Chapter 645 - 423: Fire

Chapter 645: Chapter 423: Fire

If Yan Liu had been more discreet in the past, if she had understood her place and not coveted what wasn’t hers, if she hadn’t tried to suppress the main wife as a mere concubine or sow discord between Song Qinghan and Xu Anxing, then she would not have met such an end.

Unfortunately, Yan Liu was too ambitious and wanted far too much.

Besides, after moving out of the Marquis Mansion, she was no longer under the thumb of Marchioness Wu Xin. With only Xu Anxing to indulge her, her audacity grew and grew, allowing Song Nanyong to seize upon her as a fatal weakness.

It was this very incident that drastically changed how the people in the Capital City viewed Song Nanyong. They now knew the Song Family had such a formidable figure at its helm and was not a family to be trifled with.

The conflict between the Song Family and the Marquis Wuxin Mansion had dragged on for several years. Because of Song Qinghan’s spinelessness, the Song Family had mostly been on the losing end.

And because of this, the Marquis Wuxin Mansion had grown increasingly brazen.

But who would have thought things would completely change after Song Nanyong’s return? Not only did the Marquis Mansion hit a brick wall, but Xu Anxing was caught squarely in the palm of Song Nanyong’s hand.

Want to repudiate his wife?

In his dreams.

Want a mutual divorce?

That could be discussed.

However, before that, the laws of Great Chu against doting on a concubine to the detriment of the main wife are not just for show. You can face your punishment first, and then we can talk about a divorce.

The Marquis and Marchioness Wuxin hadn’t been afraid before because they knew Song Qinghan would never truly do anything to Xu Anxing. But Song Nanyong was not like Mrs. Cai, who mindlessly doted on her daughter—especially not a muddle-headed, disappointing niece who was trampling the Song Family’s reputation into the dirt.

Song Qinghan wanted to plead for Xu Anxing?

Song Nanyong gave her two choices: either Xu Anxing would promise to live a proper life with her, have a few children, and secure her position as Third Young Madam Song; or Song Qinghan would be disowned by the Song Family, and from then on, whether she lived or died in the Marquis Wuxin Mansion would be no concern of theirs.

In short, Song Qinghan absolutely could not be a stain on the Song Family’s name. If she refused to see reason, she would be cast out.

Song Qinghan could cry and throw tantrums with her mother, and she could act cute and pitiful with her father, but faced with her utterly implacable uncle, she was completely silenced.

She chose the first option.

Xu Anxing, wanting to avenge Yan Liu, refused to bow to the Song Family no matter what. He was willing to risk mutual destruction to save his beloved.

Song Nanyong couldn’t be bothered to waste words on a brainless fool. He went directly to Marquis Wuxin. The Marquis Wuxin Mansion’s dealings over the years had not been clean, and the first thing Song Nanyong had done upon returning to the capital was to investigate the Marquis.

As long as they were relatives by marriage, everything was negotiable.

But if they became enemies, then as enemies, he would show no mercy.

Song Nanyong had no interest in disciplining someone else’s child. He just needed to deal with the child’s father.

Sure enough, Marquis Wuxin gave Xu Anxing a harsh beating. Then, ignoring the Marchioness’s objections, he finalized Yan Liu’s exile and had her sent to the border garrisons with the utmost speed.

What could a delicate woman like her do, exiled to a military camp?

She could only become a camp follower.

Yan Liu had borne Xu Anxing two children. If she became a camp follower, how could her children ever hold their heads high?

For the rest of their lives, they would be trampled under Song Qinghan’s foot, never to rise again.

But Yan Liu was a ruthless woman. The night before her departure, she hanged herself in her cell with a rope, preserving her integrity and the last shred of dignity for the children she had borne.

With Yan Liu dead, Xu Anxing fell into line.

But he could no longer look Song Qinghan in the eye and wanted a mutual divorce.

He no longer dared to think of repudiating her; someone had leverage over his father.

But the thought of having children with Song Qinghan only reminded him of Yan Liu’s tragic death. It was absolutely impossible.

But Song Qinghan refused the divorce.

Her life had been brought to this state entirely by Xu Anxing. Yan Liu was dead, yet he still wanted to divorce her and remarry? She would tie herself to him for the rest of their lives; he could forget about divorce, even in his dreams.

And so, things reached a stalemate.

In the end, it was Marquis Wuxin who, gritting his teeth, made the final decision. There would be no divorce. Furthermore, he promised Song Nanyong that as long as a son by the main wife was not born, Xu Anxing would not be allowed to take any concubines.

Moreover, as a show of good faith, he sent both of Yan Liu’s children to Song Qinghan. This time, no matter how much of a scene Xu Anxing made, he would not be allowed to have the children back.

His beloved was dead, his children were being held hostage, and his own father forbade him from seeking pleasure or taking concubines. Like a snake seized by its vital spot, Xu Anxing held his nose and went to Song Qinghan’s courtyard.

This incident made Song Nanyong famous in one fell swoop. Song Yunzhao felt nothing for Song Qinghan and hadn’t paid much attention to the matter at the time. Besides, so what if Xu Anxing went to Song Qinghan’s rooms? Yan Liu’s death was an irresolvable knot between them. That couple would never truly be together in this lifetime.

The moment Song Qinghan gave birth to a son would be the moment Xu Anxing reverted to his old ways.

By then, if Song Qinghan still couldn’t hold on to Xu Anxing, it would be due to her own incompetence. Xu Anxing would have fulfilled his promise, and whatever he did after that, Song Nanyong would no longer interfere.

As a result of her husband’s masterful maneuver, Madam Song gained a foothold in the circle of the capital’s noblewomen. After all, she was a Madam now.

Madam Song was also a socially adept woman. Riding the wave of her husband’s prestige, she slowly made a few friends and expanded her social circle, which naturally gave her access to more information.

Her ability to find out about the Feng family’s affairs was a direct benefit of this.

"Does Madam Song have any other message for me?" Song Yunzhao asked.

Nanny Yu replied, "Madam Song said that Your Highness can rest assured. She will keep an eye on matters outside, so you need not worry."

Song Yunzhao smiled. "I understand. My aunt is always going to such trouble for me. I don’t know how I can ever repay her."

Nanny Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness, as long as you and the Eldest Prince are well, that is the greatest security for the Song Family."

That was true enough.

Song Yunzhao rose and stood by the window, gazing at the sky outside. ’The person the Feng family found... I’m afraid he has his own agenda. When a person takes a wrong turn, they always need a chance to correct their path. He is willing to take a gamble this time. If he wins, he can make a comeback, and I will benefit as well. People who know how to seize opportunities are clever. To make such a decision shows he has courage. A person like that will have good prospects.’

Nanny Yu said with a smile, "If that monk heard this, he would surely come to kowtow and thank you, my lady."

Just as the two of them were talking, Shizhu rushed in with an anxious expression on her face. She burst out, "Your Highness, there’s a fire at Yanqing Palace!"

Song Yunzhao’s expression changed. "What did you say?"

Yanqing Palace was where Feng Yunjin lived. She immediately rose and started walking out, asking as she went, "Has anyone gone to put out the fire?"

"Lady Shufei has already sent Palace Attendants to fight the fire, but it was raging. I rushed back as soon as I heard the news, so I don’t know what the situation is now," Shizhu said nervously.

Standing in the courtyard, she could see a plume of black smoke rising into the sky from the direction of Yanqing Palace. A faint clamor could be heard from outside. Forgetting about taking a sedan chair, Song Yunzhao ran straight for Yanqing Palace.