Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 339 Take good care of Yuheng and the others (Mega Chapter)
Crush everything, and start all over again!

Emperor Ninghe remained silent.

He was a smart man, so he naturally understood what those words meant... It meant to recreate the world.

He admitted that Song Yan was right.

Ningguo is now terminally ill, riddled with deep-seated problems. Perhaps breaking down the old and rebuilding the country is truly the only way.

A little thought reveals that every emperor who becomes the founding emperor is a decisive and ruthless individual with great talent and ambition. Such people are ruthless and decisive, and as emperors who rose from humble beginnings, they also have absolute control over military power.

Just like the founding emperor of the Great Wu Dynasty, if he had encountered the current situation in Ningguo during his reign, would he have dealt with corrupt officials who oppressed the people? Drag them out and execute their entire families. Would he have dealt with those who formed cliques and engaged in corrupt practices? Drag them out and execute their entire families. Would he have dealt with those who couldn't collect commercial taxes? Drag them out and execute their entire families. Would he have dealt with those who smuggled salt, iron, and tea? Drag them out and execute their entire families.

For this emperor, there was nothing that couldn't be resolved by executing nine generations of a family; if there was, then he would execute ten generations.

A tyrant?
Maybe yes.

At least in later dynasties, the evaluation of Emperor Taizu of Wu was indeed not good. Cruel, tyrannical, bloodthirsty, inhumane, oppressive, militaristic, and ferocious as a tiger were all labels attached to him. However, one thing must be acknowledged: during Emperor Taizu's reign, both the nobles and the self-proclaimed superior civil officials were extremely obedient. Even a year before his death, some civil officials dared to challenge the authority of this aged tiger, and were still beheaded.

This is the difference between him and the Great Ancestor of Wu.

Emperor Ninghe sighed. He greatly admired this emperor, but he lacked the courage and vision of the Great Wu Emperor.

The Central Plains have never lacked talent since ancient times.

If everything were crushed, there would surely be extraordinary talents who would rise up in the chaos, ascend to the highest position, and lead the people of the Central Plains to a new golden age.

But... was Ningguo still Ningguo back then?

Emperor Ninghe fell silent, unsure how to respond to Song Yan's words.

To say something like "to recreate the world" is already considered extremely treasonous, and he could be punished for treason, but he did not do so.

He remained lost in thought.

No one knows what Emperor Ninghe is thinking.

Song Yan didn't disturb them, but silently took out a small box from her sleeve, which also contained some tea leaves.

There was no other way; Song Yan simply couldn't get used to those spicy, medicinal teas. So he prepared some with him. Of course, the ones he prepared for himself were the finest of the fine. He just put a few into the teacup, and the tea rippled with a vibrant, verdant green.

Even that delicate fragrance became even more intense.

After Song Yan finished his cup of tea, Emperor Ninghe suddenly let out a heavy sigh, breaking free from his own world. Song Yan didn't ask anything. Whether Emperor Ninghe had figured it out or not, and whatever decision he made, Song Yan wouldn't care too much.

Emperor Ninghe didn't mention the matter again. He just glanced at the small box in front of Song Yan, pursed his lips, took the box to his own side, and put two or three pieces into his teacup. Seeing the obvious change in the tea, he was a little annoyed. He was his father-in-law... He had such a good thing, but he didn't know how to show respect to his father-in-law. He was truly unfilial.

Then he tucked the tea box into his sleeve.

Song Yan stared in disbelief at the scene. No... how could this person do it so easily? You're the emperor, don't you have any shame?

Emperor Ninghe didn't care about so much. What's that saying again? Those who achieve great things throughout history don't concern themselves with trifles and face their true selves... Besides, what's wrong with a son-in-law being filial to his father-in-law?
The main point is to be confident even when you're not entirely in the right, and to casually steer the conversation away without batting an eye: "Speaking of which, what's the name of Wanyan Guangzhi's queen? What's her status?"

Song Yan could see Ninghe Emperor's shamelessness, but he was too lazy to pursue it. It was just a box of tea, and he had plenty of that kind of thing on him, so he didn't bother to argue about it. Hearing this, he said, "Nahtoya, princess of the Blackwater tribe, one of the seven tribes of the Jurchens."

"He can be considered someone of status."

"The Khan of the Blackwater Tribe wants to form a marriage alliance with Wanyan Guangzhi. If Wanyan Guangzhi can truly unify the Jurchens, Nahetuya will be the only queen, and perhaps even become empress. The Blackwater Tribe will naturally also benefit greatly. It's quite a clever plan... Actually, she's not quite a queen. To be precise, she's a prospective queen. Wanyan Guangzhi plans to marry Nahetuya after the victory against Anchegu."

Emperor Ninghe nodded: "I have some understanding of the Jurchens, and with your comments, Wanyan Guangzhi is indeed a ruthless and ambitious man. He may have a real chance to unify the Jurchens. However, with your interference, I'm afraid Wanyan Guangzhi will find it difficult to achieve this goal in his lifetime."

"What does the princess look like? What is her figure like? If she is ugly, I will think of a way to stop the imperial decree."

"She certainly can't compare to Tianxuan. She's a rare beauty among the Jurchen people, and in Ningguo, she'd be considered above average." Song Yan thought for a moment and said this. However, the woman's figure was truly slender and beautiful, like a female leopard, full of wildness, which was a unique charm. "As for the imperial edict, there's no need to stop it. Right now, we're at odds with the Yang family and Bailu Academy. There's no need to create unnecessary trouble because of Nahetuya."

Emperor Ninghe hummed in agreement: "You did a good job with the matter concerning the Princess Consort."

"If you really did something to that princess, you would most likely become the target of others' attacks, and I would have a hard time dealing with accusations of usurpation."

"However, have you already set your sights on that princess?"

Song Yan did not deny it: "Yes."

Emperor Ninghe frowned, but did not reprimand her. He simply asked, "Why?" Emperor Ninghe was well aware of his daughter's condition. She had recovered, but years of suffering from illness had damaged her health, and she might never be able to conceive again. Under such circumstances, it was acceptable for Song Yan to seek other women, but he always felt that Song Yan's purpose was not so simple.

After all, the Central Plains have no shortage of beautiful women.

“She knew that there was a small gold mine on the Haixi Grassland.”

Emperor Ninghe instinctively sat up straight and leaned back subconsciously:
"Give me half."

“The Haixi area is covered in ice and snow, making mining extremely difficult and costly.” Song Yan shook his head. “I haven’t been to that gold mine either. I doubt the gold extracted will even cover my expenses, maybe 20% at most.”

"Thirty percent."

"make a deal."

In his words, he clearly outlined the arrangements for the gold mine, allocating a substantial 30%, since Emperor Ninghe wouldn't need to exert any effort in its management.

As the saying goes, having troops at your disposal gives you a sense of security.

"You know about Sun Hao taking over as the governor of Pingyang, right?" Emperor Ninghe asked again. Although it was still far from certain, the thought of future income made him a little happy.

"It's alright. With Mother in charge in Pingyang, there won't be any problems. As for Sun Hao, even if he wasn't killed on the way and made it to Pingyang smoothly, it won't affect Mother." Song Yan smiled. She had a lot of faith in Bu Yu's abilities. However, she hadn't seen Bu Yu arrive in Dongling yet, and wondered if she had encountered some problems on the way.

I was a little worried.

Emperor Ninghe narrowed his eyes. He understood the meaning behind Song Yan's words. The White Egret Academy had obviously underestimated Song Yan's boldness and ruthlessness. Sun Hao was someone carefully cultivated by the White Egret Academy, and he was likely to perish on the way. "That's fine. You can stay in Dongling City for a while. After some time, I will let you return to Pingyang. Don't worry, I have already arranged everything."

"You should take the imperial examination first. Once you have achieved a degree, I will arrange for you to become the Prefect of Dongling. At that time, you can go and make things difficult for the children of those powerful and wealthy families. When everyone is complaining, I will transfer you out. I reckon no one will refuse."

Song Yan remained silent, sipping his tea.

Although Emperor Ninghe's methods seemed peaceful, his every move was actually quite complex.

The Prefect of Dongling Prefecture was in charge of all matters, big and small, in Dongling City. It was an extremely difficult position, much like the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture in the Qing Dynasty, who was often exiled to Ningguta.

When he was causing trouble for the sons of powerful and influential officials and civil servants, making a ruckus throughout the entire Dongling City, it would indeed be much easier to transfer himself out of Dongling. However, this also offended almost all the powerful circles and made him a thorn in the side of all the big shots.

Therefore, the only person he could rely on was the emperor before him.

At the same time, the trouble he caused could also attract the attention of the Yang family and Bailu Academy, serving as a target. Some things, once done, leave clues, and these clues might become the weapon that Emperor Ninghe uses to eliminate hostile forces.

Perhaps they felt that with Luo Tianyi protecting Song Yan, ordinary tricks wouldn't work on him, so they made this arrangement.

Thinking this, Song Yan smiled and said, "Speaking of the Prefect of Dongling, I reckon that after court today, someone will come to the prefectural office to complain about me."

Emperor Ninghe was curious. Song Yan had only been in Dongling for a day. Had he gotten into trouble again?

"Who?"

"Marquis Anning!"

"Why?"

"His wife and son are dead."

"Did you kill him?"

Song Yan shook his head: "Hisself."

Emperor Ninghe grew increasingly curious: "Why?"

"It's probably because he discovered that the son he had raised for twenty years wasn't his biological son."

Song Yan realized for the first time that His Majesty seemed to be a bit gossipy. Hearing this, he became very curious and inquired about the details. Perhaps he had gained some comfort from the tragic story of Marquis Anning, because his complexion looked a little rosier.

Emperor Ninghe inquired about Luo Yuheng, Luo Tianxuan, and Luo Tianshu, and upon learning that the Luo family members were doing well, a warm smile appeared on his face.

Before I knew it, noon had passed.

Emperor Ninghe's expression turned somewhat melancholy. As an emperor, he couldn't stay away from home for too long. Such tranquility was a luxury for him. With a sigh, Emperor Ninghe stood up: "Tianxuan is my eldest daughter. She may not be able to accept the Jurchen queen and might throw a tantrum. You should comfort her and not argue with her. If there is any conflict because of Nahetuya, you should give in to her."

Song Yan was taken aback.

Is she throwing a tantrum?

Being petty and calculating?

Did he have conflicts with his other women?
Is this something Luo Tianxuan would do?

"I owe Yuheng and the others a great deal. Although Yuheng can't be considered your real mother-in-law, it's perfectly fine to call her 'aunt.' Liaodong is harsh and cold, so please take good care of her in the future and don't let her suffer any grievances." Emperor Ninghe then instructed, "Tianyi is a bit stubborn. She's twenty now, isn't she? It's time for her to find a husband. If you have the chance, please try to comfort her. It's not good for a young lady to be wielding swords and spears all day."

"Qingyi and Caiyi are still young and a bit mischievous. As their brother-in-law, you should be more tolerant of them."

Song Yan's expression was strange; why did this seem like he was giving his last instructions?

"However, you must be careful in taking care of her." Emperor Ninghe added, "Because of Tianxuan's health, I don't care if you take concubines, but you can't set your sights on Tianyi, Qingyi, or Caiyi."

Song Yan stared intently at Emperor Ninghe, who seemed somewhat embarrassed by the gaze. He appeared to realize his words had been a bit too harsh and coughed lightly twice, saying, "Ahem, anyway, please be careful." With that, Emperor Ninghe rose and walked towards the door, but then suddenly stopped.
"Song Yan, if it were you..."

He seemed to want to say something, but ultimately couldn't: "Never mind, remember my words. No matter what happens, take good care of Yuheng, Tianyi, Qingyi, and Caiyi. Don't let them suffer any injustice."

"Also, don't act rashly against the Yang family and Bailu Academy. I'll deal with them."

"This life should still be used to some extent."

Having finished speaking, without waiting for Song Yan's reply, Emperor Ninghe went straight outside and left Qunyu Garden accompanied by the old eunuch Wei Xian. Song Yan silently watched Emperor Ninghe's departing figure, his brows slightly furrowed, pondering the meaning behind the emperor's instructions. He drank cup after cup of tea until the teapot was empty, only then putting down his teacup.

Up in the attic, the woman in the white dress was still playing soothing music.

Song Yan glanced at it and was about to go downstairs when a clear, melodious voice came from behind: "Young master, please wait."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at the woman in white: "What is it?"

Could it be that, like Mingyue, he also sensed the aura generated by his own cultivation of the "Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror"?

Could it be that this woman has also cultivated the "Extreme Yin Female Scripture"? Does she need to dispel the cold poison?
The veil was semi-transparent, and through it, one could vaguely see a delicate face. The woman must have been very beautiful, as the corners of her mouth were slightly curved in a smile.
"Thank you for your kind offer, one thousand taels."

Song Yan's vision went black. That bastard Ning Hedi, he ran away without paying?

At this moment, he seriously suspected that the guy had called him over just to pay him.

Although Song Yan is now wealthy enough not to care about these few pennies, he has always been the one swindling money from others, and this is the first time he has been swindled like this.

That feeling was incredibly unpleasant.

How could the emperor of Ningguo be so shameless?
Despite inwardly complaining, Song Yan still took out a thousand-tael draft and wrote down the secret code.

Leaving Qunyu Garden, the bright sunlight shone on my face, and the winter chill seemed to be tinged with a slight warmth.

On the street, people come and go.

Today is the Lantern Festival.

Although it wasn't evening yet, the atmosphere was already bustling. The streets were filled with stalls, making the once wide streets crowded. Many neatly dressed scholars and gentlemen, fanning themselves with folding fans, entered the gates of Qunyu Garden. On special occasions like today, it was usually difficult to find a table at Qunyu Garden.

Because of the large number of people, there were hardly any carriages on the streets. Song Yan roughly judged the direction and headed towards the Fang family's residence. If nothing unexpected happened, an imperial edict should arrive from the palace this afternoon, and as the person in charge, he would eventually have to go and receive it.

Having walked a short distance, Song Yan suddenly stopped, frowned slightly, and turned to look. The five-story pavilion of Qunyu Garden still stood quietly behind him, its windows tightly closed, and no one could be seen behind them. After a brief pause, Song Yan continued walking, his body quickly disappearing into the crowd, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

In that instant, he clearly sensed that someone was watching him; it was definitely not a hallucination.

Song Yan smiled. Qunyu Garden, the largest intelligence agency in Ningguo and even the entire Central Plains, I wonder why they are watching me.
Could it be for the Hundred Flowers Mirror on his body?
Hehe, who knows?

On the fifth floor of Qunyu Garden, behind a window, a woman dressed in a white gauze dress and wearing a veil slowly walked out from behind the wall, silently watching Song Yan's back.

Judging from the martial arts realm, he is probably only at the fifth or sixth rank.

He was quite skilled, but definitely not top-notch. However, his alertness was quite good; he was discovered after only a brief glance.

Holding a guqin in his arms, his slender fingers slowly slid down a string, the friction between his fingernails and the string producing a slightly shrill sound.

The Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror is indeed the nemesis of women from the Joyous Union Sect.

She had cultivated in the Hehuan Sect for twenty years, believing her seductive arts to be unparalleled, yet Song Yan seemed completely unaffected. Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to the splendor of Dongling City and the Chu Kingdom's imperial capital, her standards were extremely high; ordinary young men were simply beneath her notice. Even princes, nobles, and members of the royal family were no different from ordinary men in her eyes. But just now, upon seeing Song Yan, she actually felt a strong attraction emanating from him.

Her gaze remained fixed on Song Yan until he completely disappeared into the crowd, beyond any trace. Only then did the woman with the light veil on her face let out a soft sigh, her exposed gaze gradually becoming sharp: "Many years have passed. The Hehuan Sect has long since transformed and no longer needs the 'Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror'."

However, the existence of the "Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror" is like a cold and hard chain that could wrap around the neck of any Hehuan Sect sister at any time.

As the Holy Maiden of the sect, she did not want to see another ruler appear out of nowhere in the sect.

Therefore... Song Yan must die.

Of course, not now.

The original copy of "The Hundred Flowers Precious Mirror" must be found from Song Yan and destroyed. Only after confirming that no copies have been leaked can Song Yan die.

His gaze grew colder and colder, and after a long while, the woman finally turned around.

As soon as I turned around, I saw a figure suddenly appear in the small attic on the fifth floor.

The woman's pupils suddenly contracted, her slender neck twitched slightly, and she forced herself to calm down. One finger instinctively gripped a string on the zither, and her cold gaze swept over the figure in the attic.

That was also a woman.

Wearing a white dress similar to her own, the woman was tall and slender. Even though she was the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect, she felt a sense of inferiority upon seeing her. She believed that in terms of looks and figure alone, she was definitely not inferior to this woman, but this woman possessed an innate noble air.

This kind of nobility is innate, something that no woman of the Hehuan Sect, including herself, can imitate, no matter how hard she tries.

It was as if she was born to be high above others.

Beneath the veil, her crimson lips were slightly pursed.

The woman's ability to appear silently behind her indicated she was stronger than herself. However, the woman was confident in her own abilities; she was also a ninth-rank martial artist, a top expert in the entire Central Plains. Even if the woman was stronger than her, it shouldn't be by much. As fellow ninth-rank martial artists, even if she wasn't a match, she still had a very good chance of escaping if she wanted to.

She hadn't considered the Grandmaster level, since there were very few Grandmasters. In the entire Central Plains and Four Kingdoms, there were no more than ten Grandmaster-level martial artists.

She's always been lucky; she's unlikely to be so unlucky as to easily encounter a Grandmaster-level expert.

Compared to that, she was more interested in the woman's identity and more curious about the purpose of the woman's sudden appearance here. With that in mind, the woman spoke up: "Senior, is there something you need from me?"

"I sense killing intent emanating from you." The mysterious woman opposite finally spoke, her voice slightly soft and hoarse, as if she had some kind of problem with her throat, but this unusual voice also had a unique charm.

The Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect frowned slightly, momentarily puzzled by the mysterious woman's meaning.

Just then, the mysterious woman tilted her head: "That's my husband... You want to kill my husband? May I ask why? As far as I know, this is my husband's first time in Dongling. He shouldn't know you before. Why do you want to kill him?"

Xianggong?

The Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect was taken aback, then her expression suddenly changed: "You are Luo Tianxuan?"

"It's me." The woman in white, Luo Tianxuan, nodded quietly. "You haven't answered my question yet... Never mind, it's not that important." She couldn't allow any threat to appear beside her husband. She had noticed a woman in a black dress watching her husband earlier, but the woman showed no murderous intent and was no weaker than herself, so she let her be.

With that, Luo Tianxuan walked towards the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect.

The Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect's expression hardened, and she instinctively wanted to retaliate. However, the moment this thought crossed her mind, she was horrified to discover that her body was completely out of her control. It was as if an invisible and intangible pressure, like surging seawater, was coming from all directions, completely sealing her body and rendering her unable to move.

In that instant, the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect turned deathly pale, her smooth forehead beaded with sweat, and her beautiful eyes widened, filled with unyielding fear.

Such overwhelming pressure...is it from a Grandmaster-level martial artist?
How could this be? I was just thinking that Grandmaster-level martial artists were extremely rare, and I wouldn't be so unlucky as to run into one. Who would have thought that a Grandmaster-level martial artist would appear in front of me in the blink of an eye?

The difference between the ninth rank and the grandmaster may seem to be only one major realm, but the gap between them is practically insurmountable.

While the gap between eighth and ninth rank martial artists is enormous—three eighth-rank martial artists might not be able to defeat one ninth-rank, but five or ten could certainly handle it—a grandmaster is different. Even twenty ninth-rank martial artists would be no match for a grandmaster; this difference is absolute.

Damn it, what on earth is going on? Isn't Luo Tianxuan supposed to be a sickly person? How did she suddenly become a grandmaster?
When did becoming a grandmaster become so easy?

Just then, Luo Tianxuan took another step forward, and the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect felt the pressure on her body suddenly increase. Her body trembled, and beads of sweat rolled down her nose.

Another step.

In a daze, the entire Qunyu Garden trembled slightly.

third step.

The Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect could no longer bear it. The invisible pressure had more than doubled compared to the beginning, exceeding her limit.

He felt his knees buckle, and his long legs fell to his knees with a thud.

The veil was impacted by an invisible energy, causing it to fall off and revealing a face as delicate and beautiful as white porcelain.

Luo Tianxuan blinked, stared at the pretty face of the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect for a few moments, and then nodded: "She's not bad looking."

How old are you?

The overwhelming pressure, befitting a grandmaster, left the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect utterly powerless to resist. Suppressing her fear, she trembled and whispered, "Twenty... twenty-five!"

"Nine years older than my husband... Hmm, just right."

Luo Tianxuan was quite happy, clapped her hands, and beamed with joy on her pretty face.

Then, she released a bit of her aura, took out a white jade porcelain bottle from her sleeve, and poured out a scarlet pill. Taoists are not only good at martial arts, but also good at medicine. Since ancient times, medicine and poison have been inseparable. Luo Tianxuan is also very good at some unorthodox methods.

Approaching the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect, she gently pinched her chin with her slender hand, forcing her mouth open, and then stuffed a red pill into it. The Holy Maiden was forced to swallow it. She didn't know what the pill's purpose was, but one thing was certain: it was definitely not a good thing.

With wide eyes staring at Luo Tianxuan, Luo Tianxuan clapped her hands happily: "You've taken the medicine, very good. From now on, you'll stay by my husband's side as a concubine."

"Hey, there are still too few girls serving by my side, sir."

Damn it, the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect stared wide-eyed at Luo Tianxuan with disbelief. Do you want to hear what you're saying?
Where would anyone complain that their husband has too few other women around him?
Could it be that Luo Tianxuan has some serious illness?
How could she be so unlucky as to run into such a crazy woman?

Walking and thinking in the crowd.

The noise around him could not disturb Song Yan's thoughts.

"uncle."

She didn't know how far she had walked when a crisp voice startled Song Yan awake. Looking down, she saw a little girl of about five or six years old, holding a string of candied hawthorns in her hand, licking them with her tiny tongue.

Seeing Song Yan lower her head, she slipped a note into his hand, then turned and disappeared into the crowd. Even for Song Yan, catching up with the little girl in such a noisy crowd would be quite difficult. Somewhat suspicious, he opened the note and saw the words: "Wangjiang Tower, Number Three (Heavenly Class)."

Song Yan smiled. What's going on today? Why does everyone want to invite her?
Wangjiang Tower appears to be the most upscale restaurant in Dongling City.

Hopefully, he won't be another shameless person like Emperor Ninghe.

With a gentle flick of the finger, the paper strip turned into fine powder and vanished with the wind.

(End of this chapter)