Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 371 Big Win, Medium Win, and Small Win (7,000 words)
Amidst the rustling of voices, snowflakes drifted down.

Mixed with the cold wind, it drew arcs in the air before landing on the ground, landing on Yang Hetong's head, making his eyebrows look more weathered at first glance.

A slight smile appeared on his wrinkled old face. At first glance, one might mistake him for a kind and gentle old man. The civil and military officials who had not yet dispersed looked at each other, thinking to themselves that he was indeed a cunning old fox who could become the Grand Secretary. Just now, several members of the Yang family had their heads crushed by Song Yan, but this old man showed no sadness on his face. He could even greet people with a smile. This kind of temperament alone was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Yang Hetong paid no heed to the strange looks and whispers around him. He hunched over slightly, appearing as if he were just an ordinary old man in the neighborhood, waiting for Song Yan's reply.

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, but quickly put on a smile and said, "I dare not refuse the invitation from an elder."

Yang Hetong's smile deepened: "Since that's the case, why not seize the opportunity? How about noon today?"

"Of course, Lord Yang can make the arrangements. However, I need to go back and change my clothes first." It is the custom in Ningguo's officialdom that one does not wear court robes in private interactions.

"No problem, no problem, young friend, please make yourself at home. I will welcome you with open arms at the Yang residence." He then cupped his hands in greeting.

Song Yan quickly bowed in return. In this day and age, being older is a natural advantage. If Song Yan did anything slightly wrong, he could be easily labeled as disrespectful to elders. Although Yang Hetong, with his status and position, would disdain such petty tricks, Song Yan couldn't afford to give anyone cause for criticism.

Watching Yang Hetong board the carriage and watch the creaking sound gradually fade into the distance, Song Yan finally looked away.

"Let's go, go back."

Fang De had somehow walked up to Song Yan's side, patted Song Yan's shoulder and said with a smile. Behind Fang De were Fang Hai and Fang Shan.

All three of them had joy on their faces.

This is the most exhilarating battle between Bailu Academy and the Yang family in all these years.

Although Emperor Ninghe did not announce the rewards on the spot, one can imagine that the Fang family would gain countless benefits from this. Putting aside other matters, the Fang family would at least be able to obtain several of the vacant official positions this time.

Song Yan tightened her clothes and got into the carriage.

After the figures disappeared, the rustling sounds that had been going on in front of the palace gates suddenly erupted into a loud hum.

"Tsk, I really underestimated this Marquis of Champion before. I thought he was only good at military formations, but I didn't expect him to have such ruthless methods in the court."

"Being vindictive and showing off one's talents, young people... are ultimately too hot-blooded, which is not a good thing."

"It's not quite like that. After the Censorate impeached Song Yan, things were quiet for so many days. We thought the matter was over. Who would have thought that Song Yan would take this opportunity to get rid of Cao Jie, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, a third-rank official, just like that. The Censorate has lost quite a few people this time."

"The Bailu Academy and the Yang family suffered even greater losses... What's most infuriating is that he still stands on the moral high ground, you can't find any fault with him, and you even have to praise him for his contributions."

"I still believe that the tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind, and such ostentation will likely lead to bad consequences in the future."

"Whether he gets away with it or not, we should try to avoid him in the future, lest we accidentally get into trouble... You know, Elder Yang and Elder Chu, they really are something else. Why not leave such a jinx in Pingyang and let him cause trouble for the Jurchens? Why did they have to send him to Dongling? Now he's suffered a lot... Tell your children to make sure they don't accidentally offend this man. I don't want my whole family to be executed."

Some officials felt a sense of unease.

This Song Yan is truly the type to hold a grudge to the extreme, and he's the kind who will relentlessly torment someone to death.

At this moment, Song Yan was unaware that his image in the eyes of others had become that of a fierce and menacing figure. Inside the swaying carriage, Song Yan was taking out a handkerchief and carefully wiping the remaining bloodstains between his fingers.

Move gently.

It's hard to imagine that just now, those slender fingers easily crushed one head after another.

Recalling the bloody scene just now, Fang Hai felt nauseous. Fang Shan, on the other hand, had witnessed the horrors in the Ghost Cave yesterday, so his mental fortitude was much stronger. Although his face was a little pale, he was not too upset.

"Grandpa Fang, can you give me some advice? What exactly is the purpose of that old fox Yang Hetong suddenly inviting me to his door?" After finally wiping his fingers clean and getting rid of the sticky feeling, Song Yan looked up and asked.

"There are roughly three reasons," Fang De said with a smile, while subtly glancing at Song Yan.

This kid is quite worldly-wise.

Given his ability to manipulate public opinion with ease, Yang Hetong's thoughts were definitely not hidden from him. Now, Yang was seeking his advice under the guise of asking for guidance... Although he could see through Song Yan's little scheme, he gave him plenty of face and naturally felt no annoyance.

"The first thing is to try to ease the tension between us."

Song Yan laughed: "Although my relationship with the Yang family hasn't reached the point where we fight on sight, we're already sworn enemies. Wouldn't it be too late to try to make amends now? Besides, I just killed several members of the Yang family. How could Yang Hetong possibly make amends with me?"

Fang De shook his head: "Some people in the Yang family have died, but so what? Those people were not Yang Hetong's sons after all. Yang Hetong has many nephews. How much affection could he have for those people?"

“In Yang Hetong’s eyes, feelings are secondary; interests are paramount. As long as it benefits him, he can compromise on matters of face and feelings. Continuing to fight you under the current circumstances will not bring him any benefit; it will only benefit His Majesty. Yang Hetong is unwilling to do so. He will not take any action against you until he is absolutely certain that he can kill you with one blow.”

Song Yan nodded.

This is what is known as a political machine.

Everything he did was in service of his political ideals.

It's somewhat similar to the emperors of the Liu family.

"As for the second aspect, it is to restore the Yang family's reputation."

"You killed members of the Yang family, and Yang Hetong still wants to host a banquet for you. Isn't that magnanimous? Who knows, Yang Hetong might even announce his decision to expel those people from the family genealogy during the banquet, thus gaining a good reputation for upholding justice even against family ties."

"As for the third aspect, it should be to persuade you to leave Dongling Prefecture and return to Pingyang City to serve as your governor."

"This time, the Yang family suffered a lot of losses, but these losses are far from crippling. The Yang family can always replace the eliminated members with new ones from the family. However, as long as you are in Dongling, you will be watching the Yang family. The longer you cause trouble, the greater the Yang family's losses will be. Sooner or later, this will damage the core interests. Only by transferring you away from Dongling can the Yang family slowly erode His Majesty's and Bailu Academy's power as before."

Song Yan nodded in deep agreement.

I've only been in Dongling for a month.

The mounds of Jingguan (a type of human pyramid) are about to be piled up.

If he were allowed to stay in Dongling for another six months, who knows what Dongling City would become? It would probably be in complete chaos.

"Thank you for your guidance, Grandpa Fang. I have learned a lot." Song Yan smiled and said, "I can think of the second point and understand the first point, but the third point has never appeared in my mind before. Now I feel more confident and know how to deal with things when I get to the Yang residence, which makes things much easier."

"So what are your plans? Are you going back to Pingyang?" Fang Hai asked.

Song Yan thought about it carefully for a moment: "Of course I have such thoughts."

"With only my mother in Pingyang, I'm not entirely at ease. This year is too cold. I don't know how many people will freeze or starve to death on the Jurchen side after this winter. I'm afraid many cattle, sheep and horses will also die."

"Although the Jurchens suffered a defeat last year, they might still take desperate measures if they are unable to survive. Pingyang Prefecture was ravaged by war last year and is now finally showing signs of improvement. I naturally do not want to watch Pingyang Prefecture suffer another disaster."

"You're very thoughtful. His Majesty probably wants to keep you in the capital. With you here, many things will be much easier for him."

"It's just that you have such thoughts, so I, the old man, will give you a push when the time comes." Fang De smiled. Although he was a staunch royalist, he obviously had his own plans: "After your commotion, His Majesty and I are in a much better situation. We can continue to dodge with those old foxes, Yang Hetong and Chu Licheng, for a while longer."

After a pause, Fang De continued, "However, young friend, you must also grant me one request."

"Please speak, sir."

“I have a young daughter named Wanlin, who is twenty years old this year.” Fang De’s brow furrowed with worry. “She should have been of marriageable age long ago, but because her mother passed away, she missed the right time to get married and is now an old maid.”

Fang De's face was full of worry and anxiety, clearly showing how much he had to worry about his youngest daughter.

"Although we had met several times, the results were never satisfactory. Wanlin was disheartened and even considered becoming a nun... As her father, I couldn't bear to watch my daughter spend her life in seclusion, so I shamelessly asked Brother Song to take care of her and take her to Liaodong to relax."

"Walking through the beautiful landscapes of Ningguo and seeing different scenery might make one's desire to become a monk fade away."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow. Although he felt that Fang De's words were a bit abrupt, he did not think that Fang De was deliberately arranging women around him. After all, their generations did not match, so he nodded in agreement.

"By the way, quite a few official positions have been vacated in the court this time. The Fang family should be able to arrange some for you, right?" Song Yan asked with a smile.

Fang De scoffed and shook his head: "My Fang family doesn't want any of these positions."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow.

Even Fang Hai and Fang Shan were somewhat surprised.

Fang De's smile deepened: "My Fang family already has quite a few officials, so having more wouldn't make any difference. It's good as it is now."

After a moment's thought, Song Yan understood and cursed the old fox in his heart.

Looking back on everything I know, no matter when, the Fang family was always the first-class aristocratic family in Ningguo, but they were never the most outstanding one.

This was a show of loyalty, indicating that even if Emperor Ninghe regained all power in the future, the Fang family would not become the next Yang family.

A capable and efficient official who knows when to advance and retreat is naturally the kind of minister the emperor likes best. Emperor Ninghe would certainly not be stingy with his rewards to the Fang family. What they actively sought and what the emperor bestowed upon them naturally have different meanings for the emperor.

"We should try to get what we want, but too much of a good thing is not good either. As long as we don't get involved in things we shouldn't, there won't be any problems."

Fang De narrowed his eyes slightly, not expecting Song Yan to understand his meaning so quickly. Truly a shrew. It was a pity that, despite the Fang family's large and prosperous lineage, none of their many offspring could compare to Song Yan.

However, Fang De still kept Song Yan's words in mind.

The area that shouldn't be touched is military power.

While chatting like this, Song Yan arrived at the Fang family's house.

First, I went back to check on Bu Yu's condition.

Nahetuya, Ziyu, and Luo Tianyi are all here, so there's no need to worry about them being left unattended.

Because of the severity of her previous injuries, Bu Yu has not yet woken up. However, her complexion looks rosier than before, her breathing is more stable, and her brief fever in the morning has quickly subsided. Song Yan then fed Bu Yu some glucose to supplement her nutrition.

After carefully examining Bu Yu's wounds, he found that Bu Yu's technique was quite good. Although scars would definitely remain, at least the wounds had not continued to fester. They were only slightly red and swollen and had stopped bleeding. Given Bu Yu's constitution, he should be able to recover in a short time.

Afterwards, Song Yan changed into a set of casual clothes, gave some instructions to Zi Yu and Luo Tianyi, and then took a carriage to the Yang family.

……

At this very moment, in the backyard of the Yang family.

A group of people gathered together. Among them were Yang Hetong, the Grand Secretary; Yang Guochen, the former Minister of Rites; Yang Jingshuo, the Vice Minister of Revenue; Yang Siqi, the eldest grandson of Yang Zaixing; Yang Guoli, a ninth-rank martial artist from the Yang family; and Yang Rui, Yang Hetong's eldest grandson…

These are all influential members of the Yang family.

Apart from Yang Hetong, the expressions on the faces of the others were not good, especially Yang Jingshuo...

This time, the Ministry of Revenue suffered a great loss.

One vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, two assistant ministers of the Ministry of Revenue, and one minister of the Ministry of Revenue were all executed along with their families and their property confiscated.

Since ancient times, the Ministry of Revenue has been the place most prone to problems, with corruption rampant. Yang Jingshuo was naturally not clean either. Although he had no connection with the Ghost Cave, he couldn't help but tremble with fear when Emperor Ninghe called roll, afraid that his name would be called out by accident.

Although the Yama King's roll call has ended, many people in the Ministry of Revenue are still implicated. If he is implicated, they will likely still face death.

"Third Grandfather, why did we invite Song Yan? Wouldn't that be compromising with Song Yan and making people look down on the Yang family?" Yang Siqi, being young and impetuous, couldn't help but speak up before anyone else could, breaking the silence.

Yang Hetong raised his eyes and glanced at Yang Siqi. Being a young man, he naturally wouldn't take it too seriously.

Rather, he was even consciously indulging Yang Siqi's arrogance.

He lowered his eyelids, holding a teacup in one hand and the lid in the other, gently pushing the floating tea leaves aside. It is said that in the tea ceremony, this move is called "spring breeze caressing the face"... although he didn't understand what it had to do with "spring breeze caressing the face".

It was probably a sophisticated method devised by the Cui family to promote their tea.

"As a member of the Yang family, one must broaden one's horizons and have a long-term vision, and not be concerned with temporary gains or losses," Yang Hetong said slowly.

Yang Siqi pursed her lips tightly: "Third Grandfather, this is not a matter of temporary gain or loss. Uncle Guoen, Uncle Guodong, Uncle Guoqiang... these are seven uncles who are going to be dismissed from their posts, have their homes confiscated, and beheaded. Are we really going to stand by and watch them die?"

Yang Siqi's voice clearly contained some anger.

A significant number of members of the Yang family served as officials in the imperial court.

The highest-ranking official was Yang Hetong, the Grand Secretary.

Yang Guochen was also the Minister of Rites before.

Apart from this, no one else from Yang Hetong's lineage held a position in the imperial court. Most of Yang Hetong's other sons were sent to prefectures to serve as governors, prefects, or even county magistrates.

Most of the other officials from the Yang family in the imperial court came from Yang Hexing's lineage, as well as the descendants of the other seven elders of the Yang family who were closely related to Yang Hexing. For example, Yang Guodong was the son of his fifth grandfather, Yang Heshun, and Yang Guoqiang was the son of his ninth grandfather, Yang Heming.

This can be considered a form of checks and balances.

To prevent the Yang family from gaining too much power in the court, and to avoid the Yang family and the Tong lineage becoming too dominant.

Upon hearing this, Yang Hetong sighed and put down his teacup: "Save? How?"

"With hundreds of thousands of people watching and the emperor holding a public trial, all the officials associated with the Ghost Cave are now infamous. If my Yang family were to step in to help at this time, would our family's reputation be ruined? You are the next heir to the family head. As the heir, you must understand that the family's reputation is paramount. Putting personal interests before public duty is a losing proposition."

"Although my Yang family is powerful, our influence is only concentrated in Langya, and at most in some surrounding areas. The area we completely control is at most one prefecture. With this little power, you think you can overturn the table? Long shot."

Yang Siqi opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

He roughly understood that in the current situation, even if his own grandfather came, the outcome would probably be the same; he just couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart.

Yang Hetong's tone softened: "You're still young, and sometimes you act impulsively. I don't blame you. Just learn more, and you'll understand."

“This time, our Yang family did lose some people, but the Bailu Academy suffered even greater losses. Half of the executed officials came from Bailu Academy, and there are also many vacant official positions in the court. We can completely replenish our manpower. What our clan has no shortage of is people with great talent but no official position. Perhaps we will have the opportunity to obtain more positions than before.”

"Zhao Gaizhi even controlled half of the Imperial Guards."

"This is military power, it's the most important thing."

"All things considered, the Yang family didn't lose out; in fact, they even made a small profit."

With chaos looming, military power will be of utmost importance.

Compared to military power, the few who died were insignificant, especially since they could be replaced.

"Overall, Emperor Ninghe won big, the Fang family won, the Yang family won a little, and Bailu Academy lost big."

"There's no need to worry about those who are going to die. The Yang family should now focus on how to take the biggest advantage of the vacant positions."

Yang Siqi took a deep breath: "Thank you for your teachings, Third Grandfather. I understand now."

Yang Hetong nodded with satisfaction.

"However, I still think that Song Yan is a menace. If we can't get rid of him soon, the Yang family will likely face countless troubles..."

This time, Yang Hetong did not answer directly, but looked at Yang Guoli: "Guoli, are you confident that you can get rid of Song Yan?"

"Impossible." This time, Yang Guoli answered decisively. "The complete annihilation of the Ghost Cave lair was Song Yan's personal act. Fangshan only helped to clear out the strongholds on the ground. The Ghost Cave lair had a total of nearly two thousand people, almost half of whom were martial artists. The Ghost Cave Master was a ninth-rank martial artist. Even I wouldn't be very confident of defeating him if I encountered him."

"I found some information. When Song Yan raided Ghost Cave, he only brought ten guards and a few women with him. With just that few people, he wiped out nearly a thousand martial artists, including a ninth-rank expert. Luo Tianyi alone could not have done that..."

"Therefore, I suspect that there should be a Grandmaster by Song Yan's side."

A grandmaster.

Everyone present clearly understood what the word "Grandmaster" represented, and for a moment they all narrowed their eyes, their expressions becoming somewhat solemn.

"Then who do you think is the Grandmaster?" Yang Hetong asked slowly.

“Luo Tianyi!” Yang Guoli’s voice was very certain: “Luo Tianyi was specially arranged by Luo Yuheng to protect Song Yan. If he didn’t have absolute strength, Luo Yuheng would not have made such an arrangement. I strongly suspect that Luo Tianyi deliberately concealed his strength in order to give those who had a grudge against Song Yan the illusion that they had a chance to kill Song Yan, and to lure these people out from the shadows.”

"Then, eliminate it."

"This will completely eliminate all hidden dangers."

The group exchanged glances and all agreed that it made a lot of sense.

Who would have thought that a woman who is usually as cold as ice could be so treacherous at heart?

You really can't judge a book by its cover.

Yang Hetong shared the same idea.

"Could it be Luo Tianxuan?" Yang Siqi frowned. "I heard that Luo Tianxuan suffered from tuberculosis and received treatment and care from a Taoist master since childhood. Perhaps he also learned excellent martial arts skills."

Yang Guoli shook his head: "That's impossible. With that sickly body, there's no way he could cultivate."

Yang Siqi agreed, so she didn't argue further.

Yang Hetong nodded: "Since there is no way to kill Song Yan, we can only try to get him to leave. Rather than letting him stay in Dongling and cause trouble for the Yang family, why not drive him to the border and cause trouble for the Jurchens, Japanese pirates and Huns?"

“Siqi, I know you are proud and don’t want to see Song Yan. In that case, you should avoid him. I will handle things here. In short, do not have any more conflicts with Song Yan before he leaves Dongling.”

Yang Siqi reluctantly agreed and then turned to leave.

"Jingshuo, you don't need to worry."

"Since Emperor Ninghe tacitly allowed Song Yan to kill those people on the spot, it means that Emperor Ninghe did not intend to expand the scope of the Ghost Cave. However, you should be more careful in your work recently, so as not to give anyone any leverage. I value you very much."

"My nephew will remember this."

Yang Hetong smiled kindly, then glanced at his eldest son Yang Guoli and eldest grandson Yang Rui.

His head was slightly lowered, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

The Yang family is vying for that supreme position.

Not only Ningguo, but also Chuguo.

Even the entire Central Plains.

Of all the members of the Yang family, only one was ultimately able to sit on the dragon throne.

Compared to Yang Siqi, Yang Rui is naturally more suitable in Yang Hetong's heart.

Most importantly, the Yang family is simply too powerful. If Yang Siqi were to take that position, would he allow such a behemoth, such a deadly threat, to exist in Ningguo?

If the Yang family could put Yang Siqi on the throne, they also had the means to bring him down. No emperor would allow such a threat to his throne, and perhaps the moment Yang Siqi sat on the dragon throne, he would begin to deal with these uncles and brothers of the Yang family.

There are emperors who value emotions, but there are far more who, once the cunning rabbit is caught, the hunting dog is cooked.

The only solution is... to have Yang Rui, Yang Siqi's grandson, take that position.

To achieve this goal, he was willing to cooperate with the enemy.

In the end, it was Yang Miaoqing who was really stupid. She should have either killed Song Yan, a talented illegitimate son, or cultivated a good relationship with him... Instead, she made a mess of things and he deserved to die.

Thinking this, Yang Hetong slowly said, "Rui'er, go and prepare one million silver notes."

Yang Rui was slightly taken aback, but he immediately understood his grandfather's plan.

"Also, I remember... Song Yi used to have close ties with Yang Guoqiang. Do you know if they exchanged letters?"

If you want to win them over, you naturally have to cater to their preferences.

"Letters... naturally, not." After all, they live in the same city and not far apart. "But, how many do you need?"

"I'll go make it up... uh, I mean, create it... no, I'll go prepare it right away."

(End of this chapter)