Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 476 Luo Yuheng, Lin Xue, and Song Yan (1)

Before Lin Xue even left the Chu Kingdom, the Chu Emperor had already gathered a considerable amount of information about Song Yan, and this information would naturally be passed on to the delegation.

On the way here, and in the two days since arriving at Dongling, the delegation has also inquired about some things. In Ningguo now, Song Yan is definitely a well-known celebrity, so it is not difficult to find out about Song Yan.

Among all the intelligence, Song Yan has two most obvious characteristics:
He liked to cut off people's heads and build mounds of skulls, earning him the nickname "Mound-building Maniac".

He prefers older women, and seems to have a particular fondness for widows and widowers.

Although on the surface it appears that Chu Menglan took the initiative to request the Chu Emperor to travel with Lin Xue, from the perspective of the chief envoy, the Chu Emperor may well have intended to use Chu Menglan to lure Song Yan back to Chu... After all, Chu Menglan fits Song Yan's preferences very well.

As he flipped through the intelligence reports, the envoy tried to find an easier way to proceed. As he read, his brows furrowed. This wasn't the first time he had read these reports, but each time he did, he could clearly feel the impact on his heart.

In terms of military talent and achievements, Song Yan is probably no less capable than Lin Xue, and may even be superior.

They truly are siblings.

Even without Lin Xue, Song Yan's value alone is enough for the Chu Kingdom to pay a huge price to acquire him.

In fact, the people of Chu were quite open-minded.

In the hearts of the Chu people and their rulers, regardless of whether they were from Ning, Chu, Liang, or Zhao, they were all Han people.

The Central Plains will eventually be unified.

Despite over a century of division, the two sides maintained relative peace with few wars. The previous generation of generals gradually aged, and while many of the younger generation were well-versed in military strategy, they were ultimately just armchair strategists. Few could truly lead troops into battle and had already achieved success. Lin Xue and Song Yan were undoubtedly among the best. If the Chu Kingdom could possess both Lin Xue and Song Yan, the siblings, it might truly have the potential to unify the Central Plains.

The saying "It's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a good general" illustrates this point.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he let out a heavy sigh, got up, and walked down the corridor toward a room in the middle.

This is Chu Menglan's room.

It's late at night, and it's not appropriate to disturb Her Highness's peaceful sleep, but there are some things the envoy feels it's better to make things clear to Chu Menglan beforehand.

……

A crescent moon hangs in the night sky.

The cold wind lashed against my face and ruffled my long hair.

The tightness in my chest gradually dissipated.

Lin Xue stretched her arms lazily. Her personality was somewhat complicated. Because of her cultivation of the "Extreme Yin Su Nu Jing" (a classic text on Yin and Yang), she often exuded a cold and aloof aura that kept strangers at bay. However, when training troops or going into battle, she was resolute, courageous, and fearless. When the Crown Prince harassed her, she dared to beat him up in front of the Emperor. Therefore, in most people's eyes, she should be considered the reckless type.

However, a general capable of leading troops into battle cannot be merely reckless; Lin Xue, after all, is a woman, possessing the sensitivity inherent in women. She understood the Chu Emperor's arrangements, the envoy's attitude, and their concerns… She had also stated more than once that she would absolutely not stay in Ning Kingdom.

Unfortunately, few people are willing to believe such a statement.

After glancing back, the three men immediately turned their attention to the stall next to them, pretending to haggle with the vendor.

Lin Xue rolled her eyes slightly: A clumsy performance.

She exhaled, trying to ignore the noise, and walked along the streets of Chang'an, whistling.

The various street food stalls caught Lin Xue's eye. If she remembered correctly, it was called "Gu Lou Zi," which was made by baking mutton in a flatbread. She vaguely remembered that her mother had bought it for her when she was very young. Lin Xue couldn't resist and took out five coins to buy one. She took a bite, and it was full of mutton juice, so fragrant. It must be the taste from her memory, right?

So much time has passed that I can't quite remember some of it.

As for the other side of the stall, the snacks sold there should be called Jushengnu, also known as Mi Sanzi. It consists of maltose wrapped around dough strands and then coated with black sesame seeds. One bite is sweet and fragrant.

We traveled and bought things along the way.

Before long, Lin Xue's arms were filled with all sorts of things.

Her usually aloof face was now filled with happiness. She especially remembered how, when she was little, she loved going to the market with her mother and always ate until she was stuffed.

Having only walked halfway down Chang'an Street, Lin Xue already felt a bit full. Looking down at the fried hamburger in her hand, which she hadn't even started eating yet, she puffed out her cheeks. As if it were a memory branded into her soul, Lin Xue turned to the side and handed the hamburger over:

"Mom, I can't finish it, can you help me..."

That's how it is when we're kids.

Every time we went to the market, I would buy this and that, but I could hardly eat any of it. The leftovers were all given to my mother...

But halfway through her sentence, Lin Xue suddenly realized with a start that her mother was already gone.

His eyes held a hint of melancholy.

My heart feels empty, as if a piece of it has been ripped out.

Suddenly, Lin Xue noticed a tall figure standing right beside her, in the direction her hand holding the cold weapon was reaching out.

A white dress accentuated her graceful figure.

Elegant and beautiful.

However, they had already changed their clothes.

Only her exceptionally beautiful face appeared pale.

She tilted her head, a hint of doubt showing in her large, dark eyes: "Mother?" She pointed a slender, pale finger to the tip of her nose: "Me?"

Lin Xue's body suddenly stiffened, and in the next instant she felt a wave of heat rush from the soles of her feet to her head, and her cheeks, which were originally a little sad, turned bright red.

Ah ah ah ah ah……

She actually called a complete stranger "Mom"? It was one thing when she was a child, but how could she make such a mistake now that she's an adult?

How embarrassing, how embarrassing, how embarrassing.

In that instant, Lin Xue felt so ashamed and indignant that she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into and never come out again.

If the Chu people in the post station were to see Lin Xue in this state, they would be greatly surprised. Who would have thought that General Lin Xue, who was so valiant and heroic on the battlefield and no less than any man, would show such a shy and girlish demeanor?

Lin Xue didn't know what was going on today. Even when she was holding the pass of Chu and facing tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops, she would not be afraid in the slightest. But when she was facing this very beautiful woman, she lost her composure and seemed to have a kind of instinctive panic: "I'm sorry... I was impolite. I hope you won't blame me, Madam."

Seeing Lin Xue's flustered appearance, Luo Yuheng just smiled gently, took the cold weapon from Lin Xue's hand, and took a bite: "Crispy and crunchy, not bad."

It was just a very simple action, but Lin Xue's panic inexplicably dissipated a lot. The smile on Luo Yuheng's face seemed to have some strange power, making Lin Xue smile as well: "I'm glad that Madam likes it."

"Speaking of which, this is our second meeting, isn't it?" Luo Yuheng asked with a smile. "The last time we met was at the entrance of the inn."

"Judging from the girl's age, she's about the same age as my eldest daughter."

"But you got separated from your mother. Do you want me to help you look for her?"

No matter the time, Luo Yuheng's voice was always soft and gentle, without a trace of anger.

Lin Xue smiled and shook her head: "Thank you for your concern, Madam, but it's not necessary. My mother has long since passed away. I was just feeling sentimental earlier, and I hope you'll forgive my rudeness."

"She's quite pitiful." As if remembering something, Luo Yuheng sighed softly, "Judging from your accent, you're not from Ningguo, are you?"

"Yes, a Chu person." Lin Xue did not deny it. Accents are hard to change, and besides, she was now an envoy from Chu, so there was nothing wrong with admitting it. Moreover, for some reason, Lin Xue felt very comfortable talking to this lady, so she did not feel any aversion. Of course, Lin Xue was very discreet and would never say anything truly important.

“The State of Chu…” Luo Yuheng murmured softly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping across the streets of Chang’an.

It was already late at night.

The streets are no longer as bustling as they were during the day.

Most of the vendors had already left, and a few were packing up, probably preparing to go home.

In Ningguo Imperial City, there is no curfew most of the time, and pedestrians and tourists are not prohibited at night. However, at this time of day, there are not many customers on the streets, so it is not worthwhile to continue to endure this. Some people packed up their things and headed to the streets, but many vendors were still struggling to hold on.

In Luo Yuheng's memory, Chang'an Avenue was slightly more lively late at night.

Occasionally, some vendors would glance over.

Whether attracted by Luo Yuheng and Lin Xue's beauty, or hoping that these two customers would buy something from their stall, it's unclear.

Occasionally, some noisy sounds could be heard coming from the direction of the brothel.

It wasn't the Qunyu Garden, just an ordinary brothel next to Chang'an Street in the outer city. Several young men got into a quarrel and then started fighting. Occasionally, angry voices could be heard from the night sky, probably because they were arguing over a certain courtesan.

Such things are not uncommon; they happen almost every day in the vast city of Dongling.

Compared to the inner city, the outer city was definitely more chaotic.

The inner city was inhabited by powerful families, high-ranking officials, and members of the royal family. No matter how despicable their hearts were, they mostly maintained the appearance of gentlemen on the surface. Even if a conflict occurred occasionally, they would just laugh it off and secretly look for an opportunity to get revenge. Noisy fights and brawls would only make them lose face.

The outer city was different. It was mostly inhabited by minor officials and merchants, so there were fewer rules. Fights were common, though they rarely escalated. The Imperial Guards, maintaining order, would arrive quickly, and these dissolute youths would become obedient, surrendering to the soldiers and being thrown into prison, waiting for their fathers or brothers to bring ransom the next day. It was said that this had become a crucial source of extra income for the Dongling government and the Imperial Guards.

Luo Yuheng withdrew his gaze, his smile undiminished: "Speaking of which, Chu is not far from Dongling. Does the young lady have some important business here? Are there any other relatives accompanying her? The journey has not been peaceful."

Lin Xue nodded: "Just going with the caravan to broaden my horizons. The caravan employs bodyguards, so there's nothing to worry about." Lin Xue felt she wasn't lying. After all, the delegation was ostensibly there to re-establish diplomatic relations between the two countries, but in reality, it was also to demand the annual tribute that Ning Kingdom had previously promised. It was a profitable business, so calling it a caravan wouldn't be a problem. As for the hundreds of soldiers and dozens of high-level martial artists, it wouldn't be a big deal for them to act as bodyguards.

After a brief pause, Lin Xue spoke again, her voice tinged with suspicion: "By the way, is Madam also from Dongling? It's getting late, why hasn't Madam returned to the manor? If there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask. I may not have many other skills, but I do have some strength, which I'll take as an apology for my earlier disrespect."

This isn't just idle talk.

The social atmosphere in the State of Chu was open, and few people went out at night because it was too cold. In the summer, countless ladies and young women would go to the riverbank to escape the heat under the cover of night, and of course, there would be some adulterous couples who would take the opportunity to sneak into the woods.

However, Ningguo has many strict rules. Whether it is an unmarried girl or a married woman, except for some special holidays, they cannot go out after sunset. Not to mention, it is already the middle of the night. If someone sees them, they may be accused of being unchaste.

If a woman does not uphold traditional wifely virtues, it is entirely possible that she will be dragged to the riverbank and drowned in a pig cage by her husband's family.

Just like Chang'an Avenue now, among the few pedestrians, you can hardly see a single woman, so Lin Xue and Luo Yuheng's presence stands out.

He's a kind-hearted person, though.

Luo Yuheng felt a strange sense of goodwill towards Lin Xue. Hearing this, he simply smiled and said, "I lived in Dongling for a while before, but later I moved to Songzhou. There was nothing important there. This time I'm just revisiting the old place and taking a stroll."

Songzhou?

They were just chatting casually. But the moment Lin Xue heard the words "Songzhou," her eyes suddenly lit up: "Madam is from Songzhou? I've heard there's a county under Songzhou called Ningping?"

"indeed so."

"I've heard that Marquis Song Yan is from Ningping. I wonder if Madam knows him?" Lin Xue's voice became hurried and slightly cracked. Although she had been in Ningguo for some time and had investigated her brother's affairs quite a bit, she had not yet met anyone who knew him. In any case, she always wanted to know more about her brother.

Luo Yuheng frowned suddenly. He had initially thought the girl was a nice person and had quite a good impression of her, but now, that good impression had instantly turned into wariness...

What's happening here?
Listening to Lin Xue's slightly strange voice and looking at her slightly flushed cheeks, could it be that this woman has also set her sights on Yan'er?
It's one thing for women from Ningguo to be like this, but a woman from Chu actually wants to steal her son-in-law.
So brave.

Lin Xue was unaware that in the blink of an eye, Luo Yuheng had a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind, and at this moment, a pair of big eyes were staring straight at Luo Yuheng.

Luo Yuheng frowned more and more: "Of course we know each other, but... young lady, you don't mean you've also taken a fancy to the Marquis of Champion?"

puff.

Lin Xue was shocked that Luo Yuheng would say such a thing, and she almost spat out her saliva. However, it was too impolite, so Lin Xue tried her best to hold it in, but her face turned bright red.

Good guy.

What is this lady saying?

How could she possibly choose her own younger brother?

Wouldn't that be considered incest?

However, Luo Yuheng saw that this expression clearly had a different meaning. Look at that rosy little face, isn't it just the shyness of a young girl in love whose feelings have been exposed?
hateful!

hateful!

hateful!

Why is everyone targeting her Yan'er?
Luo Yuheng couldn't help but look Lin Xue up and down again, and then helplessly discovered that compared with this woman, Tianxuan Tianyi was only on par in appearance, and even slightly inferior in figure. For a moment, Luo Yuheng felt a strong sense of crisis.

No, we must dissuade this woman from this idea.

Thinking of this, Luo Yuheng suddenly coughed twice: "Girl, don't make a mistake. Listen to me, that Marquis of Champion, Song Yan, is no good. He is ruthless and kills without hesitation. He once burned tens of thousands of people to death in a fire."

Lin Xue blinked: "He was a general, wasn't he? Since ancient times, a kind-hearted person cannot command an army. A qualified general must be ruthless. Besides, those he burned to death were either Japanese pirates, Jurchens, or Huns. This should be a good thing for the people of the Central Plains."

Luo Yuheng's breath hitched: "These are minor matters. His fetish is extremely perverse. He loves to cut off other people's heads and pile them up for fun."

"A mound of bones?" Lin Xue nodded. "This is a way for military officers to display their merits; it's harmless."

Although she doesn't have that kind of fetish.

However, after witnessing the Jingguan (a mound of corpses) with my own eyes, I realized that it was indeed a deterrent.

Lin Xue has made up her mind that whenever she fights the Xiongnu again, she will cut off the heads of those Xiongnu people and build a huge mound of heads outside the border city to scare them to death.

Luo Yuheng frowned: "That's a small matter. That Marquis of Champion is very promiscuous. He already has many women."

Lin Xue looked delighted: "If so many women like him, doesn't that mean Champion Hou is outstanding enough?"

This is a good thing, from an older sister's perspective.

In this way, our family will be able to have many descendants in the future.

Hearing Lin Xue's answer and seeing the joy on the woman's face, Luo Yuheng was shocked. She felt that she had encountered the most difficult opponent in her life.

Judging from this woman's attitude, she's determined to steal her son-in-law away.

Luo Yuheng frowned, pondering how to dissuade Lin Xue from her thoughts...

call!
The once dark street suddenly became bright.

A blinding red light shone from the other end of Chang'an Avenue.

As if by instinct, Luo Yuheng and Lin Xue turned their heads almost simultaneously to look in the direction from which the light was coming. The next moment, the expressions of the two women changed, and the flames were reflected in their dark eyes.

Fire has broken out on the most bustling street in Ningguo Imperial City.
It's unclear whether it was because of those customers who were fighting over a woman, or even brawling, that they accidentally knocked over the lantern in their hands and set the carriage on fire.

The flames on the carriage ignited the brothel next door.

Many people screamed and ran out of the brothel. Some cursed and patted the flames off their bodies; some were disheveled, clearly having been engaged in sexual activity not long ago; and some prostitutes simply ran out naked... After all, being naked was shameful, but much better than being burned to death.

Fortunately, this brothel wasn't as crowded as the Qunyu Garden, so there wasn't a stampede.

The madam wailed and cried, directing the pimps to put out the fire quickly, but unfortunately... it was too late. Almost in the blink of an eye, a towering sea of ​​flames had already engulfed the entire brothel. The speed at which the fire spread was unimaginable. Before long, both sides of the brothel were ablaze, and a flame drifted to the opposite side, where the inn was also glowing red.

In an instant, a sea of ​​fire cleaved the wide Chang'an Avenue in two.

"Run away..."

From afar, one could hear a young master's piercing scream. He ducked and slipped into the carriage, directing the driver to leave quickly.

Horse-drawn carriages, patrons of prostitutes, prostitutes, and peddlers were all racing frantically down Chang'an Street.

As the fire cut off the street, a dense crowd rushed towards Luo Yuheng and Lin Xue like a tidal wave, seemingly about to completely engulf them.

……

Hengshan Mansion!
It is a small prefecture-level city in Ningguo, with a relatively small area and population.

Although there were garrison troops stationed there, the governor of Hengshan trembled when he saw five thousand iron cavalry appear out of nowhere. After all, Hengshan nominally had 15,000 garrison troops, but no one knew the true situation better than the governor. Of the 15,000 ambush troops, 10,000 were paid for their services, and the remaining 5,000 were mostly sons, nephews, servants, and bodyguards of various officials in Hengshan Prefecture, who were just collecting extra salaries; they were absolutely not going to fight.

As an inland prefecture, there was no need to worry about attacks from foreign tribes, and the daily training was even more lax.

Looking down at the city wall, at the tall horses, at the gleaming silver armor, and at the soldiers exuding a murderous aura, even if the governor of Hengshan didn't understand warfare, he would know that his five thousand soldiers were no match for the enemy, even with the advantage of the city wall.

When Song Yan revealed his identity, the governor of Hengshan felt his legs suddenly go weak and he almost knelt down.

Leading elite cavalry, they headed straight for Dongling.

Is this Marquis of Champion planning a rebellion?

According to the laws of Ningguo, he could not let Song Yan enter the city. Not only could he not let him pass, but he should also take the initiative to send troops to capture Song Yan.

But... we can't afford to offend them.

His Majesty may punish him later, but if the Marquis of Champion is not allowed to pass through the pass now, he may lose his life.

Therefore, the governor of Hengshan obediently opened the city gates.

They even set up a large table at the most upscale hotel in Hengshan Prefecture as a welcome feast.

After several rounds of drinks, Governor Hong Kai of Hengshan was about to ask when this troublesome figure would leave when a slight commotion arose at the door of the inn's private room. Hong Kai frowned, but after seeing that Song Yan's expression was normal, he breathed a sigh of relief and waved for the person at the door to come in.

It was the inn's waiter who approached Song Yan respectfully, holding a yellowed envelope in his hand: "Sir, a guest downstairs just asked me to give you this letter."

Song Yan pursed her lips, opened the paper, and saw two lines of text on a blank sheet of paper:
"Luo Yuheng is in my hands..."

(End of this chapter)