Chapter 104 Chapter 104 [VIP]
Chapter 104
Mr. Duan was the prefect who was called to the prefecture by Song Shile's men.
They said Duan Yuanjin was dead and he was notified to collect the body. He originally thought that people from the prefecture had killed him, so he went down the mountain today with the intention of dying together with the people from the court.
That day after Duan Yuanjin left, Mr. Duan cried bitterly facing the empty house.
He sent his own son to live in a rich family and enjoy the splendor, but he never received a single day of filial respect from his father.
The person who had lived with him in the mountain village for more than ten years was deprived of everything by him and became a poor guy trapped in the mountains.
The scenes of the past between the father and the daughter came to mind one after another.
Thinking of the time when he was abandoned by his parents, and they knelt in front of him and called him "father", he gritted his teeth and shed those tears.
When he was seven years old, he used his thin back to carry himself out of a mountain of corpses. Even though his back was bent, he never gave up.
After his leg was broken, he took care of all his daily life, washing him, buying clothes for him, and whenever he had time, he would come to his room and tell him about what happened outside the village.
He said, "When I help Qian Niang recover the Strait Line, I will also be able to claim some credit for this achievement. I will then seek a position in Yangzhou. Let's stop being bandits and go down the mountain to live a good life. I will find a wife and have some girls so that you can enjoy your old age..."
What a wonderful scene, but in the end he still gave him up and chose bloodline.
After he left, Mr. Duan actually felt a little regretful.
The news of Duan Yuanjin's death pushed his regret to the extreme.
When he saw the young master running out and hugging his legs, Mr. Duan wanted to ask where Duan Yuanjin was and why he didn't protect him?
Before I could ask, I was stunned by Qian Niang's words.
What's the meaning?
His son died?
He is not as steady as the Duke. Having been a bandit for many years, he is cunning, likes to scheme against others, and is easily suspicious of other people's actions.
After hearing the two truths from Qian Tong, he believed the second one without any hesitation.
He had long suspected that since the Duke's wife already knew the truth, why didn't she just exchange it back? He had seen the Duke's wife terrified and pale, and he also knew that the Duke's wife had secretly visited the village several times.
He deliberately let her see Duan Yuanjin's brutal scene.
He had always been obsessed with Bai Xi and thought that the Duke's wife was too vicious. He was afraid that Bai Ji'er's hands would be stained with blood and affect her status in the Pei family, so he went along with it and abandoned Bai Ji'er.
If it is the second possibility, then the foolish one would not be the Duke's wife.
It's him.
The moment Mr. Duan heard Qian Tong say that Duan Yuanjin was killed by the "young master", his eyelids trembled, he turned his head and stared at the young master blankly.
Once a person believes in something, his brain will actively look for evidence to prove that everything he believes is true.
A closer look revealed that this 'young master' was completely different from his childhood appearance, not at all like Bai himself, but rather had some resemblance to the Duke's wife in terms of temperament.
The 'young master' was afraid of the Duke, and was hiding behind Master Duan, begging for his protection. After hearing Qian Tong's words, he was stunned for a moment.
If his memory wasn't still there, he would really suspect the second possibility.
After realizing her purpose, the 'young master' felt a chill on his back. He turned around hurriedly and met Master Duan's suspicious and scrutinizing gaze. He cursed her stupidity and hurriedly defended himself, "Father, don't listen to her nonsense. She wants my life and wants you to kill her own son with your own hands. She is avenging Duan Yuanjin. Can't you see..."
He could no longer return to the Duke's Mansion, and the mountain stronghold was his only way to survive.
You old man, please wake up.
But after seeing Duan Yuanjin's bloodiness, Mr. Duan felt that he looked less and less like a bandit like Bai Ji.
Just at this moment, the secret guard came out carrying Duan Yuanjin's body.
Qian Tong first greeted the Duke and Master Duan, "When he was alive, none of you wanted him and wanted him to die. Now that he is dead as you wished, don't come and fight with me for his body. He will be disgusted when he sees any of you. Don't pollute his soul..."
The Duke was about to snatch the person away, but after hearing this, he hesitated to move.
Thinking back to that day in the clinic, when he had personally brought people to kill him, the look he gave Bai Ji when he came out was so cold and indifferent. He must have hated Bai Ji to death in his heart at that time...
Not only did his biological father abandon him once, he also forced him to death.
What right did he have to scold others? After his anger subsided, endless sorrow rushed to his head, and his blood flowed backwards. The Duke lost his grip on the sword and it fell to the ground.
Mr. Duan's eyes
When he left, he was dressed in white cloth, as if he had already been destined to die. Only the pair of black boots on his feet were very conspicuous. Yes.
.
But I wore it today.
Mr. Duan could no longer control himself, and he rushed forward, fell out of his wheelchair, and lay on the ground...
It was at this moment that the 'young master' took advantage of everyone's unpreparedness, turned around, and planned to escape quietly, but after taking two steps, a hidden weapon pierced his chest from behind.
The young master was still unaware, his eyes wide open, filled with confusion and fear. Without understanding who had attacked him, he fell to his knees with a thud, his face hitting the ground.
The moment the Duke's wife saw the 'young master' being killed by Master Duan, she felt hopeless. The Duke's Mansion that she had spent most of her life cultivating was gone.
He was very hardworking and passed the imperial examination.
Thanks to him, she will always be the envied lady among all the women in Kyoto.
Now there is nothing left.
After Master Duan killed the 'young master', he went completely crazy and ordered his men to stare at the Duke's wife and "kill that vicious woman." He wanted to avenge his brother.
When the two sides started fighting, Qian Tong took Song Yunzhao and Duan Yuanjin's body back to the Qian family.
——
The news came that afternoon.
After the Duke killed Master Duan, he led the prefectural troops to completely wipe out the stronghold. The Duke's wife was scratched on the left cheek by Master Duan's hidden weapon and fainted on the spot.
The Duke wrote a divorce letter in front of everyone, and as soon as the Duke's wife woke up, she would be sent back to Kyoto immediately.
As for the identity of the 'young master', no one can tell for sure.
Feng Shaoqing privately asked Wang Zhao, "Young Master, is it..."
Wang Zhao shook his head. "You asked me, and I want to ask you too..."
Feng Shaoqing didn't have time to speculate about these things. He had a pile of cases to deal with. Since the person was the young master in disguise, Qian Niang was completely cleared of suspicion. He remembered that he and the Duke of Guo had blocked the door of the Qian family the night before with troops, forcing Shi to be whipped sixty times and Shen Gong to be whipped forty times. He felt a chill on the back of his head and hurriedly urged Wang Zhao, "Hurry up and finish the case and give justice to the Qian family. Then I will go and apologize to the Marquis..."
Such a big thing happened, but they didn't discuss it, and the people below did.
All the guards who witnessed this incident last night were discussing privately who the young master's father was.
In just half a day, the rumor spread back from the prefectural government. When it reached the ears of a woman, she looked at him like an idiot and said, "Is there even a need to ask? What mother would leave her biological son in a bandit's den just for a fake one? And in the end, she even let her biological son pay with his life for the fake one? She's not stupid. Isn't it obvious that this is an illegitimate child? The Duke is cuckolded too much..."
But...
After some discussion, everyone agreed that the young master was a bastard born by the Duke's wife with another man without the Duke's knowledge.
Even the Duke involved chose to believe the second possibility mentioned by Qian Tong.
Qian Tong didn't care what the rumors were. What he wanted was that the people who forced Duan Yuanjin to die a miserable death, and that the bandits who wanted to frame her would be ruined.
It is enough that the goal has been achieved. As for the truth, it is left for the world to guess.
Who can tell the truth from the false?
After returning that day, Qian Tong handed Duan Yuanjin's body to Er Niang, and prepared an empty coffin with clothes inside, which was placed together with Fu Yin's coffin.
The handle of the scimitar in her hand had become hot after she had touched it for two consecutive days, but Fu Yin in the coffin would never feel warm again.
Qian Tong knelt before her coffin, burning paper money and gold ingots for her, and whispered, "Fuyin, Song Shiliao and I are getting married. Does your wedding dress look good?"
Qian Tong lowered her head, the flames smoldering her eyes until tears came out. She said in a hoarse voice, "I know you'll say my mother looks good in anything she wears."
"I have already killed the guard who killed you that day. The young master you hated is also dead..."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head for a long time, and finally uttered a painful sound from her throat, "I'm sorry, Fu Yin..."
This was the second time she experienced the pain of losing a loved one.
The first time was with the eldest sister.
The grief of seeing her loved ones die before her eyes made her understand the question the old lady had asked her: "Is it better to be rich or to have power?"
Neither, people are the most important.
She had to keep moving forward.
Once you cross that strait, even if you are just a corpse, you should return to your place.
——
It was already evening when Qian Tong returned to the bridal chamber.
On the wedding night, she left her husband in the bridal chamber and ran away. It seemed that she was the only one left in the world.
Not knowing if Shile's injuries had healed, Qian Tong asked Madam Qian, who was waiting at the door, as soon as he entered. Madam Qian didn't answer the main question, but kept on talking, saying too much, "We can survive this time, all thanks to Shile. Tell me, didn't the Qian family save others in the previous generation, and now it's the Song family's turn to repay the debt?"
"Last night, as soon as you left, the Marquis actually withdrew the soldiers outside, opened the door, and said that the Qian family was innocent. In my life, I have only seen people rely on connections to get things done. This is the first time I've seen someone use the back door. I feel uneasy..."
Qian Tong: ...
"Did you meet the Marquis last night? Did you kowtow and offer him tea? I originally thought that the Marquis would be several times more powerful than Lan Mingquan, but guess what? This morning, Marquis Song actually invited your father to play chess with him..."
Mrs. Qian has recovered and become talkative. She should be fine now.
"Mother, please don't follow me. I'm going to see the world."
Mrs. Qian was stunned. "Yes, yes... Go back quickly. How could a bride run away on her wedding night..." Seeing Qian Tong enter the courtyard, Mrs. Qian suddenly remembered that this wedding banquet was too unforgettable. Everyone was immersed in sadness and fear. They even forgot to give her the most important thing. Fearing that she would know nothing tonight, she could only remind her from behind: "What world is this? It's your husband. You, you must apologize..."
Mrs. Qian's voice finally disappeared.
The courtyard where the couple had their wedding was where she had lived before. The wedding had just taken place last night, and the red silk and wedding characters had not been removed yet and would have to remain there for three days.
She didn't get to see what her wedding banquet looked like on her wedding day, but today when she passed by, she took a closer look. The red lanterns, the heart-shaped red silk knots, and the window decorations with the word "囍" were all there.
She was the first girl in the Qian family to marry in her parents' home. It was not like marrying a person, but more like marrying a wife.
In fact, he is a son-in-law...
Hearing that Song Yunzhi had been waiting for her in the courtyard all day, Qian Tong was quite touched. She stepped lightly into the bridal chamber and saw Song Yunzhi, dressed in a middle-aged shirt, sitting on a futon, methodically unpacking a gift package. Qian Tong took advantage of his unpreparedness and quietly walked up behind him, avoiding the wound on his back. She put her arm around his shoulders and whispered softly in his ear, "World..."
Song Yunzhi had already noticed the movement and identified her from the shadow under the lamp. He did not move, but cooperated with her. He tilted his head slightly and asked, "Are you done?"
Qian Tong nodded, "Yeah."
"The young master is dead, murdered by Master Duan." She had been busy all night, and only now did she release the joy in her heart. She rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered, "I have never seen the Duke's face in this world. When I found out that I had been raising a child for more than ten years, my face almost turned green. Finally, when I learned that my biological son was killed by a fake child, my face turned pale again..."
Song Yunzhi felt the joy in her tone, was infected, and curled his lips.
"I think he wanted to kill the Duke's wife. He must have believed that she cheated on him. Such a proud man would probably be depressed for a while and would never meddle in other people's affairs again... But he deserved it!" Qian Tong said in a relaxed tone, like a bullied child who had received great revenge. His emotions were revealed without any concealment. "He was so unreasonable. If he hadn't forced me, I wouldn't have received so many whippings in my life..."
Qian Tong lowered his chin, stood up and sat up, and put his fingers through the sides of his neck and into his clothes. While taking off his shirt, he whispered, "Why are you so stubborn? Don't you know how to say less? Ten lashes, twenty lashes are fine, but you insist on a hundred lashes. If Chen Che hadn't had a conscience and took forty lashes for you, you would have been beaten to death..."
The place where her fingers touched trembled, and Song Yunzhi's throat rolled slightly, and he whispered, "It's okay."
What does it mean to be okay? Qian Tong said, "Duan Yuanjin was beaten by you with fifty whips and almost died. How badly he was injured, how could I not know?"
Song Yunzhi held his breath unconsciously, wondering whether she could speak or not. As soon as he turned his head, he felt a slight chill on his back.
"I'll blow on it for you, it won't hurt..."
Song Yunzhi felt her breath slowly seeping into his skin, and his body became increasingly stiff as he sat there.
After a while, Qian Tong walked around to him, sat down on the ground opposite him, and looked him straight in the eyes.
Before she could properly thank him, she looked at his dark eyes illuminated by the lamplight and thought of everything he had done for her. Qian Tong's heart couldn't help but sour. She pursed her lips and said, "What a good life."
Song Yunzhi probably knew what she was going to say and interrupted, "Aren't you tired? Rest tonight and we can talk tomorrow if you have anything to say."
Qian Tong nodded and shook his head, and as he shook, tears came out. He raised his head and said in a sobbing voice: "I will never quarrel with you again. If we quarrel again, I will be a pig..."
Song Yunzhi smiled softly and raised his hand to wipe her tears. "Go wash up first, then cry. There's no need to quarrel. You'll really become a pig's head tomorrow."
Qian Tong was stunned.
She was only thinking about revenge and wanting those who deserved to die to get retribution, forgetting that she was also a bride. After enduring a whole day and night outside, she must be looking very ugly now.
"Don't look at me, Shi Le." Qian Tong suddenly covered his face, stood up and walked to the bathroom. When he entered, he said to Song Yunzhi, "Wait for me, Shi Le. I'll be well soon. I still have a lot to say to you..."
However, after a day and a night without rest, Qian Tong fell asleep as soon as he relaxed his body and mind in the bathtub.
Ever since Fu Yin's death, she has been in a state of tension.
Too tired.
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