Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 510 The Madman of Jingguan, His Ferocity Soars (12,000 words)

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

After saying this, Luo Jingyu remained silent and led his men away. Princess Yongning, still somewhat bewildered and not quite understanding what had happened, glanced at Song Yan, then at Luo Jingyu, before hurrying to follow her brother's retreating figure.

Only after the group disappeared from sight did several suspicious gazes fall on Song Yan.

"When did my husband become so easy to talk to?" Hua Lianyue smiled. Although she was frightened last night, her husband had now woken up and she felt at ease, so she returned to her usual self.

Three parts frivolity, seven parts allure.

She knew very well that her husband hated the Yang family to death.

This hatred wasn't just directed at Yang Miaoqing; it had long since spread to the entire Langya Yang clan. She knew her husband would eventually destroy the entire Yang family, so she couldn't understand why he had agreed to Luo Jingyu's request to save one of Yang Miaoyun's daughters.

Song Yan smiled and said, "Princess Yongning is just a little girl. She hasn't done anything wrong. It's not a big deal to spare her life. Besides, Princess Yongning is Emperor Ninghe's daughter and Tianxuan and Tianyi's half-sister. She's a relative."

Hua Lianyue chuckled: "The truth."

Song Yan blinked, then placed the box in her hand on the stone table with a slightly helpless expression: "There's nothing I can do."

"He gave so much."

Hua Lianyue opened the box with a hint of curiosity, but there was no gold or silver glitter inside. The box was indeed filled with stacks of white paper!

However, the white paper was covered with writing and half a seal; these were all... Shen's bank notes.

A face value of ten thousand taels.

Hua Lianyue took it out and counted it carefully, her expression of astonishment growing even stronger.

A full one hundred sheets.

Although Yang Miaoyun came from the Yang family, as her only son, Luo Jingyu was certainly not short of money, but one million was still a considerable sum.

In fact, Song Yan was not talking nonsense. Although he hated the Yang family, he would not implicate Yongning because of it. He had to give Emperor Ninghe some face, but all Song Yan could do was turn a blind eye and not take the initiative to cause trouble for Yongning. It was impossible for him to help.

But, a million.

Although Song Yan is not short of money right now.

The Pingyang Prefectural Governor's Office also had a considerable amount of silver stored there.

But so many soldiers need to be supported; don't military pay and food come free?
Are armor and weapons free?

Are thunderbolts free?
Moreover, Pingyang Anzhou was in dire need of reconstruction due to repeated invasions.

To rebuild and develop again, a large amount of money needs to be invested in the early stages.

With only a few million taels of silver on him, Song Yan couldn't possibly last long. This million taels of silver was extremely important to him.

"Keep this money for now, and exchange it all for cash when you return to Pingyang." Song Yan stretched his arms to ease his stiff body.

Get up.

"Go and rest, everyone. You've all been busy all night and are exhausted. I'll just take a stroll around the manor," Song Yan said.

"I'll accompany my husband for a walk," Hua Lianyue said, getting up as well.

Neither Gao Yang nor Luo Tianxuan slept all night.

Ziyu only dozed off for a short while.

Upon hearing Song Yan's words, everyone felt their eyelids grow heavy, but they didn't dwell on such a trivial matter.

Luo Tianxuan wasn't by Song Yan's side this time; she also had some things to think about... namely, the Empress's matter.

Her biological mother.

Luo Tianxuan felt guilty because her biological mother caused her husband's assassination attempt.

She hadn't figured out how to handle this relationship yet... She naturally wanted to sever it, and it would be best if there were no more ties from now on, but she didn't want to bear the reputation of being unfilial. She didn't really care about filial piety; as long as her mother thought she was doing a good job, that was enough. It had little to do with the Empress.

However, Luo Tianxuan did not want her reputation for being unfilial to affect her husband.

I've never faced something like this before, so it's a bit of a nuisance.

Luo Yuheng was not sleepy at all. Despite having taken good care of Song Yan for a long time yesterday, he still looked radiant.

She glanced at Song Yan and Hua Lianyue, who had temporarily left, and then at Luo Tianxuan, who was alone and annoyed in her room. Somewhat languidly, she slumped onto the table with her upper body limp and her arms stretched out.

Place your chin in the middle, shake it slightly to the left, and sway it slightly to the right.

Occasionally, a slightly helpless breath would escape from his lips.

She also has some worries, such as the issue of how she addresses Tianxuan, Tianyi, Tianshu, and Tianquan. They will eventually have to switch back, right?

She can't keep bearing their mother's name forever.

This is not good.

……

End of June.

At that time, there was no Gregorian calendar.

At this time of year, it's almost the tail end of summer... no, it seems like the beginning of autumn has just passed, so it's already considered autumn.

The azure sky is dotted with fluffy white clouds. The climate of Dongling City is pleasant. Some sycamore trees are planted on both sides of the cobblestone road, casting dappled shade in the courtyard. Birds hop from branch to branch, occasionally landing by the canal to watch the small fish swimming inside.

Song Yan did not walk fast.

My strength has not yet recovered.

My chest also hurts a little.

Although that palm strike allowed him to break through the barrier, it also left him with serious injuries that require some time to heal.

Hua Lianyue then leisurely accompanied her from the side.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the front yard.

Song Yan could clearly hear some commotion coming from the side. It sounded like many people were talking, along with the unpleasant sound of shovels scraping the ground. Curious, he walked towards the side door. The first thing he saw was a dense array of silver-armored guards, though most of their silver armor was stained with patches of crimson.

The silver armor and the blood made it all the more glaring.

The air was filled with the smell of blood, which became even stronger due to the sunlight.

Song Yan could understand these things. After all, hundreds of people had tried to enter the Marquis of Champion's mansion yesterday to take their lives. Although the Silver Armor Guards did not participate in the battle, most of these people were killed by Luo Tianxuan. However, it was still inevitable that they would come into contact with bloodstains when handling the corpses.

He was curious about what that hissing sound was.
Before he knew it, he had walked out of the side door. Outside the side door, a large group of silver-armored guards were busy. But when he saw the scene in front of him, Song Yan felt his vision go black and he almost fainted again.

What did he see?

Right there under the blazing sun, a group of silver-armored guards removed their armor, baring their shirts, and were stirring a large pile of yellow mud in the side alleyway, shovels in their hands.

The shovel made a hissing sound as it rubbed against the stone pavement.

That's not all. Right next to the yellow mud, there was a huge pile of freshly chopped human heads, covered in blood.

Flies crawled all over it, buzzing loudly.

Zhang Han and Lei Yi squatted down to the side, each holding a twig and muttering to themselves as they scratched at the ground.

This bizarre scene made Song Yan's face twitch.

He desperately suppressed the agitation in his chest, took a deep breath, and tried to speak in a calm voice: "Lei Yi, Zhang Han..."

The two men, who were discussing matters, heard a familiar voice and their faces lit up with joy. They looked up and, sure enough, saw their general's figure: "My lord, you're awake."

"The brothers have been worried about you. They were concerned that if you just fell asleep like this and never woke up again, what would happen?"

At first, Song Yan felt quite heartwarmed to hear so many brothers thinking of him, but as he listened, something felt off.

What does it mean to never wake up again?

Can't you guys hope for something good for us?
However, Song Yan also understood that arguing with this group of rough men about these things would shorten his lifespan by several years.

The army is full of tough guys who speak their minds; nobody cares about such trivial matters. He pursed his lips: "What are you doing?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the large pile of yellow mud and the mountain of human heads piled up beside it.

"This?" Lei Yi scratched his head and smiled somewhat naively. "This is Madam's idea. She said to build a mound of skulls in front of the Marquis's mansion so that no one will look down on our Champion Marquis's mansion." At this moment, Lei Yi was not as ruthless as he had been the night before when he led his troops to wipe out more than twenty martial arts masters. He seemed to be just a simple and honest man.

"With a mound of Jingguan (a type of human pyramid) standing guard, even if some Tom, Dick, or Harry tries to cause trouble at the Marquis's mansion, they'll have to think twice before giving up their heads."

Song Yan's forehead was covered in even more black lines. He never expected that Luo Tianxuan was involved in this.

Luo Tianxuan is usually quiet and reserved, how did she learn to build a Jingguan (a traditional Chinese structure for building mounds of stones)?

Who's a kind soul who puts a mound of Jingguan (a type of human pyramid) to ward off evil spirits?

Could it be that they've mistaken the Jingguan (a mound of corpses) for the stone lions at the gates of wealthy and powerful families?
"The brothers just thought it wouldn't be good to pile up a mound of skulls at the main entrance," Lei Yi continued to explain. "After all, Chang'an Avenue is only so wide, and there are at least several hundred heads there. If we pile up a mound of skulls at the main entrance, wouldn't it block the road?"

"It's inconvenient for people to come and go, so the brothers decided to pile the mound of skulls up to the side gate. It's just that the alleyway at the side gate is a bit narrow, so I was just discussing with Zhang Han how to pile up the mound of skulls."

Song Yan's lips twitched.

Goodness, they even considered that the main entrance would block Chang'an Avenue?

Should we praise him for being incredibly meticulous?
Song Yan placed one hand on his chest, his heart aching slightly. He felt that he should grab a handful of nitroglycerin pills and put them in his mouth, otherwise he might faint.

After a long struggle to calm down, Song Yan finally managed to control the agitation in his chest: "Alright, I know everything."

"Retreat, retreat."

"Get all these things away. You'll never see anyone piling up a mound of Jingguan (a type of human pyramid) at their doorway, not even at the side gate."

To be precise, there weren't many people who actually built mounds of Jingguan (a type of ancient Chinese structure).

"Stop messing around with these things. Load all these corpses onto trucks and take them out of the city. Bury them anywhere, or burn them."

Lei Yi and Zhang Han looked at each other in bewilderment. They had thought that the Madam and the Marquis were a perfect match, so how could they have disagreed so quickly?
Soon, Zhang Han frowned, as if he was seriously thinking about something.

Not long after, Zhang Han suddenly exclaimed "Oh!" with a look of sudden realization, and then thumped his chest loudly: "My lord, I understand. Don't worry, we will arrange this matter perfectly for you."

Song Yan looked at Zhang Han with some suspicion. "Wait, what do you understand? Does such a small thing require such an enlightened expression?"

Song Yan was still a little worried, so she added, "It's just about transporting the body out and burying it. Is that all you need to know?"

"My lord, you can rest assured, there will be absolutely no mistakes," Zhang Han assured him again.

I still had some doubts.

However, Song Yan thought that it was indeed a very small matter, and no matter what, it wouldn't cause any problems, so she felt at ease.

"Oh, by the way, clean up the road. It's all smeared with blood and doesn't look good. Also... just let everyone know that the brothers have been working hard these past few days. Yesterday, thanks to the brothers, otherwise I probably would have lost my life. All five thousand Silver Armor Guards will receive five times their usual pay this month as a bonus." Song Yan added, remembering this favor. If you don't reward those who saved your life, who will be willing to risk their lives for you in the future?
As soon as these words came out, the crowd exploded.

Each of the silver-armored guards was overjoyed.

Look, this is our own general; he's just different from other generals.

Bonus.

Do the soldiers from other teams even know what a bonus is?
Many people are wondering why the soldiers under the Marquis's command are so fearless and loyal when they fight.
That's simple, because the Marquis truly treats his brothers like human beings.

Moreover, the Marquis actually gave money.

Think about the kind of life they lived before. Their land was seized by landlords, gentry, or even officials. They could only work as tenants. After a year of hard work, how much grain could they get after paying rent and exorbitant taxes?
Every day my stomach rumbles with hunger.
Every day I'm exhausted and dizzy.
Sometimes, they even felt that they would be worked to death in the fields.

They don't even dare to go home, because as soon as they do, they have to face the expectant eyes of their elderly parents, wives, and children, and they can't bear the disappointment that follows when those expectations fade away.

Even when his elderly parents fell seriously ill, they had no money for treatment and could only lie in bed waiting to die.

They are human beings too; they also want to live.

But everything changed after he followed the Marquis.

The biggest landlord in Pingyang City was eliminated, the land was redistributed, and the despairing rent was no longer required. Families could finally eat their fill, and some could even send two taels of silver home each month. When sending the silver back, they could hold their heads high in front of their parents, wives, and children; life was becoming increasingly hopeful. Even worse, some who were originally destitute vagrants, following the Marquis, could eat their fill, save money, marry wives, and see their lives becoming more respectable. If they didn't serve the Marquis, for whom would they serve?
Are we doing this for those heartless bastards who eat people without spitting out the bones?
They don't recognize any emperor or any caste or noble class.

They only recognized the Marquis, and they would do whatever the Marquis asked them to do. Even if it meant storming the imperial palace and killing one high-ranking official after another in front of the emperor, they would not hesitate for a moment.

That's how loyalty comes about.

Song Yan didn't even realize that his brothers were already showing signs of becoming death warriors.

Even after Song Yan left, the cheers continued. Everyone was calculating: five times the salary, that's ten taels of silver! It could buy the old man a better pipe, buy the old woman a silver hairpin she'd always wanted, buy the wife a new dress, and even cover the tuition for the children's schooling.

Lei Yi, however, nudged Zhang Han beside him and asked, "Wait, what do you understand?"

Zhang Han rolled his eyes at Lei Yi with a hint of disdain: "Idiot, use your brain and think about it. Isn't the Marquis's meaning clear enough?"

"Think about what the Marquis just said? Did the Marquis say that we can't build a mound of corpses?"

Lei Yi thought for a moment and then shook his head: "The Marquis only said that piling them up at the entrance is not acceptable."

“That’s it.” Zhang Han nodded smugly. “The Marquis’s nickname is ‘Mortar Maniac,’ so how could he object to building mounds of Jingguan? It’s just that building mounds of Jingguan at the entrance is unlucky, and besides… where is this? The Imperial City, the inner city.”

"How many people are there in the inner city?"

"Still at the side gate."

"Even if this mound of skulls were piled up, how many people would actually see it?"

"If no one can see it, then what's the point of building the mound of skulls?"

Lei Yi was taken aback, then realized that what he said made a lot of sense: "So, does the Marquis mean to pile up the Jingguan outside the city?"

Zhang Han was somewhat exasperated: "There are already two large mounds of Jing outside the city. Recently, many families have been raided and their clans exterminated. A third large mound of Jing will be built soon. There's no point in building a small one."

“Analyze the Marquis’s words carefully. He said to drag the body out. What will be used to do that? A cart, of course.”

"They want us to go outside the city. The meaning is obvious. They want us to pile the Jingguan (a mound of corpses) on carts, cut off several cartloads of arms, several cartloads of legs, and several cartloads of bodies, and then walk along Chang'an Street, circling the entire inner and outer city of Dongling several times, so that everyone in Dongling, whether nobles, high-ranking officials, or ordinary people, can see what happens when you offend the Marquis."

"But after all, the Marquis is the Marquis of Champion, so it's not appropriate to say such things directly. We, as his subordinates, need to ponder and figure it out ourselves, understand?"

Lei Yi looked utterly astonished: "Is that what you mean, Lord Marquis?"

"Listen to me, it's right."

“I know your thoughts best, Lord Marquis.” Zhang Han had a look that said, “You can trust me.” “Hurry up and find a cart. There must be some wealthy families around here. Bring seven or eight hundred brothers with you, and they will definitely lend it to you.”

……

A-choo.

Song Yan sneezed forcefully, rubbed her nose, and felt an inexplicable itch on the tip of her nose.

Despite the bright sunshine, Song Yan felt inexplicably cold all over. He didn't know why, but he could only guess that his body had caught a chill or that his heart meridian had been damaged, causing him to become weak.

As soon as they reached the front yard, they heard voices coming from the main hall.

As I walked over, I saw Luo Yuheng sitting in the main seat, entertaining guests.

It was Lin Xue, Chu Menglan, and Chu Yue.

Upon seeing Song Yan appear, Lin Xue was filled with anxiety. She rushed over and grabbed Song Yan's wrist to examine it closely. She had heard about Song Yan's assassination attempt when she woke up that morning, and Lin Xue hadn't even had time to eat. However, the capital was under martial law today, and they were blocked at the post station by the Imperial Guards and officials from the Court of State Ceremonial. They finally managed to get a pass through the delegation's connections and rushed over.

Only now, seeing that Song Yan truly had no serious injuries, did Lin Xue finally breathe a sigh of relief. She couldn't help but have the thought of bringing Song Yan to the Chu Kingdom again, but she also knew that this was impossible, and couldn't help but feel dejected.

Chu Yue, on the other hand, behaved much more normally.

First, he bowed to Song Yan, then inquired about Song Yan's injuries. From among the precious items brought by the delegation, he selected a few century-old ginseng roots and presented them as a token of his appreciation. However, upon looking at the ginseng, Song Yan felt a strange sense of familiarity; it seemed very similar to the ones the Zhang family traded. Could it also have originated from the Jurchen people?

You shouldn't hit someone who gives you a gift.

Song Yan knew this rule, so he accepted it with gratitude.

After gesturing for everyone to sit down again, Ziyu served tea, and Song Yan finally asked, "I wonder what brings the Chu envoy to the mansion this time?"

Chu Yue took a sip of fragrant tea before replying, "On one hand, I've come to visit the Marquis."

"On the other hand, I also want to discuss with the Marquis your marriage to Pavilion Master Hua Lianyue."

(End of this chapter)