Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 232 A Complete Mess (2)

Song Yan took a deep breath and steadied himself.

Jiao Junze didn't say much, but the impact he had was extremely exaggerated.

Prince Fu.

Luo Yuheng rarely mentioned this person... no, it should be said that he had never heard of this person from Luo Yuheng.

Emperor Yuanjing died too young, leaving behind only three sons: Prince Jing, Prince Fu, and Prince Jin.

Among them, Prince Fu was the eldest son, Prince Jing was the second son, but he was the legitimate son of the Empress. As for Prince Jin, he went to his fiefdom as soon as Emperor Ninghe ascended the throne.

Of the three princes, Prince Jing is capable of governing the country and securing peace. Although the situation in Ningguo is currently quite bad, with the court being controlled by powerful clans and civil officials, and having just ceded two cities to Chu, and suffering repeated defeats on the border, this cannot actually be blamed on Emperor Ninghe.

After all, Ningguo had long suffered from chronic illnesses and accumulated too many problems.

Even though Emperor Ninghe was capable, he had no real opportunity to fully utilize his abilities and could only seek opportunities to change the status quo amidst the pressure from various factions. Under such oppression, it was already quite remarkable that Emperor Ninghe had achieved what he had. If he had immediately launched sweeping reforms, he would likely have been joining Emperor Yuanjing in death before the reforms even began to take shape.

As for the Prince of Jin, he is skilled in military strategy and knowledgeable in battle formations, making him more suitable to be a general who expands the territory.

In fact, Emperor Ninghe had made this arrangement. The border between Ning and Zhao was the fiefdom of the King of Jin. When Chu invaded, Zhao also wanted to take advantage of the situation. If Emperor Ninghe transferred troops to the Chu border, Zhao might seize some land. However, after seeing the King of Jin deploy his troops and realizing that a direct confrontation would not yield any advantage, Zhao abandoned this idea.

The Crown Prince of Jin, staying in Dongling, may well be intended to serve as a hostage in some respects.

Of course, considering the current situation in Ningguo, Song Yan has reason to suspect that the Prince of Jin may be another pawn planted by Emperor Ninghe.

One of the chess pieces is Luo Yuheng.

If someone were to usurp the throne of Ning, Luo Yuheng might raise an army as a princess to revolt and reclaim the kingdom.

Another piece might be the King of Jin.

After all, Luo Yuheng was just a princess. Although she had royal blood, she was not legitimate and her influence was ultimately lacking. This world had not yet seen the emergence of someone like Wu Zetian.

Prince Jin, being a prince with legitimate status and skilled in military tactics, has a much greater chance of regaining the throne than Luo Yuheng.

Sending him to the border might be seen as exile or banishment by powerful families and the civil service, a sign of Emperor Ninghe's fear of his younger brother, or even a desire to use the Zhao state to eliminate him. However, considering the situation in Ningguo, it seems more like a deception and protection. Moreover, being on the border, which is still the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, would make it easier for the Prince to cultivate a group of loyal officials and soldiers. If the imperial regalia were to change hands one day, the Prince of Jin would find it easier to retake Dongling.

It was only because of his appearance that he suppressed the Japanese pirates along the coast of Ningguo that Luo Yuheng's side rose to prominence and became more important on the chessboard.

Thinking about this, Song Yan even admired Emperor Ninghe a little, after all, this man attracted almost all the pressure in the court.

As for Prince Fu, he was the least conspicuous of the three princes.

Song Yan didn't know much about this person. He only knew that Prince Fu disliked power and wealth. Although he had a fiefdom, it was more like a decoration. He didn't stay in his fiefdom all day. Instead, he traveled around and visited famous mountains and rivers.

He also practiced Taoism, refining and consuming his own elixirs. However, he accidentally ate one and was poisoned. Fortunately, Emperor Ninghe quickly dispatched an imperial physician, who saved his life.

Most importantly, although Prince Fu had a daughter, he had no sons.

He died and his country was destroyed.

This was probably the emperor's most trusted brother.

He's like a typical spoiled brat who only likes to eat, drink, and have fun.

Therefore, Emperor Ninghe did not even consider Prince Fu as a piece on his chessboard.

According to Jiao Junze, the Prince of Fu was the one who was the most deeply hidden.

Song Yan pursed his lips. He didn't completely believe Jiao Junze's words. Instead, he continued to ponder, his thoughts drifting involuntarily to Gao Yang.

Gao Yang was attacked, and Fang Jun was killed.

I didn't think there was anything wrong with it before.

But... thinking about it now, it's a bit strange that Gao Yang was able to survive.

That's the Yi-Luo River, which recently claimed countless lives and destroyed countless houses. Does Gao Yang even have the ability to swim? It's unimaginable for a royal woman to learn to swim in the river. Moreover, the fact that Gao Yang was kidnapped by bandits who were lying in ambush as soon as she got ashore, and then just as coincidentally rescued by him... is just too much of a coincidence.

His reaction after being rescued was quite strange. He didn't go back to the Prince's Mansion, Dongling, or the Fang family. Instead, he insisted on following him... If what Jiao Junze said was true, and his speculation was correct, then Gao Yang was following him for some purpose.

Is it a method of steelmaking?
Is this a method of training troops?
Or is it him personally?
Song Yan frowned more and more, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

To be honest, he had a very good impression of Gao Yang and didn't want any other schemes to get involved in this relationship. Then he felt a headache coming on; the situation in Ning Kingdom was already chaotic, and now it seemed to be a complete mess. After a long while, Song Yan let out a heavy sigh, suppressing his irritation, and looked at Jiao Junze again: "Brother Jiao, what do you want me to do?"

What if I said I just wanted to be friends with you?

Song Yan stared at him without saying a word.

Jiao Junze then shrugged: "Alright, to be honest, I want you to use your connections with the Fang family or the Princess to plead for me in court."

His expression turned angry: "Many people have long coveted my position as the governor of Dingzhou. This time, I drove the Jurchens back outside Dingzhou and beheaded thousands. It should be a great achievement, but the news my men brought back was terrible. Some people in the court are already preparing to impeach me on the grounds that I refused to send troops after Pingyang fell."

"Damn it, if I send troops, the charge against me will probably be that I sent troops without the emperor's edict and the Ministry of Personnel's order."

“Those civil officials can always find a reason.”

“I have no foundation in the court. I have only risen to my current position step by step through my merits. I remember Your Majesty’s kindness. However, Your Majesty may not be able to withstand the pressure this time.”

Simply put, he needed a powerful patron who could influence the court.

Song Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over Jiao Junze. He was no longer as naive as before, and he didn't really believe Jiao Junze's words.

If he truly had no background, how could he have risen to the position of governor of a prefecture?

What a joke.

Without a background, even if you have great achievements, they will have been divided up by your superiors long ago. Where would you find the opportunity to be promoted?

However, Jiao Junze did not want to talk about it, and he did not force him. Although he did not know Jiao Junze's purpose, at least for now it seemed that the other party had no ill intentions. Moreover, he did not want to make enemies with Jiao Junze. This man was not a good-for-nothing like Qian Yaozu. If Jiao Junze suddenly stabbed him in the back while he was dealing with the Jurchens, the consequences would be unbearable.

As they were talking, the waiter brought out the dishes, and the two of them appropriately changed the subject.

……

at the same time.

Behind the Xihe Restaurant is a small house.

The guest room in the house was filled with steam, but there was a brand new wooden tub filled with just the right amount of warm water.

Hua Lian Yue had recently bought the wooden tub from a carpenter's shop. She knew that some women were germaphobic and didn't like sharing bathing tools with others. Although, Luo Tian Yi's blood-stained appearance didn't suggest any germaphobia. Hua Lian Yue also knew that some men didn't like their women using things that other men had used; it was probably what was known as possessiveness.

Although I don't know if Song Yan is the same kind of person, it's always good to be careful.

As for the money used to buy the wooden bucket, a grandmaster would naturally have as much as he wanted.

Inside the bathtub, the blood dissolved on her body, gradually revealing her delicate, snow-white skin. Her hair rippled on the water's surface like clouds and mist. Although the pale red water in the tub looked somewhat eerie, it was, in fact, a beautiful sight against her shapely and graceful figure. Hua Lian Yue sat quietly to the side, watching, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her man was truly blessed to have such a woman fall for him.

That pretty face would make even a woman's heart flutter.

Hua Lianyue wasn't jealous at all; on the contrary, she thought it was because her man was amazing.

Just then, a faint whimpering sound could be heard. It was the woman in the bathtub gradually waking up. Her body made slight movements, and ripples appeared on the surface of the water.

With her long eyelashes fluttering slightly, Luo Tianyi finally opened her eyes.

There was still some confusion in his eyes.

It was like a dream, in which she found her brother-in-law.

Then, she did something she would never normally do: she suddenly threw herself into her brother-in-law's arms and even said, "I missed you so much!"

As she thought about it, Luo Tianyi blushed.

Ugh... This is so embarrassing!

That's my sister's husband, how could she do such a thing?
Luo Tianyi, Luo Tianyi, how could you do this to your sister?
The intense guilt made Luo Tianyi very upset... However, it was just a dream, so it should be nothing serious.

Just as Luo Tianyi was thinking this, a voice suddenly entered his ears:

"Little sister, are you awake?"

(End of this chapter)