Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 520 Song Yan is too shameless, too brazen (11,000 words)

"Your father has been cuckolded."

“Prince Fu is very likely not Emperor Yuanjing’s son.”

puff!
Even though Emperor Ninghe knew that what Song Yan said was no ordinary matter and had been somewhat prepared, he still spat out the mouthful of tea he had just taken a sip of when he heard these words.

His facial expression was extremely bizarre, his eyes wide open, almost popping out of their sockets.

Deep in his eyes was disbelief.

A sweet, metallic scent wafted from my chest to my throat.

In the distance, Wei Zhong heard the commotion and subconsciously looked over. Emperor Ninghe waved his hand to indicate that nothing was wrong, then took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the blood that was about to spurt out.

After a long while, Emperor Ninghe finally calmed down a bit. The astonishment on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by solemnity and seriousness.

"Song Yan, don't talk nonsense."

"The imperial bloodline is of utmost importance. When the imperial genealogy was inscribed, it underwent rigorous scrutiny by the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. Even the slightest doubt about the bloodline would prevent it from being recorded in the imperial genealogy. Only you could say such a thing. Anyone else would be accused of insulting the late emperor and sowing discord among the imperial brothers." Emperor Ninghe pursed his lips, put down his teacup, and couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any evidence?"

"There is no real evidence, but there is some corroborating evidence." Song Yan said, and then informed Emperor Ninghe of the plan that all the outstanding women in the Yang family would be married off to powerful and influential people in Ningguo, and then the men of the Huilong Yang family would have sex with the women of the Yang family to give birth to pure-blooded Yang family members, in order to inherit the family in the future and then control the entire Ningguo noble class.

After hearing this, Emperor Ninghe's face twitched uncontrollably: "Are the Yang family members out of their minds? This plan is far too risky of being exposed. Once it's discovered, won't we lose everything?"

"I always feel like I'm putting in a lot of effort for nothing."

Song Yan spread his hands helplessly: "I think so too. I don't know why the Yang family thought their plan was flawless and very likely to succeed, but they did do it, and even succeeded in some cases. For example, Yang Feng, the only son of the Marquis of Anning, and Yang Zhen, the most favored son of the Song family and the Duke's family..."

"This is what we know so far. We don't know how many noble families are currently being, or have already been, usurped."

Emperor Ninghe's brows were furrowed tightly, and his expression was rather unpleasant.

"All three branches of the Yang family were wiped out."

“From top to bottom, including the servants and maids in the house, not a single person survived.” Song Yan continued, her voice cold and eerie: “Just before Yang Guochen committed suicide by poison, I accepted Yang Hetong’s invitation to visit his home. From Yang Hetong, I learned some things.”

"For example, the Yang family's plan was confirmed."

"For example, before he died, Yang Guochen said that a prince of Ningguo had been replaced by the Yang family."

Emperor Ninghe's pupils suddenly contracted.

His fingers clenched unconsciously, his face turning ashen. The image of Luo Jingyu instinctively flashed through his mind; after all, Luo Jingyu's mother was Yang Guifei, and for the Yang family, replacing Yang Guifei's offspring would be the easiest thing to do. Next, Luo Tianyang came to mind… after all, among his many children, Luo Tianyang was the least like him. However, Emperor Ninghe quickly suppressed these thoughts. After all, Song Yan had already requested an imperial edict to demote Prince Fu to commoner status, and had even stated quite bluntly that his father had been cuckolded…

In other words, the replacement of a prince did not happen to him, but to his father, Emperor Yuanjing.

The thought that he wasn't the one being cuckolded made Emperor Ninghe feel a sense of relief.

man.

This is generally the case.

Even if Emperor Ninghe and Yang Miaoyun had no feelings for each other, he did not want his woman to have other lovers.

But the thought that the man who had cheated on her was actually her own father made her feel as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed three pounds of mosquito droppings.

A buzzing sound filled his mind, and a dull ache made Ninghe Emperor feel his scalp tighten.

He tried to calm himself down and adjust his mindset.

A long time passed before I forced myself to calm down again.

"Why would Yang Guochen tell you these things?" Emperor Ninghe asked. "You killed Yang Hetong..."

"Not only that, there are also Yang Siqi and Yang Rui, as well as Yang Guoli," Song Yan added.

Ninghe Emperor was unaware of these matters. He thought to himself that Song Yan was truly ruthless. Once he decided to kill someone, he would never give the other party the slightest chance... Especially the scene in the court where he stabbed Yang Hetong to death. Now, when he recalled it, Ninghe Emperor felt his heart race.

He never imagined that Yang Hetong, who had fought against him for twenty years, would die in such a childish way.

This kid is more capable than me, and even more courageous.

"Alright, in that case, the third branch of the Yang family has been wiped out because of you."

"Pretty much. There should still be some people there back in my hometown." Song Yan thought for a moment and said, "But those people probably don't have much ability. They're just the type who stay in their hometown and live off others."

"If that's the case, then Yang Guochen should hate you to death, so why would he tell you something so important?" Emperor Ninghe's voice carried some doubt, which was a reasonable suspicion.

Song Yan considered it for a moment and said, "Actually, the reason is quite simple."

"First of all, my hatred for the Yang family started because of Yang Miaoqing, who is the daughter of Yang Hexing, the head of the Yang family. It can be said that the source of this disaster was the fourth branch of the Yang family, but in the end, the third branch of the Yang family all lost their lives. Yang Guochen must have some dissatisfaction in his heart and had some thoughts of taking revenge on the fourth branch of the Yang family."

"Secondly, Yang Guochen's temperament is far inferior to Yang Hetong's. He lacks Yang Hetong's ruthlessness and decisiveness. He is indecisive. He wants to take revenge on the fourth branch of the Yang family, but he doesn't want to cause the entire Yang family to fall into the abyss. In addition, the third branch of the Yang family was ultimately eliminated by my own hands. The person he hates the most should be me."

"Therefore, Yang Guochen must have had some intention of fooling me."

A glint appeared in Emperor Ninghe's eyes: "So, everything he said was a lie. He just wanted to use this method to make you doubt the princes around me, thus making the situation in Dongling City even more murky. So, neither my father nor I were actually cuckolded?"

At this moment, Emperor Ninghe was like a petty child, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Most likely, she still wanted to protect her father's reputation.

Song Yan blinked: "No, it's not a lie. A pure lie can be seen through at a glance. Only a half-truth, or only part of the truth, can make people more confused... It is true that a prince was successfully replaced, but Yang Guochen deliberately concealed some important information. First, it is very likely that more than one prince was replaced. Second, the princes who were replaced were former princes."

With just one sentence, the light in Emperor Ninghe's eyes dimmed.

"Your Majesty may not know, but the Yang family and the Prince of Fu's mansion have a cooperative relationship," Song Yan continued.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Emperor Ninghe's eyes.

Emperor Ninghe knew about the people Prince Fu had placed in the court, and in fact, these people's current... no, their previous positions were all achieved with Emperor Ninghe's tacit approval.

These officials usually maintain a neutral stance in the imperial court.

He rarely expresses his opinion on anything.

They will not show any support for Emperor Ninghe.

In Emperor Ninghe's mind, this was the power he held in his own hands, a political force that could help him turn the tide at crucial moments. However, Emperor Ninghe never imagined that these very same people, the direct descendants of Prince Fu, these officials who had never participated in court affairs, would become the most important vanguard when Bailu Academy and the Yang family besieged Song Yan.

Then, Song Yan wiped them out in one fell swoop.

Too many things happened in the court at that time, and Emperor Ninghe had no time to care about them. Now that Song Yan brought it up again, Emperor Ninghe also realized the problem... It was obvious that Prince Fu had been colluding with the Yang family for a long time.

“Your humble servant was assassinated. The perpetrator, Kong Nianhan, is none other than the Princess Consort of the Prince of Fu.”

Song Yan dropped another bombshell.

Both Ning and the Emperor had raised eyelids.

"Of course, Kong Nianhan wanted to kill not only me, but also Princess Luo Yuheng. The letter that lured the princess to Dongling was written by Yang Rui, the son of Yang Guochen," Song Yan continued. "Therefore, although Yang Guochen deliberately mentioned that a prince had been replaced, most likely to make me suspect Tian Shu, Tian Quan, and even Luo Jingyu, the first person that came to my mind was Prince Fu."

"If Prince Fu were not of the Yang family bloodline, it would be unimaginable why the Yang family would go to such lengths to support him."

"Of course, at this point I only had some guesses, and I couldn't be sure what the situation was."

“Until yesterday, my aunt mentioned what happened twenty years ago. I heard that on the day Emperor Yuanjing passed away, an assassination attempt occurred in the palace. The eldest princess and His Majesty almost lost their lives at the hands of the assassins.” Song Yan’s tone was gloomy. “At that time, although Prince Fu and Prince Jin were both in the palace, they were not affected by the assassins. His Majesty is Emperor Yuanjing’s eldest son and the natural heir to the throne. If His Majesty had died at the hands of the assassins, then who would have inherited the throne? Would it have been Prince Jin, who was the second son, or Prince Fu, who was the third son?”

"Therefore, my doubts quickly grew stronger."

"Furthermore, that very night, Emperor Yuanjing, with his body exhausted and his last bit of strength, issued an imperial edict appointing Your Majesty as emperor. I therefore speculate that the late emperor must have sensed something as well."

"In fact, it is quite possible that the late emperor's death was due to something he had realized."

After saying this, Song Yan finally shut up.

Although they were in a pavilion, the atmosphere was unusually oppressive, and Emperor Ninghe's breathing was somewhat heavy.

Admittedly, Song Yan still did not provide any conclusive evidence, but it was no coincidence that every single thing could be suspected of being about Prince Fu.

Thinking of my father, he was young and strong when he accidentally fell into the water, caught a cold, and eventually died.
Before his father fell into the water, he seemed to have already begun to distance himself from Prince Fu and Prince Jin.

The thought that surfaced in his mind gave Emperor Ninghe a chilling sense of dread, and he suddenly dared not think about it any further.

“There is one more thing that Your Majesty may not know.” Song Yan thought for a moment and then spoke again: “Princess Gaoyang, the daughter of Prince Fu, has always been alive and lives in Pingyang… Princess Kong Nianhan, the wife of Prince Fu, once planned to sell Gaoyang to the young prince of the Xiongnu, namely Alunchi, the fourth son of Suochuoluo. Gaoyang can prove this point. My aunt, Tianxuan, and even many officials in Pingyang know this almost universally.”

“Yesterday morning, a large number of assassins gathered outside the Marquis of Champion’s mansion. These assassins came from the White Tower, the Black Tiger Gang, and the Azure Dragon Society. They are underground forces that have been entrenched in Dongling City for decades. According to the information I have received, these people also have intricate connections with the Prince of Fu’s mansion and the Yang family.”

call.

Emperor Ninghe suddenly let out a heavy sigh, then waved his hand, signaling Song Yan not to continue. His face was gloomy, and even Song Yan had no idea what he was thinking.

This eerie silence lasted for a very long time. Just when Song Yan was about to lose his patience, Emperor Ninghe suddenly spoke up: "Then tell me, what reason should be used to strip Prince Fu of his throne? The fact that he is not Emperor Yuanjing's biological son certainly cannot be used. Think of another reason."

Song Yan chuckled, but there was no mockery in his voice. Emperor Yuanjing had already passed away, and as his son, Emperor Ninghe had to uphold his father's reputation so that the royal family would not become a laughing stock.

"What about the collusion between the Prince of Fu's mansion and the Xiongnu?" Song Yan asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

“The reasons are sufficient and will not involve the late emperor. However, it would be too damaging to the royal family’s reputation if word got out that a royal prince was openly colluding with a foreign race. Let’s find someone else.” After careful consideration, Emperor Ninghe shook his head.

"A secret passage was discovered in the Prince Fu's mansion." Song Yan pursed his lips and continued, "Thirty-six skeletons were found in the passage, all of them women who had given birth... It is suspected that Prince Fu had relations with these women, causing them to become pregnant, and Kong Nianhan then orchestrated the abortion of the mothers while keeping the children. How can this not be considered indiscriminate killing?"

The royal family also needs to maintain a facade of harmony, so the reason that Kong Nianhan assassinated Song Yan and Luo Yuheng is also unacceptable. Thus, the skeletons in the secret passage are the best reason.

This can also be considered as helping Gao Yang get justice.

Emperor Ninghe suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected that the seemingly peaceful Prince Fu's Mansion harbored so much corruption and depravity. In an instant, Emperor Ninghe felt extremely exhausted. His own brother, who had been the least threatening person and spent his days traveling, enjoying nature, and seeking immortality, had suddenly become his enemy. Even his other younger brother seemed to be acting strangely.

For a moment, he even felt a fear of not knowing who to believe.

"In that case, let us strip Prince Fu of his title and demote him to a commoner on the grounds of lewdness, cruelty, and abuse of women, disregard for human life, and tyranny." The extremely exhausted Emperor Ninghe rubbed his temples and said in a deep voice. Although the charge was unpleasant, it was still much better than colluding with the Xiongnu and being a son of Emperor Yuanjing.

It might even earn him a reputation for upholding justice by turning down his own family.

After saying this, Emperor Ninghe waved his hand and said, "You may go back now. I am really tired."

Song Yan nodded, understanding that Emperor Ninghe would need some time to process what she had said. She pointed to the painkillers on the table, called Wei Zhong over, and explained how to take the medicine and what precautions to take before leaving the Imperial Garden.

Just outside the Imperial Garden, Fang Shan was spotted waiting to be summoned by His Majesty.

After saying goodbye, Song Yan left the palace.

Before I knew it, a figure had appeared beside me, and I could catch a glimpse of that familiar, fair face out of the corner of my eye.

The sunlight shines from the side, and you can see:
Mossy growth rises along the banks of the ravine, and green silk floats on the plains in early spring. Xihe (the sun goddess) throws her shuttle to weave golden gauze, half-transparent silk, half-concealed butter.

As the light shifts, it transforms into flowing rosy clouds; when the shadow settles, it forms a cicada wing pattern. Most beautiful is the gentle, lowered gaze, where swirling wisps of down gently ripple like jade arcs.

The fine downy hairs on her delicate cheeks are not flaws at all; rather, they are the finishing touch of nature, a masterpiece of natural beauty. Without the embellishment of modern technology or the retouching and smoothing of photos, her radiance and vitality shine through.

It's Luo Tianxuan.

However, as her long eyelashes trembled slightly, a hint of sorrow lingered in her dark eyes.

Song Yan then took Luo Tianxuan's small hand: "Alright, I know you're worried because of what your father-in-law said. Actually, there's no need to think too much. I don't plan to have children right now. I'm just fine as I am now."

She bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth.

Luo Tianxuan's eyes showed some struggle, but after a few seconds, she shook her head: "He's right. You should have a child to rely on. This is not only for you, but also for the brothers and soldiers who follow you. They will feel more at ease if they have a child."

"In a few days, it will be the day you and Sister Lianyue get married."

“I’ve also heard that it’s not easy for women to conceive when they get older.” Her dark eyes looked in Song Yan’s direction. “Husband, you can wait, but I’m afraid Sister Lian Yue can’t. Husband, why don’t you have a child with Sister Lian Yue first?”

"My health is still a problem."

"If the other sisters could give birth to a child for my husband first, perhaps the pressure on my body and mind would not be so great, and before long, I would become pregnant."

Luo Tianxuan's voice was still gentle, but her tone revealed a hint of determination.

This was clearly a decision she made after careful consideration.

By the time they returned to the Marquis of Champion's residence, it was already noon.

The mansion was filled with a joyous atmosphere.

Although Song Yan has not yet returned, the news of his being conferred the title of king has already been sent over.

It's just that firecrackers hadn't been invented yet; otherwise, for such a joyous occasion, at least two strings would have been hung at the entrance.

Not to mention others, even women like Luo Yuheng, Gao Yang, and Hua Lianyue were overjoyed. Lin Xue's smile never faded. A king of a different surname! Although he didn't directly ascend the throne, it was still a great honor. Lin Xue couldn't wait to fly to her mother's tombstone and tell her this wonderful news.

The silver-armored guards held their heads high, seemingly even more excited than Song Yan, the person involved.

In addition, with the wedding just around the corner, the entire mansion was bustling with activity.

Lin Xue and Luo Yuheng were mainly responsible for this aspect, including the decorations for each location, the number of tables to be prepared for the guests, and the wedding ceremony procedures. All of these had to be arranged in detail. Song Yan didn't understand, so she couldn't get involved.

In the afternoon, the Chu delegation visited again.

First, congratulations to Song Yan on being crowned a king.

Then the matter of Hua Lianyue's status was brought up.

In this era, the terms for wives and concubines were extremely strict. There were only two types of women who could be called wives: the principal wife, such as Luo Tianxuan; and the concubine's sister, who was a cousin of the principal wife. For example, Luo Tianyi also married Song Yan, so she was a concubine's sister.

Besides, no matter whether she was a noble concubine, a good concubine, a concubine of lower rank, or a maidservant, and no matter how much Song Yan doted on her, she was still a concubine after all, and it didn't sound very good to say that.

But now, Song Yan is the Prince of Yan. According to the rules of Ning Kingdom, the prince's principal wife is the princess. In addition to the princess, he can also have one secondary wife, two concubines, four wives, and an unlimited number of concubines... Yes, you read that right, there is no limit to the number of concubines. This is how domineering the top nobles of this era are.

Song Yan's primary wife will undoubtedly be Luo Tianxuan, but the position of secondary wife is still something he can compete for, or at the very least, he should be a concubine.
Although Song Yan had no intention of wronging Hua Lian Yue, he didn't even have a chance to speak before Luo Tianxuan directly agreed on Song Yan's behalf, promising the Chu delegation that Hua Lian Yue would be granted the title of secondary consort. However, it wasn't problematic for Luo Tianxuan to respond to this matter. Firstly, as the primary consort, managing the household affairs was Luo Tianxuan's duty. Secondly, Luo Tianxuan's initiative in agreeing demonstrated that she had no intention of manipulating or mistreating Hua Lian Yue.

She and Hua Lianyue already had a good relationship, and Luo Tianxuan was happy to take this opportunity to solidify it.

With Luo Tianxuan's consent, the Chu delegation happily left with Hua Lianyue.

According to custom, the couple cannot see each other before the wedding ceremony. Therefore, Hua Lianyue will temporarily leave the Marquis of Champion's Mansion... no, the Prince's Mansion, and stay at the post station. When she gets married, she will also leave from the post station.

Song Yan had no choice but to write a memorial and send it to the emperor.

After all, in the Prince's mansion, concubines could be chosen at will, but secondary consorts and secondary consorts required the Prince's approval for their investiture.

Luo Yuheng has already found a top-notch carpenter to replace the plaque of the Marquis of Champion's Mansion with that of the Prince of Yan's Mansion. Lin Xue has also found some quick and efficient women from somewhere and is decorating the bridal chamber. Even the Fang family knows about Song Yan's upcoming marriage, and Fang Hai has brought nearly a hundred servants and a couple hundred maids to help manage the Prince's Mansion.

For a time, the entire house was bustling with activity. Song Yan, on the other hand, was somewhat idle. He squatted alone in the back of the house and found a clay pot somewhere. Inside the pot was a variety of Chinese medicines that Luo Tianyi had bought at a high price, which she said could nourish the heart meridian.

Even before it was cooked, Song Yan could smell a nauseating odor. However, seeing Luo Tianyi's wide, watery eyes, Song Yan couldn't bring himself to refuse. So he squatted there, huffing and puffing as he started the fire. Watching the bubbling and rolling black liquid in the pot, Song Yan felt as if he had bitten through a snake's gall bladder.

Finally, under Luo Tianyi's watchful gaze, he drank two large bowls in a row, and the meal was finally over.

Even as evening fell, the mansion remained noisy and bustling.

Fang Hai even came to see Song Yan once, patting Song Yan on the shoulder and saying that with him there, everything was fine, from the betrothal gifts to the sedan chair, everything would be arranged perfectly.

As the dark night enveloped the Prince's mansion, Fang Hai led his servants away... However, before leaving, Luo Yuheng stopped everyone and gave each of them a tael of silver as a reward. Although the Fang family was wealthy, a tael of silver was by no means a small amount, so everyone was beaming with joy.

In Luo Yuheng's view, this amount of silver was nothing, but the most important thing was to make these servants happy and satisfied, so that they would work diligently and meticulously and not make any mistakes during the wedding ceremony.

"Lord Marquis... Ugh, look at my mouth." Just as Song Yan was stretching out and preparing to sleep, a silver-armored guard suddenly appeared. He opened his mouth and called out the wrong title, and couldn't help but slap himself: "Your Highness is here now... Your Highness, someone outside has come looking for you, saying they want to see you."

Song Yan yawned, somewhat curious: "Who is it?"

Surely it couldn't be some official from Dongling City?

Impossible. Officials know proper etiquette and would not visit at such a time.

"I heard from that man that he's the Third Master of the Black Tiger Gang!"

Black Tiger Gang?

Song Yan frowned: "Just kill him, why are you asking me about such a small matter?"

The silver-armored guard leaned close to Song Yan and whispered, "Your Highness, that man drove more than twenty carriages, and the carriages were full of boxes."

Song Yan blinked: "More than twenty cars?"

"Yes."

"The car was full of boxes?"

"Yes."

Snapped!
Song Yan slapped the silver-armored guard's helmet hard: "Then what are you standing there for? Hurry up and invite the distinguished guest into the mansion."

The silver-armored guard looked blank.

Just a moment ago they were shouting for war, but upon hearing about the twenty-odd vehicles and countless boxes, they immediately became honored guests.

Our own prince is truly... utterly shameless.

So shameless!
(End of this chapter)