Chapter 151 — Futility

Song Cen stood beneath the covered walkway outside the main hall, watching the guards scurry about the courtyard, and felt a chill seep through his whole body.

Song Yan had actually vanished!

How had he escaped?

And who had rescued him?

Had he known, he would have posted a man to stand watch inside the room.

But that son of his was not only full of schemes, he had a silver tongue as well; even if he had posted a guard, the man might well have been won over.

At the thought, his temple began to throb.

Guard Chang came over, his face dark.

"Lord Zhenguo," he said, cupping his hands in salute, "we have found nothing!"

"Found nothing?" Song Cen flew into a rage. "Could he have flown up to the heavens?"

The words had scarcely left his mouth when both men started, exchanged a glance, and hurried together into the inner chamber.

In the inner chamber's ceiling, several of the dust panels showed unmistakable signs of having been pried open.

"Someone come, quickly!" Song Cen's face lit with delight.

In a short while, Guard Chang led several men up into the ceiling.

"Lord Zhenguo," Guard Chang soon poked his head down from the opening, "the roof tiles have been lifted, and there are marks left by iron claws—someone climbed in from the eastern alley and carried the heir away."

The eastern alley—right beside Yizhi Hall.

Song Chunyi's gaze sharpened. "Surround Yizhi Hall!" he said in a low, hard voice. "Dig three feet into the ground if you must, but find me those men!"

"Yes, sir!" Guard Chang took his men to Yizhi Hall.

Song Cen, however, slumped down onto the large heated kang by the window in the inner chamber.

What was he to do now?

His original plan had been to beat Song Yan half to death, leave him drying in the inner chamber for the night, and then, at the clan hall meeting the next morning, drive him out of the family... Someone would surely have spoken up for him, but so long as he delayed a few days, even if Song Yan were eventually brought back, his injuries would likely finish him within days—no need at all to petition the Emperor.

But if Song Yan had been carried off by rescuers, that road was closed.

The only reason he had captured Song Yan so smoothly was that the schemer had taken the unsuspecting. Once Song Yan recovered his breath...

At the age of ten, Song Yan had already gone into battle and killed Japanese pirates!

Song Cen could not help but shudder.

Damn that Jiang Meisun—it was all his doing, raising his son to be like this!

How was this Song Cen's son? This was plainly Jiang Meisun's son!

He was silently cursing his late brother-in-law when a guard came in, trembling with fear. "Lord Zhenguo, ..."

Song Han!

Song Cen was much surprised. He thought for a moment. "Let him in," he said, and then softly sighed.

Song Han ran in with reddened eyes. Seeing his father alone in the room, he tugged at his sleeve. "Father, I want my elder brother! I'm watching over Mother all by myself, and I'm scared!" With that, he burst into loud sobs.

Song Cen's brows knitted tight, and he berated his second son in a loud voice. "How old are you now? All you know to do when something happens is cry! When your brother was your age, he already knew how to help his father with affairs—can't you learn from him?" At the mention of his eldest son, his anger flared anew. "It's your mother who has spoiled you rotten!" He flung the boy aside. "Cry one more time and I'll send you to kneel in the clan hall!" He looked thoroughly impatient.

Song Han stared at his father, mouth agape, too stunned to weep.

In the past, his father had scolded him, but never with such loathing as today.

Song Cen found the sight even more irritating and shouted for the guards. "Who brought the second young master here?"

A guard hurriedly replied, "It was Libai, the maid who serves the second young master."

"Bring her to me!" Song Cen, his face ashen, gave Libai a thorough dressing-down: "...If I catch you failing to keep an eye on the second young master again, I'll break your legs!"

Libai was too frightened to speak; she could only kowtow to Song Cen again and again.

Song Cen kicked her square in the chest. "Get out of my sight!"

The pain drew cold sweat to Libai's forehead. Clutching the terrified Song Han, she fled the inner chamber in disgrace.

Only then did Song Cen feel a little better.

He asked the guard, "Still no word from Guard Chang?"

The guard was quick-witted and at once said, "I'll go and see right away!" He cupped his hands to Song Cen and hurried out of the inner chamber.

Song Cen let out a long breath, sat down, and took a sip of tea.

Song Yan must be hiding in Yizhi Hall.

Of the handful of men around him who were of any use, some were not in the capital, and others had been taken into custody. Even those few who had always been loyal to him were persons of no consequence, and he had long since had them watched; in any case, they were in no position to rescue Song Yan from the mansion. And even if they did get him out, they would have nowhere to put him...

The thought flashed through his mind, and he could not help sitting bolt upright, inwardly crying out that something was wrong, a cold sweat breaking out at the small of his back.

How could he have forgotten Gu Yu!

If Song Yan had escaped, the likeliest thing was that he would turn to Gu Yu for help, and Gu Yu was the only fool reckless enough to take Song Yan in, heedless of the consequences.

"Attend me!" he called, and a guard came in with a respectful air.

Song Cen instructed him, "Send someone at once to keep watch on Gu Yu, the eldest son of the Viscount of Yunyang." The words were scarcely out of his mouth before he thought better of it and amended, "No, send four men! Have them follow him at a distance, and the moment the heir is spotted, send someone back at once to report."

The guard answered and withdrew.

Song Cen was somewhat reassured, but could not help turning the matter over in his mind again.

Besides Gu Yu, who else might take Song Yan in?

Zhang Xuming, the Lu family, or that Ma Youming, deputy commander of the Shenshu Camp... What sort of disreputable cronies had he been keeping, anyway?

Song Cen felt as though his heart were on fire.

Guard Chang hurried over, ill at ease. "My Lord Zhenguo, there is no sign of the heir. But a retainer of Yizhi Hall named Chen Bo has gone missing, and we found marks of iron claws on the eastern wall of the courtyard."

"What?" Song Cen's face went white as paper in an instant, and he sprang to his feet. "What did you say?" His voice had changed entirely.

Guard Chang was secretly puzzled.

Why did Lord Zhenguo seem somewhat afraid of the heir?

He quickly repeated what he had said.

Song Cen stood woodenly, as if struck dumb, and then collapsed onto the kang.

"How could this be? How could this be?" he muttered to himself, looking so panic-stricken and helpless that Guard Chang watched him mumble the same phrase over and over, and after waiting a long while still got no decision out of him.

Guard Chang had no choice but to say in a low voice, "My Lord Zhenguo, shall we arrest the two young servants who attended Chen Bo and question them?"