Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 323 The Shameless Emperor Ninghe (1)

The false pretense could not last.

No longer resorting to underhanded tactics, neither Song Zhe nor Song Yan concealed the murderous intent hidden deep within their eyes.

Yang Miaoqing, Song Yun, and Song Zhen are all dead. He probably won't let the rest of the Yang and Song families go either, but he didn't have the chance before. Now that they've met in Dongling City, it would be unreasonable not to send Song Zhe to the underworld to reunite him with his mother and brothers.

This is a treacherous scumbag, a rat that walks in the gutter.

No matter when, he always hid behind others, like a puppeteer, manipulating others to charge into battle for him and risk their lives for him through those invisible threads.

Just like Yang Ming, whose head was cut off.

Just like the disaster victims who once gathered in Ningping County, how many of them died on the road?

For Song Zhe, the lives of these people were probably insignificant. As long as he could achieve his goal, he would accept any sacrifice.

Song Yan didn't consider himself a good person. He had killed countless people of different races, regardless of age or gender. But at least he felt he had treated the people of Ningguo fairly well. As long as they weren't criminals or evildoers, he wouldn't take it too seriously even if they occasionally offended him.

But Song Zhe is different.

In Song Zhe's eyes, all life except himself was merely a tool to be fooled. If Song Zhe truly possessed the ability to remain behind the scenes and manipulate the game, that would be fine, but he simply didn't have that skill. Yet, he was self-righteous and arrogant, to the point that his series of actions made him nothing more than a ridiculous clown.

The orange sunlight fell on his face, which should have been warm, but the burly man next to him inexplicably felt goosebumps all over his body. The atmosphere at the scene was extremely oppressive, and he even felt that he could hardly breathe.

Silently, the burly man took another step back.

He was worried that if a fight broke out later, he might get covered in blood.

call.

Song Yan slowly exhaled, suppressing the violent killing intent in his chest.

Zong Zhe is dangerous, not because of Song Zhe himself, but because you have no idea how many strings are tied to his fingers, or how many puppets are on the other end of those strings.

Song Zhe was also fragile; he was just a thin, small scholar.

If Song Yan wanted to kill him, he only needed to take one step forward and easily snap Song Zhe's neck.

However, Song Yan did not do so.

Nonsense, the Imperial Guards are right next to us.

Even if Song Yan had the greatest courage, he wouldn't dare to kill people at will under these people's noses.

Although he has grown somewhat compared to before, he has not yet reached the point where he can do whatever he wants.

Even now, countless eyes are watching his back from places he can't see, observing his every move. If he were to kill Song Zhe at this moment, he would be handing those people a handle to use against him, giving them sufficient reason to publicly and justly execute him.

He wanted to kill Song Zhe, but it wasn't worth risking his own life for Song Zhe.

Even in Dongling City, Song Yan had to abide by the local rules.

Song Zhe gradually controlled the violence in his chest, and the ferocity dissipated. Apart from his still somewhat pale face, he had mostly returned to normal. He stared at Song Yan, and a faint smile actually appeared on his lips: "Song Yan, Song Yan, I have seen through you completely."

"what?"

see through?

My desire to kill you is written all over my face, do I need to read it?
"You're deliberately provoking me, aren't you?" Song Zhe said with a hint of smugness, as if he were proud of what he had discovered. "You want to kill me, but you can't do it. If you do, you'll inevitably be attacked by the Imperial Guards."

Song Yan was even more confused.

No, could this guy have lost his mind? It's obvious, why do you have to repeat yourself? He scratched his head suspiciously, and his gaze towards Song Zhe became more pitiful. What a pitiful kid. Originally, only his body was damaged, and now even his mind is damaged.

Song Zhe became even more smug: "So you have to deliberately provoke me. Once I can't take the provocation and lose control, I'll attack you. Then you'll have a legitimate reason to kill me, and even the Imperial Guards won't say anything."

"No need to pretend to be so clueless. I already understand your plan just from the way you glanced at the Imperial Guard."

"Truly shameless."

"However, I will absolutely not fall for it."

A black line appeared on Song Yan's forehead. No, I only glanced at the Imperial Guards, and you actually imagined so much.
Are you Dimitrius?

Song Yan felt somewhat helpless. He simply thought that since he couldn't kill Song Zhe, it would be good to humiliate him and have some fun verbally. He didn't have any ulterior motives. He had only just arrived in Dongling City and didn't know the rules there.

Seeing Song Yan's helpless expression, Song Zhe knew he had guessed correctly, and his smile deepened. Behind Song Zhe, the tall man had a strange expression, looking at Song Yan, then at Song Zhe... Good heavens, no wonder they're brothers, they're both shameless.

This Song Yan, he looks like a real man, but he's actually so despicable behind the scenes.

Song Zhe, who could deduce Song Yan's plan with just a glance, was no better off.

Those who scheme and plot have truly filthy hearts.

Although he wasn't stupid, he was ultimately a martial artist, and he was still quite inferior to these two in terms of strategy. Would it be bad to rashly get involved in the conflict between these two brothers?
Song Zhe let out a soft breath and said with a smile, "You just said that if you come, I'm going to die?"

"He does have a bit of arrogance."

"However, arrogance must be supported by strength. Your little tricks are simply not up to par. I want to see how you plan to kill me in Dongling City."

"My dear little brother."

"Sixth Brother, I'm waiting for you."

After leaving those words behind, Song Zhe glanced at the man beside him with a strange smile on his face, then turned and left.

Watching Song Zhe leave until his figure completely disappeared, Song Yan finally looked at the burly man not far away. The moment his gaze fell upon him, the burly man felt his body tense up, a chill running down his spine. He dared not meet Song Yan's eyes, and his gaze involuntarily drifted to the side. Then, feeling that his behavior was too cowardly, he coughed and said, "Ahem, Brother Song, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Mei Zicong, greetings!"

Mei Zicong?
Song Yan frowned slightly.

It turns out she shares the same surname as her mother. Perhaps because the surname Mei is rather rare, Song Yan couldn't help but think more about it.

Moreover, the Mei family, Old Master Mei, Duke of Lu?
So Mei Zicong is the heir of the Duke?

Thanks to the knowledge Fang Hai had imparted to him, Song Yan immediately recognized the other person upon hearing the name. A few thoughts flashed through his mind, and a smile appeared on Song Yan's face: "So it's Brother Mei. Brother Mei and my sixth brother are very close?"

Mei Zicong immediately shook his head like a rattle drum: "Brother Song, don't slander someone's innocence out of thin air."

“I have no relation to Song Zhe. We are just acquaintances because we both live in Dongling. Some time ago, he suddenly came to me and said that Brother Song might be the son of my deceased aunt, and that I might not be able to keep my position as heir.”

Song Yan suddenly raised an eyelid.

Good heavens, this Song Zhe is truly insidious and shameless.

Mei Zicong was adopted by Old Master Mei, not his biological son. If Old Master Mei's daughter were still alive, even as his grandson, she would be closer to him than Mei Zicong, his adopted son. Coupled with guilt and a compensatory mentality, Old Master Mei would very well have given up on Mei Zicong as his adopted son and chosen his grandson as his heir.

Once someone inherits the title of Duke, it signifies a lifetime of wealth and honor, and even for generations to come.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.

If Mei Zicong were to be provoked, he might actually take action against him. These people often prefer to believe something is true rather than not, leaving no room for even the slightest risk.

Is this Song Zhe's method?
Song Yan smiled and glanced at Mei Zicong: "Brother Mei, what is the meaning of telling me all this?"

Mei Zicong then smiled and said, "I just want to tell Brother Song that I have no ill intentions towards you and no intention of opposing you."

"Brother Song, you defeated the Japanese pirates on the coast and burned their camps on the grasslands of Haixi. As a martial artist, I admire you very much. Even my grandfather often said that whether the Ningguo martial arts lineage can rise again depends entirely on Brother Song. Now that Brother Song has arrived in Dongling, if there is an opportunity, I would like to invite you to the Duke's Mansion for a chat. I will gladly welcome you."

As he spoke, Mei Zicong cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Song Yan.

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, not expecting Mei Zicong to be so frank. He returned the greeting, saying, "Brother Mei is too kind. Thank you for the invitation. I will definitely visit you if I have the chance."

The two had no real relationship, so that was enough.

After bowing once more, Mei Zicong turned and left.

Song Yan silently watched Mei Zicong's back, lost in thought.

……

"This kid has gotten a bit arrogant since I last saw him a few months ago."

Inside the gate tower of Dongling City, a middle-aged man sat on a chair, watching the figures of Song Yan, Fang Hai, and others. He held a cup of fragrant tea in his hand, took a sip, and said this.

The middle-aged man appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with some gray hair and a somewhat haggard face, likely from many busy days; his eyes betrayed his weariness. Opposite him stood an elderly man in his sixties, with a Go board between them, containing black and white pieces. Upon closer inspection, one could see a resemblance between the old man and Fang Hai, who had just passed through the city gate.

On the side of the chessboard was a similarly aged man with a wrinkled face, but his aura was slightly effeminate. Hearing the middle-aged man's words, the effeminate old man smiled and said, "Young people, it's good to be a little impetuous. If you're always timid and cautious, it's quite boring."

The middle-aged man chuckled and scolded, "You old codger, it's rare to find someone who can actually speak well of others." He shook his head and looked at the old man opposite him, "Old Fang, what do you think of this young man?"

“He’s sharp-tongued and cunning, not someone to be trifled with.” Old Fang glanced at the city gate again. Under the blazing sun, a glaring crimson stain could still be seen—the blood Song Zhe had just coughed up. “The provocation tactic, though crude, was used perfectly just now.”

The middle-aged man smiled, put down his teacup, and looked out the door. The slightly slanted sunlight cast a small patch of light into the dimly lit room.
"I think that kid has a bad temper. He might just want to humiliate Song Zhe."

"Hehe, how could that be? Simple humiliation is meaningless. How could someone who has reached such a position do something so worthless?" The old man surnamed Fang shook his head, and a black piece was placed on the chessboard.

The middle-aged man sighed, "I do wish this kid wasn't so scheming, that he was simple-minded, or even better, a bit short-tempered."

"Do you think Yang Hetong knew that Song Yan had come to Dongling?"

The old man surnamed Fang held a chess piece and paused for a moment: "He should know that the Yang family has suffered several losses at the hands of this kid. However... Yang Hetong is someone who cherishes his reputation and would not do something like bullying the weak. But if the Song family kid really gives Yang Hetong a handle, he probably won't let the opportunity pass."

"Let them make a scene, the bigger the better. Dongling City has been dead for many years. Having a hothead like this stir things up might not be a bad thing." After a brief silence, the middle-aged man spoke again: "What about Song Zhe?"

"Just a self-righteous actor, a little clever but not much, and with little experience. He barely survived but doesn't know how to cherish it, so he's probably going to die."

Where is Mei Zicong?

"Though I am foolish, I have been wise this time."

"Is Song Yan's mother the daughter of the Mei family patriarch who died young?"

"I'm afraid only Old Master Mei himself knows the answer."

The middle-aged man picked up his teacup again and took a sip, his face showing some envy: "Speaking of which, this tea was also made by that kid, right? What kind of things are in his head? He always manages to come up with some strange and wonderful things."

"Strange skills and ingenious tricks are nothing but trifles!"

"I've heard that your Fang family made hundreds of thousands of taels of silver in just a few months by selling sugar and tea. A hundred thousand a month? You call that a small fry?"

"Rumors, these are all rumors, don't take them seriously... Those people only see that the Fang family makes money, but they don't know that the travel expenses are not a small amount either, just enough to make ends meet."

"Several hundred thousand is considered barely enough to make ends meet? That's truly despicable... However, it's time to give some people in your Fang family a good talking-to."

"I know."

The middle-aged man suddenly sighed: "Hey, this kid is really something. He clearly has such good stuff, but he doesn't know how to offer it to his father-in-law. Instead, it's benefited you and that old fox from the Cui family."

The old man surnamed Fang smiled without saying a word, and simply placed a chess piece down.

The middle-aged man's expression suddenly stiffened. He put down his teacup and slapped his forehead: "Look at my memory! I still have a lot of important things to deal with."

"I'll be leaving now. I'll play chess with Elder Fang later."

Watching Ninghe Emperor's hurried departure, Fang De was stunned: He was about to lose and then he ran away?

After being emperor for twenty years, how come this person is still so shameless?

(End of this chapter)