Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 341 Usurping the Nest (2)

Marquis Anning, Zhao Gaizhi, did not want the Yang family to have an easy time.

On that face, Song Yan could see an uncontrollable hatred and loathing; even the skin on his face was twitching as if in spasms, and deep in his eyes was an intense, unyielding hatred.

I've raised a son for almost twenty years, but he's not my own.

His wife, with whom he had shared a bed for twenty years, spent her days having sex with other men.

Such a thing would be hard for anyone to accept, and Song Yan could even imagine the brutality of Zhao Gaizhi last night, soaking wet, wielding his curved sword and hacking at his wife and son. Yang Shuxuan was right; in front of the Yang family, the mere Marquis of Anning was nothing but an ant, easily crushed with a flick of a finger. And Zhao Gaizhi's temperament was that of an honest man among the powerful.

But the Yang family forgot that even honest people have tempers.

If you bully someone too much, even an honest person will pick up a knife.

When you hold a knife in your hand... all beings are equal.

However, Zhao Gaizhi wasn't a fool. He hated the Yang family, but he wouldn't be so stupid as to storm their gates with a knife. The Yang family's skilled fighters could easily chop him into mincemeat... just like Yang Shuxuan and Zhao Feng did. Some things could be done more meticulously, more recklessly, and that required intelligence from Song Yan's side.

Of course, Zhao Gaizhi was also well aware that Song Yan had been fighting with the Yang family for so long, and was very shrewd. He would never easily believe him. If he wanted Song Yan to believe that he had completely broken with the Yang family, he had to produce decisive evidence. With that in mind, Zhao Gaizhi breathed a sigh of relief, reached out and picked up a box from the ground next to him, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Song Yan.

The box wasn't locked. Song Yan raised an eyebrow and opened it. A pungent smell of blood wafted out. Inside the box was a human head. Fortunately, the weather was cold, so the head hadn't decomposed yet.

His hair was a mess.

He was slashed on the head; the blade cleaved through his forehead and even split a gap in the skull beneath the flesh.

This is a woman.

Her face had been washed, the original stains gone, and one could still vaguely make out her appearance before death: wide-open eyes fixed in terror, her face stiff and contorted. It was clear that, apart from the knife wound on her forehead, Zhao Gaizhi had deliberately avoided slashing the woman's face, so there wasn't much damage elsewhere on her face.

A dead man's head looks rather gruesome.

However, while this woman may not have been stunningly beautiful when she was alive, she was still a charming and attractive woman, and one could vaguely see some similarities between her and Yang Miaoqing.

Then, Zhao Gaizhi picked up another box placed at his feet, which also contained a dead human head, and this head belonged to Zhao Feng.

This is a petition.

However, this Wangjiang Tower is a place to eat, so bringing two dead heads here is a bit disgusting. Song Yan nodded slightly, and Zhao Gaizhi took the two boxes back. He stared intently at the boy opposite him. This time, Song Yan did not hesitate. He reached into his pocket, took out a piece of white paper, and placed it in front of Zhao Gaizhi.

Zhao Gaizhi was somewhat surprised. He took the white paper and examined it carefully. His brows furrowed more and more. It was a list of nobles from Ningguo, and all of them were nobles who had marriage ties with the Yang family. Zhao Gaizhi's name was among them, and their wives were listed after their names.

All of them were poplars.

Zhao Gaizhi felt his head buzzing as he watched, and it seemed he no longer recognized the character "Yang".

For a moment, Zhao Gaizhi didn't quite understand what the paper meant, but he instinctively felt a chilling fear.

“In the Song State Duke’s Mansion, Yang Miaoqing has given birth to eight sons. The most likely to inherit the title of Duke is the fifth son, Song Zhen, a pure-blooded member of the Yang family.” Song Yan’s calm voice quietly rang out in the private room. “In the Anning Marquis’s Mansion, Yang Shuxuan has given birth to a son, Zhao Feng, who has been identified as the heir of the Marquis’s Mansion and a pure-blooded member of the Yang family.”

"My lord, do you think this is a coincidence?" He pointed to the white paper on the table: "Take a guess, how many of these nobles who have married into the Yang family have the same situation?"

Gudong.

Zhao Gaizhi swallowed hard: "Brother Song, what exactly do you mean by this?"

Song Yan slowly exhaled, stared at Zhao Gaizhi, and said almost word by word: "Cuckoo~ occupying~ the~ nest!"

Rumble, rumble!

In a daze, it seemed as if a thunderbolt exploded directly in Zhao Gaizhi's mind, leaving him feeling dizzy.

Zhao Gaizhi wasn't exactly a genius, but once he understood what had been said, he trembled violently, his face turned pale, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his throat moved constantly as he swallowed the rapidly secreting saliva.

His wide eyes revealed a deep sense of fear.

Damn it, this time, I've really heard some incredible news.

His gaze fell on the blank paper once again. This already represented nearly half of the nobles in Ningguo. If every noble who married into the Yang family had a similar situation to him, wouldn't that mean... Just thinking about that situation made Zhao Gaizhi feel a chill run down his spine, especially when he saw the last name, his scalp almost exploded.

Emperor Ninghe, Yang Guifei.

Is the Yang family planning to usurp the throne?
Are they crazy?

Even though Zhao Gaizhi already knew that the Yang family was arrogant and domineering, he never expected that their ambitions would be so terrifying. His body was trembling, his face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat rolled down his face, landing on the white paper and spreading into black ink stains.

Huff... Huff.

Inside the private room, only heavy breathing remained.

Song Yan did not disturb Zhao Gaizhi, but quietly ate his own food. It must be said that it was indeed the most famous shop in Dongling City. The taste was really good. Even the wine was a high-end type. It was sweet and slightly fruity. It should be Sanlejiang.

After a long while, Zhao Gaizhi let out a heavy sigh, a bitter smile on his face: "I shouldn't have come."

"You're still here."

"Yes, it's here after all. It seems we can't get off this pirate ship now." As he said this, Zhao Gaizhi's expression became even more bitter.

Since the joke didn't match up, Song Yan felt a little lonely.

"Hoo..." Zhao Gaizhi's bitterness gradually faded, and his brows hardened again: "Who else knows about this situation?"

"There is no one else but you and me. I have not yet informed His Majesty because there is no substantial evidence, it is only my speculation."

"We're a bit short-handed." Zhao Gaizhi pondered, "I know a few people on this list, and we're on good terms. I'll figure something out. What else do you need me to do?"

"It's simple... I want you to infiltrate the Yang family." Song Yan sighed, his expression slightly helpless.

The Yang family's informants are spread throughout Ningguo. Although he has night watchmen and imperial guards, they are still newly established, and it is almost impossible to infiltrate the Yang family.

However, Zhao Gaizhi was different.

His wife and only son both died at his hands... at least, that's how it would appear to outsiders. Therefore, Zhao Gaizhi was his mortal enemy; the enemy of my enemy is my friend, which naturally made Zhao Gaizhi an ally of the Yang family.

He will become the most important wedge driven into the Yang family.

The only pity is that Zhao Gaizhi is only a marquis and does not hold any official position with real power, so he is somewhat lacking in influence and the Yang family may not pay much attention to him.

Zhao Gaizhi pondered for a moment and roughly understood what Song Yan wanted him to do. He knew that this was a very dangerous matter, but when he thought about the humiliation he had suffered, the extinction of the Zhao family line, his unborn children, and the innocent Cuicui who had died in vain, his eyes turned fierce: "No problem, I will go to the Dongling government office in a while. Can you handle it?"

"His Majesty will favor me," Song Yan said with a smile.

Zhao Gaizhi's eyes lit up, but then he was speechless. This Brother Song was smart, but sometimes he was just too outspoken.

"If nothing unexpected happens, His Majesty will give you a powerful position as a way of appeasement, which will also give you a higher status within the Yang family. Of course, you can also occasionally shout slogans to show your loyalty."

"Slogan? What slogan?"

"Kill Song Yan, or punish the tyrannical emperor?" Song Yan tilted his head.

Zhao Gaizhi's forehead was covered in black lines. Wasn't this slogan a bit disrespectful?
At this moment, Song Yan spoke again: "Was Song Zhe behind Zhao Feng's attack on me?"

"Yes."

"Then let's find a way to drag Song Zhe into this."

"Little things."

Song Yan smiled, but a barely perceptible chill flashed in her eyes. Song Zhe, it's time for you to die.

……

The Yang residence!

The Eastern Mausoleum was bustling with activity.

Yet, even in this bustling city, the Yang family's mansion was the most extravagant. Gardens, rockeries, pavilions, courtyards... It's just a pity that in the bleak winter, the most magnificent garden in the entire Dongling City now appears somewhat lonely.

backyard.

Pavilions and terraces.

Several people were sitting on the stone bench.

The most eye-catching among them was an old man, in his sixties or seventies, with white hair and beard. Although his face was full of wrinkles, he still looked quite healthy. His wrinkled face still had a ruddy complexion, and when he occasionally opened his eyes, they shone brightly.

It was Yang Hetong, the Grand Secretary of Ningguo.

In addition, there is Yang Guochen, Yang Hetong's most important eldest son. He was originally the Minister of Rites, but due to his involvement in Yang Ming's case, he has temporarily stepped down from his position as Minister of Rites and is currently unemployed at home. Although he has lost his official position, his status in the Yang family remains important, and no one dares to underestimate him.

There was also a middle-aged man in his forties, whose brows revealed shrewdness; he was Yang Jingshuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a man of considerable power and influence.

There was also a young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old, who was Yang Siqi, the eldest grandson of Yang Hexing, the head of the Yang family. He was almost the designated successor of the Yang family. Although he was young, no one dared to ignore his status as the eldest grandson. In addition, he was very intelligent, so many important matters would be discussed with Yang Siqi.

Finally, there was a man in his fifties, with a square face, tall and strong, leaning against a pillar, his eyes slightly narrowed, talking to the others as if he had no intention of participating. This was Yang Guoli, a ninth-rank martial artist, one of the strongest members of the Yang family, who had been specially assigned by Yang Hexing to Dongling to protect the safety of the Yang family members.

Actually, the main one is Yang Siqi, after all, an excellent successor is really important.

He blew on the steam rising from the teacup, took a small sip, and felt a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth.

"Third Grandfather, Song Yan is now the Marquis of Champion, and his status is becoming increasingly important. We should probably make plans soon and not let him continue to grow up like this." Yang Siqi, being the youngest and lacking composure, slowly spoke, breaking the silence in the pavilion.

“Song Yan, of course, must be dealt with.” Yang Hetong’s wrinkled old face smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum. He looked up at Yang Guoli: “Guoli, how’s the situation on your end?”

Yang Guoli, who had been leaning against the pillar, finally opened his eyes and shook his head: "Luo Tianyi was always by Song Yan's side, so there was no chance to make a move."

"It would be extremely difficult to kill Song Yan under Luo Tianyi's protection."

As he spoke, Yang Guoli frowned. In fact, he had a vague feeling that, besides Luo Tianyi, there seemed to be someone else who was watching him. However, upon closer inspection, he did not detect anything and it was probably just his imagination.

“In that case, don’t make a move. It’s just Song Yan. There’s no need to drag yourself into this because of him.” Yang Hetong nodded. Although he had never practiced martial arts, he knew how difficult it was to cultivate a ninth-rank martial artist. It not only required amazing talent but also enormous financial and material resources. Every ninth-rank martial artist was an extremely precious treasure to the Yang family.

In Yu Yang's view, exchanging a ninth-rank martial artist for Song Yan was an extremely unprofitable deal.

"Are we just going to let Song Yan go unchecked?" Yang Siqi frowned. "I suspect that Emperor Ninghe's decision to bring Song Yan to the capital is to have him take charge of one of the Imperial Guards, the Golden Guard, or the Silver Feather Guard. Song Yan has the ability to train troops. If he were to command any one of these armies, Emperor Ninghe would be able to quickly gain another fighting force, which would be extremely disadvantageous for us."

“Song Yan must be dealt with.” Yang Hetong shook his head, his gaze towards Yang Siqi slightly disappointed. After all, she was too young and lacked maturity; though she had wisdom, she wasn’t experienced enough. “However, dealing with Song Yan cannot involve the direct descendants of the Yang family. If the Yang family loses too many direct descendants because of Song Yan, it will be a losing proposition.”

“Jingshuo…select a few shrewd and capable men to infiltrate the Jurchen territory, find a way to contact Wanyan Guangzhi, and spread the news that Emperor Ninghe has betrothed his queen to Song Yan, and say that Song Yan is arrogant and has said that he will make his ex-husband brother pay a wedding gift.”

laugh.

A few light laughs came from inside the pavilion.

This method is quite insidious.

Wanyan Guangzhi only has one princess, and now she wants to marry Song Yan and even ask him to pay a wedding gift. Wanyan Guangzhi must be furious.

Let alone killing Song Yan, he even had the urge to tear Song Yan to pieces.

"In addition, Marquis Anning, Zhao Gaizhi, can also be used."

(End of this chapter)