The blazing sun high in the sky beat down on the bluestone slabs of the small courtyard, reflecting a dazzling white light. Yet it was not as intimidating as the gaze of the noble young man standing under the corridor.
Li Liang stood alone in the middle of the courtyard, looking at the guards scattered orderly around him. His heart sank, but his mind became clearer than ever before.
“You… you’re from the Song family?” Despite the scorching heat, his face turned as white as snow. “Are you the heir of the Duke of Ying’s household? Or… the Second Young Master?”
Song Han?
How could he think he was Song Han?
Song Mo’s heart grew colder.
“What difference does it make?” he asked Li Liang, hands behind his back as he slowly walked to the steps, looking down at the man trembling with fear in the middle of the courtyard. “Would it be any different if Song Han were here?”
Li Liang looked up and saw the contempt in Song Mo’s eyes.
Memories from years ago flooded back into his mind, and the humiliation buried in his heart for over a decade erupted like a volcano.
“Where’s Yi Gui? Did you kidnap her from the lantern market?” He clenched his fists and glared at Song Mo, his eyes bloodshot. “Back then, you tossed her aside like trash to us… What now? Suddenly remembered you have a daughter out there, thinking you can teach her some manners with a governess and use her for a political marriage? Bah! Her surname is Li, she has nothing to do with your Song family. Don’t even think about harming her again!
This isn’t fifteen years ago! That beast Song Yi Chun is in charge now, and he couldn’t even keep the Song family’s hereditary position as Imperial Tutor to the Crown Prince. He only got the position of Commanding Marshal of the Five Military Commission. Our Li family isn’t the same as before either! The barefoot aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes. If you don’t hand Yi Gui over, I’ll go to Chang’an Street and cry injustice, letting the whole world know what your Song family did back then!” As he spoke, he rushed towards the side room. “Yi Gui, Yi Gui, are you in there? Uncle is here, don’t be afraid. I’m here to rescue you…”
How could Duan Gongyi and the others let him get near Song Mo? They quickly pinned him to the ground.
Hearing this, Yi Gui inside the room ran out like a young calf: “Uncle, Uncle, I’m here!”
Dou Zhao didn’t dare stop her, but fortunately, Jin Gui and Yin Gui were guarding the door. As the door creaked open, the two sisters held Yi Gui at the entrance.
“Uncle, Uncle!” Seeing Li Liang pinned to the ground, Yi Gui cried like a fountain, struggling to go to him.
Li Liang also strained his neck, calling out “Yi Gui” and asking her, “Did they do anything to you?”
Yi Gui shook her head, crying.
It was as if Song Mo and his group were bandits, and they were innocent civilians being robbed.
What a mess this had become!
Dou Zhao, who had followed, shook her head and couldn’t help but look at Song Mo.
Sure enough, Song Mo’s face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Dou Zhao had no choice but to gently pat Yi Gui’s shoulder and say softly, “Don’t make a fuss. Be good and listen, and I’ll have them release your uncle, alright?”
Yi Gui nodded repeatedly and was about to kneel to kowtow to Dou Zhao: “I’ll be good, I’ll do whatever you say. Just don’t hurt my uncle!”
Dou Zhao was about to nod when a loud “crack” came from the courtyard.
Everyone turned to look.
They saw Song Mo had kicked and broken a beauty chair under the corridor.
Dou Zhao and the others couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Yi Gui, however, was so frightened she trembled, not even daring to cry anymore.
Dou Zhao sighed. Fearing Yi Gui might suddenly struggle and harm the child in her womb, she gestured for Jin Gui and Yin Gui to help Yi Gui back to the side room to sit down. She poured a cup of tea for Yi Gui and quietly comforted her: “The Young Master usually has a good temper. Your crying is making him irritable. Stop crying, and he’ll just ask your uncle a few questions before releasing him.”
“I won’t cry, I won’t cry!” Yi Gui hurriedly promised Dou Zhao, but her tears fell even more fiercely than before.
How did she turn out to be such a crybaby?
Dou Zhao had no choice but to gently wipe away her tears.
Li Liang was already all bark and no bite. Song Mo’s kick had crushed his last bit of courage.
He lay on the ground, silently weeping: “Young Master, I beg you, it was all my sister’s fault in the past. It has nothing to do with Yi Gui. Please be magnanimous and spare Yi Gui! She knows nothing, we didn’t tell her anything. She’s a girl, and she’s already married. Although she may not live in luxury, she’s better off than most. Please show mercy and give her a chance to live…”
It would have been better if Li Liang hadn’t mentioned Yi Gui’s marriage. As soon as he did, Song Mo’s face turned ashen.
He walked over with a grim expression, his toe seemingly lightly pressing on Li Liang’s shoulder.
Li Liang felt a piercing pain in his shoulder. He let out a cry of “Aiya,” and then his shoulder went numb. He heard a series of “crack” sounds as bones broke.
His face turned deathly pale.
Song Mo was stepping on his right shoulder. He feared he wouldn’t be able to write for quite some time. It takes a hundred days for tendons and bones to heal. As an accountant, how could he work if he couldn’t write for so long?
“Young Master, Young Master!” He begged in a low voice, tears streaming down his face, his heart feeling as if it were being carved with a knife.
Chen Jia, who had interrogated countless criminals, knew at a glance from Song Mo’s stance and Li Liang’s injury that half of Li Liang’s shoulder was ruined. Moreover, judging by Song Mo’s demeanor, it seemed he wasn’t content with just crippling him. Of course, even if Song Mo did something worse to this Li fellow, with him, an official from the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s Pacification Division present, he would naturally cover for Song Mo. However, he had seen that Yi Gui and her uncle shared a deep bond. If Li Liang were to die just like this, with Yi Gui knowing nothing, it would take a lot of persuasion to convince Yi Gui later.
He stepped forward and grabbed Song Mo’s foot, saying in a low voice, “Young Master, Yi Gui is the priority. If you have any grievances, wait until this Li fellow has finished speaking. Otherwise, Yi Gui might misunderstand.”
Song Mo ground his foot on Li Liang a couple more times before lifting it.
Chen Jia breathed a sigh of relief.
Only then did Li Liang feel the pain, and beads of sweat instantly covered his forehead.
Chen Jia quickly stuffed a pill into his mouth and said, “It’s for pain relief. Bear with it for now. I’ll go call a doctor for you right away. After you’ve answered the Young Master’s questions, I’ll have the doctor examine you.”
Li Liang was shaking all over with pain, involuntarily groaning softly.
Chen Jia gave Duan Gongyi a look.
Duan Gongyi nodded and, together with Xia Lian, supported Li Liang on either side and took him to the nearby tea room.
Without Song Mo’s approval, how could Chen Jia dare to call a doctor for Li Liang? His earlier words were just to coax Li Liang into answering Song Mo’s questions properly.
Not wanting to get more deeply involved, he quickly bowed to Song Mo and respectfully said, “I’ll go see if the Madam has any instructions…” hoping to excuse himself.
Unexpectedly, Song Mo, seeing that he handled matters quite methodically, said, “If the Madam has any matters, she’ll naturally instruct Jin Gui and Yin Gui. You come with me.” With that, he walked towards the tea room.
Chen Jia had no choice but to step forward and lift the curtain for Song Mo.
This tea room was used by female worshippers to boil water and steam snacks. It was barely half a zhang square, with only a small charcoal stove and a cupboard by the window, along with two stools. With several large men squeezed inside, it was difficult even to turn around.
Song Mo instructed Duan Gongyi and Xia Lian, “You two keep watch outside.”
Duan Gongyi and Xia Lian respectfully withdrew, leaving Chen Jia no choice but to support Li Liang alone.
Song Mo sat down on one of the stools.
The pain-relieving medicine began to take effect. Although half of Li Liang’s body was numb and he couldn’t move, the pain had subsided.
Chen Jia used his foot to pull over a small stool used for tending the stove for Li Liang to sit on, then retreated to the doorway.
Song Mo then asked Li Liang, “What happened back then?”
His tone was as calm and composed as ever.
Chen Jia couldn’t help but glance at Song Mo.
Li Liang, however, asked curiously, “Wasn’t it the Duke who sent you?”
From the moment he saw Yi Gui, things had become bewildering. Song Mo knew his understanding had been skewed.
He vaguely said, “Everyone tells a different story. I just want to know what happened back then.”
Hearing this, Li Liang’s eyes immediately turned red like an enraged bull.
Chen Jia feared he might lose control again like before, cursing the Song family recklessly. While it might make him feel better, it would only anger Song Mo and possibly cost him his life.
Chen Jia quickly reminded him, “The Young Master only knows about the past from what his elders have told him. If he fully believed them, why would he have subordinates investigate Miss Yi Gui? And if they hadn’t investigated Miss Yi Gui, how could they have rescued her…”
Thinking that Song Mo wouldn’t mention Yi Gui’s ordeal to others, but if Li Liang didn’t know what Yi Gui had been through, he would likely still feel proud of raising Yi Gui and speak disrespectfully to Song Mo. Rather than letting Song Mo get angry later, it was better to make Li Liang feel guilty and uneasy now.
Chen Jia paused briefly, then decided to quietly tell Li Liang about Yi Gui’s situation.
Song Mo didn’t stop him.
It was good to let this Li fellow know exactly what he had done, to prevent him from shamelessly calling himself an “uncle” and disgusting everyone.
Li Liang’s eyes widened.
He looked at the stone-faced Song Mo, then at the solemn Chen Jia, and cried out, “Impossible!” He continued, “You’re lying to me! You must look down on the Wei family, so you’re lying to me to make Yi Gui divorce Wei Bai Rui…”
Though he said this, in his heart he knew it was most likely true. Otherwise, given the Song family’s prominence, why would Song Mo remain silent, and why did Yi Gui look so thin and weak?
He covered his face and began to cry, “It’s all my fault… If only I had insisted on not marrying Yi Gui to Wei Bai Rui… I knew that Wei fellow’s gaze wasn’t right, I had a bad feeling, but I was blinded by my wife and married Yi Gui just like that… If I had kept Yi Gui for just one more year, at most, when you came looking for her, she might have been able to marry into a good family…”
How did Li Liang’s wife get involved in this?
Chen Jia grumbled inwardly, thinking Song Mo must be confused as well, and said, “What does Yi Gui marrying that Wei fellow has to do with your wife?”
Some people always like to shift responsibility onto others.
Li Liang explained, “When I got married, I made it clear that I had a widowed mother, a sister who had returned home after divorce, and a young niece. I said I would marry any girl who could accept my sister and niece. At first, that woman agreed to everything, but as time went on, she changed her tune. Not only did she resent my sister, but she also urged me to marry Yi Gui off early. Yi Gui was still young, and I had originally wanted to keep her for a couple more years.
But as our family’s circumstances became increasingly difficult, my wife used Yi Gui’s dowry as an excuse. She said if we married Yi Gui off now, we could still prepare a decent dowry for her, but in a few years, Yi Gui would only be able to marry a down-and-out husband. It just so happened that Wei Quan came to propose marriage, so I ended up marrying Yi Gui off…” He said resentfully, “It’s all because of that woman that Yi Gui’s future was ruined!”