Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 527 Is she really pregnant? (Seeking monthly votes - 6,000 views)
It is now mid-July.

The temperature is starting to cool down.

However, the carriage was still warm and cozy. Even when a cold draft occasionally blew in through the cracks in the windows, it didn't make people feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, it dissipated some of the stuffiness and made people feel refreshed. We were traveling on the official road, but this road looked like it hadn't been repaired for quite some time, as it was full of potholes. Fortunately, it hadn't rained for the past few days, so we weren't covered in mud.

Because it was designed to accommodate the carts carrying gold and silver, the speed of the carts was not too fast, so even if there was some swaying, it could probably withstand it.

At least, Lin Xue was not affected.

On the other hand, Luo Yuheng, who was supposedly stronger than Lin Xue, immediately gagged the moment the car swayed.

Lin Xue looked up and saw that Luo Yuheng's face was deathly pale. Her beautiful face was completely devoid of color, like a blank sheet of paper. Her chest and abdomen were heaving violently. This sight startled Lin Xue, who subconsciously leaned over and asked, "Aunt Luo, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Luo Yuheng is Luo Tianxuan's aunt, and naturally also Song Yan's aunt. Lin Xue is Song Yan's older sister, so she called her aunt along with Song Yan. Otherwise, always addressing her as "Princess" would feel a bit distant. Seeing Luo Yuheng's appearance, Lin Xue was a little worried. She placed her fingers on Luo Yuheng's forehead and found it slightly cool to the touch, indicating no fever.

Luo Yuheng forced a smile and waved his hand, "I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy from riding in too many cars lately. I'll rest when we stop for a bit and I'll be fine."

Carsick?

Lin Xue was skeptical.

Most martial artists who have achieved mastery of their skills are physically strong, and minor bumps and jolts are hardly a problem for them. At least for Lin Xue, since embarking on the path of martial arts, she has never experienced motion sickness. She has never even heard of any martial artist getting motion sickness.

Not to mention, Luo Yuheng is stronger than himself.

If Lin Xue hadn't been unaware that this princess had a new husband, she would have almost thought Luo Yuheng's condition was morning sickness, judging from his appearance just now.

Luo Yuheng sat up straight again, adjusted his posture, and since the road ahead was relatively smoother, he opened the curtain a crack to dispel the stuffiness in the carriage. Luo Yuheng's complexion gradually improved.

Lin Xue's doubts gradually subsided.

Throughout the day, Luo Yuheng appeared listless and dispirited, even lacking appetite. He was unsure of what was wrong with his body; he only remembered a brief, intense urge to vomit that had overwhelmed him, causing him to gag uncontrollably. Fortunately, this was temporary. As the carriage entered Songzhou Prefecture and the official road became smoother, the discomfort gradually subsided.

They stayed overnight in Songzhou Prefecture. Fang Hai had a residence there, so there was no need to stay in an inn. In the evening, Fang Hai took Song Yan to meet with some familiar officials. According to Fang Hai, relationships in officialdom are maintained.

No matter how good the relationship was in the past, if there is no contact for a long time, even the closest relationship will gradually fade away. At this time, a meal becomes extremely important. Moreover, don't underestimate these people just because they don't have high official positions or much power. You never know when you might need their help or even have to ask them for a favor.

Lu Zhao, the Prefect of Songzhou; Wu Xiao, the Military Advisor of Songzhou; Ji Cheng, the Vice Prefect of Songzhou; Meng Kuo, the Prefect of Songzhou… Song Yan still had some impression of these names.

The official document granting Song Yan the title of king had already spread throughout Ningguo via the official documents of the post stations.

The officials in Songzhou couldn't help but sigh at the speed at which Song Yan had grown.

fast.

It's just too fast.

Before he was even seventeen years old, he was enfeoffed as a king based on his military achievements.

Not to mention Ningguo, even including the previous dynasties, this was the first time in history.

Back then, Song Yan was just a lowly son-in-law. The reason they attended Song Yan's wedding was because of Luo Yuheng, who was a member of the royal family. Who could have imagined that in such a short time, Song Yan would rise to a position that they could only look up to?

They had naturally heard about what Song Yan had done in court. Although most of the dead were civil officials, it had nothing to do with them, so they didn't have any objections to Song Yan because of it... But a Chancellor, a Grand Secretary, a Left Censor-in-Chief, and a Minister of Rites—all big shots whose every move would make Ningguo tremble—had been stabbed to death by Song Yan. It felt like a strong sense of unreality.

It's probably because the two sides are on completely different levels; they find it hard to understand what Song Yan was feeling when he did these things.

The people were somewhat reluctant to see Fang Hai transferred to Liaodong to work in Song Yan's fiefdom. After all, although Fang Hai came from the Fang family, he didn't have the arrogance often seen in aristocratic families. On the contrary, he was kind and peaceful, and they wondered what kind of person the new governor would be.

After gulping down a cup of wine, Lu Zhao's face turned red and he was already a little dizzy: "It's a pity that we are just lowly officials, with little influence and no power to report directly to the emperor. Otherwise, I really wanted to submit a memorial and go to Liaodong with Lord Fang."

"Liaodong is bitterly cold. Do you really think it's a good place? With your health, you probably won't even survive the first winter." After a pause, Fang Hai continued, "However, if you are willing, and if the newly appointed governor of Songzhou is not easy to get along with, you can resign and go to Pingyang. Considering our past relationship, the prince will naturally prepare a livelihood for you."

As she spoke, she glanced at Song Yan.

Song Yan naturally understood that Fang Hai was planning to poach these people.

Those invited by Fang Hai to this banquet were either his confidants, such as Lu Zhao, Wu Xiao, and Ji Cheng, or people Fang Hai considered talented, such as Meng Kuo.

These people all have years of political experience and are adept at handling government affairs. Although the missing officials in Pingyang Anzhou have been replaced, they are mostly novices, and many things are handled very poorly. If these people can fill the gaps, Jia Yifei and Liu Yisheng will probably lose less hair.

Song Yan knew that Fang Hai had some selfish motives, but he also had his own considerations for him, so he naturally wouldn't refuse Fang Hai's request: "Uncle Fang is joking. Although I have been granted the title of Liaodong, there are many vacancies in the officials of Anzhou and Pingyang, and the administration is not smooth. If you are willing to go to Liaodong, I will definitely welcome you with my official seal."

Lu Zhao, Wu Xiao, and Ji Cheng exchanged glances, all able to see the strangeness in each other's eyes. Don't you know why there's a shortage of officials in Anzhou and Pingyang? Wasn't it because you killed them?
Working under this prince is no easy task; if you overstep your bounds, you'll lose your head.

Going to Liaodong with Fang Hai was just a polite remark; if they were really asked to go, they would be a hundred times unwilling. They all laughed it off and changed the subject. Only Meng Kuo kept his head down, drinking and eating, and rarely participated in the conversation at the banquet.

Song Yan wasn't angry about Lu Zhao and the others' attitude; he was only giving Fang Hai face. He hadn't really thought much of these people anyway. Song Yan knew Lu Zhao and Wu Xiao's situation. They had served as officials in Songzhou Prefecture for many years. Although they hadn't committed any major crimes, they weren't exactly clean either. They were the type who occasionally embezzled a little but generally just coasted along. They were okay at handling official business, but it was obviously impossible to expect them to achieve anything significant. Song Yan wasn't really interested in people like that.

Song Yan then changed the subject: "Speaking of which, it has been some time since I left Songzhou. I wonder how the situation is along the coast this year?"

"Are there still Japanese pirates invading?"

As if by instinct, when he got to the seaside, he always wanted to ask about the Japanese pirates. If he had the chance, he would like to take them down. Taking down the Japanese pirates would excite Song Yan more than taking down the Jurchens or the Xiongnu.

Lu Zhao and the others exchanged glances, their expressions slightly embarrassed. They usually didn't care much about these things, but now that Song Yan had suddenly asked, they really didn't know how to answer.

Meng Kuo, who had been drinking and eating, suddenly raised his head and said, "Thanks to Your Highness's good fortune, since Your Highness wiped out all the Japanese pirates on the three islands last year, the coastal areas of Ningguo have been peaceful. Some sea salt workshops in the coastal areas have reopened, and even fishermen dare to go out to sea to fish. Life is much better than before."

Song Yan nodded, feeling both pleased and disappointed that the fight against the Japanese pirates had been effective. He was also quite disappointed, as his idea of ​​having some fun with the pirates was likely to be dashed.

"but……"

Just then, Meng Kuo suddenly changed the subject: "Recently, things have been a bit off again."

According to some merchant ships and fishermen, recently, some special ships have been seen occasionally wandering in the waters of Ningguo. Judging from the flags on board, they should be Japanese pirates from Zhao. These Japanese pirates are probably just scouting the terrain and gathering intelligence, and have not yet harmed anyone.

Song Yan's eyes suddenly lit up; he truly hadn't expected such a turn of events.

He was already starting to wonder if he should stay in Songzhou a little longer, so he could at least chop off a few heads and have some fun.

The banquet lasted until late at night before gradually dispersing.

Fang Hai and Song Yan rode in the same carriage back to the Fang residence.

"Is Your Highness going to Ningping tomorrow?" Fang Hai asked from inside the carriage.

"Of course I'll go, but Uncle Fang, please don't address me as Your Highness anymore." Song Yan scratched his head, feeling uncomfortable all over: "Just call me by my name, or if you're so kind as to call me nephew, that's fine too. Calling me Your Highness sounds really a bit strange."

Fang Hai smiled and shook his head: "Your Highness cannot do that. If you address Your Highness by your name, where will your dignity be? I know Your Highness is easygoing, but you must maintain the proper demeanor and bearing. Your Highness can be kind to others and be respected by all."

"But it must also inspire awe and fear."

“You must understand that there are quite a few people in this world who cannot be made to submit simply by being nice to them. If Your Highness is nice to them, they might think Your Highness is easy to bully and turn around and climb over Your Highness.” As he spoke, Fang Hai looked at Song Yan: “Your Highness’s status is not what it used to be, and you must gradually learn to adapt.”

"Of course, in private, Your Highness can be more casual and spontaneous with those close to you."

"This is a good time for the prince to strengthen his relationship with those around him..."

As Fang Hai spoke, Song Yan listened quietly, knowing that Fang Hai's words were guidance for him.

"Just like when the Chu Dynasty collapsed, there was a warlord named Liu Ji. In most people's eyes, Liu Ji was simply a rogue. He spent his days drinking and fighting dogs. When drunk, he would boast with a group of cronies and harass restaurant owners. Even when heroes rose up and vied for the world, Liu Ji did not change his nature. He often gathered with a group of friends to drink and even went to brothels together..."

"During that period, it was known as a time of moral decay and social disorder. Benevolence, righteousness, morality, and trust were almost completely forgotten. It was common for generals and strategists to change masters, and betrayal was a frequent occurrence. There were even cases of adopted sons murdering their adoptive fathers to seize power. However, very few people around Liu Ji betrayed him. They were all loyal and devoted, and the number of generals and strategists even increased."

"If Liu Ji hadn't been accidentally struck in the chest by a stray arrow during a battle, causing his heart to rupture and die, the Xiang clan might not have been able to usurp the Chu throne. The reason for this was that Liu Ji's behavior, while considered immoral by the literati and officials, was seen as a sign of trust by the strategists, and by the crude warriors as proof that the other party regarded them as true brothers..."

A few beads of sweat quietly appeared on Song Yan's forehead.

This isn't Liu Ji, it's more like Liu Ji!

It seems this guy wasn't so lucky in this parallel universe and failed. Later generations analyzed that Liu Ji was able to become Emperor Gaozu of Han because, on the one hand, his abilities were indeed first-rate, his military leadership was extremely strong, perhaps second only to Xiang Yu and Han Xin, and he also possessed various excellent qualities, such as knowing how to recognize and appoint people, being broad-minded, admitting his mistakes and correcting them, being flexible and adaptable, and his ability to manage subordinates was also extremely excellent... On the other hand, it is said that the Liu family had some succubus genes, whether true or not is unknown.

Fang Hai continued, "Perhaps Your Highness could follow Liu Ji's example."

"For civil officials, we must use intimidation to make them submit."

"To win over advisors, you must trust them."

"To military generals, one should use affection to make them serve to the death."

Song Yan kept Fang Hai's words in mind.

Just then, Fang Hai suddenly changed the subject: "At the banquet, what did Your Highness think of officials such as Lu Zhao, Wu Xiao, and Ji Cheng?"

“Not really.” Song Yan shook his head: “They don’t really intend to go to Liaodong with you.”

Fang Hai clapped his hands and laughed: "Not bad, not bad, that's right. Although these people were my confidants before, now that I'm no longer in Songzhou, even if the favors we owed are still there, it's ultimately impossible to get them to give up their own interests for me."

"Then, what does the Marquis think of Meng Kuo?"

"I don't know." Song Yan shook his head again: "This person basically doesn't talk much."

"Then let me tell you something else, Your Highness. If Your Highness can poach Meng Kuo, it will be worth more than all the officials in Songzhou." Fang Hai's expression gradually became serious: "Meng Kuo's talent far surpasses mine."

Fang Hai is over fifty years old this year, and in this day and age, it's not a problem for him to call himself an old man.

"To put it simply, when I served as the governor of Songzhou, I only controlled the Songzhou garrison. Almost all matters, big and small, throughout the entire prefecture were handled by Meng Kuo. Clearly, Meng Kuo handled them quite well. Although it cannot be said that Songzhou is absolutely clean now, Meng Kuo has dealt with many corrupt officials, and the people of Songzhou live a more comfortable life than those of other prefectures."

Compared to Pingyang, where Qian Yaozu served as governor, and Anzhou, where Ma Zhifeng served as governor, Songzhou was indeed a pretty good place.

Song Yanxin thought to herself, "The truly cunning one is that old fox, Fang Hai."

You only control the local soldiers, and Meng Kuo did all the work that offended people, but you got all the credit.

"Then how can we poach Meng Kuo?" Song Yan asked again.

Fang Hai grinned: "There's no need to rush that. Today was just to give him a chance to show his face in front of the Prince. If you want to poach Meng Kuo, you'll have to wait until the new governor of Songzhou takes office. When I submitted my resignation to His Majesty, I also recommended a candidate for the new governor of Songzhou. It just so happens that the candidate has a grudge against Meng Kuo... One of the corrupt officials that Meng Kuo executed happened to be the new governor's brother-in-law."

As expected, this is a true old fox.

Compared to someone like that, he's still too inexperienced.

Song Yan let out a heavy sigh: "What did my brother-in-law do wrong?"

Fang Hai scoffed: "That brother-in-law was originally a magistrate in the back office of Songzhou Prefecture."

Ningguo Prefecture adopted a system of joint governance by one prefect and four officials.

The governor was the highest-ranking official in a prefecture, holding supreme military and political power.

The four halls consist of the Prefect in the main hall, the Assistant Prefect in the left hall, the Vice Prefect in the right hall, and the Judge in the rear hall.

The Prefectural Governor was in charge of finances, criminal matters, and education; the Assistant Prefectural Governor was in charge of water conservancy; the Sub-Prefectural Governor was responsible for salt and grain; and the Inspector was in charge of criminal investigations.
Below the four main halls, there are six offices and three sections, as well as the provincial judicial branch, the education system, the textile eunuchs, and county magistrates at various levels, including clerks, registrars, and inspectors...

It can be said that to become one of the Four Halls is to be an absolute figure of real power, and no one in the vast Songzhou Prefecture would dare to underestimate him.

"This man, in his early thirties, has reached the position of Assistant Magistrate, which is quite remarkable for his age. It's just a pity he's such a filial son. His father died, and he wanted to find a good burial site so his father could rest in peace." Fang Hai's voice was clearly mocking. "Then he set his sights on a merchant's ancestral grave. He consulted a fortune teller, who said the grave was a feng shui treasure. If the ancestors were buried there, the merchants would become incredibly wealthy, and those in politics would rise rapidly in their careers..."

Song Yan thought to himself, "Is this really a filial son?"
It seems more like he's betting on his career advancement.
"So he spent three taels of silver to buy the prime land from the merchant."

Song Yan's eyelids twitched. Good heavens, this brother-in-law could have just robbed him, but he insisted on giving him three taels of silver.

Pay attention!

"The merchant naturally refused, and then one night, a fire suddenly broke out in the merchant's house. All forty-seven people in the entire mansion, from the master to the servants, perished, including the merchant's newborn son who was less than a month old."

"The judge was in charge of criminal cases, and the case was ultimately classified as a fire smuggling incident."

"Meng Kuo sensed something was wrong and personally intervened. After a thorough investigation, he finally confirmed that the merchant's family of forty-seven had all been murdered by the magistrate's men. The bodies were then destroyed by fire, and the magistrate was sent to prison. A memorial was sent directly to the Ministry of Justice, and the magistrate was eventually executed in the autumn, while his family was exiled thousands of miles away."

"And the judge's brother-in-law is a remonstrating official in the Secretariat."

Song Yan knew the title of "Adviser-in-Chief," as Wei Zheng had once held that position.

“Speaking of which, this Grand Counselor is quite a character.” A slightly strange smile suddenly appeared on Fang Hai’s face: “Before he turned fifty, he didn’t have a single child, but he didn’t think there was anything wrong with him. Instead, he thought his wife was useless. If it weren’t for the fact that his wife’s family had some background, he would have divorced his wife long ago.”

"He then went on a mad rush to take concubines, having six in a year. After several years of this, none of the six concubines showed any signs of pregnancy. He was still not giving up, and when he took nine concubines, one of them finally became pregnant. Less than nine months after taking her, she gave birth to a big, healthy boy."

Not even nine months old, and already a chubby little boy?
Who are you trying to fool?

Song Yan understood why Fang Hai's smile was so strange.

"From then on, the Grand Counselor doted on this concubine to the extreme. Although she was not his legal wife, she was someone even the legal wife dared not easily offend in the household. This concubine also doted on her only younger brother. Since the magistrate died, the concubine cried to the Grand Counselor almost every day. The Grand Counselor even impeached Meng Kuo in front of Emperor Ninghe several times. If it weren't for the Fang family protecting him, Meng Kuo would probably have lost his life long ago."

"Once this remonstrating official takes office, he will surely make a move against Meng Kuo soon. When the prince steps in to save Meng Kuo's family, Meng Kuo will naturally be grateful and serve the prince wholeheartedly from then on."

Fang Hai arranged everything perfectly.

Although Fang Hai was accompanying him to his fiefdom as governor, it seems that Fang Hai positioned himself more as a strategist.

I lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside; the sky was getting a bit overcast.

It was already late at night when they returned to the mansion. Song Yan's bedroom was arranged separately. Neither Luo Tianxuan nor Hua Lianyue served him in bed. This was the rule: when a husband and wife visited other people's homes or relatives' homes, they could not share a room at night.

The next day.

Luo Yuheng had a good night's sleep.

I don't know if it's because of the swaying of the carriage, but I've been feeling a bit sleepy these past few days.

Having gotten up a little late, Luo Yuheng looked up and saw large swaths of clouds drifting across the sky. After washing his face, he felt refreshed.

The tightness in my chest, as it had been yesterday, had completely disappeared.

Even Luo Yuheng couldn't help but smile smugly. Hmph, it really was just motion sickness. Thank goodness he tossed and turned in bed last night, worried he might actually be pregnant, but now he's perfectly fine.
Her delicate nose wrinkled slightly, and a faint fragrance wafted through the air.

It must have been the cooks at the Fang residence who had prepared breakfast in advance.

Having not eaten properly for the past few days, the aroma wafting through the air made Luo Yuheng quite hungry, so he headed towards the dining hall.

As we drew closer, a rich aroma of oil filled our nostrils.

In an instant, a strong feeling of suffocation and nausea appeared out of nowhere.

Before Luo Yuheng could even react, her abdomen suddenly clenched, and her delicate hand instinctively braced itself against the wall.

Then came another series of dry heaving.

It was quite some time before Luo Yuheng finally felt a little better.

However, her expression remained very unpleasant, and she was filled with suspicion. What exactly was going on?
Excessive sleepiness, nausea, fatigue...

Could it be that she is really pregnant?

impossible.

She only had that one moment of passion when she lost control of herself, and she hasn't been with any other men since. Normally, morning sickness usually occurs about a month after conception, so it's only been about twenty days since then. Surely it shouldn't be early morning sickness?
I've had some dreams before, but can dreams be taken seriously?
Immediately afterwards, Luo Yuheng remembered something extremely important: her period seemed to have been delayed for some time.

(End of this chapter)