Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 509 Bewilderment (6,000 words)

Blood! Blood! Blood!

A human head! A severed arm! Internal organs!

The silver-armored guards' gleaming silver armor was stained with patches of scarlet.

Watching those tall, muscular soldiers raise their sharp swords and slash down, instantly severing the necks of motionless corpses on the ground, they then grabbed the heads and tossed them aside.

Their casual yet habitual movements sent chills down the spines of Luo Jingyu and Princess Yongning.

As the sun rose higher, the thick fog was completely dispelled.

In late summer, although it was only early morning, it quickly warmed up.

But the bright sunlight shining on Luo Jingyu and Princess Yongning not only failed to bring them any warmth, but instead made them feel cold all over.

Especially when they saw those heads piled up in a heap, and the sunlight shining on them, with pairs of eyes wide open as if they were staring at them, it made their scalps tingle. Yongning even felt his stomach churning, and he felt like he might vomit up what he had eaten that morning at any moment.

Tears were almost streaming down the little girl's face.

The commotion caught the attention of the Silver Armor Guards, and Zhang Hanlei glanced over in their direction.

“Eh~~~~”

The moment the gaze fell upon him, Yongning tensed up instantly, goosebumps rising all over her body. She let out a strange, drawn-out sound, her hair standing on end like a cat with its fur standing on end. Her slender, petite body darted behind Luo Jingyu.

A pair of small hands gripped her brother's clothes tightly, trembling.

Luo Jingyu was also terrified. Heaven knows what kind of psychological trauma this scene caused to the two princes and princesses who rarely left the palace.

He knew about Song Yan's assassination attempt.

Following his mother's instructions, he selected a box of items from her private treasury and brought some of his trained loyal followers to visit her. However, he never imagined that when he arrived at the Marquis of Champion's residence, he would witness such a horrifying scene.

He had also seen the mounds of corpses outside Dongling City, but back then they were just layers of yellow mud and human heads, with the flesh on the heads rotting and falling off, leaving only white bones. Although they looked gruesome, they were far less bloody than what he was seeing now.

Luo Jingyu was terrified, but no matter what, he was the older brother, and it wasn't right for him to push his sister to the front in such a situation. Besides, Song Yan had previously killed several of his eunuchs right in front of him... Although that scene wasn't as horrifying as the one before him, it had strengthened his mental fortitude to some extent, and he was still able to withstand it.

His throat bobbed, and he swallowed hard several times. Luo Jingyu forced a smile at Lei Yi and Zhang Han to show that he meant no harm. Zhang Han and Lei Yi were clearly not very interested in these two little brats either. Seeing that they weren't there to cause trouble, they continued with their work.

After the two looked away, Luo Jingyu suddenly felt a sense of relief, as the pressure he had been under dissipated. He quietly looked up, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and gave a bitter smile. A thought suddenly popped into his mind: Maybe I should just give up.

The emperor of Ningguo was simply appointed by Song Yan.

I always felt that anyone who competed with Song Yan would not have a good ending.

Although that's what he was thinking, he still had to do what he had to do. In any case, easing the tension between him and Song Yan wouldn't do him any harm.

He pursed his lips, gave the eunuchs beside him a wink, signaling them to follow, and then strode towards the main gate of the Marquis of Champion's mansion.

Behind her, Princess Yongning, whose face had completely inherited her mother's beauty, looked all wrinkled: "Are we going again?"

"Why don't we go back?"

The quiet muttering went unanswered.

Princess Yongning, feeling helpless, maintained a tearful expression and followed behind with trepidation. Not wanting her beautiful dress to get stained, she even disregarded her manners, clutching the hem of her skirt to expose her ankles. Seeing the red stains on her white embroidered shoes, her eyes were blurry with tears.

……

Dream!
A very, very heavy dream.

Song Yan found it difficult to describe that feeling.

The pain in his consciousness had long since dissipated, yet there was still no sign of him waking up.

My consciousness seemed to be floating on a cloud, as if warm sunshine was shining on me; it felt very comfortable and pleasant.

Don't think about anything, don't do anything, unload all the pressure and burdens.

Enjoying the sunshine and the gentle breeze, I drifted and swayed among the clouds.

This must be paradise.

Song Yan actually understood why he couldn't wake up. It wasn't that he couldn't wake up, but that he didn't want to. Once he woke up and his consciousness returned, he would probably have to face all sorts of messy things again.

For him, such a rare rest was extremely precious.

He seemed to hear some faint sounds.

The familiar voices belonged to Hua Lianyue and Luo Yuheng.

call.

In his mind, Song Yan let out a breath.

They must have been very worried about him during the time he was in a coma.

He knew it was time for him to wake up.

Song Yan, who had been lying on the bed for a day and a night, suddenly trembled. This small movement was immediately noticed by Luo Yuheng and Hua Lianyue. In a flash, their eyes turned to the bed at the same time. Luo Yuheng even subconsciously grabbed Song Yan's hand, her pearly white teeth gently biting her lower lip, her eyes revealing a hint of expectation.

Song Yan's eyelids twitched, and she finally opened her eyes.

Perhaps because of this coma, Song Yan's consciousness was particularly deep. When he woke up, all he could see were indescribable clusters of light of various colors.

Consciousness and body do not seem to be perfectly integrated.

Gradually, two familiar outlines came into view at the corner of my eye.

The ball of light in front of him gradually dimmed and slowly dissipated, and the hazy shadow finally appeared completely in front of Song Yan.

Sure enough, it was Hua Lianyue and Luo Yuheng.

In the eyes of the two women, Song Yan could see deep concern and worry.

My heart feels slightly warm.

Although the feeling of not having to think about anything while in a coma is addictive, the concern for family and loved ones is something he can't give up.

That's quite greedy of them.

"Yan'er is awake." Luo Yuheng breathed softly, a gentle smile on her face.

Although she could sense that Song Yan's body was recovering, she was only truly at ease when she saw Song Yan wake up.

She extended her slender, white fingers and brushed aside a few strands of long hair from Song Yan's forehead.

Song Yan grinned and asked, "How long was I unconscious?"

The moment the voice came out, Song Yan was startled. The voice was hoarse, like someone desperately scratching a blackboard with fingernails, filled with a cracked and uncomfortable feeling.

It must be a lingering effect of a previous injury.

That woman, Kong Nianhan, really knows how to be ruthless.

Song Yan truly felt like she had almost lost her life.

Fortunately, Kong Nianhan was afraid of the shotgun in his hand and dared not go forward again... If Kong Nianhan knew that the thing in his hand could only fire one bullet at a time, he would probably be a corpse by now, and a completely cold one at that.

"It's been a long time, several hours, I suppose." Luo Yuheng pursed her lips and gave Song Yan a reproachful look: "You brat, how can you be so ungrateful for your life? That Kong Nianhan is not someone you can deal with. If I die, I die. Anyway, I've lived for more than thirty years and I'm almost done living. You are still young. If something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain to Tianxuan and Lianyue?"

Luo Yuheng kept talking incessantly.

Although it was a reproach, there was no blame in the tone; instead, it was full of doting affection.

Song Yan just smiled and didn't say anything.

After regaining his composure, Song Yan looked at Luo Yuheng, about to say something, but his eyes suddenly became unfocused.

He had a feeling he couldn't quite explain.

Luo Yuheng was still the same Luo Yuheng, his appearance had not changed at all, but the feeling he gave Song Yan was completely different.

Like a graceful willow, but not with the lightness of a spring breeze, but with the serene abundance of summer's drooping branches. Curves flow languidly beneath her thin garment, her waist meandering like spring water; every unintentional lean is like a cloud descending to the horizon. Fingertips twirl a stray strand of hair at her temple, as languid as plucking a zither string; her slightly parted lips exhale a breath as sweet as orchids, as if each sigh is a waste of energy, yet this languid undertone is permeated with a mature charm.

Her eyes were like amber, aged for many years, holding a warm, gentle light. At first glance, they appeared calm and undisturbed, yet their depths seemed to hold untold stories. Her allure was like a fleeting, ephemeral bloom in the dark night; with a flick of her gaze, a captivating charm seeped from her very bones. When her gaze was lowered, it was like moonlight reflected in a cold pool; when she raised her eyes, it became a blazing, warm fire. Without needing to feign concern, an irresistible allure already permeated her being. That blend of languor and seduction, maturity and allure flowed with every gesture, like a subtle fragrance, alluring without being noticed.

Just looking at that pretty face, my mind started to wander.

The illusion of being intoxicated before even drinking is probably nothing more than this.

Suddenly, half of the poem "Yu Zhu Xin" appeared in my mind:
Ice-silk wraps around jade peaks, warm musk rises like smoke, a slender willow waist in spring. Stepping across the lotus pond, a glance back reveals flowing rosy clouds clinging to her sleeves. Her cloud-like hair is half-fallen, a strand of black silk tucking her lips. She resembles the crabapple blossoms, their petals like solidified cream, bathed in the clear daylight under the slanting moonlight.

Song Yan felt her face should be red, so she shook her head and crushed the thoughts in her mind.

He cursed himself for being a worthless person.

Although he didn't understand what had happened, he was struck by Luo Yuheng's overwhelming charm as a woman when he woke up.

But this is my mother-in-law.

No, according to the actual relationship, she should be considered the wife's younger sister.

But no matter what, you can't think about those messy things.

That's immoral!
Song Yan tried her best to control herself, shifting her gaze away from Luo Yuheng and supporting herself with her hands as she tried to get out of bed. But as soon as she made this move, she felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her limbs felt unusually heavy, without any strength at all.

That's not all; I also have a dull, persistent pain in my lower back, which is quite uncomfortable.

This feeling surprised Song Yan quite a bit.

How could he have become so weak in just a few hours? Was Kong Nianhan's palm strike really that powerful?

Seeing Song Yan in this state, Hua Lianyue and Luo Yuheng quickly stepped forward and helped Song Yan up.

It took Song Yan a while to adjust before he could barely stand up on his own. After carefully examining himself, he realized something was wrong. His internal energy was more than twice as strong as before. Although Kong Nianhan's palm strike had seriously injured him, it had also inexplicably allowed him to break through the barrier between the sixth and seventh ranks, becoming a seventh-rank martial artist. He wondered if this could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Therefore, the weakness of the body is not due to the depletion of internal energy, but rather to the exhaustion of physical strength, coupled with not having eaten all night.

On the table next to them, there were some snacks.

After filling her stomach, Song Yan felt much better.

The room felt somewhat stuffy, so Song Yan went outside for a walk.

Upon seeing Song Yan awaken, the silver-armored guards who had been watching over him were visibly excited; for them, this was the best news imaginable.

Gao Yang, Luo Tianxuan, and Ziyu also came out of the room, their faces beaming with joy.

Song Yan was still unclear about what had happened after he fell into a coma yesterday, so the women explained it to him. When they heard that Gao Yang had returned to the Marquis of Champion's mansion but couldn't find anyone, he immediately mobilized the Silver Feather Guards to go to the mansion to provide support. Song Yan was somewhat grateful to Gao Yang.

This time, if Gao Yang hadn't acted decisively, he probably would have really died at Kong Nianhan's hands.

After all, the threat of shotguns to Kong Nianhan wouldn't last long. If Kong Nianhan disregarded everything and risked several lives, he would surely die.

When Song Yan heard that the Empress had summoned Luo Tianxuan, Hua Lianyue, and Luo Tianyi to the palace to acknowledge their kinship, he couldn't help but chuckle.

It's true that even the most cunning villains can't outwit a simpleton.

He underestimated the Empress's intelligence.

The Empress probably wanted to use him to support Luo Tianshu's ascension to the throne, but at the same time, she felt that he was a serious threat to Luo Tianshu and had to be eliminated.

There's nothing wrong with that idea.

Anyone in the position of empress would probably have the same thoughts.

However, the Queen's actions were highly problematic.

She acknowledged Luo Tianxuan as her relative, trying to build a relationship with him and indirectly control him through Luo Tianxuan. On the other hand, she summoned all the experts around him, intending to use someone else to do her dirty work and eliminate him with the help of the hidden power of the Princess Consort of Fu, the Yang family, and Bailu Academy.

what is this?
You're in too much of a hurry.

Luo Tianchu hasn't even sat on the dragon throne yet.

Although Emperor Ninghe has shown signs of abdicating, he is still the most likely person to support Luo Tianshu because of his relationship with Luo Tianxuan. Is he already in such a hurry? Has the Empress not considered who can help Luo Tianshu stabilize the Ning Kingdom after he is gone?

Rather, if he were to die and the political situation in the court were to return to what it was before, how much help could she, an empress confined to the inner palace, provide to Luo Tianshu? And how could she possibly compete with Luo Jingyu?

The Empress probably felt that it would be best if she could win over Luo Tianxuan, and if she could get rid of her, it would reduce a threat to her and Luo Tianshu. Even if she failed on this side, she would not suffer any losses, and she would not be held accountable afterward, since she only wanted to recognize her daughter and had not done anything wrong.

In the Empress's mind, no matter how this matter ultimately develops, it will only bring her benefits and no harm.

stupid.

Extremely stupid.

Song Yan shook his head with a wry smile. His relationship with Emperor Ninghe and Luo Tianshu had always been quite good, but because of these events, some rifts had inevitably formed between them.

With a slight sigh, Song Yan's voice sounded somewhat helpless: "I'm afraid it won't be long before the news of my assassination attempt spreads to everyone by this afternoon at the latest."

"Everyone probably knows that this matter seems to be related to the Empress."

“Yang Miaoyun is not a fool like Yang Miaoqing; she wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity.”

"Perhaps Yang Miaoyun will send someone over to make amends and ease the tension between me and the Yang family... Although many members of the Yang family have died because of me, for such people, only interests matter. Other than that, feelings and hatred are meaningless."

As soon as he finished speaking, a silver-armored guard hurried over. Since Song Yan's assassination, the silver-armored guard had taken over everything inside and outside the Marquis of Champion's mansion. All the maids and servants were dismissed. In the eyes of the silver-armored guard, it was more reassuring for them to guard the mansion themselves.

"My lord, someone has come to visit outside the manor. They claim to be the eldest prince, Luo Jingyu, and Princess Yongning."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the women in the courtyard all fell on Song Yan, thinking to themselves that it was indeed true.

My husband's judgment of intelligent people has almost never been wrong... As for the Empress, it can only be said that no one can guess what she is thinking.

Song Yan then sent someone to welcome them in.

After all, they were princes and princesses. It was somewhat disrespectful for Song Yan, as the Marquis of Champion, not to personally come out of his residence to greet them. However, Luo Jingyu and Yongning kept quiet about this matter, since anyone could see that Song Yan looked weak.

Moreover, the road outside the Marquis of Champion's mansion is still covered in blood.

Heads piled up like a mountain.

This guy is a ruthless person who has directly or indirectly beheaded hundreds of thousands of people in just one year since his debut. Why are you picking on him?

Luo Jingyu and Yongning haven't lived enough yet.

Song Yan feigned a bow, and Luo Jingyu quickly stepped forward to help Song Yan sit down again: "My lord, please don't make me feel uncomfortable."

"Although I am a member of the royal family, I have made no contribution to the state or benefited the country in any way. I am merely dressed in fine clothes and eat rich food. How dare I accept the honors of a Marquis of Champion?"

"Your Excellency has made great contributions to the country and the nation by governing the country and ensuring its peace. It is I who should pay my respects to Your Excellency."

As he spoke, Luo Jingyu took a step back, bowed, and gave Song Yan a respectful salute.

This attitude is completely different from what it was a few months ago.

No one could find fault with him, and everyone who came would praise his respect for the virtuous and talented.

"Upon hearing of the Marquis's assassination attempt, I have been unable to sleep day and night."

"The assassin dared to attempt to assassinate the Marquis, which is a serious threat to the pillars of Ningguo and a destructive force to the nation. He deserves to die, but the Marquis only beheaded him. This is far too merciful. In my opinion, these traitors should all have their entire families executed."

Song Yan felt a little embarrassed. Good heavens, although he didn't know how many assassins were outside, judging from Luo Tianxuan and the others' words, there must have been several hundred.

Hundreds of people were all executed along with their entire families?
How many tens of thousands will be affected?

Could it be that they plan to block the Yi River with corpses?
"I am concerned about Your Majesty's health and wanted to find some tonics, but I have never been involved in medicine and do not know what to choose. After much consideration, I can only prepare a small gift, and I hope Your Majesty will accept it."

As he spoke, Luo Jingyu took a small box from a eunuch and handed it to Song Yan.

The wooden box was square and unlocked.

It's so light and airy, you can barely feel its weight.

Even Song Yan couldn't help but wonder what was inside the box, so he opened it slightly.

Snapped.

Song Yan then closed the box.

Inside was a thick stack of papers, dozens or even hundreds of them.

Since Luo Jingyu appeared, Song Yan's expression had been indifferent, and his tone of voice had not been particularly polite. But now, a smile suddenly bloomed on his slightly serious face: "Your Highness, you are too kind."

"How could I possibly accept this?"

Despite saying that, I still accepted the box.

Even the tone of their voices became much kinder.

Luo Jingyu smiled in response: "This humble servant can only offer such vulgar things. I hope Your Excellency will not find them offensive."

What followed was a friendly exchange, and the two thoroughly enjoyed their conversation.

As for Princess Yongning, she was basically invisible.

The little girl is very clever and mischievous. Although she hasn't fully grown up yet, you can tell she'll definitely be a beauty in the future.

For some reason, even though it was their first meeting, the little girl seemed a bit afraid of him, hiding behind Luo Jingyu the whole time. At most, she would occasionally steal a glance at him. As soon as he looked at her, she would immediately shrink back like a frightened kitten.

As for the conversation between Song Yan and Luo Jingyu, it was mostly about trivial matters. On the surface, both of them maintained smiling faces, seemingly having a very good relationship... However, Song Yan could vaguely hear something different in Luo Jingyu's words. This eldest prince seemed to be implying, both openly and secretly, that he and his mother, Yang Miaoyun, did not actually have a very good relationship with the Yang family.

The relationship between Yang Miaoyun and Yang Miaoqing was particularly bad.

After chatting for an unknown amount of time, Luo Jingyu stopped, looked up at the sky, and saw that the sun was almost overhead. He then stood up and said, "It's getting late, I must return to the palace." Seeing that Song Yan was about to get up to see him off, he quickly said, "My lord, please rest well and don't see me off."

After speaking, he bowed to Song Yan again before leaving, as Princess Yongning was about to depart.

But as he reached the palace gate, Luo Jingyu suddenly stopped, a struggle in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he turned around and said, "My lord, if one day... something terrible happens, please spare my little sister's life for the sake of the gift I gave you today."

Song Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. He could understand the meaning behind Luo Jingyu's words, and the corners of his lips curled up: "Your Highness, are you not confident?"

Luo Jingyu chuckled: "Who can predict the future?"

"Perhaps he will conquer the world."

"It may fall apart."

"What will become of Xiao Wang in the future is no longer important. After all, being born into this position means that many things are beyond my control. My only concern is for my little sister."

"Rest assured, my lord, if that time truly comes, there will be another generous gift to present to you, and I will certainly not disappoint you."

Song Yan lowered his eyelids, seemingly deep in thought. He glanced at the box in front of him, a look of struggle on his face, but finally let out a sigh: "In that case, I agree... However, there are some things I may not be able to do in time."

Luo Jingyu bowed deeply to Song Yan once again:

"With your words, Lord Marquis, that is enough."

(End of this chapter)