Wife, Don't Be Like This!

Chapter 39 - The Filial Son

Scheming!

Everyone is scheming.

The Yang family is scheming against the Ning Kingdom.

Song Yan is plotting for the lives of everyone in the Duke's mansion.

Yang Shi and Yang Siyao are scheming for the Duke of Song's title.

And Song Yun is scheming against his mother.

Regarding Yang Shi's favoritism towards Song Zhen, Song Yun was resentful.

He knew clearly that as long as his mother still had a say in the Duke's mansion, no one could even think of snatching the Duke's position from Song Zhen's hands.

On what grounds?

They were all legitimate sons of the Song family. On what grounds did he not have the right?

If it were the eldest brother, Song Huai, Song Yun could reluctantly accept it. After all, he was the eldest legitimate son of the Song family. Reasonably and rightfully, the future position of family head and Duke should belong to his eldest brother.

But what did Song Zhen count for?

He was unwilling to accept it.

Since he was unwilling, he could only rely on his own two hands to fight for it.

Of course, although Song Yun was not as intelligent as Song Zhe, he was more careful and cautious. There were many things he wouldn't do himself, for example, instigating that brainless idiot Song Zhen at the wedding ceremony.

Song Yun himself didn't know when he had started having such thoughts. In the Duke's mansion, he played the part of the well-behaved, intelligent, and filial legitimate son, but was secretly cultivating his own forces.

This was not a simple matter. To date, the number of trusted, loyal men under his command who would die for him was only a few dozen.

Of these people, a portion were placed in the Duke's mansion, serving as household guards and menial laborers. Another portion was active in Ningping County and Song Prefecture.

For example, the six people before him were originally a group of mountain bandits who had been wiped out. Because they had committed numerous evils and had a lot of blood on their hands, they were supposed to be beheaded.

It was Song Yun who bribed the jailer with money, replaced them with other prisoners, and saved their lives. And their wives and children were also settled elsewhere by Song Yun, so their loyalty was not a problem at all.

"If it's only that Song Yan, and Gu Banxia is not by his side, should we still make a move?" The leader asked cautiously after accepting the bank note.

A trace of gloom passed through the depths of Song Yun's eyes. After a brief silence: "Make the move."

No matter how mature Song Yun's temperament was, his age was still what it was. This time, he really couldn't bear it. Just because of that Song Yan, his fiancée, whose marriage was already halfway arranged, was gone.

And it was at the night market, in front of the Jade Gathering Garden, under the watch of countless scholars, that his engagement was broken off. Every time he recalled the scene from that day, Song Yun felt a repression in his heart, like a gangrenous sore on his bone, a fish bone stuck in his throat.

He had actually been quite fond of that Meng Lingling.

You ruined my marriage, so I'll send your woman to Fang Jun's bed.

So Song Yun thought.

Of course, he would make careful arrangements. If it succeeded, it would be for the best. With Song Yan dead, the pent-up frustration in his heart could finally be released.

That bank note would also be enough to make people suspect his mother.

Mother has already killed three of the illegitimate brothers. She has sufficient reason and motive to kill Song Yan.

That Luo Yuheng is not a reasonable person. The matter will inevitably blow up. Even if Mother can ultimately be exonerated, she probably won't have any say in the Duke's mansion anymore. Thus, Song Zhen will lose his greatest support.

If it fails, that's fine too.

Song Yan will naturally find this bank note on the corpse.

Concubine Mei Xue died at Mother's hands.

Song Yan naturally wants revenge. Even if he senses that this bank note is strange and that someone has deliberately set this up, he will absolutely not let this opportunity go.

This Ninth Brother is absolutely not as spineless as he appeared in the Duke's mansion. He's like a venomous snake, lying in wait, and once he strikes, it's a fatal poison.

One has a prior record, the other has the grudge of his mother's murder.

The evidence might be a little contrived, but so what?

And he is that oriole. No matter what the outcome, for him, there are only benefits, no downsides.

What's more, during these past few days, because of Mother's actions, it has caused Eldest Brother and two cousins to be stripped of their official posts, and Second Uncle also wrote a letter to complain that Father couldn't control the back residence, causing Father to become more and more dissatisfied with Mother.

Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drag his mother down, how could Song Yun not add fuel to the fire?

Of course, if he can really become the Heir Apparent and inherit the Duke's title, he will definitely be a good filial son to his mother.

He swears.

Thinking this, a smile couldn't help but appear on the corners of Song Yun's mouth.

It's just, what a pity for that Yang Siyao. Marrying Song Zhen is truly a waste.

For some unknown reason, Song Yun suddenly thought of that quiet woman.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

If I were to marry Yang Siyao…

……

The Luo Mansion.

Returning home, Song Yan first put away the eggs and sulfur he had bought. Then he took out the yellow paper that Butler Wang had given him from his bosom and looked at it carefully for a long time.

"Is Mother-in-law at home?"

Gu Banxia covered her mouth with a light laugh.

"The Grand Princess wants you to call her Mother. If she heard you call her Mother-in-law, I'm afraid she would be sad again."

Although in terms of their status, they were undoubtedly mother-in-law and son-in-law. However, although Luo Yuheng was the elder, she stubbornly believed that the address 'Mother' was much more intimate than 'Mother-in-law'.

He thought about his interactions with Luo Yuheng during this period. If Luo Yuheng heard him, she probably really would be sad, and might even secretly hide somewhere to wipe her tears.

Black lines appeared on his forehead.

Gu Banxia had also become much bolder. Nowadays, she even dared to joke with the Young Master-in-law.

In order to re-establish the Young Master-in-law's authority, Song Yan viciously raised his right hand and gave Gu Banxia's bottom a slap, as a form of punishment.

Amidst the laughter, Gu Banxia shook her head, indicating that Luo Yuheng was not currently at home.

Song Yan seriously suspected that this mother-in-law had probably gone for a tryst with that old lover of hers. It was strange. Although Song Yan had been living in the Luo family for some time, ever since that night, he had never seen that man again.

Could it be…

Song Yan quickly suppressed a certain speculation that was constantly popping up in his mind. He then lifted his foot and walked in a certain direction. When he reached a courtyard, Gu Banxia and Kong Chan, who had been following behind him, consciously stopped.

The location was a bit remote. Although the scorching sun was right overhead, the courtyard gave people an indescribable sense of gloom.

There were a few household guards in the courtyard, but it was exceptionally quiet, without the slightest sound. They were, strikingly, the same few who had helped dispose of Yang Guifang's corpse on the wedding night. In the Luo Mansion, they were probably the ones who specialized in doing the dirty work.

For something like an interrogation, unless it is a particularly urgent type, continuous torture is not very effective against those with a strong will.

It might even arouse a rebellious spirit.

If one is not careful, the person might be beaten to death, and the clues would then be lost.

One must leave the other party some time to rest. The blank space in between is like heaven, which only serves to make the hell of torture even more terrifying.

These household guards had already received Luo Tianshu's instructions. Seeing Song Yan appear, they did not block him, but instead performed a deep bow. Immediately after, one of them opened a door, and another led Song Yan inside. Just like a scene that often appears in TV dramas and novels, there was a mechanism under a table. When opened, it revealed a passage leading underground.

The air circulation was poor and it was a bit stuffy, but not to the point of being unable to breathe.

One shouldn't underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. Although the ancients didn't know about oxygen or anything, they also understood that one would die if they couldn't breathe. The kind of completely sealed, airtight secret chambers wouldn't really exist. Even a dungeon like this would have ventilation facilities to meet the most basic respiratory needs. Even lighting a torch wouldn't be a big problem.

The air was filled with a foul stench. With the light of the torch, one could even clearly see countless tiny particulate matter floating in the air.

He fanned his hand in front of his nose, but it was of no fucking use.

Faintly, he could still hear weak, short breaths.

In the basement, there were only three people.

Old Woman Liang Qiaofeng, Old Woman Xiao Cuilan, and Old Woman Lai Qiuju.

Tap, tap, tap…

The footsteps were not obvious, but in this silent dungeon, they sounded exceptionally piercing.

The three old women were instantly startled awake. The next moment, they were screaming and struggling neurotically. The clattering sound of chains colliding could also be heard.

Before even turning the corner, Song Yan could roughly guess the current state of the three old women.

They probably hadn't been tortured lightly.

When he finally walked down the last step and turned the corner, everything in the dungeon appeared before Song Yan under the torchlight.

Tsk.

It was clear that in these few days, the three old women had received extremely enthusiastic hospitality.

In just a few short days, the three of them had lost more than a full size. Under their wrinkled skin, one could even see the outline of their bones.

Their arms and necks were hung up by chains, forcing them to stand on the ground, with only their tiptoes providing a little support.

Their originally neatly combed hair had become messy. Disheveled and filthy, their bodies exuded a thick stench. One could even see things like mosquitoes and flies crawling all over their bodies. With their movements, they would fly up with a buzz, a dense black swarm.

It would even make one think they had accidentally arrived at a cesspit in the summer.

The ruqun on their bodies, which originally looked plain but were in fact made of fine materials, were now also tattered and torn.

At a glance, the three old women's bodies seemed to have no external injuries, at least not recently. One couldn't see the bloody scene of split skin and mangled flesh. But from the looks of extreme terror in their eyes, the torture they had suffered was probably even more terrifying than that.

Their eyes no longer showed a hint of hope, only an irresolvable fear.

Song Yan couldn't help but be curious: "What exactly did you do to them?"

The household guard who had followed him down spread his hands.

"Didn't do much. Beat them, of course. Later, we found that beating was useless, so we just smeared a little honey on their bodies and then let in a few mosquitoes, flies, ants, and cockroaches..."

Song Yan probably knew where the dark brown patches on their dirty clothes came from.

Being bitten by an ant won't hurt much.

But, when a hundred, a thousand ants are crawling on your body, that feeling is different.

If you then add a thousand cockroaches, a thousand mosquitoes, and a thousand flies...

Just thinking about that scene, Song Yan felt a chill run down his spine. Especially when he saw the massive army of cockroaches, which had sensed the movement and were now rapidly crawling off the three old women's bodies and disappearing into the cracks in the corner of the wall, Song Yan felt even more goosebumps.

Oh, my god, look at these cockroaches. They're as big as a thumb, and they can fly...

If several hundred or a thousand of these big cockroaches appeared at once, he would chicken out too.

"What's your name?"

"Jiang Zhongcheng," the guard immediately replied.

Song Yan couldn't help but praise: "You're a talented individual."

Jiang Zhongcheng smiled shyly: "The Young Master-in-law overpraises me."

I wonder if the Ning Kingdom has an Eastern Depot*. That place is in great need of this kind of talent.

[N: The "Eastern Depot" (DōngChang, 東廠) was a powerful and notorious spy and secret police agency run by eunuchs that operated during the Ming dynasty of ancient China. It was established by the Yongle Emperor in 1420 to suppress political opposition and spy on officials, military officers, scholars, and the general populace.]

"Which one is Liang Qiaofeng?" Letting out a small breath, Song Yan asked in a gentle voice.

Originally, he would have been able to recognize her, but the current state of the three old women was truly a bit terrible, making them indistinguishable.

No one answered, but the two old women on the left and right both looked towards the person in the middle. It seemed it was her. Song Yan waved his hand: "Let her down. Give her something to eat."

Jiang Zhongcheng immediately let Liang Qiaofeng down. He then shouted outside, and not long after, a bowl of millet congee was placed in front of Liang Qiaofeng.

Liang Qiaofeng's eyes were still lifeless. She stared blankly at Song Yan, as if not understanding what he wanted to do.

"The information you provided before was very valuable. This is your reward. Eat up," Song Yan said in a soft and gentle voice, a faint smile on his face.

The gentle tone seemed to invisibly dispel Liang Qiaofeng's fear. She then suddenly lunged towards that bowl of millet rice. Ignoring the filth on her hands and mouth, she picked up the bowl and began to gulp it down.

Even though it was very hot, she didn't care much.

Xiao Cuilan and Lai Qiuju never expected that Liang Qiaofeng wouldn't be beaten, but would instead be rewarded with food. For a moment, they were envious and jealous. Song Yan could even hear their throats moving continuously, swallowing saliva.

The bowl of millet congee was finished in a few gulps. She scraped her fingers around the bowl, not even leaving the last grain of millet behind. At this moment, Liang Qiaofeng's gaze towards Song Yan was full of gratitude. She seemed to have already forgotten who had sent her here to suffer, and was only grateful to Song Yan for giving her food.

I wonder if this counts as Stockholm syndrome.

"Here with me, those who have value can receive better treatment.”

"Because Liang Qiaofeng provided me with information, this was her reward. So, these past few days, have you two remembered anything?"

The peaceful voice rippled through the dungeon. The surroundings fell into a brief silence.

Suddenly, it was Liang Qiaofeng again. Perhaps because this person was a gossip, the information she knew was always a little more than others.

At this moment, any loyalty to the Mistress or the Old Master was all bullshit. Liang Qiaofeng now only wanted to have a bowl of millet congee every day and not be beaten.

They hadn't been in contact with the Song family for a long time. Yang Shi and Song Hongtao must have known that something had happened to them, but the rescue they had imagined never appeared. Even a fool would understand that they had been abandoned.

Since they had already been abandoned, what was the point of loyalty?

As for Xiao Cuilan and Lai Qiuju, they didn't make a sound. It was unknown if they really didn't know anything, or if they were still maintaining their loyalty to their masters.

"Reporting to the Young Master, this old slave thought of... thought of something..." Liang Qiaofeng said, trembling.

The smile on Song Yan's face did not change:

"What is it?"

"Your mother... Concubine Mei... Mei Xue, back then, she was probably killed by Song Zhe."

Song Yan's pupils suddenly contracted: "What did you say?"

For the first time, a fluctuation appeared on Song Yan's face.

Liang Qiaofeng was startled, let out a scream, and curled into a ball, shivering: "Don't hit me, don't hit me, what I said is all true."

Song Yan also realized he had lost his composure. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the agitation that had instantly welled up in his heart, and asked Liang Qiaofeng in as steady a voice as possible:

"Don't be afraid. Tell me exactly what you know."

Under Song Yan's comfort, Liang Qiaofeng recovered a little. Although she was still trembling all over, she could at least barely speak:

"Actually... actually I also overheard it by accident."

"After Concubine Mei Xue went mad, Yang Shi became suspicious."

"She arranged for people to test her in many ways, and finally determined that Concubine Mei Xue had truly gone mad."

"With Yang Shi's temperament, whether she was mad or not didn't really make much difference; she was to be disposed of either way. But at that time, two concubines had already died in a row in the Duke's mansion. If Concubine Mei Xue also died, who knows what kind of gossip would spread outside."

"In addition, Yang Shi felt that a concubine who had already gone mad was not much of a threat. Keeping Concubine Mei Xue around could even earn her a good reputation for keeping a peaceful back residence, so she no longer bothered with her."

"Until one day, the Sixth Young Master, Song Zhe, suddenly sought out Yang Shi. He said..."

Liang Qiaofeng's throat moved slightly, as if recalling what Song Zhe had said that day:

"He said, 'I was passing by the garden and saw a gardener weeding. I asked the gardener, why is it that we weed every year, yet every year there are still weeds.'"

"'The gardener replied: It is all because the roots have not been removed.'"

"Three days later, Concubine Mei Xue died of a sudden violent illness.”