Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 136: What a Fine ’Husband and Wife Are One

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: What a Fine ’Husband and Wife Are One

Song Lianhe’s retort to Song Xilan made Song Xingfeng unable to sit still. He immediately rebuked her, "They say you shouldn’t air your dirty laundry in public. Do you want the whole world to laugh at the Song Family?"

Song Lianhe suddenly shouted, "So what!"

"What did you say? Say that again—"

"If you’re so afraid of being laughed at, Father, then don’t do such shameful things in the first place!"

"You—"

"Back then, Father, you were nothing more than a Thousand Commander. It was only through my maternal grandfather’s patronage and your marriage to my mother that your career took off! I know you hate bringing up the past, Father. You refuse to admit that you owe your position today to the Lin family! That’s fine. You can be ungrateful, but you can’t just abandon your basic human decency, can you? My mother, Lin Shuniang, answered to heaven above and the people below. After marrying you, she devoted her entire being to supporting and assisting you. But who would have known? Before her mourning period was even over, you eagerly elevated your concubine. Aren’t you afraid of the world’s ridicule for that?"

Song Xingfeng’s face turned ashen, and his chest heaved with rage. "Who taught you to speak so disrespectfully to your elders?"

Song Lianhe gave a cold laugh and continued, "All these years, Father, you’ve turned a blind eye to the affairs of this household, letting that Mrs. Liu frame me time and again. Aren’t you curious, Father? How do matters of our General Mansion leak to outsiders so quickly? How do they spread throughout all of Ling’an City by the next day?"

Song Xilan couldn’t listen to another word. ’This girl has become so silver-tongued she could argue black is white,’ she thought. ’Especially with Junlin right here... Destroying Mother’s reputation is the same as smearing filth on my own face. I can’t let her carry on with this nonsense!’

"Lianhe! Stop spreading rumors and causing trouble. My mother may not be your birth mother, but she has been good to you! Of all the finest food, drinks, and amusements in the mansion, weren’t you always allowed to choose first, before anything was sent to Die Cui Garden? Have Mother and I ever said a single word against it?"

Zhou Junlin kept his gaze lowered the entire time, his expression inscrutable, making his thoughts impossible to read.

"Heh, that’s right," Song Lianhe said nonchalantly. "And so my reputation for bullying my stepmother and sister was firmly established."

The nonchalant way Song Lianhe said it made Song Xilan’s temper flare. "You’re saying that just to target me and my mother!"

She quickly turned to her father. "Father, this isn’t the time to talk about these things. We need to see Mother right away! So much time has passed; we have no idea how she’s doing."

Song Xingfeng snapped back to his senses. "Lord Zhen, I demand to see my wife!"

"Absolutely not!"

It was Song Lianhe who spoke.

All eyes turned to her. Zhen Yongming’s own stance was now difficult to read; he seemed to be silently appraising the scene.

Song Xilan stared at Song Lianhe in disbelief, dropping all pretenses. "Song Lianhe, you really do have a heart of stone! Whatever a thousand faults my mother may have, she is still the lady of the General Mansion! This is the Ministry of Justice, where Ji Qing presides. It’s not your place to interfere!"

"Heh. What, you think bringing Prince Ling with you gives you leverage over me?"

As she spoke, Song Lianhe’s gaze drifted lazily toward Zhou Junlin.

Her gaze was incredibly direct and unabashed. Even her dissatisfaction with him was projected as open, unapologetic hostility.

He faltered for a moment and subconsciously averted his gaze.

In that instant, he found he didn’t quite dare to look at her.

Perhaps it was because he knew that, in truth, she wasn’t wrong about any of it.

’The truth had been laid bare all along. Why hadn’t he noticed it before? He’d never even stopped to ask who was right or wrong, simply favoring Xilan in every matter.’

’Now, under her piercing gaze, he had no choice but to start scrutinizing himself.’

"Don’t be ridiculous! Prince Ling and I are husband and wife, a single entity. What’s so improper about him coming to visit my mother?"

Song Lianhe laughed. "What a wonderful ’single entity’..."

Zhou Junlin frowned, finding her laughter particularly grating.

He caught Song Xilan’s pleading look and knew he should intervene to get her out of this predicament.

But as he lifted his gaze, his eyes met Song Lianhe’s cold, faintly mocking smirk. The words instantly died in his throat. His brow furrowed even tighter as he stared at her fixedly, his jaw tense, unable to utter a single word.

Seeing him remain silent, Song Xilan grew frantic. ’Didn’t he come here specifically to help her rescue Mother?’

’What is going on? Why isn’t he talking?’

Song Lianhe’s smile vanished in an instant. She turned her head and said, "Lord Zhen, I know you to be a man who enforces the law with impartiality. There is no one better suited to preside over this case. I trust you will not disappoint the Holy Emperor’s grace and will restore the name of the innocent."

Zhen Yongming clasped his hands in a salute. "I shall not fail the County Princess’s expectations."

Song Xilan’s expression tightened. She immediately looked to her father, desperately signaling with her eyes that he had to protect their mother. ’If Mother is truly handed over to the Ministry of Justice for trial, who knows what kind of torture she might endure!’

’Most importantly, and this was something she could never admit to anyone, if Mrs. Liu was convicted of insulting General Li Hua, she herself would inevitably be dragged down too!’

’There was no telling if the Holy Emperor would rescind his decree!’

’Even if they were unaffected and married successfully, she could forget about ever holding her head high in Ling’an City again!’

’One had to remember that with Zhou Junlin’s capabilities, he was a highly probable candidate to be the Chosen One for the position of Crown Prince. And what about her? Would she still be qualified to be his Empress?’

’The weakness of her maternal family was already a disadvantage. Now, with her mother shouldering such a terrible reputation, what use was her deep relationship with Junlin, or her own outstanding qualities?’

The moment Song Xilan thought of this, her blood ran cold. ’She had waited for so long, hoped for so long. She would never, under any circumstances, accept this result!’

’That was why she had to clear her mother’s name today!’

Song Xingfeng’s expression was also indescribably complex.

He shared his daughter’s worries.

He was well aware that in the Capital City, people disapproved of him elevating a concubine to the status of his wife. Many even considered it a desecration of his late wife’s memory.

He remembered going from being openly mocked in the Court to having everyone choose to ignore and forget the matter. He knew where that change came from, and he knew even more clearly what they were afraid of.

They weren’t afraid of him, Song Xingfeng. They were afraid of the National Guardian General!

One could only imagine the hardships he had endured to rise from a lowly Thousand Commander to a Standard Second-Grade Official.

For that very reason, he could not allow Mrs. Liu to become a weapon his enemies could wield against him.

Song Xingfeng’s gaze suddenly hardened with resolve. The commanding aura of a general began to emanate from him. He shot a glance at Song Lianhe, then turned to Zhen Yongming. "Lord Zhen, my wife has always been frail, and she suffered a terrible fright last night. Please permit me to take her back to the mansion for medical treatment. If you have further questions, my lord, you may come to my residence to conduct your inquiries."

Zhen Yongming’s gaze was placid, his expression calm and unruffled. Just as he was about to reply, Song Lianhe stepped in front of him, raised her chin, and met her father’s eyes. "You wish to take Mrs. Liu away?"

She suddenly let out a laugh. "Fine. You can step over my dead body."

Her words left everyone stunned.

Zhou Junlin stared at her, astonished. His gaze gradually grew deep and difficult to read.

He could sense it—though she used a flippant, devil-may-care tone, she was making an incredibly solemn vow.

’To get justice for her birth mother, she was willing to gamble with her own life.’

’He never knew Song Lianhe had such a fiery, dauntless side to her.’