Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 415 I Like Heavenly Garments (11,000 words)

Women tend to overthink.

Luo Yuheng should still be one of the best, but after seeing Luo Tianyi secretly pinch Song Yan, he started thinking about what name their future child should be.

Of course, Luo Yuheng didn't show this thought. He happily pulled Song Yan into the house. When the group arrived at the dining room, Yang Siyao and Gu Banxia were busy setting out the dishes. The table was full of delicious food, and just one glance was enough to make anyone's mouth water. Seeing Song Yan return, Yang Siyao and Gu Banxia also smiled and nodded gently. They had missed him very much after not seeing him for so long.

Although Luo Yuheng was the host, he still arranged for Mei Wu to sit in the main seat.

Mei Wu's status speaks for itself.

That was a figure from the time of her grandfather, Emperor Longtai. Not only was his seniority incredibly high, but he was also so old. Even if Emperor Ninghe himself came, he would have to treat this old man with utmost care. If the old man got angry, he would scold you, and you would have to listen to him obediently.

Luo Yuheng was somewhat surprised to learn that Song Yan was actually Mei Wu's grandson. But that was for the best; Yan'er now had real family, not that bunch of beasts from the Song family.

Moreover, this makes Yan'er and Tianxuan's identities more compatible... Although Luo Yuheng has never looked down on Song Yan because of his background, she has liked this son-in-law ever since he first stepped into the Luo family and has protected him in every way. However, it is no use for her to like him alone, as there are always some gossipy people who like to talk behind people's backs. Whenever Luo Yuheng hears those words, she feels very uncomfortable.

After everyone took their seats, seeing that Gu Banxia and Yang Siyao were still busy making arrangements, Luo Yuheng waved his hand, indicating that the two of them should sit down together.

On the one hand, Luo Yuheng genuinely disliked so many cumbersome rules.

On the other hand, Luo Yuheng also knew that although they were not yet married, Gu Banxia and Yang Siyao were essentially Song Yan's concubines. In ordinary wealthy families, concubines were similar to maids, serving the mistress and master, but Yan'er was different; he valued relationships very much.

This strong sense of sentimentality was precisely what Luo Yuheng admired most about her son-in-law, so naturally she wouldn't make things difficult for Song Yan over such a trivial matter. She wasn't the kind of malicious mother-in-law who liked to torment her daughter-in-law for no reason.

Moreover, Gu Banxia was originally her maid, and the two had lived together for more than ten years and had a deep affection for each other. Luo Yuheng was very satisfied that Banxia could have a good ending.

Hua Lianyue, Fang Wanlin, and Luo Yuheng are not acquainted.

However, being intelligent by nature, she understood Fang De's intentions as soon as she learned that Fang Wanlin was the youngest daughter of that old geezer Fang De. Having come from the imperial palace, she had seen many such things, so Luo Yuheng was not particularly concerned.

What's more, their own son-in-law didn't even realize what old man Fang De meant, it was like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man.

On the contrary, Hua Lianyue made Luo Yuheng slightly wary.

Hua Lian Yue was already stunningly beautiful, no less so than the Tian Xuan and Tian Yi sisters, and her figure was even more perfect. She was also a Grandmaster-level expert, seemingly even stronger than Tian Xuan. For some reason, it felt like Hua Lian Yue might be Tian Xuan's strongest opponent.

Luo Yuheng could accept that his son-in-law had other women, but he absolutely could not let his son-in-law's heart be stolen by other women.

If all else fails, teach your daughter a couple of tricks, or find some miscellaneous books; it's never a bad thing to learn more.

During the conversation, they also asked about Song Yan's experiences during this period.

Luo Yuheng was a sentimental person. When he heard that Song Yan dared to break into the Ghost Cave with ten soldiers and a few women, even though Song Yan was sitting right next to him, he couldn't help but look worried. Knowing the evil deeds done by the Ghost Cave, he gritted his teeth when he heard that hundreds of children had been tortured beyond recognition. When he heard that the Ghost Cave and those who colluded with it had their heads chopped off, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

Everything is written all over their face; that's pretty much it.

Of course, Luo Yuheng is not unlikeable; on the contrary, people find it comfortable to be around him, as there is not much scheming or backstabbing.

Upon hearing that Emperor Ninghe had made a fortune by confiscating property and was so happy that he wanted to eat eight dishes in one meal, Luo Yuheng couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, as if he thought his brother was acting like a nouveau riche. However, his smile was somewhat bitter.

This elder brother served as emperor for twenty years.

Perhaps only in these few days have I truly enjoyed the treatment befitting an emperor.

Knowing that Bailu Academy had been overturned by the enraged masses, splattered with excrement, and stinking to high heaven, and that even the statue of the saint had been toppled, they were overjoyed and kept clapping and cheering.

Those pedantic scholars from Bailu Academy deserve what they got today. Back when she was in Dongling, she was often scolded by them.

Hearing that four of the eight Song brothers had died and four had fled, he couldn't help but sigh. Just last year, the Song family was still a noble family, and Yang Miaoqing had even embezzled the betrothal gifts sent by the Luo family. In less than a year, some had died and others had perished. Even Song Hongtao had suffered a brain hemorrhage and was now paralyzed in bed because he couldn't bear the blow.

Things are impermanent.

Upon hearing Emperor Ninghe's personal decree bestowing marriage upon Song Yan and Nahetuya, Luo Yuheng merely smiled and nodded.

Knowing that Luo Tianshu and Luo Tianquan were doing well put my mind at ease.

Song Yan spoke slowly, and Luo Yuheng listened quietly.

Before they knew it, half an hour had passed, and the dinner party ended in a warm and harmonious atmosphere. While the maids were clearing away the dishes, Luo Yuheng had already arranged rooms for Hua Lianyue, Fang Wanlin, and Mei Wu. Fortunately, when Qian Yaozu built this governor's mansion, he had a full thirteen concubines, and the mansion kept getting bigger and bigger, with more and more rooms; otherwise, there really wouldn't have been enough room for everyone.

The night is deep.

They all went back to their own bedrooms to rest.

"Yan'er, come with me for a moment." Just as Song Yan was about to leave, Luo Yuheng's voice came from behind him. Turning around, he saw Luo Yuheng's small hand, half-hidden by his sleeve, gently waving at him.

"I have a few more questions I'd like to ask you."

Song Yan then followed Luo Yuheng to the inner courtyard.

It was late at night, quiet and still.

The sky seemed to darken.

Cotton-like clouds gradually obscured the moon overhead, as if it were a sign that rain was about to fall.

Occasionally, a cool breeze would blow by, and one could see the strands of hair around Luo Yuheng's ears swaying in the wind. A faint fragrance would quietly enter her nostrils, making her feel a little itchy.

When Luo Yuheng stopped, they had already arrived at her bedroom.

"Come in," Luo Yuheng greeted as he opened the door.

As a son-in-law who has moved into his mother-in-law's home, going to his mother-in-law's bedroom is somewhat against the rules and shows a lack of manners. In families with strict rules, being beaten to death would be quite normal.

However, Song Yan had been in this room before, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

At the dinner table, Luo Yuheng was somewhat restrained, but once in her room, she couldn't hold back her emotions. Her eyes filled with even more heartache. She knew that Song Yan had made the situation in Dongling City sound simple, but in reality, it was far from easy. Thinking of how her simple, good son-in-law had been bullied in various ways by those old foxes in the court all this time, her heart ached. He was truly pitiful.

Shaking her head, Luo Yuheng sat down opposite Song Yan, gently stroking Song Yan's cheek with her delicate hand. Looking at Song Yan's thin face, her eyes stung with tears: "Silly child, you've suffered these past few days."

Song Yan looked at her strangely and blinked, "It wasn't too bad. I had a pretty good time in Dongling City these past two months."

They actually piled up a mound of corpses in the capital city; that was truly satisfying.

Luo Yuheng simply didn't believe it. He thought Song Yan was too sensible. Even though he was being bullied by those old foxes, he didn't want to say anything, for fear of making him worry.

He was unwilling to talk about it, so Luo Yuheng didn't press him. After all, boys of this age are most concerned about their reputation. After a slight pause, Luo Yuheng carefully chose his words: "Has something happened to my brother?"

Song Yan suddenly raised his head: "Why do you ask that?"

“Because recently, what my brother has been doing is really out of character for him.” Luo Yuheng smiled bitterly. After all, they were siblings, and even though they had been separated for so long, Luo Yuheng believed that she still knew Emperor Ninghe very well: “My brother is used to being poor.”

"Normally, I would split a single copper coin in half to spend."

"The imperial court needs money everywhere, for disaster relief, military pay, and weapons."

"Although this raid yielded a considerable amount of money, which can temporarily fill these gaps, what about next year, and the year after that? This year is over, what about next year?"

"Given my brother's character, normally even if there's a surplus from the confiscated property, he would probably keep it safe for a rainy day. It's already a great favor that he doesn't take money from me, so why would he let the palace servants send me several cartloads of silver?"

"Although I am in Pingyang, I still have some understanding of the situation in the court." Luo Yuheng frowned. She was increasingly unable to understand many of Emperor Ninghe's recent actions.

"How should I put it? I'd say it's radical. My brother's methods are getting increasingly extreme. Just after you left Dongling, I heard he even had a huge argument with Yang Hetong in court. Even I can see that although he's gained quite a few benefits from the recent confrontations with the Yang family, it's far from time to completely eliminate them." Luo Yuheng paused. "My brother wouldn't be so short-sighted, but all these recent events seem to prove that he's preparing to confront the Yang family head-on, as if he's suddenly decided to go all in and gamble everything."

"Is there something wrong with my brother's health?" Luo Yuheng's voice was firm and resolute. Although it was a question, his tone clearly indicated that he was certain of the matter: "They poisoned him?"

"So that's why he wanted to take a gamble no matter what?"

A tightness in his chest made Song Yan feel uncomfortable.

Luo Yuheng is truly too clever.

No, or rather, one could say he is unusually sensitive in certain matters.

The room fell silent.

Song Yan had originally intended to keep this a secret, since it wasn't exactly a good thing, and even if Luo Yuheng knew, there was nothing he could do except add to his grief. But now that Luo Yuheng had already guessed it, there was no point in continuing to hide it. With a sigh, Song Yan slowly said, "Emperor Ninghe was not poisoned."

"However, he does have health problems... he's sick."

Luo Yuheng's long neck twitched slightly: "What illness? You're a doctor, you can even cure Tianxuan's tuberculosis, then..."

Song Yan smiled wryly and pointed to his head: "There's a tumor growing in here."

"There is only one way to save him, and that is to open up his skull and cut off the tumor."

Luo Yuheng trembled and fell silent. Even though she didn't understand medicine, she knew what it meant to open a person's skull and remove the tumor... Whether it could be cured was another matter, but an open skull meant certain death.

“This disease is very painful. I can only prescribe some painkillers for him. I have also prepared some other prescriptions, but no one knows how effective they will be. I’m sorry.”

Luo Yuheng forced a smile: "Silly child, why are you apologizing? This isn't your fault."

"Yan'er, go and rest first. I want to be alone."

Song Yan nodded and got up to leave.

As they reached the door, Luo Yuheng's voice came from behind them again: "Approximately how much time does he have left?"

"If I put down all my work and take good care of myself, it will take three to five years. But if I continue to work as hard as I am now, it may only take one or two years."

"I see." Luo Yuheng sighed softly, "Even if it's only for a year or two, he's been emperor for over twenty years, which is considered a long life for an emperor. What is there to be dissatisfied about?"

One should be content.

I vividly remember that on the day our father passed away, most of my siblings and I felt that we wouldn't live much longer and would soon be eliminated by the Yang family. We felt that we were lucky to have survived this long.

She pursed her lips and put on a lighthearted expression: "Yan'er, tell me the truth, what's going on between you and Tianyi?"

Just as Song Yan was about to cross the threshold, he suddenly stopped in his tracks upon hearing these words. He almost tripped over the threshold, and his expression became even more embarrassed. He had originally planned to tell his mother-in-law about his relationship with Luo Tianyi... Although they had already expressed their feelings for each other at the palace gate amidst the snow, it was only right and proper to inform his mother-in-law of such an important matter.

However, seeing that Luo Yuheng didn't seem to be in a very good mood, he decided to find another opportunity to talk about it later.

Who would have thought that Luo Yuheng would ask him this question at this moment? He blushed instantly, feeling ashamed as if he had been caught red-handed as a thief.

But, after all, he was a man.

Things that must be faced should never be avoided.

Thinking this, Song Yan turned around to face Luo Yuheng directly, took a deep breath, and respectfully bowed down:
"Mother."

"I don't know exactly when I started to like Tianyi."

That's the truth. When Tianyi isn't around, I always feel like something's missing.

"I want to marry Tianyi, please grant my request, Mother."

Manly man.

If you like someone, you like them; if you want to marry them, you want to marry them. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Being coy and hesitant is actually despicable.

(End of this chapter)