Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 116 Temptation (A super long chapter of 5,000 words)
The deal was done.

Song Hongtao was overjoyed.

Some things are complicated. Even though he is the head of the Song State Duke's Mansion, the question of who will inherit the position of heir cannot be decided in a single sentence. It often involves the struggle between various forces, such as the daughter-in-law's family.

However, if Emperor Ninghe could issue a decree directly to confer the title, things would be much simpler.

Even though the imperial power is now declining, those people do not dare to directly disobey the imperial edict, as this would be tantamount to giving their opponents an opportunity to eliminate them.

Of course, the imperial decree of investiture was only the first step. Those people would never be satisfied; they would have other methods, such as getting rid of the newly appointed infant, thus forcing a new heir. As the head of the family, Song Hongtao naturally understood how dirty and dangerous this was. The status of the eldest son had brought him countless troubles in the past.

Song Hongtao let out a breath, seemingly lost in thought. He waved his hand, and the guards immediately began to carry the boxes away. These guards were all skilled martial artists, but they still found it somewhat difficult to carry the boxes, leaving deep footprints on the ground.

Outside the gate were rows of carriages that had been prepared in advance, which would deliver the silver to the Luo residence.

Taking out 200,000 at once still stung Song Hongtao a little. The combined annual income of all the shops and manors under the Duke's mansion didn't even amount to that much. However, thinking about what Yang Miaoqing had hidden away, his heart didn't ache as much.

The Duke's mansion is barely breaking even these days, and sometimes it even spends more than it earns, living a very frugal life. However, after Yang Miaoqing's death, when Song Hongtao searched Yang Miaoqing's bedroom, he discovered that Yang Miaoqing had actually dug a secret room under the bedroom floor.

Inside the secret room were many letters between Yang Miaoqing and the Yang family. From these letters, it could be seen that Yang Miaoqing sent a large amount of money to the Yang family every year, amounting to tens of thousands. Over the past twenty or thirty years, the total amount had probably exceeded one million.

Song Hongtao was so frustrated he felt like he was going to vomit blood.

The Duke's mansion was in dire straits; it turned out that Yang Miaoqing had used all of it to subsidize her family.

In addition, there were more than 500,000 silver notes of various sizes. These were also saved up little by little by Yang Miaoqing and were meant to be used by Song Zhen as capital to compete for the position of heir apparent.

This bitch.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but curse Yang Miaoqing, who was already dead, in his heart once again.

The last box was loaded onto the truck.

“Father, it’s getting late, I should go back now,” Song Yan said, bowing to Song Hongtao.

Song Hongtao snapped out of his reverie, forced a smile, and patted Song Yan on the shoulder: "Then head back early, be careful on the road."

Song Yan nodded without saying much. When they passed through the main gate, the gatekeeper's face turned deathly pale, as if a chill, like that of a demon, swept over him, and he trembled uncontrollably.

What a jinx!

This time, he killed two more concubines.

This is too exaggerated.

If he continues to work as a doorman in the Duke's mansion, will he eventually die?

Song Yan boarded the carriage directly. Zhang Long and Zhao Hu sat in the carriage, while Zhao Hu acted as the driver. With a "Giddy up," the sound of horses' hooves began to echo in the silent night sky.

Not long after they had gone out, the carriage stopped with a shout from Zhang Long.

"Young master, someone is blocking the way."

Inside the carriage, Song Yan frowned. Since Zhang Long and Zhao Hu hadn't drawn their swords, it meant there was no danger. He then poked his head out of the carriage window and looked ahead. Sure enough, there was another figure in front of the carriage.

Although it was late at night, the bright moonlight scattered around, so it did not seem dark.

It was a woman, petite in stature, whose figure was accentuated by a beige dress.

Her jet-black hair was styled in a bun at the back of her head, giving her an air of elegance and poise.

It's impossible to tell whether it was intentional or accidental, but the neckline was stretched very low, revealing an alluring expanse of white skin under the hazy moonlight.

This kind of attire is even more extravagant than that of prostitutes in brothels.

Upon closer inspection, the face seemed somewhat familiar; who else could it be but Lin Xiangwan?
She was originally an ordinary woman, but she has developed a certain alluring charm.

What is this woman trying to do?
A question mark popped into Song Yan's mind. He regretted it a little. Maybe he should have chosen Aunt Zhang. So what if she was a little slow? At least her thoughts wouldn't be so hard to guess.

After a brief hesitation, Song Yan finally pulled back the carriage curtain and stepped out. Up close, he could even smell a faint fragrance emanating from Lin Xiangwan. The fragrance had a sticky feel to it, and for some reason, Song Yan felt a slight heat rising in his lower abdomen.

It may contain aphrodisiac ingredients.

However, the effect was really poor. The Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror is not just a simple dual cultivation manual. When cultivated to a certain level, it can even control one's own desires at will.

The internal energy simply circulated within the body once, and the slight heat disappeared completely.

Song Yan's gaze gradually descended: "Is something the matter?"

His voice was cold.

Originally, Song Yan didn't have much ill will towards Lin Xiangwan. Although her purpose in entering the Duke's mansion was impure, it had little to do with him, and Song Yan was too lazy to care. He didn't provoke her at all and his attitude was quite good. His choice of Lin Xiangwan instead of Aunt Zhang might not have been without this reason.

But now, she's actually trying to use drugs to arouse her own desire, a tactic that Song Yan now considers an attack.

If Lin Xiangwan weren't still somewhat useful, Song Yan would probably have just ripped her head off.

Lin Xiangwan lowered her eyes, adopting a shy and timid demeanor. She didn't notice the change in Song Yan's expression; instead, she puffed out her chest to make her figure appear even more alluring: "Ninth Young Master, this isn't the place to talk. Why don't we go over there..."

As she spoke, Lin Xiangwan pointed to the grove of trees over there.

Lin Xiangwan was very confident.

Perhaps she wasn't particularly beautiful, but she knew how to use her advantages. As for the drugs, she obtained them at a high price from a quack doctor; it was these very drugs that made Song Hongtao infatuated with her body. Even an experienced man like Song Hongtao succumbed to temptation, so Lin Xiangwan didn't think a virgin who had been imprisoned for ten years, then became a live-in son-in-law, and might never have tasted a woman's pleasure in his life could resist such allure.

Song Yan may have caught her red-handed, but once the two entered the grove, she would also have caught Song Yan red-handed, and could even make Song Yan obsessed with her body and use him for her own purposes.

Thinking this way, I couldn't help but feel a little smug.

Just then, Lin Xiangwan seemed to sense something reaching out towards her; in the moonlight, she could see the shadows of fingers.

Lin Xiangwan's lips curled into a smug smile. This novice is indeed a novice. Is he so eager for sex that he won't even go into the grove? There's even a coachman watching over him. Could it be that Song Yan likes this kind of thing? He's not very old, but he's quite the player.

Lin Xiangwan raised her head slightly, looking up into Song Yan's eyes, which were watery and captivating. This angle was most likely to stir a man's heart. She wanted to tease him with her eyes again, but the moment she met Song Yan's gaze, Lin Xiangwan's body trembled violently, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

So cold.

Those eyes held absolutely no warmth, let alone affection.

The way he looked at himself was like looking at a dead person.

Only when the corners of her mouth curled into a mocking arc did that hand finally reach out, but the finger's target was not her chest, but her slender neck.

The next instant, the five fingers exerted a little force.

Crunch, crunch!
The sound of bones grinding together entered my ears.

The strength was incredible. Lin Xiangwan felt like a pitiful little chick, unable to withstand the force. Song Yan lifted her off the ground, her legs flailing wildly. She tried to pry Song Yan's fingers apart with both hands, but his fingers were like iron clamps, and no matter how hard Lin Xiangwan tried, it was useless.

A feeling of suffocation inevitably washed over me, and my face turned a sickly purplish-red.

Why is this happening? Why is my seduction completely ineffective against Song Yan?

Lin Xiangwan didn't understand. Only one thought remained in her mind: she was going to die, she was going to be strangled to death by this man.

Her vision blurred, and just as she was about to die, Song Yan suddenly released her grip. With a thud, Lin Xiangwan fell to the ground. The next second, she was panting heavily, and the flush on her face receded like a tide, replaced by a sickly paleness.

A pair of bright eyes looked at Song Yan, filled with fear, as if the handsome young man were some kind of evil spirit.

Love the fragrance and cherish the jade?

nonexistent.

Lin Xiangwan could sense that he had really wanted to kill her just now.

This person is more dangerous than I imagined; he is definitely not someone I can afford to mess with.

"If this happens again, I will not show any mercy."

“Keep a record of Song Hongtao’s words and actions, who he has met, what he has said, and notify me immediately if anything unusual happens.” Song Yan’s voice was as cold as ever: “If your performance satisfies me, you can get everything you want. “The wealth of the Duke’s mansion, the title, nothing is off-limits!”

The cold voice echoed in Lin Xiangwan's ears. Her face was dry. She had just walked on the brink of death. Was this still showing mercy?

Returning to Luo Mansion.

Luo Yuheng remained standing guard at the door, seemingly enjoying this arrangement, only feeling at ease after everyone had returned home.

He patted Song Yan on the head before returning to his own bedroom.

She really liked patting Song Yan's head. In Luo Yuheng's words, Song Yan was growing rapidly, and if she didn't pat him a few more times now, he might not be able to reach it later.

Dozens of boxes were placed in the courtyard. It must be said that today's trip to the Duke's mansion was quite fruitful. With this 200,000 taels of silver, they should be able to cover the expenses of weapons and armor for several years.

The people from the Duke's mansion were moving the silver to the warehouse, while Song Yan hurriedly returned to his bedroom.

Gu Banxia had already made the bed in the bedroom. She was lying on the table, seemingly asleep. Her sexy and hot upper body was flattened, and peeking out from her neckline, her charm was something that a woman like Lin Xiangwan could never match.
The two sides are simply not on the same level.

Hearing Song Yan push open the door, she immediately opened her eyes and smiled faintly: "The young master is back."

"I'll go fetch some water for my son-in-law so he can wash his feet."

"Wait a moment, please prepare some writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone for me first," Song Yan said.

Despite her doubts, Gu Banxia obediently prepared all the necessary items. She picked up a brush and began writing on a blank sheet of paper. The cover page prominently displayed the words "Vajra Arhat Kung Fu".

The Song family's traditional martial arts were ultimately memorized by Song Yan.

Before he went to the Duke's mansion, Steward Wang had already sent someone to reveal Song Hongtao's bottom line. He was prepared to use the Vajra Arhat Technique or 200,000 taels of silver to win him over. However, Song Yan was even more greedy than Song Hongtao had estimated.

He wants them all.

With an extraordinary memory, I only needed to look at it three times to remember it.

Time passed second by second. When the last word was written, Song Yan finally let out a heavy breath. Looking at the paper full of words in front of him, a smug smile appeared on his lips. From now on, the Vajra Arhat Skill in his hands would be the only genuine version.

Someone was helping to tidy up nearby.

"Banxia." As usual, Song Yan called out Gu Banxia's name, but when he turned his head, he was somewhat surprised. Gu Banxia was no longer in the bedroom, and a slender and tall woman was standing next to her.

The figure looked somewhat familiar, but the face was somewhat unfamiliar.

After staring blankly for a few seconds, Song Yan finally spoke: "Siyao?"

"I thought you wouldn't recognize me." Her slender hands had already folded the paper with the ink dried and written on it. Noticing Song Yan's gaze, she smiled gently: "I have some things to discuss with you, so I left first. I just saw that you were busy, so I didn't want to wake you up."

Song Yan was shocked. Good heavens, it really was Yang Siyao.

He knew Yang Siyao was wearing heavy makeup, but he never expected such a big difference after removing it. If the original Yang Siyao was just ordinary, now she is at least a beautiful young lady from a respectable family, a feast for the eyes.

Not to mention that Yang Siyao possessed seductive arts, which, combined with her pretty face, made up for her original shortcomings and made her even more alluring. Even Song Yan couldn't help but take a second look.

Song Yan understood that when Yang Siyao stopped pretending, it would be the time for her to confront him.

He pointed to the chair next to him: "So, what's up?"

"My sister is still alive." Yang Siyao smiled and pushed a crumpled piece of paper in front of Song Yan.

Song Yan glanced at it and saw that the handwriting was crooked and messy. Only Luo Tianyi's calligraphy in the entire Luo family could compare to it.

"Thank you for arranging someone to go to Langya. I'm entrusting my sister to you now," Yang Siyao said again.

Send someone to Langya?
me?

When did it happen?

He felt a little strange but didn't show it. He figured it must be some expert arranged by Luo Yuheng, so it wouldn't be a problem to attribute it to him.

Thinking this, Song Yan shamelessly claimed the credit. He glanced down at the letter in his hand again, his brows furrowing.

"Are you sure this is your sister's letter?"

Yang Siyao nodded her little head: "I'm absolutely sure, this is my sister's handwriting."

Song Yan frowned more and more: "When did you stop being able to see your sister?"

Yang Siyao thought for a moment: "At the beginning of last year, I was going to Dongling to carry out a mission. Before the mission started, I asked to see my sister. This mission was very important. Generally speaking, before such a mission, no matter what I asked for, the Yang family would agree. But this time the Yang family refused. Since then, I have not seen my sister again and can only know about her situation through letters."

"This year, before entering the Ningping State Duke's Mansion, I made another request, but it was still rejected."

"How many letters have been exchanged between last year and now?"

Five letters.

"Could I have the letter here to take a look?"

Yang Siyao's body trembled slightly, but in the end she did not refuse.

About fifteen minutes later, Yang Siyao returned with a box in her hand, filled with neatly arranged letters.

Song Yan took out the top five sheets of paper and divided the letters into two parts.

As he carefully examined each document, his expression grew increasingly grim, and even Yang Siyao felt a strange sense of panic.

After a long while, Song Yan finally finished reading all the letters and slowly put them down: "Yang Siyao, I'm very sorry... but, all five of these letters were written by someone else."

boom……

Click!

Yang Siyao's body trembled violently, her pretty face turned deathly pale, her pupils trembled violently, her lips twitched slightly, and she bit her lower lip hard with her pearly white teeth, ultimately preventing herself from crying out.

Judging from Yang Siyao's attitude, Song Yan understood that she had long harbored suspicions, but simply refused to believe the truth.

"why?"

A long time passed before Yang Siyao's voice finally rang out, like a murmur. If the night hadn't been so quiet, Song Yan probably wouldn't have heard it.

Let out a breath, and Song Yan pointed to the letters on both sides: "Your sister is mentally challenged, and I think her control over her limbs is probably not at the level of a normal person."

Yang Siyao nodded.

"Therefore, although she had learned to write, all the characters she wrote were crooked and messy. She couldn't control the brush well, so there were always some meaningless lines on the letter paper, and sometimes even blobs of ink."

"But these five letters are different. Although the handwriting is also crooked and childlike, the paper is clean."

The person who wrote the letter probably didn't expect Yang Siyao to leave all the letters behind; he was only focused on imitating the handwriting and didn't pay attention to anything else.

Seeing Yang Siyao's face growing paler and paler, Song Yan said helplessly, "I'm sorry, although I want to give you some hope, you still need to be prepared."

"Your sister may... be gone."

Very cruel.

But that's the reality.

Song Yan couldn't let Yang Siyao live in that false fantasy forever. If she remained immersed in her own world, she would go crazy when the truth came out.

Her younger sister is the pillar that has sustained Yang Siyao all this time.

But now, this pillar is showing signs of collapsing.

As if by instinct, Yang Siyao gripped her shoulders tightly with both hands, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, her eyes filled with pleading, and... despair.

(End of this chapter)