The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 49 - Wolfish Ambitions

But soon, the overwhelming shame and anger engulfed him, drowning him in humiliation. He looked around the courtyard at all the familiar faces that once greeted him with smiles, now only to feel their expressions were unbearably detestable.

All he wanted was a son! Yet Song Linlang forced him to such extremes, punishing him, even letting the servants trample over him with impunity.

He coughed, phlegm lodged in his throat, refusing to go up or down—just like the turmoil in his heart. And with this revolting sentiment, he looked at Song Linlang, the woman who once pledged an unwavering union with him, who vowed to grow old together. Now, he only saw a stranger.

The Song Linlang of the past always wore a gentle smile, her dimples so deep they could trap a person; she was charming yet composed, dignified yet lively, and cared for him in every way. She thought of things even his mother hadn't, and when his mother was difficult, she would even advise him not to take offense. But when did it all go so wrong between them?

It was just a son! He wanted to register the child under her name, wasn't it for fear that others would mock her for being barren? Why did she have to be so stubborn?

Memories of the past replayed vividly, softening his heart a little.

But Yunhe's harsh, unyielding words shattered his last bit of sympathy for Song Linlang—this woman was still relying on the power of the Changning Marquisate, thinking she could make him bow down again.

No, it probably wouldn't stop at just bowing down, would it? Now that the old lady from the Song family had arrived, there would inevitably be more lectures on etiquette, morality, distinctions between wife and concubine, legitimate and illegitimate heirs. She would surely pressure him to let go of Xiang Mingzi.

But if he let go of Xiang Mingzi, how would he answer to the shamans? How could he face his eldest son?

Thinking of this, his resentment toward Xiang Mingzi and his aversion to Song Linlang only deepened. If it weren't for Song Linlang's domineering behavior, insisting on having people ruin the shamans' reputation, the situation wouldn't have escalated into such a public scandal!

He thought of so many things, though in reality, these thoughts merely flashed through his mind. Finally, he took one last look at the jujube tree he'd once planted himself, closed his eyes, and hardened his heart.

"Song Linlang, if you hand over our daughter to me today, I can pretend none of this ever happened." He felt he was being magnanimous, swallowing hard with some sadness. "Do you have any idea of the criticism I've faced because you wrecked the shamans' establishment?! If you have even a shred of conscience left, don't make this harder for me."

Song Linlang felt as if her heart had died; it should be numb to pain, yet her heartbeat was racing wildly, and a deep breath brought a distinct, suffocating discomfort.

She let out a cold laugh, feeling a bit more at ease, and finally met Xiang Yunzhang's eyes with a direct gaze.

"I won't make things difficult for you. Only people are worth the trouble, but for a beast like you who's willing to send his daughter to her death, why would I even bother?" Gripping Yunhe's hand tightly, she felt as though each word required tremendous effort. "Besides, why should I care about the criticism you bear? The Xiang Yunzhang I once knew, the one I admired, has long been dead. Now, standing before me is someone I find utterly revolting to even look at. So tell me, why would I make things difficult for you?!"

Xiang Yunzhang's face went pale, and he nearly couldn't stand steady under her words. He forced a couple of bitter laughs. "Yes, you're right. The Song Linlang who once vowed a lifetime with me died in my heart long ago, too! Didn't you go back to inform your family? Fine, then. Let's get rid of this cursed girl first, and then we can call it quits. You go back to your illustrious family, and I'll continue my role as the magistrate of Qingzhou, and we'll owe each other nothing!"

With that, he gestured to the nearby servants in green robes to seize Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang, his gaze fixed on Song Linlang, filled with unyielding determination. "The citizens and witch doctors of the entire city are pressuring me to hand her over. If you still refuse, I'll take these two loyal nannies of yours to the local bureau and have them flogged with a hundred heavy blows... As for that cursed daughter, I don't want her, not even as a gift. Since our marriage has reached this point, it's better not to continue. If this wretched girl dies, then there'll be no ties left between us."

He knew precisely where Song Linlang's vulnerabilities lay and exactly how to cause her the greatest pain.

Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang, brandishing wooden sticks, fought off the advancing guards, forcing them back several steps. Surrounded by a cluster of maidservants and attendants, they quickly moved to shield Song Linlang's doorway.

Song Linlang coughed, struggling for breath, unable to utter a complete sentence.

She knew all too well who Xiang Yunzhang had once been, but she now scarcely recognized what he had become. Clenching her fists, she felt the sticky sweat dampening her palms and was suddenly overwhelmed with sorrow.

The Xiang Yunzhang of today was truly capable of sending Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang to the local bureau to be beaten to death—as if a man who cared nothing for his own daughter would show any mercy to a few servants.

"I won't give her to you." She gripped her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms as a warning not to show a trace of fear. She raised her head with a cold smile. "You may disregard your own daughter, but I can't. Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang have been with me since I left my family; I can't bear to see them suffer. I was the one who ordered the shamans' sign to be smashed. Why don't you take me to the local bureau and fulfill your duties as a public official?"

Though she forced herself not to show any weakness, the nannies, Zheng and Wang, who had raised her from childhood, knew she must be feeling utterly heartbroken by now.

Yunhe squeezed her hand and whispered, "Misstress, please don't say such things... If the old lady comes and sees you like this, imagine how devastated she'll be."

Xiang Yunzhang's face turned from green to white, and he shouted at her, "Are you mad?! You're the legitimate wife of a magistrate!"

Taking his wife to court? What would people say? It would turn him into the laughingstock of all Qingzhou.

"Mingzi is also the legitimate daughter of the magistrate!" Song Linlang retorted without a trace of weakness. "And yet you're resolute in sending her to her death. Aren't you afraid of becoming a joke now?"

In the end, she still refused to hand over the girl, thinking he'd be helpless against them, that he wouldn't dare act against her strong family background.

Xiang Yunzhang finally gave up on reasoning with Song Linlang. He ordered the group of guards in green robes to drive the servants aside with sticks, then stepped into the room himself.