Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 445 Luo Tianxuan's Bewitching Power (11,000 words)

The light rain was still falling.

Occasionally a cool breeze blows, and the tiny jade beads trace oblique arcs in mid-air.

When she left, Gao Yang didn't have an umbrella. Some parts of her body were wet from the rain, and her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) clung to her body, highlighting her plump and graceful figure.

The wind was blowing, and it was still a bit cold.

But at this moment, Gao Yang felt a burning heat all over her body. Especially Luo Tianxuan's words, which made her blush spread to her ears, and her eyes filled with a layer of mist, from embarrassment.

"Tianxuan, you... don't talk nonsense. Just now... just now it might have been your brother-in-law talking nonsense." Gao Yang said softly, but his voice wasn't very confident.

Luo Tianxuan smiled, sat down next to Gao Yang, and put her arm around Gao Yang's soft and elastic waist, their bodies pressed together...Nonsense? Just now, her husband must have been angry, which is why he blurted it out. If you insist on calling it nonsense, it's not entirely wrong.

"cousin……"

“You may not be aware of what just happened. Did you notice the woman in the living room?” Luo Tianxuan pondered for a moment and said softly.

Her soft voice carried a hint of persuasive enticement.

Gao Yang was taken aback.

Thinking back carefully, there did seem to be someone in the classroom just now, but she was so startled by Song Yan's words that she didn't pay much attention to that woman.

"That woman's name is Liang Qiuyun. You should have some impression of her."

As expected, upon hearing the name Liang Qiuyun, Gao Yang's body trembled slightly, and the blush on her face gradually faded. Gao Yang naturally knew the maidservant beside her mother.

She scoffed, a hint of disdain in her voice.

That mother really wouldn't be satisfied until she sold her off.

For so many days, Gao Yang thought the matter was over, but who would have thought that her mother would actually send people over again? Was she trying to threaten Song Yan into taking her away?

Gao Yang couldn't help but wonder if she was really her mother's biological daughter.
What mother would scheme against her daughter to this extent?

“You didn’t hear it, but I heard it clearly.” Luo Tianxuan hugged Gao Yang a little tighter: “Your mother probably understands that it won’t be easy to get rid of you in Pingyang, so she simply decided to sell you to my man.”

Gao Yang chuckled. That's more like it. That's exactly what her mother would do. Perhaps because she already knew what kind of person her mother was, Gao Yang didn't show much sadness when she heard this. Also, because Luo Tianxuan was always by her side, the restlessness in her heart gradually subsided. At this moment, only some curiosity remained in her heart: "What kind of conditions did my mother propose this time? She's not going to give me away to Song Yan for free, is she? I don't think she would be that kind."

Why does it feel so pathetic to say these words?
Gao Yang felt a little aggrieved.

Seeing Gao Yang's expression, Luo Tianxuan reached out and patted Gao Yang on the head. Even though Gao Yang was a year older than Luo Tianxuan, the gesture didn't seem out of place: "You seem to understand the Princess Consort of Fu... It's impossible for her to give it away for free."

"Your mother wants military power in Pingyang City."

hiss.

Gao Yang was dumbfounded. Even though he knew his mother was greedy, he was still stunned by Kong Nianhan's appetite.

military power?

"Is she crazy?"

What a joke! The army in Pingyang City was either trained by Song Yan, reformed by Song Yan, or recruited by Song Yan. Fifty thousand soldiers—that's all Song Yan's hard work. Moreover, Song Yan's current status, position, and military power are the foundation of his power. How could he tolerate others interfering?

"Song Yan won't agree, will he?"

"That's natural." Luo Tianxuan smiled. "But Liang Qiuyun threatened that if my husband didn't agree to hand over his military power, the princess would absolutely not agree to your relationship. She even threatened to forcibly take you away and sell you to another man, even a beggar, and would not let my husband have such an easy time. My husband was extremely angry, which is why he said that if he wanted to marry you, no one could stop him."

Luo Tianxuan swore that she was not lying; she had simply embellished the facts a little.

This is reasonable; it's artistic embellishment, not lying.

That's probably the charm of language: the same thing told in different ways can have completely different meanings.

Gao Yang didn't hear Liang Qiuyun speak, but just listening to Luo Tianxuan's retelling, an inexplicable anger rose in his heart... Heh, she completely treats him like some kind of commodity.

"See? Your husband still cares about you very much." Luo Tianxuan smiled and said softly, "If it were any other woman, no matter how beautiful or well-proportioned she was, why would your husband be so angry? Your husband is telling Princess Fu that you are the woman he protects, and as long as he is here, no one can hurt you in the slightest."

With her pearly white teeth gently biting her lip, Gao Yang remained silent, lost in thought.

"You must also have a place for your husband in your heart, right? Since that's the case, we'll talk to your mother about it later, and we can settle things between you and your husband as soon as possible. Think about it, your husband has already said these things, and it might not be long before everyone in Pingyang knows about them. If you refuse again, your husband will probably lose all face."

"My husband isn't someone who cares about saving face. He'll probably just laugh it off and not take it too seriously. But as his wife, I'll still feel sorry for him."

"Besides, if you refuse now, even if your husband still wants to protect you, he won't have a reason anymore, right?"

"If your husband can't protect you, and your mother takes you away again, knowing that your husband has feelings for you, do you think she might turn around and use you to threaten him?"

The soft voice kept echoing in Gao Yang's ears.

Like the whispers of a demon, it tempted and seduced Gao Yang, making him almost subconsciously ponder and think in the direction Luo Tianxuan was heading.

"Or do you feel that being a concubine is beneath you? If so, I'll give you the title of my principal wife and I'll be your concubine." Seeing that Gao Yang was softening, Luo Tianxuan quickly made a big move: "As long as my husband has me in his heart, I don't really care about being a wife or a concubine."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yang indeed became somewhat flustered.

"Tianxuan, what nonsense are you talking about? I don't care about those things... Besides, I'm just a widow. I just hope you won't look down on me. How could I have the right to ask for so much?" Gao Yang quickly said, "It's just... all along, you've been helping me."

"It was Song Yan who saved me time and time again. It was Auntie, it was you and Tianyi who have been taking care of me."

“Unlike you and Tianyi, I don’t have excellent martial arts skills that can be put to use. I seem to be just a useless person. I just don’t want you to get into so much trouble because of someone as useless as me.”

In one breath, Gao Yang said a lot.

Gao Yang did not deny that Song Yan held a place in his heart, and Luo Tianxuan already understood... this was due to her inferiority complex.

In fact, Gao Yang was not originally such a fussy, hesitant, and conflicted woman. Originally, Gao Yang was of noble status, clean and efficient, and poised and generous. However, a series of events happened in a short period of time. First, her husband died, then she fell into the hands of bandits, and then she was betrayed by Kong Nianhan time and time again. All of this caused Gao Yang extremely serious psychological trauma.

The original confidence and generosity gradually disappeared, replaced by sensitivity and timidity.

She seemed to see herself as a nuisance, bringing misfortune wherever she went.

Knowing where Gao Yang's problem lay, it was much easier to address it directly. Luo Tianxuan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "What are you thinking? Who said you're a useless person?"

"When you first arrived in Xinhou, you were unfamiliar with the place and the people, and there were mountains of things to deal with. The people who returned to Xinhou County were making a huge fuss over real estate and land. Who stepped in to resolve it? It was you."

“When my husband went to Haixi and Dongling, my mother temporarily served as the prefect. Who helped her solve all the unfinished official business? It was you.”

"My husband brought a large number of surrendered soldiers. How to settle them and how to distribute the food—wasn't that something you and Yang Siyao figured out by staying up all night?"

"A few days ago, Xinhou County was overwhelmed with work, so who rushed over to help?"

"Without you, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to go to Haixi to fight without any worries, nor could I go to Dongling to fight those old foxes in the court without any concerns... You always feel that you are a useless person, but in fact you have been doing very important things all along, it's just that those things are not very conspicuous."

"Alright, don't keep wallowing in self-pity. This matter is settled. I'll find some time to talk to Mother about it later, but you might have to wait a bit, as there are quite a few things to do during this period," Luo Tianxuan said with a smile.

Gao Yang blushed, but although she was still shy this time, she ultimately did not say no.

Luo Tianxuan felt a little smug. In this era, there were many men with a lot of women in the inner quarters... But from the imperial palace to wealthy merchants, there was always a lot of trouble in the inner quarters. The principal wife, the noble concubine, the good concubine, the lowly concubine, and even the maids and servants would stop at nothing to compete for the emperor's favor.

There are probably not many women like my husband, whose household is peaceful and whose sisters are so close. It's just that my husband is lucky to have met a woman like me; otherwise, this family would most likely have fallen apart.

"Ah, right."

Luo Tianxuan, who was feeling smug, suddenly remembered something and patted her forehead: "Now that things have been settled between you and your husband, you'd better break off your relationship with the Prince of Fu's mansion, especially with the Princess Consort."

"You know what kind of person your mother is."

"You are pitiful. Sometimes I wonder if you were a free gift from the vegetable farmer when your mother went grocery shopping... But thinking about it, the Princess Consort of Fu probably wouldn't go grocery shopping herself, so it shouldn't be."

Gao Yang smiled wryly; it seemed she wasn't the only one who felt this way.

“If your mother finds out about you and your husband, she might not be able to resist trying to get something out of him. Your husband doesn’t like that… I’m also worried that she might take advantage of you and do something bad to your husband.”

“You’ve already been sold out several times, so you absolutely mustn’t soften your heart just because she says a few nice words.” “If you’re unsure about dealing with the Princess Consort of Fu, you can come to me or your husband.”

Gao Yang pursed his lips and nodded heavily.

The moment he made this decision, Gao Yang felt a sense of ease throughout his body. Perhaps this was what a rebirth was all about?
Before Song Yan knew it, Luo Tianxuan had already arranged another marriage for him.

She's probably really addicted to snagging women around Song Yan.

……

Pingyang City.

A middle-aged woman, beautiful as she was, had just stepped out of the governor's mansion. She glanced back, still feeling a lingering sense of unease. This place was truly eerie. Staying here, Liang Qiuyun felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, making even breathing extremely difficult.

Especially Song Yan's eyes, which gave him the creeps.

Like a wolf.

They could pounce on her at any moment and tear her to pieces.

Taking a deep breath, Liang Qiuyun turned around, her expression gradually changing from initial horror to a sinister smile.

Although it wasn't perfect, the mission was accomplished nonetheless.

Gao Yang has completely stayed by Song Yan's side, and that's enough.

Do these people really think the princess is a fool?

……

The next day.

Mei Wu was the first to leave, leading a large number of black-armored soldiers and government troops to Xinhou County.

When leaving, Song Yan arranged for ten carriages, all of which were covered with cloth made of animal hides, so no one knew what was inside.

On the third day, Song Yan also set off for Dehua, while Li Er and Zhang Hanye each led their troops to Zhusha and Beiling.

The streets of Pingyang City, which were usually patrolled day and night by black-armored soldiers, suddenly became much less crowded, and the whole city seemed to have become deserted.

……

Ningguo.

Anzhou Prefecture.

Yongchang County

It's not raining here!

Xinhou faced the Jurchens, while Yongchang faced the Xiongnu.

In this era, the Xiongnu are undoubtedly the most troublesome and fierce foreign tribe that Ningguo and Chuguo have to face. Therefore, Yongchang has the largest number of border troops, totaling 30,000. Including the soldiers stationed in Anzhou year-round, the number reaches 45,000.

Of course, this is only nominal; no one knows the exact amount.

The city walls of Yongchang County were the tallest and most fortified. Constructed of rammed earth mixed with gravel, the walls were then faced with bricks and stones, making them virtually impregnable for that era. The border troops of Yongchang County were also among the most elite, almost every soldier a seasoned veteran.

Even the most elite soldiers cannot withstand the cumulative wear and tear over time.

On the towering city walls, the soldiers guarding the city seemed rather listless. They sat or leaned casually against the parapets, carrying their spears... The parapets were the low walls on the inner side of the city walls, meant to prevent the soldiers from falling off the walls.

The soldiers' faces were covered with crisscrossing wrinkles, and their dark, rough skin bore the marks of time.

Some of the soldiers had white hair and beards, perhaps indicating their advanced age. However, regardless of whether they were old or in their prime, almost everyone's face was etched with fatigue. Their eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the contours of their cheekbones could even be clearly seen beneath their skin.

They were very thin, with hardly any flesh on their bodies.

According to the rules, they should be holding spears, standing upright, and keeping their eyes constantly on the movements to the north... But they were just too hungry.

My stomach is growling with hunger.

Sitting or lying down like this might save some energy.

Their cloudy eyes were empty and confused, as if they didn't know where their future lay or what their relatives and friends looked like.

The border troops were actually treated quite well, after all, they had to be ready to fight against foreign tribes at any time. If the treatment was bad, who would be willing to risk their lives for them? But at some point, their military pay began to be delayed from time to time. They couldn't even remember how much they had received last time. Two taels? One tael? Or just a few copper coins?

Even though the military pay was in arrears, they could still barely make ends meet. But since the new governor of Anzhou took office, the intermittent military pay has completely disappeared, and the food has become worse and worse. At first, they simply replaced steamed buns with cornbread and millet rice with thin porridge.

Later on, even cornbread became an occasional treat, and thin porridge was so thin that one's face was clearly reflected in it.

Such food is simply not enough to sustain the energy expenditure required for normal training.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and many soldiers hunched their shoulders. The armor, which looked particularly loose on their thin bodies, made a dry, metallic scraping sound. They wore no cotton-padded clothes, only coarse cloth linings. Keep in mind, this was the northernmost part of Ningguo, even colder than Pingyang City. Without cotton-padded clothes, with the armor clinging to their bodies, what kind of feeling was that?
His body instinctively curled up. An old man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties looked around blankly with cloudy eyes, but many familiar figures were missing.

How many of our brothers have frozen to death this winter because they couldn't bear the cold and hunger?
Can't remember clearly.

My gaze shifted to the side, where several younger soldiers were carefully wiping the somewhat rusty gun barrels with linen cloths... The grip area of ​​the gun shaft had become shiny and smooth, clearly indicating that the spear was quite old.

Seemingly noticing the old man's gaze, several young soldiers turned their heads and looked over, then chuckled: "Old Li, what are you looking at?"

"Hey Old Li, you're sixty, aren't you? Aren't you about to retire?"

An angry glint appeared on the old man's wrinkled face: "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm only forty this year, how come I'm already sixty? Don't be so smug. If you stay here for a few more years, you'll be about the same age as this old man." Then the anger on his face gradually dissipated, replaced by a glimmer of hope: "However, I'll be retiring soon."

The military service system in Ningguo was mandatory.

When it came time to recruit soldiers, if a household had two or more male members, one of them had to serve in the army.

As for retirement, there are only three options.

The first type is injuries sustained in war, such as broken arms or legs.

The second option is automatic retirement upon reaching the age of sixty.

The third type is those that have served for more than ten years.

Old Li has been in Yongchang County for more than nine years, and he will be able to apply for retirement in two more months.

Having experienced countless battles, both large and small, even Old Li was somewhat surprised that he had survived until now.

Thinking about his impending retirement, Old Li, who had been listless, suddenly perked up a bit. A glimmer of light appeared in his cloudy eyes as he murmured:

"Come on, come on..."

Although Old Li couldn't remember many things clearly, he clearly remembered that when he left home, the children in his family were already seven years old, the age when they were running around the mountains naked.

The woman in my family is pregnant with her second child, and we don't know if it's a boy or a girl.

In the blink of an eye, ten years have almost passed.

If he returned in time, he might still be able to catch up with the eldest brother's wedding. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, it was the perfect time to get married. His withered fingers unconsciously pinched the hard, dry tucked into the seam of his trousers. It was the hard, dry tucked silver he had saved up over the years in the army.

As he thought about it, Old Li smiled.

He revealed a mouthful of bright yellow teeth.

My gaze involuntarily drifted towards the direction of home... The sky was gradually darkening.

The sunset painted the sky red, the setting sun like blood.

(End of this chapter)