Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 373 My Sister-in-Law's company makes me happier (6,000 words)

The crossbow bolts are different in style from ordinary long arrows; the difference is immediately apparent.

In the contracted pupils, the reflection of the diamond-shaped arrowhead was visible. The arrowhead had clearly been carefully polished, sharp as a needle. One could even vaguely see the marks where the air had been torn apart around the arrowhead, the sharp, piercing sound of it cutting through the air echoing in their ears before it even reached them.

Perhaps because his physical body had been tempered so many times, Song Yan's hearing, vision, and perception had all improved significantly compared to the beginning. He could even clearly see the trajectory of the crossbow bolt as it tore through the air, and he could clearly see the snowflakes falling and breaking on the arrowhead.

If this scene were recorded and played back in slow motion, it might possess a unique kind of beauty.

The next instant, Song Yan raised his right hand.

He immediately gripped it tightly.

laugh.

A sharp pain shot through my palm.

In an instant, Song Yan felt as if he was holding not the crossbow bolt, but a violently writhing snake. The crossbow bolt writhed in his palm and advanced several inches before stopping.

She pursed her lips, then straightened her head, which had been tilted to the side.

What just happened was somewhat dangerous.

Therefore, Song Yan made double preparations. While reaching out to try and grab the crossbow bolt, he also tilted his head to the side beforehand, so that even if he didn't get a firm grip, the bolt wouldn't leave a hole in his head. Now that his neck had returned to a normal angle, he noticed that the sharp arrowhead was only a few inches away from his brow... He couldn't be so reckless next time. Perhaps it was because he was stimulated by the scene of Luo Tianyi casually grabbing the crossbow bolt before, and he wanted to try to see if he could do it.

The raised arm slowly fell down. Looking down, he saw that the palm of his hand had been scraped raw by the extremely fast crossbow bolt, drawing out a string of blood beads and causing a burning pain.

Compared to Luo Tianyi's effortless grace on the painted boat that day, there was still a considerable gap.

Looking up to the upper left, there was a large tree, but it was completely empty; it had scurried away quite quickly. The crossbow bolt spun in his palm, just like the one used for the assassination attempt on the pleasure boat earlier; the serial number on the bolt had been worn away, making its origin impossible to trace.

After a long period of quiet following the last assassination attempt, it was assumed that the other party had given up, but unexpectedly, they struck again at this time.

Is this an attempt to frame the Yang family?

At the entrance of the Yang residence, a doorman in his thirties saw the carriage stop and Song Yan get out of the carriage, and prepared to go forward to greet him.

Given the Yang family's power and status, countless people sought to visit them daily, most of them with obsequious expressions, daring not to show the slightest disrespect. Even a doorman like him received a valuable silver envelope, which gradually fostered his arrogant and spoiled character. However, this time was somewhat different. The old master had specifically instructed that an extremely important guest would be arriving today, and there could be no slightest neglect. If the guest showed even the slightest dissatisfaction, he should be careful with his own brain.

Therefore, the doorman had been waiting cautiously and anxiously. When he saw Song Yan, who perfectly matched the characteristics described by the old master, he was surprised that such a young man could be so worthy of his master's attention. However, he immediately put on a smile and fawned over him.

Before he could utter a single word, a crossbow bolt shot straight at the guest's head.

The doorman's expression also changed drastically. Damn it, this is the gate of the Yang family mansion. To be assassinated here is like mud falling into their pants; even if it's not excrement, it's still excrement.

Fortunately, the guest was quite skilled, and thankfully no blood was drawn.

Swallowing hard, the doorman bowed respectfully to Song Yan: "You must be Lord Song?"

"Please wait a moment, I will go back and inform the master."

As he spoke, the doorman hurriedly ran into the Yang residence. When he encountered the guards of the Yang residence, he called out, and dozens of guards rushed out of the gate, surrounding Song Yan, his carriage, and his driver outside the Yang residence. They stood with their backs to him, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings.

The old man instructed that if Song Yan arrived, there was no need to report beforehand; he could be welcomed directly in.

That was roughly the arrangement: the gatekeeper would welcome them into the Yang residence, and then Yang Hetong would personally go to greet them in the courtyard.

On the one hand, it gave Song Yan enough face.

On the other hand, it also preserved the dignity of the Yang family.

Families like this are extremely cautious in their dealings with others. Although Yang Hetong wanted to win over Song Yan and temporarily resolve the conflict between them, if he personally went to the gate to greet him, it would be a disgrace to the Yang family. Moreover, it would be improper for Yang Hetong, an old man in his sixties or seventies, to greet a sixteen-year-old. If outsiders saw this, rumors would likely spread that Song Yan was ill-mannered, and Song Yan might even think that Yang Hetong was deliberately embarrassing him.

But given the current situation, we need to inform the old man in advance so that we can be prepared.

This guy is obviously clever.

In fact, in wealthy families like the Yang family, the stewards and doormen are all extremely shrewd and capable individuals. When the head of the household is away, they have to temporarily take over and handle all sorts of miscellaneous matters. It would take a lot of skill to do such a job.

I jogged all the way to the backyard.

Inside the pavilion, Yang Hetong was still sipping tea, while whispering something to Yang Rui, Yang Jingshuo, Yang Guochen, and Yang Guoli. Hearing footsteps, he quickly shut his mouth, giving the doorman a slightly reproachful look, as if he was somewhat dissatisfied with the doorman's haste.

As a servant of the Yang family, one must have the courage to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before one.

"Master, something terrible has happened!" The doorman, disregarding everything else, quickly said, "Song Yan has arrived."

"You're here, just send someone to announce your arrival and welcome us in. What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and rushed?" Yang Hetong said irritably.

"However, Song Yan was assassinated at the gate of the Yang residence."

puff.

Upon hearing this, Yang Rui and Yang Jingshuo, who were enjoying their tea, both spat out their tea, and their expressions instantly became extremely strange.

Even Yang Hetong himself turned deathly pale, almost choking on his breath, his head buzzing, nearly fainting. After a few breaths, Yang Hetong jumped up and grabbed the doorman's shoulder: "Where is he? Is he alright?"

As an old man who has become shrewd, Yang Hetong was able to figure out the trick in the book immediately.

Song Yan had just crushed the heads of several members of the Yang family in the morning, and in the afternoon he was assassinated in front of the Yang mansion.

In that case, there would truly be no way to defend oneself.

Even though the Yang family has committed countless evil deeds, they truly did not do this one thing... But, would anyone believe that?
No one would believe it, given the Yang family's history of arrogance and domineering behavior.

At that time, all that will be left is the Bailu Academy and the Fang family taking advantage of the situation... Especially the Bailu Academy. Originally, the Yang family and the Bailu Academy were evenly matched, but this time the Bailu Academy suffered a heavy blow and its power plummeted. It will obviously not be an easy task to recover to its former glory.

However, bringing the Yang family to the same level as Bailu Academy would be extremely easy.

Damn.

Who is it?

This tactic is truly insidious.

Don't let Yang Hetong's appearance as a withered old man fool you; at this moment, the strength in his hands was so great that even the doorman was startled. The bones in his shoulders felt like they were about to break, burning with pain. His brow twitched, and he thought to himself, "Where's your maturity? Where's your composure? Where's your unwavering courage in the face of a collapsing mountain?" Of course, he only dared to think this to himself; he absolutely didn't have the courage to say it aloud.
"No, he's not dead."

"Lord Song, we've caught the crossbow bolt, but the assassin has escaped."

call.

Upon hearing this, Yang Hetong let out a heavy sigh.

It's good that the person didn't die.

Although Yang Hetong truly wished he could tear Song Yan to pieces, he certainly wouldn't do it now, much less in front of the Yang family's door. Only after he relaxed did Yang Hetong realize that despite the cold weather, his forehead was covered in a layer of cold sweat... He was actually very calm and composed, but this situation was just too unusual.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Hetong gradually calmed his restless heart. He questioned Yang Hetong carefully again, and finally said, "You did well. Go to the steward and collect your three hundred taels of silver." He then tightened his clothes, feigned a panicked expression, and hurriedly ran towards the door. Yang Jingshuo, Yang Guoli, Yang Guochen, and Yang Rui quickly followed behind, leaving the doorman beaming with joy.

Song Yan remained quietly outside the Yang residence, playing with the crossbow in her hand, a faint smile on her lips the whole time. After a few minutes, she heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from inside the Yang residence, and then saw a group of several people rushing out of the residence. The one at the front was none other than Yang Hetong.
He seemed very anxious.

His wrinkled face was covered in beads of sweat.

He didn't notice the threshold and almost fell, looking quite disheveled.

He ran all the way to Song Yan, grabbed Song Yan's hands, and looked Song Yan up and down. When he found that Song Yan was not injured, he looked a little relieved: "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. I'm sorry to have frightened Song-ge'er. Come with me into the mansion quickly."

Song Yan smiled and did not refuse.

And so, Yang Hetong led them into the Yang residence.

A casual glance gave me a general idea of ​​the style of the Yang residence; it was probably understated luxury.

The bluestone pavement is made of cobblestones, each one of which is uniform in shape and size, creating a sense of inexplicable harmony at first glance. The artificial mountain in the courtyard is made of jade-like yellow wax stone, which looks like just a slightly smooth stone. However, jade-like yellow wax stone also has another name, yellow dragon jade, and is very expensive.

Waterside pavilions, courtyards, and towers.

At first glance, it has a style reminiscent of a southern garden.

Under the personal guidance of Yang Hetong, the group arrived at the guest hall.

To be honest, the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Yang Guochen's son, Yang Ming, was born out of wedlock, but Yang Guochen still doted on him.

Yang Ming was driven to his death by Fang Hai and Fang De.

The Yang family has always suspected that Song Yan might be behind this.

However, after investigation, it was found that Song Yan had already led the Japanese pirates to Pingyang when the incident occurred, so they were unable to find any evidence against him. But he felt uneasy, as if a knot had been twisted in his heart. Now, being in the same room with Song Yan, who was sitting in the lower seat, accompanied by elders such as Yang Guochen and Yang Jingshuo, made him feel very uncomfortable.

Song Yan didn't stand on ceremony, casually tossing the crossbow bolt onto the table. Yang Guochen and Yang Jingshuo's hearts skipped a beat. This Song Yan was simply a madman. If Song Yan became convinced that the Yang family was behind this assassination attempt, he would likely use this as a pretext to launch a bloody revenge against the Yang family.

With a grandmaster-level expert protecting him, Song Yan's arrogance was practically written all over his face. Just look at what this guy has done. In just one month, how many people in Dongling City have been torn apart from their families and destroyed because of Song Yan? And think about the corpse whose head was crushed by Song Yan this morning, and the many officials' relatives waiting to have their families wiped out. In the next few days, hundreds or even thousands of people will probably lose their heads.

That bastard even wants to build a mound of skulls in Dongling City.

Two more. Crazy.

If Song Yan could hear what Yang Guochen and Yang Jingshuo were thinking, he would probably be wronged to death. The matter of piling up the Jingguan was clearly ordered by Emperor Ninghe. What did it have to do with Song Yan? Stop trying to pin the blame on him, okay?

"Your Excellency, you must give me an explanation for this matter, right?" Song Yan blinked and said casually.

A maidservant brought over fragrant tea and fine wine.

There was also a table full of delicious dishes, both cold and hot, meat and vegetables, everything imaginable. As the charcoal in the copper stove in the living room crackled, the chill was dispelled.

Yang Hetong waved his hand, signaling the maids to leave temporarily.

"This matter was not done by the Yang family." Yang Hetong narrowed his eyes, not expecting Song Yan to be so straightforward, not even bothering with the slightest bit of polite formality.

Song Yan nodded: "I know."

Yang Guochen, Yang Jingshuo, and Yang Rui all cast curious glances at Song Yan.

Song Yan smiled and said, "I believe the Yang family isn't that stupid..."

"If the Yang family were truly so foolish as to assassinate their own guests at their own doorstep, they would not have the power they have today."

"But, no matter what, it happened in front of the Yang family's house, didn't it?"

Yang Hetong clapped his hands and chuckled, a hint of approval in his gaze as he looked at Song Yan. "Intelligent, tactful, and worthy of being someone who has repeatedly humiliated the Yang family. Although still young, his shrewdness and insight into people and situations are comparable to those of a seasoned cunning old fox who has been navigating the court for many years. Song-ge'er is right. The moment this happened in front of the Yang family's door, the Yang family was already dragged into it."

"Even if you wanted to get away, it would be impossible."

"Don't worry, the Yang family will investigate your assassination attempt and will definitely give you a satisfactory answer."

Song Yan nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble the Grand Secretary... These crossbows look like military supplies, so perhaps we can start the investigation from within the military... Of course, how exactly to do it is the Yang family's business, as long as... innocent people aren't implicated."

In the military?

Implicate the innocent?

You can just give me Song Jing's name.

While inwardly grumbling, Yang Hetong's smile deepened: "Of course, of course, the Yang family has always acted fairly and righteously, and will never implicate others innocently. You can rest assured about that, Brother Song."

Yang Jingshuo and Yang Guochen exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

They roughly understood why someone who had served as Vice Minister of Revenue for so many years hadn't been promoted, and why someone else had been stripped of their official robes as Minister of Rites—it was probably because…they still had a sense of shame. It's truly baffling how the old man could have uttered the words "the Yang family acts with fairness and righteousness."

The assassination attempt on Song Yan has been temporarily suppressed.

Next came drinking and eating.

After three rounds of drinking.

"Speaking of which, Brother Song has been in Dongling for over a month now. Do you miss life in Pingyang?" As they ate and chatted, Yang Hetong somehow steered the conversation towards this topic.

Song Yan picked up a piece of beef from a diseased animal and put it in his mouth: "I didn't expect that it would snow so heavily every day in Pingyang, freezing people to death. It's much more comfortable here in Dongling."

Yang Hetong's face twitched.

Why is this young man acting so unpredictably?

At this moment, Yang Hetong finally understood what it meant to invite a god but find it difficult to send him away.

After a couple of awkward laughs, Yang Hetong spoke again: "Your wife, Princess Tianxuan, is in Pingyang. Don't you want to?"

Song Yan blinked:

"I'm happy with my sister-in-law around, I don't want to."

hiss.

Strange sounds could be faintly heard.

Yang Rui, in particular, looked at Song Yan with envy.

He didn't know what Luo Tianxuan looked like, but Luo Tianyi had seen her before.

There are many beautiful women in Dongling City, but very few can compare to Luo Tianyi.

Is this bastard planning to sleep with both sisters?
That's despicable, shameless, and incredibly enviable.

I heard that Luo Tianxuan and Luo Tianyi have twin sisters who are clever, quirky and charming; and above them is their mother-in-law Luo Yuheng, who is simply the most perfect woman in Ningguo. Could it be that Song Yan, that bastard, is thinking of taking them all?
Jealousy made Yang Rui look repulsive; why couldn't she have such good luck?

Yang Hetong's forehead was covered in black lines. Even though he was a cunning old fox, Song Yan's answer left him completely speechless. He could only smile awkwardly. He realized that although Song Yan was cunning, it was not a wise choice to play games with him. Perhaps it would be easier to handle things if they were straightforward.

Yang Hetong pursed his lips, took out an envelope from his sleeve, and slowly pushed it in front of Song Yan: "Pingyang Prefecture was trampled by the Jurchen cavalry last year and was left in ruins. Ever since I heard about it, I have been heartbroken and have always wanted to do something for the people of Pingyang Prefecture."

"However, at that time, the governor of Pingyang was Qian Yaozu. I knew long ago that he was not a good person. I was worried that my good intentions would fall into Qian Yaozu's hands and I was afraid that not a single copper coin would be spent on the people of Pingyang."

"Now that you're here, Brother Song, we have justice in Pingyang."

"I hope Brother Song will accept this small token of my appreciation so that we can rebuild the border defenses as soon as possible and help the people of Pingyang resume production."

See, cultured people always have such pleasant voices.

Even if the censors of the Censorate saw it, they would say that they couldn't accept bribes. It was clearly because the Yang family was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the people of Pingyang suffer, so they donated money and goods. This was truly boundless love.

Song Yan is not short of money, but he can never have too much money.

"In that case, on behalf of the people of Pingyang, I thank the old man for his generosity."

The title had changed from Grand Secretary to the current Old Master... He reached out and took the envelope, and without any hesitation, tore it open and began counting the silver notes one by one.

A thick stack.

Song Yan was not very satisfied; there were only fifty sheets?

Who do you look down on?

Song Jincheng can casually produce fifty of them. You, the Grand Secretary, are on the same level as the Minister of Works. How can you be so shameless?
Song Yan's expression gradually darkened.

Yang Hetong kept a close eye on Song Yan's expression, and immediately gave Yang Rui, Yang Guochen and the others a look. Yang Guochen then pulled out an envelope from his sleeve: "Speaking of which, you are my nephew. As your uncle, I don't have much to offer, only some insignificant gold and silver. Consider it a small token of my appreciation for the people of Pingyang."

I pinched it with my fingers; the thickness was about the same as before.

That's one million.

A faint smile finally appeared on Song Yan's face: "How could I possibly accept this?" As she spoke, she stuffed the two envelopes into her sleeve: "Don't do it again next time."

Yang Rui's face twitched. "Sorry? If you're sorry, why did you put it away so quickly?"

Yang Rui pursed his lips, took out several envelopes, placed them all on the table, and pushed them in front of Song Yan: "Cousin, I also have some debts to repay. Although I am worried about the people of Pingyang, I am powerless to help... However, I heard that you are currently working with Marquis Anning to investigate the Ghost Cave case."

“My Yang family has also produced a few scoundrels who have colluded with the Ghost Cave. My grandfather is deeply ashamed of this and has already sent a letter to Langya by fast horse. He is preparing to convene the ancestral hall and expel those scoundrels from the family genealogy.”

“Coincidentally, I know something: Song Yi has a close relationship with these scoundrels and they often exchange letters.”

"I found a few letters, but I don't know if they are related to the Ghost Cave. Take a look, they might be helpful in investigating the Ghost Cave case."

Song Yan's single eyebrow signified once again the ruthlessness of the Yang family.

They're cousins, after all.

When it's time to push someone into the water, there's not the slightest hesitation.

Song Yan opened the envelope, inside was a sheet of Xuan paper covered with dense writing. It was immediately recognizable as Song Yi's handwriting. It roughly described Song Yi's perverted personality, his fondness for torturing and abusing women, and how, since the women he had previously purchased from the Ghost Cave had been killed, he had ordered twenty more to be sent.

He opened another letter, which stated that he had taken a fancy to a woman from a certain family and was willing to pay ten thousand taels of silver to hire a master from the Ghost Cave to kidnap her.

The third letter was to thank Ghost Cave for giving him the position of deputy cave master, and to express his willingness to provide Ghost Cave with more information on young children and girls in the future.

Looking further back, there were four, five, six, or seven more letters.

Song Yan's forehead was covered in black lines, and she inexplicably felt sorry for Song Yi.

Song Yi probably doesn't even know that he has become the deputy cave master of Ghost Cave.

The ink on this letter isn't even dry yet.

Song Yan glanced at Yang Rui with some surprise, seemingly not expecting that Yang Rui would actually have such a level of skill.

Yang Rui smiled shyly, "Cousin, do you still need letters from Song Huai and Song Jing?" He then reached into his sleeve and fanned out seven or eight letters in his palm, "Anything you want, I have it..."

"All."

(End of this chapter)