Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 374 My Sister-in-Law Blushed (12,000 words)

Song Yan looked down at the letters between Song Yi and Gui Dong, then looked up at Yang Rui across from him, who looked shy and bashful... You've already made fake documents, no, fake letters, what's with the bashfulness?
Moreover, what does "have" mean?
Yang Miaoqing's eight sons were truly cursed to have been related to the Yang family. If Yang Miaoqing knew how her sons were being persecuted by the Yang family, would she still be willing to acknowledge them as relatives?

It will probably happen again.

After all, in Yang Miaoqing's heart, apart from Song Zhen being her biological son, everyone else was just a bastard, so she probably wouldn't care too much.

He casually waved the letter in his hand: "The ink isn't dry yet, it doesn't look real enough."

Yang Rui smiled and said, "It's been raining and snowing in Dongling lately, so it's normal for it to be damp. There's no need to worry about these details."

"Besides, does it really matter whether it's authentic enough?"

Song Yan laughed heartily. What he said made perfect sense. That's right, as long as the letter exists, that's enough. Not to mention that the handwriting is exactly the same, even if it's a completely unrelated letter, or even a blank sheet of paper, what difference would it make? When Song Yan is convinced that this letter was written by Song Yi, and when the Yang family proves that these letters were written by Song Yi, then this letter was written by Song Yi.

“In that case, let’s leave it to Song Yi alone.” Song Yan smiled and accepted the envelope. “After all, if I kill all three of my brothers at once, even if I have solid evidence, I will inevitably be branded as someone who disregards brotherhood.”

You have no reputation whatsoever.

It's as if you didn't kill Song Zhe, Song Zhen, and Song Yun.

At the dinner table, the Yang family members were all complaining to each other in their hearts.

They exchanged a glance and could see the repression in each other's eyes: they had gained a deeper understanding of Song Yan's mad personality. Compared to reaping lives, Song Yan seemed to prefer making those people feel pain, not only physically, but also mentally.

There were eight brothers, and they died one after another.

Those who are alive must constantly endure the fear and torment of being on the verge of death. Every time they hear Song Yan's name, they can't help but tremble. Even when they sleep at night, they are likely to be shrouded in terrifying nightmares. This kind of mental torment is enough to drive a person to the brink of collapse and make life worse than death.

What a vicious method!

He couldn't help but feel that his skills in tormenting people were far inferior to Song Yan's, and he would probably have to learn a lot more in the future.

After this commotion, the atmosphere at the dinner table became much warmer, and at first glance, it even had the intimate feel of a family gathering... on the surface.

By joining forces to frame Song Yi, they finally brought the topic to a complete close.

Yang Hetong then stopped hiding his true feelings: "Song family boy, I know you hate Yang Miaoqing, and I also deeply regret what happened to your mother."

Song Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent.

However, the aura emanating from him involuntarily turned cold.

Despite the presence of a charcoal stove burning in the living room, Yang Guochen, Yang Jingshuo, and Yang Rui felt a chill run through their bodies, with waves of cold seeping into their bones, giving them the illusion that they were about to freeze.

As for Yang Hetong, his wrinkled old face remained unchanged, as if he hadn't noticed Song Yan's expression at all, and said to himself, "I also know that you hate the entire Yang family because of Yang Miaoqing."

"But the Yang family is very large."

"It's like a towering tree with lush branches and leaves. There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, and if you include in-laws, there could be several thousand or even tens of thousands. Brother Song, do you really think you can kill them all?"

Song Yan blinked but didn't answer, thinking to herself that it wasn't impossible.

Perhaps it's because he's killed too many people.

Thinking this way, Song Yan felt surprisingly calm, with hardly any ripples in her heart.

“Yang Miaoqing is from the main branch of Yang Hexing, and has nothing to do with my lineage, Yang Hetong.”

Having said that, Yang Hetong stopped talking. Some things are better left unsaid; making them too explicit is pointless. Song Yan, however, understood that if he were to deal with Yang Hexing's faction, Yang Hetong would not only not stop him, but might even provide some assistance behind the scenes.

This is some of the sordid aspects of life within wealthy families.

The Yang family was not a monolithic entity; they were also fighting among themselves... This is actually easy to understand. The Yang family's goal was the throne, and there could only be one throne.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As long as it benefits him, Yang Hetong doesn't mind cooperating with Song Yan. If Song Yan can fight Yang Hexing's faction to a standstill, that would be the best outcome in Yang Hetong's mind. He's not even worried about Song Yan revealing it. Everyone knows about the conflict between Song Yan and the Yang family. Who would believe it if it were told? They would probably just think it's another cheap attempt to sow discord.

Song Yan's gaze swept almost imperceptibly over the people present: Yang Guochen and Yang Rui, one the eldest son and the other the eldest grandson. He wasn't worried about any problems arising.

Yang Jingshuo, a son born out of wedlock in the main branch of the Yang family, managed to climb to the position of Vice Minister of Revenue due to his talent, good interpersonal skills, and some support from the Yang family. This was a height that many legitimate sons of the Yang family could not reach.

Yang Guoli, one of the three ninth-rank martial artists of the Yang family, is the son of Yang Hexin, the thirteenth son.

In front of the two of them, Yang Hetong was able to say such things. Did this mean that Yang Hexin, one of the seven elders of the Yang family, and Yang Jingshuo, born out of wedlock, had already sided with Yang Hetong? Song Yan had some thoughts swirling in his mind, but he grinned and said, "Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. I understand this principle."

This answer pleased Yang Hetong greatly. He gave Yang Rui a wink, and Yang Rui personally poured Song Yan a cup of wine.

It's still Sanlejiang.

Currently in the Central Plains, this is probably the most presentable type of liquor. Because it can only be brought by merchants from the Central Plains, which cannot produce it themselves, the price is quite high. Song Yan couldn't help but think of distilled spirits from later generations. If high-proof liquor could be manufactured, wouldn't that be another way to make money?
The method for making high-proof liquor is not difficult, but it is not easy to promote it.

The main issue is that people's tastes change, which is a rather slow process. Nowadays, people in the Central Plains prefer fruit wines with a slightly sweet and sour taste and may not be able to handle strong, spicy spirits. Of course, in colder regions like Liaodong, the Xiongnu, and Mongolia, there should still be a certain market for it.

Moreover, even if they couldn't be sold, it didn't matter, as high-proof liquor could be used as a disinfectant. Especially during times of war, every battle would produce a large number of wounded soldiers, mostly with knife wounds, gunshot wounds, and arrow wounds. These wounds were prone to infection, festering, and inflammation, and in that era, they were called ulcers.

Once a wounded soldier develops ulcers, his life or death is in the hands of fate. A large proportion of the soldiers who die in a war die from ulcers contracted from their wounds, while those who actually die from direct combat on the battlefield are not so numerous.

If alcohol can be used for disinfection, the probability of ulcers can be greatly reduced, and the survival rate of wounded soldiers will be greatly increased.

Song Yan's thoughts were somewhat out of control, but in Yang Hetong's eyes, it seemed as if he was seriously considering the intention to reconcile with his side, or even cooperate.

His wrinkled old face wore a smile as radiant as a chrysanthemum.
"This winter is going to be tough."

“It’s cold here, but it’s even colder over there in Jurchen territory. I’m afraid that after the ice melts in the spring, the Jurchen cavalry will come south to raid for supplies again. Aren’t you worried that Pingyang, which you worked so hard to conquer, will be ruined by the Jurchens again?”

"If you intend to return to Pingyang, I will contact some people here; it will be of some use."

Song Yan raised his eyebrows, seemingly persuaded by Yang Hetong, and his expression became slightly gloomy: "I'm afraid it's unlikely. His Majesty plans to let me participate in the imperial examination. After I become the top scholar, he will let me take over as the Prefect of Dongling Prefecture. At that time, he will cause a huge uproar in Dongling Prefecture and then exile me back to Pingyang. Before that, there will be no chance for me to go back."

hiss.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Even Yang Hetong, that old fox, couldn't help but feel his eyelids twitching.

Emperor Ninghe, oh Emperor Ninghe, what a vicious heart you have.

Song Yan had only just arrived in Dongling City, yet he had already directly or indirectly murdered over two hundred officials and nearly a hundred clerks… and this was all while the vast majority of these officials had no grudge against Song Yan and hadn't provoked him at all. If Song Yan were to become the Prefect of Dongling, then all affairs of Dongling Prefecture, large and small, would be under his jurisdiction… and Dongling Prefecture was filled with countless powerful and influential figures, and every family had a few spendthrift sons. In that case, countless people would likely run into Song Yan's clutches.

Given Song Yan's personality, there must be people in the inner city of Dongling who need to hold feasts every day.

In just a few days, a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or even eighth mound of Jingguan will likely appear outside Dongling City.

Emperor Ninghe is using Song Yan as a sharp knife to cut off the heads of all the nobles and officials in Dongling.
Given Song Yan's efficiency of having over two hundred officials a month, it would probably take less than half a year for the Ningguo court to be completely purged.

Everyone is busy fighting and vying for power in the court, how can you abandon martial ethics and resort to such a deadly weapon as Song Yan? So despicable, so shameless, so shameless!

Because everyone had their own ulterior motives, an eerie silence fell over the dinner table.

Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly came. Looking up, one could see a tall man barging straight in from outside the reception hall.

However, it was Marquis Anning, Zhao Gaizhi.

Although there were many guards and servants around, they did not dare to forcibly stop them.

In addition, Zhao Gaizhi also had some martial arts skills, and in a short time he actually rushed to the guest room.

The Yang family members all had gloomy expressions, and their eyes showed some displeasure.

Zhao Gaizhi ignored all that, merely glancing at Yang Hetong and the others with a cold and mocking gaze. When he saw Song Yan, his eyes suddenly blazed with intense hatred, his body trembling slightly, one hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his knife, as if he wanted nothing more than to rush forward and tear Song Yan to pieces. He took a deep breath, finally managing to restrain himself, but couldn't help but sneer: "Tsk tsk, Shuxuan, Feng'er's body is barely cold, and Guodong, Guoqiang, and Guoen's brothers just had their heads crushed by Song Yan, and your father-in-law is already hosting a banquet for the murderer... Truly magnanimous, I admire you, I admire you."

Yang Shuxuan was Yang Hetong's illegitimate daughter.

Zhao Feng is Yang Hetong's grandson.

Calling him "father-in-law" is fine, but as soon as that sarcastic voice came out, Yang Hetong felt a sharp pain in his head. How could he have forgotten this scoundrel?

But given the current situation, it was impossible to explain, and some things couldn't be said in front of Song Yan. He became quite irritated: "Gaizhi, what brings you here..."

Zhao Gaizhi snorted and cupped his hands in the direction of the palace: "His Majesty has ordered me and the Marquis of Champion to investigate and confiscate the property of many officials. I just went to the Fang family and found out that the Marquis of Champion was a guest at the Yang residence. So I came over right away. I hope I did not disturb your enjoyment?"

Yang Hetong frowned, pondering how to reply, but Song Yan silently put down his chopsticks and stood up: "It's really troublesome for Marquis Anning to make this trip... His Majesty is really something, not caring about his subordinates at all. Marquis Anning just lost his wife and children, and the seven-day mourning period hasn't even passed yet, and he's already assigned so many tasks. It's really inappropriate."

In an instant, Zhao Gaizhi's face darkened.

Even Yang and his companions' expressions changed drastically.

What's the difference between saying that and rubbing salt into someone's wound?
Before he could even say anything, Zhao Gaizhi's face instantly turned bright red, his body trembled, and in a flash, a gleaming curved blade was drawn and brought down towards Song Yan's head: "You bastard, you're asking for death..."

call.

Just then, a bone-chilling cold swept through the once warm and cozy living room.

All that could be seen was a tall, slender, and graceful figure that appeared out of thin air in front of Song Yan like a ghost. With a flying kick, Zhao Gaizhi's body was sent flying backward with a bang.

In mid-air, with a "whoosh," a mouthful of blood spurted out a long distance.

Before Song Yan, Luo Tianyi's figure had appeared at some point.

Zhao Gaizhi crashed to the ground, hastily wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, got up, snorted, and turned to leave the Yang family's gate.

"It seems this meal won't be peaceful today." Song Yan shook his head with some regret. "Very well, thank you for the invitation, sir. I have official business to attend to today, so I'll take my leave now."

Once Song Yan and Luo Tianyi left the guest hall, the previously heavy atmosphere dissipated.

"This is terrible." Yang Hetong sat down again, somewhat annoyed. "How could I have forgotten about that scoundrel Zhao Gaizhi?"

Zhao Gaizhi and Song Yan were sworn enemies, each having killed their wife and children.

In the past, Zhao Gaizhi's thoughts would not have mattered much. He was just a nobleman with a marquis title but no real value. But now, Zhao Gaizhi commands 15,000 imperial guards, making him a completely different person.

For Yang Hetong, they were also people he had to win over.

at all costs.

"Minister, find some time to explain to Zhao Gaizhi. He is a rough man and easy to persuade. Then select a woman from the family to marry into his family as a second wife. If necessary, use the Yang family's connections to find a way to get Zhao Gaizhi to take over the entire Imperial Guard."

Rubbing his temples, Yang Hetong, though somewhat irritated, quickly made a decision. Yang Guochen nodded, keeping the matter in mind.

"About this crossbow bolt..."

"Investigate Song Jing. Regardless of whether it is Song Jing or not, the final result must be that it is Song Jing."

“I understand.” Yang Guochen nodded. “Father, do we really have to cooperate with Song Yan? That kid isn’t honest. Cooperating with him feels like we’re dealing with a tiger.”

Yang Hetong scoffed, "If even you can see that, how could I not?"

"Don't underestimate Song Yan."

"He is an extremely capable and skilled charlatan. Of all the things he said, apart from the part about Emperor Ninghe wanting him to be the Prefect of Dongling, I don't believe a single word of what he said."

"I suspect that this madness, or even his indiscriminate killing, is just a mask he wears on his face."

Yang Guochen was somewhat surprised: "Really?"

Yang Hetong shook his head with a cold smile: "Why not? The status of a son of a concubine and a son-in-law probably makes Song Yan feel resentful. He is an extremely proud person and is unwilling to be subordinate to others for long. Moreover, he cannot let go of his hatred for Yang Miaoqing and the Yang family, and it has nothing to do with Bailu Academy."

"Therefore, the only person he can rely on if he wants to truly rise above others is Emperor Ninghe."

"Therefore, he deliberately acted recklessly and acted wantonly in Dongling City, willingly becoming a tool in the hands of Emperor Ninghe. Whoever Emperor Ninghe wanted to kill, he would kill. In this way, his importance in Emperor Ninghe's heart would become more and more, and he could also gain a higher status and position, or even climb over those who had bullied him in the past."

"However, Song Yan is also a rebellious person."

"Emperor Ninghe personally presided over the trial of the Ghost Cave case, gaining immense prestige among the people of Dongling City. Don't forget, Marquis Song Yan, who also won popular support... He now possesses status and power—the Marquis of Champion; military power—according to Yang Siyao's intelligence, the 20,000 elite troops in Pingyang Prefecture are utterly loyal to Song Yan; and popular support—according to Yang Siyao, the people of Pingyang and Songzhou practically wish they could offer Song Yan a longevity tablet..."

Yang Siyao passed on a lot of intelligence to the Yang family.

Really a lot.

A closer look reveals that this so-called intelligence is the kind of information that can be easily obtained with a little inquiry; it's hardly a secret. The Yang family hasn't noticed this yet, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't suspect anything. After all, Yang Siyao's identity as a member of the Yang family is enough for Song Yan to keep her out of the real secrets.

Yang Guochen, Yang Rui, and Yang Jingshuo all had slight changes in expression: "You mean... Song Yan will rebel?"

Yang Hetong chuckled: "Who knows... Song Yan just mentioned Emperor Ninghe, and he didn't seem to have much respect for him."

"The world is going to be in chaos."

Yang Rui frowned deeply: "Wouldn't it be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains if we cooperated with Song Yan and even helped him return to Pingyang?"

"So what?"

"It's just a matter of using Song Yan to weaken Yang Hexing's forces."

"The reason why Song Yan can act so recklessly is because he has Luo Tianyi, a martial artist who is suspected to be a grandmaster, protecting him. If Luo Tianyi, Luo Yuheng and others knew that Song Yan wanted to rebel, would they still protect Song Yan as before?"

"Without the protection of a grandmaster-level martial artist, when Song Yan and Yang Hexing's lineage are both severely injured, that will be the day of death for that little fox, Song Yan."

……

On the other side, Song Yan and Luo Tianyi also left the courtyard together.

The wind and snow raged.

There was no one to be seen in the streets and alleys.

The two walked side by side.

Luo Tianyi quietly raised her head, secretly glancing at the man beside her out of the corner of her eye. Whether it was the cold wind or something else, her face was slightly flushed.

"I'm very happy to have my sister-in-law with me."

That sound kept echoing in my ears.

My heart was pounding in my chest.

With her pearly white teeth gently biting her lower lip, Luo Tianyi quietly raised her small hand slightly and slipped it into Song Yan's palm.

Song Yan smiled but didn't say anything, only silently clenching her small fist.

"Brother-in-law."

"Ok?"

"Are you really going to cooperate with Yang Hetong? Mother said he's a cunning old fox."

"How could that be? The Yang family is large and powerful, not easy to deal with. They just want to extract some information about the Yang family from Yang Hetong, and with his help, kill the other six of the seven elders of the Yang family, and then wait until the main branch of the Yang family is almost dead..."

"That will be the day that old fox Yang Hetong dies!"

Speaking softly, following the footprints on the ground that had not yet been buried by the wind and snow, we arrived at the alley not far away.

A man clad in armor was grimacing and patting the footprint on his chest. It must have hurt a bit, because a hissing sound could be heard from time to time.

Hearing the noise, the man looked up.

Zhao Gaizhi, with a mournful face:
“Nephew, next time tell your wife to be gentler with her kicks. She almost shattered my heart.”

(End of this chapter)