Chapter 6: Returning to oneself through the path

Song Nan laughed heartily and said: "They can only prove that your young master was born on that day; how can they prove that he is of the Song family bloodline? Moreover, have you forgotten that personal servants cannot serve as witnesses? They are people from your household, and what they say will not be accepted by the authorities at all. If you want to prove your young master's identity, you will likely need to seek another method."

Yan said angrily: "My daughter Huan was born on the 19th day of the first month in the 22nd year of the Chenghua era. The midwife who assisted in the delivery is still alive, and there are also experienced old servants in the house who can attest to my child's identity. How can your baseless accusations succeed?"

Then Qianhu stared and said: "Oh? How strange, who is so bold?"

Yan and Song Huanqi were furious, cursing and shouting loudly, while the surrounding townspeople stared in astonishment, left speechless by Song Nan's words

Yan laughed heartily and said, "At least you are not confused. I advise you to keep a low profile and not indulge in the grand dream of becoming rich overnight."

As Qianhu looked at Song Nan and Li Daniu, Song Nan felt a sharp aura pressing towards him; the general's gaze carried an invisible sense of oppression

Song Nan glanced sideways at his brother and coldly said, "So, are you listening or not?"

Then Lord Jiang furrowed his brows and shouted: "What is going on? Are you wailing? Speak if you have something to say. Who would dare to cause trouble at your home, Young Master Song? I do not believe it; it is most likely that you are the one bullying others."

Song Nan scratched his head and said: "This is quite troublesome. Since it has come to this, I can only make a trip to the government office. After all, my life is of little value; even if I were to sacrifice this poor and humble existence, I cannot allow you to have it easy. Farewell."

The soldiers pushed and shoved, forcing Song Nan and Li Daniu into the Song residence. Li Daniu's body trembled slightly, clearly filled with fear. Song Nan squeezed his hand, signaling him not to panic

Song Huan said with grievance: "My lord, you may have misunderstood me. This time, someone truly came to provoke me. I ask for your justice, and I would be most grateful."

Song Nan said: "I cannot prove that my father has passed away. The acquaintances from fifteen years ago have either grown old or have died. Even if they are still alive, I have no way to find them to testify. Moreover, my close servants cannot serve as witnesses. Even if my mother and the household servants testify, it is likely that their testimony would not be accepted in the main hall."

Song Nan sneered and said: "Have I struck a nerve? Is that why you resort to violence? If Song Huan were not of the Song family bloodline, the Song family would have no one to inherit the family business. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, a family without heirs will have their property confiscated. Heh, let’s part ways; neither of us will have a good life."

The Yan family was at a loss for words, nearly driven to madness. They wanted to immediately subdue and beat Song Nan, but upon considering that this little wretch might actually report them to the authorities, claiming that Song Huan was not of the Song bloodline, they found themselves in a difficult position. While it might not lead to the confiscation of their family assets, resolving this matter would certainly come at a significant cost. After all, the relationship between the authorities and the Song family was built on money, and with such a good opportunity for extortion, wouldn't those officials act like wolves, crazily seizing whatever they could? Although it might not lead to the confiscation of their family assets, resolving this matter would certainly come at a significant cost. After all, the relationship between the authorities and the Song family was built on money, and with such a good opportunity for extortion, wouldn't those officials act like wolves, crazily seizing whatever they could?

Song Huan angrily declared: "Even if it means the fish die and the net breaks, I will not allow you to take half of the Song family's fortune."

Song Nan laughed coldly and said, "Then you should provide evidence to prove it."

Song Nan clasped his hands and pulled Li Daniu away, leaving the Yan family mother and son at a loss, unsure whether to intervene or not.

"You... you little... little..." Yan pointed at Song Nan, her chest aching with anger, struggling to swallow the words 'bastard' down, covering her chest and gasping for breath. The maid beside her hurriedly helped her with chest compressions to ease her breathing

What? What are you saying, you little beast

"What good heart can you possibly have, you little..." Song Huan exclaimed angrily

Song Huanchaosong Nan pointed and said: "It is those two people, who have come to disturb us for no reason..."

"This makes sense," Song Nan said. "I actually have a way to prove that your young master is of the Song family bloodline, but I wonder if you dare to use it."

Song Huan snorted and turned away, ignoring them. Song Nan chuckled and said, "I also do not wish to have things escalate to this point; it is all because of your pressure. If you had not been so overbearing, would I have resorted to such desperate measures?"

The two sides remained locked in a standoff like fighting cocks for a while, with neither able to gain the upper hand. Yan spat out white foam in anger and cursed, "You little wretch, what will it take for you to give up?"

Song Nan coldly laughed and said: "Although I cannot prove that I am of the Song family bloodline, I can make your Song family's fortune completely vanish."

Song Nan clasped his hands and said: "I report to you, my lord, that I have not caused any trouble; I have come to seek justice."

Yan respectfully said, "Please, sir, enter the residence to discuss. I will inform you of the details of the matter."

Yan said angrily: "Do you have any evidence to prove that you are of the Song family bloodline?"

Yan scolded angrily, saying: "You little wretch, you little wretch, this old woman curses you like this, what do you intend to do about it?"

Song Nan stood with his arms crossed, facing the crowd that surged forward without flinching. He coldly laughed and said: "If you have the guts, go ahead and kill me. At that time, someone will come to take the blame. The respected elders and fellow villagers can testify for me. I, Song Nan, have uncovered the secrets of the Song family, and they want to silence me. When the authorities investigate, I hope you will bear witness for me"

Song Nan sneered and said: "Before proving your young master's identity, may I refer to him as a little wild seed? And you, madam, being disloyal to your husband, I could use even harsher words to describe you. If you do not know how to restrain yourself, I will not hesitate to publicly call you a harlot"

Then the thousand-household slowly approached Song Nan, surveying him from top to bottom and left to right, and coldly said: "Is it you who is causing trouble here?"

Yan laughed again and said, "Your tone is quite bold for a little rascal. I would like to see what you have that can bring the Song family to ruin."

Song Huan immediately spotted him and rushed forward as if she had seen a savior, grabbing the big man's sleeve and exclaiming: "Isn't this Lord Jiang, the Thousand Household? Lord Thousand Household, you have come at just the right time. Please help me settle this matter. Someone has come to my Song residence to provoke trouble, and I need you to stand up for me."

"You little scoundrel, how can you slander me? How is my Huan'er not of the Song family bloodline? Do you think the authorities will believe your baseless accusations?" Yan was so furious that she nearly fainted, pointing at Song Nan and cursing loudly.

Song Nan said: "I respect you as an elder, which is why I do not argue with you over trivial matters. If you continue to speak such vulgar nonsense, I will have to reconsider how I address your esteemed mother and son"

Song Nan suddenly began to offer suggestions to the Song family, astonishing everyone. This young man, thin and frail, still bearing a youthful innocence on his face, managed to keep everyone in a haze, completely unable to fathom his thoughts

Song Nan coldly laughed and said: "Ultimately, who is the one that is deceitful and shameless? You all know in your hearts."

Then Qianhu nodded and waved his hand, saying: "Bring those two boys in; I, the magistrate, will adjudicate this case."

Qianhu showed no signs of fear towards Song Nan, which was somewhat unexpected. He turned to Song Huan and asked, "What exactly is going on?"

What the hell are they doing? Are they causing a disturbance?

Song Nan felt a chill in his heart. Observing the situation, it was evident that this official was familiar with Song Huan, likely due to the connections established by the Song family through money. He immediately steeled himself and prepared to watch the developments closely

Everyone watched eagerly as Song Nan and Li Daniu squeezed onto the street, all thinking: today's events are truly strange, and we do not know how it will unfold. Looking at this young man's momentum, it seems he will not rest until he brings down the Song residence. It appears that the real drama is yet to come, and it cannot be missed. Many idle onlookers, having nothing better to do, actually followed behind Song Nan, intending to go to the government office to see what happens next

"What are you all staring at? Get out of here, you don't need to worry about making a living anymore? Do you want me to round you all up to repair the city defenses?" Jiang Qianhu shouted angrily, and the soldiers behind him quickly moved forward, striking and kicking, dispersing the more than a hundred onlookers like birds and beasts.

At this point, both the people of the Song residence and the onlooking commoners understood Song Nan's intentions. Song Nan was returning the favor in kind; the Song residence wanted Song Nan to prove that he was the biological son of Song De. With Song De already deceased, and the words of others being insufficient for verification, it was naturally impossible to provide proof. However, this was precisely the dilemma faced by Song Huan.

Yan turned around with a sullen face and scolded, "Do you really think the Song family is easy to bully? Huan'er, send someone to the county office immediately to report this. How can it be that someone dares to commit fraud and extortion in broad daylight? This is outrageous"

Song Nan understood that in ancient times, there were no birth certificates, and no one would waste their energy doubting whether a child was truly born to a particular family. Such matters were even unclear to the royal family; otherwise, how could there be farcical incidents in the court where the sons of outsiders impersonated princes? Song Nan aimed to exploit such loopholes, placing Song Huan and her child in the same embarrassing situation as himself

A sudden thunderous shout startled everyone, causing them to shudder. They turned towards the sound and were immediately struck with fear, their faces turning pale. There, at the corner of the street to the west, a giant man resembling a black tower approached, clad in armor and carrying a sword at his waist, striding forward with great strides, followed by a dozen fully armed soldiers, each with weapons hanging at their sides.

Song Nan's unyielding and brazen demeanor left Yan and Song Huan at a loss, unable to argue clearly or resort to violence, truly infuriating to the point of almost spitting blood

"Hit him, beat him to death, this despicable scoundrel." Song Huan's eyes turned red with anger as she waved her hand, commanding the servants to come forward and attack.

You little scoundrel, how unreasonable you are, daring to speak such nonsense. Someone, go and break his legs and tear his mouth apart!

Song Nan gritted his teeth and said: "It is you who have forced me to this point, and I can only apologize to my father in the underworld. I will go to the government office to explain the situation, for I suspect that Song Huan is not of the Song family bloodline, and the family fortune of the Song clan should not be inherited by Song Huan"