Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 484 He's already rebelled, what more do you want from me? (12,000 words)

Rumble, rumble!

The whole race will be destroyed.

The moment those four words were uttered in a furious roar, a silvery-white bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the dark sky above, and for a moment the whole world was illuminated, reflecting on the pale faces of Abal, Agsang, Huyantu, and the other Xiongnu envoys.

Lightning flashes by in an instant.

Immediately following was a deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, which seemed to shake the golden palace three times.

Even a burly and tall man like Huyan Tu was so frightened by the aura surrounding Song Yan that his face turned pale and he subconsciously took a few steps back.

Extinction of the race... He could sense that Song Yan was not just talking; he was genuinely prepared to do it. His eyes gleamed with madness and longing.

Damn it, ten million taels of silver! Where would the Xiongnu get so much money? If the Xiongnu were really that rich, wouldn't it be better to just buy grain, wine, and tea? Why would they need to rob them?
Besides, why do you round it up like that?
That's despicable, shameless, and utterly shameless.

For a moment, Huyan Tu felt a dryness in his throat. The lanterns and candlelight in the golden hall swayed with the wind outside, their light flickering and casting an uncertain glow on Huyan Tu's face.

He clenched his teeth tightly, so hard that streaks of blood were visible between them.

Finally, Huyan Tu mustered all his courage and looked up at Emperor Ninghe on the dragon throne: "Your Majesty, is this how Ning Kingdom treats its guests? Sochuo Luo, the Great Chanyu, sent me here to conclude a friendly treaty with Ning Kingdom. Does Your Majesty really allow the Marquis of Champion to humiliate the Great Chanyu at will and destroy the friendly relations between the two countries?"

"Don't you think that the Marquis of Champion's behavior is far too presumptuous and completely disregards you, the emperor?"

This is his last hope.

He came to take away Princess Ningguo and Song Yan's heads.

If he fails to accomplish anything and instead brings back a bill for ten million taels of silver, the Great Khan will definitely chop off his head.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Ninghe did not expect that the ball would suddenly be kicked to him, and his expression was a little strange... No, you guys make a fuss, I'm just watching the show, what does it have to do with me?
Besides, does he look stupid? Would he fall for such a simple attempt to sow discord? Friendly relations between the two countries? How shameless must a person be to utter such a thing?

He was still holding the teacup he had originally intended to smash. The five hundred axemen lying in ambush outside the hall were no longer needed, which was a bit of a pity. He took a sip and praised, "Good tea."

The court officials and the Xiongnu Jurchen delegation were all speechless. Was it time to enjoy tea?

Emperor Ninghe, however, did not care about what others thought. He simply pointed to the silver-armored guards in the main hall and said, "These are all the men of the Marquis of Champion."

"The Marquis of Champion has led his troops into the palace. What is he doing?"

"This is a rebellion."

"He's already rebelled, what more can you expect from me?"

The room fell silent upon hearing such a confident and assertive statement.

Huyan Tu opened his mouth wide, but couldn't utter a sound at all.

Damn.

That was so damn true that he was speechless.

Unlike Huyan Tu, the officials in the court were all frowning, especially the old foxes Fang De, Yang Hetong, Gao Hong, and Chu Licheng. They sensed something different in Emperor Ninghe's words.

Could it be that Emperor Ninghe intends to...?

Having resolved the matter of Huyan Tu, Song Yan turned to look at the Jurchen delegation. His gaze fell on Talkabu, who had already witnessed Huyan Tu's tragic fate. Talkabu's body tensed instantly, his face turned pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. That was a Xiongnu envoy, and yet he met such a miserable end. Two Xiongnu princes were about to become the Dancing Kings of Dongling. What good could come of this mere Jurchen envoy?

Surely we don't have to go dancing too?

That would be too shameful; he'd rather kill himself.

"Tarkabu, is that you? You've come representing Wanyan Guangzhi?" Song Yan remained calm and composed, his tone indifferent and devoid of any anger.

"Shouldn't the Jurchens now be divided into three kingdoms?"

"When did Wanyan Guangneng come to represent the entire Jurchen people?"

"When did Wanyan Guangzhi become the king of the Jurchen people?"

Talkab looked embarrassed when faced with this question.

He hadn't expected Song Yan to know so much about what was happening on the Haixi Grassland.

Wanyan Guangzhi always called himself the Great Khan of the Jurchens, but since the year-end incident caused by Song Yan, the power of the Wuji tribe has plummeted, and Wanyan Guangzhi's influence has never been the same as before.

Even the Blackwater tribe, which had previously sought a marriage alliance with Wanyan Guangzhi, severed ties with him. The Mohe tribe declared independence, and the Anchegu and Funie tribes harbored deep-seated hatred towards Wanyan Guangzhi. Although Wanyan Guangzhi had destroyed Anchegu, the entire tribe had been almost completely wiped out, so the Wuji tribe's population had not been replenished, and the spoils were far from enough to offset the war's losses… Therefore, while the Wuji tribe had won, they had also suffered a loss, and Wanyan Guangzhi's power had been further diminished.

In this respect, the title of Great Khan is somewhat undeserved.

"Alright, during this year's New Year's celebrations, Pingyang spent a lot of money and grain on the campaign against the Jurchens. You Jurchens should pay for this, so let's say it's three million taels. Last year, the Jurchens plundered Pingyang, and we have to pay three million in reparations. Soon, I will be marrying Wanyan Guangzhi's future wife, Nahetuya. Don't forget to give her a gift of at least three million, so let's make it a total of ten million."

"Since Wanyan Guangzhi claims to be the Great Khan of the Jurchen, then let Wanyan Guangzhi pay for this."

"Similarly, I'm giving Wanyan Guangzhi two months."

"If you break the agreement, I will not hesitate to lead my troops to crush the Jurchen royal court once again."

hiss.

The Jurchen envoy almost fainted. The Jurchens were weak, and he thought they would receive less than the Xiongnu... Ten million! He thought he would cut all the Jurchens into pieces and sell them to see if they were worth that much money.
Unfortunately, these Jurchen envoys dared not utter a single word.

After all, Song Yan's claim of flattening Longcheng might just be empty talk, but he had actually flattened the Jurchen royal court once, and not only that, he burned it down.

There's nothing in this world that a Jingguan fanatic wouldn't do.

"Alright, the matter between the Xiongnu and the Jurchens is temporarily resolved. You all get out of my way for now." As he spoke, Song Yan pressed a hand on Talkabu's face and pushed him away.

Although it did not cause any real harm, it was extremely insulting.

Unfortunately, the Jurchen envoys, though their faces were flushed, didn't dare to say a word and obediently lowered their heads as they went to the back.

Seeing the two envoys taking small, retreating steps, Song Yan frowned slightly: "I said... get lost."

Upon hearing this, the twenty-four envoys of the Xiongnu and Jurchen almost simultaneously stopped, their faces flushed red, clearly extremely angry.

What a humiliation this is!

Anger burned in his eyes.

After a moment of anger, he obediently squatted down, hugged his calves with both hands, and rolled to the side.

The officials in the court, including the three members of the Chu Kingdom, all had strange expressions. The Jurchens were one thing, but the Xiongnu people had always been arrogant and domineering. Even the members of the delegation were arrogant and lawless. When did these people become so docile?
Song Yan told them to get lost, and they actually left?

Are people so terrified of the champion Hou?

If Song Yan had remained stationed in Pingyang and Anzhou, there would likely be no more worries about foreign invasions. If Song Yan were placed on the border between Ning and Chu, Chu would no longer be able to bully Ning at will.

Song Yan didn't care what these people were thinking. He turned his gaze to the officials kneeling in front of him and a cold smile suddenly appeared on his lips. These must be Qin Hui of Ning Kingdom. This is the main event of today.

The previous troubles with the envoys of the Xiongnu and Jurchen were merely an appetizer.

He greatly disliked the Xiongnu, Jurchen, and Song people.

But as the saying goes, those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. I dislike Song Yan, but I can understand him.

But he truly loathed Qin Hui to the core.

Da da da……

The heavy sound of metal combat boots hitting the stone slabs rang out again, like a seductive, murderous melody, tormenting everyone's ears.

The thirty or so people kneeling on the ground trembled slightly, but none of them had the courage to get up.

Yang Hetong, Chu Licheng, and Gao Hong all had gloomy expressions, and their eyes flashed with a cold light.

Song Yan's methods were truly unexpected. They just couldn't understand it. From Pingyang to Dongling, it was a distance of a thousand miles, and they had to pass through at least four prefectures along the way. Were the governors of those four prefectures all useless? Why didn't a single one of them stop them?
Even if there were no obstacles, they could at least have sent a message beforehand.

If they had made preparations in advance and mobilized the Silver Feather Guard, the Golden Guard, and the soldiers under their control in the Imperial Guard, they wouldn't have been able to blockade the palace by Song Yan and end up in this situation.
They had considered sending a message out; if they could bring all the loyal soldiers from the Three Guards here now, there might still be a chance to turn the tide. However… the entire palace was completely under Song Yan's control, and there was no opportunity to send a message.

For so long, there has been no sound from outside. Perhaps the servants at the palace gate, the attendants, and the palace maids and eunuchs inside the palace have all been brought under Song Yan's control.

Song Yan seized the opportunity perfectly. Once too many officials belonging to their faction in the court had been eliminated by Song Yan, even if the Three Guards were brought in, it would be of no use.

Just then, Song Yan's voice rang out again: "I just don't understand. We've clearly won, so why are you still compromising and sending the princess away, relying on killing your own generals to ensure your safety? Are all the people in the court a bunch of spineless cowards?"

"Can anyone tell me why this is?"

Only Song Yan's voice echoed in the main hall.

Yang Hetong's eyelids twitched slightly; he knew that Song Yan was about to make a move.

Many of the kneeling civil officials trembled with fear, but showed no shame whatsoever.

They were simply afraid of death, but never felt there was anything wrong with what they were doing.

Sure enough, Song Yan, who was walking along, suddenly stopped, grabbed a man in his sixties by the collar, and pulled him up from the ground.
"What is your name, and what official position do you hold in Ningguo?"

Although the old man was terrified and trembling, he still seemed to want to maintain his seniority. Suppressing his fear, he sternly shouted, his beard trembling, "Let go! How dare you, you brat, insult me ​​like this?"

"Didn't your father teach you to respect your elders?"

Song Hongtao really didn't teach much.

Seeing that Song Yan remained unmoved, the old man suddenly looked up at Emperor Ninghe on the dragon throne: "Your Majesty, everything we have said and done is for the greater good and for the sake of Ningguo."

"We have served in Ningguo with utmost caution and dedication, working tirelessly for the country and its people for decades. Are you really going to stand by and watch this brat humiliate us, the pillars of the court?"

By the end, he was in tears.

He seemed to be full of grievances and resentment.

Even Song Yan was moved by that expression.

Wow, what an actor! He's such a great actor, it's a real shame he's not a professional actor.

Even more unfortunately, Emperor Ninghe remained unmoved on the dragon throne, leisurely sipping his tea: "I've already said that Song Yan has rebelled, and he's now in charge of the Ning Kingdom court. What use are your words to me?"

Song Yan couldn't help but roll her eyes. You've taken dozens of sips of that tea and you still haven't finished it, have you?

Unlimited refills?
Wei Zhong just stood there watching? Didn't he even offer his master some tea to ease the awkwardness?

"Oh, right..." Emperor Ninghe finally shifted his attention from his teacup, looked up at Song Yan, and said, "This man is Liang Ju, a Gentleman Attendant at the Secretariat. Liang Ju, when you moved to your new residence last time, this man didn't give you a gift..."

Song Yan's lips twitched. Why was this old man bringing up the fact that he hadn't given her a gift? Was he the kind of cruel person who would chop off someone's head if they didn't give him a gift?
After a pause, Emperor Ninghe spoke again: "The one who just said that if we don't agree to the conditions of the Xiongnu and Jurchen, or if we don't kill you and marry the princess to them, he will kill himself by crashing into the main hall."

A harmless smile suddenly bloomed on Song Yan's face.

That smile sent chills down the spines of all the officials in the court. What was that saying again? "When Song Yan smiles, life and death are unpredictable."

"I see." Song Yan murmured softly, "Very good, very good."

"This is the first time I've ever seen a country achieve peace by sending women... Vice Minister Liang, right? You should be well-read. I'd like to ask, which of the Four Books and Five Classics is written like this?"

"Tell me who taught you that a country's survival depends on eliminating its most capable and battle-hardened general?"

"Facing the Xiongnu and the Jurchens, you bow and scrape, practically wanting to rush up and lick their asses. Is this the backbone of you scholars?"

"Is this the backbone of a scholar?"

"Is this the character of you scholars?"

“If all the scholars in Ningguo are like you, I think the prostitutes in Qunyu Garden are more noble than you.”

These words were utterly humiliating.

The Yellow Gate Attendant Liang Ju's face turned bright red. Even though Song Yan was holding him up, he still glared at Song Yan angrily: "You brat, how dare you judge my achievements? Everything I have done is for the country and the people. I have a clear conscience before Heaven, Earth, and Confucius. How dare you compare me to a prostitute?"

Song Yan chuckled: "If Confucius knew that the successors of Confucianism were all like you, he would probably spit on his face and be ashamed to face anyone!"

"Eunuch Wei Xiao, do you know if the Imperial City Guard has any records of Elder Liang Ju?"

"Of course there is."

Accompanied by a sinister voice, everyone then realized that a figure had appeared in the main hall at some point. It was none other than Wei Xiao, who was in charge of the Imperial City Guard.

With a flick of his whisk, Wei Xiao glanced at Liang Ju and slowly began to speak: "Liang Ju, the Yellow Gate Attendant, has his family seized thousands of acres of fertile land in his ancestral home. His relatives have forcibly abducted seven women, killed thirteen of their family members, and injured twenty-four others. His family members protested to the authorities, but because the Yellow Gate Attendant protected them, the matter was ultimately dropped."

"Liang Ju once served as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. During his tenure, he took advantage of the Spring Examination and sold his calligraphy and paintings at high prices to leak the exam questions to the candidates, thereby making a profit of 170,000 taels of silver."

“He took a jade throne and a golden Buddha statue, and secretly promoted the son of the Marquis of Wuding, who could barely read a few characters except for his name, to the ranks of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

"By accepting 108 pearls, we tacitly agree that the Liu family's heir is seeking someone to take the exam for him."

“Last year, a nephew from the clan brought his wife to visit the capital. Seeing that his nephew's wife was pretty and delicate, he had evil intentions and asked his nephew for her. In order to curry favor with you, the nephew deliberately got his wife drunk and sent her to your bed. After waking up, his wife could not bear the humiliation and jumped into a well to commit suicide.”

Song Yan clapped his hands and laughed: "Minister Liang, so this is what you call serving the country and the people, this is what you mean by being cautious and conscientious, and exhausting your energy?"

"I see you as someone who wears a scholar's cap to feed on the people's ills, and uses the teachings of the sages to cover up the wolves' voices; you fawn over your superiors like a sick dog, and glare at the common people like a Vajra. You cleverly add taxes to the yellow registers on bones, and exchange father recognition certificates in front of the red gates! You preach filial piety and brotherly love, yet you seize your nephew's wife, and you advocate chastity and virtuous conduct, yet you rent out your concubine's money."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Ju's face turned ashen.

Song Yan's voice was like a merciless sharp knife, tearing away the mask that Liang Ju had always prepared for himself, allowing him to see the dirtiest, most filthy, and ugliest version of himself.

"If Confucius knew that he had a disciple like you, or that Confucianism had become such a mess, he would probably be so angry that he would die."

"You just said that if His Majesty kills me and doesn't send the two princesses to the Jurchens and Xiongnu, you would kill yourself right here in this hall?"

“Very well, I will grant your request. I am not dead, the princess has not been sent, and the Xiongnu and Jurchen do not intend to send troops, so you can kill yourself now. Come on…” He pointed to a pillar, and everyone in front of the pillar, whether they were Xiongnu envoys or Ningguo officials, quickly stepped aside. No one wanted to get into trouble at this time: “Come on, the pillar is right there, crash into it.”

Liang Ju's body went limp on the ground, trembling. The intense shame made him wish he could smash his head against the main hall and die.

But... he didn't dare.

It must hurt a lot to get a bloody head injury, right?
Song Yan's eyes grew increasingly contemptuous. He sneered and waved his hand. Immediately, four soldiers stepped forward from outside the main hall and grabbed Liang Ju's limbs.

Liang Ju was still struggling desperately.

Song Yan's cold voice rang in my ears again: "If you don't dare, I'll have them come and help you, so that you can fulfill your desire to be remembered in history."

"They are all professionals, don't worry, it will be quick."

"And your wife, children, and your nine generations of relatives from the Liang family ancestral home will soon be there to join you."

"I will build a beautiful mound of heads from their skulls."

Song Yan was going all out. You guys said I was the Jingguan Maniac, well then I'll show you what maniac I am. You really think I'm easy to bully?
These words caused Liang Ju's pupils to contract sharply.

Before he could say anything, four silver-armored guards lifted Liang Ju's body and slammed his head against the round pillar.

boom!
The dull sound gradually spread throughout the hall.

A cracking sound could still be faintly heard, as if the skull had cracked.

A clump of scarlet stain clung to the pillar.

Everyone who heard it trembled with fear, unsure of what fate awaited them.

Meanwhile, Song Yan had already begun looking for his next target.

It would be better to kill all the Qin Huis in the imperial court.

……

Prince Fu's Mansion.

A snow-white figure quietly landed in the backyard.

The torrential rain fell, but it didn't reach the woman.

It was as if there was an invisible barrier, blocking the rain from invading. The raindrops fell on the barrier and turned into fine mist.

(End of this chapter)