Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 166 Beautiful Woman (3)

The moment Song Yan saw Horikawa Sousuke, a gentle smile immediately bloomed on her face, as if she were seeing an old friend of many years. Her affectionate gaze made Horikawa Sousuke's neck inexplicably feel cold.

She stood up, smiling broadly as she walked towards Horikawa Sousuke, completely ignoring the plain tofu pudding. Luo Tianyi frowned, adhering to the principle of not wasting any food, tilted her head back, and gently moved her long neck, finishing the bowl of savory tofu pudding clean. Then she took out a piece of silver from her pocket and placed it on the table.

With neither Banxia nor Kongchan around, the task of paying the bills fell to Luo Tianyi.

Her fair cheeks puffed out, as if she was a little unhappy... "You're supposed to be my brother-in-law, shouldn't he be paying at a time like this? Why is my sister-in-law paying for it? A man like that, if he hadn't married my sister, he would never have found another one like that in his entire life..." She muttered maliciously to herself, but still quickly followed after him.

After all, she was her brother-in-law's personal bodyguard.

Song Yan didn't notice the slight change on his sister-in-law's pretty face. His gaze was completely fixed on Horikawa Sousuke, his burning eyes as if he were looking at a lover he hadn't seen in a long time.

No, it's more alluring than a lover, it's... money!
"My good brother, it's been so long, I've missed you so much... I've missed you to death!"

Horikawa Sousuke was filled with doubt. When did his relationship with Song Yan become so close? And it had only been three days, yet Song Yan's tone made it sound like three years had passed. Could it be that Furukawa-kun was right, and Song Yan had other plans, which was why he was in such a hurry? Despite his doubts, Horikawa Sousuke was a man who was very good at hiding his true feelings. His dark face was full of smiles: "I am very sorry, this is my fault. Please forgive me, Lord Song. As you know, the journey across the sea is long and takes a lot of time."

Looking around, he saw that no one seemed to be paying attention to what was happening except for a woman, which reassured him somewhat. This woman had just been dining with Song Yan and was likely his wife.

His throat bobbed.

He had never seen such a beautiful woman before; even noble ladies of the shogunate seemed ugly in comparison.

An uncontrollable burning flame surged within his chest: If he could conquer Ningping County and abduct this woman, he wondered if he would have the chance to taste her.

For a fleeting moment, Horikawa Sousuke almost couldn't hide his true nature, his eyes uncontrollably revealing a wolf-like glint. However, that fierce and greedy look vanished in an instant. Horikawa Sousuke cleared his throat: "Lord Song, what have you thought about the matter from before?"

Song Yan chuckled and said, "No rush, no rush."

Without waiting for Horikawa Sousuke's reply, he walked straight ahead.

That attitude startled Horikawa Sousuke slightly. After a brief hesitation, he hurriedly followed from behind: "Lord Song, what are you worried about? Please believe me, this is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to completely eradicate the Japanese pirates along the coast."

"As a resident of Ningguo, you wouldn't want to see the coastal areas of Ningguo frequently plundered by Japanese pirates, would you?"

Indeed, these kinds of words are more fitting when spoken in everyday life.

Thinking to himself, Song Yan sighed softly, "Brother Horikawa Sousuke, actually I am a very peace-loving person, I don't like war."

Horikawa Sousuke was stunned. He stared blankly at Song Yan, unable to believe that someone could be so shameless. You, a butcher who burned thousands of his clansmen to death, are now claiming to love peace and dislike war? What are you pretending to be so profound about?

He really wanted to complain, but he held back with great willpower, though the smile on his face seemed to have become a little stiff.

Song Yan sighed again, a hint of sadness appearing on his face: "War means death."

“You may not know, but I am just a minor baron. Do you understand what a baron is? Above me are viscounts, earls, marquesses, dukes, and princes... This is the lowest rank of nobility.”

"I am just an ordinary citizen, not even a county magistrate."

Horikawa Sousuke's expression changed to one of confusion. He tilted his head and looked at Song Yan: "So, Lord Song, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Song Yan shrugged: "What I wanted to say was that I am personally very interested in the Emperor's proposal, but... I do not have the authority to recruit soldiers."

"Although we repelled the Japanese pirates' attack last time, all the people we used were the guards and servants of the Luo family."

“These are my beloved relatives and friends, my brothers and sisters. I can’t take them into a war that could cost them their lives just for my own selfish reasons.”

"This is extremely irresponsible."

Horikawa Sousuke took a deep breath. Song Yan's reaction was completely beyond his expectations. He had a feeling that Song Yan had something left unsaid, so he gritted his teeth and asked, "So?"

Song Yan raised his right hand, making a coin shape with two fingers: "So... I have to pay!"

When those words appeared, Horikawa Sousuke felt a tightness in his chest, almost suffocating him.

Damn it, those greedy people from the Central Plains.

"What a load of rubbish! Dearest friends and family, brothers and sisters!" The fake smile on his face could barely hold up: "Lord Song, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"You should know that eliminating the Japanese pirates would be more beneficial to Ningguo."

Song Yan shook her head, her hair slightly disheveled, and looked up at the dark night sky with a smile. After a moment, she spoke again: "You're right. If the Japanese pirates can be completely eliminated, the coastal areas of Ningguo will enjoy at least ten years of peace."

"But I can't sacrifice my own brothers for the benefit of Ningguo. At the very least, if I risk my life with my beloved family and brothers, I should at least get some benefits for them, right?"

Song Yan smiled gently, but that smile seemed particularly hateful to Horikawa Sousuke: "I wonder how much money Lord Song is planning to ask for?"

Song Yan's lips curled up, and she extended three fingers of her right hand.

"Thirty thousand taels of silver?" Horikawa Sousuke raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's 300,000."

hiss.

Horikawa Sousuke's face suddenly turned pale, and he instinctively leaned back, his gaze towards Song Yan filled with disbelief:

"I'm very sorry, sir, this is not something I can decide on my own. I need to go back and consult my superiors."

Song Yan nodded readily: "Of course."

"But please hurry, winter is coming soon, and if it snows, the rockets won't work. You know, I don't have enough manpower, so I can only rely on these things."

"As long as the money is in place, I'll get started immediately."

Only after the man's figure disappeared at the end of the street did Luo Tianyi finally ask in a low voice, "Would they really come up with 300,000 taels of silver?"

“Of course.” Song Yan shook his somewhat stiff head: “If they want to kill me, they might think that as long as they kill me, the 300,000 taels of silver will return to their pockets, which is practically the same as not spending any money.”

"Is that so?" Luo Tianyi pondered for a moment: "When the fight breaks out, leave that person to me, I'll kill him."

"Why?"

I don't like the look in his eyes.

……

Today is a good day.

The night sky was clear.

The pitch-black sea was like a mirror, reflecting the bright moon and stars in the sky, and the entire sea surface shimmered under the light.

The waves crashed against the beach, and the sound of the crashing waves could be heard from time to time.

The sea at night is beautiful.

It was also terrifying, that deep blackness carrying a terror that seemed to want to swallow everything.

Horikawa Sousuke was unaware that someone had his eye on him. He simply moved quickly around Hai'an, occasionally letting out cries that sounded like monkeys.

That's a code.

Not long after the sound spread, a cluster of torches rose on the sea.

Horikawa Sousuke quickened his pace and headed towards the torches. Before long, he spotted a small boat.

"Let's go back to Snake Island."

Snake Island was the lair of the Japanese pirates!

(End of this chapter)