Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 309 My Sister-in-Law Arrives (2)

Does my sister-in-law like me?

Winters in Liaodong are always windy; even at midday, the wind can feel chilly on your face.

That's mostly incorrect.

Thinking about my sister-in-law's appearance and temperament, she must be a cool and aloof fairy.

To be honest, Song Yan found it hard to imagine what it would be like for his sister-in-law to fall in love with a man.

But if the sister-in-law really falls in love with someone, just imagining her in a phoenix coronet and wedding robes, bowing to a strange man, makes her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

Song Yan frowned. He could sense that he had a possessive desire to keep his sister-in-law by his side... After a few moments, Song Yan suddenly laughed. If his mother-in-law knew what he was thinking, would she take a kitchen knife and chop his head off?

Nakhtoya, who was standing nearby, watched Song Yan's face first blankly, then laughing to herself, and felt a little curious.

Song Yan temporarily suppressed these strange thoughts in his heart. Feeling a bit hungry, he asked the kitchen to prepare two lunches. While eating, he saw Xue Ying and called the girl over. He flicked Xue Ying's head with his finger, warning her not to talk nonsense in the future. However, Xue Ying's smiling face showed that she probably didn't take it to heart.

Song Yan then sought out Liu Yisheng and instructed him to arrange for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to strengthen surveillance over officials at all levels in Pingyang Prefecture. He explained that other parts of Ningguo were already corrupt, and he did not want Pingyang Prefecture, which had been thoroughly cleansed, to also become corrupt.

When Liu Yisheng learned that the Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner and the Commandant of the Pass had been bribed, he was shocked. Even though he knew what kind of people the scholars in Ningguo were now, he could hardly imagine that in just a few dozen days, some scholars had been corrupted to such an extent, especially since Qian Yaozu had been subjected to the torture of combing and washing not long ago.

Are they really not afraid of death?
Or did they think that this man would never return after leaving Pingyang Prefecture?
After noon, Song Yan hired a coachman and headed to Pingyang Prefecture. Xueying and Dieyi, perhaps knowing that Song Yan would be gone for a long time, accompanied him. Along the way, Nahetuya remained as curious as ever, gazing at everything outside the carriage. Pingyang had recovered much of its vitality, and carriages traveling between the new queen and Pingyang City could occasionally be seen on the official road.

As we passed through some villages, wisps of smoke rose from chimneys, and children played. Perhaps because the cold snow had gotten into their necks, they cried out loudly.

Most of the houses have also been repaired.

Nakhtoya was filled with envy. Brick houses, or even mud houses, looked so much more comfortable than tents. Last night was probably the most comfortable night's sleep she'd had since she was old enough to understand things. The smooth bed, the soft mattress, and the warm blankets were comforts she could never experience in the Jurchen tribes... And those thick walls meant she no longer had to worry about wolves or even bears tearing the tent open in the middle of the night. That sense of security was something she had never experienced before.

Nakhtoya's face darkened when she occasionally saw some burned-down houses.

She knew that it was the remnant of the Jurchen raids.

This place is closer to the south than Haixi, so the temperature is slightly higher. Plus, the carriage sheltered us from the cold wind, making the interior quite warm. Along the way, Xueying and Dieyi chattered away, talking about what had happened in Xinhou County while Song Yan was away.

Every now and then, there would be a clear, crisp laugh, like that of a bird.

Nahetuya always felt that although Xueying and Dieyi were just maids, they showed little fear when facing Master Song Yan, and seemed quite relaxed.

There were far fewer corpses on the road; most of them were collected by the survivors, who couldn't bear to see their relatives, friends, or neighbors lying dead in the wilderness.

The carriage swayed and rocked.

As the sun set, they finally arrived near Pingyang City.

The mountain of corpses still stands.

With the weather so cold, digging up graves is extremely difficult. Luo Yuheng plans to wait until next spring to find a place to bury all the remains. Seeing this mountain of corpses, even Nahetuya, who is not usually fearless, turned pale, her pupils trembling as she looked at Song Yan.

Song Yan nodded: "They probably died because the Jurchens broke through the pass."

Nakhtoya shuddered, her face turning even paler. Now she finally understood why Song Yan had been so ruthless when he was with the Jurchen people, killing men, women, and children indiscriminately.

With such hatred, they are capable of anything.

Her teeth were clenched, and she felt a chilling wind blowing in her face. She only felt slightly better after leaving the vicinity of the mountain of corpses. She said softly, "Master, if only there were no wars in this world."

Nakhtoya's way of addressing Song Yan kept changing. At first, she called him General Song, then Master, and now she called him Lord... Not knowing the customs of the Central Plains, she asked Xueying. Xueying then said that in the Central Plains, a wife can be called Husband, while a concubine or maid is called Lord.

Song Yan already had a legal wife, so her position was somewhat awkward, but Nakhtoya felt that calling him "Master" was perfectly acceptable. Song Yan didn't notice Nakhtoya's form of address, and upon hearing her words, he simply smiled slightly: "When the Jurchens, Japanese pirates, and Xiongnu stop raiding, then we probably won't have to fight anymore."

Nakhtoya's expression was somewhat subdued. Sometimes she felt that plundering was an instinct of the Jurchen people; when they saw something they liked, their first thought was probably to seize it and make it their own. She had personally witnessed invading other tribes even in the summer when food was plentiful, stealing grain, tents, women... just like a pack of wild beasts.

Before they knew it, they arrived at the city gate. Upon seeing that it was Song Yan's garrison, they immediately let them pass. These garrison soldiers had previously followed Song Yan in crushing the Hao Shi tribe. Just yesterday, after Song Yan returned, Liu Yisheng immediately sent someone to inform the Princess and the military camp. As a result, almost everyone in Pingyang Prefecture now knows that Song Yan led four thousand cavalrymen to trample the royal court.

Therefore, the soldiers looked at Song Yan with burning adoration and admiration.

If it weren't for the duty of defending the city, and not wanting to delay his general's reunion with his family, he would have stopped them no matter what, and asked the general what it felt like to trample the royal court. After entering the city, Song Yan did not go straight to the governor's mansion, but instead told the coachman, "Go to Guyang Tower."

About fifteen minutes later, a three-story pavilion appeared before them, with red peach charms hanging on both sides of the gate, as if asking for good fortune.

Looking up, the signboard of Guyang Tower gleamed in the setting sun.

It can be considered a long-established brand in Pingyang Prefecture.

Song Yan alighted from the carriage. Nahetuya, Dieyi, and Xueying, knowing that Song Yan had important business to attend to, obediently followed behind without making a fuss. It wasn't yet dinner time, but there were already quite a few diners in the main hall. With the New Year holidays just over, people were probably more willing to spend money than usual. Occasionally, bursts of laughter could be heard, making the large hall unusually noisy.

Upon seeing Song Yan, many people recognized him and their faces immediately lit up with joy. They stood up as if to pay their respects. Since the execution of Qian Yaozu was a public affair, many people knew Song Yan. He quickly put a finger to his lips and said, "Shh."

He wanted to see what kind of deal the Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner and Commandant Guan of Pingyang Prefecture wanted to make with the Fan family. He couldn't let others interfere. The people probably guessed what was going on. They smiled awkwardly and sat down, but their eyes were full of curiosity.

"Manager, are there any officials dining upstairs?" Song Yan walked up to the manager and asked in a gentle voice.

The shopkeeper, beaming, said, “There are two. One is quite young and is in room number one on the third floor. He is accompanied by a middle-aged man in fine clothes, who should be a merchant.”

That's them.

Normally, neither restaurants nor inns would sell guests' information unless they encountered officials or had a knife to their throats. Coincidentally, Song Yan was the highest-ranking official in Pingyang Prefecture, and he was capable of beheading people. Therefore, the innkeeper felt no psychological pressure at all when he betrayed his guests.

"When did you come?"

"We're still exchanging pleasantries, and I reckon we haven't had time to get down to business yet." The innkeeper had seen this kind of thing many times. Some officials and merchants often discussed important matters in the private rooms of restaurants and brothels. However, most of these people liked to maintain a self-proclaimed elegant demeanor. They would first exchange pleasantries for a long time, and only after a few rounds of drinks would they gradually begin to get down to business. Sometimes, this would even take several days.

"However, if Your Excellency wants to eavesdrop on their conversation, I'm afraid it won't work. That merchant is very generous; he has booked the entire third floor of my small shop. There are guards at the stairwell and two people at the door."

Song Yan frowned. Are all these people so careful when they do bad things?

As expected of a businessman, he's got a lot of cunning.

Compared to others, Song Yan felt that Song Zhen, Yang Miaoqing, and others were easier to deal with. If all else failed, the Jurchens would also work, as they were all the type who had some brains but not much.

It seemed impossible to eavesdrop at the door or next door, so Song Yan looked up at the ceiling, wondering if the rooftop would be an option.
Three floors! With his mediocre skills, he probably couldn't get up there.

Song Yan misses her sister-in-law a little.

When my sister-in-law is by my side, I don't have to worry about such trivial matters. With her light-footed skills, she can easily climb two more floors, let alone three.

Luo Tianyi was Luo Yuheng's personal bodyguard. Although he didn't show his face much, he spent the most time with Song Yan. So much so that Song Yan immediately thought of his sister-in-law and even forgot that Luo Tianxuan's kung fu was better than Luo Tianyi's.

That's what he thought, and that's what he muttered to himself: "Tsk, if only Tianyi were here."

"My brother-in-law is looking for me, is there something you need?"

Just then, a familiar yet cool voice suddenly came from behind, and Song Yan's previously somewhat disappointed eyes suddenly lit up.

"Tianyi?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with joy.

Turning around, a familiar pretty face appeared before me.

As always, she was dressed in white, looking ethereal and otherworldly.

Holding a long sword in her arms, she looked every bit the female knight-errant roaming the martial world.

A breeze blew in from outside the gate, ruffling Luo Tianyi's long hair behind her back. A few strands of hair drifted to the front, tucking into the corner of her mouth, their slightly disheveled appearance exuding a captivating charm.

Song Yan didn't even notice that the corners of his mouth had turned up, and even the original repression and worry in his heart disappeared completely the moment he saw Luo Tianyi.

Sure enough, he... might have some feelings for Luo Tianyi.

(End of this chapter)