Chapter 410 — Three Carvings
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
If he had not already dealt with so many at the time — and lacked proper cause to move against the rest without alarming the other hereditary servants — why would he ever have let the old wretch go!
And now he had thrown in his lot with Song Yan.
Did the man not know who the Duke of Yingguo was?
What did these old relics think they were doing?
Did they mean to turn the heavens upside down?
Had he known these old things had such gall, he should have struck without mercy and done away with them all.
Song Cen laughed in his fury. "Then call that Song Shize in! I should like to see who gave a servant the nerve to accuse his master."
Song Yan smiled faintly and sent someone to summon Song Shize.
The unnatural son actually dared to call him!
Song Cen hurled his teacup at Song Yan.
Song Yan turned aside and avoided it with ease.
Song Cen roared: "You unnatural son, you dare to defy your father!"
Watching, Dou Yan felt thoroughly sick of it all.
She muttered under her breath: "Even a cornered rabbit will bite — and this is a man, not a rabbit! He only pitied the poor girl and wished to give her a place. Does the Duke fly into such a rage because he protests too much? The Heir was kind enough to clean up your mess for you, and a fine thanks you give him — you think him a meddler. Had we known, we should never have taken up this business at all; we might have let those hereditary servants with nowhere to turn throw themselves on the mercy of the Earl of Guang'en instead…"
At these words Song Cen's hair stood on end.
So Song Yan's boldness came of collusion with the Earl of Guang'en.
Song Yan he did not fear.
After all, would the man dare kill him?
But the Earl of Guang'en was another matter.
He had seen with his own eyes how ruthless that man could be.
Panic surged through Song Cen; his face went red and white by turns — a fine sight indeed.
Truly a wretch who would not drink the toast and must needs drink the forfeit!
Dou Yan truly could not stomach this father-in-law.
Song Shize was led in by Wuyi.
He performed the full ceremony of obeisance before Song Cen with reverent care.
Song Cen looked at that world-weary old face, thought of the Earl of Guang'en, and in that moment felt his interest drain away entirely.
He barked at his guards: "Get in here and drag this old thing down and give him thirty strokes of the plank!"
Twenty strokes could kill a man — let alone thirty!
This time Song Shize's hopes were truly dead.
For people like them, all they sought was a way to stay alive.
To serve one's master loyally and rise in the world — that was one way to live.
To die for one's master and leave a little sheltering shade for one's descendants — that too was a way to live.
But when a man like Song Cen tore down his own embankment, then even if they wished to be loyal, wished to die for their master, it was nothing but a joke.
No one would even want it.
He knelt and knocked his head to the ground before Song Cen with grave solemnity.
His expression was somewhat strange.
As though he were taking his leave of Song Cen.
Song Cen, in his fury, did not notice — but Dou Yan, keen-eyed as a hair, did.
She could not help casting Song Yan a look of great admiration.
Song Yan, meanwhile, called out "Father" in a slow, measured voice, and said: "If you cut the grass but do not pull the roots, it will sprout again when the spring wind blows. Father wishes to deal with a hereditary retainer, and His Majesty has been in poor temper these last days, so I will not stay here and vex your eyes. Please permit us to withdraw."
He rose, standing apart from the matter, nodded to Dou Yan, and signaled for her to follow him.
Dou Yan fell in two paces behind Song Yan and followed him out.
Song Cen and Song Han were both rather dumbfounded.
They had both assumed Song Yan would shield this Song Shize.
The guards who had poured in hurriedly made way, stepping to one side.
But Song Shize understood.