Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 210 Bloodstained Snow (6,000 words)

The official road was rugged.

Normally it's fine; you can easily spot any potholes or uneven surfaces on the ground. But now, covered in snow, they're completely obscured. A careless step can easily lead to a deep crater. The snow is silky and slippery; losing your balance can result in a heavy fall onto the road.

Fortunately, the heavy armor had been removed, and the snow was soft, so even if one fell, it was mostly harmless. Only laughter would come from all around, and that face would turn bright red.

Most of these soldiers had never seen snow before, and they found it quite novel.

Kongchan, Dieyi, Xueying, and the others also stepped out of the carriage. The thick snow covered the piles of white bones, and since they couldn't see them, their mood wasn't so depressed.

Even Gao Yang is the same.

Her little hands clutched a snowball, as if trying to mold it into some shape. Unfortunately, Princess Gaoyang ultimately lacked the talent in this area, creating a strange, unrecognizable mess. Her little hands were frozen red, but she was completely unaware of it.

Although Luo Tianyi was somewhat curious and longing for the snow, she was aloof by nature and only glanced at it briefly before looking away.

As for Bu Yu, she often spent time with Luo Tianyi. The longer they spent together, the more Bu Yu could feel Luo Tianyi's strength. She seemed to regard Luo Tianyi as her goal and hoped to reach the same level as Luo Tianyi.

Bu Yu once asked Luo Tianyi how he broke through to the eighth and ninth ranks.

Regarding the breakthrough to the eighth rank, Luo Tianyi didn't hold back and explained it to Bu Yu in detail, which Bu Yu gained a lot from.

However, when the topic of breaking through to the ninth rank was brought up, for some reason, a slight blush appeared on Luo's flawless white face, and she became hesitant in her speech, only saying that she didn't know and had broken through inexplicably.

Although Bu Yu was somewhat curious, she did not press the matter.

After all, the experience of the eighth-grade realm was enough for her to benefit for a long time.

In this slightly lighthearted atmosphere, the distant city became increasingly clear.

Around mid-afternoon, we finally arrived at the city gate.

This city must be quite old; the city walls are mottled, the city gates are heavy, and there are patches of dark brown stains on the walls, as if it was during a war and there was no time to clean the dried blood on them.

There were guards at the city walls and gates.

The heavily armored soldiers at the gate naturally recognized Song Yan. Despite the biting cold, their faces, red from the cold, were still full of smiles, completely unconcerned that the ground was covered in snow. At the gate and on the city wall, many soldiers immediately knelt on one knee: "Greetings, General."

"Alright, alright, get up, everyone."

Song Yan was also very casual; as a modern person, he didn't care much about these formalities.

Kneeling back and forth like that isn't appropriate.

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days." Patting one of them on the shoulder, Song Yan asked, "Where is Lei Yi now?"

"Reporting to the general, Captain Lei Yi is currently at the county government office." The guard greeted his companion and led Song Yan and his group into the county town.

The other soldiers were filled with envy for this man, and the entire anti-Japanese pirate corps held Song Yan in the highest esteem. This esteem was heartfelt, even fanatical. After all, to lead them, with only three thousand men, to annihilate twenty thousand Japanese pirates—regardless of age—that ability alone was enough to command respect.

Upon entering Xinhou County, Song Yan looked around the county town.

Contrary to his expectations of a desolate, ruined scene… From the soldier, Song Yan learned that they had arrived in Xinhou about ten days ago. The heavy snow a few days prior had severely delayed their journey; otherwise, the time difference wouldn't have been so significant. After entering the city, Lei Yi immediately ordered some soldiers to guard the north gate and others to guard the south gate.

The remaining soldiers were also divided into two teams. One team transported the grain into the granary and guarded it strictly.

After all, it's freezing cold here, and if there's any problem with the food, it could be fatal.

The last few hundred people were responsible for cleaning up the corpses in the city.

At this time of year, the ground is frozen solid, as hard as stone, making burial impossible. However, the bodies cannot be left to rot; decay will only slow down, not stop. If the bodies decompose severely, it could lead to a plague and cause further trouble. Therefore, Lei Yi ordered his men to find a place outside the city to collect and burn the bodies.

Then, their ashes were collected, and a temple was built in the city. The ashes were placed in the temple, and if any relatives returned, they could light incense in the temple as a form of worship.

Upon arriving in the city, they saw soldiers patrolling the streets. They then summoned a few men to lead Wang Chao Mahan, along with his scouts and heavy infantry, to the barracks.

As for what to do with those women, that was also a problem. Song Yan wasn't very good at that, so he left it to Liu Yisheng.

"How many people died here?" After arranging some trivial matters, Song Yan asked.

The soldier named Zhang Xiao's face darkened: "11,367 corpses... that might not be accurate. Many of the corpses were already mutilated, so Captain Lei Yi had us count the heads."

"Therefore, that temple is also called the Temple of Ten Thousand People!"

Song Yan felt a heavy weight in his heart; there were over ten thousand people.

This is only because Lei Yi and his men had made advance preparations and evacuated many people from the city; otherwise, the number would have been even more exaggerated.

After disposing of the bodies, Lei Yi arranged for people to rebuild the city walls, the county government office, and even the houses in the county town.

Repair what can be repaired, and start over if it can't be repaired.

This is the scene Song Yan saw when he arrived; though dilapidated, it was full of life.

Song Yan smiled. This Lei Yi was indeed a capable man.

Originally, I thought this man was only good at leading troops into battle, but I didn't expect him to be quite capable in governing a region as well. Unlike Liu Yisheng, who always came up with some crooked ideas, he was quite good at handling things in a proper and conventional way.

Well, it's also possible that the instructors and political commissars who were assigned earlier played a role. In any case, Lei Yi is not as rigid as he was at the beginning.

As you walk along, you can see some ordinary people dressed in plain clothes, mostly helping to rest houses and clear snow from the roads.

Noticing Song Yan's gaze, Zhang Xiao explained that after Lei Yi was stationed in Xinhou County, he arranged for people to go into the mountains to recruit refugees. Although there were only a few hundred people, they still added some life to the county.

We chatted idly along the way and arrived at the county government office.

After all, this was the place where his own general lived and worked, so Lei Yi had taken great care. The entire place had been repaired, with only some minor details left to be cleaned up. When Song Yan saw Lei Yi, he was quite surprised. The once robust and sturdy man had become noticeably thinner in just over half a month, his cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were full of fatigue.

Upon seeing Song Yan, Lei Yi was greatly encouraged and hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects, but Song Yan stopped him. The rooms behind the county government office had already been prepared, so Luo Tianyi, Princess Gaoyang, and the others went to the back hall to rest.

Once everyone was alone, Song Yan spoke up: "Team Leader Lei, on the way here, I saw ruts and chaotic footsteps on the official road, as if many people had entered Xinhou County. Do you know who they are?"

Upon hearing Song Yan's question, Lei Yi's expression immediately darkened, and his face became extremely ugly: "It was that bastard Qian Yaozu who arranged the wedding envoy."

Lei Yi hated Qian Yaozu to the core.

Although Song Yan was the first to speak, he couldn't help but directly call him a bastard.

Song Yan understood immediately; they were indeed envoys escorting a bride.

"Those bastards were so arrogant when they got to Xinhou County. They even wanted to stay overnight at the county government office before going to the Haixi Grassland tomorrow. I refused, and they threatened to make me pay." Lei Yi rambled on, clearly see that he was seething with anger.

If Lei Yi hadn't wanted to avoid causing trouble for Song Yan, he probably would have already killed these people with his temper.

Lei Yi was a border soldier, a centurion guarding a region, and he couldn't stand such petty people.

How many people were part of the wedding procession?

"There were about eight hundred soldiers and servants in total."

"In addition, there are a thousand women and a hundred carriages!"

"Currently, the buildings including Qingliu Pavilion and Laiqu Inn on Qingliu Street in Xinhou County have been occupied by them."

Song Yan smiled and patted Lei Yi on the shoulder: "Go, call two thousand brothers."

“I suspect there’s a traitor in Pingyang Prefecture who’s been secretly selling grain to the Jurchens. This is wartime, this is aiding the enemy, this is treason!”

"Captain Lei, what is the punishment for treason and defection to the enemy?"

"Treat him as a traitor, and his entire family shall be executed." Lei Yi grinned, a slightly sinister smile on his face.

He truly deserves to be called a general.

This brain of his is truly beyond the reach of that brute.

Why didn't I think of such a good excuse?
Lei Yi rushed out excitedly. At this moment, he truly realized that his general was different from someone like Qian Yaozu.

Of course, he was different from General Dou Xian and General Liang Youde. They shared the same goal—to protect the people of this region—but they embarked on different paths.

Song Yan smiled and looked out at the snow-covered rooftops. Tonight, the snow would probably be stained red with blood.

He never expected that the first thing he would do upon arriving in Xinhou County would be to kill someone, and the victim would be one of his own countrymen.

However, he was familiar with this kind of thing.

……

at the same time.

Green Willow Pavilion.

This place was originally the only brothel in Xinhou County.

To be honest, brothels were practically an essential building in every county and prefectural city.

You can do without pawnshops, gambling dens, and jewelry stores, but brothels are a must, and they are often the most popular places to do business.

Food and sex, sex too!

However, as the Jurchens breached the border, Qingliu Pavilion inevitably fell into disrepair. Yet, from the furniture and furnishings inside, one can still vaguely discern its former glory.

At this very moment, in the main hall of Qingliu Pavilion, more than fifty men were gathered, representing the various leaders of the wedding procession. As those in positions of authority, they couldn't possibly drink with these commoners; wouldn't that be beneath their dignity?

As for the other soldiers, they were arranged to rest in several nearby buildings. The women were placed in the Laiqu Inn and the Laifu Restaurant, simply thrown into the hall. Although it was a bit crowded, a small area could accommodate many people.

Before we knew it, night had fallen. The moon was bright and the stars were few.

There wasn't a breath of wind.

The night was quiet, except for the Qingliu Pavilion, which remained noisy!
The leader of these people was a man named Qu Yang.

Once upon a time, he was just a rogue in Pingyang City, making a living by petty theft. But he was lucky to have a beautiful older sister. Although she was already married, when he tied her up and handed her over to Qian Yaozu, he immediately gained Qian Yaozu's favor.

In such a short time, the former rogue has transformed into the General Who Pacifies the Barbarians!
A general who doesn't understand military strategy, military formations, or even how to read!

As the governor of a prefecture, he has the power to appoint and dismiss some officials and junior officers within his jurisdiction.

As they drank, they became somewhat drunk.

The voice became louder and louder, and somehow it turned to the black-armored soldiers.

These people were mostly local ruffians. Although they thought the armor looked impressive, they didn't understand what role such armor could play on the battlefield.

On the contrary, they were even more unhappy with Lei Yi's attitude.

"That Lei Yi is so arrogant! We just wanted to stay overnight at the county government office, and he dared to refuse us. He really doesn't give us any face at all!" A minor official took a sip of wine and cursed angrily.

"If it were just disrespecting us, that would be one thing, but to disrespect even General Qu is truly arrogant," another person chimed in. Although they all knew that Qu Yang was just a local ruffian, they still found it easy to address him as General Qu.

All around came a chorus of curses and swears. Even Qu Yang, who hadn't taken it too seriously at first, started to feel quite annoyed as he listened.

With a bang, the wine glass was slammed onto the table: "Don't worry, we have a heavy responsibility this time, so let's not bother with Lei Yi for now. When we return to Pingyang, we will make sure that the new magistrate gives us an explanation."

Although my sister was just a concubine... no, she didn't even have the title of concubine, it still felt just as natural to call her brother-in-law.

"By the way, Lei Yi... why does that name seem so familiar?"

"Now that you mention it, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."

"Isn't this a name from the wanted posters that used to plaster the entire town of Pingyang?" someone exclaimed, slamming their fist on the table. "Isn't that a deserter who abandoned the city and fled when the Jurchens besieged the pass?"

Upon hearing this, everyone remembered.

"Well, a deserter actually dares to swagger back to the new city. Who gave him the guts?"

"The new magistrate of Xinhou County is said to be a fellow named Song Yan. He is truly audacious to harbor a fugitive."

A cacophony of voices filled the air, and Qu Yang's smile grew increasingly sinister: "Everyone, please calm down."

Qu Yang's expression was leisurely, only the curve of his lips grew deeper and deeper: "Speaking of which, it seems that Xinhou County has also arrived today. I took a glimpse of him from afar, although I didn't see him very clearly, but there were several beauties of unparalleled beauty by his side."

"What do you think will happen if we inform the governor of this news?"

Everyone's eyes lit up, and even their breathing became rapid.

Qian Yaozu was fond of beautiful women.

This is common knowledge throughout Pingyang City.

If we could really offer Qian Yaozu a few beauties, we could truly roam freely in the Liaodong region as long as we didn't provoke the Jurchen barbarians.

Seeing that everyone's greed had been stirred up, Qu Yang was quite satisfied: "Alright, now everyone quiet down."

"listen to me."

"I don't think this new magistrate is easy to deal with."

“There are at least several thousand elite soldiers in this new county town. If anyone leaves any trace and the county magistrate discovers our intentions, they might end up staying here.”

"If I find out anyone is dishonest and tries to kidnap those women to claim credit for themselves, and offends that person, causing us brothers to be unable to leave Xinhou County, I will be the first to chop off his head."

By the end, his voice had become stern and imposing, and the dozens of minor officials around him dared not be negligent and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Seeing that he had intimidated these people, Qu Yang felt smug. What kind of murderous aura was that? It was all bullshit. He didn't have that kind of ability.

It's just to fool these people and prevent anyone from competing with him for the prize. When the time comes, he'll offer up all those beauties, and his status will surely rise again. Maybe he can even squeeze out that annoying advisor.

As for how to get these beauties, that's simple. Just threaten them with a few words: "Your Excellency, you don't want people to know that you're harboring fugitives, do you?"

"Alright, stop thinking about that." Qu Yang waved his hand casually. "Zhang Erlaizi, go over to the restaurant and pick a few pretty girls. Tonight, we brothers will have a good time."

Upon hearing this, everyone wore knowing smiles.

several.

Forty or fifty people here might not be enough.

However, this is exactly what Qu Yang likes; in Qu Yang's words, it's lively with lots of people.

Zhang Erlaizi happily walked towards the door, and as soon as he opened it, there was a loud bang, and Zhang Erlaizi's body was sent flying back.

It traced a graceful arc in mid-air before slamming its entire body onto the table with a loud thud.

A series of crashing noises were heard as cups and plates shattered on the floor.

Zhang Erlaizi's throat throbbed, and a clump of blood gushed from his lips. His chest caved in in a gruesome manner, clearly indicating that many of his ribs were broken.

This scene shocked everyone.

Their expressions changed drastically in an instant. They drew their weapons with a whoosh and stood up abruptly, all their eyes fixed on the gate of Qingliu Pavilion.

The main hall of the brothel, with forty or fifty people, was as quiet as a chicken's nest.

Just outside the lobby, a figure came into view.

Who else could it be but Song Yan?

On either side of Song Yan were two men clad in heavy armor: Lei Yi and Luo Tianyang.

After a long journey, everyone was extremely tired, but this guy remained energetic and showed no signs of fatigue.

Further on, the streets were filled with countless black-armored soldiers who had completely surrounded the entrance to Qingliu Pavilion.

Under the moonlight, the dark shadows made Qu Yang's scalp tingle.

His throat bobbed as he suppressed his fear and shouted sternly, "Who are you, daring to commit violence in the street? Do you know who you killed? That was the general of the wedding envoy..."

Song Yan smiled. He wasn't wearing armor, and he only had a felt blanket over him, which made his smile look somewhat childish: "Didn't you just want to give my woman to that old bastard... uh, Qian Yaozu? Now you're asking me who I am?"

Qu Yang's expression changed again, and he cursed inwardly. How could they have overheard them when they were just discussing this matter?

Song Yan remained expressionless and walked forward as if he didn't see the many gleaming weapons around him. However, as he walked, he exuded an aura of power, and the minor officials blocking his way subconsciously retreated to both sides.

Song Yan stopped only when he reached Zhang Erlaizi. He grabbed Zhang Erlaizi's head with his right hand and lifted him up. Looking at the still slightly struggling humanoid figure, Song Yan chuckled, "This is the kind of thing? A general?"

"Is he worthy?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a few fingers suddenly exerted force, and with a loud bang, Zhang Erlaizi's head instantly shattered in Song Yan's palm.

Red and white sprayed everywhere.

As some viscous substance dripped down Song Yan's fingers, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

It was as if those fingers weren't crushing Zhang Erlaizi's head, but their hearts.

Everyone felt their scalp tingling and their mouths dry.

Only his rapid breathing became increasingly heavy.

Song Yan casually flicked his hand. As a peak third-grade martial artist, his strength was astonishing; he could easily crush a head.

It's just... a little dirty.

Song Yan exhaled and his gaze swept across the faces. Wherever he looked, everyone looked away. The main hall of Qingliu Pavilion was full of adults, but at this moment, not a single person dared to meet Song Yan's eyes.

Song Yan smiled, her gaze finally landing on Qu Yang: "So it was you who was trying to take advantage of my woman, wasn't it? You've got quite the appetite for this."

He waved his hand and said, "Zhang Long, Zhao Hu."

In a flash, two figures appeared out of thin air beside Song Yan like ghosts.

"Since he likes to use his claws, let's chop off one of his hands first!"

Qu Yang's face changed drastically. He hadn't expected the newly arrived magistrate to be so ruthless. Not only did he kill one person right away, but he also tried to chop off one of his hands. Instinctively, he opened his mouth and shouted, "You can't do this to me! My brother-in-law is..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Long appeared beside Qu Yang with a whoosh, grabbed Qu Yang's head, and slammed it face down onto the table with a thud. He also grabbed one of Qu Yang's arms with his other hand and pressed it against the table.

The next instant, Zhao Hu's figure appeared on the side.

Hands up.

Knife fall!
A spurt of blood gushed out, instantly staining the tabletop crimson.

That hand was cut off!
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah……

In the darkness of night, the piercing screams sounded like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

(End of this chapter)