Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 247 The pectoral muscles are too exaggerated (5,000 words)

The woman dressed as a man was startled and began to cough violently.

Then she stared wide-eyed at Song Yan, completely bewildered, as if she couldn't understand what went wrong with her exquisite disguise.

Looking at the woman's appearance, Song Yan was speechless.

This woman, though not exactly an acquaintance, was someone I had met once before.

Several months ago, when he had only been in the Luo family for a short time, he encountered Lü Changqing, Zhao Anze, and Cui Shi'an by chance and was forcibly taken to Qunyu Garden by the three of them.

That was the first time Song Yan had entered a brothel since coming to this world.

When I came out, I saw Gu Banxia sitting in the teahouse next door, and this woman was sitting opposite her.

At that time, Song Yan already understood that Gu Banxia's identity was somewhat special. This woman who liked to pretend to be a man was Gu Banxia's contact. As more and more intelligence was gathered, Gu Banxia's other identity became increasingly apparent: the Imperial City Guard. This intelligence agency, directly under Emperor Ninghe, was the most powerful force in his hands.

The Imperial City Guard was composed of palace maids and eunuchs.

Placing Gu Banxia by his side was probably also for the purpose of surveillance.

Song Yan didn't care. After all, Gu Banxia had never done anything bad to him. On the contrary, he had gotten used to Gu Banxia taking care of him. If he were to leave Gu Banxia one day, he would feel uncomfortable everywhere.

A jumble of thoughts popped into his mind. Seeing the woman in front of him looking him up and down, seemingly still not understanding what went wrong, Song Yan couldn't help but sigh: "Be good, listen to me, you don't need to do this anymore. The more you try to hide it, the more attention you'll attract."

The woman bit her lip: "Is it that obvious?"

"Anyone with eyes can tell you're a woman." Song Yan pursed his lips. It was still a bit chilly outside, so he tightened his clothes and buttoned them up one by one.

I looked up at the horizon; there was still about an hour until dawn.

I slept straight from noon yesterday until now, that's a really long time.

"A woman is a woman, and a man is a man. No matter how well they disguise themselves, you can always spot their flaws." Blinking, Song Yan suddenly thought of some big names on Douyin from her past life... but it seems she's not so sure anymore.

Then he turned his gaze to the woman's chest: "If you want to pretend to be a man, please tighten it more next time. No skinny man has such exaggerated pectoral muscles."

Pectoralis major?
The woman was immediately confused about the meaning of those three words.

It wasn't until she noticed Song Yan's gaze that she realized what was happening. Her face flushed red, and she glared at Song Yan, her shoulders instinctively shrugging.

You dare glare at me?

You think you're our sister-in-law? Believe me or not, I'll gouge your eyes out.

Song Yan glared back. Perhaps because he had killed so many people, he carried a bit of a murderous aura and his eyes were fierce. The moment he looked at her, the woman shrank into a quail and trembled.

That sight immediately left Song Yan feeling somewhat helpless.

No, are all the Imperial City Guards like that?
It would be strange if they didn't lose.

Of course, Song Yan was unaware of just how terrifying he was in the eyes of certain intelligence personnel.

The fire burned tens of thousands of people.

Ten mounds of Jingguan (a type of ancient Chinese structure).

A mountain of heads.

The entire ravine was filled with white bones.

Most people might think this is an exaggeration, but these intelligence agents knew very well that it was all true. Just thinking about the scene was terrifying, let alone witnessing it with their own eyes.

Therefore, to these people, Song Yan's existence is that of a genuine butcher.

Even when Song Yan gently tucked Gu Banxia in, the woman's eyes held an indescribable sinister intent, as if a butcher were examining his prey, pondering where to strike.

She glared at Song Yan, which was just a woman's nature; but when Song Yan glared back, it was chilling.

The quail-like appearance immediately made Song Yan lose interest, feeling like he was being bullied: "Alright, what's your position in the Imperial City Guard, and what's your code name?"

The woman's throat bobbed slightly: "She even told you all this?"

"No, I just guessed. Is it that hard?" Song Yan blinked. Gu Banxia had been honest with him before, but naturally he couldn't say it outright: "I saved his life, so he probably wouldn't mind if I revealed a little information. Of course, if it's really difficult, we can just not say it!"

Song Yan had many things he wanted to know, but he didn't intend to force the woman.

The woman glanced at Song Yan, and after a few seconds, she finally let out a heavy sigh, stood up, and knelt on one knee in front of Song Yan: "Qingluan, captain of the seventh squad of the Imperial City Division, Human Division, greets Your Highness."

"From this day forward, the entire Seventh Squad will be under the command of the Prince Consort."

Song Yan suddenly raised an eyelid.

what is this?
Was it a deliberate act of planting spies around him?

Or perhaps, because his medicine saved his life, he arranged for himself to have some capable assistants?

Song Yan narrowed his eyes and glanced at the woman kneeling on one knee. Although this woman seemed a bit stupid, the Imperial City Guard had been able to fight against the Yang family, Xilin Academy, and Bailu Academy for so long, so she must have some ability. However, there were many things he didn't want others to know, not even Emperor Ninghe.

This concerns his life and fortune.

However, since they've already delivered it, it wouldn't be appropriate to just push it away.

Thinking this, Song Yan casually waved his hand and said, "Get up."

The Azure Phoenix stood tall, its entire body almost completely blending into the darkness.

A long silence fell over the pavilion. Qingluan had no idea what Song Yan was thinking, but as was her long-standing habit, she would not express any opinions before her superior gave an order.

Like a beautifully crafted doll.

It's cruel, but I've gotten used to it.

Compared to that, Gu Banxia's current life is something she probably never dared to imagine.

Although it was just a fleeting glimpse before, it was clear that Song Yan doted on Gu Banxia.

This silence lasted for a long time until Song Yan suddenly spoke, finally breaking the stillness: "Was this arranged by His Majesty?"

Song Yan confirmed it one more time.

"Yes."

"Then why did you climb through the window? Couldn't you have just come in openly?" Song Yan asked curiously.

Qingluan looked a little embarrassed. She could only say that Song Yan's reputation as a butcher was too contemptible, and she was worried that she might accidentally offend him and lose her head. That's why she sneaked in, hoping that with her relationship with Gu Banxia, ​​she could learn something from Gu Banxia, ​​such as what taboos Song Yan had, so as not to lose her life.

Who would have thought that as soon as they climbed through the window, they would see the two of them lying together in bed.

What's the big deal about this?
Gu Banxia got herself into serious trouble while carrying out this mission.

Since I'll be following this prince consort from now on, will I have to sleep with him too?

Qingluan was lost in thought.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Song Yan didn't press her for an answer, but instead changed the subject: "Gu Banxia is a top-tier bodyguard, and you're a human-tier bodyguard. How many bodyguards are there in the Imperial City Guard, and what do they do?"

"The Imperial City Guard is divided into three categories: Heaven, Earth, and Man."

"The Heavenly Guards are the secret guards, responsible for protecting those whom His Majesty cares about. The Imperial Palace is the headquarters of the Heavenly Guards, and most of the Heavenly Guards are hidden in the Imperial Palace. There are also secret guards around Her Highness the Eldest Princess and Her Highness Prince Jin."

"The Earth Division assassins are among the most bloodthirsty people in the Imperial City Division."

"The Intelligence Division of the Human Resources Department is mainly responsible for the collection, analysis and transmission of intelligence."

Upon hearing this, Song Yan's eyes suddenly lit up.

Just yesterday, I was discussing with Liu Yisheng about setting up a secret service, and I didn't expect it to be delivered here so soon. This has solved Song Yan's urgent problem.

Of course, these were secret agents belonging to Emperor Ninghe.

They say they're following my orders, but in reality, it's probably more about surveillance.

Perhaps it was the presence of the black-armored warriors that caught Emperor Ninghe's attention?

Song Yan smiled. He could roughly understand Ning Hedi's thoughts. He wanted to use him to restrain the Yang family, Xilin Academy, and Bailu Academy, so as to create some opportunities for him, but he did not want to become the next Yang family.

Emperors are all very thoughtful.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard still needed to be established eventually, but the appearance of Qingluan bought some time for its creation.

A slight smile curved her lips: "Speaking of which, since you have intelligence, you must know a lot of things, right? Are you familiar with the affairs of the court?" Qingluan glanced at Song Yan, then lowered her eyes again: "I know a little."

"In that case, do you know when the court will issue its decision on Qian Yaozu?" Song Yan asked casually, tapping his finger lightly on the table.

Qingluan bit her lip: "The court has no intention of dealing with Qian Yaozu."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qingluan felt a gust of cold wind, an indescribable chill that made her skin crawl with goosebumps.

Her throat felt dry, and she furtively raised her head to glance at Song Yan. Song Yan's expression, which had been relatively normal, turned extremely gloomy after hearing those words. She didn't understand; Song Yan was only a fifth-rank martial artist, while she was an eighth-rank.

Why can I sense such a bone-chilling coldness from Song Yan?

My body was almost frozen stiff.

The howling night wind seemed to transform into the wailing of a vengeful ghost.

"Not going to deal with Qian Yaozu?" Song Yan's voice was slightly cold: "If I remember correctly, the memorial I had the Princess and Fang Hai prepare was quite comprehensive, even including evidence. Qian Yaozu privately negotiated peace with the Jurchens, even plundered the already scarce grain in Pingyang Prefecture, and captured women from Ningguo to be abused by the Jurchens. Such scum, and the court is not going to deal with him?"

As Song Yan spoke, a chilling wind swept through the surroundings.

Qingluan's previously rosy face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color: "Reporting to the Prince Consort, the official memorials were blocked before they even entered the Ministry of Personnel."

"Even the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Fang De, was unaware of the existence of these memorials."

Song Yan slowly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Fang De had also been sidelined quite a bit.

Although he was the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, memorials and other documents still had to go through his subordinates before being presented to Fang De. It was likely that someone from the Xilin Academy in the Imperial Secretariat might have seen a memorial that was unfavorable to Qian Yaozu and simply removed it.

"And what about His Majesty?"

"The memorial was submitted in duplicate. One copy was sent to the Ministry of Personnel, and the other was delivered directly to Emperor Ninghe through the Princess's channels. Does Emperor Ninghe intend to turn a blind eye to it?" Song Yan raised an eyebrow, his tone becoming somewhat impolite.

Qingluan secretly swallowed. This man really dares to say anything.

After a brief hesitation, Qingluan spoke again: "Reporting to the Prince Consort, His Majesty has instructed me to convey an oral decree to you. Ning is currently beset by internal and external troubles. Although Qian Yaozu has committed heinous acts, Ning is currently incapable of waging war against the Jurchens."

"Once His Majesty stabilizes the situation, he will surely cut Qian Yaozu into a thousand pieces."

Song Yan could probably understand Emperor Ninghe's thoughts.

It was not easy to gather these few thousand soldiers. Although the previous campaign to suppress the Japanese pirates had yielded impressive results, it relied heavily on intrigue and trickery. Once the Jurchens attacked the city, it would be a head-on battle.

Emperor Ninghe really didn't want to see his already limited resources go to waste at this time.

Clearly, in Emperor Ninghe's heart, preserving the Luo family's empire was the most important thing, and the common people could only take a backseat to the empire.

After all, it's good for ordinary people to suffer a little.

This is how it came about in every dynasty.

Song Yan couldn't blame Emperor Ninghe for anything. This should be perfectly normal for an emperor. Even those emperors who are remembered throughout history would choose the country and the people without hesitation.

But... he wasn't the emperor.

He was just a transmigrator who wanted to make a small change to this world within his capabilities.

His eyelids drooped, and the coldness on Song Yan's face gradually dissipated, replaced by an indifferent coldness: "How many people do you have under your command?"

"Thirteen people."

"Send them all out to investigate Prince Fu and the eight great families of Jin."

Qingluan glanced at Song Yan with some surprise. She was from the Imperial City Guard, which was directly under the Emperor. How could she let the Imperial City Guard investigate a prince?
"As for you, return to Dongling and deliver a message for me."

"First, the Wugulun tribe, 20,000 Jurchens, were wiped out."

hiss.

Qingluan's body trembled slightly. She knew that this evil star would not be so peaceful in Liaodong, but she never expected that in less than a month, he would wipe out an entire Jurchen tribe.

Extermination of the clan?

That included men, women, young and old—not a single one was spared.

Only this butcher could do something like this.

"Secondly, I'm determined to take Qian Yaozu's life. Even if Daojun or Buddha came, it wouldn't make a difference. I'm telling you."

Qingluan let out a heavy sigh. As a squad leader of the "Human" class, Qingluan was very clever. She knew very well that when these contents were handed over to His Majesty, they should be slightly embellished. It would be too presumptuous to simply relay them like this.

She could see even more clearly that the purpose of the Prince Consort sending her to deliver the message was to give His Majesty enough time to figure out how to clean up Qian Yaozu's mess after his death.

After all, this was the governor of a prefecture.

Killing a prefectural governor without authorization, even executing his entire clan would not be excessive.

"Finally, when we get to Dongling, could you check Lu... never mind, no need."

Lu Yuanzheng is likely a deeply hidden mole planted by Prince Fu, especially in a sensitive place like Dongling. It's possible that their relationship has long been completely severed, and investigating at this point would yield no results.

"Then I shall take my leave for now." Qingluan bowed respectfully. "If there is any news, they will contact Sister Banxia."

After speaking, Qingluan gradually retreated until she was completely swallowed up by the darkness.

Just after Qingluan left, another figure appeared silently behind Song Yan; it was Hua Lianyue.

Hua Lianyue sensed Qingluan's presence when it appeared, but since Qingluan remained hidden in the darkness and showed no intention of threatening her husband, she did not make a move.

The tall figure slowly walked up behind Song Yan, her long arms encircling his neck. Her hands rested on his chest, gently circling them, causing a slight tickle.

"Is my husband very angry?"

A soft, gentle voice rang in my ears.

"Kind of."

"The emperor of Chu can be described as wise and powerful, but if faced with a situation like that of Ning, he would probably make the same choice."

“I understand…” Song Yan grinned, “But I’m not the emperor… But then again, what kind of emperor am I if I can’t even protect my own people?”

Hua Lianyue slowly moved into Song Yan's arms and nestled against his chest.

Although she was older than Song Yan, Hua Lian Yue didn't mind occasionally making more intimate gestures, gently stroking the man's face with her delicate white hands.

Butcher?

A good person?

Hua Lianyue was even a little curious about which side was her husband's true appearance.

That's incredibly audacious; to utter such blasphemous words.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"where to?"

"Returning to Chu is too abrupt this time, and there are still some things that need to be arranged." Hua Lianyue pursed her lips and said, "If possible, I'd like to see if I can bring my disciple with me."

"Although the cold poison in her body is not as severe as mine, it is still extremely difficult to endure."

Song Yan felt somewhat helpless.

It seems no one asked for my opinion; everyone's treating me like a cure-all, right?

"And what about you? How is your cold poison now?"

"Although I am not fully recovered, at least I will get through this."

Song Yan chuckled: "In that case, let's dispel the cold poison one last time before we part."

A slight blush rose on Hua Lianyue's pretty face, as if she were a little shy, but she did not refuse in the end. Her small hands simply gripped Song Yan's arm tightly.

He picked up the beauty in his arms and walked straight to the room not far away.

This time, the force was well controlled; at least the clothes didn't turn into pieces.

(End of this chapter)