Chapter 420 — East and West

The great red lanterns under the covered corridor swayed in the night wind, casting flickering light across Song Zhi's face.

Song Cen watched, his heart pounding, and shouted at Song Yan, "What have you done to Tian'en?"

Song Yan did not answer.

The courtyard was silent, save for the sound of wind passing through the treetops.

With so many people watching, surely Song Yan could not kill him?

Song Cen hesitated a moment, then walked over.

"Where is Tian'en?" he demanded, his tone somewhat fierce.

Song Yan took a step forward.

Song Cen retreated three steps.

The bright lamplight fell upon their faces.

A trace of terror still lingered in Song Cen's eyes.

Song Yan sneered and said in a low voice, "Take Song Han and get out of the upper courtyard!"

Song Cen's eyes went wide. "What did you say?"

Song Yan said, "Take Song Han and get out of the upper courtyard!"

His voice was clear and distinct, carrying far through the silent summer night.

Every guard lowered his head, whether Song Cen's men or Song Zhi's.

"You dare speak to me like that?" Song Cen flew into a shameful rage. "The upper courtyard belongs to the Yingzhenguo Estate! I decide who lives here! Don't think that just because you can stand tall before the Emperor you can boss everyone around in this house—"

Song Yan cut him off.

"If you're not afraid of ghosts, then by all means move into the upper courtyard with Song Han. I have no objection!"

The words stuck in Song Cen's throat.

"I'll give you half an hour," Song Yan said, his expression cold and severe, his gaze dark and menacing. He seemed wrapped in a black cloud. "If you're not out of the upper courtyard in half an hour, I'll show you just how straight my back is before the Emperor!"

With that, he turned and strode away.

Song Cen stamped his feet at his retreating figure. "Wretched creature! Unfilial son! How did I ever raise such a thing!"

Guard Chang lowered his eyes and quietly urged Song Cen, "My lord, we had best hurry inside and see to the Second Young Master!"

Only then did Song Cen come to his senses. He rushed into the inner chamber.

Song Han sat slumped on the floor, leaning against the leg of the grand armchair and gasping for breath, the red marks on his neck starkly visible.

Guard Chang hurried to help Song Han up and seat him in the armchair, reported to Song Cen, "I'll go fetch a physician for the Second Young Master," and withdrew.

"Father!" Song Han said to Song Cen with an aggrieved air. "Brother wants to kill me! Am I really not Mother's son?"

Song Cen's expression stiffened, then he scolded Song Han in a stern voice, "How can you be so soft-eared, believing every rumor you hear? Your brother has done something treasonous himself, and he fears I'll strip him of the heir's position, so he sets himself against me at every turn. How can you believe a word he says? Whether you are my son or not—don't I know that better than anyone!"

Song Han hung his head and murmured, "Brother says Li Dasheng at my side never went back to the country. That I killed Li Tiaoniang—but I don't even know Li Tiaoniang... Yet no matter how I protested, Brother wouldn't believe me. He even had his guards torture me, so I had no choice but to admit I killed Li Tiaoniang, and then Brother said I was lying." He looked up at Song Cen, his face streaked with tears. "If I don't confess it's wrong, and if I do confess it's wrong too. I don't know what to do anymore..."

Song Cen was taken aback. "Li Dasheng is missing?"

Song Han pursed his lips and nodded. "Brother says Li Dasheng is missing." Then he asked curiously, "Father, is Li Tiaoniang Jiang Yan's birth mother? Are Jiang Yan and I twins? Jiang Yan looks exactly like Mother—how could he be Li Tiaoniang's son? Does that mean Li Tiaoniang looked a lot like Mother too?"

Song Cen, flustered by Song Han's questions, said impatiently, "Your brother's been taken in, and you're joining in the foolishness. How did I come to have two such stupid sons?"

"Oh!" Song Han hung his head in shame.

Song Cen asked him, "What did your brother ask you just now?"

Song Han mumbled, "He asked whether I knew Li Tiaoniang, whether I knew Li Liang, where Li Dasheng had gone, whether I ordered Li Dasheng to kill Li Tiaoniang..." As he spoke, he tugged at Song Cen's robe. "Father, Brother is so frightening. I want to live with you in the Osmanthus Fragrance Courtyard, all right?"

If Song Yan dared to do such deadly harm to Song Han while he himself was at home, then what would he do to Song Han when he was gone—beat him to death?

Song Cen looked at the furnishings in the room, unchanged since Lady Jiang was alive, and felt a heavy oppression in his heart. The words Song Yan had just spoken echoed unbidden in his mind, and he nodded. "Then you may as well move in with me. At least Guard Chang will be there to protect you, and he won't dare act rashly."

If Guard Chang could really protect you, would Song Yan dare to treat you with such contempt?

Song Han grumbled inwardly, but he let out a breath as if relieved of a great burden and put on a pleased smile. "Wonderful! Then I won't be afraid of Brother bullying me anymore!"

Hearing this, Song Cen cursed silently, "Fool."

At Song Yan's age he could already stand on his own, yet this one understood nothing. Song Yan was about to kill him, and he still thought his brother merely meant to bully him. Different birth, different intelligence—and no teaching would fix it!

Song Cen curled his lip in disdain and called the guards in to help Song Han move his things.

Song Yan stood on the steps of the main hall of Yizhi Hall, listening to the commotion in the upper courtyard.

Dou Yan urged him, "Don't be angry anymore. Come inside and have a cup of tea! Mind the mosquitoes."

Song Yan drew a deep breath and followed Dou Yan into the inner chamber.

Mugwort incense had been lit in the room, its faint, drifting fragrance filling the air with warmth.

Dou Yan personally brewed a cup of Biluochun for Song Yan.

Song Yan took the teacup with a sigh. "Sit down and rest a while yourself. All this miserable business at home has given you no peace either."

Dou Yan sat down beside him and smiled. "Whose family doesn't have its share of troubles? Compared with taking a concubine and casting off the wife, or drowning the bastards and demoting the legitimate, strife between brothers doesn't even count as a problem in my eyes!"

Song Yan could not help laughing. "You have no idea. At the time I wanted nothing more than to slap that little mongrel to death. Then I thought it over — that would be letting him off too easy — and I forced myself to swallow my temper."

Before outsiders he never showed a flicker of emotion, but that did not mean there was no anger in his heart. Now he was willing to air his grievances to Dou Yan, and she naturally hoped he would speak freely and vent all the resentment pent up inside him.

Once the resentment was out, his heart grew calm again.

She held his hand and listened quietly as he complained.

"Everyone says I'm vicious and ruthless. But that's how I am with outsiders. To my own family I've always been generous. So long as it's no grave offense, I turn a blind eye. Look at my eldest uncle and third uncle. When my father wanted to strike me from the clan rolls, Fourth Uncle and the rest said not a word. I told myself that seeking advantage and avoiding harm is human nature; dislike it as I might, I did nothing to them.