Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 470 Marrying My Younger Sister Along Too (6,000 words)
Gao Yang recognized Fang Jia as his relative.

The Fang family is Gao Yang's maternal family.

Then Gao Yang was betrothed to Song Yan.

True old foxes always think about problems much more meticulously. They never consider immediate gains or losses, and they don't care about being slightly embarrassed. They look at the rewards months or even years later.

If Song Yan were here, upon hearing these words, he might not be able to resist calling him a cunning old fox.

Although Fang De looked somewhat tired, his eyes were exceptionally clear. Leaning back in his chair, he lightly tapped his fingers on the armrest: "What's the reason?"

Even if she is recognized as a daughter of the Fang family, she is still a princess. It would be somewhat inappropriate to give her away as a concubine for no reason.

Fang Hai smiled and said, "Gao Yang stayed at Song Yan's residence for several months, ruining her daughter's reputation. It's not unreasonable to make Song Yan take responsibility, is it?"

Ever since witnessing Song Yan's military prowess, Fang Hai has considered Song Yan to be the most powerful ally in the world, a view that has never changed. Aligning with Song Yan might not bring the Fang family any benefits; they could even face retribution and the annihilation of the family… However, standing against Song Yan would mean certain death for the Fang family. There's no other reason than Fang Hai's feeling that if Song Yan were to march south, no one in the entire Ning Kingdom could stop him. Anything that stood in Song Yan's way would be mercilessly crushed into dust.

“However, Prince Fu and Princess Fu are still alive. In the end, they are Gao Yang’s biological parents. Even though Gao Yang is the daughter-in-law of the Fang family, this matter cannot bypass them,” Fang De said slowly.

Fang De looked down on Prince Fu.

The current situation of the Ningguo royal family is obvious to anyone with eyes to see. Prince Fu has cultivated a faction in the court, which Fang De is somewhat aware of. In Fang De's view, this faction will naturally stand on His Majesty's side, in order to help Emperor Ninghe stabilize the court. This is also a good thing for other members of the royal family, since only when the imperial power is strong can the royal family members live comfortably and freely.

This time, however, Prince Fu's faction actually sided with the Yang family and Bailu Academy, wanting to kill Song Yan together, which greatly disappointed Fang De.

He was unclear about the exact nature of the conflict between Prince Fu and Song Yan, but Fang De knew that without Song Yan and his army acting as a deterrent in Pingyang, the Ninghe reign title might have ended after the nineteenth year of Ninghe.

With Emperor Ninghe gone, what benefits can Prince Fu and Prince Jin possibly gain? Perhaps this person is indeed very shrewd in scheming and plotting, but his vision is too narrow. He can't even grasp this most basic point. How can we expect Prince Fu to accomplish anything significant?
Even if Prince Fu were to one day ascend to the throne, he would likely immediately begin a purge of the Fang family. In that case, it's best to let the connection with Prince Fu be severed; the head of the Fang family has never been one to drag things out.

But no matter what, Prince Fu is still a prince with a noble status, so things are somewhat troublesome for Gao Yang.

"Even if we were willing to become Gao Yang's maternal family, Gao Yang might not be willing. After all, Gao Yang is not a member of the Fang family. In the years since Gao Yang married into the Fang family, although we have never mistreated her and have been very kind to her, that woman Jiang Miaojun has been quite abusive to Gao Yang..."

Fang De pondered for a moment, speaking slowly and deliberately, and felt a pang of annoyance when he spoke of Jiang Miaojun.

The Jiang family was originally a prominent and influential family, so there was no problem with them marrying into the Fang family.

Who could have imagined that such a family would decline so quickly, falling into ruin in just over a decade? Even more unexpectedly, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family was so short-sighted, only seeing the power of the Fang family and the fact that the royal family needed their support, without realizing that the Fang family also relied on imperial power. After Fang Jun and Gao Yang got married, Gao Yang suffered a lot of grievances. If it weren't for the two of them keeping her in check, they might have really elevated her equally short-sighted niece from her maternal family to the status of a secondary wife.

It's laughable that a princess and her husband would have a concubine.

Although they were both there to protect her, they were men after all and couldn't keep their eyes on the inner quarters all the time. In addition, Fang Jun's hobbies were extremely strange, even stranger than Song Yan's hobby of piling up heads. Gao Yang's life after marriage was definitely not comfortable.

Even if Gao Yang doesn't hold a grudge against the Fang family, she probably doesn't have much affection for them either. Now that the Fang family is arranging Gao Yang's marriage as her maternal family, Gao Yang might not be happy about it.

Hearing Fang De's words, Fang Hai smiled wryly. He understood his father's worries and shook his head, saying, "Father, you are overthinking this."

"The people I arranged, while not professional spies, are still capable of gathering all sorts of random information. According to the information I've gathered, the relationship between Gao Yang and Prince Fu and his wife isn't actually that close."

“That Princess Fu was a mean and ungrateful woman. Although Gao Yang was her own daughter, she only treated her as an object. After learning that Gao Yang was still alive, Princess Fu planned to use Gao Yang to gain some benefits again. It seems that she was planning to marry Gao Yang to someone else.”

When Fang Hai first learned of this information, he was slightly suspicious. Logically speaking, such a matter concerned a woman's reputation and should not be easily spread. However, his spies found out about it with ease. But because there was so much information at the time, Fang Hai quickly overlooked this small matter.

"That man was not a good match. Gao Yang resisted to the death, and as a result, Princess Fu actually arranged for people to kidnap Gao Yang directly."

"It was Pingyang City that had a large number of black-armored soldiers who stopped them."

"At this point, the only thing missing for the severance of ties between Gaoyang and the Prince of Fu's residence is a written agreement."

Fang Hai's lips curled into a slight smile: "Under these circumstances, if our Fang family is willing to be Gao Yang's maternal family, it would be a good thing for Gao Yang. As long as Gao Yang isn't stupid, she definitely won't refuse. Having a maternal family when she gets married will give her more dignity."

Fang De suddenly realized that there were so many twists and turns involved. He was even more surprised that his usually lazy son had secretly investigated these matters so thoroughly.

“These days, Father has been speaking up for Song Yan in court.”

"Perhaps we can take this opportunity to marry my younger sister off as well."

"In the end, it is our Fang family blood that flows in my younger sister's veins."

Fang De nodded. His son's arrangement was very appropriate. Even he, as the father, could not find any fault with it. His wrinkled face was full of satisfaction, but also a little lonely.

"Also, aren't those people clamoring to take Song Yan back to Dongling for trial? Since that's the case, while Father is speaking up for Song Yan, why don't we also secretly work on it and take the initiative to bring Song Yan back?"

"I'd like to see who's more unlucky after Song Yan comes back."

"It has only been less than a hundred days, and those fools seem to have already forgotten the bloody corpses beneath the imperial city."

"Those two mounds of Jing are still standing outside Dongling City."

……

Achoo, achoo, achoo!

Song Yan, far away in Pingyang City, couldn't help but sneeze several times in a row.

I rubbed my nose and looked at the sky outside the window. I don't know if it was because of the cool breeze blowing in from the window, but I suddenly felt a chill on my body and my nose started to itch.

Anzhou and Pingyang have temporarily stabilized.

If you really want to calculate it, Anzhou Prefecture is actually larger than Pingyang, with twenty-three counties under its jurisdiction, all of which are now in Song Yan's hands.

Previously, Song Yan had said that the Xiongnu prince Abalu had slaughtered five county towns and one city, Anzhou. He said that in the future he would wipe out ten Xiongnu tribes and crush the Xiongnu royal court... However, his bold words would have to be put on hold for a while.

Suochuoluo was even more difficult to deal with than Song Yan had imagined.

Originally, Song Yan's plan was that Suochuoluo's attack on Xinhou County would be stalled by Master Meiwu, leaving the Xiongnu vulnerable and providing an excellent opportunity to crush the Xiongnu tribes.

But who would have thought that after his attack on Xinhou County was thwarted and he tasted the devastation of the thunderbolt, Suochuoluo did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered his army to retreat. He even personally led several hundred personal guards, carrying a few days' worth of rations, and returned to the northern desert as quickly as possible, where he completed the most basic deployment on the northern grasslands.

Head-on confrontations and stalemates have never been Song Yan's forte.

Whether it was the Japanese pirates, the Jurchens, or the Xiongnu this time, Song Yan relied on schemes and tricks. With the enemy already well prepared and the difference in troop strength too great, Song Yan could only temporarily abandon the idea of ​​breaking out. Of course, Suochuoluo did not have the guts to launch another attack on Yongchang City.

The two sides are currently at an impasse.

The thunderous roar likely left an indelible impression on Sochoro's mind.

Until they find a way to counter the Thunderclap Bomb, or acquire a similar weapon, the Xiongnu will likely remain subdued for a while.

For Song Yan, war itself might be simpler; what follows is far more troublesome.

For several days in a row, I've been busy until midnight almost every day.

"The power of the Heaven-Shaking Thunder is truly immense! How exactly is this thing made? Who holds the formula?" On the other side of the table in front of Song Yan, Mei Wu's face was full of excitement. Despite being an old man of considerable age, he was gesturing wildly like a child.

However, Song Yan understood Mei Wu's feelings very well. For a warrior and a general, it was inevitable to be emotional when he saw such a powerful weapon on the battlefield.

"The recipe is currently known only to me, Emperor Ninghe, and the Eldest Princess. Apart from them, even the craftsmen only know a little bit about it," Song Yan said, taking a sip of tea to refresh himself.

“The Xiongnu suffered a great loss this time under the thunderous thunder, and they will certainly not let it go. They will definitely find a way to retaliate.” Mei Wu nodded: “At the same time, they will probably try to get their hands on the thunderous thunder. Once such a thing falls into the hands of a foreign race, it will be a disaster.”

"Therefore, my suggestion is to classify the Thunderclap Bomb as the top secret in Pingyang. Whether it is the workshop where the materials are produced or the place where the explosives are prepared, we must select absolutely loyal people from the Black Armored Warriors to guard it and not give anyone else the slightest chance. At the same time, we must also strictly search all kinds of spies. This is our most powerful trump card and something that can change the nature of war. If the Thunderclap Bomb is deployed, perhaps cavalry and heavy armor will no longer be as glorious as before."

"If you trust this old man, then leave this matter to me."

Song Yan nodded: "I had already entrusted this matter to Lord Jia before, but now that Anzhou and Pingyang are about to merge, Lord Jia's workload has suddenly increased a lot, and there are bound to be some things he can't take care of. It would be best if Grandfather were willing to take over."

"As for the matter of spies, Grandfather can contact Mr. Liang. He has always been in charge of this matter."

Mei Wu was overjoyed. He was a little worried about having others watching such a powerful weapon, but his greatest joy came from Song Yan calling him "Grandpa," which was the first time Song Yan had ever addressed him that way.

"In addition, after this harassment by the Xiongnu, there are many more refugees in Anzhou, and many men in Pingyang are willing to join the army. I suggest that we recruit 30,000 soldiers from Anzhou and Pingyang."

Song Yan nodded slightly. Although the Xiongnu attack was a great victory, it also revealed the weakness of Pingyang City: its military strength was too small, with only more than 50,000 soldiers. If multiple places were attacked, the situation would immediately become extremely dangerous.

Expanding the military is imperative.

Although expanding the army without Emperor Ninghe's imperial edict is tantamount to treason.

But since the emperor is far away, there's no need to worry about so much.

"Let Grandpa handle this matter. He's an expert at training troops, so there shouldn't be any problem. I won't interfere. However... each thousand-man unit must be equipped with at least one instructor."

"As for treatment, it will all be in accordance with the standards for soldiers of the Fubing (a military unit).

After discussing a few more things, Mei Wu left excitedly.

This old man probably won't be able to sleep tonight. Just the matter of recruiting soldiers and guarding the arsenal will keep him thinking about it all night.

Just as Mei Wu left, another figure walked in.

It was Shen Qi.

A forced smile appeared on Song Yan's slightly tired face: "Auntie is here."

Shen Qi's ordinary face was full of gentle smiles, and she sighed with some pity: "My lord, please don't overwork yourself. I know you are dedicated to the people, but you should also take care of your health."

Shen Qi also greatly admired Song Yan's abilities.

Over the years, she has traveled extensively and met many talented individuals. Caravans frequently cross borders, and she knows quite a few generals as well. However, when it comes to military campaigns, very few can match Song Yan's abilities, and among the younger generation, apart from Lin Xue from the Chu Kingdom, there is no one else like him.

Nowadays, the entire Anzhou and Pingyang are in an uproar. The people are talking about how many wolf cubs the Marquis has killed in this war.
Some say 200,000, some say 500,000, and some even claim that the entire million-strong Xiongnu army perished.

Shen Qi knew, of course, that this was just people talking nonsense. In Shen Qi's estimation, the actual number would not exceed 150,000... But even so, it was still an astonishing number. What was even more exaggerated was that Ningguo's losses were so small that they were almost negligible.

Such merit would be enough to earn one a promotion and a noble title even in the state of Chu.

Song Yan smiled, then shook her head: "It's alright. Once these next few days are over, things will be a bit easier." After a pause, Song Yan asked again: "Did Aunt transport grain this time? How much did you transport?"

Many people's stored grain was looted, and this grain was completely destroyed by the fire in Dehua and the flood of the Laolin River... Just as expected, a food crisis followed the war. If it weren't for Shen Qi and Kong Xingye constantly transporting grain over the past few days, the Pingyang granary would probably not have been able to hold on.

“This time it’s a bit less, only eight thousand shi, but that should last for a while.” Shen Qi smiled and said, “It’s already the end of May, and June is just around the corner. The autumn harvest will be in August or September, and then we won’t have to worry about food anymore.”

Hearing this, Song Yan felt a little relieved: "So, Auntie, did you come here this time because of those two items? Which one did you choose?"

The last time Shen Qi appeared, he offered to provide the grain needed by Pingyang City free of charge, and the reward was Song Yan's next creation. At that time, Song Yan took out snow salt and soap. It seems that so much time has passed, and Shen Qi should have made a decision by now.

Shen Qi smiled wryly: "The Marquis really knows how to torment people."

"Whether it's the snow salt or the soap, they are both excellent items. As a merchant, I really can't choose between them."

"I estimate that snow salt is at least five times the price of green salt, and there is absolutely no need to worry about sales."

"As for soap, although it may not seem like a necessity of life like snow salt, and its sales volume may not be particularly exaggerated, it will definitely be extremely popular among noblewomen, young ladies, and even young scholars and gentlemen. These people are not short of money, so the unit price will be higher, and the profit is hard to estimate."

"If you ask me which one I want, I would naturally want both." Shen Qi smiled. "However, I am not one to be so greedy as to not know when to advance or retreat. So I will choose the snow salt."

This was a trivial matter for Song Yan. It was simply a matter of sending a letter to switch the business of Steward Wang and Lin Xiangwan to soap. It was no big deal, so he nodded in agreement.

They also discussed the construction of the workshop, as well as the specific time and price for sourcing goods.

When Shen Qi was about to leave, Song Yan couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, Aunt, where are my two cousins, Mingzhou and Mingyu? Why didn't they come with you?" Song Yan remembered that when Shen Qi and Song Jincheng divorced, she took both of her sons with her, but she had never seen them when she met Shen Qi several times.

Shen Qi just smiled coldly: "Song Mingzhou and Song Mingyu were indeed extremely dissatisfied when they first learned what Song Jincheng had done. They left with me out of righteous indignation. However... after some time of travel, they couldn't take it anymore and advised me to remarry Song Jincheng."

"When he saw that I refused, he left under the pretext of trying to persuade Song Jincheng. Perhaps he still couldn't bear to give up the glory of the Minister's mansion. If you meet him again, my lord, there's no need to consider any old feelings."

"If there is nothing else, Your Excellency, I will take my leave now."

Song Yan nodded slightly and watched Shen Qi leave.

He roughly understood that Shen Qi probably hadn't told Song Mingzhou that Song Mingyu was very wealthy. Taking her two sons all over Ningguo was partly to look for business opportunities, and partly to temper her sons' character, as well as to test the two brothers.

If the two brothers pass Shen Qi's test, they will naturally have millions of taels of silver to inherit.

If they fail, Shen Qi will not care whether the two brothers are rich or poor, alive or dead, from then on.

This woman has a really hard heart.

They were decisive enough; when they saw that someone wasn't on their side, they let go without hesitation.

Shen Qi was the last guest of the day. After entertaining Shen Qi, Song Yan could finally relax a little. He stretched his arms and walked out of the room.

Summer breeze rises.

The governor's mansion was brightly lit, which dispelled much of the darkness of the night.

In the backyard, the pumpkins are growing well. Under the lush green leaves, some fist-sized fruits can already be seen. It seems that in another month, there will be a good harvest.

Looking up, I saw beautiful pavilions and waterside terraces in the courtyard, lanterns swaying in the wind, their reflections in the water also swaying. Walking along the corridor, I soon spotted a graceful figure.

It was a woman.

Her body was full and plump.

After the mother-in-law Luo Yuheng temporarily left the governor's mansion, there was only one woman left with such a figure and dignified and noble demeanor: Gao Yang.

To be honest, Luo Yuheng left in a rather hurried manner.

He simply left a letter saying that he had some things to take care of and needed to return to Dongling, without explaining much else.

Song Yan had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

At that time, the war with the Xiongnu had only just begun, and Song Yan had only just dealt with the eldest prince; the future was still uncertain. Given Luo Yuheng's personality, she probably would sit anxiously on the threshold of the governor's mansion every day, resting her chin on her delicate white hand.

I won't feel at ease until I see myself return safely.

This sudden departure must mean that something extremely important has happened.

Unfortunately, Luo Yuheng didn't tell anyone, so Song Yan had no idea what the specifics were.

Could it be... that Emperor Ninghe is dying?
A thought suddenly popped into Song Yan's mind, but he immediately shook his head. Although Emperor Ninghe had a brain tumor, it shouldn't be this fast. At least for the next year or two, there shouldn't be any problems.

It seems I need to find an opportunity to return to Dongling.

Letting out a breath, Song Yan suppressed the slight irritation in her heart. When she looked up again, she saw Gao Yang holding a letter in his hand by the light of the lantern under the eaves of the pavilion. From the side, she could see that Gao Yang's brows were furrowed and his face was unhappy, obviously something bad had happened.

In front of Gao Yang stood two girls dressed as maids, around seventeen or eighteen years old, in the prime of their youth, and quite pretty.

Song Yan knew most of the maids in the governor's mansion, but these two were somewhat unfamiliar.

Moreover, Song Yan wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the two maids were dressed very maturely, with their skirts reaching their chests and exposing large areas of their white skin.

Although she appeared to be simply standing quietly in front of Gao Yang, there was always a hint of allure in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)