Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 117 The Spies Beside Luo Yuheng (1)

Yang Siyao is a very smart girl.

With a decisive personality, she immediately contacted him after realizing that the task arranged by the Yang family was impossible to complete, and began to look for a new way out for her and her sister.

They also have extremely sharp eyesight and can always notice things that others cannot.

The anomalies on these letters weren't particularly subtle; even Song Yan could see them, so how could Yang Siyao not notice them? It was just that because the matter involved her younger sister, Yang Siyao would subconsciously think the best of things and ignore the anomalies.

It's a bit of self-deception, but there's nothing to laugh at. It's human instinct to always try to find a little bit of support in despair.

“Of course, I’m talking about the worst-case scenario.” Song Yan sighed. “Anything is possible until they return from Langya.”

A sliver of light appeared in her empty eyes, and she gently bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth. In truth, she had already made up her mind; the worst outcome was also the most likely one. But even so, she still wanted to grasp at that tiny glimmer of hope.

"call……"

After a long silence, Yang Siyao let out a heavy sigh: "Has anyone ever told you that you are actually quite cruel?"

“Linghu Rui said that,” Song Yan thought for a moment seriously, then said, “He even insulted me, but he should be dead by now.”

Although Song Yan didn't find the joke funny, Yang Siyao laughed out loud. The original depression on her face finally dissipated a little. Song Yan understood that Yang Siyao had not given up hope, but had also begun to prepare to accept the worst possible outcome.

A few more breaths passed, and Yang Siyao finally regained control of her emotions:

“There are some things I haven’t told you before.”

Song Yan didn't find it strange; it was normal. The two sides had only been cooperating for less than a month, and to put it bluntly, they were currently in a probing phase, not to mention that they had previously been in a hostile state.

Given this situation, Yang Siyao naturally couldn't trust him much.

She certainly wouldn't easily reveal the most valuable information she possessed to him.

Perhaps only if her sister is truly rescued, or if the situation of Yang Siyao's sister is completely confirmed, will Yang Siyao be able to fully submit. At least, Luo Yuheng's act of sending people to Langya has shown some sincerity, and Yang Siyao will appropriately demonstrate some value.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Yang Siyao frowned slightly and said after a long while, "Your going to Xinhou County was a compromise that the Yang family forced Emperor Ninghe to make."

"I know that."

Yang Siyao raised her hand and took off the hair tie from her hair. The hair tie looked like just a circle of velvet on the outside, but when the velvet was opened, there was a hidden surprise inside: a small piece of paper.

The Yang family has suffered heavy losses in Ningping County, and their methods of transmitting intelligence have become much more secretive than before.

“The Yang family demands that I go to Xinhou County with you no matter the cost,” Yang Siyao continued. “They also promised that once this matter is completed, they will allow me to see my sister and even give us our freedom.”

In the past, Yang Siyao would probably have been very happy.

After all, every opportunity to meet her sister is extremely precious to her.

But now, Yang Siyao only felt a chill run down her spine.

There is a very high probability that something has already happened to my sister. If so, then the Yang family's promise is just their last chance to use her, and this time they may squeeze every last drop of value out of her.

"The Yang family did not reveal their specific purpose, but they told me that I must find a way to get into your bed."

"what?"

Whether it was a habit formed from practicing seductive arts or genuine shyness, Yang Siyao's face flushed slightly. However, this woman was adept at controlling her emotions, and her expression gradually returned to normal: "I've analyzed it before..."

As she spoke, Yang Siyao took out a map from her sleeve.

A map of Ningguo.

However, it is not complete; it only covers the area between Songzhou and Pingyang.

"The power of seduction is extremely unique. It can be used through various means such as eye contact, facial expressions, scent, and voice. However, there is no doubt that direct physical contact can maximize the effect of seduction."

"I once told the Yang family that my seductive arts wouldn't have much effect on you, so the Yang family probably intends for me to use my body to control you directly. Even if I can't completely control you as a person, I can at least influence your decisions and thoughts to some extent."

Song Yan simply nodded without saying a word, seemingly wanting to see just how much Yang Siyao could glean from a single piece of information about the Yang family.

"This is Songzhou, this is Pingyang. Xinhou County is located at the northernmost part of Pingyang. As you can see from the map, apart from the northern passes, the Haixi Jurchens have almost no land to reach Songzhou."

Her slender fingers pointed on the map: "I've investigated. This route isn't peaceful. After leaving Songzhou Prefecture, you'll reach Qinglong Mountain, where a band of mountain bandits, numbering about three hundred, are based."

A flat plain doesn't mean there are no mountains; there are still a few small hills.

"Further on, this is Bibo Ridge, where a group of bandits also resides." As Song Yan traced the official road with his finger, a layer of black lines appeared on his forehead. Along this route, there were only bandits and thieves. The current situation in Ningguo is truly quite bad. Even in a peaceful and prosperous era, there are bandits, but it shouldn't be this exaggerated.

"This is Liutang..."

"This may be the worst place we'll pass through on our journey... not bandits or robbers, but a mob of rebels, which currently numbers around 20,000."

"It is said that a local magistrate privately raised taxes, increasing the poll tax to nine out of ten. The people could not survive, so they took hoes and stormed into the county government office, smashed the magistrate's head, and within a few months, they had taken over several surrounding counties."

Even peasant uprisings have broken out, and what's even more frightening is that probably no one in the imperial court knows about this news.

"The Yang family will definitely kill you."

"I suspect that the reason the Yang family insisted that I stay by your side was to have me provide you with all kinds of information at any time, such as your location, the number of your entourage, and so on. The bandits along the way, or even this group of rebels, may have already been bribed by the Yang family."

Song Yan's expression gradually became serious. He had originally thought that the Yang family would collude with the Jurchens and use their power to deal with him, but now it seemed that even reaching Xinhou alive was a problem.

"Of course, there's also a good chance I'll die at the hands of bandits. Who knows?"

"So what do you mean?" Song Yan sighed and asked.

Yang Siyao lowered her eyelids, as if she had thought for a moment: "Tonight, I'll stay here with you."

Song Yan raised an eyelid and looked at Yang Siyao with some surprise, not quite understanding why Yang Siyao's thinking was so jumpy.

"You may not know this, but the Yang family has a thorn in the side of the Luo family."

Suddenly, Song Yan's expression turned serious. He sat up straight involuntarily, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"nail?"

Yang Siyao shrugged and said, "What's so strange about that?"

“Luo Yuheng is the eldest princess.”

"Thinking back on the Yang family's schemes, Luo Yuheng is naturally a key target for surveillance. Perhaps in the beginning, the Yang family had many people planted in the Princess's residence, but after wave of cleanups over the years, there are not many left. Don't look at me, I don't know who this spy is either."

Song Yan then looked away.

Song Yan originally thought that the people in the Luo family were either Luo Yuheng's confidants or people planted by Emperor Ninghe, but he overlooked the spies from other forces.

This nail must have been there for a long time, and it will only be used in the most critical moments.

“That nail is of a higher status than me. She knows I exist, but I don’t know who she is.”

“Every move I make in the Luo family is under the watchful eye of that nail.” Yang Siyao’s expression was somewhat solemn. Although she had long been used to it, the feeling of being watched was still not very pleasant.

"When I first entered the Luo family, I had only relaxed for a few days when I received a warning from the Yang family."

"That's not all. That nail even knows that the white sugar that has suddenly appeared on the market was made by you. Although the white sugar has not yet been widely distributed, the Yang family has obviously noticed the commercial value of white sugar and how much wealth it can bring. My other task is to find a way to pry open your mouth and get the recipe for the white sugar."

In this era, there was no concept of intellectual property rights; anyone could produce it as long as they obtained the formula.

Perhaps that's why Yang Siyao was able to deduce the existence of the nail.

Song Yan then raised her eyes and looked outside.

It was quiet outside the window, with only the occasional sight of maids walking by in the distance.

Noticing Song Yan's gaze, Yang Siyao chuckled and said, "No need to look, that nail won't appear easily."

"However, the news that I am staying here tonight will soon be known to Nail, and then she will pass it on to the Yang family, giving them the illusion that everything is going according to their plan."

"In this way, we will have some time to make corresponding arrangements for the Yang family's plans."

Yang Siyao spoke eloquently, displaying her delicate and perceptive nature to the fullest. She proposed different options, such as taking a detour by sea, boarding a ship at sea, and then landing in Liaodong, which would allow her to reach Xinhou County relatively safely.

However, all of these plans were rejected by Song Yan.

Although there were bandits and rebels on the road, making it seem dangerous, it was also a good opportunity for Song Yan to train his troops.

"Is it possible to find out who this nail is?"

Song Yan frowned, and for some reason, after learning about the nail's existence, he felt a strange sense of oppression and unease.

(End of this chapter)