Chapter 100 Chapter 100 [VIP]
Chapter 100
No one was invited to their wedding banquet, and no one was allowed in. The gate of the Qian family was heavily guarded, and the only witnesses of the wedding banquet were the Qian family's own people and the Song family's little princess Song Yunzhao.
Since last night, Song Yunzhao's expression has been strange.
Sitting at the banquet today, he was listless and his eyes were dull. He stared blankly at his brother stepping on the bloodstains and walking out of the yard step by step with his sister-in-law.
The sound of firecrackers was deafening, and wherever the two went, maids scattered candies and candied dates, symbolizing sweetness.
The Qian family forced themselves to smile and said words of blessing.
"May we be like intertwined branches, forever united in love."
"A harmonious couple, a lovebirds, will prosper for five generations."
"A perfect match made in heaven, may they live happily ever after."
......
The two men walked to the front yard. When Song Yun walked towards the platform and turned around, everyone saw a pool of blood on his back.
When he was tortured, he did not take off his clothes, and his wedding clothes were torn.
Song Yunzhao's heart ached and he suddenly burst into tears.
Not only her, but everyone was secretly choking, holding their breath, and watching with fear and trepidation as the two of them supported each other and walked up to the stage. The host's voice reached everyone's ears.
"Bow to heaven and earth."
"Bow to your parents twice."
"Husband and wife bow to each other."
"The ceremony is over!"
After hearing the last sound, Song Yunzhao could no longer hold back. He stood up from his seat in an instant, ignoring the questions of those around him, and ran to the door. He said to Wang Zhao who was waiting there, "I need to see Lord Feng. It's urgent."
Last night she followed Wang Zhao out and happened to encounter that wave of bandits.
Wang Zhao stood guard outside her carriage and warned her, "Duan Yuanjin is coming to kill us. Little Princess, hide well and don't come out."
She still couldn't believe that Master Duan, who had saved her three times, would kill innocent people.
She didn't listen to Wang Zhao and got off the carriage anyway.
The bandits came up from behind with great momentum and deafening roars. There was a man sitting on the horse in front. The man was dressed in white and had a green mask on his head. It was undoubtedly the Duan Yuanjin she had seen before.
If she had not been pushed by the crowd, if the man on horseback had not stopped, and if she had not seen the sachet around his waist, she would have thought for the rest of her life that the man was Duan Yuanjin himself.
But she saw it.
Afterwards, the maid told her that the sachet was a gift from her sister-in-law. There was a peace charm embroidered on the sachet, and inside it was her favorite chrysanthemum.
And she gave it to her fiancé, the young master.
——
It was already very dark, but there was no light in the simple wooden house.
Old Master Duan sat in a wheelchair with a pair of broken legs, looking at the dying man held in Duan Yuanjin's hands in the darkness across from him. He opened his mouth several times before finally uttering a voice, "Please spare him."
Duan Yuanjin didn't seem surprised by this answer, and said self-deprecatingly, "It turns out that everything my father said back then was a lie."
Afraid he had forgotten, Duan Yuanjin recalled for him, "The day I rescued my father from the Pu family, he said, 'From now on, I am your biological son, and you will treat me as your own.' You said that my parents despised me because my hands were stained with blood and I was unworthy of being a member of the Pei family, but you thought it was wonderful. Your Duan family hadn't seen such a brave man in a long time. Even if your biological son returned in the future, you would not abandon me..."
Duan Yuanjin looked at Old Man Duan, who was leaning against the window, and asked, "Now that your biological son is back, has your father made a new choice and is leaving me to die?"
When Mr. Duan heard this, he felt a pang of sadness in his heart, "How could I bear to let you die..."
He made a selfish decision at the beginning. He thought that his Duan family had taken advantage of him. After his own son inherited the Pei family's business, he would kill the Pei family's child.
But he overlooked the fact that people develop feelings for their loved ones after being raised for a long time.
Especially when he saw a boy who was everything he wanted, lived according to his ideal, and looked somewhat like his son, it was hard for him not to feel sympathy.
Knowing that he came from a noble family, he felt guilty and invited a master to the village early on to try his best to make up for what he had lost.
And his care was rewarded.
The year he lost his legs, he was only seven or eight years old. He was chased by the Park family. Everyone ran away and he thought he was going to die, but in the end, a small hand wiped the blood off his face.
He used his thin body to carry him out of the pool of blood.
He had imagined more than once whether his own son could do this, and the answer was obviously hesitant.
I changed his identity and took away everything from him, but not only did he not resent me, he also treated me like his own father.
People are all made of flesh and blood. Even though he was a bandit, he would be moved. He had indeed treated him as his own son over the years, but he did not expect that his own son would come to him again and ask for the token.
"I used to kneel before him respectfully, calling him father, begging him to leave it for me. Why can't you give it to me? Father, you sent me to the Pei family to give me everything I have, so that I can recognize my ancestors again. Now I need support, why won't you even give me a token..."
, he couldn't refuse.
If he had known earlier that he took the token in order to push the village to the brink of collapse, he would not have given it to him.
He was also reluctant to bring him back to justice, and could only persuade him: "Once he is imprisoned and his identity is exposed, he is the blood of my Duan family after all, is there no other way?" He used all his strength to impersonate you, and wasn't Qian Qiniang always very smart? You go find her, she..."
"You're wrong!" Duan Yuanjin suddenly interrupted, pushing the person in his hand in front of him, "Your noble brother is him."
Duan Yuanjin stood up. He had just been whipped and rescued someone from a fire. He had only been healthy for two days when his father drugged him. When he woke up, he was completely shattered and his face was haggard. "Mrs. Leng Qian, you're gone."
Mr. Duan was stunned and looked at him.
Seeing his eyes full of bloodshot, he said calmly: "Father, if you do something wrong, you must take responsibility."
Duan Yuanjin didn't delay any longer. He picked up the young master on the ground and walked out.
The young master never expected that he would fall into Duan Yuanjin's hands.
The moment he saw Song Yunzhao crying for Duan Yuanjin that day, he knew that Duan Yuanjin could no longer stay.
He had it all planned out.
He first found King Pingchang, let him go, and then set fire to Duan Yuanjin's yard, intending to burn him to death and then frame King Pingchang.
But he didn't expect that Aruo was inside.
He saw with his own eyes that Duan Yuanjin carried the unconscious Aruo out of the fire and placed him in front of him. At that time, he should have rushed up to kill him, but seeing that Aruo was dressed in black and gray and his steps were very steady, he was not sure if he was his opponent, so he did not move and missed the best opportunity.
By the time he had settled Aruo, Duan Yuanjin had already been rescued by Madam Qian.
With his rich wife protecting him, he couldn't do anything to him.
In front of the Qian family clinic, he, the young master of the Duke's Mansion, was actually insulted by a maid from a merchant's family. How could he forget that humiliation?
Since the wife of the Qian family wants to be protected, we have no choice but to kill her as well.
He stole the token of Duke Dingguo, released Park Huailang from the Park family, went to the dungeon of the prefectural government and released the head of the Lu family, and then sent a letter to King Pingchang, using him to lead Madam Qian to Xiangyuan Teahouse.
Not only did he want to kill Madam Qian, he also wanted to ruin her reputation so that she would never be able to take advantage of Song Yunzhi's power again.
He came to the village and found his biological father, asking him to restrain Duan Yuanjin. After getting the token from the village, he disguised himself as a soldier from the prefecture, intercepting and killing Qian Tong while leading the bandits to attack the city.
He told those people that the stronghold would be razed to the ground by Song Yunzhi and that everyone here would die sooner or later.
Before dying, why not kill a few people to vent your anger.
Everything went smoothly.
But the old man was worried about his adopted son, so he woke the man up in advance. When he rushed into the alley, took off his clothes and prepared to escape, he was captured by Duan Yuanjin's men.
Duan Yuanjin didn't ask him a single question and just covered his mouth, because he knew that he had no dignity or moral integrity in order to survive.
The young master couldn't speak, and only looked at his biological father with a pair of pleading eyes, "Wuwuwu——"
Old Man Duan got anxious when he saw Duan Yuanjin was about to drag the man out. "Wait a minute! Aren't those soldiers outside from Prince Song? Go and beg him. Father begs you, don't reveal his identity. If everyone knows he's the son of a bandit, how can he survive..."
Duan Yuanjin smiled and said without turning his head: "I have lived for twenty years."
There were no lights on inside the house, but there were lights on the porch outside.
As Duan Yuanjin carried the people out, he saw a woman in luxurious clothes standing in the corridor opposite.
The woman didn't know how long she had been there, her face was already covered with tears. After staring at Duan Yuanjin for a moment, the woman suddenly knelt down, "Han Zhang..."
She didn't know who she was calling, but the young master in Duan Yuanjin's arms reacted excitedly, crawling towards her, "Woo woo woo—"
——
The Duke had just come out of the Young Master's room and hadn't had time to go to the mountain stronghold when he saw the guards outside hurriedly reporting, "Duke, Duan, Duan Yuanjin is here to surrender..."
Duke Dingguo was stunned, quickened his pace, and rushed to the door.
The gate of the prefectural government was brightly lit at this time, and everyone was on alert, with hundreds of guards staring at only one person.
Duan Yuanjin was still dressed in white, but this time he was not wearing a mask. When he entered the prefectural government office, he was confronted by guards holding spears. Every time he took a step forward, the guards took a step back, as if he were some unforgivable demon who would kill them if they got close.
Seeing that the Duke was coming, Duan Yuanjin raised his hands to him and said with a smile, "Duke, I plead guilty."
Duan Yuanjin glanced at the people around him and said loudly, "But I have one thing to clarify. This matter has nothing to do with Madam Qian. The reason my stronghold came down the mountain to seek revenge is because we learned that Madam Qian had sold us out to Prince Song. Since they want to suppress the bandits, as the young master of the stronghold, I naturally have to resist a little."
He seemed to have not recovered from his injuries yet, his face was pale, but there was no fear in his eyes, and he looked lazy and arrogant, as if he did not care about life or death.
Duke Dingguo stared at his face, and the strange sense of familiarity became stronger and stronger.
Duan Yuanjin continued, "Now that I've witnessed the power of the imperial court, I know that an egg cannot collide with a stone. Knowing the current situation and being a hero, I have come here to surrender. It doesn't matter how the Duke intends to deal with me. Whether you want to kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you."
When Song Yunzhao rushed back to the prefectural government, Duan Yuanjin was being taken to the dungeon with a knife at his neck by the guards.
Song Yunzhao jumped down from the carriage in panic and called out urgently, "Wait!"
Not him.
The person who entered the city and killed the people was not him at all.
Duke Dingguo stamped his feet and turned back.
Feng Yuan was also there. Song Yunzhao didn't go to find the Duke, but went straight to Feng Yuan. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Although she couldn't bear it, she couldn't cover it up. "Master Feng..."
"Aruo." A voice behind her suddenly interrupted her.
Song Yunzhao turned around and saw the young master coming over. He had an injured foot and was limping towards her. He said with a smile, "Aru, look, who's here?"
Song Yunzhao followed his gaze and saw a woman getting off the carriage behind him.
The woman had a gentle look on her face. She smiled at her and called her softly, "Princess."
Song Yunzhao subconsciously called out, "Madam Guogong?"
——
Qian family.
After Song Yunzhi and Qian Tong finished their greetings, they couldn't hold on any longer, their knees gave way, and they fell to the ground.
Qian Tong had a veil on her head, so her vision was unclear. When everyone called out "Prince", she wanted to reach out to help, but the silver needles in her body had not been completely removed, so she couldn't use any strength.
Song Yunzhi grabbed her first and comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll go get some medicine. Madam, wait for me."
Afterwards, Qian Tong was taken to the bridal chamber by Madam Qian and sat with her in the bridal chamber, waiting for Prince Song to come back.
At the hour of midnight, the two heard a burst of hurried horse hooves sounds.
Mrs. Qian's heart tightened and she clenched her hands nervously, "Are you hungry, Tongjie? I'll get you something to eat."
Qian Tong knew who was coming. "Mother, I'm fine now. Please go and see him for me. I know he didn't let me see his injuries because he didn't want me to feel guilty, but... I still owe him."
How could he make her feel at ease?
"Tong Jie'er..."
Qian Tong couldn't lift his hands, so he could only rely on Madam Qian. She said, "Today, the prince has sacrificed his marriage, his future, and even the reputation of the Yong'an Marquisate to protect our Qian family. Isn't this a great favor, mother, that moved me?"
How could Mrs. Qian not be moved? She felt heartbroken and guilty when she saw people being beaten like that.
Qian Tong continued, "He also has parents. Tonight, knowing that the son he raised with so much difficulty has sacrificed his life, how can he not feel heartbroken? We have to do something for him, right?"
Mrs. Qian was stunned. She was not smart and could not think of anything except being nervous. What could they do?
Qian Tong said, "Mother, please take out all the needles from my body. I'm going to see the Marquis."
No, Mrs. Qian shook her head quickly.
Qian Tong: "I know the prince told you not to let me see anyone except him before the case is solved, but what will he face? Has mother ever thought about it?"
She glanced at Madam Qian and whispered, "He's a rebellious son to the Marquisate now. Not only did he marry a merchant's daughter, but she's also a bandit leader. To protect our Qian family, he arbitrarily mobilized the imperial army. No matter what, he deserves it. Does mother want to see his parents scold him again? What did he do wrong? Why should he be blamed?"
Mrs. Qian was stunned by what she said.
Qian Tong said: "Please let me go, I will take this scolding, at least I will feel better, otherwise I will feel guilty for the rest of my life, mother..."
——
A few months ago, the eldest princess said she wanted to go back to Shuzhou to visit her ancestors' graves, so Marquis Song went to Shuzhou with her.
When the eldest princess received the letter that Song Yunzhi was going to get married, she stared at the three big characters "Song Yunzhi" on the letter and asked the messenger to confirm that the name was written correctly. It was not Song Yunzhao, but "Song Yunzhi was going to get married". She was slow to react.
This shocked her even more than Aruo suddenly breaking off the engagement and marrying someone else.
He doesn't understand his own son? He's a dull guy with a rigid mindset, and even a stick won't produce a single word.
Why are you getting married suddenly?
Lord Song was a calm person, but he was stunned for a long time after reading the letter.
The eldest princess went to the ancestral tomb that day to thank her ancestors, saying that the ancestors had appeared in spirit. She then asked the marquis to go to Yangzhou first, and she would go there after she had dealt with the affairs of Shuzhou.
Lord Song traveled non-stop all the way, but still failed to make it to their wedding banquet.
He first went to the prefectural government, and when he learned that the person was not there, he did not stop for a moment and hurried to the Qian family. Feng Yuan, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, followed him and could not catch up with him. Therefore, when Lord Song arrived at the Qian family, he knew nothing. He first saw the imperial soldiers guarding outside the Qian family's door, and he became more confused.
As soon as I entered the Qian family, I noticed a depressing atmosphere.
Everyone in the Qian family knelt on the ground.
Lord Song glanced at Mr. Qian Er, who was kneeling in the front, and guessed that he was Qian Tong's father. He stepped forward and lifted his arm, "Please stand up, my dear relative. There's no need to be so formal."
Mr. Qian was kneeling there without moving.
Lord Song was even more puzzled, and had a premonition that something had happened. Just as he was about to ask, Meng Qing came out and said, "Lord, this way..."
Lord Song followed Meng Qing to a courtyard. He smelled a bloody odor right outside the threshold. After entering the room, he saw Song Yunzhi lying on the bed with whip marks all over his back. His face turned cold, his eyelids twitched, and he asked in a deep voice, "Who did it?"
——
After a stick of incense, the Marquis came out of the house.
The Qian family had already cleaned up the room next door. When Meng Qing led people out with a lantern, the Qian family members were already kneeling all over the yard.
The prince went against heaven and earth to protect a merchant and was beaten like that. As parents, how could they not be angry?
If the Marquis wanted to punish them tonight, no one in the Qian family would resist.
Lord Song and Prince Song were 70% alike, and their tone of voice was similar, without much nonsense. "My son risked half his life to protect the in-laws. I didn't ask you to kneel before me like this. Stand up."
Mr. Qian burst into tears on the spot.
He would rather the Marquis beat him and scold him, so that he would feel better, but Marquis Song said nothing and went straight back to his room.
The house had been cleaned by the Qian family and the lights were on. When Meng Qing pushed open the door, he saw a young girl kneeling in the house. She was wearing a festive wedding dress and her figure was kneeling straight there.
With this outfit, you know who she is without asking.
Meng Qing glanced sideways at Lord Song behind him, and seeing that he didn't seem to want to see him, he turned around and walked out, closing the door.
Thinking of how his son had just pleaded with him with all his might, "Father, can you please not go to see her for now? She is feeling very uncomfortable." Marquis Song did not ask her immediately, but stood there and inquired about her for a while.
The girl nodded her forehead to the ground, "Qian Tong greets the Marquis."
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