

You might as well not save him at all.

It might be more swift to just kill him.

Lin Xiangwan was clearly just a woman with no strength to even kill a chicken, yet at this moment, she was making Chu Yue and Chu Menglan, both of whom were quite strong, shudder.

Lin Xue's eyes were filled with pleasure.

That damned bastard! Since he bribed the robbers to kill Mother's steward and went to great lengths to marry Mother, why didn't he treat her well? Why did he discard her like a worn-out shoe after getting her? Did he just stand by and watch Mother be poisoned by Yang Miaoqing, driven mad, and die? And did he just stand by and watch Song Yan be bullied by others, teetering on the brink of life and death so many times?

Everything they experienced was caused by Song Hongtao.

This is the price Song Hongtao has to pay.

Song Yan imagined Lin Xiangwan tormenting Song Hongtao, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Enduring the stench that was almost unbearable, Song Yan approached Song Hongtao step by step.

"My dear father..." The familiar opening: "How noble you were once, Duke of Song! How have you become like this in just a few months? Tsk tsk, how pitiful."

Song Yan spoke softly, but her words ignited Song Hongtao's fury, leaving him panting heavily.

"Alright, you can lie down if you want. I came here mainly to tell you some good news."

"I have been granted the title of Prince by His Majesty, the Prince of Yan."

"From now on, I am the prince of Anzhou and Pingyang. How about that? Unexpected? Surprised?"

"Can I say that I've brought honor to the Song family?"

These words agitated Song Hongtao like never before. His cloudy eyes were bloodshot, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets, and his heavy breathing made his lips make gurgling sounds.

King?

How can it be?

What right does a mere bastard have to be made a king?
The emperor is incompetent; Heaven is unjust.

Song Hongtao couldn't accept this outcome. These past few days, he had been hoping day and night to hear the news that Song Yan had been killed. But who would have thought that this bastard Song Yan was not only alive, but had even been granted the title of a king of a different surname... He did not doubt that Song Yan was lying; that black python robe could not be faked.

The better Song Yan did and the more accomplished he became, the more tormented Song Hongtao became.

He tried desperately to open his mouth, wanting to curse Song Yan, but he could only manage to utter a few syllables. It was clearly impossible for him to speak like a normal person.

For a time, the more I thought about it, the angrier I became, and the angrier I became, the more I thought about it, and the angrier I became... as if I were trapped in a vicious cycle.

He even developed hatred for the emperor and the Heavenly Dao. When his hatred reached its limit, Song Hongtao could no longer control himself and spat out a mouthful of blood.

It's been quite a while since we've seen such a blood-spurting scene.

The more Song Hongtao acted this way, the happier Song Yan felt.

Killing Song Hongtao outright would be too lenient; even in death, Song Hongtao should suffer unimaginable torment. Seeing Song Hongtao's festering wounds, even his face bearing signs of decay, Song Yan knew the physical torture was nearly complete; what remained was the torment of his soul.

To kill someone is to kill one's heart.

That's about it.

"Oh, right, there's another good news to tell you..." Song Yan said with a smile.

A flicker of fear crossed Song Hongtao's eyes. He instinctively felt that Song Yan was about to say something unpleasant, but in the current situation, he couldn't even cover his ears. He could only listen to Song Yan's voice, which seemed like a demonic whisper echoing in his ears:

"Do you remember the little girl my mother brought? She's Song Xue, whom you adopted as your goddaughter."

"I found her."

Song Hongtao's eyes trembled violently.

He knew that Yang Miaoqing had sold Song Xue. He didn't even care about his own illegitimate daughter, let alone an adopted daughter.
He had assumed that the girl had already been tortured to death.

These days, he only finds some solace in fantasizing about Mei Xue being poisoned to death and Song Xue being sold to some remote mountain village and tortured to death by those men, so that he doesn't break down under Lin Xiangwan's torment.

But now Song Yan is telling him that Song Xue is still alive?

The siblings even recognized each other?

The indescribable pain caused Song Hongtao immense suffering.

He didn't understand why this was happening.

Why did all the good things happen to Song Yan?

Why should I endure this endless suffering?

Song Yan pulled Lin Xue up.

Lin Xue stepped forward, her cold and disdainful gaze falling on Song Hongtao: "Godfather, do you still remember me?"

Song Hongtao's pupils contracted. Looking at Lin Xue's tall figure and fair complexion, he realized she had clearly been doing well these past few years.

Bitch.

Why does this slut seem to have suffered no hardship at all after being sold?

"Father probably doesn't know what my sister has been through all these years, does he? Fine, I'll tell you then, so you won't keep worrying. Lin Xue was indeed sold by Yang Miaoqing, but the nanny under her was greedy for money and sold my sister to a merchant caravan in Chu. After that, my sister went to Chu. Then, she was recognized as a granddaughter by the Lin family of Chu and became the eldest daughter of the Lin family of Chu." Song Hongtao was almost going crazy. The Lin family of Chu... Even though he had never been to Chu, Song Hongtao knew that it was a family even more illustrious than the Song family.

Song Xue actually became the eldest daughter of the Lin family?
Why is she so lucky?

Song Hongtao was clearly stuck in a rut. He couldn't understand the situation and felt increasingly suffocated and uncomfortable.

puff.

A second mouthful of blood spurted out.

His entire face instantly looked pale and listless.

Song Yan smiled coldly and mockingly: "Song Hongtao, look at yourself now?"

"A dignified Duke, don't you feel ashamed to have fallen to such a state?"

“You once had your own bloodline, but unfortunately, all those illegitimate daughters were sold off by Yang Miaoqing. I inquired around and found out that out of the seven daughters, three had been tortured to death by their husbands’ families, and the remaining four were missing without a trace. They were probably dead too, since Yang Miaoqing didn’t choose any good families for them.”

"All three of her illegitimate sons were poisoned to death by Yang Miaoqing."

Song Yan's voice was cold and gloomy, each word like a knife stabbing into Song Hongtao's heart.

At this moment, Song Hongtao was also filled with regret.

Now, I truly regret it.

If he had taken care of some of the illegitimate sons and daughters back then, even if it was just for marriage alliances, how could the Duke's mansion have fallen to such a state? He regretted even more that he listened to Song Yan's instigation and personally killed his last and only biological son, Song Lu.

Otherwise, how could the Song family have died out?
Unfortunately, regret is useless; it's all too late.

"They are still your bloodline, after all. Are you just going to watch them get killed by Yang Miaoqing? Is it really that important to you to curry favor with the Yang family? So important that you don't even care about your own children?" Song Yan tilted her head, her eyes filled with deep confusion.

To be honest, even now, Song Yan still doesn't understand this.

"Perhaps he wants to revive the Song family's glory." Butler Wang whispered from the side, "The Duke's Mansion is gradually declining. Song Hongtao wants to change the current situation of the Duke's Mansion, but he knows that he is not capable enough. So he can only place his hopes on the Yang family. He hopes to strengthen his connection with the Yang family through Yang Miaoqing. After all, with the status of the Yang family in the court at that time, with a slight movement of his finger, Song Hongtao's sons could rise rapidly in the court. The rise of the Song family would then have hope."

"He would give up anything for this goal."

Song Yan chuckled: "What a pity, Yang Miaoqing gave birth to eight children for you, but seven of them are not yours."

Chu Yue and Chu Menglan were both shocked, and looked at Song Hongtao with some pity... Good heavens, eight kids, seven of them are not his, just how many green hats has he been wearing?
I doubt even the pastures where the Xiongnu raised horses were this green.

What a terrible thing to do.

Song Yan ruthlessly exposed Song Hongtao's greatest humiliation in front of everyone. Seeing the surprised and pitying looks in Chu Yue and Chu Menglan's eyes, Song Hongtao felt as if his face and heart were riddled with holes.

Song Yan gently comforted her, "But don't worry, even if Song Jincheng cheated on you, I won't let him get away with it. After all, it was Song Jincheng's son who bullied me and even instigated the poisoning of my mother. You should hate Song Jincheng even more. He cheated on your wife and made you raise his child. His child committed a crime, and in the end, you have to take the blame."

Every word, every syllable, seemed to be tearing at Song Hongtao's heart.

Song Hongtao's nose and face were convulsing violently, and his eyes rolled back in waves.

Yes, it's all Song Jincheng's fault, it's all Song Jincheng and that bitch Yang Miaoqing's fault. He didn't do anything wrong, so why should he have to bear the consequences?
The pain and torment intensely stimulated Song Hongtao, even briefly giving him control of his body. He desperately raised his head and stared intently at Song Yan, but quickly lost his support and slammed onto the bed with a thud.

"Yes, dear father, don't worry, Song Jincheng's lineage will definitely be wiped out as well." Song Yan replied considerately, "I guarantee it, your entire Song family will definitely die out completely, without a single descendant."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you, last year, the Chu Kingdom led its army to conquer two cities of the Ning Kingdom, and the general leading the troops was none other than my sister." Song Yan's calm voice was tinged with mockery: "Look at your sons, none of them are any good. And look at my sister and me, one a prince, the other the only female general. If you had been even slightly kinder to my brother and me, even slightly kinder to Mother, the Duke's Mansion would not have fallen to such a state."

Song Hongtao's body trembled violently, and then he began to shake uncontrollably.

My eyes started to well up with tears.

In just a few seconds, turbid tears uncontrollably rolled down Song Hongtao's cheeks, leaving two long streaks.

Regret filled my heart.

If only he had treated Lin Xue and Song Yan a little better back then, if only he hadn't let Mei Xue be poisoned by Yang Miaoqing, then with their current status, the Duke's Mansion would have reaped considerable benefits, wouldn't it? With just the support of Prince Song Yan, restoring the Duke's Mansion to its former glory would have been a simple matter. How could it have fallen to this state, with the Duke's Mansion completely ruined and the Song family line dying out?
But as the saying goes, it's too late for regrets; he's already ruined everything.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing I almost forgot to tell you... His Majesty already knows that Lin Xue is your adopted daughter," Song Yan said with a smile.

Song Hongtao, who was filled with regret, suddenly widened his eyes, and a very bad premonition began to grow in his heart.

Immediately afterwards, Song Hongtao watched as Song Yan slowly reached into his sleeve and pulled out a yellow silk scroll—it was… an imperial edict.

Opening the document and glancing at it casually, Song Yan smiled and said, "There are no outsiders here, so there's no need to kneel to receive the decree... although you can't kneel down anymore anyway."

"In short, Song Hongtao accepts the imperial decree..."

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Duke Hongtao of Song, your paternal virtue has been corrupted. You stood by and watched as Lady Yang poisoned her own flesh and blood, causing the severing of familial bonds and the breakdown of father-daughter relations. Your adopted daughter became a fierce commander in the Chu army, bringing disaster to the state and nearly destroying its pillars. The Prince of Yan is a pillar of the nation, and you narrowly escaped with your life! You bear four crimes: first, violating human ethics; second, disrespecting your ancestors; third, committing countless evils; and fourth, stealing the public cauldron. Your depravity is beyond description, and your transgressions cannot be washed away by a great river. Yet you still shamelessly occupy your position, are you not ashamed before your own shadow? You are hereby stripped of your title and honors, and handed over to the relevant officials for trial. This decree is proclaimed throughout the realm, so that all may know!"

"Considering that the Song family's ancestors followed Emperor Taizu in his campaigns and made great contributions to the Ning Kingdom, the title of Duke shall be inherited by the youngest son, Song Qi. This is the imperial decree!" As the imperial edict was read aloud, even Song Yan couldn't help but sigh, thinking to himself that Emperor Ninghe's insults were truly vulgar.

Lin Xiangwan was overjoyed. Overwhelmed with excitement, her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

The title of Duke is finally in my hands.

Before this, Song Qi was only the heir apparent.

But for the Crown Prince, it makes absolutely no sense.

As long as Song Qi is not a Duke, the question of who will inherit this title remains uncertain.

For a moment, Lin Xiangwan looked at Song Yan with gratitude. She knew very well that if Song Yan hadn't been there to help, the imperial decree to inherit the title would never have been issued so quickly... After all, in the vast Ning Kingdom for a hundred years, there had never been a case of a child under one year old inheriting a title.

As for Song Hongtao, his eyes widened instantly... The title of Duke! It was the thing he was most proud of in his life. But now, all his pride had been stripped away by the imperial edict in Song Yan's hand.

The title is gone.

It was handed over to Song Qi to inherit?
But Song Qi isn't his own child at all, is he?
The title of Duke of Song ultimately fell into the hands of outsiders. After his death, how could he face the ancestors of the Song family in the afterlife?
This is Song Yan's ultimate move, with extremely high destructive power.

Song Hongtao's eyes became increasingly bloodshot, with crimson marks even rolling down the corners of his eyes. Blood streaks above his eyeballs resembled shattered glass, and his chest began to heave violently at an unprecedented speed.

Violating human ethics, disrespecting ancestors, committing heinous crimes...

Only strange gurgling sounds remained in his throat.

Even a single hair cannot fully express the filth inflicted upon you, and a torrent of water cannot wash away your transgressions…

The body, which had long been immobile, began to convulse violently in an indescribable way.

Stripped of title and honors...

puff.

Finally, overwhelmed by frustration, anger, resentment, hatred, pain, and despair, Song Hongtao coughed up another mouthful of blood with a violent throbbing in his throat.

Song Hongtao's body suddenly straightened, and his upper body suddenly tilted up at a slight angle.

His eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets.

His limbs, which had long since lost control, seemed to reconnect with his brain at this moment. His right hand, trembling violently, slowly rose a little, its bent fingers like the sharp claws of an eagle, reaching towards Song Yan's neck. In his final moments, Song Hongtao probably intended to strangle Song Yan to death.

Unfortunately, it can't be done.

He barely managed to lift himself up before exhausting all his strength. His arm fell limply to his side, and his taut body slammed heavily onto the bed.

The crimson light in his eyes seemed to have lost its last support and gradually faded away.

Song Hongtao is probably dead.

He died of anger.

(End of this chapter)