Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 156 Signs of National Demise (1)

Liu Yisheng had known about the Luo family's son-in-law for a long time.

Initially, he didn't have a very good impression of Song Yan. While he didn't look down on him, he felt that it was a disgrace for a man to become a live-in son-in-law. He then stopped paying much attention to Song Yan, perhaps thinking that the two were destined to be from different worlds and would never cross paths.

Until the teahouse, when he was harassed by three纨绔 (playboys) from the Yang family and about to be sent to the dungeon, no one dared to stand up for him. Even his so-called classmates and friends only dared to look away. Liu Yisheng did not blame them. After all, they were the sons of the county magistrate, the county assistant, and the county lieutenant, far beyond what a poor scholar could afford to offend.

He just felt sad.

Ningguo, once the most powerful of the four kingdoms in the Central Plains, has now lost its backbone, even among its scholars who represent its future.

In that instant, darkness enveloped him, and he could see no future for Ningguo.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, someone stepped forward. It was the son-in-law he had previously looked down upon. His appearance was like a ray of light, making Liu Yisheng realize that there were still people in Ningguo who dared to stand up and fight against the Yang family to the end.

Song Yan rescued him from the clutches of those纨绔 (playboys).

He wanted to thank Song Yan properly, but as a scholar, he always wanted to maintain his dignity. He was covered in wine and grime, and it would be disrespectful to meet his benefactor in such a state. But by the time he had tidied himself up, Song Yan had already disappeared.

Next, Song Yan burned the Japanese pirates.

Build a mound of stones.

In fact, many scholars believed that Song Yan's actions were far too cruel and contrary to the teachings of the sages.

But Liu Yisheng is different. In his heart, those who are not of my kind must have different intentions.

There is no need to educate barbarians; dead barbarians are the best barbarians.

When he heard the news, Liu Yisheng felt more excited than he had ever been in his life. He, who usually didn't drink much, drank heavily for three days in a row, laughing non-stop, and then he cried.

The neighbors all thought he had gone crazy from studying too much, but Liu Yisheng didn't care. It was as if he had finally seen a glimmer of hope in the deep darkness of despair.

No one can understand that feeling.

He had wanted to visit Song Yan, but was delayed by some matters. Subsequently, many disaster victims appeared in Ningping County. Then came the bloody massacre of thousands of disaster victims by Song Yan, and the butcher's infamy spread throughout Songzhou City.

Liu Yisheng felt a certain belief in his heart collapse. He never expected that Song Yan would actually raise a butcher's knife against the people of Ningguo. He felt that his perception of Song Yan had become distorted, and his heart was in unprecedented chaos. He couldn't understand why someone he believed could save Ningguo would slaughter its people.

He locked himself in his room for many days.

When he finally emerged from the room, he was completely disheveled. But his eyes were exceptionally bright, as if flames were burning within them, both mad and fierce.

Liu Yisheng understood; he felt he had finally grasped Song Yan's thoughts and was keeping up with Song Yan's pace.

Song Yan killed the disaster victims of Ningguo, but so what? Has he ever killed a single innocent person?
Those people were lecherous scoundrels who took advantage of the disaster to bully women and children; they were robbers who stole food from others and murdered people during the disaster; they were scum who, for their own selfish reasons, instigated the disaster victims to try to storm the county town, creating greater chaos and death.

Shouldn't these people die?
Ningguo is now like a terminally ill patient; only by using the sharpest knife to cut away every malignant tumor can Ningguo be reborn.

Song Yan's choice was to become the warrior wielding the butcher's knife.

At that moment, he wanted to follow in Song Yan's footsteps and become a whetstone to make the knife even sharper.

He tried to find Song Yan, but unfortunately Song Yan was too busy during this time, and they missed each other.

He tried to join the Japanese guerrilla force, but failed the physical test.

Left with no other choice, he could only wander around the Luo residence. Luckily, he finally encountered Song Yan's carriage today.

However, Song Yan was, after all, known as the Butcher, so Song Yan's attitude towards him surprised Liu Yisheng. He did not expect Song Yan to be so humble and polite. At this moment, Liu Yisheng felt his chest burning even more... Ruthless to enemies, humble and polite to talented people, perhaps this is the demeanor of a king.

With excitement, I boarded the carriage at Song Yan's invitation.

When Liu Yisheng saw that there were two women inside the carriage, he felt somewhat embarrassed.

Generally speaking, when there are female relatives present, it is rare for someone to invite others to ride in the same carriage. In the eyes of those great Confucian scholars, this could even be considered immoral and a sign of moral decay.

In short, it deserves a severe critique.

But Song Yan obviously didn't care about such a trivial matter. If this was considered immoral, then in his previous life, wouldn't it have been considered a debauchery if men and women swam together in public pools wearing bikinis?

Bu Yu, who was originally sitting opposite Song Yan, was slightly surprised to see Liu Yisheng get into the car, but her expression quickly returned to normal. She nodded slightly to Liu Yisheng as a greeting, then got up and sat down next to Song Yan, leaving the seat opposite her completely empty. "Speaking of which, I only know that your surname is Liu, but I don't know your given name," Song Yan asked after sitting down, his tone still gentle.

"My name is Liu Yisheng."

Liu Yisheng pursed his lips: "I passed the provincial examination in the twelfth year of Ningping, although I failed the imperial examination in the capital."

Song Yan was somewhat surprised. Liu Yisheng looked to be only twenty-three or twenty-four years old. Ningping twelfth year was seven years ago, almost eight years ago. How old was Liu Yisheng back then?

sixteen?

At such a young age, one can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar.

What a talented man!

Moreover, unlike Song Yan, a fake scholar who stands on the shoulders of a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, this is a genuine scholar.

But how could such a talented person fail the exam?

Speaking of those who failed the exam... Why is it that the first person that comes to mind when I think of those who failed the exam is an art student who was rejected twice by the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts but still loved giving speeches?

The second thing that comes to mind is a poem: "When autumn comes on the ninth day of the ninth month, my flowers bloom and all others wither. A fragrant array fills Chang'an, the whole city is filled with salt merchants clad in golden armor?"
"I offended someone." Liu Yisheng grinned, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

Considering Liu Yisheng's previous denunciation of the Yang family as treacherous officials, one can roughly guess who Liu Yisheng offended.

After a brief pause, Liu Yisheng spoke again: "My lord, I wish to serve under your command and make a name for myself."

"Oh?"

Song Yan's voice was slightly surprised. He had been recruiting soldiers and craftsmen everywhere, but he hadn't expected that someone would actually volunteer to join him.

He neither agreed nor immediately refused.

Only by sitting up straighter did his facial expression appear more formal.

He knew very well that for a scholar like Liu Yisheng, this act of seeking refuge was extremely formal, not a simple matter like asking someone for help from an ordinary family.

This is Mao Sui volunteering to become his strategist and advisor, to help him plan everything.

Just like Zhang Liang to Liu Bang, and Li Shanchang to Zhu Yuanzhang.

His expression turned extremely serious, and even Kong Chan and Bu Yu could sense the change in his attitude, causing them to immediately put away their expressions.

"Zhang Long, find a secluded place to stop."

Upon receiving the order, Zhang Long quickly drove the carriage out of Ningping and stopped it on a grassy area near the official road.

"Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, Kong Chan Bu Yu, you two leave for now, guard the surroundings, and don't let anyone get close."

Although they didn't understand why Song Yan was being so formal, they had to obey their son-in-law's orders after all, so they quickly dispersed and each guarded a direction.

After everyone else was cleared out, Song Yan gestured to Liu Yisheng to invite him to sit down. Liu Yisheng, looking extremely solemn, sat down opposite Song Yan.

"Sir, please speak." Song Yan's form of address had changed.

Liu Yisheng let out a soft breath, but didn't speak immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes, seemingly pondering where to begin. He had likely simulated this scenario many times in his mind, so his thought didn't last long; he opened his eyes again after only a few seconds.

"Sir, you should be aware of the current situation in Ningguo."

"Within the court, treacherous officials run rampant, civil officials fawn and grovel, military generals are cowardly and afraid of death, noble families plunder land, peasants are either tenants or displaced people, and natural disasters occur frequently, making life unbearable for the people. The channels for upward mobility are monopolized, and public resentment is boiling."

"Outside, the State of Chu is eyeing us covetously to the west, the Xiongnu and Jurchens are burning, killing and looting to the north, the Japanese pirates are rampaging along the eastern coast, and the State of Zhao to the south also wants to devour Ningguo."

"Signs of national subjugation are already evident!"

"The fall of Ningguo is not far off!"

(End of this chapter)