Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 489 Is it time to detoxify Hua Lian Yue's female disciple? (6600 words)
Night had fallen, but not too long. Looking through the gate of the Marquis of Champion's mansion, one could see lights already twinkling under the eaves in the courtyard.

The Marquis of Champion's Mansion was formerly the residence of the Eldest Princess.

As the most favored eldest princess during the reign of Emperor Yuanjing, Luo Yuheng's mansion was very large, covering an area even larger than the Fang and Yang mansions, and containing many different rooms.

The heavy rain has subsided.

It's no longer those big raindrops that sting your face when they hit.

The fine, misty rain, illuminated by the candlelight, traced thin lines in the air.

Seeing Luo Tianxuan's furrowed brows, Song Yan felt a pang of heartache. Since he had known Luo Tianxuan for so long, this was the first time he had seen such an expression on her face. He couldn't help but raise his hand and gently rub her brows, trying to smooth out the wrinkles.

Such actions are probably too intimate.

I have several sisters around me.

Outside the Marquis of Champion's residence, there were more than two thousand silver-armored guards.

Luo Tianxuan's face flushed slightly, but she did not look away.

She loved her husband's touch; even just holding his hand made Luo Tianxuan very happy.

"Don't worry, Mother should be fine," Song Yan comforted her, sniffing the rich aroma of meat filling the air. "Did you cook?"

"It was sent by someone from the Fang family." Luo Tianxuan's mood seemed to have improved a bit, and she forced a smile as she said, "Fang Hai said that since you brought so many people back, there wasn't enough time to prepare food and clothing, so he had all the cooks in the Fang family busy themselves and even booked several restaurants in Dongling City."

"It was difficult to prepare food for thousands of people, so we made something simple, mostly meat soup and steamed buns."

"In addition, they also searched around and brought over some clean clothes and blankets, all of which are piled up in the room in the backyard."

Food, clothing, shoes, and blankets for several thousand people would cost several thousand taels of silver.

Of course, this amount of money was just a drop in the ocean for the Fang family, not worth mentioning, but it could leave a very good impression on Song Yan and also create a favor.

“That’s thoughtful of you. The brothers have been traveling a long way and haven’t had a drop of water today. This is a good opportunity to fill their stomachs and change into some dry clothes.”

Luo Tianxuan led the way, followed closely by more than two thousand soldiers. Song Yan also sent men to the outskirts of Dongling City, where the brothers guarding the tents no longer needed to work and could all pack their things and enter the city.

“There are over a hundred rooms in the Marquis’s mansion. There should be enough room for all these brothers to squeeze in. However, some brothers will inevitably have to sleep on the floor.” Luo Tianxuan said, “By the way, Fang Hai also invited you to visit his mansion tomorrow.”

“It is appropriate to pay him a visit.” Song Yan nodded slightly. During this period, Fang De had been speaking up for him in the court under pressure. If it weren’t for Fang De, he might already be labeled as a traitor.

Of course, Song Yan was not afraid.

However, the phrase "traitorous minister" doesn't sound very pleasant.

Moreover, the Fang family also needs an explanation regarding Gao Yang's matter.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the front yard. The doors to several rooms were open, and inside were wooden buckets and bamboo baskets. The buckets were filled with steaming hot meat soup, and the bamboo baskets were filled with fluffy white steamed buns.

Although the cooking methods were relatively simple and the seasonings were minimal at this time, after being hungry for so long, the sight of the steaming meat soup still made everyone's mouths water. There were stacks of bowls and chopsticks nearby, showing that Fang Hai's arrangements were quite thorough, even considering such small details. Song Yan then had Wang Chao stay there to watch over the Silver Armor Guards while they ate, while he casually took two steamed buns and a bowl of meat soup before going to the main room with Luo Tianxuan and the others.

After devouring a steamed bun and half a bowl of meat broth in one go, Song Yan finally felt something to fill his rumbling stomach. Regaining his composure, Song Yan looked at Luo Tianxuan and slowly said, "Tell me in detail what exactly happened?"

Luo Tianxuan pondered for a moment and then said, "I arrived in Dongling the day before yesterday afternoon."

"I have a portrait of my mother. After arriving, I inquired about her everywhere. Judging from the timeline, my mother did not go to the palace or return to the Princess's residence after arriving in Dongling. She just found an inn to stay in and probably did nothing special every day. She just strolled around the Jingguan outside Dongling City, by the river, and along Chang'an Street."

"It seemed like they were just wandering aimlessly."

"I have never seen her in contact with anyone."

“A while ago, she even disguised herself as a man and went to Qunyu Garden.”

Luo Tianxuan felt a little embarrassed. After all, her mother was a woman, and it wasn't appropriate for her to go to a place like Qunyu Garden.

"After that, we went to the Prince's Mansion... which was where my mother and her former husband lived after their marriage."

"I followed my mother's footsteps and went there. In a room, I found the walls covered with the word 'death' written in blood. They were crooked and looked like they were crawling with centipedes. It was quite terrifying." Luo Tianxuan frowned again. As a grandmaster-level expert, she was naturally not frightened by a few words. However, whenever she thought of that scene, she felt very uncomfortable all over.

"In addition, some bloodstains were found in the attic of the Prince's mansion. It seems that they were left by Mother on the day she went to the Prince's mansion."

"But no signs of fighting were found."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow.

There was blood, but no trace of fighting.

There is only one possibility: one side's strength overwhelmingly surpasses that of the other, allowing them to end the conflict in the instant before the other side can react.

"and then?"

"Then... I heard that Mother appeared on Chang'an Street again."

"Then a great fire broke out on Chang'an Street, and a premeditated assassination occurred, leaving more than thirty corpses on Chang'an Street... However, at the time of the incident, there was another person on Chang'an Street, namely Lin Xue, the deputy envoy of the Chu Kingdom delegation, who had once led troops to capture two cities of Ning Kingdom. It is said that the assassination was targeted at Lin Xue, and it was Lin Xue who killed those assassins."

"The day after that, Mother went to the Prince of Fu's mansion again."

"However, when I arrived at the Prince of Fu's mansion, I found that there was no one alive in the entire mansion."

“All the maids and guards in the Prince’s mansion are dead. Their bodies were carelessly dumped in the rooms and were already decomposing, with blood congealed into clumps. I searched every room and examined every face, but I could not find the Princess Consort, the Prince of Fu, or my mother.”

"It's as if they all disappeared together."

Luo Tianxuan said a lot in one breath.

Song Yan listened attentively, then fell silent.

Beside her, Luo Tianyi also frowned deeply. Although this girl had been annoyed by Luo Yuheng's constant urging to get married and was quite helpless about Luo Yuheng's childish personality, her feelings for Luo Yuheng were probably the deepest among her siblings. Although she still had a cold and aloof appearance, there was a trace of panic that she could not suppress deep in her eyes.

Gao Yang was also somewhat worried, but not about the Princess Consort and the Prince of Fu. Because of some previous events, Gao Yang had completely lost faith in her biological parents. In comparison, her feelings for Luo Yuheng were much deeper.

Hua Lianyue and Ziyu also fell silent.

At times like these, nobody knows what to say.

After a long while, Song Yan slowly exhaled and looked up at Luo Tianxuan: "Mother, have you ever practiced martial arts?"

Luo Tianxuan shook her head: "No."

"Although my mother's personality is somewhat... lively, she doesn't like swords and spears. Even when Tianyi, Tianshu, and Tianquan were learning martial arts, they had to beg for a long time before my mother reluctantly agreed."

"Don't worry, Mother should be fine now." Song Yan reassured Luo Tianxuan and Luo Tianyi: "There was a conflict at the Prince's Mansion, leaving bloodstains, but Mother was still able to appear on Chang'an Street and at the Prince Fu's Mansion after that, which means that it was not Mother who was injured."

"Mother... there must be a powerful expert protecting you in secret."

"The people from the Prince of Fu's mansion were probably killed by this expert."

Song Yan speculated in this way.

Song Yan couldn't think of any other explanation besides this one.

Surely Luo Yuheng couldn't have killed all those people, could he?

Surely Luo Yuheng isn't actually a hidden master?
The thought had barely formed in Song Yan's mind when he immediately nipped it in the bud.

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Thinking about Luo Yuheng's usual appearance, it's impossible to associate him with a super master.

Moreover, if Luo Yuheng were truly a highly skilled expert, why would he have remained indifferent when Luo Caiyi was kidnapped by the Kong family? Considering Emperor Ninghe's attitude within the palace, it's likely that Emperor Ninghe arranged for a powerful old eunuch to stay by Luo Yuheng's side.

Thinking about it this way makes a lot more sense, so Song Yan shared his speculation. Although Tianxuan Tianyi still seemed somewhat worried, her complexion had improved considerably. Ziyu and Hualianyue also indicated that they would use the power of the Hehuan Sect to help investigate. The Hehuan Sect has a unique advantage in intelligence gathering, and with their help, finding Luo Yuheng shouldn't be too difficult.

After filling their stomachs, Song Yan distributed clothes and blankets and assigned rooms. As night deepened, the entire Marquis of Champion's mansion gradually fell into tranquility.

Song Yan returned to the master bedroom.

Speaking of which, although the Marquis of Champion's mansion was bestowed upon him by Emperor Ninghe, he had only stayed there for one night before leaving Dongling the next day.

The mansion was also staffed by palace maids arranged by Emperor Ninghe, who cleaned it daily.

Therefore, even though no one lives there, it doesn't feel dilapidated.

Hua Lianyue is making the bed.

Song Yan and Luo Tianxuan had been separated for many days, but Luo Tianxuan still gave this night to Hua Lianyue, which was unavoidable... Because she had cultivated the "Extreme Yin Su Nu Jing" to an extremely high level, Hua Lianyue's cold poison came on fiercely, and its frequency and intensity were far beyond what her disciples could match.

In the dim candlelight, Hua Lianyue, bending over, revealed her fiery curves.

At this moment, Hua Lianyue was pure, mature, sexy, and flawless, like a masterpiece of art. Her skin, visible beneath her clothes, was exquisite and radiant with a captivating glow.

Song Yan could feel her body getting hot.

He slowly walked over and embraced Hua Lianyue's soft, slender, and supple waist from behind.

A slight smile and blush appeared on Hua Lianyue's face. She gently turned her delicate body in Song Yan's arms, and their eyes met. Before they knew it, their breathing had become heavy.

The lips are getting closer and closer.

After the passionate kiss, Hua Lianyue slowly squatted down, giving Song Yan a seductive glance before her slender, pale fingers resting on his belt. Song Yan sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back in a comfortable position, his eyes narrowed into slits.

My lips and fingers were ice cold.

This is a sign that the cold poison is taking effect.

For Song Yan, however, this was a unique and enjoyable experience.

In his ears, he could still hear Hua Lianyue's indistinct voice:
"By the way, find some time to get in touch with Lin Xue."

"I never expected that this girl would come to Ningguo with Chu Menglan."

Song Yan raised an eyelid: "Are they all your disciples?"

"Yes, their strength is not bad. The cold poison is getting more and more serious. Although it has not reached the point of being unbearable, each attack of the cold poison is a torment."

"If they don't reject it, then you can also cure their cold poison."

Do you have many disciples?

"Not many."

Compared to the main sect of the Hehuan Sect.

Song Yan was speechless. So Hua Lian Yue was treating him as the antidote for the entire sect.

Lin Xue, Chu Menglan.

The two women he had encountered in the palace immediately came to Song Yan's mind. From their attire and demeanor, it was easy to tell their identities: the one in the princess dress, with an elegant and noble air, was naturally Chu Menglan, while the other, tall and athletic with a wild air about her, was Lin Xue.

Song Yan had a deep impression of these two women.

It had nothing to do with looks or figure; it was purely the two women's reactions that left Song Yan somewhat bewildered. When Chu Menglan saw him, she lightly patted her chest, looking relieved, seemingly lost in thought.

As for Lin Xue, she was even more peculiar, displaying emotions of eagerness, worry, pity, and sorrow... Song Yan found it hard to imagine that a person's eyes could express so many different feelings.

And that inexplicable sense of familiarity has also lingered in my mind.

Even though Song Yan searched through his memories again, he still couldn't find a trace of Lin Xue.

call……

Song Yan let out a heavy sigh, her body trembling slightly.

Just then, Hua Lianyue, who had been kneeling on the ground, stood up, a charming smile on her face, her small hands preparing to untie her waist sash.

"Wait."

Song Yan stopped him from doing so.

Hua Lianyue tilted her head suspiciously, unsure of what her husband wanted to do next.

Then they saw Song Yan reach behind him and pull out a black pair of pants-like items from somewhere.

It feels silky smooth when you hold it in your hand.

Under the candlelight, it seemed to reflect a hazy, oily sheen.

It has excellent elasticity; with a gentle pull, it becomes translucent.

Her husband would always inexplicably bring out some strange and unusual things. Although she felt it was a bit odd, Hua Lian Yue never inquired about it... Everyone has some secrets.

Is this something you wear on your legs?

Hua Lianyue gestured, and seeing Song Yan nod, she sat on the edge of the bed, obediently and docilely taking off her shoes and putting the strange clothes on her long, fair legs as Song Yan requested.

Her fair skin was gradually concealed by an alluring black.

It was the first time Hua Lianyue had worn this kind of clothing, and it took her a long time to finally pull it up to her waist.

She stood up, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt. Looking at her legs, now completely black and glistening with oil, she felt a strange sense of shame, even though her legs were completely covered and nothing was showing.

Moreover, her legs seemed to look slimmer, more rounded, and longer.

Before Hua Lianyue could even express her thoughts, Song Yan couldn't contain himself any longer.

The lady's dress and black stockings are simply perfect.

Ice silkworms bind, crescent moon marks, peonies piled like snow half-conceal their form. If the Lord of Spring asks about the new makeup: Ink-stained pear blossoms herald spring nights!

……

This is destined to be a restless night.

The night is deep.

But the entire city of Dongling remained in turmoil.

The raids on homes have been ongoing.

Even the Imperial Guards, the palace guards, and the constables maintaining order were utterly exhausted, but the officials of the Ministry of Revenue were full of energy, showing no sign of fatigue. Watching carriages emerge from mansions and be transported to the national treasury, these civil officials couldn't suppress the urge to laugh; they were practically bursting into laughter. Perhaps they felt that after today, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue would no longer need to constantly complain about being broke.

Xia Yuanchang, in particular, kept chuckling to himself, leaving onlookers speechless. This old man was in his fifties or sixties; wasn't he afraid of overstimulating himself and dying?

But then, while I was laughing, I started crying.

Tears streamed down the wrinkles and crisscrossing lines on his face.

Look at those truckloads of silver.

Look at those countless pearls, gold, agate, and jade.

The national treasury has been emptied, while the corrupt officials have become fat.

If the national treasury had money and grain, how could so many innocent people have starved to death during the droughts and floods of previous years? If the national treasury had money and grain, how could so many people have frozen to death last winter?

Some of the women and men in the inner quarters were not quite clear about what had happened. When they saw that all the valuables in their homes had been taken away, they were immediately enraged. Some even made threats, saying that when their masters returned, they would definitely do this and that to them.

Looking at those people's faces, Xia Yuanchang felt an uncontrollable rage rising in his chest. He drew a constable's sword, strode forward, and plunged the blade into the chest of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old arrogant young master. As a typical civil official with no physical strength, this was Xia Yuanchang's first time killing someone. To his surprise, when the blood splattered on his face, although he felt somewhat disgusted, he... felt no fear.

He probably knew that what he had killed wasn't really a person, but just a greedy rat.

Meanwhile, Gao Hong also returned to his residence.

He looked pale.

It wasn't until his wife brought him a bowl of hot soup and he drank it that he felt as if he had escaped from that near-death despair.

"My lord, what exactly happened in the court?"

"Why are you back so late?"

"Besides, it's a mess outside, with soldiers everywhere..."

Gao Hong's wife was a woman in her fifties, a decade younger than him. Although not particularly beautiful, she was gentle, obedient, well-educated, and managed the household affairs perfectly. In wealthy and powerful families, it was common for wives and concubines to sabotage each other, fearing that someone else would have a son first and then resorting to smearing oil or musk on the ground. But this never happened in Gao Hong's household.

The wives and concubines addressed each other as sisters, and conflicts rarely occurred.

But no matter what, her disdain for warriors was ingrained in her bones; even soldiers who defended their country were just commoners in her eyes.

Without answering his wife's question, Gao Hong's mind was still filled with the images of Chu Licheng being beaten to death with slaps, and Yang Hetong being stabbed to death.

Until that moment, Gao Hong suddenly understood a truth. No matter how high his official position was or how much power he held, it meant nothing in the face of a knife... The lady said the soldiers, haha, but she didn't know that when these soldiers turned the world upside down, even the highest-ranking civil official would be useless.

Even now, Gao Hong is still surprised that Song Yan didn't kill him, after all, he was one of the people who stood up to demand Song Yan's execution.

After a long while, Gao Hong let out a heavy sigh and slumped into his chair: "Madam, go pack your things."

"Also, take out that box from my study."

Gao Hong's wife looked astonished; the box was full of silver notes, which could be said to be all the wealth Gao Hong had accumulated in his lifetime.

"Tomorrow, I will hand it over to His Majesty."

"Then he retired and returned to his hometown."

“Master, that’s all of the Gao family’s assets!” Gao Hong’s wife said, her face full of reluctance.

Gao Hong glanced at his wife, who was still just a woman after all, with such a narrow perspective: "If we don't hand it over, there will be no Gao family anymore."

……

Yang Mansion.

Yang Guochen sat quietly in the pavilion, his face serene.

News of my father's death has already reached us.

Although Yang Guochen was initially quite surprised, he quickly calmed down. He probably already knew what the possible outcome would be when they started doing these things, and he was prepared for it.

Just death.

Their decades of glory have made their lives far more splendid than those of others.

A pot of wine sat on the stone table. He sipped it cup by cup, his face slightly flushed.

Looking into the distance, it seemed as if one could pierce through the dark night and see Ningping, that small county town... If Yang Miaoqing hadn't offended Song Yan, would the Yang family have ended up like this?

Deep down, I still harbored some resentment.

Yang Miaoqing was clearly Yang Hexing's daughter, yet she harmed their entire lineage first.

Although it was late at night, the courtyard was still bustling with noise.

The servants, who were usually arrogant and domineering, and who used the Yang family's name to commit all sorts of evil deeds, were now trembling with fear, not knowing what fate awaited them.

Yang Guoli, Yang Siqi, and Yang Rui have all disappeared without a trace.

No matter what, Yang Hetong's lineage has been entrenched in Dongling City for so many years. Although the Yang residence was surrounded immediately, they still had the ability to secretly send a few people away.

Yang Guochen could have left, but he didn't.

He chose to die to preserve the dignity of the Yang family's third branch.

He was waiting for someone to come to him!
He wants to make one last deal with him!
……

Outside Dongling City, a carriage sped along the official road.

The axles creaked and groaned, and occasionally, when the night wind blew by, two slightly pale faces could be seen inside the carriage.

The coachman was Yang Guoli, one of the ninth-rank martial artists of the Yang family.

The two people in the carriage were Yang Siqi, the eldest grandson of Yang Hexing, the head of the Yang family, and the next heir to the family headship, and Yang Rui, the eldest son of Yang Guochen, the eldest grandson of Yang Hetong.

Yang Siqi gazed at Dongling City, which was now just an outline in the night sky, his eyes still filled with fear. He couldn't understand why the Yang family, who had always been at the height of their power in the court, had suddenly been overturned and had to flee Dongling City in such a sorry state.

Perhaps the Yang family has always chosen the wrong path.

The Yang family focused solely on cultivating influence in the imperial court, lacking a loyal private army. When their rivals overturned the table, the intricate web of relationships within the court became utterly worthless. This served as a wake-up call for Yang Siqi. Upon returning, she would advise her grandfather to begin cultivating the Yang family's military strength—not just suicide soldiers, but a true army.

Suddenly.

puff.

A dull sound drilled into my ears, followed by a sharp pain.

Yang Siqi's pupils contracted sharply, and her neck, like a rusty machine, slowly turned until she saw Yang Rui's face so close to hers, and saw the slightly ferocious smile on Yang Rui's face.

His lips trembled and moved, uttering a weak sound: "Why, why kill me?"

The knife cruelly circled Yang Siqi's heart, cutting open a bloody hole. Yang Rui's lips curled up: "Cousin, don't talk nonsense. You were killed by Song Yan because you couldn't escape from Dongling City in time."

"What does this have to do with me?"

(End of this chapter)