Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 498 Goddaughter (12,000 words)

In the guest room of the mansion, light and shadow flickered.

The sunlight reflected off Gao Yang's face, making it appear fair with a rosy tint.

Gao Yang was somewhat shy and taken aback. Although Song Yan had told her not to worry about these things, Gao Yang never expected things to turn out so easily. She hadn't even said a word, and Fang De had already taken the initiative to propose marriage between her and Song Yan. Even the excuse... no, the reason, was flawless, as if Song Yan would be an utterly heinous beast if he didn't marry her.

Even Song Yan had to admire Fang De's art of speaking. The Fang family clearly wanted to use Gao Yang to do him a favor, but the way Fang De said it made it sound like he wasn't trying to use Gao Yang at all. Instead, he was thinking of Gao Yang in every way. Anyone who heard this would have to praise the Fang family for their benevolence.

Upon seeing Song Yan, Gao Yang was momentarily at a loss for words. Fang De's old face hardened, as if he were somewhat angry, and he feigned anger, saying, "What, does Lord Song perhaps think that my Fang family's daughter is not worthy of your status?"

Well, she was just a granddaughter-in-law before, but now she's really a daughter of the Fang family.

Song Yan thought he had been in this era for so many years that he was thick-skinned enough, but only now did he realize with surprise that compared to a real old fox like Fang De, he was still very green.

Song Yan was ashamed and hurriedly said that he dared not.

Fang De was not truly angry. Seeing Song Yan apologize, his expression immediately softened, and even his tone of voice gradually softened: "I know that Marquis Song has a noble status and a promising future. However, Gao Yang is treated as a legitimate daughter in our Fang family. Moreover, Gao Yang is a princess, and she is a match for your status as a marquis. It is not an insult to her."

"Could it be that the Marquis dislikes Gao Yang because she is a divorcee?"

"Could it be that Lord Song, at such a young age, is even more old-fashioned than I am?"

"Ningguo has never prohibited women from remarrying. Although there have always been some Confucian scholars who clamor about chastity and that women should remain faithful to one husband until death, even if their husbands die, they should remain chaste for life, the imperial court has never enacted any laws on this matter. Moreover, I know my grandson's character best. Although he has been married to Gaoyang for many years, he has never touched her. You, Marquis, are not marrying a wife, but taking a concubine. I think this is quite appropriate."

Song Yan was speechless. He really wanted to say that he had never looked down on Gao Yang.

Putting aside other things, according to the rumors outside, Song Yan still has the reputation of liking older women, especially married women and widows. Although he doesn't have any particular preference for married women and widows, as long as he has such a reputation, Gao Yang, who is a few years older than him and is a widow, is simply a perfect match.

It's impossible for me to dislike it.

However, Song Yan didn't even have a chance to speak. He was surprised to find that the old man Fang De was so eloquent. Just as Fang De stopped for a moment, Song Yan was about to say something when Fang De waved his hand and said, "I know what Song Hou is worried about. Since that's the case, I will take the liberty of speaking today... Fang Hai is my eldest son and will inherit the Fang family in the future."

Fang Jiang and Fang He both lowered their heads and remained silent.

They didn't react strangely to Fang De's words. Firstly, after some time, they had gradually come to understand that Fang Hai's methods were far beyond their own. Secondly, while these people weren't exactly seasoned foxes, they were still quite shrewd, and even if they had any opinions, they would control them well and would never show them to outsiders or Fang De.

People like Fang Hu, who are petty and narrow-minded, are ultimately a minority in a prestigious family like the Fang family.

"Fang Hai has three daughters: Fang Lingyue, the eldest daughter born out of wedlock; Fang Lingyun, the eldest daughter born out of wedlock; and Fang Lingya, the second daughter born out of wedlock," Fang De said slowly. "Fang Hai dotes on all three of them."

"It's a pity that Lingyue was short-lived and died young from a sudden illness."

Song Yan's lips twitched.

What sudden illness led to an early death?

Wasn't it because she got involved with a poor scholar, became pregnant out of wedlock, and was considered a disgrace to the Fang family by Fang Hai? If word got out, it might affect all the women in the Fang family's marriage prospects, and Fang Hai strangled her to death?

Fang Hai had once planned to introduce that girl to him, but Song Yan wasn't interested in having someone else raise her child, so she declined.

Of course, Song Yan wouldn't say these things aloud, otherwise they wouldn't be able to chat.

“Whenever Fang Hai thinks of Lingyue, he becomes heartbroken and physically distressed, which pains me greatly.” Fang De sighed and said softly, “Sometimes I can’t help but think that if Fang Hai had another daughter, perhaps he could get over Lingyue’s troubles. Gao Yang, you were my granddaughter-in-law, but now that Fang Jun is dead, our kinship is severed.”

"But I have always loved you dearly, and I don't want this kinship to end here. I wonder if you would be willing to take another godparent?"

"If you are willing, from now on you will be Fang Hai's own daughter, my own granddaughter. If anyone dares to bully you, the entire Fang family will be your support and will stand up for you. Even when you get married in the future, the Fang family will arrange everything properly for you and will definitely let you marry into the Marquis of Champion's mansion in a grand and glorious manner."

"Are you willing?"

Even Song Yan was dumbfounded by what he said.

As for Gao Yang standing next to him, he was clearly also taken aback.

Although Gao Yang is a princess, given the current situation in Ningguo, a princess is not as noble as the legitimate daughter of a powerful family like the Fang family.

Gao Yang was not a sycophant, but he was also intelligent.

At first, she was somewhat shocked, but she quickly realized that acknowledging her as the legitimate daughter was merely a means for the Fang family to strengthen their connection with Song Yan.

This can be considered a marriage alliance.

If this matter is beneficial to her husband, then she will do it.

Moreover, she was already the daughter-in-law of the Fang family, so there was hardly any need to change her address.

At that moment, Gao Yang stood up, bowed respectfully to Fang De and Fang Hai, and called out in a clear voice, "Grandpa."

"Daddy."

He then accepted Fang De's proposal.

Fang De was overjoyed and fully accepted Gao Yang's great gift. Then he reached out to help Gao Yang up, touched his sleeve with his fingers, and took out a gift that he had prepared in advance to acknowledge the relationship.

It was a bracelet.

It's a vibrant, lush green.

It is crystal clear, without any impurities.

Like the bottom of a beer bottle.

Considering that beer bottles didn't exist in this era, this must be top-quality jadeite, perhaps the legendary imperial green.

The hand that had been held by Gao Yang was now placed on her wrist; the emerald green bracelet complemented her fair skin.

Of course, it is very complicated for a wealthy family like the Fang family to recognize relatives. They will need to prepare a family recognition banquet, open the ancestral hall, and obtain the family genealogy. It is not something that can be resolved in a short time. For now, this can only be considered as confirming the matter.

Fang Hai seemed to want to bring up another matter, but was stopped by a look from Fang De.

Fang De was very happy that Gao Yang's matter had been resolved, and the smile on his face never faded until he brought over a jar of Sanlejiang and drank most of it. Only then did Fang De's expression become slightly serious: "Lord Song, after you and Gao Yang got married, I can be considered your father-in-law."

In modern society, the term "老丈人" (lǎo zhàng rén) basically refers only to one's father-in-law. However, it was different in ancient times. People in ancient times called their wife's father "丈人" (zhàng rén), "岳父" (yuè fù), or "岳丈" (yuè zhàng). The terms for one's wife's grandfather were even more complicated, such as "老太爷" (lǎo tài yé), "老丈" (lǎo zhàng), "祖姻丈" (zǔ yīn zhàng), "妇公祖" (fù gōng zǔ), or "上祖舅" (shàng zǔ jiù). Of course, there was also another term for one's wife's grandfather: "老太山" (lǎo tài shān). However, the degree of use of such terms depended on which emperor was in power. In the Qianlong era, it would have been considered an act of usurpation and could have resulted in execution.

"I'm being presumptuous, so may I call you Yan'er? Is that alright?" Fang De said with a smile.

Perhaps because he had drunk too much, Song Yan's cheeks were flushed. He simply nodded casually upon hearing this, as he never cared about titles or such.

Besides, at Fang De's age of seventy, there's absolutely no problem with him calling himself Yan'er.

"Then what do you think the Yang family will do next?" Fang De finally brought up a serious topic.

Even Song Yan's drowsy eyes suddenly snapped to attention, instantly becoming more alert. Indeed, although this time the direct descendants of the Yang family in the court were completely eradicated, Yang Hetong, Yang Guochen, Yang Guoli, Yang Jingshuo, Yang Siqi, and Yang Rui all died.

This was a devastating blow to the entire Yang family. Even officials who were affiliated with the Yang family suffered heavy losses, numbering a dozen or twenty.

It can be said that while the Yang family's influence in the court may not have been completely eradicated, it has been significantly reduced. However, it is clearly impossible to say that this has completely crushed the Yang family. As long as the Yang family still exists in Langya, their roots remain, and they will continue to have the power to stir up trouble.

Song Yan's expression gradually became solemn: "I am not familiar with Yang Hexing, the head of the Yang family, and it is difficult to judge what he will do next. However, if I were in Yang Hexing's position, I would probably only have a few paths to take."

"First, completely abandon Langya."

"The entire Langya Yang clan will relocate to the State of Chu and seek refuge with the Huilong Yang clan. Only in this way can the Langya Yang clan be preserved. Of course, the premise for doing so is that Yang Hexing is certain that I will target the entire Yang family and that I have sufficient power to wipe them out."

Fang De shook his head: "Although I have never met Yang Hexing, I know that he is an extremely intelligent, cunning, and proud person who will not easily admit defeat. It is absolutely impossible for him to abandon the roots of the Langya Yang family and the ancestral land of the Yang family."

"Then, the second path is to rebel and then return to the court." Song Yan spoke eloquently: "Of course, Yang Hexing will absolutely not allow the Langya Yang family to be exposed in the open. After all, once the Yang family openly raises the banner of rebellion, it will give the court a reasonable and legal reason to deal with the Yang family. There is no need for anyone else; even I, the Marquis, can lead the army south from Pingyang and crush Langya in less than half a month. The aristocratic family that has lasted for hundreds of years will be wiped out in an instant."

“Yang Hexing, who could become the head of the Yang family, would certainly not be so foolish.”

"Therefore, Yang Hexing would probably secretly support some rebel armies to put pressure on the imperial court in this way."

"The Yang family has cultivated Langya for hundreds of years, accumulating countless riches and grains."

"If the Yang family truly supports the rebel army regardless of cost, the rebel army's power will expand rapidly in a short period of time, becoming a huge threat to Ning Kingdom."

"At the same time, the Yang family will support Wanyan Guangzhi and even try to make contact with the Xiongnu. As long as the Yang family is willing to pay a high enough price, it is not impossible to make Suochuoluo and Wanyan Guangzhi their henchmen. In fact, Suochuoluo and Wanyan Guangzhi do nothing. Just setting up an army on the border would be enough to hold back all the elite troops of Pingyang Anzhou."

"Even if the imperial court wanted to use the border troops to suppress domestic rebellions, it would be difficult to do so."

Fang De nodded with satisfaction. It was good that Song Yan didn't disregard the Yang family just because he killed the third branch. It was even more commendable that he could see the complex connections between the Yang family, the Ningguo court, the border army, and the Xiongnu and Jurchen.

If Song Yan were already in his forties or fifties, it would be good if he had such insights, but it wouldn't be too surprising. However, Song Yan is only a sixteen-year-old boy. What would he be like if he were to fully grow up?

For some reason, Fang De felt a surge of excitement. He picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp, a flush rising on his wrinkled old face: "And then..."

Song Yan also gulped down a large mouthful of wine, and, fueled by the alcohol, slowly said, "Even if the court knows that the Yang family is manipulating things behind the scenes, there is nothing they can do for the time being."

Firstly, there is no evidence.

"Secondly, the court is probably already overwhelmed by the chaos of the army and the affairs of the Xiongnu and Jurchens, so even if there is evidence, they can't do anything to the Yang family."

"Under such circumstances, the imperial court had only one option: to compromise with the Yang family."

"Furthermore, Yang Hexing's eldest daughter, Yang Miaoyun, is still a Noble Consort in the Imperial Harem, and her son, Luo Jingyu, is still the eldest prince and the most likely to inherit the throne in the future. Naturally, many officials want to curry favor with him, so there are quite a few people who will speak on behalf of the Yang family."

"In this way, the Yang family can naturally reintroduce some of its members into the imperial court."

"Their influence is certainly not comparable to that of Yang He at the same time, but with the Yang family's wealth, resources, and manpower, it is only a matter of time before they can infiltrate the court again." Suddenly, a mocking smile appeared on Song Yan's face: "Of course, all of this is based on the premise that... the Xiongnu and Jurchens can really hold back the border troops of Anzhou and Pingyang."

These words were quite bold and heroic.

Fang De can finally rest easy.

Given Song Yan's temperament, as long as he doesn't get carried away by building the Jingguan (a mound of corpses), he shouldn't encounter any major problems.

In the future, arranging Fang Hai to be next to Song Yan will also serve as a constant reminder.

He had placed his heaviest bet on Song Yan, and naturally didn't want to lose.

The rest of the time was spent discussing matters of the court, wondering what kind of spectacle would occur when the court session was held the day after tomorrow, and also chatting about things in the palace, wondering how the Empress and Consort Yang would react.

When the banquet ended and Song Yan left the Fang family, the moon was already high in the sky.

It was already midnight.

Even in Ningguo Dongling, the entire city fell silent at this hour, except for a few brothels in the outer city that still had their lights on. After all, places like Qunyu Garden and brothels were busy at this time and had little time to rest.

As the carriage gradually disappeared into the night, Fang De's smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression. After all, this kind of gamble was something Fang De had only played a few times in his entire life.

"Father, why didn't you let me bring up my younger sister's matter just now?" After Song Yan left, Fang Hai finally couldn't help but ask.

My younger sister, Fang Wanlin, is still in Pingyang City.

Originally, Fang Wanlin was left by Song Yan's side in the hope that the two could spend more time together and cultivate their relationship. However, unexpectedly, the Xiongnu invaded the border, and Song Yan was busy with military affairs. Although Fang Wanlin had been in Pingyang for several months, she had seen Song Yan very few times.

Fang De snorted irritably, "Anyway, Song Yan likes older women, what's the rush?"

Well, this reason really left Fang Hai speechless for a moment.

"Moreover, we just recognized Gao Yang as our goddaughter today and promised Gao Yang and Song Yan's marriage. Now you're immediately bringing up Wan Lin. What must Gao Yang be thinking?"

"We must safeguard Gao Yang's relationship. Although she is not our biological daughter, we must treat her better than a biological daughter. The Princess Consort of Fu treats Gao Yang very badly, and the Prince of Fu doesn't care much about Gao Yang either. We can take this opportunity to make Gao Yang completely side with us and regard the Fang family as her true maternal family."

"Gao Yang's influence on Song Yan is far greater than Wan Lin's."

……

The moon and stars are rare.

The carriage creaked and groaned.

Song Yan was somewhat drunk, having drunk quite a bit.

That Sanlejiang stuff is sweet and sour. I thought it was just like fruit juice, but who would have thought it would have such a strong aftereffect?

call!
A gust of wind blew.

The carriage curtain was rolled up.

An indescribable chill seeped into Song Yan's bones, making her shiver.

"What's going on? Why is it so cold?" Song Yan muttered softly, feeling as if she had returned to Pingyang, still in the dead of winter.

The effects of the alcohol wore off quite quickly.

Such chill in summer is clearly abnormal.

Through the car window, a mansion came into view.

Palace?

Where did Luo Yuheng once live?

(End of this chapter)