Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 487 You Be the Emperor (6500 words)

Lanterns were lit in the palace, adding a little more light to the dim world. At the entrance of the Golden Hall, corpses and dismembered limbs lay scattered on the ground. The pervasive stench of blood was masked by the torrential rain, and blood stained the rainwater, flowing down the steps.

It seemed to be evening, and the sky grew increasingly dark.

The faint light from the lantern grew brighter and brighter.

The lightning, which vanished in an instant, tore apart the horizon, twisting and turning like tree branches. It mingled with the palace, blood, and corpses, creating an almost eerie atmosphere. Silence and oppression enveloped everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe.

No one speaks.

All eyes were on Song Yan's hand, his fingers gripping the hilt of the knife, the blade embedded in Yang Hetong's stomach, blood seeping out, staining Yang Hetong's official robe red, dripping down the hem.

Puff.

Puff.

With a gentle twist of his wrist, the blade spun around inside Yang Hetong's stomach.

The sharp blade easily cuts open the internal organs.

The wound turned into a bloody hole, and the bleeding became even more profuse.

Yang Hetong's brows furrowed instinctively, it hurt terribly. He grinned and greedily inhaled the bloody air.

His eyelids blinked rapidly.

There was a hint of resentment in his eyes.

As the second most important figure in the Langya Yang Clan, he believed that the information he possessed was fatally tempting to Song Yan, and that was his value, a great value.

Song Yan is ruthless and cruel, but if given enough time to utter a complete sentence, perhaps just a few breaths, he would be confident enough to persuade Song Yan and save his own life... But who would have thought that Song Yan wouldn't even give him those few breaths?

What kind-hearted person would kill a prisoner of such value as him?
This Song Yan is indeed quite different from ordinary people.

When he met Song Yan, all his plans and schemes seemed like a joke.

With a helpless sigh, the light in Yang Hetong's eyes gradually faded, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps a few minutes, perhaps longer—but Yang Hetong's body trembled slightly, and then he became completely still, his head drooping down.

Song Yan could feel the weight on the blade suddenly increase.

laugh.

Song Yan drew his battle sword.

Yang Hetong's body collapsed to the ground.

The surroundings were completely silent; almost everyone was terrified.

That was the Grand Secretary of Ningguo, the second most important figure in the Langya Yang clan, and he was stabbed to death like that?
It was like a child's game.

With Yang Hetong dead, many secrets may remain unknown, but Song Yan will not regret it. As the saying goes, Yang Hetong was a cunning old fox. His talent, methods, and schemes were unmatched by ordinary people. For twenty years, Yang Hetong had been the one who kept Fang De and Emperor Ninghe breathless. Although the power of the Langya Yang clan was partly due to this, it also demonstrated Yang Hetong's abilities.

Such cunning old foxes have profound meaning in every move and word. They can even subtly influence or guide the other person's thinking through dialogue and verbal communication, leading the other person step by step onto the path they have arranged in advance.

This is an extremely dangerous guy.

The simplest and most effective way to deal with such a treacherous and cunning fellow is to not give him a chance to speak, but to stab him to death, and that would be the end of it.

Of course, this was probably a pretty good ending for Yang Hetong. At least he died a quick and dignified death, and unlike Chu Licheng, he didn't have to suffer humiliation at the hands of a group of soldiers before his death.

Even Emperor Ninghe and Fang De had somewhat blank expressions. This was someone they had fought against for twenty years, and he was gone just like that? For a moment, they felt a sense of emptiness in their hearts.

Song Yan ignored all that, and with a slight twist of his wrist, the battle blade flew out of his hand with a hiss. Just a little below, a figure was pale-faced, silently retreating... Unfortunately, he had only taken one step back when the steel blade pierced through his chest.

He was Yang Jingshuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

The Yang family must always be eliminated.

"My esteemed ministers, it is getting late. You may all return now." On the dragon throne, Emperor Ninghe frowned, yawned, and said somewhat wearily.

At this moment, Emperor Ninghe's words seemed to have less effect than before. Even though the order to end the court session had been issued, the officials in the court did not move. They subconsciously looked at Song Yan. Before this evil star spoke, anyone who walked out of the golden palace gate would be a fool.

Song Yan grinned and said, "Everyone, please go back."

"When you get back, you should think about whether you have done anything wrong and how to make amends."

“I’m not one to dredge up old grievances, but if I hear anything… I wouldn’t mind building another mound of skulls outside Dongling City.”

Since we're already obsessed with Jingguan (a type of ancient Chinese mound), why should we care about so many other things?
Upon hearing this, the officials in the court subconsciously swallowed hard.

Then, including the envoys from the Xiongnu and Jurchen, they all bowed respectfully to Song Yan and Emperor Ninghe before bowing and leaving the Golden Hall.

Outside the Golden Palace, the rain continued to pour.

The raindrops stung my face.

His official robes were soaked through almost instantly.

But at this moment, no one cared about any of this. Some familiar officials looked at each other and could see a kind of relief in each other's eyes... But when they thought of Song Yan's last words, this relief immediately turned into deep worry.

If you really think about it, the officials who could attend court, even if they weren't old foxes like Chu Licheng, Fang De, and Yang Hetong, were absolutely cunning and shrewd.

They are all human beings.

No one would claim that their own backside is completely clean.

However, people of their status generally don't go too far, especially when dealing with ordinary people. Even if someone accidentally offends them, they'll usually just wave it off, indicating they don't care. They might even earnestly help up those kneeling and begging for forgiveness, saying things like, "Don't be afraid, folks." After all, arguing with ordinary people, even if it leads to their ruin, doesn't bring them any satisfaction. On the contrary, letting them go earns them a reputation for benevolence and love for the people.

It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings; that's generally true.

Even if they do something wrong, they will clean up the mess and prevent anyone from finding fault with them.

However, while they could guarantee that they themselves had no scandals, they couldn't guarantee that their wives and children wouldn't leave any leverage for others, since the sons of officials and nobles were often arrogant and domineering... Thinking of this, many court officials changed their expressions.

Not daring to delay, they hurriedly headed out of the palace.

The Chu trio hesitated for a moment. Lin Xue seemed to want to say something to Song Yan, but it wasn't the right time. She simply nodded slightly to Song Yan as a farewell... Song Yan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Lin Xue's gaze towards him carried a hint of reluctance.

There is also pity and sadness.

Just as everyone was gradually leaving the palace, one figure went against the grain.

It was Zhao Gaizhi.

When Zhao Gaizhi arrived at the Golden Hall, he saw a group of eunuchs cleaning up the corpses and bloodstains.

Looking at the dismembered limbs and smelling the lingering stench of blood, even without witnessing the scene firsthand, Zhao Gaizhi could roughly guess what had happened… Especially upon seeing Yang Hetong's corpse, even with Zhao Gaizhi's strong constitution, his heart couldn't help but clench. He knew that Song Yan's return to Dongling this time was bound to turn the city upside down, but he never expected it to escalate to this extent, even killing a true giant like Yang Hetong.

His throat moved slightly as he thought about how he had caused trouble for Song Yan because of Zhao Feng, and his throat felt a little itchy.

Fortunately, he made the right decision.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Gaizhi calmed his agitation. He first respectfully kowtowed to Emperor Ninghe before loudly proclaiming, "Your Majesty, I have arranged for my troops to take full control of the defenses of the entire Dongling City."

"Dongling City is currently under lockdown, and no one is allowed to enter or leave at this time."

"What should we do next? Please advise, Your Majesty."

Zhao Gaizhi was also clever; although Song Yan hadn't explained this matter, he had already made arrangements in advance.

With Song Yan's 5,000 silver-armored guards inside and 12,000 imperial guards outside, plus several thousand constables controlled by the Fang family within the city, this force was sufficient to stabilize the situation in Dongling City. Even if the other imperial guards in the camps outside the capital, the Golden Guard and the Silver Feather Guard, rebelled together, relying on the imposing and formidable defenses of Dongling City, their chances of taking over the imperial city were slim.

Emperor Ninghe seemed to have an even bigger headache. He rubbed his temples and looked at Song Yan: "You caused this mess, so you're in charge of figuring out what to do."

Song Yan felt somewhat helpless. Was Emperor Ninghe truly not going to be emperor anymore? How could he entrust such an important matter as mobilizing the army to him? Despite these thoughts, Song Yan became serious and, after careful consideration, looked at Wei Xiao and Wei Zhong: "Among the Imperial Guards, the Golden Guards, and the Silver Feather Guards, are there any commanders who are loyal to His Majesty?"

"Among the Imperial Guards, Marquis Anning commands four divisions. In addition, there is another division whose commander is a commoner personally promoted by His Majesty, and is utterly loyal to His Majesty." After a moment's thought, Wei Zhong gave his answer. Although Wei Zhong was mainly responsible for protecting Emperor Ninghe's safety and not for the Imperial City Guard, the intelligence from the Imperial City Guard still needed to be relayed to Emperor Ninghe. Wei Zhong was often by Emperor Ninghe's side, so he knew most of the information: "There is a commander in the Golden Guard who is a eunuch from the palace, and his loyalty to His Majesty is beyond doubt. There are also six thousand men in the Silver Feather Guard who are loyal to His Majesty."

Thus, there were another 12,000 troops.

Although the army numbered 90,000, only 24,000 were truly loyal to Emperor Ninghe, which was quite pitiful. However, the situation was much better than Song Yan had anticipated.

"Your Majesty may draft an imperial edict to transfer all twelve thousand men to the city to assist in the defense of the capital."

"As for these four commanders, they will all be granted titles. Whether they are earls or viscounts depends on His Majesty's mood."

"Is there anyone neutral?"

Wei Zhong immediately nodded: "Yes, there are about five commanders among the three guards. Although they have had some contact with the Yang family and Bailu Academy, their attitude is ambiguous and they have not been completely bought off yet."

“Issue an imperial edict to them as well, stating that as long as they are loyal to His Majesty, all past transgressions will be forgiven, and it is not impossible for them to be granted titles and positions of nobility.”

"By the way, when delivering the imperial edict, don't forget to tell them that Yang Hetong and Chu Licheng have been executed. It would be best if they brought their heads directly, so that they would understand that they have no other choice but to submit to His Majesty."

“Nobody wants to rebel unless absolutely necessary, and there is a very high chance that these 15,000 people can be won over to our side.”

"As for the other seventeen commanders, we don't need to worry about them. They are the ones who should be anxious now."

Emperor Ninghe smiled slightly and nodded, having no objection to Song Yan's arrangements. Given the current situation in Dongling City, even he couldn't have done better.

"The city gates will be reopened tomorrow, so there is no need to disrupt the normal lives of the people."

"Furthermore, it's crucial that all the people know that the border troops from Pingyang City, capable of annihilating hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu, are currently stationed in Dongling. This news will naturally reach the ears of those seventeen commanders, likely causing them considerable unease. When the time is right, His Majesty can issue an edict pardoning their crimes of colluding with Bailu Academy and the Yang family, forgiving their past transgressions. However, their military power must be revoked. But there's no need to rush this process; we can slowly find their weaknesses later." It can be said that Song Yan's actions today were extremely risky.

If he hadn't seized control of the entire palace so quickly during the court session, when all the officials were gathered in the Golden Hall, and if Yang Hetong and Chu Licheng had found an opportunity, the outcome of their all-out attack on Dongling City with their three guards, seventeen divisions, and 51,000 soldiers would have been uncertain.

Now that Yang Hetong and Chu Licheng are both dead, the other side has lost its backbone.

Without the call to action from these two, even if the commander wanted to rebel, he might not have many followers.

"In addition, write down the names of the thirty-nine officials who were just killed. The Imperial City Guard, together with the Imperial Guards and the constables under Fangshan, should confiscate the property of these thirty-nine officials. Innocent servants and concubines who were seized can be spared. Otherwise, all of them should be imprisoned and await execution."

"The Imperial Guard arranged a thousand-strong force to assist from the side."

"Oh, right, summon Xia Yuanchang, the Minister of Revenue..."

The stingiest man in Ningguo is so poor he'll scrape together every single copper coin.

Song Yan blinked, pondering, and then made arrangements for each matter one by one.

Zhao Gaizhi looked somewhat suspicious, glancing furtively at Song Yan and then at Emperor Ninghe. Seeing that Emperor Ninghe was not angry at Song Yan's words, but instead looked pleased, he felt a little relieved.

It feels great to kill someone, but dealing with the aftermath is extremely troublesome.

Seeing that Song Yan had nothing else to say, Emperor Ninghe then said, "The lockdown of the palace must continue."

"With this lockdown, there must be many imperial guards, maids and eunuchs who are restless and trying to send messages out... The Imperial City Guard will take notice of these people."

"Clean it all up."

The two then accepted the order and left.

Song Yan was about to leave when Emperor Ninghe called out to her, "Yan'er, come walk with me for a while."

Thunder and lightning roared.

Raindrops pattered against the tiles.

The palace grounds had also turned into a river, with murky, muddy water churning wildly.

Song Yan had been to the palace before, but that time he only attended a court assembly and did not visit any other places besides the Golden Hall and the walkways.

Go through the long corridor.

The corridor was lined with flowerbeds, in which bright red roses grew. Unable to withstand the pounding rain, their petals scattered on the ground, slowly floating on the muddy water, accumulating some dirt.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow by, carrying raindrops that would slant through the eaves of the corridor and land on Song Yan and Emperor Ninghe.

Song Yan was alright; he was already soaked, and the rain only made him feel a little cool. But Emperor Ninghe was not in good condition. The wind and rain lashed his face, making him look unusually pale, and then he started coughing violently.

Song Yan frowned, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Fortunately, the corridor was not too long, and the Imperial Study was at the end of the corridor.

This is where Emperor Ninghe usually works alone.

Wei Zhong waved his hand, summoning several palace maids and eunuchs to prepare a charcoal brazier.

Emperor Ninghe then ordered that two sets of dry clothes be prepared for Song Yan.

The palace maids and eunuchs were not very clear about what had happened in the previous dynasty, but they could hear the faint screams and see the soldiers who had sealed off all the palace gates.

Something terrible must have happened.

Startled, he moved with extraordinary speed, and soon the charcoal brazier was lit, dispelling the damp chill of the downpour. Two palace maids, carrying a purple robe and a pair of matching boots, approached Song Yan.

Thankfully, it wasn't a dragon robe.

"Go change your clothes. Although you are young and strong, you are prone to getting sick if you are always wet like this," Emperor Ninghe said with a smile.

Song Yan went behind the screen to change out of his wet armor and inner lining. When he came out, he was refreshed and felt much more comfortable. Emperor Ninghe also completely abandoned his imperial demeanor and casually sat on the ground next to the charcoal brazier, holding the hem of his clothes with both hands to dry the parts that were wet from the rain... If it weren't for the five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on his clothes, one might mistake him for an old farmer.

Song Yan sat opposite him, the heat was intense, and layers of steam rose from his wet hair.

"You've brought troops into Dongling this time, are you really planning a rebellion?" Emperor Ninghe asked with a smile after glancing at Song Yan.

Song Yan curled her lip: "You only have two or three years left, what sense of accomplishment would I get from rebelling against you?"

Emperor Ninghe was speechless for a moment: "You brat... You're the only one in the entire Ning Kingdom who dares to speak to me like that. Even Yang Hetong, though we've always been mortal enemies, is always respectful to me, leaving no room for criticism."

"Besides, even though I'm in this state, can't you say a few nice words? Believe me or not, I'll punish you for a grave offense of disrespect?"

Song Yan rolled her eyes: "You said I'm rebelling, so why would I be afraid of disrespect?"

"Well, I'm still your father-in-law... What can you do when a father-in-law disciplines his son-in-law?"

That's really the last resort.

Song Yan didn't say anything, but simply extended his hand.

Emperor Ninghe smiled smugly and extended his right hand.

My fingers rested on it.

The pulse is slippery, rapid, and wiry, with a feeling of heaviness and roughness; the pulse rate is slightly slower than that of a normal person.

"How is it?" Emperor Ninghe asked with some curiosity, but there was not much fear in his eyes. It was probably because since he learned that he had this incurable disease, although he was occasionally unwilling, he had finally stopped caring about life and death.

"Still in the development stage."

"Development period?"

"That means the situation is under control. Although there is some growth, it is slower than expected, which is a good thing. In the coming days, the prescription will mainly consist of Gastrodia elata and Uncaria rhynchophylla." After a pause, Song Yan continued, "If this control can continue, there is a good chance that I can live for another two or three years."

"Two or three years..." Emperor Ninghe murmured, his gaze slowly drifting towards the outside of the imperial study. Although the rain formed a beaded curtain, his eyes seemed to see through the layers of raindrops to a very, very far place. His gaze held a hint of longing and reluctance: "If only..."

"That's fine, it's good as it is now."

"You are more capable than me."

"I have too many shackles and too many worries, so I can only think about many things in my heart and then endure them alone."

"Everyone says how good the emperor is, but only those who sit in that position can understand the pressure that comes with it."

"Like walking on thin ice."

"As if standing on the edge of an abyss."

Song Yan's hands were a little restless, casually poking at the charcoal fire with the fire tongs. There probably aren't many people still burning charcoal in June: "If you're a tyrant, you probably don't have to work so hard."

Emperor Ninghe chuckled, "Yes, if I were just a tyrant, it would be much easier. My mind probably wouldn't have that extra thing... But..."

"I... want to be a wise ruler."

"I want the people of Ningguo to be able to eat a few more full meals a year and wear thicker, warmer clothes. I want the people of Ningguo to be bullied less by the powerful and wealthy. Even though I couldn't defeat the Yang family or the Bailu Academy, I still hope that after I pass away, the people of Ningguo will say with some regret when they mention Emperor Ninghe: 'He was a good emperor, it's just a pity.'"

"For twenty years, I have plotted, planned, and cultivated my own power, but I have never been able to turn the tide."

Emperor Ninghe seemed to be speaking to Song Yan, yet also seemed to be talking to himself: "These days, there have been many voices in the court impeaching you. Bailu Academy and the Yang family have joined forces. If it weren't for that old man from the Fang family constantly helping me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to withstand it. Today, with the addition of envoys from the Xiongnu and Jurchens, the pressure is even greater."

"I originally intended to have a final, tragic end, dragging the entire court down with me. Wei Zhong had already prepared the imperial guards, just waiting for me to smash the teacup in my hand before they swarmed in."

"Then you came, flipped the table over, and the problem was solved in no time."

Song Yan's lips trembled slightly as he said that the success rate of using the broken cup as a signal was extremely low.

After pursing his lips, Song Yan said, "You might die. There are quite a few imperial guards who have been bribed."

“I know, but things have come to this point, so how can I care about such things now… If I die, the court will fall into chaos, and you can take the opportunity to start a rebellion in Dongling. Even if you can’t take over the entire Ning Kingdom in a short time, it’s not a problem to occupy Anzhou and Pingyang and establish yourself as a king.”

"I thought to myself, this is the last thing I can do for you, Tianxuan, Yuheng, Tianshu, and Tianquan... Considering that I bravely sacrificed myself and still paved the way for you, you shouldn't treat Tianshu and Tianquan badly."

"I didn't die, but my courage vanished immediately. I realized that being alive was still a good thing."

"As expected, I am still afraid of death."

"Then, watching you go on a killing spree in the court, chopping off heads one by one, I worried that you might wipe out all the officials... If all the civil and military officials were gone, the entire Ning Kingdom would probably immediately fall into chaos. But thankfully, you were quite sensible..."

“Actually, it wouldn’t be a big problem to cut them all down.” Song Yan smiled. “In this world, no matter when, there is no shortage of people who can become officials if they want to.”

“In Pingyang, I chopped off the heads of all the officials, and then I was able to quickly select suitable people to replace them. Pingyang Prefecture is now operating more efficiently and cleanly than before... There are so many talented scholars that even now, when I am concurrently managing Anzhou Prefecture, I still can’t use them all.”

"Throughout the world, how many scholars are oppressed by powerful families and the Bailu Academy!"

Emperor Ninghe paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "You really are different."

"Your eyes can always see many things that I can't."

After a pause, Emperor Ninghe slowly spoke:
"Yan'er..."

"You shall be the emperor of Ningguo!"

(End of this chapter)