Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 518 Having a Baby with Luo Tianxuan (11,000 words)

The chirping of insects was faint.

The sunlight, filtered through the leaves, gradually reached overhead.

A deathly silence fell over the spacious golden palace.

Apart from Fang De, who had anticipated this, and Wei Zhong, who already knew the contents of the imperial edict, almost everyone was stunned. The officials in the court seemed to have completely forgotten the rule that one should not look up at the emperor; they all raised their heads, their faces full of astonishment.

He's been made a king?
The Prince of Yan?

To be fair, even those in the court who disliked Song Yan had to admit that his contributions were truly significant. Especially given the dire state of Ningguo's military, the presence of such a general, protecting the peace of Ningguo's borders, allowed them to hold their official positions in the court with peace of mind.

But no matter how great Song Yan's merits are, he should at most be granted the title of Duke, right?

Even with Song Yan's merits, being granted the title of King of the Opposite Sex is far beyond what is acceptable.

For a time, although the officials were kneeling on the ground, they still couldn't help but whisper among themselves, and the rustling noise just wouldn't stop.

Even Song Yan couldn't help but twitch his face repeatedly.

Good guy.

Nine bestowals? The Nine Gifts, though magnificent, are in reality nine chains! The vermilion doors lock the soul, the axe and halberd sever the neck!
Swords and shoes in the palace, no name given in praise, no hasty steps upon entering the court? Why is it that in Song Yan's impression, people who receive such honors seem a bit off?

They were either killed or they rebelled.

And, was he granted the title of Prince of Yan?

Are you looking down on me, the Yongle Emperor?

But even if you were to grant him the title of King of Wei... well, that wouldn't work either. Although Cao Cao didn't declare himself emperor, his son rebelled.

That title of Prince of Wu... well, Prince of Wu, Zhu Yuanzhang, the father of the Yongle Emperor, the chosen rebel.

That Prince Qin... doesn't seem quite right either. Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate incident, although it was claimed to be the succession in order, everyone knows what really happened.

Fine, the Prince of Yan it is.

Song Yan's mind was in turmoil; even he hadn't expected Emperor Ninghe to pull this move.

Just then, Wei Zhong, who was standing next to the dragon throne, smiled and said, "Marquis of Champion... oh no, I should call you Your Highness Prince of Yan now, why don't you accept the imperial decree?"

Song Yan took a deep breath and bowed deeply: "Your subject kowtows to thank Heaven for its grace."

A smile appeared on Emperor Ninghe's face. This could be considered his compensation to Song Yan, and he hoped that Song Yan would be satisfied with it.

Wei Zhong stepped down from the steps and handed the imperial edict to Song Yan.

"My lords, rise." Emperor Ninghe waved his hand, his tone unusually gentle.

Even the haggardness and fatigue on her face seemed to have dissipated considerably.

The officials in the court then stood up, but the astonishment on their faces had not yet faded. Several elders even frowned, as if they felt that Emperor Ninghe's reward was too heavy. How could Song Yan, a mere boy who had not yet come of age, bear the weight of the Prince of Yan?

Furthermore, Song Yan is violent and cruel, and yesterday he even dismembered hundreds of people and paraded their bodies through the marketplace. It is truly inappropriate to bestow the title of king upon such a person.

They then prepared to impeach him.

Before he could even make a move, Fang De tugged at his sleeve and gave him a warning look.

Don't be fooled by Fang De's usual drowsy appearance; when he gets serious, his eyes are incredibly intimidating, even his longtime colleagues dare not make a move. At the same time, a soft voice whispers in his ear: "The bestowal of the title of Prince is His Majesty's way of appeasing Song Yan."

"If you really want to see Song Yan lead the Silver Armor Guards into the palace, then try impeaching him."

Upon hearing this, the officials who had previously harbored some reservations immediately became obedient.

She glanced furtively at Emperor Ninghe, then at Song Yan, and after a moment's thought, decided that serving Emperor Ninghe would be more comfortable.

Forget it, I'm not going to bother anymore.

Seeing no dissent in the court, Emperor Ninghe's smile deepened: "Yan'er, you are now the Prince of Yan."

"As for the fiefdom, Anzhou and Pingyang will suffice."

The court officials had no objection to this. These two prefectures were originally Song Yan's territory. If Anzhou and Pingyang were brought under the administration of the court now, it would likely provoke Song Yan. Song Yan was known for his volatile temper, and no one could predict what might happen under such provocation.

The current decision to make Anzhou and Pingyang Song Yan's fiefdoms is merely a convenient move.

"Within the fiefdom, Yan'er can arrange the laws, taxes, military affairs, and official personnel as he sees fit, without needing to report to the court," Emperor Ninghe added casually.

This one sentence alone caused many people in the court to tremble.

This gives away far too much power.

To put it bluntly, Song Yan was the local tyrant of Anzhou and Pingyang.

If he were to wear a twelve-tassel crown and enjoy the emperor's imperial carriage, he would be no different from an emperor. The only difference would be that Song Yan, as emperor, would have a slightly smaller territory. However, considering Song Yan's almost superhuman military skills, expanding his territory wouldn't seem like a difficult task.

This matter was now a foregone conclusion, and no one in the court objected anymore. Immediately after the court session, many people gathered to discuss something. The situation in Ning Kingdom was about to change drastically, and they naturally needed to carefully consider how to proceed.

Meanwhile, they also needed to find a way to get closer to Song Yan, at least to avoid becoming enemies. Everyone could see that Song Yan was now unstoppable. Only Fang De, his wrinkled face almost expressionless, had a hint of smugness in his dim yellow eyes.

Betting on Song Yan was indeed the right decision.

By recognizing Gao Yang as his adopted granddaughter, placing Fang Wanlin by Song Yan's side, and even sending Fang Hai to Liaodong, the Fang family had forged a strong bond between itself and Song Yan. Meanwhile, the eldest granddaughter married Luo Tianshu, and the second granddaughter married Luo Tianquan. Thus, regardless of whether Luo Tianshu successfully took over or Song Yan ascended to power, the Fang family would always have a place and enjoy enduring favor.

If Song Yan can conquer larger territories in other directions and truly establish his own country, then the Fang family can take the opportunity to split into branches, expand their influence, and ensure the family's prosperity for a thousand years.

The world is ever-changing, and even with Fang De's shrewd and calculating abilities, it is impossible to determine who will ultimately win, but... the Fang family will definitely not lose.

……

Royal Garden.

The grass was sparse.

Although the leaves are not very dense, they are enough to block out the sun overhead in late summer and early autumn.

gazebo.

Fragrant tea.

pastry.

Two people.

Emperor Ninghe and Song Yan.

"Are you satisfied with this arrangement?" Emperor Ninghe asked with a smile, taking a sip of his tea.

"It's alright, it's better than me sitting on the dragon throne and becoming emperor." Song Yan smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile.

Originally, Song Yan's relationship with Emperor Ninghe was quite natural. Although they could still chat face-to-face, a slight distance could still be felt. There weren't many people Song Yan truly cared about in this world, but Emperor Ninghe was definitely one of them. It was somewhat disheartening that things had turned out this way.

"I'm sorry," Emperor Ninghe said slowly, pursing his lips as if he didn't know how to begin. "The Empress and I have been through thick and thin together for twenty years. In such a long time, we have been through so much. I have been wary of many people in the palace, but I have never been wary of her. In the end, some of our plans were disrupted."

"Forget it, once some things happen, there's no chance to make amends. Thinking about them will only add to your troubles."

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Tell me about your plans for the future?" Emperor Ninghe asked, somewhat curious.

"Let's launch a northern expedition." Song Yan lazily stretched his arms, then picked up a piece of pastry and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Northern Expedition?" For Yu Ning and the Emperor, this was a somewhat unfamiliar term.

"Hmm, head north." Song Yan stretched his neck, swallowed the pastry, and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. He wasn't quite used to the pastries at this time; most of them were powdery and easily made his throat feel sticky. He poured some tea onto the table, dipped a finger in it, and drew a circle on the stone table: "This is Ningguo..." He then drew a larger circle, surrounding Ningguo: "This is the Central Plains."

Then, above the large circle, he drew a larger oval shape: "In the north of the Central Plains, there is a vast expanse of land. It is cold, but it is still habitable. The people living there are burly, with strong bones, brown hair and blue eyes, and are very different from the Han people of the Central Plains."

Then, to the west of the ellipse, a smaller area was drawn: "Here, there is also a large piece of land. Compared to the north, the climate here is relatively suitable for human survival. The people living here are tall, blond, blue-eyed, and have hooked noses. They speak a language we cannot understand."

Emperor Ninghe was taken aback.

The Han Chinese in the Central Plains have always considered the Central Plains region to be the center of the world.

But Emperor Ninghe also understood that there were many lands and many different races outside the Central Plains, such as the Jurchens, the Xiongnu, and the Japanese pirates. However, Emperor Ninghe could never have imagined that in Song Yan's eyes, the places outside the Central Plains seemed to be much, much larger than the Central Plains.

The Central Plains only seemed to occupy a relatively small area in the places Song Yan drew.

He could hardly believe it was true, yet he also knew that Song Yan would never lie to him.

"So what do you plan to do?" A sense of curiosity suddenly arose in Emperor Ninghe's heart.

Song Yan shrugged: "Their language is really too awful, so I'm going to send them Chinese."

Ninghe and the capital were speechless. Just because someone said something unpleasant, you want to seize their land? Isn't that a bit too domineering?
Then, he drew a large area in the lower left corner: "Many people also live in this place. Their skin is as black as the bottom of a pot. Right now, they should still be a group of primitive people who eat raw meat and drink blood. They are not very interested in this place for the time being. However, there is a lot of gold, silver, copper and iron in this place. If we really go there, we can ask those black people to help us dig."

On the right, two patterns that could barely be considered triangles were drawn: "This place also has two continents, which are very large, larger than the entire Central Plains."

"Many people live here, but... are they still living in the tribal era? I'm not sure, but they're very backward. However, this place has many amazing seeds, such as high-yield grains and various seasonings. I still have to go there."

Song Yan has the seed, but not the whole thing.

“And here…” Song Yan drew a place below that was about the same size as the Central Plains: “This place is probably uninhabited now, but… there are lots and lots of iron ore and gold here, but it’s not easy to mine.”

Song Yan said with a smile.

Emperor Ninghe listened attentively.

He didn't ask how Song Yan knew all this, but he felt as if a door had been reopened, and a worldview that had almost overturned his understanding was beginning to be reshaped in his mind.

He had never imagined that there was so much land beyond the Central Plains, on the other side of the sea.

He never imagined that there were people with blond hair and blue eyes, and people with skin as black as the bottom of a pot. Aren't they monsters?

"Oh, and this place, it's covered in ice and snow all year round, with no possibility of thawing. It seems that only a group of penguins live here... um, a kind of bird."

"I'm not interested in this place; it's too cold."

"And here..." Song Yan pointed to a spot slightly to the right of the Central Plains: "The island nation of Japan is right here."

"Many people live here too."

"I want this land, and I will destroy all the people on this land."

Emperor Ninghe raised an eyebrow: "Why is that?"

"Because the people living here are inherently base, twisted, and cruel... Calling them human is an exaggeration; at best, they can only be considered a group of humanoid creatures." Song Yan chuckled.

"Then what's the point of this land? It's just a small island." Emperor Ninghe was somewhat puzzled.

Song Yan pursed her lips: "On this small island, there is a huge gold mountain and a huge silver mountain."

Emperor Ninghe's eyes suddenly widened, and he grabbed Song Yan's hand: "Give me half."

Song Yan suddenly laughed, staring intently at Emperor Ninghe: "If you live to see that day, I will definitely give you half."

Emperor Ninghe grinned and rubbed his hands together: "Hehe, even for the sake of this gold and silver, I will try my best to live a few more years."

In that instant, the invisible barrier between the two seemed to vanish.

Emperor Ninghe sighed, unable to say whether he admired Song Yan or something else. While he and the Empress were only focused on Ningguo, Song Yan's gaze had already crossed the Central Plains and was looking at the whole world.

This is probably the difference in perspective.

"Life is just too short," Emperor Ninghe said with a hint of regret. "It's not always possible to achieve that."

"We have to give it a try, otherwise we'll have lived in vain. We'll do as much as we can." Song Yan had a nonchalant attitude: "Even if we fail in the end, we'll still have the right to say that at least we tried."

"Yes, at least I tried," Emperor Ninghe murmured to himself.

Suddenly, Emperor Ninghe changed the subject: "Do you think Tian Shu could sit in my position securely?"

“Tian Shu is very intelligent and capable,” Song Yan affirmed. “As a prince, he will certainly be extremely outstanding. As emperor… if he inherits a stable country, he will also be a wise ruler.”

"It's a stretch to just let him handle the current situation in Ningguo... It's not that Tian Shu isn't capable enough, but rather that he lacks a loyal force at his disposal. When those people no longer follow the rules and choose risky methods such as poisoning and assassination, even the greatest intelligence is hard to put to use in the face of swords."

Emperor Ninghe sighed, "Yes, it's something you can see through so easily, but the Empress can't, insisting on dragging Tian Shu into this fire pit. Do you remember what I once told you?"

"Which one?"

"It turned the sky upside down."

"remember."

"Then keep remembering." Emperor Ninghe raised his head and looked at the sky: "Once I pass away, Ning Kingdom will be thrown into chaos instantly, and then... I'll have to rely on you."

“I gave you a royal title, I gave you the power of law, the army, officials, and taxation. You are my last hope. The Luo family is a royal family, and has enjoyed the offerings of the people for more than a hundred years, but they have failed to protect this country. Whatever the outcome, it is the consequence we must bear... However, the people are innocent.”

Emperor Ninghe took out an imperial edict from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"This is a secret decree I left for you."

"After my death, if the Ning Kingdom falls into chaos, you may be ordered to enter the capital to defend the emperor."

Song Yan fiddled with the imperial edict with his fingers, his expression strange: "This thing is useless; it will definitely be accused of being a forgery."

“I know, but at least there’s a reason, isn’t there?” Emperor Ninghe said with a smile.

"I still feel more at ease leaving Ningguo in your hands... but right now, because of what the Empress did, it's difficult for me to make any better arrangements." Emperor Ninghe rubbed his forehead, as if he had a headache again.

Song Yan reached into his pocket, rummaged around, and pulled out a whole bunch of painkillers: ibuprofen, paracetamol, tramadol, methimazole, and fentanyl. This was basically all the painkillers Song Yan had on him.

They probably both understood that there would likely be no more opportunities to administer the medication.

He took out a pill of ibuprofen and handed it to Emperor Ninghe. This time, Emperor Ninghe did not refuse and swallowed it in one gulp.

After catching my breath for a long time, the pain seemed to gradually disappear.

"My health is deteriorating day by day." Emperor Ninghe shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I was hoping to share half of the gold and silver with you, but I'm afraid I won't live to see that day. I'm really a little unwilling."

"Oh well, maybe this is fate."

"Where were we?" Emperor Ninghe shook his head. "Right, I still feel more at ease leaving the Ning Kingdom in your hands."

"However, it is no longer possible for you to peacefully ascend to this position through abdication."

“I was just thinking about it too. If you used the title, the nine bestowments, and the right to wear a sword and shoes in the palace that I gave you, you could force the emperor to abdicate… But now that I think about it, I’d better not. That would leave you with a bad reputation.” Emperor Ninghe’s expression gradually became serious: “Don’t be so careless about your reputation.”

"I know you are carefree by nature and don't care about those empty titles."

"However, those who reside in the highest position will surely be renowned throughout the four seas, their blessings extending to all. Their names are like ancient bronze vessels, which cannot be destroyed even by a thousand pounds; their reputations are as bright as the sun and moon, and cannot be obliterated by a hundred rivers!"

“Looking back at the centuries of dynastic changes in China, during times of turmoil, usurpers seized the imperial power with swords and arrows, treating the people like straw dogs. Their filth and stench spread, alienating the people; though they obtained the nine tripods through tyranny, they ultimately lost the Mandate of Heaven to the common people.”

"Those who can end the chaos and unify the Central Plains, regardless of what they are like after becoming emperor, at least when they conquer the world, they have a reputation for benevolence and love for the people."

Song Yan knew that this was Emperor Ninghe's earnest instruction, so he listened attentively.

"Therefore, I have given up on the idea of ​​you forcing me to abdicate. Otherwise, all the rebels in the world would have a righteous cause to uphold. Moreover, given the current state of Ning Kingdom, it would be much easier for you to fight from north to south again." Emperor Ninghe said with a smile. "I have already given orders to Wei Zhong and the others in advance. After my death, if the world falls into chaos, they will be responsible for protecting my few bloodlines. The power of the Imperial City Guard will belong entirely to you."

"Since they have lived in Dongling for a long time, they can still be of some use."

Song Yan nodded slightly.

"Furthermore, although you currently have loyal followers, it is still not enough if you want to conquer the world. You are still missing a crucial condition," Emperor Ninghe said.

Song Yan asked curiously, "What are the conditions?"

“You’re still missing a child…and it has to be a son,” Emperor Ninghe said. “You have a son, and in the eyes of those who follow you, that is hope.”

puff.

Song Yan couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of tea a long way.

Emperor Ninghe, however, showed no sign of joking: "Don't think I'm joking."

"Throughout history, very few sonless rebels have succeeded."

"Why is that? Firstly, from a military perspective, rebellion is extremely risky. No one can guarantee they will live forever. If you have a son, in case the commander-in-chief dies in battle, the son can inherit the army and prevent it from collapsing."

"Secondly, from a political perspective, having a son means that a new dynasty can be established and continue."

"Thirdly, on a psychological level, in times of chaos, both the common people and your soldiers crave stability, and a regime with a successor is more reliable."

"This is why some people rebel and adopt children when they have no children of their own."

Song Yan took a deep breath: "I've learned a lot."

"What's the use of just being taught?" Emperor Ninghe said with a hint of exasperation.

"You need to hurry up and have a baby with Tianxuan!"

Song Yan's forehead was covered in black lines. He keenly sensed that the leaves of a large tree not far away trembled unusually.

"Think about it, how long have you been married, and how many women have been around you, yet you haven't had a child after all this time... You don't want people to say you're infertile, do you?"

(End of this chapter)