Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 469 Marry Gao Yang to Him (Seeking Monthly Tickets, Thanks to Yong Su for the Alliance Leader)

It's night.

The night at Dongling is somewhat different from that in the Chu Kingdom's imperial city.

Perhaps due to the weather, once night falls in the capital of Chu, apart from some entertainment venues, there are very few people to be seen. However, even at the end of the 7 PM hour, the streets of Dongling are still bustling with people. It is probably not until midnight that the streets will be less noisy.

A gentle night breeze occasionally lifted the carriage curtain, revealing the brightly lit streets of Chang'an. This Chang'an Street felt strangely familiar to Chu Menglan and Lin Xue; after all, the capital of Chu also had a Chang'an Street… They'd heard that Liang and Zhao also had theirs, probably hoping for good fortune.

Occasionally, some leaves from the willows along the roadside will be blown down by the wind and drift to the ground.

Lin Xue was probably full of question marks. She knew that Chu Menglan had always been unconventional, but she never expected her to be so unconventional... After learning that her master's husband, the Champion Marquis, was her younger brother, her first thought was that the generations were messed up.

Shouldn't we be concerned about why the two are siblings? Looking at the boisterous Chu Menglan, Lin Xue smiled, her smile carrying a hint of doting... Ever since learning of her brother's death, she has probably treated Chu Menglan, her junior sister, like a younger sister.

Looking out the car window at the dark night sky, his deep eyes seemed to be lost in thought, and certain images involuntarily surfaced in his mind, but because so much time had passed, he could hardly remember them.

Is he my younger brother?

She seemed to remember some things.

That was when she was very, very young. Her little brother had just been born, his face all wrinkled, like a little old man. She couldn't quite remember what her mother looked like, but she still remembered how gentle her mother's expression was. She was a little curious, a little wanting to hug the little one, to pinch his cheeks.

But they dared not.

I was afraid that my mother would stop loving me after she had this little one.

She couldn't remember why she had such thoughts, but the fear remained, which must have been for a very important reason.

Her mother seemed to see through her thoughts, smiled gently at her, then beckoned and gently stroked her head.

Lin Xue shook her head vigorously. She must have said something else back then, something extremely important, but every time she thought of it, her head buzzed and she felt extremely uncomfortable.

It's the same this time.

Lin Xue slowly exhaled, and stopped forcing herself to remember those things. When she saw Chu Menglan beside her, she couldn't help but think of what Chu Menglan had just said.

This person speaks without thinking... but at least what he just said did make some sense.

If Master really marries my younger brother, what should I call Master when we meet again?

Master or sister-in-law?

What should Master call me?
Sister or disciple?

This thought had flashed through my mind before, but at that time I had just heard the news about my younger brother and was only thinking about how to find him again, so I didn't think about it much.

Thinking about it more carefully now, it really is a problem.

For some reason, Lin Xue felt a little irritated.

He tugged at his hair with both hands, and finally decided to take it one step at a time. What's that saying again? There's always a way out.

Chu Menglan's chattering voice rang out again beside them, mostly asking about things from their childhood. Lin Xue picked out the things she could remember and recounted them, but since she had only spent three years with Song Yan, and was just a little girl back then, she could only remember very little. Fortunately, the carriage found an inn, and Lin Xue finally escaped from Chu Menglan. The inn looked quite luxurious, probably one of the best in Dongling City.

Just as Lin Xue and Chu Menglan were about to enter the inn, they both caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of their eyes. That figure seemed to possess an indescribable charm, instinctively attracting their attention, and they both looked to the side at the same time.

It was a woman.

The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with a full and voluptuous figure. Her cloud-like hair was styled in a bun at the back of her head, giving her a dignified and elegant appearance.

Her face was breathtakingly beautiful.

Lin Xue and Chu Menglan were both exceptionally beautiful, and places like Su Nu Pavilion were never short of stunning women. For the two women, the most beautiful woman they had ever seen was their own master, but even though they had only caught a glimpse of her profile, they inexplicably felt that this woman was perhaps even more beautiful than their master.

For a moment, I was stunned.

The woman who had been standing quietly and motionless watching Chang'an Street seemed to sense something and turned around with some suspicion. The woman had exquisite features, and her face was so beautiful that it would not be an exaggeration to say that she was stunningly beautiful. Even Lin Xue and Chu Menglan, who were extremely confident, couldn't help but feel a sense of inferiority.

Judging from the woman's mature demeanor, she should be around thirty years old, but her face was clearly very well-maintained, with almost no trace of the ravages of time. At first glance, she looked no more than twenty years old.

Dressed in a pure white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), she looked ethereal, like a fairy descended from heaven. Her large, dark eyes seemed to hold a smile, and she didn't reprimand the two women for their impolite gazes. Instead, she nodded to Lin Xue and Chu Menglan before gracefully walking away.

Even though it was just a casual walk, from behind, each step seemed like a dance, possessing a unique charm.

Lin Xue and Chu Menglan were slightly dazed. When the two women snapped back to their senses, the woman was nowhere to be seen.
It seemed as if it had vanished into thin air, or perhaps it had simply blended into the dense crowd before them.

……

Meanwhile, in Dongling City.

Fang family.

Although it was late at night, Fang De's study was still brightly lit.

There was another person in the study who shouldn't be there: Fang Hai.

As the Prefect of Songzhou, he should not leave without special circumstances. It is far from time to report on his duties, so his sudden appearance at Dongling is a violation of the rules.

However, the Fang family wields immense power in Ningguo, so this small problem is no big deal for them.

Fang Hai sat quietly in the chair, holding a teacup in his hand, taking sips from time to time, and occasionally looking up at the old man opposite him. The old man was holding two letters and looking at them over and over again.

The letter was brought back by Fang Hai, so its contents are very clear.

One of the letters was written by Gao Yang.

To be honest, Fang Hai was also startled when he first saw this letter.

Gao Yang disappeared after falling into the river, but since he hasn't been found for so long, almost everyone, including Fang Hai, has concluded that he drowned in the Yi-Luo River. According to Ningguo law, if someone has been missing for more than a year and hasn't been found, a cenotaph can be built and a monument erected in their memory.

Who would have thought that after being missing for nearly seven or eight months, a letter from Gao Yang would arrive... The letter explained what had happened... After falling into the river, Gao Yang climbed ashore at a point downstream. Unexpectedly, he encountered a group of bandits, and in the nick of time, he was rescued by Song Yan and the Black Armored Warriors who were temporarily stationed in the forest.

Considering that her mother-in-law had always disliked her, and suspecting that the incident of falling into the river was related to her mother-in-law, she abandoned her idea of ​​returning to Songzhou Prefecture and went to Pingyang with Song Yan.

Until recently, Song Yan, returning from a work visit, learned that Jiang Miaojun had passed away. Furthermore, her father-in-law, Fang Hai, and grandfather, Fang De, had always treated her well, and not wanting the two to continue to grieve, Gao Yang wrote a letter to inform them. In the letter, Gao Yang also stated that although Fang Jun was dead, she was still a daughter-in-law of the Fang family.

The letter was sincere and heartfelt, and the author adopted an extremely humble attitude.

As for the other letter, it was written by Song Yan. It briefly mentioned that Gao Yang was temporarily residing in Pingyang City and told Fang Hai not to feel any dissatisfaction because of it. That was all.

The two letters arrived in Fang Hai's hands one after the other, within just a few days.

If it were just this letter, it wouldn't be enough to make Fang Hai travel all the way back to Dongling. What Fang Hai really valued were other aspects.

"Father, how do you think this matter should be arranged?" Seeing Fang De put down the letter in his hand, his face slightly serious as if he was thinking, Fang Hai slowly spoke up: "Does the Fang family intend to arrange for someone to go to Dongling to bring the princess back? In any case, Gao Yang is also the Fang family's daughter-in-law. Even if she is brought back, it is only right and proper, and no one else can say anything about it."

He pursed his lips, and Fang De's slightly chapped lips finally parted slowly: "You mean, bring Gao Yang back, and then find someone of similar age within the family to marry? In this way, can the relationship between the Fang family, Prince Fu, and the royal family continue to be maintained?"

"A broken thread, once reconnected, though not as strong as it was initially, is still connected, isn't it?" Fang Hai said with a smile.

After a brief pause, Fang Hai continued, "Of course, that's on the condition that... Song Yan doesn't interfere." Fang De's expression remained unchanged: "How so?"

“Father knows Song Yan’s preferences.” Fang Hai shook his head, his tone slightly helpless: “Song Yan likes women who are older than him, and he seems to have a particular fondness for married women and widows. Just right, Gao Yang fits both criteria.”

"Gao Yang has been living in Pingyang for the past few months."

"They may not be together every day, but they do see each other occasionally, so there might already be something going on between them."

Otherwise, why would the two letters arrive one after the other? It's too much of a coincidence.

Fang Hai was helpless against Yu Songyan's quirks.

My younger sister, Fang Wanlin, has been in Pingyang for quite some time now, but judging from the letters she's sent back, there's been almost no progress whatsoever between her and Song Yan. Let alone progress, they've barely even met a handful of times. And it's not that Song Yan is deliberately ignoring Fang Wanlin; there are simply too many things to handle in Pingyang, so there's no reason to blame her.

Fang De neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.

Fang Hai didn't mind, and simply changed the subject: "Father, you know about the Xiongnu invasion of Anzhou and the events in Pingyang, right?"

“I already knew a month ago.” Fang De sighed, his eyes showing exhaustion.

"What does the court say?"

"His Majesty intends to send the Imperial Guards, Silver Feather Guards, and Golden Guards to provide support, since the Xiongnu cavalry are known for their ferocity, unlike the Jurchens who are known for their small-scale skirmishes," Fang De said slowly. "However, His Majesty's orders have been rejected time and again by the Secretariat and the Chancellery."

"His Majesty also prepared to mobilize troops from other prefectures to provide support, but this was also rejected by some people for various reasons."

"Even though the alien races have already invaded Ningguo's territory, they've been arguing about whether or not to send troops for a month, and still haven't been able to reach a conclusion."

Fang De shook his head: "The Yang family and Bailu Academy have joined forces this time. Moreover, for some reason, some originally neutral officials also intend to align themselves with the Yang family and Bailu Academy, as if another force has intervened."

"This force is not powerful, but it is extremely deadly at this critical juncture."

"It's obvious that they want to use the Xiongnu to get rid of Song Yan."

"Outliers are always disliked."

Although Emperor Ninghe had regained some ground some time ago, the shift in neutral forces was a fatal blow, and Fang Hai felt he was about to collapse during the past two days of court sessions.

"Is he one of Prince Fu's men?" Fang Hai pursed his lips.

Fang De nodded: "It should be."

"Song Yan, Father must also know about the burning of Dehua, which killed over 100,000 Xiongnu soldiers in one fell swoop?" Fang Hai asked again.

Fang De nodded again: "The army of over 100,000 Xiongnu soldiers is an unprecedented achievement. Such a beheading is enough to raise Song Yan's rank. After all, Ningguo has not had such an outstanding general for many years. However, this good achievement has been regarded as a sin by those old fogies in the court."

They said that Song Yan's actions were against the natural order and insisted on bringing him back to be executed.

"I thought that these people were just scheming against each other in their daily lives, but when the country is in trouble, they should unite as one. In the end, I overestimated them."

A hint of mockery and regret flickered across Fang Hai's lips.

Ironically, these officials in the court truly did not disappoint him; they never forgot their infighting, no matter the circumstances… Even when the Xiongnu army surrounded Dongling, these people were still thinking about how to kill their political enemies.

It's a pity that despite Song Yan's great achievement, Fang Fang didn't have the chance to curry favor with him or share in his military merits. It's a real shame. If Fang Fang had been able to stay close to Song Yan and benefit from his influence, the Fang family might have even produced two Dukes.

“In that case, Father, then hold on for a few more days. No matter what others say, Father, you must protect Song Yan in court at all costs.” Fang Hai smiled and said leisurely, “With the strength of my Fang family, holding out for ten or fifteen days should not be difficult.”

Fang De raised an eyebrow. He knew his son Fang Hai very well. Despite his frivolous and lazy demeanor, Fang Hai was actually quite shrewd. Normally, when the Fang family wanted to place bets on someone, they would do so quietly. Such blatant behavior was very unlike his son's character.

It seems that this son possesses some information that even his father is unaware of.

"Song Yan should have known about the Xiongnu invasion of Ningguo long ago." Fang Hai carefully considered his words before slowly saying, "Yongchang City was breached around April 10th, but in early April, a group of people went from Pingyang to Ningping. They not only transferred a large number of Japanese pirate soldiers, but also took away all the armor, weapons, and crossbows produced in Song Yan's ironworks, leaving nothing behind."

"Although I don't know exactly how Song Yan did it, it's clear that he received the news a long time ago and was preparing for the war... Considering the distance between Pingyang and Ningping, Song Yan must have known the intelligence even earlier."

“With sufficient preparation, Song Yan’s methods would ensure he would not lose even against the Xiongnu.” After finishing his tea in one gulp and clearing his throat, Fang Hai continued, “After seeing Song Yan’s men leading soldiers and military equipment to Pingyang that day, I secretly arranged for some people to enter Pingyang Prefecture to gather information.”

In ancient times, news spread very slowly.

The situation in Pingyang, relying solely on word-of-mouth among merchants and common people, would take a month or even longer to reach Dongling. Even with messengers to gather information and verify its accuracy, the entire process would take seven or eight days, or even ten days to half a month, for the news to reach Dongling.

Therefore, what is currently circulating in Dongling City is mostly Song Yan's glorious achievement of burning the Xiongnu army, and little is known about what happened after that. In contrast, Fang Hai has people who collect information. Whether it is true or false doesn't matter; as long as there is news, they will send carrier pigeons. In just a few days, Fang Hai will be able to grasp the movements in Pingyang.

Fang De's eyes suddenly lit up: "What's the situation over there?"

"The Xiongnu have withdrawn their troops."

Fang De trembled. Although he had guessed from Fang Hai's appearance that there was probably good news, he never expected that the Xiongnu would actually withdraw their troops.

"No one in Dongling City knows about these things, but they have already spread in Pingyang."

"After burning Dehua, Song Yan blew up a dam, and the floodwaters submerged the army under the command of the second prince of the Xiongnu. The survivors fled to the mountains, but Song Yan burned the mountains down. It is said that there were so many corpses that they blocked the Laolin River. Just clearing the river and the corpses on both banks required tens of thousands of laborers and took several days."

"The second prince of the Xiongnu, upon hearing of Song Yan's ruthlessness, immediately withdrew."

"The Xiongnu Chanyu Suochuoluo led an army of 150,000 to launch a surprise attack on Xinhou County, but he was also repelled by Mei Wu."

Fang De's face suddenly flushed red, his beard twitched, and his hand holding the teacup trembled uncontrollably: "Good, good, good!"

The three consecutive "good"s were enough to prove how excited Fang De was at that moment.

Ningguo has truly not felt so triumphant in a very, very long time.

"According to the intelligence I received, Song Yan has already arranged for his troops to take over Anzhou City and the twenty-three counties under its jurisdiction."

“All the vacant official positions have been filled by new appointees.”

"Some time ago, tens of thousands of surviving people of Anzhou wrote a petition, urging Song Yan to concurrently serve as the prefect of Anzhou."

"But Song Yan refused."

"However, I estimate that it won't be long before Anzhou falls into Song Yan's hands."

Fang Dehe burst out laughing: "Could it be that you're pulling that 'three refusals and three concessions' stunt?"

Fang Hai chuckled and said, "Who knows? But if Song Yan really wants to take over Anzhou, who in the court can stop him?"

“No one!” Fang De tapped his fingers lightly on the table. The current governor of Anzhou was a hot potato; whoever took the post would die, their fate far worse than Sun Hao's. Those who could navigate the court were all seasoned veterans. They could easily give orders, but none of them wanted to actually jump into that fire pit. “In that case, the northern part of Ningguo would fall entirely into Song Yan's hands… The Xiongnu wouldn't allow Song Yan to grow too powerful, and the Yang family would probably resort to desperate measures. What do you think?”

Fang Hai's smile deepened: "We can give up on the Prince Fu line."

"That person is clueless."

“Gao Yang is the daughter-in-law of the Fang family, so she is considered a member of the Fang family. Since that’s the case, why not just treat Gao Yang as our daughter and make our Fang family Gao Yang’s maternal family?”

"Then, Gao Yang was betrothed to Song Yan directly."

(End of this chapter)