Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 163 Blasphemy (Bonus chapter for Yong Su's Alliance Leader)
Song Yan raised an eyelid, her smile unchanged, and followed Fang Hai into the living room.

The lanterns cast a soft glow, and the walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings by renowned artists, each a treasure. The large red solid wood tables and chairs were even covered with brocade, as if to prevent the wood from being too hard and uncomfortable to sit on.

Such extravagance is something even Luo Yuheng could not match.

He casually summoned a maid to remove the original tea and replace it with fresh tea, leaving only Song Yan and Fang Hai in the room.

Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, Kong Chan, and Bu Yu all knew the rules. If their master had something to say, these servants naturally couldn't get close. Although Liu Yisheng also wanted to hear what Song Yan and Fang Hai had to say, he felt that he might be able to offer some insights if he were there.

However, the necessary rules must be in place.

He was now Song Yan's advisor and couldn't do anything that would damage Song Yan's reputation. Kong Chan, however, had a strange expression on her face, her large eyes full of suspicion: "What were they just talking about?"

"I feel like I understand, but I'm still a little confused."

Liu Yisheng smiled and said, "The son-in-law changed his address from uncle to earl to remind the governor not to forget how the title of earl came about."

"As for the Earl's words, they mean that I will remember this kindness."

"Informing you of Linghu Qingfeng's identity, my lord, is to show that I've covered up the fact that Linghu Qingfeng's son was killed for you, so don't worry."

Although Liu Yisheng wasn't a government official, understanding the meaning of these words wasn't too difficult. He could roughly guess what had happened between Song Yan and Linghu Qingfeng through this brief conversation.

"As for informing the Duke that Linghu Qingfeng's home is there, it's a signal to the Duke: I'm handing this person over to you; how you deal with him is up to you."

Kong Chan's face showed a look of sudden realization, then she pursed her lips. These people really talk strangely, making it sound like they're speaking in riddles.

Then the little girl suddenly remembered something, and a hint of excitement appeared on her face: "Could this be the reason they found out the way to your house this morning and are going to kill you tonight?"

Liu Yisheng was slightly taken aback: "You mean... 'If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening'?"

The little girl nodded her head vigorously: "Yes, yes, that's what the young master said."

A black line appeared on Liu Yisheng's forehead!
Blasphemy.

How can the words of a sage be arranged in such a way?

Taking a deep breath, Liu Yisheng looked at Kong Chan and said solemnly, "Don't tell anyone else about these things in the future."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid your son-in-law will get beaten to death if he goes out."

Inside the living room, Song Yan held a teacup.

The greenish-blue tea is pleasing to the eye, finally no longer just boiled tea.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, then chatted casually about everyday matters. Fang Hai also inquired about the situation of the disaster victims in Ningping County. Finally, as Song Yan was about to finish his tea, a look of melancholy appeared on his face. Fang Hai naturally noticed this expression and, being very accommodating, took the opportunity to say, "Nephew, what's troubling you? Feel free to tell me. If it's something your uncle can help you with, I certainly won't refuse."

Song Yan then let out a sigh of relief: "Uncle, you may not know this, but I fear my days are numbered."

……

No one knew what Song Yan and Fang Hai had discussed in the living room. When the living room door opened again, it was completely dark. Both of them wore strange smiles, clearly indicating that they had reached an agreement that satisfied both of them.

That appearance inexplicably reminds one of the Chinese idiom: "colluding with each other in evil."

Fang Hai was very hospitable and insisted on treating Song Yan to dinner. By the time Song Yan left the Fang family home, it was already midnight.

The night wind is howling.

The silvery moonlight spilled onto the surface of the Yi River, creating ripples. The river, long since devoid of its former ferocity, rippled slowly. The carriage creaked and groaned in the silent darkness.

Song Yan did not directly cause trouble for Linghu Qingfeng.

It wasn't out of mercy, but rather that now wasn't the right time. Although Linghu Qingfeng didn't currently hold any official position, he had a large following and was quite renowned among scholars and intellectuals. If there wasn't a suitable scapegoat, killing him directly might lead to an investigation into me. Although I somewhat looked down on the civil service, those people were also masters of intrigue and treachery. If they were to stab me in the back, I wasn't sure I could withstand it.

"My lord, is it done?" Liu Yisheng asked from inside the carriage.

"It's done." Song Yan grinned. "The governor has agreed to send troops."

Fang Hai, as the Prefect of Songzhou, wielded terrifying power. The vast Songzhou Prefecture held both political and military power in his hands, somewhat similar to a military governor, only with far more restrictions.

The only pity is that, as an inner city, Songzhou Prefecture rarely encountered attacks from foreign tribes except for the Japanese pirates in the coastal areas. As a result, the military strength of Songzhou Prefecture was not very strong, with only 15,000 troops in the large prefecture.

Nominally.

The real number, exceeding ten thousand, would be considered extremely lucky.

How many people did he promise to send?

“Everyone, even the guards and servants in the mansion will go.”

Liu Yisheng's eyes suddenly lit up. He looked down on the soldiers of Songzhou Prefecture. These soldiers had basically never experienced combat and were very weak. But the guards and servants of the Fang family were different. Their combat power was probably stronger than that of ordinary soldiers.

"That Fang Hai is the kind of person who won't act until he sees a clear benefit, so why is he being so willing to spend this time?" Liu Yisheng asked curiously.

“It’s simple. This time, no matter how many Japanese pirates are killed, Ningping and Songzhou will each take half of the credit. Fang Hai can decide how to distribute the credit for Songzhou’s half.”

In fact, Fang Hai immediately agreed when he heard that Song Yan was planning to wipe out the Japanese pirates.

It wasn't that Fang Hai was particularly patriotic or concerned for the people; he simply had tasted the benefits and treated the Japanese pirates as easy targets for boosting his resume. The two sides argued for a long time about how to divide the spoils, and in the end, they simply decided to split the profits 50/50.

Although he had to give up half the credit, the matter was considered a success nonetheless. Moreover, the target of their extermination was the Japanese pirates. Even if he had to give up all of them, Song Yan would be willing to do so as long as he could cut off a few more heads.

Song Yan slowly raised her right hand and stretched it forward, her bent fingers seemingly trying to grab something.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes gleamed with a sinister and cold light.

Next, we just have to wait for those little days to take the bait.

“Actually, my lord, there’s no need to rush the attack on the Japanese pirates.” Liu Yisheng’s voice still echoed in the carriage: “Although I don’t think the Japanese pirates are that smart, they have a lot of numbers, so there must be a few who are actually smart.”

"What Horikawa Sousuke said is full of loopholes. If you agree readily, it will only arouse the suspicion of the Japanese pirates."

Song Yan sat up straight: "Please enlighten me, sir."

"In my opinion, the Japanese pirates are currently in a very complicated state," Liu Yisheng said eloquently.

Having decided to pledge allegiance, he would not be stingy with his wisdom.

"On the one hand, the Japanese pirates were worried that the Duke would not agree. After all, the Duke was ruthless and the Japanese pirates were also afraid. What was even more terrifying was that the Duke's existence was more like a totem, representing that the people of Ningguo dared to resist the Japanese pirates' plunder."

"Therefore, no matter the cost, the Japanese pirates must eliminate Lord Jue. Only in this way will the Ningguo coast once again become a slaughterhouse for the Japanese pirates."

"But if the Duke readily agrees, the Japanese pirates might suspect a trap, worrying that the Duke has set a snare for them to fall into. They might even have to abandon their plan to kill the Duke."

After pondering for a moment, Song Yan felt that Liu Yisheng's words made a lot of sense. As expected of a professional, he considered things more carefully and meticulously than he did.

"So, what you mean, sir..."

“My lord, you can make demands on the Japanese pirates, such as asking them to pay for their military service.” Liu Yisheng smiled: “Since Horikawa Sōsuke took the initiative to seek cooperation with you, sir, in the name of the Japanese emperor, it is only natural for you, sir, to make some demands as the party being asked for help, isn’t it?”

"If the lord has indeed set a trap, then he should do everything he can to lure the Japanese pirates into it, rather than demanding money. This way, he can dispel the Japanese pirates' suspicions and also gain more wealth."

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to use the Japanese pirates' money to support our soldiers, and then use it to cut off their heads?"

(End of this chapter)