Blossom

Li Tiaoniang became pregnant before Jiang Shi, which was likely the only humiliation the proud Jiang Meisun had ever suffered in her life.

The mere thought of this made Song Yichun's blood boil with excitement. He longed to see Li Tiaoniang again—even her despicable behavior now seemed delightful. Especially when he saw her, heavily pregnant, coyly pleading with him, "This is your flesh and blood. You can't just let him wander outside." Instantly, the plot of The Kitten Replaces the Crown Prince flashed through his mind, growing more vivid by the second!

What would Jiang Shi do if she knew the child she had painstakingly raised was actually Li Tiaoniang's?

Once this idea took root, there was no turning back.

He played the obedient and cautious role in front of Jiang Shi, carefully arranging midwives and physicians. His father, far from suspecting anything, was instead pleased to see him mature and responsible. For the first time, Song Yichun felt that some things weren’t as difficult as he had imagined.

It was as if Heaven itself sided with him—Jiang Shi suffered a difficult labor, while Li Tiaoniang smoothly delivered her child. To make it even better, Jiang Shi gave birth to a daughter, while Li Tiaoniang bore a son.

Without a soul noticing, he swapped the two infants.

Perhaps due to a mother’s intuition, Jiang Shi often wore a troubled expression when holding Song Han.

This unnerved him, so he took it upon himself to care for the child personally.

Jiang Shi, reassured, devoted herself wholeheartedly to raising Song Han, even investing more effort than she had with Song Mo.

Every time he witnessed this scene, an odd impulse surged within him. He yearned for Song Han to grow up quickly, to be more obedient, sensible, and intelligent than Song Mo—even hoping the Jiang Family would pour their resources into nurturing Song Han as they had with Song Mo.

When the truth was finally revealed, it would be absolutely hilarious.

He waited with this anticipation until Jiang Shi fell ill due to Jiang Meisun’s affairs.

Then, he secretly slipped arsenic into her medicine and revealed the truth to her in her final days!

He knew he would never forget the shock on Jiang Shi’s face.

It was the first time in his life he had ever seen her stunned.

Equally unforgettable was the triumphant satisfaction he felt upon seeing her horrified expression.

Yet, despite being enraged to the point of vomiting blood, Jiang Shi refused to die.

So, he smothered her face with a quilt.

She thrashed violently under the covers.

Her strength was terrifying!

She even tore the bedsheet with her struggles.

In her last moments, she cursed him.

She swore he would face retribution!

At this memory, Song Yichun’s numb throat began to burn again, as if Song Han were still biting into it.

Like the fangs of a venomous snake, sinking deep into his flesh.

That worthless bastard Song Han had indeed turned on him, just as Jiang Shi had predicted!

Trembling with fury, Song Yichun wanted to scream, "Beat Song Han to death!" But no sound escaped his lips. Instead, his chest tightened, and he nearly suffocated.

Seeing this, Song Maochun hurriedly said, "Don’t move! You’ll reopen your wound. The physician is on his way."

Song Yichun still struggled to turn his head toward where Song Han had collapsed, but the effort proved too much. He slumped back weakly.

Song Tongchun pressed firmly on his wound to stem the bleeding.

The group hastily made their way to Xiangxi Courtyard.

The hall fell silent in their wake.Lu Chen glanced at the unconscious Song Han and asked, "What should we do?"

If they merely wanted him dead, there were plenty of methods—why keep him alive until today?

Song Mo said, "Take him to Cassia Fragrance Courtyard as well. Once the physician treats him, tell him to get lost."

Lu Shi nodded. "I was worried you might be too angry to care about Song Han. Some things only need to appear resolved on the surface to hold the moral high ground. Once this matter passes, there will be plenty of opportunities."

Lu Chen chuckled. "Yantang understands this better than you. Save your breath."

Lu Shi laughed heartily.

The tension in the hall eased slightly.

Song Mo instructed Xia Lian to carry Song Han to Cassia Fragrance Courtyard before having a maid summon Dou Zhao to greet the two Lu uncles.

Lu Chen and Lu Shi repeatedly declined the courtesy.

Dou Zhao smiled at Song Mo and said, "Would it be appropriate to ask the two uncles to sign the family register? That way, we won’t need to trouble them to make another trip..."

The matter of expelling Song Han from the family was only half done—the most crucial step, the formal contract, had yet to be completed!

Only then did Lu Chen and Lu Shi realize this and quickly agreed. "Of course, it’s only right."

They signed their names and pressed their seals as witnesses on the pre-written contract.

Song Mo invited the two Lu gentlemen to stay for a meal.

Both declined. "With such a situation at home, you’re in no mood to entertain us. You should attend to matters at Cassia Fragrance Courtyard. We’ll gather another time when things settle."

Though Song Mo felt no grief, the timing was indeed inappropriate. He didn’t insist and, along with Dou Zhao, escorted the two uncles out.

Dou Zhao reminded Song Mo, "The other witness is your uncle."

"I know," Song Mo replied quietly. "I’ll head to Cassia Fragrance Courtyard. You arrange for Miao Shi and Qi Xia to leave the Capital to avoid implicating them."

Miao Ansu and Song Han had already been formally divorced by their fathers. Since Miao Ansu was no longer a member of the Song family, there was no reason for her to stay.

Dou Zhao relayed Song Mo’s intentions to Miao Ansu.

Miao Ansu couldn’t believe how easily she had divorced Song Han. She clung to Dou Zhao, repeatedly asking, "Is this real?"

Dou Zhao replied, "The Song family’s copy of the contract is with the Duke of Yingguo. With his passing, its whereabouts are unclear for now. Your copy is with your father—if you doubt it, you can ask him to show it to you." Remembering the greed of the Miao family and that Song Han’s properties had been transferred to Miao Ansu as part of the divorce, she added, "There’s also a record at Shuntian Prefecture. You could ask them to issue you another copy if you wish."

Miao Ansu nodded eagerly, her eyes reddening. After leaving the Duke of England's Mansion, she first went to Shuntian Prefecture and, leveraging the mansion’s name, had a clerk rewrite her divorce document, which she tucked into her robes. She then hired guards from a security agency before returning to Four Alleys.

Qi Xia, on the other hand, graciously accepted the silver hair ornaments Dou Zhao gifted her and kowtowed three times in gratitude. Chen Xiaofeng personally escorted her to Zhen Ding.

Dou Zhao finally exhaled deeply and sent someone to check on the situation at Cassia Fragrance Courtyard.Ruo Zhu returned and reported to her: "Two physicians from the Imperial Hospital came, but they only dared to cover the wound with chicken skin and prescribed some external wound medicine. They said whether the Duke can pull through depends on tonight. As for the Second Master, he just had a large gash on his head and lost too much blood. They prescribed some tonics to replenish his qi and blood." She paused slightly before continuing, "I heard that once the Second Master woke up, he started shouting wildly, even cursing the Duke. The servants attending to him were so terrified they had to gag him with a handkerchief."

It would be strange if he didn’t shout.

Being betrayed and abandoned by the father he regarded as his pillar—for someone as arrogant as Song Han, this must be a fatal blow.

Still, Song Han was incredibly lucky to survive.

But if he had actually died in the ancestral hall, it would have been too easy for him.

Dou Zhao sneered.

That night, Song Mo didn’t return but sent someone to deliver Song Han’s disownment document to her.

Dou Zhao saw the names of Song Maochun and Song Fengchun on it and quietly sighed in relief. Early the next morning, she sent someone to Shuntian Prefecture to register the deed.

The clerk in the household registry office of Shuntian Prefecture was shocked when he saw the deed. Looking up and recognizing the Assistant Prefect accompanying Yan Chaoqing, he immediately lowered his head and hastily stamped the document with the prefecture’s seal. But as soon as the Assistant Prefect and Yan Chaoqing left the office, the clerk scurried to the personnel office and whispered, "Just now, an adviser from the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion, accompanied by the Assistant Prefect, came to process the disownment papers for the Second Master, Song Han. Do you know why?"

The personnel clerk, hearing this for the first time, immediately grew excited. "Tell me more! What exactly happened?"

By the time Yan Chaoqing finished thanking Lord Huang and stepped out, he saw a crowd gathered in the personnel office, all gossiping about Song Han.

The Assistant Prefect’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

Song Han’s treasonous behavior—how could it not be known?

Yan Chaoqing, however, smiled faintly, pretending not to notice. He bid farewell to the Assistant Prefect and returned to the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion.

Meanwhile, Song Yichun’s high fever persisted for several days, and his condition worsened.

Seeing this as a serious matter, Song Mo submitted a memorial to the throne requesting leave for his father.

The Emperor had always been indifferent toward Song Yichun, but after hearing of Song Han’s "misdeeds," he thought of his own similar troubles with Liao Wang and suddenly felt more sympathetic toward Song Yichun. Learning that Song Yichun had fallen ill, the Emperor assumed it was due to anger over Song Han’s actions and sent a young eunuch to visit him.

The eunuch, representing the Emperor, not only had to be led into the inner chambers to see Song Yichun but also had to review the prescriptions and treatments he had received.

The young eunuch was so frightened he could barely keep his composure. After hurriedly asking a few questions, he rushed back to the palace.

The Emperor was furious, recalling the humiliation he had endured when Liao Wang forced him to retreat to Yuquan Mountain.

Bound by his promise to the Crown Prince, he couldn’t punish Liao Wang—but could he not punish the second son of a Duke?

The Emperor issued an edict: Song Han was to be immediately thrown outside the city gates, denied even a sip of water, a grain of rice, or a thread of clothing. Anyone who disobeyed would be treated as a rebel, and their entire clan would be executed.

With no Metropolitan Commander currently leading the Imperial Bodyguard, the head of the Eastern Depot personally went to the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion to "escort" Song Han out and dumped him outside Chaoyang Gate.

Song Han had already gone three days without medicine. He couldn’t even get a servant to pour him water, let alone receive nourishing food. Starving and dazed, he was abruptly dragged into a carriage by Eastern Depot agents and just as abruptly shoved out of it.He stared at the noisy, bustling corridor, feeling somewhat at a loss.

A group of little beggars squeezed in, surrounding him and calling him "big brother." Their foul stench and grimy fingernails made Song Han shudder involuntarily.

"Get lost!" he shouted at the beggars.

But the little beggars paid no heed, still grinning as they pressed him to the ground, pulling at his clothes with their grubby hands.

Song Han was still weak and couldn't break free despite several attempts. In desperation, he began shouting for help.

Passersby gathered at a distance, whispering and pointing at him in small groups, but not a single one stepped forward to help.

Only when Song Han was stripped down to his underpants did the little beggars scatter with a burst of laughter.