Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 497 Jade Balance Freezes (7,000 words)
The bright moon hangs in the sky.

Moonlight shone on Luo Yuheng's face, making her flawless complexion deathly pale, devoid of any color. The coolness of the summer night seeped in, sending shivers down her jade-like skin. She exhaled softly, her slender fingers tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Luo Yuheng smiled with a hint of helplessness.

There are ultimately no shortcuts in the path of martial arts.

It's not a force that's truly hers to control; it's not so easy to manage. Even after twenty years, this force remains a heavy burden for her.

Despite the torment, Luo Yuheng did not regret the decision he made.

It's getting colder and colder.

Luo Yuheng's body trembled uncontrollably, her two rows of neat, white teeth chattering rapidly. Her entire body seemed to spasm uncontrollably, her fingers involuntarily bent, her knuckles began to make strange popping sounds, and her breathing became increasingly rapid, her exhaled air seeming to turn into winter mist.

He glanced at the Marquis of Champion's residence with a hint of reluctance.

She saw that Luo Tianxuan and Luo Tianyi were whispering to each other with their heads down. She didn't know what shameful things they were talking about, but Luo Tianyi's face turned bright red and she looked radiant.

Looking up, the carriage that had left the mansion had already disappeared into the darkness, leaving no trace.

She pursed her lips, forcibly controlling the torment in her body. Luo Yuheng lightly touched the tile with her toes. Under the moonlight, she was like a white moon goddess with wide sleeves, her rainbow-colored dress swirling. On the tile, the mist was white and the clouds were frozen and cracked. She trod on the black frost in her white shoes, and the steps of the moon palace were covered with snow that had lasted for a thousand years.

In the Marquis of Champion's mansion, Hua Lianyue and Luo Tianxuan, who had just returned, seemed to sense something at the same time. They subconsciously raised their heads to look, but could not see anything. Only the moonlight was like sand and the cool breeze was like a shuttle.

When the figure stopped again, they had arrived at the Prince's residence.

The place where Luo Yuheng once lived.

In just a short time, Luo Yuheng's condition had become extremely abnormal. His jet-black hair and long eyelashes were covered with a layer of frost, and at first glance, they seemed to have turned silvery-white.

A pair of lotus root-like arms tightly hugged her shoulders, her body trembling uncontrollably.

cold.

Despite it being summer, Luo Yuheng felt an indescribable chill.

This chill cannot be dispelled even by a raging fire in front of you. On the contrary, the bone-chilling cold is forced back into your body by the heat of the fire, causing you to suffer even more torment.

Her body was already staggering, her limbs stiff and out of control.

The skin seemed to have turned into a translucent white ice, and even the blood inside seemed to be frozen.

Step by step, we finally reached the backyard.

There is also an artificial lake in the backyard of the Prince's Mansion.

It was nothing like the Yang family mansion, which was so large and deep. In fact, it was just a pond about five or six zhang in diameter. The mansion had been neglected for many years, but because of yesterday's heavy rain, the pond was still full of water.

With a slight twitch of his long neck, Luo Yuheng walked forward step by step.

Without the slightest hesitation, her snow-white embroidered shoes stepped into the slightly murky lake water.

The chill that had accumulated within her body began to seep slowly through her skin and into the lake water. In the dim light, one could almost see where slender legs had glided across the surface, where fine frost began to condense.

The water is getting deeper and deeper.

Unbeknownst to her, Luo Yuheng had already reached the very center of the artificial lake, where the water had already submerged her swan-like neck.

Luo Yuheng's body was still trembling nervously, and blood was slowly flowing in his veins. However, it seemed that countless tiny ice crystals had congealed in the blood. With each flow, it was as if countless tiny steel needles were wriggling between his flesh and blood.

pain.

It hurts.

heart.

brain.

flesh.

marrow.

Every part of my body aches. Those who haven't experienced it will never understand what that feeling is like. Even being cut into a thousand pieces can't compare.

"what……"

Cries of anguish and groans.

Chirp, chirp.

Strange sounds.

At this moment, if someone could look down from the sky, they would see that strange scene: the huge artificial lake, centered on Luo Yuheng's location, was slowly spreading outwards in a white expanse.

The entire artificial lake is gradually freezing over.

……

The sunlight of the day has completely faded, and the lights shine brighter as the night deepens.

The city of Dongling was ablaze with lights.

The Fang family mansion was lit up with almost all the lights, making it as bright as day even in the dead of night. The wind rustled the lights, adding to the splendor.

People who held extremely important positions in the Fang family gathered at the main gate of the Fang residence.

Fang Hai, Fang Jiang, Fang He, Fang Shan—the entire younger generation of the Fang family, except for Fang Hu who had long been expelled from the family, were present. Even the patriarch of the Fang family, Fang De, leaned on a cane, waiting in the wind. This display of power made many of the Fang family's servants suspicious, wondering which important figure was coming to receive such attention from the patriarch. Even if Emperor Ninghe himself came, it wouldn't be this elaborate, would it?

This wait has been going on for a long time.

Ironically, neither the hot-blooded young Fang Jiang and Fang He, nor the powerful Fang De, showed the slightest dissatisfaction.

After a while, the sound of wheels suddenly came from the darkness.

The next instant, almost simultaneously, everyone's gaze turned towards the direction from which the sound came. Soon, a carriage slowly came into view in the moonlight.

The carriage finally stopped in front of the Fang family mansion. The curtain was lifted, and a young figure appeared.

The Fang family members' faces lit up, and some even looked relieved.

Song Yan got off the carriage but did not rush forward. Soon, Gao Yang also leaned out of the carriage and, with Song Yan's help, landed steadily on the ground.

It's not that Gao Yang is being pretentious; she needs help getting off the carriage.

On the one hand, carriages in that era were quite high, making it difficult to get on and off. For ordinary people, they could simply use their hands to brace themselves against the frame and jump up. However, for more particular wealthy families, stools were provided for getting on and off the carriage. Some even had human stepping stones, or human stools, specifically for the masters to step on when getting on and off the carriage.

According to the "Spring Official" section of the Rites of Zhou: When riding in a carriage or mounting a horse, one should hold the whip and stand beside the stirrup. The stirrup is for the person who falls down.

In another parallel universe, this kind of human stool existed from the Shang and Zhou dynasties all the way to the Qing dynasty.

On the other hand, the dresses worn by the noble ladies of Dongling were quite elaborate. Although they were very beautiful, they were quite inconvenient to walk in. If no one helped them get on or off the carriage, they could easily fall off.

It's probably a bit embarrassing.

The two had just turned around when the Fang family came to greet them.

Before Fang De and the others could speak, Song Yan bowed deeply and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency. These days, there have been many impeachments in the court. Those who want my life are as rampant and venomous as snakes. Thanks to Your Excellency's eloquence in debating with the scholars, I will never forget your kindness."

The meaning is clear: we will remember your kindness and repay it.

As expected, upon hearing this, Fang De's smile deepened, and he quickly stepped forward to help Song Yan up: "Lord Song, you are too kind. Lord Song defended against the Xiongnu in the north, enhanced the prestige of the nation, and protected the people. You are truly a hero of the country and a divine instrument of the state. As the current Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, how can I allow this divine instrument to be tarnished?"

That's a really clever way to put it.

We protect you purely because of your contributions; it has absolutely nothing to do with our personal relationship, and we certainly don't want anything in return.

After helping Song Yan up, Fang De took Song Yan's hand and patted the back of his hand gently: "Why did you arrive so late, Lord Song? You've kept this old man waiting for so long." Although it sounded like he was scolding or blaming, there was no hint of reproach in his words.

Song Yan smiled and said, "It's my fault. Unfortunately, there were just too many things to do today. I'm sure you already know about what happened at the Prince of Fu's residence. I finally managed to deal with the corpses and returned to my residence when an envoy from the Chu Kingdom came to visit."

"Therefore, I have been delayed for a while. I hope you will forgive me, sir. I will punish myself with three cups of wine later."

Fang De laughed and said, "You little rascal, I think you know I've prepared three bowls of wine today, and you've come here to ruin my good wine."

Sanlejiang comes from Hudi.

Generally speaking, the first state that Hu merchants came into contact with was the State of Chu.

Even if they brought wine, most of it was bought up by the noble restaurants of the Chu Kingdom.

If people in Ningguo want to taste Sanlejiang, they can only do so through middlemen, and the price is at least several times higher than buying it directly from Hu merchants.

When Song Yan last visited the Fang residence, Fang De served him Sanlejiang. To Song Yan, Sanlejiang was like a sweet and sour fruit juice. He would drink a cup with his head held high or down, which made Fang De feel very sorry for him. Such fine wine should be savored. It's like a cow chewing on a peony. What flavor can he possibly taste?
Therefore, the term "waste" came about, but it wasn't meant to be derogatory.

On the contrary, these words directly brought the two of them closer together again, after they had been apart for a long time.

Just then, Gao Yang stepped forward and bowed to the Fang family members: "Greetings, grandfather, father-in-law, and uncles."

There was still some unease in his voice.

Fang De smiled gently and nodded at Gao Yang: "Good, good, good, Gao Yang is back too. Don't worry about so much. It's better that he's safe and sound."

At this moment, Fang Hai also came over: "It's windy outside, so don't stand here. Let's go inside, let's go inside." The group then entered the Fang residence in a grand procession.

Many servants passing by noticed Song Yan and immediately recognized him as the distinguished guest from the New Year's celebrations. They were surprised that after only a few months, the head of the household would personally greet him at the gate; it seemed the rumors were true. Others saw Gao Yang and couldn't help but be surprised. Wasn't this young mistress supposed to have disappeared? "Disappeared" was just a euphemism; in reality, rumors circulated in the Fang household that Gao Yang was dead. How could she suddenly reappear? And with the Marquis of Champion?
Some people became curious, but the servants of the Fang family were clearly well-trained. They knew very well that they shouldn't ask about things they shouldn't know, or they wouldn't even know how they died.

Upon arriving at the guest room, one sees a round table laden with a variety of steaming dishes.

This is the third time this has been done tonight. It's not a hot dish; it's taken away and remade. A truly distinguished family wouldn't let their honored guests notice anything amiss in such a trivial matter.

The dinner table was bustling with activity.

Fang De was very happy, and his mouth probably never stopped moving.

Most of the questions were about the climate in Liaodong and whether they had adapted well. Others were about how Gao Yang had been doing lately and whether he had suffered any injustices, or about how Fang Wanlin was doing there. This was probably a tradition among the Han people of the Central Plains: they would chat about everyday matters before getting down to business, and only after a few rounds of drinks and dishes would the conversation gradually turn to serious topics.

"How long does Lord Song plan to stay in the capital this time?" Fang Hai asked casually.

Song Yan pursed her lips and, under Fang De's slightly distressed gaze, swallowed a cup of Sanlejiang in one gulp: "This time I won't stay for too long, at most ten days or half a month, at least three to five days, before I have to return to Liaodong. Someone needs to be stationed there. The Xiongnu and Jurchen are not honest people. If there is even the slightest chance, they will go south."

"Although the Xiongnu suffered heavy losses this time, their foundation has not been damaged. Socholo is even more ambitious, wanting to enter the Central Plains and claim the title of ancestor. The Jurchens also have the Yang family supporting them. Now the two sides are even joining forces. Don't be fooled by my reprimand of the Xiongnu and Jurchen delegations in court, calling them pigs and dogs, and demanding tens of millions of taels of silver in compensation. They obviously won't agree, and we might have to fight again."

Fang De's expression was also somewhat solemn. The Xiongnu were troublesome enough, but if the Jurchens were added to the mix, given Ningguo's current situation, it would be extremely troublesome.

"So what are you planning to do? Continue to defend the city?"

Song Yan shook his head: "It's not very interesting to defend a city. It's more satisfying to take the initiative to attack. The Jurchens are not completely unified yet, so I estimate that Wanyan Guangzhi will have to pay a certain price to borrow troops from the Xiongnu and then unify the Haixi Grassland."

“There is considerable room for maneuver here.”

Fang De narrowed his eyes: "Hasn't Marquis Song considered staying in Dongling indefinitely? With Mei Wu currently stationed in Liaodong, taking the initiative might be insufficient, but I believe that with General Mei Wu's strength, if it's just about defense, even if Suo Chuoluo and Wanyan Guangzhi join forces, they won't be able to step into the pass."

"Once Lord Song takes charge of Dongling and quells the chaos in the country, the mere Xiongnu and Jurchens will be no threat at all. If we mobilize the entire nation's strength, it is not impossible to wipe out the Xiongnu and Jurchens."

Song Yan smiled.

Such an old fox speaks subtly.

What should be left in the Eastern Tombs to reorganize the country?

All they wanted to know was whether Song Yan was truly planning a rebellion, whether he had any intention of sitting on the throne, and what Emperor Ninghe and Song Yan had discussed privately after the officials left—was it an abdication?
After all, even now, there are still 2,500 silver-armored guards under Song Yan stationed in the palace.

Yesterday in court, Emperor Ninghe declared in front of all the officials that Song Yan had rebelled. The atmosphere had reached such a point that it seemed almost impossible for Song Yan not to have actually rebelled. The next court assembly was the day after tomorrow… Most of the officials were probably curious, wondering whether it would be Emperor Ninghe or Song Yan sitting on the dragon throne at the next court session.

With her eyelids lowered, Song Yan's expression was somewhat helpless: "Yesterday, after the old man left, His Majesty kept me alone for a while. He did indeed say that he had been sitting on the dragon throne for too long and was too tired, and wanted me to become the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Fang De, Fang Hai, Fang Shan, Fang Jiang, and Fang He all widened their eyes.

Even Gao Yang's eyes flashed with surprise.

It's no wonder they had such expressions. Whether in this time or another, the throne has always been established by the eldest son of the legitimate wife, or by someone with the ability to actively seize the right of succession... For example, the one who created the Emperor Emeritus to allow his father to enjoy his old age in advance, or the one who deliberately let his father live for four more years and then passed the throne to him in the thirty-fifth year of Hongwu.

Two truly filial sons.

But in any case, it's all about the royal bloodline fighting for it.

Passing the throne to one's nephew-in-law is unprecedented.

The so-called abdication is nothing more than providing a more respectable reason for both the rebels and the forced resignation.

Fang De had been suspicious of Emperor Ninghe's attitude in court before. After all, although Song Yan brought troops to the palace, he never mentioned rebellion, nor did he ever coerce Emperor Ninghe. It seemed that he was supporting Emperor Ninghe. On the contrary, Emperor Ninghe took the initiative to say that Song Yan had rebelled.

Clearly, Emperor Ninghe had long harbored the intention of passing the throne to Song Yan.

Song Yan's arrival at the palace with his troops conveniently provided Emperor Ninghe with an excuse.

All eyes were on Song Yan, eager to see what answer he would give in this situation. After all, it was the throne, the highest position in the world. How many people could resist such temptation?

"I refused."

Upon hearing this, a chorus of regrets arose from all around.

"In fact, in my opinion, handing the throne to me is not a very good choice for the entire Ning Kingdom." Song Yan smiled and said, "In Ning Kingdom nowadays, uprisings are rampant and there are many rebel armies. This is a rebellion that has already begun. If I were to become emperor, it would be even more illegitimate. There are countless people who would want to rebel, cleanse the court of corrupt officials, and restore order."

"Putting aside other matters, I'm afraid the Prince of Fu and the Prince of Jin will both raise an army."

"Moreover, there are other members of the royal family. Regardless of whether they have the ability, they at least have a reason to compete for the throne. At that time, one can imagine what the entire Ningguo will be like: war raging, people suffering, cries of despair everywhere, and devastation beyond description."

"I do not wish for the suffering and devastation of the people of Ningguo for the sake of my imperial throne."

These are all outrageous and treasonous words, but given the current situation, no one cares.

A brief silence fell over the dining table. No one knew what to say. Even Fang De and Fang Hai felt a little ashamed, probably because they only thought about power and never considered what would happen to Ningguo or the people.

Just then, Song Yan's voice came again: "However, His Majesty will probably hand over the management of Anzhou Prefecture and Pingyang Prefecture to me."

"They should also be given a lot of autonomy."

"Next, I will find a way to conquer both the Haixi Grassland and the Mobei Grassland, and then they will be my own territory."

Upon hearing this, both Fang Hai and Fang De gasped.

They thought Song Yan had no interest in the throne, but now it seems his ambition is much greater than they imagined.

Northern desert, western sea.

If these two territories could be captured, Song Yan's territory would likely be larger than any of the four kingdoms in the Central Plains. At that point, even if Song Yan declared himself emperor, no one would dare to criticize him. However, Fang De quickly frowned: "The Western Desert and the Northern Desert are harsh, cold, and barren. What use would it be even if we conquered them?"

"Could it be that Song Houhai is planning to build a city in the northern desert?"

"That's probably a pipe dream. Those places have no produce and can't grow crops. I'm afraid Lord Song can only throw money into them for nothing."

Song Yan smiled and shook his head: "You flatter me, sir. Although the northern desert and western sea are a bit barren, they are not so barren that they have no resources at all. Not to mention, those warhorses alone are quite valuable."

Moreover, potatoes can be grown in Siberia.

There's no reason why the Haixi Grassland and the Mobei Grassland wouldn't work.

From a climatic perspective, it's entirely possible. The only issue is that potatoes prefer cool weather but are susceptible to frost. Once winter arrives, potatoes are easily damaged by freezing and won't sprout the following year. The short frost-free period is indeed the biggest obstacle. However, overwintering in cellars and using frozen soil for sprouting are historically proven methods, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

Fang De and Fang Hai were clearly thinking more deeply. They exchanged a glance, both able to see the glint in each other's eyes.

Song Yan just specifically mentioned warhorses.

What were warhorses used for?
It's war.

Song Yan's ambitions are probably even greater than previously anticipated.

It's likely that Song Yan's real interest isn't in the northern and western grasslands, but rather in the barbarians and warhorses living there. Song Yan is skilled in training troops and employs unconventional tactics. If he can conquer these two areas, most of his soldiers can be converted into cavalry, and he might even be able to tame the barbarians and form a cavalry legion mainly composed of barbarian soldiers.

By then, 100,000 iron cavalry will be no joke.

If they march south again, who in Ningguo can stop them?

Who in the State of Zhao can stand against us?
Even the State of Chu, could it withstand such an attack?
This Marquis of Song seems to be aiming to unify the Central Plains.

Ironically, both Fang De and Fang Hai believed that success was very likely.

There's no way I can resist clinging to such a big, thick leg.

It was thanks to Fang Hai's earlier reminder that no matter the cost, he must protect the Marquis of Champion in the court; otherwise, it would not have been so easy to climb onto this powerful figure.

"Ahem..." Fang De coughed lightly: "Lord Song is righteous, but Liaodong is a vast area. Although you are wise, you are not able to manage everything. There may be some places that you cannot manage. There is no prefect in Anzhou. Why not let Fang Hai go to Anzhou to be the prefect? ​​It would be a small contribution to Ningguo and Liaodong."

Fang Hai, the dignified Prefect of Songzhou, is definitely a capable man. Why would he be demoted several ranks to become the Prefect of Anzhou? Song Yan raised an eyebrow. Fang De, that old fox, is making a bet, an investment.

Of course, Song Yan had no reason to refuse such a thing.

It wouldn't do him any harm to strengthen his relationship with his roommate.

Song Yan laughed and said, "Old Duke, you are joking. Isn't it too much of a waste for Uncle Fang to be a mere prefect? ​​He could even be a governor."

Upon hearing this, both Fang De and Fang Hai smiled.

Fang De's gaze slowly shifted to Gao Yang, and he changed the subject: "Speaking of which, what you did was a bit unfair, Marquis Song. No matter what, Gao Yang is my Fang family's granddaughter-in-law. The Fang family has always treated Gao Yang like our own daughter. Now that the Prince Fu's mansion has suffered a great calamity and the Prince Fu and Princess Fu have disappeared, the Fang family is Gao Yang's maternal family."

"As a result, you hid my Fang family's daughter in Pingyang for more than half a year. If this gets out, Gaoyang's reputation will be ruined. Marquis Song must give an explanation, right?"

Suddenly being brought up in his own name, Gao Yang's face tensed up, and he instinctively wanted to speak, but Song Yan stopped him with a look. Song Yan then said, "This matter was indeed my oversight, and I must take responsibility. But I wonder what explanation the Fang family wants?"

Fang De's face was somewhat sorrowful: "Gao Yang was originally my granddaughter-in-law, but Fang Jun died young due to misfortune. Although I am very sad, I cannot delay Gao Yang's life. Originally, I was planning to find a good family for Gao Yang so that she would not die alone. But now Gao Yang's reputation has been ruined by you..."

Hearing this, Song Yan looked puzzled. How did things go wrong because of him? What did he do?

Okay, it seems like we've done everything we should and shouldn't have done, except for that last step. So it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with saying that.

"It seems unlikely that I will be able to find a good family to marry into again."

“Other families would suffer a lot if they married Gaoyang off to them. If she married into a family with bad character, she would suffer for the rest of her life.”

"Since this matter is the fault of Lord Song, then please take responsibility and choose an auspicious day to marry Gaoyang, how about that?"

(End of this chapter)