Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 121 Luo Tianxuan Returns (A Super Long Chapter of 5,000 Words)

As the first rays of autumn sunlight streamed through the curtains, Yang Siyao's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she woke up.

Their bodies remained intertwined, and she could feel a weight pressing down on her, as the man's hands were still around her slender waist.

Her mind was still a little fuzzy.

It seemed that something had happened in the past that caused a blank in her mind, and this blankness had persisted until now. Of course, as she regained consciousness, the blankness gradually dissipated, and then some jumbled memories gradually surfaced in her mind.

Slowly, she blushed.

Overwhelmed by intense shame, Yang Siyao couldn't help but let out a mournful cry.

But she quickly covered her mouth, silencing the rest of the sound. Even with a lot of theoretical knowledge, Yang Siyao never imagined she would be so crazy, as if she had lost her mind and become a different person.

Scenes flashed through my mind.

A series of sounds echoed in my ears.

Her pretty cheeks turned increasingly red; she seemed to have a fever, her whole body burning hot.

She twisted her body slightly, trying to break free from Song Yan's embrace without waking him, then hurriedly put on her clothes and escaped from the room.

If she stayed in the room any longer, she worried that more and more terrible images would appear in her mind.

She needed to wash her face with cold water to clear her head.

She also needs to have her teeth and mouth thoroughly cleaned.

Yang Siyao, you're really crazy.

Even now, Yang Siyao still doesn't understand why things turned out the way they did last night. She's usually quite calm as long as it doesn't involve her sister, but when she's lying next to Song Yan, that calmness seems to vanish completely.

After Yang Siyao left, Song Yan slowly opened his eyes. He had been awake for a while, but he could tell that she had practiced seductive arts. However, Yang Siyao was still very thin-skinned. If their eyes met, Yang Siyao might let out a cry of despair and then run away to dig a hole and bury herself.

I imagined that scene in my mind and found it somewhat amusing.

He let out a heavy sigh of relief. After one night, he finally understood the kind of charm a woman who had practiced seductive arts possessed.

It must be said that the art of seduction is simply the greatest invention of this era, bar none.

It wasn't just the ecstatic pleasure on the bed; for a martial artist, the enhancement brought by a woman who had practiced seductive arts was no less than that of any miraculous elixir. The increase in internal energy was even more dramatic than that brought by the mysterious woman on their wedding night.

However, Song Yan was somewhat suspicious. If it were just that simple, there shouldn't be many women in the Central Plains who had practiced seductive arts who would dare to show themselves in public. Most of these women would be kidnapped by martial artists.

But in reality, it seems that this is not the case.

Women who have practiced the art of seduction can appear openly and without being attacked. They can entertain guests at the Jade Garden and marry high-ranking officials as concubines or even wives.

Could it be that Yang Siyao is a special case, and not every woman who practices seductive arts can provide male martial artists with an increase in their power?
Or is it that this is especially true for oneself?

The Hundred Flowers Mirror?

Is it the collision between the Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror and the Art of Seduction that produced some kind of special change?

Although he had some doubts, Song Yan was not too worried, at least for now, this change did not seem to have any negative impact on him.

Eyes slowly closed.

Song Yanyun activated the Vajra Arhat skill.

This time, the internal energy lasted a little longer, about twenty seconds, before it was completely depleted.

When Song Yan reappeared, some of the maids looked at her with a strange expression.

Normally, a son-in-law's status is very low. He has to greet his wife every morning, cannot eat at the table, and doesn't have much spare money. He is like a concubine in a wealthy family, who receives a little bit of silver every month. He also needs his wife's family's permission to do anything.

Visiting brothels is absolutely forbidden.

While they might not be drowned in a pig cage, they would certainly receive some form of punishment.

Forget about things like maids or concubines.

To put it bluntly, the status of a son-in-law is probably not even comparable to that of a slightly higher-ranking servant.

You can take a look at your own son-in-law.

The eldest princess dotes on him, the third young master is obedient, the second and eldest young masters also respect him greatly, the third and fourth young ladies like him very much, the second young lady protects him closely... even four maids are arranged for him.

What kind of treatment is this? No one else gets this much treatment as a son-in-law.

Even so, this son-in-law still seemed unsatisfied, and Yang Siyao, that woman, was also taken in... nominally, she was the son-in-law's cousin, although they weren't related by blood.

However, the son-in-law was also capable, having been granted a title for defending against Japanese pirates. Thinking about it this way, it didn't seem so bad. After all, it was normal for capable men to have multiple wives and concubines throughout history.

Song Yan never cared much about other people's opinions. The Luo family had an ironware business, although it wasn't large-scale, they should have an iron smelting workshop, so he asked Gu Banxia to take him to see it.

He knew that Ningguo... no, not just Ningguo, but the entire era, was very backward in various crafts. Ironware was not even widely available yet. He also knew that the best craftsmen were naturally recruited by the government, and the Crafts Bureau was responsible for this kind of work.

These people were known as artisans, who had worked for the government for generations.

Don't mistake this for a secure, stable job.

In that era, artisans had a very low social status, only slightly better than merchants. As for their income, they were far inferior to merchants. Being able to make ends meet was considered quite good.

In this era where scholars hold power, all other pursuits are considered inferior, with only studying being of high rank.

It is said that more than 20 years ago, a craftsman improved the papermaking technique, greatly increasing the efficiency of paper production and making the paper whiter and more suitable for writing. This should have been a remarkable invention, but the craftsman only received a reward of 20 copper coins.

Twenty copper coins... Even capitalists of later generations were not this greedy.

And these are all made by official artisans.

As for folk artisans, their status was even lower, and naturally, their skills would be even worse.

Even though Song Yan was prepared, she still couldn't help but gasp when she saw the Luo family's blacksmith shop.

Simple.

It was very rudimentary.

A row of adobe houses, with several furnaces made of mud in front of each house and a water tank for quenching next to them—this was the iron smelting workshop.

There was no blast furnace, no blower, no coke, and they only burned ordinary charcoal.

With just this one set of equipment, you can imagine the quality of the ironware produced.

Song Yan thought for a moment. Normal iron smelting might require a temperature of over 1,000 degrees Celsius, while steelmaking would require at least 1,500 degrees Celsius. This kind of equipment wouldn't work. Perhaps we could try the blast furnace iron smelting method.

Of course, it's not the kind of super blast furnace found in modern society; Ningguo's industrial level simply couldn't produce one.

Using coke as fuel, limestone is added as a solvent, and a blower is needed to increase combustion efficiency and raise the temperature, thereby melting the iron ore into molten iron.

Song Yan envisioned it in his mind. Although it was somewhat difficult, it would still be more advanced than Ningguo's current iron smelting technology, and the weapons and armor forged would be sharper and more durable.

Of course, to build a blast furnace, you must first prepare coke and refractory bricks...

After some thought, Song Yan realized with dismay that he needed to create far more things than he had imagined.

Unfortunately, time was tight. He had to manufacture all the armor and weapons for his soldiers before heading to Xinhou County, or they would be slaughtered.

Song Yan stayed here for a while, and then, under his orders, all the iron smelting workshops were demolished. At the same time, martial law was imposed on the area, and a large number of farmers patrolled back and forth to prevent outsiders from getting close.

Then, not far away, a brick kiln and a charcoal kiln began to emit thick smoke.

Time passed day by day. The spies that the Yang family had planted in the Luo family were extremely well hidden, and they never revealed the slightest flaw from beginning to end. Lei Yi had not yet appeared, but the bandit Ma Han whom they had encountered before had actually found Song Yan.

Although he was a murderer, he was also a man of his word.

However, Ma Han seemed to have misunderstood Song Yan's words, thinking that Song Yan intended to punish him, which is why he came alone.

Left with no other choice, Song Yan offered a lot of comforting and persuasion. In addition, his reputation was quite good, which finally convinced Ma Han that he did not intend to wipe out the bandits and that he genuinely wanted to give them a future. Song Yan had been eyeing this band of bandits for a long time. They were all tall and strong, and they were all hunters by trade, natural-born archers. He needed such talents.

As for whether to remain a bandit for life or join Song Yan's ranks as a soldier, guarding the border and fighting on the frontier, the choice is not difficult.

They were all risking their lives to make a living, but fighting on the battlefield was far more promising than being bandits; at least there was a glimmer of hope. So Ma Han happily returned to the mountains and brought down all the remaining bandits. Although the number was only a little over a hundred, it already delighted Song Yan.

As for the identities of these bandits, it's simple. The brothers Luo Tianshu and Luo Tianquan have completely taken control of Ningping County, so assigning them any identity in Ningping County is not a difficult task.

These bandits were also temporarily placed by Song Yan in the Luo family's manor... Luo Yuheng owned many manors, covering a vast area. One of the manors was temporarily occupied by Song Yan, who built a 1,000-meter circular running track and various modern training facilities in the manor. Although it was a bit rough, it was enough.

As for training troops, it was based on Qi Jiguang's "New Book of Military Efficiency" and supplemented by a section of the militia military training manual.

The food was also quite good, in full accordance with the standards of the Luo family servants, ensuring at least one meat meal every day. At first, these bandits thought that eating and drinking, running, lining up, shouting slogans, and doing strange things like pull-ups and sit-ups were too easy. But when these bandits started to get started, they found that it was not easy at all.

By the end of the day, my body felt completely stiff, as if I was cramping all over. The next day, I woke up with aches and pains all over my body, and I would grimace at the slightest movement.

Of course, for these bandits, training such as running was tiring, but they could still manage to endure it. What they found most unbearable was standing at attention. They couldn't understand the point of standing there motionless under the blazing sun.

Before we knew it, it was already September.

The weather is getting colder.

Nail remained completely still, but the number of refugees on the street increased dramatically.

It is said that the Jurchens felt that the looted grain was not enough to last through the winter, so they attacked several counties in Pingyang Prefecture. Even in the prefecture, many people were worried that Qian Yaozu would not be able to withstand the Jurchens' attack and fled inland.

After all, fleeing to the inland only meant abandoning their family business, but if they fell into the hands of the Jurchens, they would be turned into food.

It seems that a major flood also occurred in the south, leaving many people homeless. In search of a way to survive, they fled north, and the prosperous Songzhou Prefecture became the best target. It is said that the governor, Fang Hai, has begun to meet with wealthy families and merchants in the city, preparing to have them donate money and grain to set up soup kitchens.

For wealthy families, this was an opportunity to enhance their family's prestige, so they would donate some money or grain, but it was impossible to guarantee how long these donations would last.

Even Luo Yuheng, who is usually lazy and lethargic, has become unusually busy these days, often running around, and then one after another, horse-drawn carts loaded with grain drive into Ningping.

By mid-September, a heavy rainstorm hit Songzhou Prefecture.

The torrential rain made the world dark even during the day, as if shrouded in a black silk cloth, with only the occasional flash of lightning bringing a little light.

Thunder rumbled, shaking the entire city.

Song Yan stood at the window, her face cold.

The weather this year has been extremely abnormal.

Although places like Songzhou Prefecture have a lot of rain, the rain usually decreases after summer. This is the first time she has seen such a sudden torrential rain in more than ten years.

The sound of the pouring rain had already masked everything, and even the footsteps behind him could not be heard. Before long, a robe was draped over Song Yan's shoulders, keeping him warm from the chill.

Turning around, I saw Yang Siyao and Gu Banxia.

The two of them walked through the rain, and even with umbrellas, many parts of their bodies were still soaked.

In such a downpour, an umbrella is probably of little use.

Looking out the window again, the falling raindrops almost formed a line, and the rain lines wove together to form a scene. Under the layers of rain curtain, even inside the Luo Mansion, the outlines of the buildings could only be barely outlined in the field of vision.

With such torrential rain, the Yihe River is likely to flood.

Originally, Songzhou Prefecture was still providing relief to disaster victims in the south, but now it seems that Songzhou Prefecture itself is not much better off.

With such unusual weather and the early chill, a thought kept growing in Song Yan's mind.

He was probably very unlucky; he encountered the legendary Little Ice Age.

The so-called Little Ice Age refers to a period of significant global cooling, characterized by overall lower temperatures, frequent natural disasters, abnormal weather patterns, and alternating extreme weather events such as severe droughts and floods. The consequences of the Little Ice Age went beyond just floods; it also led to a substantial reduction in food production, ultimately causing famine.

Famine can exacerbate social conflicts and lead to peasant uprisings.

Floods can even lead to outbreaks of plague.

Ancient China experienced a total of four Little Ice Ages.

The first instance occurred from the end of the Shang Dynasty to the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

The second time was from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty.

The third period was from the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties to the early Northern Song Dynasty.

The fourth time was from the late Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty.

It can be said without exaggeration that each occurrence of the Little Ice Age represented the fall of an old dynasty and the rise of a new one, and each one was the darkest and most turbulent era in the Central Plains.

Can things really be that bad?
Song Yan frowned deeply. He had roughly calculated the time. If the era he was in now were converted to the previous world, it would be considered the early or middle period. There should still be some time before the Little Ice Age.

Is it just a coincidence, or are the patterns of the Little Ice Age in the two parallel worlds different?
If it's the latter, then things could get really bad. One can imagine that the next few decades or even centuries could see chaos sweeping across the entire Central Plains.

In the hazy light, Song Yan seemed to already see the tragic scene of bones filling the fields and no roosters crowing for miles.

After a long while, Song Yan let out a heavy sigh.

He is just a man, not a god, and he cannot change the climate.

Perhaps the two types of crops that were brought here should be planted. If high-yield crops could be promoted, perhaps fewer people could die in the face of this disaster.

The storm is still raging.

The big trees in the yard were shaking wildly, and every now and then you could hear a cracking sound, perhaps one of the tree trunks had been blown off. Large raindrops hit the ground and splashed up in sprays.

Boom... Crack!

Another bolt of lightning tore through our vision.

In the fleeting moment of brightness, Song Yan actually saw a hazy outline.

It was a human figure.

It was just a dozen meters away from the window.

Upon seeing this scene, Song Yan's heart skipped a beat. Her initial irritation was replaced by an overwhelming fear. In this kind of weather, it really did have a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

Rumble!
Another deafening roar followed.

A gleaming white light tore through the sky, and the figure was already several meters away.

Although the rain was heavy, at this distance, some things could still be seen clearly. Judging from the clothes and figure, it should be a woman.

She was wearing a long white dress and walked in the rain. Strangely, apart from her shoes, her body was not wet at all. She didn't even have an umbrella. When the large raindrops fell on her head, it was as if an invisible barrier blocked them, and the rainwater was all scattered to both sides.

A strong wind blew, and the skirt clung tightly to her body, highlighting her slender figure.

She was wearing a veil on her face.

The familiar figure made Song Yan recognize the woman's identity... it was his wife, Luo Tianxuan.

(End of this chapter)