Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 244 Embroidered Dragon Robe (3)

The midday sun was quite nice, and the snow seemed to be melting, making it feel even colder. Just like those three corpses, they quickly stiffened after losing their breath.

Song Yan wiped the bloodstains off Zhang Hao's clothes before sheathing the long sword back into Zhang Long's scabbard. He gripped his chin, his brows furrowed, and despite his desperate attempts to think, he couldn't understand why the Zhang and Huang families would oppose him.

Qian Yaozu's side is somewhat understandable.

For a minor county magistrate like him not to visit his superiors is considered taboo.

Moreover, Qian Yaozu's wedding procession had to pass through Xinhou County.

But what about the Zhang and Huang families?

Do they also have business dealings with the Jurchens? They should at least try to win them over like the Fan family did. Even though the Fan family branch was accidentally slaughtered by the sister-in-law, what if he can withstand the test and succeeds? Offending us right off the bat—what good does that do for either family?
He's clearly got tens of thousands of lives on his hands, and he's known as the Butcher in Ningping, yet his reputation doesn't seem to be that high in Liaodong. Surely the Huang and Zhang families, having been local tyrants in Pingyang Prefecture for so many years, can't distinguish between the big and small kings? They're the heads of two families; surely they wouldn't be so foolish.

Thinking this, Song Yan felt a little regretful. Although the title of "Butcher" didn't sound good, it was really useful.

"Take the body away, I still have a use for it." Song Yan waved his hand.

Several armored soldiers stepped forward and dragged the bodies away. The bloodstains, overturned table, and broken teaware on the ground were all cleaned up neatly. Aside from the slightly empty space, no one would believe that three people had just died there. After everyone had left, Song Yan looked at Liu Yisheng: "You can tolerate this?"

This is not the Liu Yisheng that Song Yan knows.

Liu Yisheng smiled and said, "My lord promised Lei Yi that he would definitely get rid of Qian Yaozu. I know that my lord already has a plan in mind. If I act rashly, it may ruin the plan. Moreover, although the situation in Ningguo is chaotic, the parties have not completely broken off relations yet. If we make too much noise at this time, we will become the first to stick our necks out. If everyone's attention is focused on us, the situation may not be good."

"Most importantly, I am just a strategist."

Advisors only offer suggestions; only the lord can make the decisions.

Song Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He did have plans for Qian Yaozu. Qian Yaozu had to die, but not now.

On the Jurchen side, the destruction of the Wugulun tribe will soon be discovered. Furthermore, the interruption of the grain and wine transported by the marriage envoy will inevitably provoke the Jurchen's discontent. Given the Jurchen Great Khan's tyranny, he will likely be unable to tolerate this provocation, and even with the heavy snow blocking the mountains, he may still launch an attack on Xinhou County.

Even the Jurchen cavalry would be severely affected by the long march through the snow. If they could seize this opportunity to fight a defensive battle in Xinhou County, they might be able to reap many Jurchen heads.

Before that, he really couldn't have a complete conflict with Qian Yaozu. If he could take down Qian Yaozu in one go, that would be fine. But if he couldn't get rid of Qian Yaozu completely, and this guy stabbed him in the back when dealing with the Jurchens, that would be quite troublesome.

But now that the other side has already made its move and killed someone, the plan naturally needs to be changed.

He casually pulled up a chair and then gestured for Liu Yisheng to sit down as well. Although Liu Yisheng always addressed him as "Master" or "Princess," in Song Yan's heart, the two were more like friends. After all, Liu Yisheng was probably the most compatible scholar Song Yan had met since coming to this world. It was rather boring for him to sit while the other stood: "In the future, if you encounter someone like this, just kill him directly. It's better to keep him in this world and save food."

"Arrange for a few people to send the bodies of those three people back to Pingyang City."

Liu Yisheng, who had just sat down, frowned: "My lord, are you deliberately trying to provoke them?"

“That’s right, I want to provoke Qian Yaozu.” Song Yan grinned. “Qian Yaozu is a useless man. He’s read a few books of Confucian classics and thinks he’s a big shot. He doesn’t understand military affairs but wants to control the garrison. This kind of person has an extremely fragile pride. He knows what he is, but he’s afraid of being exposed. He can’t stand being provoked. Once he gets angry, he’s likely to do some terrible things.”

"Also tell him that Qu Ming was having an affair with the Jurchens and has already been executed in Xinhou County. The goods on the carriage have already been accepted by Xinhou County. Arrange for a few people with sharp tongues to say whatever they want to insult him. The better, they should make that old man so angry that he vomits blood. Oh, and make sure to add some cold water; that will maximize its effectiveness."

Liu Yisheng's expression was strange; scholars value their reputation above all else.

For Qian Yaozu, that comment about "who's too cold" was an indelible stain. Bringing it up under these circumstances was tantamount to slapping him across the face. "What do you think Qian Yaozu will do if we provoke him like this?" Song Yan asked with a smile.

Liu Yisheng thought about it carefully: "Perhaps, Qian Yaozu will lose his mind."

"Although our lord has a great reputation, we have never seen him in person. Qian Yaozu will find all sorts of reasons in his heart to convince himself that our lord is just a young man who is not worth mentioning."

“He will feel that he has lost face in the entire Pingyang City this time. If he cannot punish the lord, where will his authority be in Pingyang City in the future? How can he control the city?”

"He would think that since Qu Ming and the others died at the hands of their lord, if they cannot avenge Qu Ming, why would their subordinates continue to be loyal?"

"He was even more afraid that if the Jurchens didn't receive the money, the women would retaliate."

"Then, he will lead the troops and leave Pingyang City!"

"He probably thought, if he can't defeat the Jurchens, surely he can defeat his lord?"

Song Yan clapped his hands and laughed. Liu Yisheng's control over people's hearts was indeed very impressive.

Qian Yaozu was ambitious but lacked talent, and he was also vindictive and extremely concerned about his reputation. In some ways, this kind of person was the easiest to deal with.

"Moreover, don't forget the current situation in Pingyang City. There is a lack of food and clothing, and a large number of people are starving and freezing to death every day. The people are already in a state of panic. If it weren't for the more than 10,000 soldiers and a large number of local ruffians forcibly suppressing the situation, Pingyang City would probably have rioted long ago."

"Therefore, Qian Yaozu will definitely take a risk. If he can seize grain from Xinhou County, his rule can be barely maintained. Perhaps looking at his more than 10,000 incompetent soldiers and tens of thousands of local ruffians, this guy will be full of confidence and feel that the advantage is on his side."

“Once they are no longer protected by the city walls, those scum under Qian Yaozu’s command are nothing more than pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.”

Liu Yisheng nodded slightly: "But what if that guy really has no shame at all and just stays in Pingyang City?"

Song Yan spread his hands: "Let's give it a try. What if it works? We won't lose anything anyway."

Liu Yisheng grinned and said, "My lord is wise."

Taking a deep breath, Liu Yisheng felt a surge of restlessness. His eyes gleamed with a strange yet excited light, and his entire face flushed red.

He knew that his lord was preparing to take action against Qian Yaozu.

Qian Yaozu was a prefectural governor, far superior to someone like Shi Zirui.

Killing a prefectural governor without authorization is tantamount to rebellion.

It seems we still need to embroider a dragon robe; it would be awkward if there wasn't one ready when it was needed for the lord to wear.

"By the way, how's the matter I asked you to investigate going?" Song Yan pursed her lips and changed the subject.

Liu Yisheng also slowly exhaled, his expression returning to its solemn state:
"There is indeed a problem with Prince Fu!"

(End of this chapter)