Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 265 Husband, Let's Consummate Our Marriage (7,000 words)
I have to say, Xilin Academy really knows how to have fun.

Unbeknownst to many, all 132 officials in Pingyang City were replaced with Jinshi graduates from Xilin Academy. What was the purpose of this?
Treason?

Is this Pingyang City the Pingyang of Ningguo, or the Pingyang of Xilin Academy?
The officials did not doubt that the contents of the memorial were fake. As long as they found the resumes of these officials, everything would be clear. Looking at the sweaty appearance of Lü Chentao and the others, the truth was self-evident.

They even dared to intercept memorials targeting Xilin Academy within the imperial court… What is this? This is forming a faction.

It's not that you can't form factions; the Yang family also forms factions, even more so than the Xilin Academy.

But the Yang family has powerful backers, with connections in the court and the harem. Even if they formed a faction, Emperor Ninghe couldn't deal with it and could only turn a blind eye.

But what is your Xilin Academy anyway?
Indeed, many scholars graduated from Xilin Academy, but most of them held low-ranking official positions. The Six Ministries Vice Ministers were already the highest-ranking officials. To think that they could protect all the officials of Xilin Academy based solely on these positions was clearly wishful thinking and they were simply not qualified.

Moreover, what the Xilin Academy did was even more outrageous than what the Yang family did. Sending money, grain, and women to the Jurchens was an insult to the nation's dignity; for this alone, the deaths of Qian Yaozu and his 133 officials were not unjust. And that wasn't all; they fabricated false evidence and used the court to unjustly execute the entire families of Generals Liang Youde and Dou Xian, who died fighting for their country, causing the entire Ningguo court, including Emperor Ninghe, to lose face.

Given all this, if you don't die, who will?

Many people were relieved that they hadn't said anything, otherwise they might have been seen as a crony of Xilin Academy.

Fang De's voice continued:
“Qian Yaozu, in the name of the governor, issued an order for me to go to Pingyang City. Although I knew there was a trap involved, I still went alone.”

“Outside Pingyang City, one could see mountains of corpses.”

"Upon arriving in Pingyang City, Qian Yaozu learned that the envoy had been intercepted and killed by me. Fearing that the matter would be exposed, he brazenly mobilized a law enforcement team composed of local ruffians in an attempt to eliminate me. Upon arriving in Liaodong, I fell seriously ill due to the change in environment. Her Highness the Princess, concerned for my health, sent a thousand Japanese soldiers to Liaodong to visit me. Just then, Qian Yaozu ambushed and killed me from the side, and I escaped death."

"After the princess revealed her identity, Qian Yaozu not only refused to lay down his weapons and surrender, but also promised a large sum of money to his local ruffians in an attempt to capture the princess alive and send her to the Jurchen tribe. Zhang Zhen, the general of the Pingyang City government troops, was very dissatisfied with Qian Yaozu's evil deeds. He took the opportunity to attack from behind and, with their combined efforts, finally captured Qian Yaozu alive."

"Upon entering the city, one sees a living hell. The people in the city have long been without food to fill their stomachs, and many die of starvation every day. The mountains of corpses outside the city are the remains of the starving people. Those who are about to die are surrounded by crowds, who will divide and eat them as soon as they breathe their last. There are even people who exchange their own children to eat."

“There are signs of unrest in the city. Your humble servant has no choice but to act decisively to arrest the remaining 132 officials and confiscate their property.”

"A total of 1,478,762 taels of silver and 300,000 shi of grain were obtained. All the grain in the Pingyang Prefecture granary was divided up by the officials."

"The silver has been sealed in chests and will soon be sent to the Eastern Mausoleum. The grain will be used to set up soup kitchens. Under these special circumstances, I have no choice but to take special measures and publicly execute all officials in Pingyang City to appease public anger, quell public grievances, and stop the unrest."

"During the search of the governor's mansion, several letters between Qian Yaozu and the Jurchen Great Khan were found, as well as a golden knife that the Jurchen Great Khan had bestowed upon Qian Yaozu as evidence. The mountain of corpses outside Pingyang City can also serve as evidence."

The rest of the memorial was mostly a plea for forgiveness for his insubordination and the unauthorized killing of 133 officials. At this point, the memorial ended.

An eerie silence fell over the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The officials looked at the kneeling Xilin Academy officials with admiration in their eyes.

Good heavens, what in this world are you guys afraid to do?

Embezzling government granaries.

Tens of thousands of people starved to death.

They even wanted to capture the eldest princess and send her to the Jurchens?

Are you guys trying to turn the world upside down?

Even the Yang family isn't as arrogant as you. Even when the Yang family tried to assassinate the eldest princess, they only dared to bribe assassins. But you two are so arrogant, as if you want the whole world to know.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the old foxes were all pondering rapidly.

They finally understood why Emperor Ninghe's behavior had become increasingly assertive recently. Undoubtedly, after eliminating many officials of Xilin Academy, Pingyang Prefecture was now under Song Yan's control, with the Eldest Princess in charge.

The whole "seriously ill" story about the princess visiting him is pure nonsense. It was probably all pre-arranged by both sides to transfer Song Yan's former elite troops, capable of annihilating tens of thousands of Japanese pirates, to Pingyang under a legitimate pretext, so that they could return to Song Yan's command.

In addition, there were more than 10,000 soldiers.

Only with an army in hand can one speak with authority. Ten or twenty thousand men may not seem like many, but they are all elite troops capable of winning battles against overwhelming odds. If they truly wished to do something, they could march from Pingyang to Langya, and the passes along the way would likely be difficult to stop them. Even if they couldn't wipe out the Yang family, inflicting heavy losses on them would be no problem. If Song Yan were given a few more years, his troops could double in number, and Emperor Ninghe's position would become even more secure.

Although the matter was concerning Xilin Academy, at this moment, anyone could sense that the situation in the imperial court had subtly changed.

Yang Hetong frowned slightly and remained silent throughout, leaving no one knowing what the old fox was thinking.

Finally, Emperor Ninghe's voice broke the silence of the court once again: "Lü Chentao, tell me, is this the upright and honest hero you speak of who blocked the Jurchens?"

"Is this the model official you spoke of who sheltered refugees, saved countless lives, and brought blessings to all people?"

Emperor Ninghe's voice carried boundless pressure, and Lü Chentao trembled and dared not speak.

"Issue an imperial decree that all officials who defended Qian Yaozu and demanded punishment for Song Yan in the court today shall be stripped of their official positions and imprisoned in the imperial prison."

"The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate are hereby ordered to conduct a joint trial. If any acts of embezzlement, bribery, favoritism, or perversion of justice are found, the offender shall be executed."

"Yang Hetong, the Grand Secretary, Fang De, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and the Grand Secretary of the Chancellery, listen to my command: investigate all officials from the Xilin Academy in Ningguo. Those who have violated the law or committed evil deeds shall be dealt with severely, and those whose crimes are serious may be executed first and reported later."

"The four vacant positions can be filled by the best candidates!"

This statement caused an uproar.

Although it was already known that Xilin Academy would suffer a severe blow this time, no one expected it to be this terrifying. Xilin Academy has produced a large number of officials, and this time at least several hundred people will lose their official positions.

If not controlled properly, it could cause turmoil throughout the entire Ning Kingdom.

Strangely, neither Yang Hetong nor Fang De, the two Attendants-in-Ordinary, offered any advice; instead, they obediently accepted the Emperor's order.

After a little thought, it became clear. The purge of all officials at Xilin Academy would inevitably leave many positions vacant, most of which might be minor officials like county magistrates, but these would still represent an extension of their influence.

Moreover, the vice ministers of the Six Ministries and the officials under the Secretariat wield considerable power.

Emperor Ninghe then ordered these four to be replaced by the best of the best, which was a division of interests, with Xilin Academy being the meat on the chopping block.

Yang Hetong represents the Yang family and other aristocratic clans, Fang De represents the royalists and Emperor Ninghe, and the two attendants represent Bailu Academy.

In this way, everyone is happy.

In order to successfully divide this power, even the Yang family, who are at odds with the imperial power, will be dealt with by Bailu Academy in every possible way to suppress any potential chaos.

"The Ministry of Rites is hereby ordered to investigate all registered scholars of Xilin Academy who hold official titles, whether they are Xiucai, Juren, or Jinshi. If it is found that they have abused their titles for wrongdoing, their titles shall be stripped, they shall never be employed again, and their descendants for three generations shall be barred from taking the imperial examinations."

“All students of Xilin Academy are barred from participating in next year’s spring imperial examination. Those who report such cases will be exempt from punishment.”

A murmur of whispers arose all around.

They've dug it up by the roots!

Emperor Ninghe's methods are truly brilliant. There are too many students at Xilin Academy. Directly canceling all their qualifications for the imperial examinations will inevitably cause unrest. If they are not canceled, Xilin Academy will probably make a comeback in a few years.

However, disqualification now leaves a loophole, allowing whistleblowers to escape punishment... This creates an internal conflict, and as long as Xilin Academy is not monolithic, it will be easy to suppress.

The officials had no objections to this, as fewer competitors meant a greater chance for their sons to pass the imperial examinations. Even those with sons studying at Xilin Academy dared not show their talents at this time, fearing they would be labeled as members of Xilin Academy's faction.

"Furthermore, the Secretariat is drafting imperial edicts."

"Song Yan, the Viscount of Ningping, has rendered great service to the nation by suppressing the Jurchen tribes, quelling the chaos, guarding the border, protecting the prestige of the country, eliminating treacherous officials, and calming the people's unrest. He is hereby granted a jade belt, a reward of one million gold coins, and the title of Earl of Pingyang!"

In less than a year, his title was promoted three ranks.

This is probably the fastest promotion of a noble title in the history of Ningguo.

"Since Pingyang Prefecture is temporarily without a prefect, Song Yan, the Earl of Pingyang, is hereby ordered to temporarily assume the position of prefect. He may make his own decisions on all matters within Pingyang Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Yang Hetong suddenly looked up, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy old eyes, and his mouth was already open, as if he wanted to say something.

But at that moment, Emperor Ninghe also looked over.

Their eyes met, and sparks seemed to flicker beneath them.

This strange situation lasted for quite some time. Finally, Yang Hetong sighed, took a step back, lowered his eyes again, and looked drowsy, as if nothing had happened.

Yang Hetong ultimately compromised.

The current Emperor Ninghe is no longer someone who can be easily manipulated as before.

He already has a trump card that can overturn the table with the Yang family.

Emperor Ninghe made it clear that he intended to hand over Pingyang Prefecture to Song Yan, or even Princess Luo Yuheng, and not allow other forces to interfere. In this way, the Princess and her son-in-law would be in charge of the northernmost part of Ning Kingdom, and Prince Jin would be in charge of the southernmost part.

Most importantly, both of them held a certain amount of military power.

This was a situation that Yang Hetong certainly did not want to see.

Even if Yang Hetong wanted to plant his own people in Pingyang Prefecture, they would likely all die. With the power Song Yan wielded, killing someone in the freezing cold would be incredibly easy. The previous division of Xilin Academy was a gesture of appeasement towards the Yang family. If Yang Hetong insisted on opposing it now, not only would it fail to change Song Yan's control of Liaodong, but it would also likely lose even this small appeasement.

This young man has already established his dominance!
Suddenly, a wave of regret washed over Yang Hetong.

Perhaps we should have eliminated Song Yan at all costs some time ago. Who would have thought that a son-in-law who was once not taken seriously and was only considered to have a little cleverness and ability could grow to such a level in such a short time?

It's too late to nip it in the bud now.

It seems the clan will have to change its strategy towards Song Yan.

……

The nineteenth year of Ninghe.

The fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The setting sun casts its glow.

Golden light filtered through the trees, casting a slightly dazzling glow over the pristine white snow. Walking the streets of Pingyang City, Luo Tianxuan was beside her, but her sister-in-law was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she felt her sister was stronger, and with her sister here, her brother-in-law no longer needed her protection. Luo Tianyi likely used this free time to practice her swordsmanship.

Of all the people Song Yan had seen in the world over the years, Luo Tianyi was the most diligent and hardworking in martial arts cultivation.

Most women in Ningguo spend their days reading in their boudoirs. Although women's status in this world is not high, it is not yet the Ming and Qing dynasties. Although there are no special academies for women, reading is not considered immoral. Even women who do not read books can play the zither or do embroidery. There are indeed few women like Luo Tianyi who are so proficient in martial arts.

But it is precisely because of this that the sister-in-law stands out and becomes even more charming.

Yang Siyao didn't accompany him either. Luo Yuheng had arranged for Yang Siyao to be transferred from Xinhou County, and he had a lot of things to take care of, so he didn't have the time.

Gu Banxia, ​​Kong Chan, and the other maids were nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps feeling that her son-in-law was finally able to get along with the young lady, she decided not to do anything that would be an eyesore.

Song Yan and Luo Tianxuan were not talkative people, but even just walking side by side, there was a special kind of warmth between them.

There were few pedestrians on the streets. The Jurchens were massacring people, and many were starving or dying of disease. In just a few months, the population of Pingyang Prefecture had been severely reduced. Song Yan had roughly checked the population and found that it had decreased by at least half compared to the previous household registration data.

A prefecture city, with half its population, would probably have several hundred thousand people.

Most families have lost loved ones. The disaster is over, but life must go on.

Perhaps it was the execution of Qian Yaozu and his officials that gave the people hope, because smiles could still be seen on the faces of passersby from time to time, and children could be seen running in the streets from time to time, bringing bursts of laughter.

The road is slippery.

Paji.

Then she burst into tears. After crying for a while, she realized her parents weren't nearby, so she got up from the ground, wiped her tears, and went back to playing.

Whenever Song Yan saw such a scene, a hint of envy would well up in her eyes... Having lived two lives, she ultimately never had such a childhood.

Sometimes, when passersby saw Song Yan, they would bow respectfully and call him Earl, Lord, or Earl. Song Yan would respond with a smile, showing no airs of nobility. Occasionally, when he encountered some elderly people, he would even take the initiative to bow.

After all, most people in ancient times were superstitious. They said that only those with great virtue could live long lives and be blessed by Heaven. A seventy-year-old could be exempt from kneeling before officials, and a centenarian would be treated with respect by the emperor even if he entered the palace.

Just the day before yesterday, an imperial edict was issued, granting Song Yan the title of Earl of Pingyang for his meritorious service in quelling the civil unrest and slaughtering the Wugulun tribe.

For a remote place like Pingyang City, an imperial edict was a rare commodity, so almost all the people of Pingyang City came to watch. The governor's mansion was packed with people, three layers deep, a truly spectacular sight.

When they learned that Song Yan had been granted the title of Earl and temporarily appointed as the Prefect of Pingyang, many people were even happier than Song Yan himself. They knelt down in unison, kowtowing to express their gratitude to the Emperor. To these people, Song Yan was practically a benevolent ruler, and they were naturally overjoyed that he had been promoted.

Zhang Ci, the patriarch of the Zhang family, was also very pleased. He even declared that this was a great event for Pingyang Prefecture, worthy of universal celebration. The Zhang family then funded a grand banquet throughout Pingyang City… Given the current situation and the fact that it was being held in the entire city, the banquet was naturally not as lavish as usual, but they had somehow managed to find several hundred pigs, so there was plenty of meat on the table. At least for those who hadn't tasted meat in a long time, the meal was very enjoyable.

Song Yan roughly calculated that a single banquet would cost around 100,000 taels of silver.

The old man showed no pity whatsoever; on the contrary, he was delighted. He even brought his granddaughter over to offer toasts repeatedly. After a while, Song Yan learned the granddaughter's name; it seemed to be Zhang Yan, the same name as the empress of Emperor Zhu Youxiao of the Ming Dynasty. Although still young, only fifteen or sixteen, she was quite beautiful. Perhaps because the previous torture of being groomed was so horrific, Zhang Yan mistook Song Yan for some kind of demon. When they met, her face was pale, and she was filled with fear… This left Song Yan quite helpless. "I don't eat people," he thought, "why is she so afraid?"

In truth, Song Yan had never cared much about such pomp and circumstance; he was more concerned about the million-dollar reward… Sure enough, he had been overthinking it; the million-dollar reward was still just a million copper coins. However, a million copper coins was simply too much for the eunuchs to carry, so they converted it: one tael of silver equaled one thousand copper coins, and ten taels of silver equaled one tael of gold. Therefore, the eunuchs only brought a hundred taels of gold. Although it was glittering and very tempting, a hundred taels of gold ultimately made Song Yan feel that Emperor Ninghe was far too stingy.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at one of the Huang family's manors.

The Huang family owns many properties in Pingyang City.

With the downfall of the Huang family, these properties were confiscated by the imperial court... which meant they belonged to Song Yan as the temporary governor.

The manor covers a vast area, at least several dozen acres. At this moment, many people are busy working inside the manor; these are all commoners hired by Song Yan and Luo Yuheng.

Just like in Ningping County before, Song Yan did not choose simple disaster relief. The disaster relief food was only enough to sustain life. If you wanted to eat your fill or eat well, you could work.

And you still get paid.

Simple disaster relief is most likely to wear down one's spirit. Once the spirit is gone, even if one is still alive, one is nothing more than a walking corpse.

Earning food and money through manual labor brings a sense of psychological satisfaction, which may well be the source of hope.

Pingyang is considered the foundation.

Since they would likely be staying here for a long time, Song Yan planned to build a sugar-making workshop here as well.

In addition, they plan to build a spirits workshop.

In this era, the technology of distilling spirits had not yet been mastered, and the alcohol content of the liquor was relatively low. In the Central Plains, there was little business in high-proof liquor, and scholars and literati preferred fruit wine. However, in the harsh and cold Liaodong region, high-proof liquor had a good market.

Moreover, northern barbarian tribes such as the Jurchen and Xiongnu also had a great fondness for strong liquor.

War is war, and business is business. As long as the other side isn't completely destroyed, the business can continue. Most importantly, in this era without anti-inflammatory drugs, strong liquor can also kill bacteria and reduce infection.

The workshops also provided a place for many people to settle down and make a living.

This is just the beginning. If the opportunity arises, Song Yan also plans to build a fine salt workshop. Compared to white sugar and strong liquor, salt, a daily necessity, has a larger sales volume and a higher profit margin.

Unfortunately, it's too cold here, and even the blast furnaces can't maintain the temperatures required for iron smelting in winter.

With the Huang family's property confiscated, the land issue is resolved. The workshop is under construction and should be ready for production in about a month or two, by spring. With products, merchants will appear, and with sufficient profits, it's conceivable that the declining Pingyang City will soon regain its former prosperity.

Thinking this way, Song Yan felt somewhat happy.

The sun had completely set, and it was dark.

Inside the manor, the cook started banging on the iron basin, signaling that it was time for dinner. Everyone stopped what they were doing and happily crowded towards the makeshift kitchen.

Vegetable porridge.

Steamed cakes.

There was no meat, but they were already quite content. At least they were warm and had enough to eat, which was a rather luxurious life in those days. These people were still thin, and the torment of months of hunger would not be healed in just a few days, but the smiles on their faces were very infectious.

Unwittingly, a foreman spotted Song Yan, and happily ladled out two bowls of vegetable porridge and grabbed a few steamed buns as he ran over.

"My lord, what brings you here?"

"You are a great person. It's enough that we peasants are here to work."

"Are you hungry? Why don't you eat something first..."

As he spoke, he handed over the vegetable porridge and steamed buns he was holding.

Then she suddenly remembered Song Yan's current status. He was an earl, and eating such things was a bit too shabby. Besides, her hands were dirty... A bunch of peasants didn't care about cleanliness, but for an earl of such status, it was a bit inappropriate.

For a moment, his expression became a little awkward.

Song Yan didn't care about all that. He sat down on the threshold, took a bowl of vegetable porridge, picked up a steamed bun and started eating it. "You can have this bowl yourself. My wife is recuperating and shouldn't eat such salty food." He patted the threshold. "Sit down too."

The foreman was somewhat flattered and sat down on the other side of the threshold, eating in small bites. Despite being a burly man, he acted like a timid young wife.

Song Yan found it somewhat amusing, stretched his neck, and swallowed the steamed bun. Steamed buns are a bit different from regular steamed buns; they contain dried vegetables, wild greens, and other things, which can save some grain and fill your stomach.

"How's the situation here? Have you all received your wages? Are you all satisfied?"

"Replying to Your Excellency, we all get five copper coins a day. In these days, we can eat our fill and get paid for our work. The brothers are grateful to Your Excellency every day. These brothers used to be farmers who toiled in the fields. Now, their lives are much better than when they were toiling in the fields."

"The brothers are just worried that once the workshop is built, we'll lose this job," the foreman said honestly. Then, as if remembering something, he quickly added, "Your Excellency, don't worry. Even if we lose this job, the brothers will definitely not slack off. We'll definitely build the workshop as soon as possible."

Song Yan smiled and said, "Don't panic. Tell the brothers that after the workshop is built, those who want to stay and work can continue to stay. Don't worry about not having work."

The foreman was overjoyed.

The two chatted for a long time, and gradually the topic drifted away.

Luo Tianxuan watched quietly from the sidelines the whole time, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She felt that her husband was a very complicated person.

He could be ruthless when facing Huang Tianyang, easily destroying a family that had been passed down for hundreds of years.

He could feel a petty sense of triumph when faced with the Zhang family patriarch's flattery and praise.

He could openly express his dissatisfaction with Emperor Ninghe's stinginess.

They could sit on the doorstep and drink porridge and eat steamed buns with a craftsman, and even brag to him...

They are very casual, as if they don't care about status or dignity at all.

A long time passed before Song Yan patted his belly, stood up, bid farewell to the foreman, and walked towards the governor's mansion with a smile. Luo Tianxuan could tell that her husband was very happy.

This happiness comes from the depths of my heart.

She had only ever seen that smile on Song Yan's face when he saw those boxes and boxes of silver.

Why am I so happy?
She probably already knew the answer in her heart.

He smiled, stepped forward, and their fingers intertwined.

The bedroom was just ahead. In the courtyard of the governor's mansion, several plum trees grew, their petals particularly beautiful in the moonlight, just like Luo Tianxuan's pretty face.
"Ms. sir..."

"Ok?"

Let's consummate our marriage!

(End of this chapter)