Chapter 419 — The Truth
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 3
"." Song Yan began unhurriedly, "I was thinking—if I killed Song Han, could we announce that the Li family affair had come to light, that Song Han, in his guilt, tried to do away with me, that Father rushed over to stop him and was accidentally wounded by Song Han, and that I, in a rage, killed the mad, child-murdering Song Han? Tell me, would that explanation hold up?"
Song Cen's eyes split with fury. "You dare!"
"What wouldn't I dare?" Song Yan said. "Or do you plan to adopt Song Qin or Song Duo after all? If that's your intent, I imagine our eldest uncle and our third and fourth uncles would all clap their hands in delight. But perhaps you have other plans. After all, you're still in your term of office—take a new wife, and you'd have a legitimate son again; no need to adopt Song Qin or Song Duo. Unfortunately, I'm the sort who returns every grudge. Even in death, I'd drag someone down with me. I'd have no choice but to rake up the Li family affair, and what would come of that, well—who can say."
Song Cen glared, brows bristling, yet dared not take up Song Yan's words.
Song Han stared at Song Cen, his face a mask of horror.
Song Yan was right.
Song Cen was not yet forty this year; if he remarried, he would naturally have a legitimate son again.
The only reason he had just two sons now, Song Yan and Song Han himself, was that Song Yan kept him suppressed and left him no way to remarry.
Once Song Yan's suppression was gone, what regard would he have left for this unloved son of his?
And he, poor fool, had been dazzled by the name of the second master of the Yingzhen Ducal House, thinking that without Song Yan, certain things would fall to him and no one else.
All of it, sheer delusion!
Suddenly he recalled the censor's impeachment of his granduncle, the Duke of Dingguo.
Keeping the bandits to make himself important!
If Song Yan grew stronger, and the rift between him and Father grew harder and harder to bridge... then Father would come to depend on him more and more, wouldn't he?
Song Han's eyes glittered, as though he had glimpsed a thread of light through a sky of heavy gloom.
Song Yan curled his lip, a flicker of mockery passing through his eyes.
If he meant to kill a man, when had he ever needed to waste so many words on him?
He had said all this now; if Song Han was still too dull to have the least realization, then his death would be no loss at all!
Song Yan's gaze turned cold. To Song Cen he said, "Father. This is, after all, a family matter—why must it be made known to all and sundry? I say, let these guards withdraw. After all, the Yingzhen Ducal House has had two break-ins in a mere three years; a third, and the Capital's Shuntian Jing'an City Garrison would be a laughingstock. Wouldn't you agree?"
Song Cen's mouth twitched with rage.
Who had caused the two break-ins at the Yingzhen Ducal House?
And he had the gall to bring it up.
And to use it as a threat against him, no less.
Yet Song Cen could not but nod.
He could not stage another great purge as he had three years ago—a thing may happen once, but not twice. Overdo it, and he would draw attention. And today Song Yan had come with a scheme against his unpreparedness; to keep pressing would gain him nothing.
He gave Guard Chang a faint nod.
Guard Chang and the others, and Lu Ming and his men, sheathed their blades, one after the other.
Song Yan smiled. "Father, I must ask you and the guards to wait outside a moment. I have a few words to say to Song Han alone."
Song Cen started, then flew into a rage. "What do you mean to do now? If you have something to say, ask me directly—there's no need to make things hard for your brother!"
Song Yan gave a derisive laugh. "Very well, then I'll ask you: has Li Miaoniang ever come looking for Song Han?"
Li Miaoniang. How dared he bring up that woman before so many guards!