Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 423 The Female Corpse (11,000 words)

The weather is nice today.

The orange-red sun hung in the sky, warm and pleasant.

Song Yan felt he was being a bit delusional. From ancient times to the present, finding one's relatives has never been an easy task. In the entire Chu Kingdom, there are at least eight or ten thousand girls with "Xue" in their names. It's not something that's easy to find. For someone like Mei Wu, who finally found his biological daughter only to have her passed away, is already considered extremely lucky. The vast majority of people never hear from her again.

With a sigh, Song Yan stopped thinking about these things. Luo Yuheng then discussed the betrothal gifts and other matters with Song Yan, as well as the auspicious dates that she had asked Yu Shuang to choose... Yu Shuang was, after all, from the Taoist sect, so choosing an auspicious date was a piece of cake. Of course, auspicious dates were picked out, but the specific date to be chosen would depend on the situation on Hua Lian Yue's side.

Having reached a temporary agreement, Luo Yuheng felt relieved. Seeing that the matter was over, Song Yan asked again, "By the way, Mother, what is the relationship between Cousin Gao Yang and her mother?"

The way this question was turned around was somewhat abrupt.

Luo Yuheng was also somewhat surprised, but she knew that her son-in-law would never speak without reason. Since he asked this question, something extremely important must have happened. After thinking about it carefully, she slowly said, "Actually, I don't know much about Kong Nianhan either."

Outsiders say that Kong Nianhan and I have a very good relationship.

"Actually, no. It's just that Kong Nianhan had just married into the royal family at that time, and Prince Fu was always away from home. I was worried that Kong Nianhan would feel neglected, so I often visited her to chat and strengthen our relationship. I also frequently sent her invitations to the Princess's residence or to attend banquets."

Everyone says that Luo Yuheng is carefree and unconventional, but only those who know her well know that she is actually a very sensitive woman.

Luo Yuheng simply values ​​his family and doesn't care much about other people and things.

As he spoke, Luo Yuheng's expression also showed some helplessness: "However, although I have visited many times, Kong Nianhan has always been cold and aloof, and has refused most of my invitations, and has never taken the initiative to visit the Princess's residence."

"After a while, I also felt that this was meaningless, and my interactions with Kong Nianhan became less frequent."

"After I gradually moved away from Dongling, I completely cut off all contact with them."

"So, if you ask me about Kong Nianhan, I don't know much about him." After thinking for a moment, Luo Yuheng said, "At most, I just think that Kong Nianhan is not easy to get along with. Although he appears cautious, he seems to have a cold and aloof attitude towards others, so I don't like him very much."

"However, I do know a little about the relationship between Gao Yang and Kong Nianhan."

“No mother would dislike her own child, but Kong Nianhan’s attitude toward Gao Yang is somewhat strange. If you want to say she dotes on him, then of course she does. She gives Gao Yang the best of everything in the Prince’s mansion.”

"Therefore, Gao Yang and Kong Nianhan's relationship should have been good until Gao Yang got married."

"Get married?" Song Yan raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Luo Yuheng nodded: “The royal family wants to form a marriage alliance with the Fang family. Normally, it would be a princess marrying down. However, my brother’s daughters are all too young, so we can’t find a princess of suitable age. We can only choose from among the county princesses.”

“Gao Yang was one of the candidates for princess… Gao Yang once told me that she had asked around about Fang Jun and knew that he was not someone she could rely on and that she did not like him. I don’t know what happened in between, but I know that in the end Gao Yang inexplicably became the marriage partner.”

“After that, I could feel that Gao Yang’s mental state was getting worse and worse, and his relationship with Kong Nianhan was getting more and more distant.”

"However, the father-daughter relationship between Gao Yang and Prince Fu was not affected much."

Luo Yuheng's words were not mixed with much personal emotion; he simply told Song Yan everything he knew.

After Luo Yuheng left, Song Yan fell into deep thought... The events that happened in between were mostly due to the coercion of Princess Consort Kong Nianhan, which forced Gao Yang to marry Fang Jun.

This Prince Fu is quite formidable.

Having married a woman from the Kong family and had his daughter marry into the Fang family, along with officials he had placed in the imperial court, he had become a hidden and powerful force.

Of course, the Fang family is the most powerful.

While betting on Emperor Ninghe, they also bet on Prince Fu, and at the same time, they invested in themselves, Luo Tianchu, and Luo Tianquan. There are probably other hidden connections as well. No matter who wins this battle in the end, the Fang family will remain standing.

Just like the Zhuge family in the previous life, Shu had Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun, Eastern Wu had Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Ke, and Cao Wei had Zhuge Dan. Unfortunately, they all messed up in the end.

Song Yan roughly understood why Gao Yang did this. On one hand, Gao Yang's marriage to Fang Jun, though called a political alliance, was in reality a case of Prince Fu selling his daughter. Having already been sold once, Gao Yang instinctively worried about being sold a second time. The letter said that a beautiful, secluded place had been found for Gao Yang, where she wouldn't have to worry about being recognized by acquaintances and could live freely. But who knew if Kong Nianhan was planning to sell Gao Yang to some powerful figure again?

On the other hand, while the relationship between mother and daughter couldn't be described as completely estranged, it was certainly not unreasonable to say that they were not on good terms. The sudden letter of concern made Gao Yang subconsciously suspicious.

She didn't want to cause Luo Yuheng unnecessary trouble because of herself, so she would probably meet with the person Kong Nianhan arranged. Since she didn't trust Kong Nianhan much, she deliberately brought up the letter to Song Yan, hoping Song Yan would see its contents. Given Song Yan's personality, she would most likely arrange for someone, or even personally lead someone, to the agreed-upon place the following evening.

If Gao Yang had truly only found a secluded place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, she would probably accept her fate and live in seclusion there, hiding her identity and avoiding the world. If Kong Nianhan was really planning to sell her again, Song Yan would have a chance to stop her.

She is a smart woman.

However, this trust left Song Yan completely baffled.

Didn't Gao Yang worry about what would happen if she didn't even read the letter and just burned it? What if she saw the contents of the letter but didn't think much about it, or thought it was none of her business and didn't care? Wouldn't she be doomed?
Another question is whether Prince Fu was involved in this matter?
Although the letter mentions Prince Fu, it was written by Kong Nianhan in his own voice and name, so it can be easily assumed that Kong Nianhan fabricated it himself.

But upon closer reflection...

The marriage alliance between Gaoyang and the Fang family was orchestrated by Kong Nianhan, but the ultimate beneficiary was Prince Fu, who thus became related to the Fang family through marriage.

Luo Caiyi was kidnapped, the villain was Kong Nianhan, but the ultimate beneficiary was Sheng Kong, who was a supporter of Prince Fu and thus indirectly benefited.

If Gao Yang is sold off again this time, the villain will still be Kong Nianhan, and Prince Fu can completely deny that he knew nothing about it. But if he becomes related to a powerful force by marriage again, Prince Fu will still be the ultimate beneficiary.

Thinking of Prince Fu's plump figure and his somewhat honest and deceptive appearance, Song Yan was surprised to find that this man was even more cunning than she had imagined. He had taken all the benefits without getting a single leaf on his body, and had silently built a vast network of power...

The most outrageous thing is that, because the reputation of Prince Fu seeking immortality and enlightenment is almost fixed, even if someone were to say that Prince Fu was manipulating these things behind the scenes, probably no one would believe it.

Even the father-daughter relationship between him and Gao Yang remained completely unaffected.

I'm just curious, who is Gao Yang going to sell to this time?

Think about it, the influential families and nobles in Ningguo would naturally know everything about Gao Yang's affairs. A widow who has been married for many years without children would not fetch a good price even if she were sold. Moreover, these families might not be willing to offend the Fang family for the sake of a woman.

Is it intended to be sold to powerful figures in the states of Chu and Zhao?

Is it not enough for them to build a network of influence domestically? Do they also want to gain support from the outside world?

As for the Jurchens and Xiongnu, Song Yan didn't think of them.

He got up and first went to find Luo Tianxuan, briefly explaining Gao Yang's situation. Luo Tianxuan agreed to go and keep an eye on things, thus resolving a large part of the matter. A Grandmaster-level expert is practically invincible; as long as the opponent doesn't have a strong opponent of the same level, no matter how many martial artists come, they won't be of much use to Luo Tianxuan.

Then he summoned the steward of the governor's mansion, found a plot of land in the backyard, planted dozens of pumpkin seeds, and instructed the steward to restrain the maids and servants of the governor's mansion, and to never touch anything that grew in the plot.

After finishing all that, it was already dark before I knew it.

After washing up and having dinner, I prepared to go for a stroll in Pingyang City.

To everyone's surprise, just as they arrived at the gate, they saw a carriage stop in front of the governor's mansion. Then they saw Old Master Zhang Ci holding a cane, running towards them at an extremely fast pace while trembling. The action startled Song Yan, who quickly went forward to greet him.

Song Yan was genuinely worried that he might fall. With his frail body at seventy or eighty years old, if he were to fall accidentally, he might never have the chance to stand up again.

Song Yan supported Zhang Ci's shoulder and then noticed that the old man's face was full of anxiety and worry. This old man was an absolute old fox, the type who would not change his expression even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him. It was very rare to see him with such an expression: "Grandpa, please slow down, what happened?"

"My lord... save Yan'er!"

Yan'er is Zhang Ci's youngest granddaughter, Zhang Yan.

It was clear that Zhang Ci adored his granddaughter, so much so that his voice trembled and his hunched body shook uncontrollably.

Behind Zhang Ci were some of the middle generation of the Zhang family, all of whom looked anxious at this moment.

Something happened to Zhang Yan? Song Yan recalled the little girl who was only thirteen years old but already had a beautiful figure and bright eyes. She was perfectly fine at lunchtime.

"Grandpa, calm down and tell me what exactly happened to Zhang Yan." Song Yan raised his voice and said in a deep voice.

This loud shout finally woke Zhang Ci up, and he took a deep breath: "Reporting to the Marquis, this afternoon some young ladies from wealthy families in Pingyang City are gathering for a tea party, and Yan'er has been invited."

"I didn't take the stuff that the girls put together seriously. I arranged for two maids to serve her and two guards to follow her. Then I went with Yan'er. But I was getting a little anxious because it was already dark and Yan'er still hadn't returned."

In those days, the rules of wealthy families were still very strict. Although young ladies like Zhang Yan who were not yet married were not prohibited from going out, they had to return home before sunset. Not to mention staying out all night, even returning home a little late would result in a severe reprimand from the elders. If some people saw this, they might spread rumors that the girl was indecent and fooling around late at night.

At best, it will affect a girl's chances of finding a husband; at worst, it will damage the reputation of the entire family.

But if your granddaughter isn't coming home, it's no use looking for us. It's not like we're the ones who hid her.

"Didn't you inquire at the tea party venue?"

Zhang Ci's old face was scrunched up like a bitter gourd: "Of course I went to look for her, but the tea party had long since ended. So I arranged for people to search house to house, but the news I got was that Yan'er didn't attend the tea party at all. I felt something was wrong, so I sent out all the servants and guards of the Zhang family. We've been searching for almost an hour, but we still haven't found a single clue. I really had no choice but to swallow my pride and come to the Marquis for help."

Zhang Ci gradually calmed down and explained the whole thing clearly in just a few sentences.

Song Yan's expression also turned serious. This is... a disappearance?
Are they child predators or robbers?
In either case, the outcome would be extremely bad. Even if Zhang Yan were successfully rescued, and even if the girl was not harmed, her reputation would likely be ruined.

"I understand, don't worry, sir, I'll help with this." Song Yan quickly agreed. No matter what, the sooner they acted, the greater the chance of finding the person. "Which road did Miss Zhang Yan take? Take me there first."

In this era, there are no such things as "sky-eye cameras".

To investigate, the only way was to ask people door-to-door.

With Song Yan's consent, Old Master Zhang's tense body seemed to relax a little. Not daring to delay, he quickly had a carriage driven to take Song Yan north. Fortunately, it was still quite cold in Pingyang City at this time, so there weren't many people on the streets, and at least there was no need to worry about traffic jams.

Inside the carriage, Zhang Ci, usually the composed businessman, was nowhere to be seen. His hand gripping his cane trembled slightly, and his gaze frequently drifted to the window, his eyes filled with hope. If he were to suddenly catch a glimpse of Zhang Yan, this old man would probably jump for joy. Who would have thought that in this somewhat patriarchal era, this old man, who had weathered countless storms in his life, would cherish a granddaughter so much?

Perhaps older people naturally have a greater fondness for their youngest descendants.

At this moment, even Song Yan didn't know how to comfort her. He also had no clue how to find Zhang Yan. Although he had watched more than a thousand episodes of Detective Conan, solving cases was really not his forte. He could only take it one step at a time.

Looking out the window, Song Yan saw a group of soldiers in black armor hurrying past the roadside. His eyes lit up: "Stop the car."

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Song Yan jumped off. He had originally intended to temporarily borrow these black-armored soldiers, but seeing their hurried appearance and the sweat beading on their foreheads, he became curious: "Who is the captain?"

“Reporting to the general, it is I.” A middle-aged man with dark skin, medium height, and a somewhat honest face stepped forward.

"Where are you going? What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?" Song Yan asked again.

"General, a woman's body has been found in a ditch outside the city. As ordered by the prefect, we must go there immediately to seal off the scene."

A female corpse?

Behind him, Zhang Ci, who had just shakily dismounted from the carriage, heard these two words and felt a buzzing in his head. He then fell straight backward.

Oh no, his granddaughter!

……

Meanwhile, in Pingyang City.

Wind Comes Inn!

This is considered a relatively high-end inn in Pingyang, so you'd think it would have a lot of guests, but in reality... it's practically deserted.

The shopkeeper was also helpless.

Who told him to be so unlucky? He remembered it was before the New Year, when Pingyang City had just been unsealed. A whole bunch of corrupt officials had all been beheaded by the governor, and some even had the torture of being forced to "wash and groom" (a form of torture). The shopkeeper was in the crowd during the execution, watching the iron brush scrape strips of flesh off Qian Yaozu's body, listening to Qian Yaozu's painful and shrill screams, and the shopkeeper felt a great sense of satisfaction.

He had no daughter, so he wasn't persecuted by that bastard Qian Yaozu. At most, he only lost some money. But he had an older sister, and his niece was captured by the marriage alliance organized by that old turtle Qian Yaozu and given to the Jurchen barbarians to be abused. She should be dead now.

I've heard that those beasts of the Jurchens would turn the women they captured from Ningguo into dried meat to use as food for the winter.

The eldest sister almost cried her eyes out.

Whenever he thought about these things, the shopkeeper felt a burning rage.

So after Qian Yaozu died, his body was thrown into the latrine. Sometimes, even if the shopkeeper had to take a detour, he would still go to that dry toilet to urinate. The only problem was that there were just too many people going to that dry toilet. Sometimes, he couldn't squeeze in and had to queue, which made things a bit unpleasant.

After Qian Yaozu's death, his Fenglai Inn was the first shop to open.

It did indeed attract a lot of business, until the day they received the Kong family's caravan, which brought them great misfortune.

Those bastards from the Kong family actually dared to kidnap the governor's sister-in-law. The governor led his troops and stormed the inn. That night, the inn was filled with blood, and the area outside was littered with corpses.

The governor gave them a sum of money, more than enough to rebuild an inn. However, since someone had died, the inn's business plummeted after that.

Some time ago, a group of nine people suddenly arrived. A young man was probably the young master, a middle-aged man was probably the steward, along with six burly and strong guards and a coachman. They stayed for many days, and the inn finally became more lively. Business has gradually improved in the last few days.

Thinking of this, the shopkeeper couldn't help but smile happily; these people were truly his lucky stars.

Looking up, I saw that although it was late at night, the young man's room was still brightly lit.

Although I was a little curious about what kind of business these people were in, their rules were very strange. Without their permission, neither the manager nor the servants could enter the guest rooms, and the bedding in the guest rooms did not need to be changed or cleaned... But the manager wouldn't cause any trouble. These people looked like the kind of people who were not to be trifled with, and most of them had a fierce aura about them.

"woo woo woo woo……"

A suppressed sound, as if squeezed out of a throat, echoed in the young man's bedroom.

The flickering candlelight illuminated a young, distorted face. In the corner, a girl of about thirteen or fourteen stared wide-eyed in terror as the young man cleaned the riding crop in his hand.

The whip was covered with bits of meat.

On the bed lay a lifeless corpse.

Warm blood gushed out from the cracked wounds on the corpse, scattering onto the bedsheets.

His arm, covered in whip marks, hung limply at the edge of the bed.

It was gently rocking.

Blood seeped from the cracked skin, trickling down the arm and gathering at the fingertips.

come down.

broken.

Like a young girl's broken limbs.

This is the second woman to die today!

(End of this chapter)