Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 227 The Sister-in-Law Who Went Mad (5500 words)

Dingzhou.

The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn; today should be a fine day.

The Fan family mansion was extremely luxurious, with pavilions, towers, carved dragons and phoenixes, winding streams and artificial hills, exuding elegance. Even the governor's mansion could not compare to this mansion.

Inside the courtyard, many people had already begun their busy day.

On the rooftop, Luo Tianyi looked up, his gaze filled with cold disdain, as if the people bustling below were nothing more than insignificant ants.

Inside a courtyard, an elderly man in his sixties was practicing martial arts.

The old man's name was Fan Dabiao, not a very pleasant name, but that's how it is in merchant families, so most names are like that.

He was the younger brother of the current head of the Fan family and held a high position within the family. Fan Da Biao managed almost all the business in Liaodong. However, as he grew older, his health deteriorated day by day. According to the doctor, if he could strengthen his body every day, he could live a few more years. Therefore, he gradually handed over the business to his son and even his grandson.

Suddenly, Fan Dabiao sensed something and looked up behind him. The rooftop was empty except for a few sparrows that seemed oblivious to the winter chill, searching for grass seeds and other things.

Maybe it's an illusion.

Thinking this, Fan Dabiao looked away, not caring much.

The main branches of the eight great families in Shanxi were mostly located within the county towns, while the prefectures and counties were merely branches or sub-branches of these families.

That being said, this branch in Dingzhou Prefecture also had 600 servants and 300 guards.

There are even chivalrous heroes hired from the martial arts world at high salaries.

There are also several high-level martial artists from the family in charge.

Its level of security is unmatched even by the governor's mansion.

There's no way around it; the Fan family is so powerful and wealthy that we have to be careful all the time.

His boxing skills were very basic, certainly not suitable for actual combat, and besides, he was already sixty-five years old, considered quite old. If he were to actually fight someone, he would most likely be knocked down with a single punch. However, it was quite good for fitness and strengthening the body. After completing a set of punches, he felt warm all over and completely relaxed, as if the chill of Dingzhou Prefecture wasn't so severe after all.

It was dawn.

A maid brought over some clean water.

It's cold.

This was something Fan Dabiao specifically requested; washing his face with cold water always made him feel more alert.

After washing up, Fan Dabiao went to the dining hall.

The dining hall was very large, even larger than the living room.

There were already nearly a hundred people in the dining hall, but before Fan Dabiao appeared, no one had taken a seat.

When Fan Dabiao appeared, several chubby-cheeked children stepped forward and greeted him cheerfully as "Grandpa!" A smile immediately spread across Fan Dabiao's old face. He patted the heads of his beloved grandchildren and then invited everyone to sit down.

Fan Da Biao's legal wife had passed away, so his four legitimate sons were sitting at the main table with him.

Fan has gold, Fan has silver, Fan has money, Fan has wealth.

As I said before, Fan Dabiao felt that he was just a businessman, so he could just choose a name casually. He wasn't one of those scholars who needed to be so elegant. Gold and silver were more suitable for a businessman's identity.

The four legitimate sons are all around fifty years old, with the oldest being in his thirties.

Besides, he had thirteen illegitimate sons, some of whom were quite talented. Some were in charge of a caravan, while others were shopkeepers. But the shopkeepers he hired from outside were never as comfortable as those from his own family.

He had eighteen sons and more than sixty grandchildren, the eldest of whom was over thirty years old.

With the addition of the wives of the legitimate sons, the dining hall was packed with people.

Seeing this, Fan Dabiao felt very gratified.

Unlike his elder brother, he didn't have such grand ambitions. The thought of becoming the richest man in Ningguo or the richest man in the Central Plains never crossed Fan Dabiao's mind. For Fan Dabiao, being able to spend his whole life with more money than he could ever spend, and watching his children and grandchildren gather around him in harmony, would be enough to satisfy him.

Breakfast was relatively simple, mostly consisting of steamed buns, dumplings, and a few side dishes—that was all. Unless you saw it with your own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that even the wealthiest families in Dingzhou Prefecture ate only these things for breakfast.

"Oh, right, there's gold..." Fan Dabiao broke off a piece of steamed bun and held it in his hand. He seemed to suddenly remember something and looked at his eldest son: "Do you know that a new magistrate has been appointed in Xinhou County?"

Fan Youjin put down his chopsticks and bowl, considered for a moment, and then replied, "Of course I know. The magistrate's name is Song Yan. He is the son-in-law of Princess Luo Yuheng. Although he is an adopted son-in-law, he is quite favored by the princess."

"This is a capable man. Back in Ningping County, he led the Luo family's guards and repelled an attack by tens of thousands of Japanese pirates... This is just a rumor, and I think it's a bit exaggerated. I estimate that the number of Japanese pirates was only three to five thousand. But in any case, there is no doubt that this young man is a skilled warrior."

"A few months later, three thousand soldiers were sent to annihilate tens of thousands of Japanese pirates. The exact number may be inaccurate, but I heard that ten mounds of corpses were built outside Ningping County, which should be true."

"Thanks to Song Yan, the coastal areas of Ningguo will not have to worry about the Japanese pirates for several years or even more than ten years."

"This should be the only victory that Emperor Ninghe has achieved against neighboring enemy countries and foreign tribes in the nineteen years since he ascended the throne."

"Song Yan was thus granted the title of viscount."

"Nowadays, Song Yan is quite famous in the coastal areas of Ningguo."

Clearly, Fan Youjin had put in a lot of effort and was quite familiar with Song Yan's situation.

After a brief pause, Fan Youjin spoke again: "Emperor Ninghe arranged for Song Yan to be stationed in Xinhou County. Some people say it was an exile, but in my opinion, it may not be that he didn't intend for Song Yan to suppress the Jurchens."

"The State of Chu is eyeing us covetously, and the Xiongnu have a million archers, neither of which can be easily dealt with. Only the Jurchens pose a threat to the border, while their power is relatively weak."

Fan Dabiao nodded with satisfaction, chewed his steamed bun a couple of times, and said, "Continue."

"If the rumors about Song Yan are true, with this young man's strength, he might really be able to stabilize the border. If even the Jurchens are suppressed by Song Yan, then Song Yan's reputation in Liaodong and along the coast will reach its peak."

"This is basically half of Ningguo's territory."

"Moreover, Song Yan is the son-in-law of the Eldest Princess and was promoted by Emperor Ninghe. It is also said that he has a long-standing feud with the Yang family. The Yang family has tried to assassinate Song Yan several times, but all attempts have failed. The two sides are considered to be locked in a life-or-death struggle. It is rumored that Song Yan has a good relationship with Fang Hai of the Fang family. Fang Hai's marquis title was all thanks to Song Yan. This old man is preparing to choose a gentle, virtuous, intelligent and beautiful woman from the Fang family to marry Song Yan as a concubine."

"It can be said that Song Yan is a born royalist."

“Once Song Yan gains power, Emperor Ninghe will face much less pressure in the court, and even the Yang family will not dare to make any rash moves.”

"Currently, Song Yan only has a few thousand soldiers under his command. If he had tens of thousands of soldiers, Emperor Ninghe would probably not have fallen ill so easily."

"Even if he really falls ill, the Yang family will probably do everything they can to cure him. After all, if Emperor Ninghe dies and the eldest prince ascends the throne, the eldest princess's son-in-law might just start a rebellion. Given the current state of Ning Kingdom's military, the outcome is self-evident when they encounter Song Yan's elite troops who can fight against foreign tribes."

Fan Youjin was a clever man. Although he was just a merchant, his analysis of the situation in the imperial court was quite accurate.

Fan Dabiao's face darkened: "Be careful what you say. How can we possibly interfere in the affairs of the imperial family?"

Fan Youjin quickly lowered his head: "I know I was wrong."

"Will this affect the Fan family's business?"

Fan Youjin shook his head and then nodded: "There's no impact for now."

The Fan family has always been doing business with the Jurchens.

Not to mention the Jurchens, as long as there is profit to be made, the Fan family has a presence even among the Xiongnu and Japanese pirates.

This year alone, 200,000 shi of grain, tea, wine, and charcoal were transported to the Jurchens. Even the weapons used by the Jurchens to slaughter the people of Pingyang Prefecture were made from pig iron sent by the Fan family.

As the saying goes, as long as there is profit to be made, they wouldn't even bat an eye if they had to sell out Ningguo.

"The weather this year is abnormal, with early cold. Originally, there should have been more business to do with the Jurchens and higher profits. But who would have thought that Qian Yaozu, the governor of Pingyang, would be such a spineless coward who took the initiative to seek peace with the Jurchens, sending grain and even women."

Fan Youjin's words were full of disdain. He did business with the Jurchens, but at least it was a profitable business. Qian Yaozu, on the other hand, was giving it away for free. Even he looked down on such a person.

Under normal circumstances, Fan Youjin wouldn't bother with it.

Unfortunately, this affected the Fan family's business, so it didn't work out.

Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents; this is intolerable.

"I have already informed some officials in the court, and I expect that in a few days, the memorial impeaching Qian Yaozu will appear on the emperor's desk."

Fan Dabiao nodded: "You're very thorough in your work. Have you arranged for someone to contact Song Yan? Business with the Jurchens can't stop. The carriages and horses always have to pass through Xinhou County. Don't underestimate him just because he's only a small county magistrate. If we can't get through to him, we might not be able to do business in the future."

"not yet."

"Then let's make preparations. Prepare calligraphy and paintings, antiques, banknotes, and women, and see if we can win over this minor county magistrate to our side."

"The kid knows."

Breakfast was spent in such conversation, and then everyone in the Fan family went about their own business, except for a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy who hurriedly returned to his room.

It was Fan Youjin's youngest legitimate son, Fan Jiu'en, whose face showed some panic. He had thought that Song Yan was just a mere county magistrate, and killing him was no big deal. Who would have thought that his father and grandfather would attach such importance to Song Yan?

I wonder if Yang Lie has succeeded yet.

It's probably too late.

Fan Jiu'en knew Yang Lie's strength; no one in the entire Dingzhou Prefecture could rival him.

But soon, a ferocious look appeared on Fan Jiu'en's face. How could a real man be so hesitant?

He really wanted to inherit this branch of the Fan family, but he had several older brothers, so the position of heir was not going to him no matter what. However, if he could kill Song Yan, he could marry a girl from the Fang family, which would definitely be a meteoric rise. With the support of the Fang family, it wouldn't be impossible for him to inherit the entire Fan family, let alone just this branch.

The Fang family is not a monolithic entity.

Although not as powerful as the Yang family, they were still one of the few major forces in Ningguo. Thinking this, the young man's face became even more smug, and he didn't even notice that he was letting out a cackling laugh.

Time passed little by little.

A day passes quickly, and night has already enveloped Dingzhou Prefecture.

Fan Jiu'en stretched his arms forcefully back into his room, his face somewhat grave. He had spent the entire day waiting for news from Yang Lie, but there had been no response whatsoever. He had no idea what the situation was like in Xinhou County.

For some reason, I felt a little uneasy.

Could it be that Song Yan has some kind of expert by his side?
No...it's impossible. Even if Song Yan has other experts around him, they could never be a match for a ninth-rank martial artist.

Taking a deep breath, Fan Jiu'en's complexion gradually returned to normal. He figured something must have delayed him, so there was no need to worry too much. With that thought, Fan Jiu'en took off his coat and was about to hang it on the rack when he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that a figure had appeared beside him.

Like a ghost, it made no sound.

Fan Jiu'en didn't even know how this person got in.

Fan Jiu'en slowly turned around, and saw that the owner of the figure was a woman dressed in white. His eyes suddenly brightened. He had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life... However, Fan Jiu'en quickly composed himself. He liked beautiful women, but he would not give up the Fan family's wealth for a beautiful woman.

From a young age, he knew one thing: with money, you have everything.

He pondered the woman's identity, his expression returning to calm. He even politely bowed to Luo Tianyi: "Miss, may I ask what brings you here so late at night?"

Luo Tianyi slowly raised his head, his eyes cold. Just by meeting that gaze, Fan Jiu'en felt a shiver run through his body, and an inexplicable chill shot from the soles of his feet to his head.

"Young lady, are you perhaps after money? Name your price... No matter how much it is, it's a small matter to me." Fan Jiu'en's throat bobbed as he suppressed his fear.

Finally, Luo Tianyi spoke: "Who told you to kill my brother-in-law?"

Fan Jiu'en was taken aback: "Brother-in-law?"

"Song Yan".

In an instant, Fan Jiu'en's scalp tingled with fear. Damn it, the other party had actually come knocking on his door. This was enough to prove that Yang Lie had failed and even betrayed him.

hateful.

These江湖人 (jianghu people), loyalty? Bullshit.

This woman dared to break into the Fan family alone and even defeat Yang Lie, so she must be at least a ninth-rank martial artist, and a top one among them.

Damn it, if he had known Song Yan had such a skilled fighter by his side, he would never have acted so rashly. His throat tightened, and Fan Jiu'en desperately racked his brains, searching for a chance to escape: "Miss, surely there's a mistake? I have no grudge against your brother-in-law, why would I kill him..."

laugh.

There was a flash of white light.

A chilling glint had already ripped from Fan Jiu'en's throat.

Blood splattered on the ground, blooming like plum blossoms.

puff.

Fan Jiu'en lay on the ground, his wide eyes still filled with disbelief.

What's wrong with this woman? Shouldn't she at least interrogate her properly at a time like this? Why did she kill someone over a mere disagreement?
Unfortunately, Fan Jiu'en was unaware of Luo Tianyi's personality. By the time she asked him a question and received the answer she wanted, he was already dead.

Luo Tianyi rummaged through Fan Jiuen's body and soon found a yellowed envelope in his arms.

His figure vanished silently from the bedroom and reappeared on the roof, his cold gaze sweeping over dozens of houses inhabited by Fan Da Biao's grandchildren.

Some of them were still teenagers.

However, my brother-in-law once said, "If you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring breeze."

If anyone survives, perhaps thirty years later, it will be the Luo family or the Song family that are slaughtered.

Moreover, since he had already killed Fan Jiu'en, he had already made an enemy of the Fan family. Even if he let the rest of the Fan family go, he would likely face their revenge.

Their targets of revenge will not only be themselves, but also their brother-in-law.

Anyone who tries to harm my brother-in-law must die.

The slight hesitation in her heart vanished, and with a whoosh, Luo Tianyi's body, like a ghost, silently landed and slipped into a room. Not long after, a spurt of blood shot out of the window.

One room.

Two rooms.

Three rooms.

……

Luo Tianyi didn't know exactly how many rooms she had emptied; all she knew was that thirty or forty people had died by her sword.

A strong stench of blood permeated the inner courtyard.

Finally, the commotion was noticed by the night patrol servant.

"Murder."

A piercing scream tore through the night sky.

In the next instant, more than a dozen figures appeared out of thin air from the darkness.

Before these people could figure out what was going on in the back courtyard, a bright silver sword light, like a moon hanging in the sky, swept across.

Puff puff puff puff...

The sound of blood splattering.

More than a dozen bodies fell from mid-air like dumplings being dropped into a pot. They struggled slightly before becoming still.

The killing begins.

Luo Tianyi's figure, like the most terrifying ghost in the world, moved through each room.

bloody.

Scream.

The commotion woke up the women in the front yard, Fan Dabiao's son, and even Fan Dabiao himself. They all quickly got out of bed, not even caring that they were only wearing nightgowns.

A large number of guards and servants are gathering.

Although Fan Da Biao was old, when he got serious, his imposing presence was far beyond what his descendants could match. He didn't know who the assassin was or what his strength was, but he believed that if he gathered hundreds of guards and servants, even a ninth-rank martial artist would die here.

Fan Youjin's sons are also heading this way.

Upon seeing his father in the distance, Fan Youjin raised his hand, about to speak, but saw Fan Dapiao's face instantly turn extremely terrifying, his eyes wide with rage: "You wretch, how dare you..."

Fan Youjin was startled and suddenly turned around, only to see a white-clad figure appear behind him at some point. He didn't even have time to see the other person's face clearly.

With a hiss, the longsword swept across.

Fan Youjin suddenly felt like he was flying... Yes, it was his head that had been chopped off.

With an extremely cold gaze, Luo Tianyi glanced at Fan Dabiao, then her figure disappeared into the wind.

"Damn it, let's go to the backyard."

Ignoring his grief for his son, Fan Dabiao roared and led hundreds of guards and servants toward the backyard. Smelling the blood in the air, a very bad premonition began to grow in Fan Dabiao's mind.

Finally, they arrived at the backyard. There were more than a dozen corpses on the ground, blood splattered on the windows, and blood flowing down the doorway.

Dozens of rooms.

with no exceptions.

Fan Dabiao felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and stumbled backward.

All the grandchildren are dead, all of them are dead, not one is left.

puff.

This was truly excruciating pain; even Fan Dabiao could not withstand such an impact, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

His son, his grandson, his granddaughter... Ahhhhhh...

Fan Da Biao didn't even know what kind of willpower he relied on to keep his will from collapsing: "You wretch, I will kill you, I will kill you..."

Not to mention Fan Dabiao, even his other sons and daughters-in-law were terrified by what they saw.

In an instant, more than a dozen figures rushed over, seemingly wanting to rush into their son and daughter's room.

Just then, a figure fell silently from under the eaves, her figure like a rapidly floating cloud, her skirt swaying as the sword blade instantly swept across the necks of the four people.

However, it was two illegitimate sons and their wives.

From beginning to end, Luo Tianyi remembered her brother-in-law's words: "To cut the weeds, you must nip them in the bud!"

(End of this chapter)