Chapter 102 Chapter 102 [VIP]
Chapter 102
Qian Tong shook her head in denial, "How could I possibly be as toxic as your wife?" She looked at Duke Ding and asked, "Isn't that right, Lord Duke?"
The Duke was already dizzy from her words.
He was a man who had walked through many storms, and would not be provoked to lose his mind by a few words from someone. For such an absurd thing, he should have immediately reprimanded Madam Qian and told her to shut up.
The reason why he was hesitant to act was that he had doubts and doubts about what she said.
It was hard to explain the familiarity he felt with Duan Yuanjin, and as Madam Qian had said, his wife and son had indeed been kidnapped by robbers for half a year.
Why does the son he raised for more than ten years look nothing like him?
Why would he see his own reflection in a bandit's son? No wonder! That's how it is...
The Duke slowly turned his gaze to Madam Bai Ji. What on earth had she been hiding from him? What on earth... He suddenly shouted at Madam Bai Ji, "What on earth is going on?!"
The Duke's wife shuddered at his yelling, realizing she could no longer conceal the truth. She turned around and asked him, "That year, when you and I went to pick someone up, couldn't you tell who was your son?"
The Duke was stunned.
Try hard to recall that scene.
At that time, the imperial court was corrupt, and after his Pei family was demoted, their survival was difficult. His wife and son were robbed, and the robbers demanded an exorbitant price, asking for a thousand taels of gold per person.
The Pei family couldn't come up with so much gold, so they only collected half of it and rescued the Duke's wife.
That was the gold that the Pei family had just collected after using all their connections in Shuzhou. They were able to collect it once, but how could they collect it a second time? Pei Liangying wanted to attack the mountain stronghold and take his son back, but the bandits were rampant in those days and they had no fixed place to live, so his lair could not be found at all.
Later, Pei Liangying had no choice but to write a letter to the Song family for help.
But the Song family was also in a difficult situation at that time. It took half a year to collect all the gold and send people to transport it to Shuzhou.
He thought the robbers had killed his son long ago, but one day the Duke's wife suddenly said happily that the robbers had come to their house and asked if they had collected enough money.
Pei Liangying and his wife went to pick him up in person.
When they arrived at the place, the robbers had tricked him and had sent people to ambush there early. During a fight, their son was released by the robbers.
Hand over the money and the person at the same time.
It was normal for the child's appearance to have changed in the past six months, but his bone structure had not changed. The child ran towards the two of them, calling them father and mother, and the Duke did not find it wrong.
How could he admit his mistake?
Was there a child present at the time?
The Duke racked his brains, trying hard to recall.
After a while, his face turned pale.
There is indeed a child...
After he carried his son onto the horse, a child who was slightly taller than his son ran after his horse desperately, calling out, "Father..."
He looked back and saw that the child was holding a knife in his hand, with blood all over his body and face. He was obviously a member of a bandit's den.
How did he answer him?
In troubled times, there were too many children who were taught to commit evil and kill from a young age. He wanted to teach them a lesson, so he frowned and scolded them, "Where did this wild child come from? To gain a few things, he actually claimed to have a wrong parentage. He's been so cruel since he was young, killing people at will. What will happen to him when he grows up?! Back off immediately, or you'll be in trouble..."
When the Duke recalled this, his mind became confused.
If the child chasing his horse was his biological son, then his actions and words...
Unthinkable!
The Duke almost collapsed and took two steps back. He didn't recognize her, but judging by the current situation, his wife did recognize her.
Then why did she take someone else's son back, and why didn't she tell him? Or was it, as Madam Qian suggested, that she did it on purpose?
The Duke didn't dare to think further and roared again, "Since you knew you had the wrong person, why didn't you tell me?!"
At this point, the Duke's wife could no longer hide the truth and cried, "I did recognize him. But, but he was only four years old. I, I saw him stab him to death with one strike of the knife. The blood, the blood splattered on my face. I was so scared that I couldn't speak. You, you didn't see the look in his eyes at that time. He was like a demon. He has been led astray by those bandits..."
The Duke's wife continued, "You also know that after I had him, I couldn't have any more children. He's my only son. If I bring him back to the Pei family, once his evil nature erupts, will the Song family still recognize this marriage? Can you tolerate him staying in the Pei family and make him the crown prince? You won't! You only care about your own rules. You will bring up your concubine's child and make him call me mother..."
absurd!
Because of his own selfish desires, he gave up his son because he would become a demon if he killed someone.
I never thought about changing him back. I gave him a chance, but when I went to see him for the second time, he was only seven or eight years old, and he was being operated on in a caesarean section.
The child she brought back was already able to write a poem, and his temperament was completely opposite to his. He was afraid of seeing fish being killed, and was very filial and considerate to her, unlike his previous naughty self.
The Duke's wife did not dare to recognize him, fearing that if she took him back, both mother and son would lose their status completely.
The Duke's wife's tears were sobbing, but he felt no sympathy for her. He felt only anger. She had concealed this from him, tolerated his son's stay in a bandit's den, and made him raise someone else's son for over a decade...
OK!
She is really good!
Such noise in the middle of the night had already alarmed the guards outside.
Everyone standing outside the house was already shocked by the shocking truth coming out of the house.
Qian Tong leaned against the threshold, watching the show unfold, and not forgetting to fan the flames, asking, "Why do I feel like there's something wrong with what Madam Guogong said?"
"Shut up!" the Duke's wife suddenly yelled.
"I've discovered that the Duke's wife really likes to silence people." Qian Tong smiled. "You went to the village today to make your own son shut up, right?"
The Duke was stunned.
I wonder what other news could shock him more.
Qian Tong told him, "The young master knew Bai Ji's identity was dishonorable, so he went and stole the old man's token. Then, using Duan Yuanjin's identity, he broke into the city and assassinated the people, hoping to frame Duan Yuanjin and me. However, he was caught red-handed by Duan Yuanjin's men. The Duke's wife found out and came to the door, demanding that Bai Ji's own son promise to keep this a secret and take the blame for the bastard..."
"Duan Yuanjin was soft-hearted and agreed to your request. Now, why didn't the Duke's wife call him a murderous demon?"
"Shut up!" The Duke's wife suddenly pounced on Qian Tong.
The money and copper did not move at all.
When she was five steps away from her, Meng Qing stood in front of her in time, with the long sword in his hand pointing straight at the tip of the Duke's wife's nose.
The Duke's wife nearly hit him, and she quickly steadied her steps, leaning back in fear. As soon as she regained her balance, the Duke behind her stepped forward, grabbed her, and demanded, "Is what she said true?!"
The Duke's wife's arm was pinched by him and was bitten and crushed. In pain, she tried to pry his hand away, crying, "What can I do! I have to protect someone..."
"Asshole!" The Duke pushed her away.
Qian Tong took a look. That's it? "Isn't the Duke always decisive when dealing with other people's family affairs? You had the Crown Prince arrest me and accused me of killing innocent people and being a witch, and you wanted to put me on trial. Now that your wife has committed such a serious crime, you shouldn't hesitate." She raised her head, like a ghost, and whispered, "Kill her..."
She saw the Duke's eyebrows tremble noticeably, and he looked around calmly, "By the way, where is your fake son? Is he going to silence him and kill your own son?"
What you say will come true.
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zhao came over.
He hurried to the door and saw Madam Qian there. He didn't know why she was there or what happened inside, so he hurriedly reported to her, "Madam Qian, Duan Yuanjin is dead."
"Who did you say died?!" Before Qian Tong could say anything, the Duke of Guo started to question him. He stepped out of the house and stared at Wang Zhao's face, his eyes bloodshot. "I'm asking you, who died?!"
Wang Zhao wanted to keep it a secret for the young master for the time being and let the Duke figure out a way to deal with the matter first. But he couldn't hide it. The young prince also saw it and cried bitterly. He pointed a knife at the young master and vowed to see Prince Song.
What is going on...
He didn't bother to hide it anymore and said directly, "The young master just went to the dungeon and poisoned Duan Yuanjin to death."
——
An incense stick of time ago, he received a note from the young prince. Seeing that the note was blank, he felt strange. After walking around outside, he heard that the young prince had come out of the banquet, so he went to find her to confirm what was going on.
When they arrived at the young prince's yard, the maid told them that the young prince had gone to the dungeon.
Wang Zhao followed.
Not only was the young prince in the dungeon, but the young master was also there. When he arrived, the young prince was already crying heartbrokenly, "It was you, why did you frame Master Duan, why did you kill the people..."
Song Yunzhao had suspected him the moment he saw the sachet, but the young master was a master of disguise. When he returned that day, he told her that the sachet she had given him had been lost, and he didn't know who had picked it up. He asked her to buy him another one. He also told her about his whereabouts over the past two days, saying that his injuries hadn't fully healed yet, and that he'd learned that the Duke's wife had arrived in Yangzhou, and fearing she might run into bandits, he hadn't had time to greet her, so he went to meet her despite his injuries. Who knew he'd twisted his ankle on the way?
Song Yunzhao didn't know whether what he said was true or not.
But he had already said he panicked once.
The person who saved her from the fire that night was not him at all, so she just wanted to give it a try tonight.
She deliberately passed a note to Wang Zhao in order to attract the young master's attention. He really went out, and she followed him all the way to the dungeon.
Seeing the young master open Duan Yuanjin's cell door, he said to the person inside: "Why are you still alive? Why don't you just die?!"
Duan Yuanjin laughed, "It's almost time. Isn't the young master here?"
What the young master hated most was his indifferent look. He was abandoned by his own parents, but he survived until now. He was so miserable, why did he still want to live?
——
That day in the mountain stronghold, the young master was present and heard everything the Duke's wife said to him.
I witnessed with my own eyes the process of him being abandoned again, and I felt very happy.
To protect Bai, the Duke's wife knelt down and pleaded with him, "Mother knows this request is heartbreaking for you, but he's weak and has never suffered. If he were to be exposed, how would the world view him? How could he have a place to live? He worked so hard to pass the imperial examination... But you, you have martial arts skills, you must be able to protect Bai."
Duan Yuanjin's face was so pale, even paler than wax. After a long while, he sneered, "Madam Guo is saying that someone like me, whose hands are stained with bloodshed, deserves death."
The Duke's wife cried, "You know that's not what I meant. You're my own flesh and blood. How could I bear to see you die... Don't worry, I'll go and beg the Duke to save your life..." She continued, "I promise you, once this is over, I'll tell the Duke to restore your status. From now on, you two will be brothers."
The Duke's wife said: "Over the years, mother has always been thinking about you. Mother knows that you are suffering, but there is nothing I can do. I only have Han Zhang. If anything happens to him, how can I stay in the Pei family..."
Duan Yuanjin suddenly laughed and didn't listen to what she said next, "Okay, get up, take him back, I'm going to die."
"I..."
Duan Yuanjin: "Since the Duke's wife is asking me to take the blame for your son, there's no need to be so hypocritical. Otherwise, if you say too much, I'll regret it."
As expected, the Duke's wife stopped talking and just kept crying.
Duan Yuanjin seemed to have accepted the reality of being abandoned so many times. He said, "Also, I don't care about the Pei family name. A man stands in the world and doesn't rely on others to survive. I was born with roots, but later became a floating duckweed. The world replaced my parents, and I can still survive on my own."
Before leaving, Duan Yuanjin said to the old man inside: "Master Duan, I am leaving now. From now on, I will rely on you to get through the rest of my life. I have been with you for half my life, and I owe you nothing. Take care."
Since he was planning to die, why did he still come to the prefectural government alive?
He ended up breaking up in vain.
"Go to hell!" The young master hated his father when he thought of his father's attitude towards him. What was so great about a crude warrior? He only knew a few punches and kicks, but in the end, he was still abandoned.
Duan Yuanjin laughed instead of getting angry.
I looked up and asked him, "Are you afraid of me?"
Is he afraid?
How could a young master like him be afraid of a bandit?
It's ridiculous.
Apart from some kung fu, what else was he better than Bai Ji? He was a Jinshi (Jinshi) who passed the imperial examination. The young master was completely enraged by his casual and arrogant look. He rushed forward and punched and kicked him, "Tonight I'll show you who is afraid of who. Aren't you very arrogant? First, taste the torture instruments..."
"Stop!" Suddenly a woman's voice came, trembling.
The young master turned around in surprise.
The lantern in the young prince's hand fell to the ground. He pulled out a knife from somewhere and pointed it at the young master. He looked at him in fear and asked with tears in his eyes, "Were you the bandit young prince who broke into the city that night?"
The young master was stunned.
She suddenly saw this scene and hadn't figured out how to deal with it.
"It's you, why did you frame Master Duan, why did you kill the people..." The young prince approached step by step with a knife in his hand, "Don't touch him, go away!"
The young master's face froze, his expression slightly distorted. He asked softly, "Aruo, are you going to kill me for a bandit?" He said, "Have I been bad to you? Over the years, haven't I always given you what you wanted?"
The young prince shook his head, tears streaming down his face, "Don't lie to me again, that's not what I asked you for."
"What did I lie to you about?" The young master watched her approach and tried to persuade her, "He was a bandit to begin with. He committed so much murder and deserved death."
"No..." Song Yunzhao shook her head. Although she was afraid and her hands were shaking, she held the knife tightly and kept approaching. "I only know that you lied, he didn't. I saw you kill someone, but he didn't." And she said, "It wasn't you who saved me from the sea of fire that day. It was him..."
Duan Yuanjin was beaten up by the young master, his clothes and hair were disheveled. He leaned sideways, listening to the girl's mournful cries, his lips slightly raised, his eyes illuminated by the burning lantern under her feet.
Although the light is warm and bright, it is fleeting and is not his after all.
He took out a pill from his palm.
It was less than half an hour ago that Madam Qian sent someone to bring him here, saying, "You must pay me back what you owe me."
Duan Yuanjin swallowed it.
In the cell, the young master was stabbed by Song Yunzhao's ruthlessness. The smile on his face could no longer be maintained. His voice was cold, "Aruo, do you really want to kill me?"
Song Yunzhao didn't know. Seeing that he was still there, he gestured with the knife in his hand and shouted at him, "Go away! Don't get close to him..."
Yeah?
Just protect him like this?
What if he's dead? The young master's lips curled up, and at that moment, he felt the urge to kill. He turned back and pulled out the knife from his sleeve, but before he could do anything, he saw Duan Yuanjin suddenly fall to the ground, his eyes closed, two streaks of blood running from the corners of his mouth...
The young master was stunned.
Song Yunzhao also saw it, and the blood drained from his face in an instant. His almond-shaped eyes widened, and he suddenly ran over, pushed the young master away, hugged Duan Yuanjin, pointed the knife at the young master, and cried, "Someone come, the young master has killed someone, go get a doctor quickly. Is there anyone outside? I am Song Yunzhao, the Prince of Yong'an. Can someone help me get the Crown Prince Song..."
Wang Zhao witnessed the whole process.
Like the young prince, he saw with his own eyes that it was the young master who killed the man.
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