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Chapter 14 Spoiled

"A donkey wearing tiger's skin, using his position to bully others!"

(Note: Don't even ask me about Chinese insults. Trying my best here lmao.)

After dinner, Li Xiao left with Song Song together to look at his living quarters. Madam Song didn't even leave the dining hall before she started cursing.

Song Guogong furrowed his brows. He somewhat couldn't understand this son of his. What's going on with him today? It's one thing to have a huge personality change, it's another to be constantly knocking down his own family's pedestal at the dinner table. Does he really no longer consider himself part of the Song family?

"He thinks if he follows the mad king, he can ascend to the heavens, doesn't he? They haven't even gotten married yet. Just look at how arrogant and wild he's become, to dare to pick at our faults at the table. This cheap seed, sooner or later I will"

"Don't say anymore." Song Guogong interrupted her, his face extremely unsightly.

In the end, that was still his seed. Cursing him with that phrase, what's the meaning of this?

Madam Song, however, was very annoyed and screeched: "So what if I insult him? He's just the child of a lowly merchant girl. Kiss-ass trash. He really thinks he's someone important? Sooner or later, he'll fall to his death."

Her words were extremely cutting. Song Guogong was so mad his eyes bulged and his beard moved. The hand in his sleeve tightened, then released, then tightened again. In the end, he remembered that she was the empress's blood related sister, so turned his head and walked off.

"What? Don't tell me you feel bad for him?" Madam Song followed him, shouting words of ridicule at his back. "Who knows if he still accepts you as his father!!"

Song Guogong walked away faster, disappearing after passing through the arched doors.

Actually, there was no need for anyone to lead the way. Song Song originally lived with his mother in the Xiang courtyard, but after Xiang Fu died, he was chased out. Traveling past a limestone alleyway and seeing that familiar courtyard, for a moment his heart felt all kinds of complicated.

Li Xiao turned his head to look at him: "If Song-er has any troubles, you can tell this king."

While Song Song doesn't mind occasionally looking a bit pitiful in front of Li Xiao, he can't really deliberately recount to Li Xiao the daily abuse he received in the past. That kind of thing was unforgettable to him, carved directly into his bones and engraved in his heart, but if heard by others, maybe would seem annoying.

"With your highness here, how can I have any troubles?" Song Song smiled at him, then stepped into the courtyard.

Even though this courtyard was deliberately cleaned up, it still held the atmosphere of a place that has been vacated for a long time. The grass clearly looked like it was recently cleared away, the dirt on the ground still held marks of being flipped. There were two bonsai plants placed at the entrance from who knows where. Although inside the room was swept clean, the smell of mold and dust permeated the air. On the inner walls of the house held water marks.

Li Xiao only took a brief glance, before his face darkened.

Song Song continued inward. The bottoms of the familiar cabinets inside were already rotted. He opened a drawer to take a look. The smell of decayed wood mixed with recently placed incense assaulted his nostrils. Song Song sneezed, found the drawer completely empty, then closed it again.

Actually he was well aware that because his mother has died so many years, the priceless objects that were here have long since been removed. Even if a little were left over, they would have been picked up by the servants who cleaned here today.

Nevertheless, he still made sure to check every single drawer and every nook and cranny, unwilling to give up.

On the bed, there was actually a brand new blanket. Song Song glanced at it, suddenly hearing Li Xiao order to nearby servants: "Return to my estate to bring wangfei some clothes."

(Note: wangfei is the title given to the wife of a wangye like Li Xiao)

Then he added: "Call your steward here."

The people who received the instructions went their separate ways to complete their tasks. Li Xiao pulled Song Song to sit in front of the table, faced him and said: "Did you always live here before?"

Song Song blinked. He really didn't expect this courtyard and this room to be so empty, there weren't even any presentable clothes in the cabinets. But then again, it made sense. The marriage decree came down too suddenly. Song Guogong probably wanted to seem like they had a good father and son relationship. Therefore he hurriedly ordered people to bring him back, which left no time to make any proper arrangements here.

Now, even if Song Song wanted to pretend he always lived here, he couldn't. He could only remain silent and say nothing.

Li Xiao's mouth tightened, his eyes revealing a killing aura. He picked up a pastry from the table but was unable to control his desire to destroy, and slowly crushed the snow white soft cake to crumbs.

Song Song realized his mood didn't feel right, called out to him. "Your highness."

Li Xiao looked over, the darkness gathered in his eyes dissipating a little. Song Song pressed on his hand, suggesting: "If your highness doesn't like this place, then you can return first."

"I can sit a little longer." Li Xiao's voice was very soft, so soft it seemed somewhat unnatural. Certain syllables of his words jumped, sounding like a machine that could break anytime. Perhaps he didn't want to scare Song Song, he made a joke that wasn't very funny: "Already want to drive this king away so soon?"

Upon receiving the message, the steward's heart stuttered. Intuition told him that the mad king calling him could not be a good thing. Nevertheless, he still had to rush over there without a moment of rest. On one hand, he was afraid that if he was too slow, the mad king would break open his skull. On the other hand, he wished this path could last a little longer, just a little longer. But this road was very short, so short that as soon as he saw the sign for the Xiang courtyard, he started sweating bullets.

The steward was a very observant man. He saw the servants trembling to the side and realized that the mad king was probably angry. Upon entering the door, he immediately fell on his knees and bowed to the floor. "I heard wangye called. Does wangye have any orders?"

"Song-er isn't used to living in this courtyard. Go arrange another one for him."

The steward couldn't make the decision on this matter. He answered: "This servant obeys. I will go ask Master Song."

"This king will come with you."

Song Song hastily reached out and held Li Xiao's hand. He didn't dare to speak much, because he noticed that Li Xiao was currently livid due to dissatisfaction over this courtyard that Song Guogong arranged for him. He understood too well how scary this man was when he lost control. Lightly grasping his hand, Song Song obediently went with him to the main house.

The steward first politely bowed to Li Xiao to take his leave, then ran quickly to the study to report: "Gongzi said he can't get used to living in Xiang courtyard, so is currently waiting at the front hall for you to make other arrangements."

"Not used to living there?" Song Guogong turned black as soon as he heard it: "Song Song is really rebelling here."

He rushed into the front hall in two steps, didn't even manage to say anything before he made contact with a ruthless pair of eyes. Instantly, his legs turned to jelly, he almost knelt: "Wang, wangye."

Wordlessly, Li Xiao used his fingers to lightly tap on the table top. Song Song sat next to him, looking worried.

Song Guogong stuck on a smiling face, and said with a hint of blame: "Deceiving wangye to gain favor, it seems like Song Song has lived too comfortably in your highness's estate. This child is really getting too spoiled nowadays. He can't even get used to living in the same courtyard as before"

He didn't finish speaking, the hand that Li Xiao was using to tap on the table opened somewhat. The opened palm didn't even touch the table, yet that little table abruptly and noiselessly collapsed into pieces.

Song Guogong's face greened on the spot.

Is he really going to have an outburst?!

Run? But he hasn't completely lost control yet.

Stay? Who knows what will happen?

In the end, no one dared to provoke Li Xiao any more at this moment. All the servants in the front hall all knelt down. Song Guogong also couldn't hold it, one knee hit the floor following the second, his whole body rigid.

"Your highness" Song Song called him, then saw Li Xiao narrow his eyes and say unhurriedly: "If he always lived there, then why aren't there any clothes?"

In the back, the steward pressed his forehead to the floor. Song Guogong actually was unaware of this thing, but he was very clear. The marriage decree arrived too fast. Before when Song Song lived here, he always slept in the storage room. Because of madam Song's malice, he didn't have even a single piece of decent clothing. Even though the courtyard was cleaned up, they weren't able to find clothes that didn't exist to fill the cabinets in such a short time.

No wonder why the mad king would get angry. This wasn't only bullying Song Song, this was also lying to him pointblank.

He secretly felt remorse for his negligence, on one hand terrified, on the other panicking.

Alas, it looks like some people will be dying today in the Song estate.

Song Guogong was very dumbfounded. He blankly took two breaths, then found Li Xiao already moved, like a demon, in front of him. The man looked down at him from above and spoke, a ghastly cold aura pouring out from his person as if it could seep into one's bones:

"The person this King carefully lavishes with delicacies and extravagance, you dare subject him to grievances openly and secretly. Father-in-law How many lives do you have in the Song family to use for compensation?"