Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 184 Princess Gaoyang, in Danger! (Large Chapter, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Song Zhe.

The son of the Song family.

Among Yang Miaoqing's eight sons, he was the most talented, a student of Bailu Academy, and one of the most likely candidates to inherit the position of Duke and head of the family in the eyes of outsiders. This young man was handsome, though slightly immature. At nineteen years old, he looked about the same age as Song Yan. He was tall and well-proportioned, and with a folding fan in his hand, he had a scholarly air about him.

Song Zhe should still be studying in Dongling, but it's unclear why he returned to Songzhou. Even more strangely, even though he returned to Songzhou, he doesn't seem to have gone back to the Song family. Song Yan has two informants in the Duke's mansion: Steward Wang and Song Hongtao's newlywed concubine. If Song Zhe really did return to the Song family, news would surely reach Song Yan's ears.

As for the man opposite Song Zhe, he was in his early twenties and equally handsome. However, compared to Song Zhe's refined and gentle demeanor, he was more arrogant. This arrogance was ingrained in his bones and could not be concealed no matter what.

Yang Ming.

My grandfather was Yang Hetong, one of the seven elders of the Yang family who served as the Grand Secretary of the court. My father was Yang Guochen, the Minister of Rites of the court. Although he was a son of a concubine and could not be as noble as Yang Siqi, he still had the Yang family as his backing, which made him more than just an ordinary young master.

In fact, true aristocratic families also placed great importance on sons born out of wedlock.

These families place great importance on the continuation of their lineage. Even illegitimate sons are carefully educated, because even an outstanding legitimate son needs the support of collateral branches. Only by expanding the family can a family go far. To put it bluntly, in the event of a major upheaval, even if the main branch ceases to exist, there are collateral branches that can continue the family line.

It is truly rare for a family like the Song family to have all their illegitimate sons killed.

However, having too many offspring is not necessarily all good.

Just as the Yang family can be described as a towering tree, with so many branches and leaves, some descendants inevitably develop their own ulterior motives. In Yang Hetong's generation, this problem was not too obvious, but the competition among the grandchildren became exceptionally fierce.

Yang Siqi was groomed to be the next head of the Yang family. Even though she was very talented, it was bound to cause dissatisfaction among some of the younger generation of the Yang family. They were eager to do something to prove that they were no less capable than Yang Siqi.

The recent contraction and various restrictions imposed on the family have caused considerable dissatisfaction among the younger generation who are used to being flamboyant. In their eyes, the old ancestors of the Yang family are too old and have long lost the vigor of their youth. They have to be careful in everything they do. Now that the Yang family is so powerful that even the royal family has to submit to them, why should they live a life of timidity and petty scheming?

Therefore, some people did not take the orders from the family headquarters seriously, and Yang Ming was one of them.

Because his father, Yang Guochen, had supported Song Zhe in his bid for the position of heir to the Duke's mansion, the two became acquainted and had a fairly good relationship. Song Zhe's mother, Yang Miaoqing, was Yang Ming's aunt, so it was not a problem for Yang Ming to call Song Zhe his cousin.

Yang Ming's gaze followed Song Yan's retreating figure, a faint smile remaining on his face until Song Yan and Mingyue entered the painted boat.
"Have you made contact with the person?"

"Don't worry, cousin. I've already contacted those people. There won't be any accidents, and it won't involve you or me." Song Zhe picked up his teacup. A few vibrant green leaves floated on the surface of the water. Although they were quite different from the common fried tea, they were still refreshing.

Take a sip, and the fragrance lingers on your lips and teeth.

"I never expected that such a small place as Songzhou would have such tea. I wonder how it is made." Song Zhe sighed. Although he was also from Songzhou, he was used to the prosperity of Dongling and his words showed a lot of disdain for Songzhou.

Yang Ming chuckled, but in his heart he looked down on Song Zhe. What great things could someone who looked down on his own hometown possibly achieve?

He beckoned a prostitute over and inquired about the origin of the tea. Upon learning that only the Fang and Cui families currently sold it, and that no one knew how it was made, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. In the end, he spent money to buy a few taels from the pleasure boat. One tael of tea cost only eighty taels of silver—a very cheap price.

"By the way, how are the arrangements going with Princess Gaoyang?" Suddenly, Song Zhe brought up another name.

"Don't worry, everything has been arranged. Jiang Miaojun is just a woman from a humble family, she's not very knowledgeable. She'll be ready to make her move after a little provocation." A strange smile appeared on Yang Ming's face.

In Yang Ming's eyes, Princess Gaoyang's figure was absolutely perfect, especially her buttocks, which were very large and he liked them very much.

It's such a shame that it's gone just like that.

……

Inside the painted boat.

Incense curls up.

The heater dispelled the chill outside, and a kettle on top of it gurgled away, the steam preventing the boat from feeling dry.

Knowing that Song Yan and Mingyue had important matters to discuss, Gu Banxia and Yang Siyao did not go inside.

A small, fair hand picked up the kettle, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it in front of Song Yan. Looking down, she was surprised to see that it was tea leaves from their own farm.

"This is a guest." Thinking this, my aversion to Mingyue lessened slightly, and she inexplicably became more pleasing to the eye.

Her slender figure knelt opposite Song Yan, supporting her small, full buttocks with her heels, yet she didn't appear tired.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you with today's matters, Young Master Song," Mingyue said with a sigh, her brows furrowed with weariness, clearly indicating that dealing with those four young masters had taken a toll on her mental energy.

Song Yan nodded: "Don't do things like this again. It's fortunate that I was pulled out today. If it were an ordinary person, I would probably have died at the hands of those four young masters."

Mingyue was slightly taken aback, then her expression turned serious. Before using Song Yan as a shield, she hadn't considered this possibility at all. Among the many纨绔 (playboys), the Four Young Masters of Dongling were considered relatively decent; at least they wouldn't easily kill. However, not easily killing didn't mean they wouldn't kill. No one could guarantee what a person might do when enraged.

Seeing Mingyue's expression, Song Yan knew she had taken this matter to heart and was now reflecting on it. That was good; at least it meant this woman was still open to advice. Much better than those completely unrepentant, unreasonable women who felt it was an honor to be used as a shield and dared to complain.

"There's no need to be so serious. Just be more careful in the future." Song Yan smiled. "Speaking of which, those four young masters seem to be quite good-looking and from good families. It's clear they're deeply in love with you. Haven't you considered them?"

Mingyue scoffed, "So deeply in love?"

"To chase after someone from Dongling to Songzhou, one would say their affection runs deep." After a pause, Mingyue spoke again: "But... does the Luo family keep any small animals?"

Song Yan was taken aback, not expecting Mingyue to change the subject so abruptly: "There are a few cats that my mother-in-law likes very much."

Mingyue stretched her arms slightly, revealing her beautiful figure: "That's probably how much those four young masters like me."

"No matter what, I grew up in the Jade Garden. Luo Jingxuan and the other three are all of noble status, and are the eldest sons and grandsons of the family, who will inherit the family business in the future. My status as a prostitute means that I can never be the main wife, and I am not willing to be a concubine... My life is not bad now, so why should I marry into a wealthy family and suffer the torment of the main wife?"

Song Yan remained silent, only taking a small sip of fragrant tea.

Mingyue saw things very clearly: no matter what talent she had, her background firmly limited her.

Regardless of whether the Four Young Masters of Dongling truly intended to keep Mingyue like a gilded cat, their families would never allow their heirs to marry a prostitute. A beautiful and favored concubine would be a thorn in the side of the principal wife, and her life would certainly not be easy.

While practicing seductive arts may attract the desires of countless men, it cannot bring true affection.

It's probably a rather sad thing.

However, Mingyue maintained a faint smile, seemingly unconcerned, her fingers caressing the teacup as silence fell over the painted boat. Quietly, Mingyue raised her head and glanced at Song Yan. When Song Yan's hand had been on her waist earlier, she had felt her heart tremble slightly, and a certain desire within her seemed about to burst forth uncontrollably.

Now that they've separated, the attraction still exists, but it's not as strong as before.

Ironically, she, a female disciple of the Joyful Union Sect who cultivated seductive arts, whose daily work involved seduce men, was now being seduced by a man. Song Yan's body must have some problem; it's as if he's cultivated some kind of technique specifically designed for female disciples of the Joyful Union Sect…

However, now is not the time to explore these secrets.

She pursed her lips, and the smile on Mingyue's face gradually faded: "Alright, let's get down to business."

"Does Young Master Song know who the current prefect of Pingyang is?"

Song Yan raised an eyebrow: "Who?"

"Qian Yaozu".

A familiar name, possibly from an ancestor of the Water Too Cold clan.

A civil official who knows nothing about military affairs but insists on commanding battles.

A fool who caused the deaths of two generals.

A scoundrel who framed border soldiers as deserters in order to protect his reputation.

Song Yan knew that after he moved into Xinhou County, he would inevitably clash with Qian Yaozu sooner or later. However, he did not expect that this guy would not be demoted because of his defeat in the last battle, but instead would rise all the way up and become the governor of a prefecture.

"Qian Yaozu is backed by Xilin Academy. This time, not only did Qian Yaozu escape punishment, but he was even promoted. It was Xilin Academy that put in the effort behind the scenes."

Mingyue's gentle voice flowed through the painted boat: "Most of the students of Xilin Academy hold official positions at the grassroots level in various parts of Ningguo. Xilin Academy will not easily give up on those who have climbed very high, like Qian Yaozu."

"Therefore, they mobilized all their resources to pin the blame for the poor defense on General Dou and General Liang, who had already died in battle."

Mingyue's face showed some bitterness: "The families of the two generals..."

"The entire family has been executed. General Dou's grandson is only two years old."

"General Liang had no children; he only had an elderly mother in her sixties, who was also beheaded."

Song Yan's body trembled slightly, and with a snap, the teacup in her hand shattered into pieces.

The scalding hot tea splashed everywhere.

With a sigh, Mingyue picked up a handkerchief, walked over to Song Yan, squatted down, and gently wiped the stains off Song Yan's body.

In fact, Song Yan still has a bit of a rebellious streak in his personality. Whether in his previous life or this one, he has always held great respect for the generals and soldiers who protect their country.

Hearing of the fates of the two generals now fills me with sorrow.

Ningguo is now truly in a terrible state.

After wiping it clean, Mingyue poured Song Yan another cup of tea and sat back in her original seat: "That Qian Yaozu, ever since he lost to the Jurchens once, has been completely terrified."

"Xinhou County has been completely abandoned. It is a border area, but no soldiers are stationed there. Instead, all forces are concentrated in Pingyang Prefecture."

"Without even going through the Ningguo court, they privately sought peace with the Jurchens, promising to send large amounts of grain, cloth, and even women every year in exchange for the Jurchens not attacking Pingyang."

Song Yan licked his lips and asked, "How did you know all this?"

“It’s a secret.” Mingyue smiled gently. “And transporting these things will inevitably take you through Xinhou County. In other words, unless you collude with Qian Yaozu, a conflict between you and him is inevitable.”

"Conflict?" Song Yan grinned. "Then kill them!"

Previously, taking advantage of the Japanese pirate attack, he had his sister-in-law massacre Xilin Academy. He felt a little regretful, after all, it was such a large academy with so many scholars, and there might have been innocent victims. But now, that slight regret has completely disappeared.

Xilin Academy should not exist in this world.

No matter how many students Xilin Academy has—a thousand, ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand—only by slaughtering them all can peace and order be restored to the nation.

The killing intent emanating from Song Yan at that moment sent chills down Mingyue's spine.

After a brief pause, Mingyue spoke again, saying that ever since Qian Yaozu became the prefect of Pingyang, he had tried to replace all the officials, big and small, in Pingyang with students from Xilin Academy.

From the Sima (military commander) and the prefect to the county magistrates and assistant magistrates, it can be said that Song Yan was the only outsider in the entire Pingyang Prefecture.

In Pingyang Prefecture, there were even two large families.

Although they couldn't compare to the Yang or Fang families, and even fell short of the Song family, they were still considered local tyrants in Pingyang. Even the governor of Pingyang would find it difficult to move an inch without the support of these two powerful families.

Song Yan listened quietly, occasionally asking a question.

Song Yan didn't know how long they had been talking; all she knew was that it was pitch black outside the pleasure boat.

From Mingyue's words, Song Yan finally gained a general understanding of the situation in Liaodong, which was far worse than he had imagined. There were also many noteworthy figures among the Jurchens, but unfortunately, while Qunyuyuan's influence extended into Liaodong, it couldn't extend beyond it.

Seeing that Mingyue had already told her all the information she knew, and remembering that Fang Hai was waiting for her to have dinner with the Fang family, Song Yan got up. Just before leaving, she suddenly remembered something:

"By the way, do you know who exactly wants to harm Princess Gaoyang?"

It's not that I care about this cousin who's completely unrelated to me.

Rather, Ningguo cannot descend into chaos, at least not now. The cooperation between Emperor Ning and the Fang family must continue, at least for a few more years.

Princess Gaoyang must exist as a link.

A hint of surprise flashed in Mingyue's beautiful eyes, as if she hadn't expected Song Yanlian to know such a secret matter: "Jiang Miaojun."

"But she was just a bewitched fool."

"There must be someone else behind this, but this person is extremely mysterious, and even the Jade Garden has no information about them."

With her eyelids lowered, Song Yan processed the information she had just received. After a few breaths, she opened her eyes again and nodded to Mingyue: "Next time you need a scapegoat, come to me again."

It was just a one-time act as a shield, yet we obtained so much intelligence—it was such a good deal.

Mingyue gazed softly at Song Yan's retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips. Although she had provided a considerable amount of intelligence this time, and might even be able to eliminate Qian Yaozu through Song Yan's help, he was still a prefectural governor, so this was a huge win for him.

……

Fang family.

The living room was brightly lit.

Fang Hai was sitting in the main seat, his brows furrowed.

Beside her was Jiang Miaojun, the matriarch of the Fang family, who looked somewhat impatient. Below her was Fang Jun... At this moment, Fang Jun's expression was a bit strange. He hadn't expected that a son-in-law he hadn't taken seriously at first meeting would grow to the point where his whole family needed to accompany him.

The key is that this guy is really ruthless; when he kills someone, he leaves no one alive.

He began to wonder if he had ever offended Song Yan in any way.

In fact, the two had only met twice. The first time they met, there was indeed a small conflict, but he only wanted to exchange four maids for Gu Banxia. At least he didn't forcibly take her away.

Thinking this way made me feel much more at ease.

Fang Lingyue stood to the side, acting as a maid, her delicate brows furrowed, a hint of irritation in her expression.

"Song Yan actually made so many of us wait, what a grand display." Jiang Miaojun couldn't help but feel impatient before Song Yan even appeared.

Song Yan is Luo Yuheng's son-in-law.

This identity alone made Jiang Miaojun very unhappy with Song Yan.

Moreover, she looked down on Song Yan's status. He was just a live-in son-in-law. What good was his ability? In Jiang Miaojun's world, all the achievements of a live-in son-in-law ultimately belonged to the master's family. If the live-in son-in-law was obedient, he would be rewarded with a bone; if he was disobedient, he wouldn't even get a sip of soup.

That's exactly what the Jiang family did, and those sons-in-law were all obedient.

Fang Hai glanced at Jiang Miaojun, his eyes showing some displeasure. If it weren't for the marriage agreement between the Jiang and Fang families, he wouldn't have looked down on this brainless woman either... The Jiang family had once been wealthy, but now they had declined somewhat, yet Jiang Miaojun's behavior was exactly the same as that of a true heiress from a wealthy family.

Moreover, perhaps it was precisely because of her family's decline that Jiang Miaojun became even more arrogant and haughty, as if only in this way could she maintain her pitiful dignity.

"If you are unhappy, just speak less later."

After giving this instruction, Fang Hai fell silent.

About half an hour later, a doorman finally came to report that Song Yan had arrived at the door. Fang Hai's serious expression instantly turned into a smile, and he hurriedly got up to greet him at the door... For Fang Hai's status, this was a great show of respect.

Upon seeing Fang Hai, Song Yan was about to bow when Fang Hai quickly stepped forward and grabbed Song Yan's hand, saying, "Nephew, you've finally arrived. I've kept your uncle waiting for quite some time."

These ancient people, when they spoke, they insisted on holding hands, and what's most frightening is that once they held hands, they wouldn't easily let go.

Song Yan was a staunch straight man, and he really couldn't stand this kind of etiquette. He felt goosebumps all over his body. However, the other party was of higher status and was an elder, so it would be inappropriate to forcefully break free. He could only endure it.

The banquet at the Fang residence was extremely lavish, with toasts and laughter filling the tables.

Fang Hai and his son Fang Jun frequently offered toasts, and even Princess Gaoyang offered a toast.

Although Song Yan's alcohol tolerance isn't very high, as long as it's not a large-scale event like a wedding banquet, he probably won't get drunk from this yellow wine.

He could also sense that the atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat strange. The Fang father and son seemed extremely enthusiastic, while the Fang matriarch kept a cold face and remained silent throughout the entire process. As for the maid who was assigned to pour him wine and serve him food, she was clearly different from the other maids. She had a beautiful face and long, slender legs, making her a pretty young woman.

However, the maid seemed to be in a bad mood. She was extremely sullen throughout the dinner, not saying a word, and one could sense some rejection and irritation in her eyes.

No important matters were discussed at the dinner table. After the meal, Jiang Miaojun, Fang Jun, Princess Gaoyang, and many maids excused themselves and left.

Only Song Yan remained, and Fang Hai led him into the study. After taking a sip of hangover tea, he felt much more sober.

"Nephew, what do you think of this memorial?"

"Uncle, you can handle these matters. After all, this is the first time I've seen what a memorial looks like." Song Yan smiled, but still accepted it.

After just a quick glance, Song Yan cursed under his breath, calling him an old fox.

The memorial first lavishly praised Emperor Ninghe's greatness, claiming that the elimination of the Japanese pirates in Ningguo was entirely due to the emperor's divine power.

After a long string of praises, he finally got down to business. It was about how Song Yan realized that the Japanese pirates were preparing to attack again, so he contacted Fang Hai in advance. The two of them spent three days and three nights planning and came up with a very detailed strategy to wipe out the Japanese pirates in one fell swoop.

After a bloody battle and at the cost of thousands of casualties, they finally annihilated all 50,000 Japanese pirates, even capturing hundreds of pirate warships. They then used the ships to raze all seven of the pirates' strongholds and rescued more than 10,000 civilians who had been plundered by the pirates.

Subsequently, seven Jingguan (a type of mound of corpses) were built. When the Jingguan were completed, auspicious omens appeared, with colorful clouds in the sky. People paid homage and praised the emperor's wisdom.

The number of casualties increased from over a hundred to several thousand, the number of Japanese pirates increased from 20,000 to 50,000, the number of islands increased from three to seven, and the number of rescued people increased from over a thousand to over ten thousand... As for auspicious omens, that's utter nonsense. What auspicious omen is a huge pile of heads?

This battle report is probably waterlogged.

It's probably what's called tradition.

Aside from this minor flaw, the memorial was generally fine, except that the description of Song Yan was significantly longer, while the records of the officials in Songzhou Prefecture were only briefly mentioned.

Song Yan then handed the memorial back: "In fact, the officials of Songzhou, both high and low, have contributed a great deal in this war. As for me, I have only made a small contribution and do not deserve such praise from you, Uncle."

Fang Hai smiled and said, "Then I'll make a slight revision. In any case, your reward this time will definitely not be small; you'll at least be a viscount."

"By the way, Uncle, were the losses of the soldiers in this incident very serious?"

Fang Hai smiled wryly: "Those soldiers haven't been trained for years. Their weapons are old and rusty. Can you believe that many of their crossbows break with just a little force?"

"They can't compare to your heavily armored soldiers."

"If it weren't for your well-thought-out plan and the presence of heavily armored soldiers, if we had relied on the local militia to deal with the Japanese pirates, we would have been completely wiped out."

"Even if we only sent the local soldiers to deal with the Japanese pirates who escaped the blockade, more than a hundred of them were still killed when someone rushed out. It's shameful."

Song Yan's lips twitched. Very few Japanese pirates were able to break through, and when they did, they were practically like human torches. It was quite shameful that more than a hundred of them were killed.

No one died on the heavy armor side, since the Japanese swords couldn't cut through the armor.

Some were injured, a few were particularly unlucky, getting stabbed in the face by arrows or Japanese swords. When the production of heavy armor isn't so urgent, they must produce visors as well. Even more unfortunate were those who tripped and sprained their legs while chasing the enemy. Several others suffered from seasickness and vomiting while traveling by boat to Snake Island.

This was the total loss of the heavy infantry.

Thinking to himself, Song Yan narrowed his eyes and after a few moments, he slowly spoke: "Uncle, are you aware that someone intends to attack Princess Gaoyang?"

Fang Hai, who had been smiling, sat up abruptly, his expression turning unusually serious: "Nephew, what did you say?"

Fang Hai's appearance did not seem fake.

Song Yan frowned, it seemed that Gao Yang had not told Fang Hai about her being followed.

What does she want to do?
Or is it that... Fang Haiyi is untrustworthy?
(End of this chapter)