Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 526 Luo Yuheng is pregnant? (12,000 words, please vote)

Could it be that Luo Yuheng really was the mysterious woman from last night?
The thought, which had just been rejected, was now growing stronger in Song Yan's chest, completely out of his control. Song Yan felt his whole body stiffen, and his neck slowly turned back, his eyes unconsciously fixed on the figure in front of him.

Their figures are very similar.

The aroma is also almost indistinguishable.

Even the way they tiptoe is exactly the same.

Song Yan felt her mind was in complete chaos. If Luo Yuheng really was that woman... wouldn't this family be in utter chaos?
Just then, Luo Yuheng wiped the sweat from Song Yan's forehead and neck, took a step back, and noticed Song Yan staring at him strangely, his cheeks slightly flushed: "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Song Yan felt a little embarrassed and coughed twice to cover it up: "Mother..." Before she could finish speaking, she was met with Luo Yuheng's silent gaze. Song Yan quickly changed her words: "Um, is Aunt wearing any kind of sachet?"

"A sachet?" Luo Yuheng was taken aback, then looked down at a small cloth bag at his waist: "Is this what Yan'er is talking about? Is there something wrong with this sachet?" He smiled and said, "It contains jasmine flowers, as well as some sandalwood, benzoin, and atractylodes. Tianxuan brought it to me yesterday, saying that someone gave it to me. I just left it in my bedroom. This morning, I felt that the smell was quite nice, so I tied it around my waist."

Song Yan shook her head: "There's nothing wrong with it, it just smells really nice."

I breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Luo Yuheng only put it on this morning, so the woman from last night must not have been her.

Of course, the possibility that Luo Yuheng is lying cannot be ruled out.

However, there were no signs of pleasure on Luo Yuheng's body; he seemed no different from usual, so it was probably just that he was overthinking things.

"Did Tianxuan say who gave you the sachet?" Song Yan asked curiously. Sachets, being worn close to the body, held a certain degree of privacy in this era, and were often given by women to men they admired.

It's not something that can be given away or accepted casually.

“They didn’t say.” Luo Yuheng shook his head. “They only said it was a gift from a woman. I suppose it was a concubine in the palace who gave me this gift out of gratitude for the years I’ve taken care of her children.”

It was just a small matter, and Luo Yuheng didn't take it to heart.

The two walked together to a pavilion and sat down.

Luo Yuheng's expression gradually turned serious: "Yan'er, it's been a while since you came out. When are you planning to go back to Pingyang?"

Don't be fooled by Song Yan's current high status and great influence in Pingyang.

But staying in Dongling forever is not really appropriate.

Firstly, Pingyang still needs Song Yan to continue managing it. Song Yan has a lot of popularity and prestige in Pingyang, but if he is away from Pingyang for a long time, what he has now will gradually disappear.

And Anju, which we just captured, is still not very stable.

Furthermore, many officials in Pingyang and Anzhou, if Song Yan were no longer above them to keep them in check, would probably revert to their former ways in no time.

Secondly, the Eastern Tombs are now a huge vortex.

As long as Song Yan is in Dongling, he will naturally be at the center of this vortex.

On the surface, Song Yan's elimination of Bailu Academy and removal of the Yang family's representative in the court appears to be a huge victory. However, Bailu Academy is not truly dead, and the destruction of the third branch of the Yang family has not damaged the Yang family's foundation. If Song Yan continues to remain in Dongling, the center of power, no one can guarantee what will happen. Retaliation from the Yang family and the remnants of Bailu Academy could occur at any time, which is extremely dangerous.

Although Hua Lianyue and Luo Tianxuan are both grandmaster-level experts.

But even a grandmaster can't necessarily decide everything.

Moreover, with such a powerful force as the Yang family, it's not impossible that there are Grandmasters in charge. Rumor has it that there is an ancestor in the Yang family's ancestral land who has been in seclusion for many years and is preparing to break through to the Grandmaster level.

Moreover, because of the Empress's commotion, everyone knows that Luo Tianshu and Luo Tianquan are Emperor Ninghe's biological sons. It won't be long before Tianshu and Tianquan are welcomed back to Dongling. Even if Song Yan and Tianshu and Tianquan have a good relationship and don't want to do anything to fight for power, as long as their status is there, people will naturally flock around them. This will not change because of their will, and conflicts will eventually arise between them, and these conflicts will continue to grow.

This is the last thing Luo Yuheng wanted to see.

Song Yan could see this logic as well. After a brief silence, he said, "It will take a few days. Once I have exchanged all the silver notes for cash, I will return to Pingyang... However, I still need to go to Ningping."

In any case, I must meet with Luo Tianchu and Luo Tianquan.

Most importantly, Song Hongtao's matter should also be resolved, otherwise the imperial edict would have been requested in vain.

As they spoke, Hua Lian Yue emerged from the inner courtyard, accompanied by Luo Tian Xuan and Gao Yang. The three women whispered among themselves, their cheeks occasionally flushing. Seeing Song Yan and Luo Yu Heng resting there, they approached. Hua Lian Yue was about to bow, for although Luo Yu Heng was no longer Song Yan's mother, she was still an elder. While the tea ceremony could be omitted, a proper greeting was still necessary… However, Hua Lian Yue was immediately stopped by Luo Yu Heng's outstretched hand as she made her gesture.

“Lianyue, there’s no need for this.” Luo Yuheng smiled gently. “We’ve lived in the same mansion for a while now, don’t you know my personality? I dislike these formalities the most. Now that you and Yan’er are married, let’s just be like before.”

"Also, you all need to work harder."

"Yan'er is getting on in years. It's too late this year, but we'll try to give her a big, healthy baby boy next year."

Luo Tianxuan and Hua Lianyue blushed deeply upon hearing this, while Song Yan was speechless. What did he mean by "not young anymore"?
He's only sixteen; he'll only be seventeen next year.

Does this mean we're going to have a baby?
It feels like a dream.

The women huddled together, chattering away, always having so much to say. Song Yan stood quietly to the side, never getting a chance to interject. Inadvertently, Hua Lian Yue noticed Luo Yuheng's hair styled in a bun. Her beautiful eyes flickered; she felt that Luo Yuheng's hair looked somewhat similar to the few strands they had found in the bridal chamber.

To men, hair is generally the same, differing only in length. But women pay a little more attention; even black hair is not all the same. Some people have thicker hair, some have thinner hair, some have soft and delicate hair, and some have jet-black hair that seems to have a sheen... just like Luo Yuheng.

At this moment, Song Yan stood up. It was somewhat awkward for him to stand by while the women were talking, and besides, he did have some things to take care of.

"Sister Lianyue, I'd like to trouble you to protect my husband today." Luo Tianxuan said with a smile, "I still have some things to take care of today."

Although Luo Tianxuan married Song Yan earlier and was his legal wife, she still addressed Hua Lianyue as her older sister after Hua Lianyue's marriage, given the age difference. Hua Lianyue nodded, quite happy to take on the task. Perhaps it was because of her new marriage, but she always felt very comfortable spending time with Song Yan.

The two went out together, and only after Song Yan's figure could no longer be seen did Luo Tianxuan turn her gaze to Luo Yuheng: "Mother, someone wants to see you."

……

Meanwhile, Song Yan and Hua Lianyue also left the Prince of Yan's residence.

Once outside, Hua Lianyue finally couldn't contain her curiosity any longer: "Husband, did Princess Yuheng enter our bridal chamber yesterday?"

Song Yan thought for a moment: "Of course I've been inside. The room was decorated by Tianxuan and Lin Xue together. What's wrong?"

Hua Lianyue shook her head and smiled, "It's nothing, maybe I'm just overthinking it."

Song Yan was very busy in the following period.

First, he visited various banks in Dongling City, attempting to exchange all his silver notes for cash. Unfortunately, the banks had limited silver reserves, and even if he immediately transferred money from headquarters, it would take at least a month. Obviously, Song Yan couldn't wait that long, so he exchanged all the silver notes he could.

Looking at the silver notes in his hand, Song Yan thought about it very seriously, and then entered the palace with the thick stack of silver notes in his pocket.

As the Prince of Yan, Song Yan was entitled to enter and leave the palace, but according to the rules, he still needed to be announced by the imperial guards. Originally, the imperial guards were somewhat worried, as Song Yan's arrogance was well-known. If Song Yan had barged in directly, they wouldn't have dared to stop him. However, they didn't expect that Song Yan would be so well-behaved today, simply standing quietly outside the palace gates until an attendant came to announce his arrival before he entered the palace.

When Song Yan arrived at the Imperial Study, Emperor Ninghe was still busy. Various memorials were piled up in front of him, and his face showed visible fatigue. Even his skin had become dull. Song Yan could even see that Emperor Ninghe's fingers were trembling as he reviewed the memorials. Hearing footsteps, Emperor Ninghe simply looked up and said, "Sit there first. It will be ready soon."

About half an hour later, Emperor Ninghe finally finished processing the memorials in his hands. He put down his brush and subconsciously pressed his temples hard with his fingers. Wei Zhong had already brought him tea. Emperor Ninghe took out an ibuprofen pill and swallowed it. Then he sighed with a hint of helplessness. The pain in his head was getting stronger and stronger. This medicine called ibuprofen was originally very useful, but now its effect was only slightly better than nothing.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long." As the medicine gradually took effect and the pain lessened slightly, Emperor Ninghe finally recovered, managing a weak smile on his pale face.

She looked much thinner than before, with more prominent cheekbones and deeper wrinkles on her face.

Song Yan pursed her lips: "If you continue to work so hard, His Majesty may not live to see the day I give you your share of gold and silver."

Emperor Ninghe didn't seem to care much, and casually shook his head: "These things always have to be done by someone. Look at this, the memorial for disaster relief. If I delay for even a day, I don't know how many more disaster victims will starve to death."

"And these few memorials of rebellion... If they aren't dealt with promptly, the rebel army might grow stronger." "Another rebellion?" Song Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, in the past two days, there have suddenly been more than a dozen groups of rioters."

"Around Langya?"

Emperor Ninghe shook his head: "It's a bit far. There are several groups of rebels in there. They were originally bandits who gathered in the mountains, numbering only about a hundred. They're lucky if they can even fill their stomachs. But suddenly they can come up with a lot of money and grain to recruit soldiers and horses. I don't believe for a second that the Yang family didn't instigate this."

"The Yang family probably wants to put pressure on me in this way so that members of the Yang family can return to the court."

Song Yan had anticipated this situation, so it wasn't surprising. After all, no matter how influential a powerful family was in the local area, if they didn't have their own people in the imperial court, they wouldn't be far from ruin.

Money and power are inseparable; this has always been the case.

Emperor Ninghe's tone was slightly disdainful. Nowadays, apart from the two major cancers, Bailu Academy and the third branch of the Yang family, Emperor Ninghe's power has expanded to an unprecedented level. He has placed his own people in many important positions. It will probably be difficult for the Yang family to control him as they did before.

"Should I lead my troops along the way and pacify these rioters?" Song Yan pursed his lips and said.

"Ready to go back?"

"Yes, I'll set off in the next few days after I've taken care of some minor matters."

"You've been living a carefree life, no longer having to deal with all this awful stuff in Dongling." Emperor Ninghe stretched his arms, easing his physical and mental fatigue. "So you came here specifically to say goodbye?"

"No, that's not it." Song Yan blinked, took out a large pile of silver notes from his pocket, and placed them on the table in front of Emperor Ninghe.

Looking at the thick stack of silver notes, Emperor Ninghe's breathing became rapid. As an emperor who had been stingy his entire life, when had he ever seen so much money?

Although they made a lot of money from confiscating property recently, Old Xia hoarded all of it and put it into the national treasury; not a single copper coin was delivered to him.

For a moment, his eyes were burning with passion.

"For me?"

"I'll tell you you're a filial son. Knowing that your father-in-law is poor, you specially prepared such a large sum of money for me before you left." Emperor Ninghe's wrinkled face was beaming with a smile as bright as a chrysanthemum, and he didn't hold back his praise at all.

"What are you thinking?" Song Yan scoffed irritably. "I wanted to exchange these silver notes for silver, but the bank doesn't have that much cash. I figured His Majesty has made a fortune by confiscating property these days, so I wanted to exchange some with you."

Emperor Ninghe's initially happy face instantly fell.

I even said this kid was filial.

Filial piety my ass.

Displeased, Emperor Ninghe grabbed a memorial and threw it at Song Yan, saying, "Get out of here! Go find Xia Laokou to exchange money. Don't bother me."

Song Yan chuckled, dodged the memorial, and headed out of the Imperial Study.

He knew that Emperor Ninghe had agreed.

Watching Song Yan's departing figure, Emperor Ninghe sighed softly, a hint of reluctance in his eyes: "I will not see you off on the day you leave."

Song Yan paused for a moment.

He nodded and left.

"Your Majesty, why wasn't the Prince informed about Princess Yongle's matter?" Wei Zhong whispered a reminder from the side.

"That girl, well, it's better for her to leave this palace." Emperor Ninghe smiled, his eyes filled with affection: "These past years, that girl has suffered."

"It's a pity we couldn't go too far. Otherwise, I really wanted to pack up all of Yongning's princesses and have Song Yan take them all at once, which would have saved us some trouble."

……

Before we knew it, six days had passed.

In the past few days, Song Yan has been running around Dongling City, visiting the Chu Kingdom delegation, the Fang family, and even secretly going to the Jinyiwei's stronghold in Dongling City.

On the morning of the seventh day, the grand procession left the capital.

Hundreds of carts were loaded with boxes of various sizes, almost every one of them. Judging from the craftsmanship of the boxes and the deep ruts, one could tell that they contained valuable items. Unfortunately, even the most daring bandits wouldn't dare to covet this gold and silver, as the thousands of guards clad in silver armor lining both sides of the convoy were no pushovers.

The Prince of Yan has finally left the capital.

At this moment, countless people in the vast city of Dongling finally breathed a sigh of relief. Some even wept bitterly, for the great battle in the imperial court was finally over. Each of them swore in their hearts that no matter what happened in Anzhou and Pingyang, they would never think of bringing this scourge back to Dongling again... Just look at the commotion this scourge caused on his two visits to Dongling!
The first time, over two hundred officials perished under Song Yan's blade. The second time, more than thirty officials were brutally murdered by Song Yan in the Golden Hall. Although the number was less than the first time, their official ranks and positions were far superior. Even powerful figures like the Chancellor and the Grand Secretary were killed by Song Yan with a single blow. Those civil officials who were killed before must have been out of their minds; otherwise, how could they have dreamt of escorting Song Yan back to the capital for trial and execution by slow slicing?

Countless officials hired drum and gong troupes, creating quite a lively scene with their gongs and drums.

Some people even set off fireworks in front of their homes to ward off evil spirits.

Of course, these things were beyond Song Yan's knowledge. At this moment, he was riding in a carriage, heading east.

The convoy leaving Dongling was noticeably larger than the one that had arrived. Part of it consisted of the Chu Kingdom delegation. Lin Xue was determined to return to the Duke's Mansion, partly to pay respects to her mother and partly to see what had become of Song Hongtao.

Chu Yue was naturally unwilling, but with filial piety as the top priority, he couldn't forcefully stop the worship of his mother. He could only arrange for members of the delegation to follow along, probably because he was worried that Lin Xue would run away.

As for the other group, that was Fang Hai.

After all, Fang Hai was going to accompany Song Yan to Liaodong to serve as the governor.

The carriage creaked and groaned as it moved along. Not long after Song Yan and his group left the capital, another group of seven carriages also quietly left the city.

The distance from Dongling to Ningping is not too far; it usually takes three to five days to reach the destination. However, this time was different. The carriages, laden with gold and silver, were quite heavy, inevitably slowing down their journey.

Before I knew it, half a month had passed.

Lin Xue felt a little uneasy, after all, it was the place she had lived since childhood, and she didn't know what it looked like now.

In the past few days, Lin Xue would occasionally sit in the same carriage with Song Yan, talking about things from their childhood. When Song Yan looked helpless, Lin Xue would laugh like an idiot.

Sometimes she would ride with Luo Tianxuan, and in their conversations, she would often imply that she was entrusting her younger brother to Luo Tianxuan.

Sometimes I would sit with Hua Lianyue, since we would rarely see each other in the future, and I always wanted to say a few more words.

Sometimes she would sit with Ziyu and Gaoyang. She was still a little curious. Although her younger brother was good-looking, he shouldn't be able to attract so many outstanding girls, right?
Sometimes she would be with Luo Yuheng...

Lin Xue recognized Luo Yuheng as the mysterious woman who had faced the assassins with her on Chang'an Street that night. In fact, Lin Xue had recognized her the first time she entered the Prince of Yan's mansion, after all, there was really no other woman in the world as beautiful as her.

However, neither of them mentioned this matter. After all, Chu Yue was worried that Lin Xue would run away. If Chu Yue and Chu Menglan knew that Luo Yuheng had once wanted to recognize Lin Xue as his goddaughter, they would probably grab Lin Xue and run away, never to come to Ningguo again. Only in private would Lin Xue find an opportunity to express her gratitude to Luo Yuheng.

Today, however, Luo Yuheng's condition was not good. Perhaps it was because the road was too bad and the carriage was shaking, but his handsome face had turned pale and his brows were tightly furrowed...

With a jolt, Luo Yuheng could no longer control herself, and her pale lips parted:

"vomit……"

Then came a dry heave.

(End of this chapter)