Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 331 Fang De's Plans (12,000 words)

Outside, the thunder gradually subsided.

The dark clouds hadn't dispersed, but the rain had stopped.

Many servants in the Fang family breathed a sigh of relief. Tomorrow was the Lantern Festival, a day for admiring lanterns and watching dragon and lion dances. If there was a downpour, the Lantern Festival would be ruined.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat tense, mostly due to dissatisfaction with Song Yan's seating arrangement.

Fang Hai didn't care about these things. To Fang Hai, although Song Yan's current status and position were nothing, his future was definitely limitless. If he didn't take advantage of the fact that the other party hadn't fully risen yet, he wouldn't have the chance to latch onto him once the other party reached a height that he himself had to look up to.

His face was originally full of smiles, but when he saw the woman behind Song Yan, Fang Hai's brows furrowed.

Song Yan didn't know who this woman was, but Fang Hai knew very well.

Fang Lingyu.

His second brother's daughter.

Her looks and figure are both quite good.

Although she was a concubine's daughter and her status was slightly lower, with the Fang family backing her up, no one dared to look down on her.

Not long ago, Fang Hai had also intended to introduce Fang Lingyu to Song Yan, even if it was just as a concubine; that would still be a marriage alliance, wouldn't it? This relationship, no matter what, would be closer than the uncle-niece relationship formed through Princess Gaoyang. Especially now that Princess Gaoyang had disappeared, and was very likely dead, the uncle-niece relationship was somewhat insincere. However, after learning about the sordid affair between Fang Lingyu and Fan Jiu'en from Song Yan, Fang Hai abandoned that idea.

Moreover, although Song Yan did not say it explicitly, he clearly suspected that someone in the Fang family wanted to use Fan Jiu'en to kill him, and Fang Lingyu was a key suspect among them.

Sending such a woman to Song Yan's side—was it a marriage alliance or a feud? Therefore, after his brothers returned home, Fang Hai found an opportunity to subtly tell his second brother that there was no need to arrange anything between Fang Lingyu and Song Yan anymore. To save Fang Lingyu's face, he didn't say it directly.

But to my surprise, it ended up like this.

It seems that after only a few months away from Dongling, my influence with the Fang family has diminished.

To be honest, Fang Hai didn't really care much about the title of Duke. After all, he was already a Marquis, and he was only two ranks away from becoming a Duke. As long as he stuck to Song Yan's coattails and made some military achievements, it was only a matter of time before he was granted the title of Duke. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen his second brother's daughter.

However, it was clear that his brothers were not as magnanimous as he was, and each of them was eyeing the position of heir apparent.

Is this an attempt to use Fang Lingyu to steal Song Yan away from her?

Ah.

idiot.

Fang De seemed oblivious to the atmosphere, his face beaming with smiles the entire time. Even after sitting down, he didn't let go of Song Yan's hand, first introducing the others to Song Yan with a smile.

Aside from Fanghai, they are Fangjiang, Fanghe, and Fanghu.

The way these names were chosen reminded Song Yan of Fan Dabiao, whose sons were named Fan Youqian, Fan Youcai, Fan Youjin, and Fan Youyin.

There are similarities in the same way.

Of course, the old man had more than just these sons; he also had several illegitimate sons, but they weren't allowed to sit at the table when entertaining important guests. After the introductions, the old man patted Song Yan's hand and said, "Song-ge'er, I've heard quite a bit about your story from my good-for-nothing son."

The term "brother" is often used by grandparents to address their grandchildren, signifying intimacy.

As for the good-for-nothing son, it was naturally Fang Hai. Being spoken to like that by his father at such an advanced age made Fang Hai somewhat embarrassed.

"Hey, our Ningguo's military is exhausted. In foreign wars, whether it's against Chu, the Xiongnu, the Jurchens, or the Japanese pirates, we've lost almost every battle, and our territory has shrunk year by year. After more than twenty years, we've finally produced someone as capable as you. That's excellent. Not only have you wiped out the Japanese pirates, but you've also subdued the Jurchens." Fang De's voice didn't seem as old as his face; it was full of vigor. "Now, our Ningguo can finally hold its head high."

“I heard that during the New Year’s festival, you and the prefect of Dingzhou, that guy named… Jiao… right, Jiao Junze, fought your way into the Jurchen territory? Tell me about it.”

Song Yan smiled, not being overly modest, and briefly recounted how he had led his army to wreak havoc on the Haixi Grassland before the Lunar New Year.

These words caused Fang Jiang, Fang He, Fang Hu, and even the women to have strange expressions.

The main problem is that Song Yan's victory was simply too exaggerated. Four tribes, that's probably tens of thousands of barbarians, right? Not to mention the Jurchen royal court, which has at least 100,000 barbarians. How could 30,000 troops achieve such a result? And they even split their troops into two groups. 30,000 troops, what a load of crap!

Although everyone knows that military generals embellish their battle reports, it is a tradition passed down from their ancestors.

But adding water doesn't mean you have to add the entire Yi-Luo River.

Fang De, on the other hand, had no doubts whatsoever. Upon hearing Song Yan's words, he exclaimed "Good!" three times, appearing quite pleased. His wrinkled old face beamed with joy. This smile was infectious, and even Song Yan couldn't help but smile as well: "The main thing is that the Wuji tribe of the Jurchens, also known as the royal court, had an internal conflict with the Anchegu tribe, one of the seven major tribes. It's probably because I destroyed the Wugulun tribe before that the Great Khan Wanyan Guangzhi mistakenly thought that it was the Anchegu tribe that did it. So he led the elites of various tribes to besiege Anchegu, which gave us the opportunity."

"In fact, although this beheading was good, most of the victims were the elderly, children, and women; the number of able-bodied men who were actually killed was not large."

Upon hearing this, the other brothers of the Fang family suddenly realized what was going on.

Then they saw Fang Jiang and Fang He, along with their two concubine daughters, all curling their lips in slight disdain. They really thought Song Yan had some ability, but all he knew was how to bully the old, young, and women.

That's truly despicable.

Fang De was quite satisfied. The worst thing for a commander to do is to be soft-hearted. When the Jurchens entered Ningguo's territory, how many old people and children did they kill, and how many women and children did they abduct? What's wrong with us killing some back?
This is called reciprocity.

Moreover, this kid is dishonest.

The idea that it was Anchegu who made it is probably just that this kid deliberately trying to stir up trouble and incite infighting among the Jurchens. The first attack on Jurchen territory was months ago, and the plan was already in place then. His mindset is truly remarkable.

"That's good."

"If more women and children are killed, fewer children will be born."

"If more children die, there will be fewer able-bodied men who can invade Ningguo in the future."

"This is a method of eliminating all offspring."

"Very good." Fang De nodded. After hearing this, Song Yan felt a little more favorably disposed towards the old man. Fang De was also a cultured man, but he didn't have a trace of the pedantry of a cultured man. Fang De sighed again: "Brother Song, do you think the Pingyang border will be peaceful for a few more years this time?"

Song Yan then held out a hand: "Five years." "Hmph." Fang Jiang couldn't help but laugh: "You just said that those killed were mostly the old, young, women and children, with almost no loss of able-bodied men. Once spring comes, those Jurchen barbarians can march south at any time. Five years of peace? Aren't you just being delusional?"

Song Yan wasn't angry, he just looked at Fang Jiang and then laughed: "I burned the Jurchen tribe's tents." He spread his hands, "All of them..."

"Heh, it's just a tent, the person is still alive."

Fang Hai remained expressionless, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Fanghe and Fanghu couldn't help but huff and puff.

As for Fang De, his face darkened. How could he have let this idiot sit at the table? He had listened to the teacher's lectures like his brothers when he was a child, and all that knowledge had gone to waste! How could he not understand something so straightforward? Helpless, Fang De could only sigh: "Fool, what kind of place is the Haixi Grassland? In winter, the mountains are covered in snow, and it's several times colder than Dongling."

"This year is exceptionally cold. Without tents to shield them from the wind and snow, how many people will freeze to death?"

"The tents have all been burned; how could the food inside have survived? How many more people will starve to death?"

"I estimate that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Jurchen people on the Haixi Grassland will suffer at least several hundred thousand casualties by the end of this winter."

hiss.

Upon hearing this, Fang Jiang gasped.

Fang Hu and Fang He both looked at Song Yan with strange eyes. A single fire could cause hundreds of thousands of casualties without even destroying weapons.

This guy has a vicious heart.

Fang Hu and Fang He instantly suppressed their hostility and contempt. Although they were dissatisfied with the relationship between Song Yan and their elder brother, they absolutely could not provoke this brat in front of them, as he was capable of anything.

Fang Jiang was the same; although he wasn't very smart, he understood that this person was not someone to be trifled with.

The Fang family motto is: when you should bow your head, you should bow your head; never try to be a hero when you're not.

This is not cowardice, this is following the heart.

If it weren't for this ancestral precept from the heart, the Fang family probably wouldn't have been able to pass it down for so many years.

However, as the traditions were passed down through generations, their influence inevitably diminished, at least among the grandchildren, few cared anymore. Fang De was overjoyed and insisted on having a big drink with Song Yan. He downed the wine in one gulp, and just as the cup hit the table, a slender hand reached out and refilled it. Fang De was pleased with this attentiveness. He looked at his granddaughter Lingyu, then at Song Yan: "Brother Song, how is Tianxuan's health? Why didn't she come back to Dongling with you?"

"My health has recovered to about 70-80%, but I have been suffering from illness for many years and am severely depleted. The long journey will inevitably be tiring and may cause my old illness to relapse, so I stayed in Pingyang."

“That’s true… However, it’s a bit inconvenient that you don’t have anyone to care for you. How about having Lingyu follow you around for the next few days so that someone can take care of you?” Fang De said, looking at Fang Lingyu behind Song Yan with a smile in his eyes.

Fang Hai's expression suddenly changed. Oh no, he hadn't had a chance to tell his father about this yet.

Fang Lingyu's face was flushed, and she looked shy and bashful.

Fang Jiang, Fang He, and Fang Hu all had different expressions, which was tantamount to indicating that they wanted to form a marriage alliance.

Song Yan's eyes narrowed suddenly. After a brief silence, he curled his lips into a wry smile, as if he were saying, "Grandpa, I'm a son-in-law. My sister-in-law accompanied me all the way to Dongling this time."

“I appreciate your kind offer, sir. Miss Lingyu is exceptionally beautiful and intelligent, but I, as her son-in-law, am not worthy of her.”

"If serving me would damage Miss Lingyu's reputation, that would not be good."

The three Fang brothers were quite impressed. The old man had taken the initiative to propose a marriage alliance, and Song Yan had actually refused?

As for Fang Lingyu, her pretty face turned deathly pale instantly, with only her eyes revealing a hint of gloom.

Fang De didn't care at all and laughed: "A live-in son-in-law... well, now who would dare to treat you as a live-in son-in-law? But is Tianyi here too? Where is she?"

"Tianyi prefers tranquility, which is why I can't find it most of the time."

"So that's how it is. You actually let Tianyi follow you. It seems that Yuheng really values ​​you. Oh well, I don't want that girl Yuheng to come up to me and pull my beard in the future. I'm afraid of that girl." After a brief pause, Fang De continued, "Brother Song, how are Tianshu and Tianquan doing these days?"

“Tian Shu served as the magistrate of Ningping County, and Tian Quan served as the county lieutenant. They both did a good job.” Song Yan’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Although it is only a county, it is well managed. The people live and work in peace and contentment, which is much better than before.”

“Tian Shu is a benevolent person. Last year, Ningping suffered a disaster and many refugees settled there. Tian Shu found a way to send these people farm tools and spring planting materials.”

"Tianquan is quick-witted and can easily solve all kinds of cases, big and small, in Ningping County."

Fang De nodded slightly: "I have a granddaughter whom I wish to marry into Tian Shu. What do you think, Brother Song?"

Fang Lingyu's eyes lit up.

Fan Jiu'en is already dead, so she can't marry Song Yan. Marrying Luo Tianshu is not bad either, after all, he is a proper member of the royal family.

Song Yan frowned slightly.

Fang De then said, "She is my eldest granddaughter, Fang Lingyun!"

Fang Lingyu's expression changed slightly, and her hands unconsciously clenched together.

"And a granddaughter..."

Fang Lingyu's eyes lit up again.

"Lingya!"

Fang Lingyu's eyes were practically spitting fire.

"She's also a granddaughter, and she wants to marry Tianquan." Fang De, however, didn't notice and continued, "When will Brother Song return to Pingyang? Why don't you mention it to that girl Yuheng?"

Good heavens, Luo Tianchu, Luo Tianquan?
Grandpa, have you forgotten about Luo Tianyang?

(End of this chapter)