As Song Yichun gazed at the neatly arranged corpses in the center of the courtyard, a wave of nausea washed over him, and he retched violently, expelling the meager breakfast he had eaten that morning.

Among the few who had escaped with the guard Xie, some were now mixed in with Song Yichun’s guards. Their faces were pale; some, like Song Yichun, were vomiting, while others stood frozen in shock. A few silently regretted not finding a way to hide. Only Chang, the guard, appeared relatively calm, but that was merely a facade. Inside, he felt a chilling dread.

It was over, it was over! No wonder Gu Yu was so easy to manipulate! It turned out to be the heir’s cunning ploy to draw them away! The estate of Duke Ying must have fallen into the heir’s hands by now!

What should they do now? His gaze involuntarily fell on Song Yichun, who was being supported by two guards and was still retching. The Duke… was indecisive, and it was unlikely he could be relied upon. Fortunately, the estate still belonged to the Duke; even if the guards were dead, they could recruit more. They still had the hidden assassins nurtured by Duke Ying, so they were not entirely without the means to retaliate. However, Duke and the heir were father and son; Duke could not casually take the heir’s life, nor could the heir act against his father. If this matter escalated, Duke would lose face, and the heir would be branded a traitor. That was why the heir had taken advantage of the Duke’s absence to eliminate all the loyal guards.

As long as the heir had some reservations, there was still hope! After all, the estate belonged to the Duke.

Feeling slightly reassured, Chang stepped forward, cupped his fists in salute to Song Yichun, and said softly, “Duke, should we quickly deal with these corpses…”

Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it was another. If outsiders caught sight of this for too long, it would be disastrous.

“Unfilial son! Unfilial son!” Song Yichun cursed in despair. Though he was reluctant to accept it, he had to admit that Chang’s words made sense. He nodded and said, “You handle this matter—whatever compensation is needed can be arranged.”

With that assurance, Chang breathed a sigh of relief, respectfully replied, “Yes,” and added, “What about the heir…”

“That wretched child, what more does he want?” Song Yichun exclaimed, his eyes flashing with a hint of panic. “He has killed so many people; it’s a miracle I didn’t capture him and hand him over to the Shuntian Prefecture. What more could he possibly want…” Yet, he had no concrete plan on what to do next.

Chang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The Duke’s attitude toward the heir was merely bluster!

He could only say, “Since the heir dares to kill, he must have a backup plan. Should we consider a countermeasure?”

“A countermeasure?” Song Yichun asked, bewildered. “What countermeasure?” It was clear he was confused.

Chang lowered his voice, “Should we notify Meng to bring a few men? Also, what does Duke plan regarding the heir? If the rabbit is cornered, it will bite. If the heir becomes reckless… Besides Gu Yu, the Third Princess often visits the palace. If the heir goes to the Emperor to complain, even if the Emperor dislikes the heir’s disobedience, he might still inquire about it. Duke should decide on a course of action soon!”

Though Chang’s words were tactful, Song Yichun understood their implication. Meng was responsible for managing the assassins of Duke Ying’s estate.

Now, they were left with only a few remnants. If they didn’t quickly bring over Meng’s skilled men, if Song Mo used the excuse of thieves to continue his slaughter, they would be no match for him.

And how would this matter conclude? If they decided to deal with Song Mo, he would surely go to the Emperor to plead his case if cornered. They would need solid evidence to prove Song Mo’s misconduct; if they couldn’t provide that, they would have to find a way to quell the situation quickly.

Thinking of this, Song Yichun couldn’t help but shiver. After Empress Wan ascended to the throne, some whispered to the Emperor, claiming the Crown Prince was unfilial. The Emperor had flown into a rage, declaring that a father’s failure to teach his son was his fault, and a mother’s failure to teach her daughter was hers. Was he accusing me? He had those who spoke such words dragged to the market square and executed. Later, he had said to him with resentment, “These people are merely taking advantage of the Crown Prince’s early loss of his mother. I despise such behavior!”

The Emperor held Empress Shen in high regard, and it was five years after her death before he appointed the gentle and kind Lady Wan as Empress.

With Jiang’s recent passing, if Song Mo went to the Emperor to complain, he would have no solid reason to stand on, and it would be difficult to explain himself before the Emperor!

“You’re right, you’re right!” Song Yichun wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly instructed Chang, “Quickly notify Meng to bring his men over…” As for what to do about Song Mo, he pursed his lips, his expression inscrutable.

Being a trusted aide of Song Yichun, Chang had his unique insights. Some things could be said but not done, while others could be done but not spoken of. The relationship between the Song father and son fell into the former category. He could remind Song Yichun but could not interfere in their father-son matters.

Chang respectfully bowed to Song Yichun, sent someone to notify Meng, and then took a few guards to deal with the pile of corpses that felt like a naked challenge.

The bloodshed in the courtyard made Song Yichun feel as if the entire estate of Duke Ying had turned into a hellish battlefield. Surrounded by a few guards, he took a moment to rest in a side room that was originally used for the bearers and grooms.

As the lanterns were lit, Meng arrived with over twenty guards. These guards were more experienced in handling corpses than Chang and his men. With their help, when the sound of the midnight drum echoed, if one overlooked the faint smell of blood seeping through the puddles on the ground and the trembling expressions of the servants, the estate of Duke Ying could barely be considered to have returned to normal.

Lying under a quilt in his single garment, Song Mo smiled at his brother Song Han, who was leaning over his bedside. “It’s so late; why aren’t you asleep?”

Song Han twisted beside his brother, “Brother, I want to sleep with you!”

“No way!” Song Mo laughed, “I’m in so much pain right now. What if you accidentally touch my wounds in the middle of the night?”

Hearing this, Song Han cautiously touched his brother’s hand and said, “If Father hits you again, I’ll help you plead your case!”

“Good!” Song Mo smiled gently and added, “Now go rest!”

Li Bai, who had accompanied Song Han, stepped forward with a smile and took Song Han’s hand. “Second Young Master, we shouldn’t delay the heir’s rest and recovery.”

Li Bai had previously been a senior maid beside Jiang, and her calm and steady nature had earned her the position of Song Han’s chief maid. She had been with Song Han in the mourning hall located to the east of the main house since early morning.

When Song Mo burst in, he immediately stationed capable people around the mourning hall. She knew something serious had happened and had been comforting Song Han to stay in the mourning hall.

After Song Mo cleaned up the Xizhi Hall, he immediately sent Li Bai to bring Song Han over, saying only that he had angered his father and had been beaten, and that his guards had clashed with the estate’s guards.

Song Han was half-convinced but didn’t ask further. Hearing Li Bai say that Song Mo also needed to rest, he obediently nodded and followed her out.

Xia Lian brought in a bowl of dark medicinal soup.

The servants who had previously served Song Mo closely had been beaten into immobility, and those who could still move were of little skill. Xia Lian didn’t dare to entrust the important task of brewing medicine to anyone else, so she had to do it herself.

Song Mo drank the medicine in one gulp and asked Xia Lian, “Have Father’s men cleaned up outside?”

“Yes!” As Xia Lian replied, Chen He, with red-rimmed eyes and a haggard expression, walked in, holding a bowl of porridge.

Song Mo sighed as he looked at him. “Didn’t I tell you to go back and keep the wet nurse company? Why are you still here? There are people to handle these matters…”

“Your Highness,” Chen He didn’t argue but placed the porridge on a nearby stool and said softly, “Wuyi and Song Luo are both doing well. Once they’ve healed, I can go back to see my mother.” He added, “You haven’t eaten much today, so I added some yam to the porridge, just like you like. Give it a try!” A hint of stubbornness showed in his eyes.

Everyone had their principles.

Song Mo said nothing more and leaned over to drink the porridge.

The guard sent to find Granny Xie returned.

“Your Highness,” he lowered his head, “Granny Xie passed away ten days ago… They said she accidentally missed a step and broke her neck, dying on the spot…”

Song Mo froze.

He stared blankly at the white porridge in the spoon, letting the faint warmth waft against his face.

After a long while, he silently finished the porridge and instructed Xia Lian, “No matter what, find a way to locate the few senior maids who were with my mother!”

They had yet to find those maids.

Xia Lian solemnly agreed, entrusted Song Mo to Chen He, and withdrew.

Song Mo began to write letters again.

Meanwhile, Song Yichun paced anxiously in the room.

This was an opportunity.

Once lost, it would be hard to come by again.

But if he pressed on, how would he explain himself before the Emperor?

As he was deep in thought, Chang approached.

“Duke,” he said softly, “the Second Young Master is currently in Yizhi Hall!”

It was normal for Song Mo to take Song Han to Yizhi Hall, as the two brothers were very close, and he feared that Song Han would be frightened.

Song Yichun momentarily didn’t grasp Chang’s meaning.

Chang had to step forward and whisper, “Duke, if the heir intends harm against the Second Young Master…”

Song Yichun’s eyelids twitched.

How had he not thought of that?

Song Mo had killed the guards of Duke Ying and had displayed the corpses so brazenly; that he was no longer the son he once knew. He had become a second Jiang Meisun!

Song Yichun gasped, “What do you think we should do now?”

“The Duke should consider how to confront the heir before the Emperor!” A flicker of unease crossed Chang’s eyes.

He had already formed a deadly enmity with Song Mo; once Song Mo became Duke Ying, his fate was all but sealed.

Song Yichun asked him, “Do you have any good ideas?”

Such matters were best left to scholars familiar with the classics; how would he know?

Chang forced out a few suggestions, all of which were dismissed by Song Yichun.

The sound of the midnight drum echoed faintly.

With a determined bite of his teeth, Song Yichun instructed a maid, “Go, summon Mr. Tao!”

Mr. Tao, whose name was Chi, was his most capable advisor.

He had originally wanted to ask him to devise a foolproof plan, but Mr. Tao had filled his head with lofty rhetoric, bringing up figures like Duke Wen of Jin and Emperor Wu of Han, which only infuriated him… Yet, it seemed he still had to ask for his help in cleaning up the aftermath.

These martial men, though obedient, were like dogs; they could never sit at the main table!