Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 460 Ecstasy (7,000 words)

Night, quiet.

The bright moon hangs high in the sky.

The occasional chirping of insects coming from outside the window seemed unusually loud.

For Song Yan, lying in the bathtub like this, letting the warm water wash away the dirt and fatigue, is truly a great enjoyment.

Leaning against the bathtub, Song Yan squinted her eyes, and even made comfortable sounds.

But then, something strange suddenly happened.

call!
Even though she hadn't heard the doors or windows open, a gust of cold wind seemed to appear out of nowhere in the room, causing the temperature to plummet. Even though she was soaking in warm water, Song Yan still shivered. And that wasn't all; the already dim oil lamp on the table suddenly leaped up an inch, illuminating the room for a moment before plunging it into complete darkness.

"Ah……"

Song Yan's lips curled into a slight smile, and she chuckled, her tone ambiguous, whether it was self-deprecation or something else entirely.

After all, this kind of thing wasn't exactly new to Song Yan.

call!
He exhaled a heavy breath.

Song Yan continued to soak in the warm water, even grabbing a brand-new, dry towel from beside the tub and soaking it in the water, carefully wiping every part of his body. In bed, whether on top or bottom, active or passive, made little difference to Song Yan; as long as the woman was someone he admired, he loved her.

Changing things up occasionally can add a touch of romance. After all, even the most loving couples need ways to maintain a sense of novelty.

But being forced into a passive position is a different story.

Song Yan was, after all, a man, and being forced into a passive position was somewhat shameful.

Unfortunately, Song Yan encountered many such situations.

I vividly remember last year's New Year's Eve, in the sweltering heat of midsummer, on the banks of the Yi and Luo Rivers: Warm smoke clung to the mountain caves, and dew clung to the rugged peaks. Her slender hands were like the cassia blossoms in the moonlit cave, and her flowing robes seemed to unfurl like clouds. A sword lay across the stone bed, as if the Milky Way had fallen, and her dark hair was scattered like smoke.

I vividly remember, at the Ningping Luo Mansion, on our wedding night, in the bridal chamber: a butterfly-shaped mist trembled, carrying a flower; a pine forest echoed with the cool night breeze; candlelight flickered, revealing rouge; and a crimson tide flowed across the Xiang River!

Perhaps because these two experiences were so unique, Song Yan was deeply impressed by them and probably would never forget them in his life.

The woman in white in the cave, Song Yan strongly suspected, might be his sister-in-law, Luo Tianyi.

When Song Yan first met her sister-in-law, Luo Tianyi's image in her mind already overlapped with that of the woman in white.

Their figures and temperaments are almost identical.

The only difference was that the woman in white in the cave wore a veil, preventing Song Yan from seeing her true appearance and confirming his suspicion.

Song Yan did intend to ask Luo Tianyi about it.

Don't be fooled by his sister-in-law's usual cold demeanor; she's actually quite sensitive. Such a question would likely make Luo Tianyi feel extremely embarrassed, and then his soft waist might suffer... Moreover, even if he were asked, Luo Tianyi would most likely not answer, and even if it really was her, she would probably deny it.

Therefore, Song Yan temporarily abandoned this plan.

As for the woman on his wedding night, Song Yan was unsure of who she was.

There wasn't even a reasonable guess.

At first, Song Yan suspected it might also be the woman in white from the cave that day... but something was wrong; the bloodstains on the bedsheets were clearly visible. He and the woman in white had been in the cave for two whole days; there couldn't possibly be any bloodstains left, and this world didn't have the technology to repair them.

But when he returned to the room, the bloodstains on the sheets had vanished again.

Song Yan even suspected that it might be a hallucination caused by drinking too much alcohol during the day. But on the other hand, Song Yan inexplicably believed that he was definitely not seeing things.

In short, the matter has become extremely complicated.

Even Song Yan's mind was a complete mess.

He even suspected Gu Banxia, ​​and even Luo Yuheng, but their figures were quite different from the woman on their wedding night, so they didn't quite match. After all, Gu Banxia and Luo Yuheng's full figures were an obvious characteristic, while the woman on their wedding night was rather slender.

Even now, when Song Yan thinks back on it, her mind still buzzes.

The candle went out.

Moonlight streamed in through the window.

Through the thin window paper, it was as if the entire room was draped in a layer of silver gauze.

Song Yan could clearly see a graceful figure in the room. She must have entered through the window, which wasn't closed properly, and a cool breeze was blowing through the gaps, causing the woman's skirt to sway gently like ripples.

The woman's body slowly began to move.

You can barely hear a single footstep.

Like a ghost or phantom floating on the ground, Song Yan could sense her approach.

Before he knew it, the woman had finally walked up behind Song Yan. She slowly raised her jade-like hand, and her slender fingers landed on Song Yan's shoulder, bringing a slight coolness.

The coolness seeped through my fingertips, through my skin, through my muscles, and gradually into the gaps between my bones.

call!
This strange coolness must be some kind of internal healing method, and the effect is surprisingly good, even better than applying safflower oil. These days, due to long marches and lack of proper rest, the slight stinging pain between my bones disappeared completely in an instant.

Although he still didn't know who this woman was, Song Yan could sense that she meant him no harm.

After pursing his lips, Song Yan finally spoke: "Who exactly are you?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet space.

This was his biggest question. Song Yan knew that this woman was extremely powerful, and he was very curious as to why such a woman with a great figure and great strength would inexplicably take a liking to him.

Could it be the result of the Golden Kidney's misdeeds? Or perhaps it's a side effect of practicing the Hundred Flowers Mirror? But aren't the side effects of the Hundred Flowers Mirror only effective on female disciples of the Joyful Union Sect? It can't be that the Golden Kidney and the Hundred Flowers Mirror, when put together, have produced some kind of mutation, can it?

With his mind a jumble of thoughts, Song Yan didn't hear the woman behind him answer. However, he could feel her slender fingers tremble slightly, and he unconsciously increased the force in his hand movements, making his nails slightly sharp and causing a slight sting.

"Perhaps you can tell me your name." After thinking for a moment, Song Yan spoke again: "I already have a legal wife, Luo Tianxuan."

"She's very good to me, and I like her a lot too."

"I also have Siyao, Banxia, ​​and Hualianyue by my side. Although we are not married yet, it should be soon."

"Tianyi is going to marry me soon, and Tianxuan and my mother have both agreed."

As he said this, Song Yan felt somewhat embarrassed.

Although the words came out of his mouth, just hearing them made him feel that he was really no good.

It's only been a short time, and he already has so many female confidantes around him.

Are you a stallion?
It shouldn't count as having children, since although he has many women around him, he doesn't have any yet. This is mainly because Song Yan uses contraception, as it's really not a good time to have children right now.

"Ahem..." Song Yan coughed lightly twice, suppressing the slight discomfort in his heart: "Although I still don't know who you are, and I've never even seen what you look like, but... if you're willing, I will marry you."

After all, this has happened two or three times already.

There were no feelings involved.

After all, apart from a few intimate moments, Song Yan knew almost nothing about this woman, and they hadn't gone through anything together, so how could they have any feelings for each other?

Song Yan just felt that it wasn't good to keep doing things secretly like this.

"Of course, I cannot offer you the position of a legal wife, nor can I make a promise of being with you for life."

There was still no answer from behind, but Song Yan wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the breathing behind him seemed slightly heavier than before. He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally heard a woman's voice—a soft, alluring, and slightly magnetic husky voice:

"us……"

"impossible."

This wasn't the first time Song Yan had heard a woman's voice. After all, no matter how aloof a woman was, it was impossible for her to be completely silent on the bed.

But this was the first time he had ever spoken to himself so normally.

For a moment, Song Yan felt a slight joy, and was even more curious as to why the woman would say it was impossible... Subconsciously, Song Yan turned her head away.

Just then, as if anticipating Song Yan's reaction, the woman lightly raised her hand, and a burst of energy appeared out of thin air. With a hissing sound, the curtains seemed to be drawn by some invisible force, slowly closing the window. The last ray of moonlight disappeared the instant Song Yan turned his head.

The entire room was plunged into complete darkness.

Song Yan felt slightly disappointed.

He knew that the woman did not want him to see her face under any circumstances.

Immediately afterwards, there was another sound, a rustling sound, as if the hem of a skirt and thick trousers were rubbing together as someone moved. Then, in the darkness, a figure appeared before her eyes.

Its graceful silhouette exudes allure in the hazy, indistinct light.

Wow.

With the addition of another person in the bathtub, the water level rose slightly.

Ripples spread across the surface of the water inside the bathtub.

Although it wasn't very clear, you could still see that the skirt and long hair spread across the entire surface of the water.

Instinctively, Song Yan wanted to speak, but a slightly cool finger pressed against her lips:
"Shhh."

"It's fine like this now..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Song Yan felt a fragrant breeze waft towards her, and a tight, elastic body pressed against her.

Perhaps because of the complete darkness, the veil on her face had been removed at some point and gently invaded Song Yan's mouth, her cherry lips moving as she murmured.

Her crimson lips gradually softened, a blend of her brows, eyes, and breath.

A deep kiss, lasting a very long time.

When they parted, both of them were breathing heavily.

Although the room was pitch black and nothing could be seen, Song Yan could vaguely feel a pair of dark eyes silently watching him. A few breaths later, the sound of splashing water came from the bathtub again.

Slowly, the person opposite sank down. Submerged in the warm water, only their long hair floated on the surface.

Not long after, Song Yan let out a heavy breath, her body trembled slightly, and a slight daze appeared in her eyes.

It must be something that is so intoxicating and soul-stirring.

……

Yangchuan County.

This should be Anzhou Prefecture, the closest place to the northern desert besides Yongchang.

The night sky was a deep, clear blue, dotted with starlight; dewdrops glistened on the tips of the grass.

Yangchuan County was surrounded by 50,000 Xiongnu troops.

Standing on the city wall, gazing at the distant camps and the wisps of smoke rising from them, the magistrate frowned deeply... not because he was worried about suddenly losing his head, but because he had no idea what the second prince of the Xiongnu was up to.

This county magistrate was named Zhu Xiancai. He came from a poor family, and his name reflected the high hopes his parents had for him. He lived up to his name, becoming famous in Da Ning for a poem expressing his concern for the country and its people. Later, he was exceptionally admitted to Bailu Academy.

That's right, this Magistrate Zhu was a student from Bailu Academy.

Later, he participated in the imperial examination. Although he was not the top scholar, second-place scholar, or third-place scholar, he still achieved a first-class ranking in the palace examination. Given Zhu Xiancai's abilities and the support of Bailu Academy, he was sure to rise rapidly in his career and become a powerful figure in the court in no time.

However, Zhu Xiancai is a straightforward person.

While in the academy, he was almost completely oblivious to the world around him, focusing solely on studying the classics and having little interaction with his classmates. After entering officialdom, he was an upright and incorruptible person. Even when classmates from the academy came to his door hoping to pull strings, he was firmly refused, and the gifts they brought were returned.

Such a personality was naturally very unlikable, so some important figures in Bailu Academy decided to teach Zhu Xiancai a lesson. They deliberately nitpicked and found some minor mistakes in Zhu Xiancai's work, and directly demoted him, intending to temper his temperament... As a result, he was tempered from a high-ranking official in the capital to a prefectural official, then from a prefect to a county magistrate, and finally sent directly to Yangchuan, the most remote place in Ningguo.

He didn't care if he was demoted or sent to a remote post; he didn't complain. He just did his job well in whatever position he was in... In any case, bowing his head was absolutely out of the question.

Because Yangchuan County is close to the northern desert, every spring and autumn, small groups of Xiongnu people would often bypass the border and go south to plunder. Zhu Xiancai also organized a militia and, together with the constables, fought against the Xiongnu several times.

Ultimately, it was just a minor skirmish.

The sight of 50,000 Xiongnu troops surrounding the entire county town was something Zhu Xiancai had never encountered before. Even with his considerable courage, Zhu Xiancai was terrified at the sight of the densely packed Xiongnu and had no idea what to do... Running away was out of the question, and surrendering was out of the question. He, Zhu Xiancai, was a proper Confucian disciple, a descendant of the sages, and he couldn't bear the shame.

All they could do was rally all able-bodied men in the county to use everything they could for fighting and to prepare for defense, while constantly sending people to Anzhou City to ask for reinforcements.

However, the way things unfolded was completely incomprehensible to Zhu Xiancai.

There were no reinforcements.

However, the reaction of the Xiongnu on the other side was also extremely strange. On the first day, they only arranged a group of cavalry to charge at the gate of the county town. When scattered arrows were shot down from the city wall, the cavalry immediately retreated, and not even a single corpse was left on the ground.

The second day was the same, the third day was the same, the fourth day, the fifth day...

It's been almost half a month now, and it's been the same every day. They've even stopped bothering to change the cavalry. Zhu Xiancai has even gotten to know the opposing cavalry. The people in the county town have gone from being tense and fearful at the beginning to going about their business as if nothing has happened.

But Zhu Xiancai was different. As the magistrate of a county, he had too many things to consider. He learned from some people who had fled to Yangchuan County that in other parts of Anzhou, the Xiongnu army had almost always massacred cities wherever they went, and countless people in Anzhou had died. This made Zhu Xiancai even more frightened, and he did not understand what the purpose of this second prince of the Xiongnu was.

What Zhu Xiancai found most incomprehensible was that this second prince had even opened a trading post around Yangchuan County.

That's right, it's the border market.

These Xiongnu people had no intention of looting whatsoever. Instead, they brought out large quantities of dried meat and hides to exchange with the people around Yangchuan for grain, hoes, iron pots, and other iron products. They accepted almost anything made of iron, and even all sorts of random books. Moreover, the dried meat was extremely cheap, practically free. As a result, the people around the area gradually let go of their fears, and countless people came to the market to trade every day. Even in the county town, many people had ulterior motives and secretly slipped out of the city.

What Zhu Xiancai found even more incomprehensible was that there were some burly, strong, and muscular men among the Xiongnu who led cattle and sheep to nearby villages and towns to propose marriage to Han women from Yangchuan.

That's right, it's a marriage proposal.

Although the people of the Central Plains mostly referred to the Xiongnu and Jurchen as barbarians, and harbored a mixture of contempt and fear, most were unwilling to marry their daughters to Xiongnu barbarians... However, they couldn't resist the fact that these people offered such high dowries.

You must know that the people living on the border are often very poor.

In ordinary times, the dowry for a woman's marriage is only a few hundred coins. If a moderately wealthy family can afford two or three taels of silver, that is considered quite generous. In some cases, a bag of grain or a few hens can be exchanged for a wife.

A sheep would definitely be considered a high dowry, let alone a cow.

Some families couldn't resist the temptation of cattle and sheep and sent their daughters over there.

Zhu Xiancai did not know the Second Prince's purpose, but he knew that the Second Prince had ill intentions. He sent people down to stop him, but it was not very effective. He roughly estimated that the number of Han women abducted by the Second Prince in recent days was probably in the hundreds or thousands.

"What exactly is this guy trying to do?"

On the city wall, Zhu Xiancai couldn't help but scratch his hair hard, muttering to himself.

Even though he prided himself on his extensive knowledge, he had never seen such a scene before and could not guess the purpose of the second prince of the Xiongnu.

Only the vigilance in my heart grew stronger and stronger.

Looking around the city walls, the guards were all lazy and relaxed, casually finding a place to sit or lean against. Despite the presence of 50,000 Xiongnu troops outside the city, they didn't seem to feel the slightest bit tense.

Everything was filled with an indescribable strangeness.

Just as Zhu Xiancai's hair was about to fall out completely, a campfire was burning in the opposite tent. The Second Prince, whom Zhu Xiancai had been longing for, was sitting by the campfire, holding a copy of the Analects, nodding his head and swaying his head.

"If this is the case, then if distant people do not submit, then cultivate virtue and culture to attract them. Once they have come, then pacify them..."

He spoke fluent Mandarin, and you could hardly detect any accent.

Slowly putting down the book, the Second Prince looked up at his side. There sat a middle-aged scholar, who looked to be in his thirties. He should have been handsome, but now his face was crisscrossed with scars from knife cuts, making him look rather frightening.

"Mr. Li, may I ask what this sentence means?" the Second Prince asked with a smile.

This Mr. Li is the Second Prince's strategist.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Li raised his head, his brow furrowing as he moved his face. He felt the dense scars wriggle like centipedes, which was extremely frightening. However, the Second Prince's expression remained unchanged, still respectful.

After pursing his lips, Mr. Li explained, "This sentence comes from the Analects of Confucius, Ji Shi chapter. Its original meaning is that after people from afar are won over by benevolence and virtue, their lives should be made stable."

"But now some students have another argument: since we're here, we should settle down and adapt to our current situation."

The Second Prince, Alibu, clapped his hands and chuckled, "In that case, it aligns with what I'm doing now. Since I've taken these Han women away, I must ensure their stable lives so that they will truly submit to me."

"As for the other interpretation, it also fits the situation of these Han women. Since they have already married into the Xiongnu, they should settle down and adapt to their current situation."

"Great, great, I like this line."

Just then, they heard hurried footsteps, and soon a Xiongnu man came running over. His expression was tense, and his brows were full of fear.

"Oh, my dear Huka, what happened? Why are you so flustered?" The Second Prince Alib waved to the newcomer and invited him with a smile, "Come, sit down and rest well. Have a drink. This is a frost brew that I traded a cow for; it's quite a good drink."

"Damn it, my Second Prince, how can he have time to drink now?" The man named Huka was lean and wiry, unlike most Xiongnu people who were broad-shouldered and burly. He looked anxious and said, "Something terrible has happened."

"Oh? What's the matter?"

"Our most troublesome enemy has appeared." Huka finally sat down next to the Second Prince, picked up the wine jar, and gulped down half of it to moisten his dry throat. He said he didn't have time to drink, but if fine wine was offered to him, he would never refuse.

The Second Prince's eyes twitched at the sight of this action.

That's too rude.

The wine was wasted on Huka, so he reached out to snatch the jar back. But Huka, shameless as he was, stuck out his long tongue and licked the rim of the jar.

Alib withdrew his hand with a hint of disdain.

“It’s Song Yan, whom the Second Prince and Mr. Li often mention.” Huka proudly hugged the wine jar and explained. “The First Prince, Prince Abal, directly broke through the entire Anzhou City. That guy is shameless; he actually secretly arranged for another batch of people from the northern desert. Even though he suffered heavy losses before, he still has 60,000 troops.”

The eldest prince arranged for people to keep an eye on the second and third princes, while both sides kept an eye on the eldest prince, which was an unspoken understanding between them.

"Abal is prepared to use these 60,000 troops to directly breach the gates of Pingyang City and Dehua County."

"As a result, Song Yan devised a plan to lure Abalu into the city."

“Abal was stupid. Cheng Xu kept advising him, but he angered Abal, who whipped Cheng Xu across the face and drove him away. Then he led his troops into the city.”

"Next, a raging fire broke out throughout Dehua County."

"The entire army of 60,000, including the entire county town, was burned to ashes."

hiss.

Upon hearing this, both Mr. Li and Alibu's expressions changed.

Before setting out, Mr. Li, based on the intelligence he had gathered, identified the people who needed to be taken seriously, with Song Yan at the top of the list. This man was cunning and ruthless, and most importantly, he harbored extreme hatred for foreign races. Although he already knew about him, he was still shocked when he heard that Song Yan had wiped out Abal's 60,000-strong army with a single fire.

Abalu slaughtered many people along the way, but this fire probably paid back most of them.

“I was just watching from afar when I saw a large number of Han Chinese people carrying charred corpses out of the scorched earth of the county town, chopping off their heads, and preparing to build a mound of corpses on the pipeline.”

That's absolutely right.

It must have been Song Yan's doing.

After all, the reputation of the Jingguan Maniac was known even in the northern desert.

"As for Song Yan, he led his army north."

The Second Prince and Mr. Li exchanged a glance, both able to see the gravity in each other's eyes: the Third Prince Agsang was probably in danger.

With a heavy sigh, Mr. Li slowly said, "Your Highness, do you know that 'since we're here, let's make the best of it' also has another meaning?"

"Huh?" Although the Second Prince was puzzled and didn't understand why Mr. Li had suddenly brought this up again, he still asked seriously, "What do you mean?"

"Some busybodies say, 'Since we're here, let's make the best of it,' meaning... since we're here, let's bury us here," Mr. Li blinked and said slowly.

The second prince's expression suddenly changed, and he stood up abruptly:
"Then what are you hesitating for?"

"withdraw!"

What a joke! He didn't want to go up against that Jingguan maniac, and he didn't want his head to become fuel for building the Jingguan.

At least... not right now!
Moreover, the objectives of this expedition have been largely achieved, so why create unnecessary complications?

(End of this chapter)