Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 540 Luo Tianxuan's Gentle Touch (Wishing everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)

In early autumn, the weather is slightly cool.

A thin mist lingered around the mountaintops, and unidentifiable insects chirped.

On the leaves and tips of the grass, glistening morning dewdrops slowly fell in the swaying wind, landing on the pebbles like shattered pearls. Early birds fluttered their wings, darting through the woods and fields, searching for early-rising insects.

Whether it was due to the slightly stuffy feeling inside the carriage or something else, both Song Yan and Luo Yuheng were sweating profusely, and their expressions were somewhat strange.

Song Yan probably felt a little awkward because when he saw Luo Yuheng, he couldn't help but think of what the second Luo Yuheng had said. He wondered what it would be like to have two Luo Yuhengs taking turns.

On one hand, Luo Yuheng was still unsure how to face Song Yan after his marriage proposal the day before; on the other hand, she found a note in her palm when she woke up this morning. It was the first time that another version of herself had communicated with her, and the note read: I have accepted his marriage proposal on your behalf.

Even though Luo Yuheng was intelligent, he had no idea how to handle the situation.

She wanted to explain to Song Yan that it wasn't her who accepted the proposal, but she worried that it might hurt him, or make him think she didn't really care about him. But if she just agreed like that, what would that mean? The pregnancy was handled by another version of herself, and now even the marriage agreement needs to be arranged by another version of herself?

My mind is somewhat agitated.

Perhaps she shouldn't have been in the car.

Actually, it was Luo Tianxuan who arranged for her and Song Yan to share a carriage. In Luo Tianxuan's words, Luo Yuheng hadn't been feeling well lately, and since Song Yan was a doctor, it would be more reassuring for Luo Yuheng to have him accompany her, and if anything went wrong, she could receive timely treatment.

"I'm fine... I was just thinking about the Japanese pirates." Song Yan slowly exhaled, breaking the silence and oppressive atmosphere.

As someone began to speak, the slightly awkward atmosphere eased somewhat. Luo Yuheng covered her mouth and chuckled, "Yan'er really hates the Japanese pirates, as if she won't rest until they are wiped out."

Song Yan smiled.

Knowing what the Japanese pirates did many years ago, probably every person from the Central Plains would hate and despise these little dwarfs, right? Every time traveler to ancient times who cannot eradicate the Japanese pirates would have their time-traveling life a failure.

In fact, compared to the Japanese pirates, the Jurchens may have slaughtered far more Han Chinese in the Central Plains.

Shaking his head, Song Yan stopped thinking about it: "I'm going to tell Tianxuan about us."

Luo Yuheng's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and even his head drooped.

She gently bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth. In the matter of Song Yan, she had ultimately wronged Luo Tianxuan. She could blame the pregnancy on another version of herself, but... when Song Yan was unconscious, she had done some things she shouldn't have. Even if she wanted to shirk responsibility, she couldn't do it with a straight face.

Ultimately, the moment she fell in love, she had already stepped onto the edge of a precipice. Even knowing that there was a bottomless abyss ahead, she still resolutely walked in.

If that's the case, then there are some things she has to bear.

“Tianxuan is my wife, and I cannot hide this from her.” Song Yan pursed his lips and continued, “Besides, you are pregnant, and I will openly welcome you into my family, so these things cannot be kept secret.”

"I understand. Then you can make the arrangements." Luo Yuheng stretched her arms, tilted her head slightly to the side, and leaned on Song Yan's shoulder: "At that time, no matter how much Tianxuan scolds me, I will take it."

The carriage continued its swaying journey.

On the evening of the third day, a wide river blocked their way.

In the past year, Song Yan has traveled back and forth between Dongling and Pingyang several times, so he is naturally familiar with this river.

Tongjiang River.

Decades ago, this river also frequently flooded, and every rainy season, many people downstream were swept away and drowned. At that time, although Ningguo was already on the decline, it was not yet to the point where corrupt officials were rampant in the court and beasts were eating the people's food in the palace. It was still able to do some practical things. The emperor at that time spent a huge sum of money and conscripted hundreds of thousands of laborers to build a dam on the upper reaches of the Tongjiang River.

Flood prevention during the rainy season and water storage during the dry season.

In addition, the dikes on both sides of the river were rebuilt, and there have been no more floods on both sides of the Tongjiang River since then.

Unfortunately, although the emperor built a dam, he did not build a bridge, so every time they traveled across the Tongjiang River, they had to use small boats to cross. I remember this time when we returned to Dongling, we had to find dozens of boats and make hundreds of trips back and forth. When crossing the river, we had to calm the horses to prevent them from getting frightened and falling into the river. By the time all five thousand silver-armored guards were transported to the other side of the river, it had taken most of the day.

This time, the timing wasn't arranged properly, so much so that it was already dark when they arrived at the Tongjiang River. Had they known this, they would have stayed overnight in the county town ahead. Song Yan also got off the carriage. The bright moon in the sky was reflected on the hundred-meter-wide river, and as the river flowed, the stars and moon in the water swayed along with it.

"The entire army shall retreat five hundred paces and set up camp." After glancing at the riverbank, Song Yan gave the order. The riverbank was covered with pebbles of all sizes; resting in such a place would be an absolute ordeal.

Accompanied by heavy footsteps, the army began to retreat slowly. Fortunately, the number of soldiers was not too large, so it did not take much time.

Shrubs lined both sides of the river.

Tents were set up among the trees.

The cooks began preparing food, and the clusters of campfires illuminated the forest.

Some people also found mugwort, threw it into the fire and lit it. As a special smell gradually spread, many mosquitoes in the mountains and forests were driven away.

The craftsmen and their families hadn't prepared tents or similar items, so the Silver Armor Guards brought out their spares, which were barely enough. Song Yan even gave away his own tent; he could just make do in the carriage for the night, it wouldn't be a problem.

For Song Yan, this was just a trivial matter, but it deeply moved the craftsmen.

After all, the social hierarchy was scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with artisans having a low social status.

They are only slightly better off than businessmen.

Merchants were simply wealthy, and with money, they could cultivate relationships with scholars. So, in reality, artisans had the lowest social standing. Even if some artisans could create something good enough to improve people's lives, to the scholar-official class who held state power, it was merely considered a clever trick, not worth mentioning.

Ordinary officials, even clerks, would usually scoff at the sight of craftsmen. It was unprecedented for someone of His Highness Prince Yan to show such respect for craftsmen. Especially the family that received Song Yan's tent; the men held their heads high, practically strutting around like peacocks. To live in the prince's tent was an honor, something to boast about later, while envious glances filled the surrounding area.

Seeing the commotion over there, Song Yan chuckled to himself, casually moved a rock and sat down next to the fire, holding a fire poker in his hand, idly poking at the embers. The warm breeze blowing on his face dispelled the chill of the night.

It's only the end of July now, and although it's the lunar calendar, the weather shouldn't normally be this cold.

However, firstly, we are currently heading north, and the closer we get to Anzhou and Pingyang, the lower the temperature becomes. Secondly, we are currently in the Little Ice Age, and abnormal weather often occurs. It's fine during the day, but it gets quite cold at night.

Song Yan pondered his plans after returning to Pingyang. Too many battles had been fought this year, and Suochuoluo and Wanyan Guangzhi should understand that Ningguo was not to be trifled with now. Anzhou and Pingyang should have a few years of peace. Of course, those not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. The cruelty of the Xiongnu and Jurchens was ingrained in their bones, surpassing even that of the Japanese pirates. Once they recovered their strength, another southward invasion was inevitable.

There are two options: one is to strike while the iron is hot and kill him.

After arriving in Pingyang, they assembled a large army to launch a northern expedition, aiming to completely annihilate the Jurchens or the Xiongnu.

With Pingyang's current military strength, it can defend on two fronts, but it is not enough to launch offensive attacks on both fronts.

Moreover, it's only July now, and it's already getting cold; this year will likely be another year of severe cold. A war of annihilation isn't something that can be accomplished in a day or two, or even a month or two. If heavy snow were to fall during the war, it would likely add unnecessary casualties.

The second option is to temporarily recuperate and use these few years to continue recruiting troops, expanding Pingyang's military strength to a massive 100,000, or even 200,000. If they could have an army of 200,000, equipped with weapons and armor forged from fine steel, plus thunderclaps, even if they weren't all cavalry, they would be enough to sweep across Ningguo, the Haixi Grassland, and even the northern steppes.

At the same time, we should take advantage of this time to promote the high-yield crops we brought, so that the people of our fiefdom will no longer suffer from hunger. We also need to rebuild the weapons workshop, the sugar workshop, the tea-making workshop... Oh, and cement. If we can produce cement and connect the entire fiefdom with cement, it will greatly shorten the time for troop deployment and transporting grain.

There's also strong liquor... Soldiers inevitably get injured on the battlefield. Although Song Yan's medical kit contains antibiotics, the quantity is extremely small. In comparison, strong liquor is the simplest way to disinfect.

We also need to find ways to implement some of his policies, such as raising the status of soldiers, artisans, and merchants.

There are also new policies such as merging the poll tax into the land tax, requiring gentry to pay taxes together, and returning the fire tax to the public. Now Anzhou and Pingyang are his fiefdoms, and he has a very high reputation in these two prefectures. Where are the mounds of corpses erected? He has the basic conditions to implement the new policies.

After a quick mental calculation, Song Yan couldn't help but grin. She hadn't expected there to be so many things she wanted to do. "Husband, it's time to eat."

A gentle voice came from beside me.

Looking up, I realized that while I was pondering, the meal had already been prepared: noodles and meat soup, the most common food in the army, warming and filling.

Luo Tianxuan also held a bowl in her hand and handed it to Song Yan.

After taking a sip, I felt warm all over.

"What were you thinking about just now, my husband? You seemed so engrossed." Luo Tianxuan pressed her hands against the back of her knees and sat down on a rock next to Song Yan.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things I need to do after returning to Pingyang," Song Yan said with a smile.

"The things you have to do? Marry Gao Yang, marry Nakhtoya, marry your little sister..." Luo Tianxuan counted on her fingers, one by one: "And Fang Wanlin, she'll most likely marry you too..."

"And Banxia and Siyao, it's time to give them a proper title as well."

"And then there's Miss Ziyu. The poison in her body has been neutralized, but she's been staying by your side the whole time. Don't tell me you can't see what Miss Ziyu is thinking."

"And there's Sister Buyu. Although I saved her life, she's still seen my body. Let's find a time to arrange a date."

"Also, there's Zhang Yan from the Zhang family. Old Zhang is over eighty years old. I think he's determined to force his granddaughter onto you. You need to deal with that too."

"And then there's the Kong family. That girl, Kong Xiyan, seems to have her eyes on you. Putting everything else aside, just the fact that Kong Xiyan came to remind you that her brother kidnapped Caiyi means that granting her the position of a concubine wouldn't be a problem."

"Looking at it this way, there is indeed a lot to do."

Song Yan felt ashamed.

He hadn't expected that Luo Tianxuan could list so many female confidantes for him.

But while he could tolerate the others, weren't Zhang Yan and Kong Xiyan going a bit too far? He'd barely even met those two, okay? And Zhang Yan was just a thirteen-year-old little girl; did he really have to be such a beast? (He'd even be able to operate a sewing machine.)

Seeing Luo Tianxuan's expression, Song Yan knew that she was just joking with him. Song Yan shook his head and did not argue, but his expression gradually became serious: "Tianxuan, there is something I want to tell you."

It's better to be honest about some things; being indecisive is not like a man.

"Is this between you and your aunt?"

Squeak.

Song Yan made a strange sound in her throat.

He looked at Luo Tianxuan with disbelief, not expecting that she already knew about this. He had been struggling to figure out how to bring it up all this time. He barely managed to swallow the broth he had just taken a sip, and a hint of guilt flickered in Song Yan's eyes: "You knew?"

"Yes, just yesterday, my aunt came to me and explained the whole story." Luo Tianxuan smiled slightly, tilted her head, and looked at Song Yan: "But I am very happy that my husband was willing to tell me about this."

"Moreover, it's not my husband's fault either." Luo Tianxuan paused, "nor is it my aunt's fault either."

“We’ve lived together for so many years, but none of us siblings knew that our aunt had silently endured so much for us, and even developed another personality. Although I never saw the iceberg that day, I heard about it from Ziyu. You can imagine how fierce that cold poison was, and you understand how much suffering our aunt has endured for us over the years.”

"Although my aunt is not my biological mother, in my heart, my aunt is more important than my own mother."

"Of course I hope that my aunt can live a happy and peaceful life. If my aunt falls in love with a man and they can support each other through thick and thin, I will naturally be happy. When I first heard that the man my aunt liked was my husband, I was a little surprised, but it was not unacceptable."

"On the contrary, I think this is quite good. This way, our family will never have to be separated for the rest of our lives. Moreover, I have been married to my husband for so long without having any children. My sister-in-law is carrying my husband's child, so the burden on my shoulders will be lighter." Luo Tianxuan said slowly, her tone gentle. "Speaking of which, it was my fault that I was not by my husband's side on our wedding night."

“When my husband first entered the Luo family, he was attacked on his wedding night. He must have been very frightened. I failed to notice his unease. I was a very unfit wife.”

Are you terrified?
There was more surprise than fear.

However, it must be said that Luo Tianxuan is truly the woman in the world who deserves the description of being as gentle as water.

"Actually, it's not unusual for my husband to marry both my sister-in-law and me at the same time. Such things are not common, but they do happen."

"Leaving aside other matters, there were several emperors in the Han Dynasty who married their aunts and nieces at the same time. When you are sitting on that throne, even if you don't have that kind of mind, those who want to consolidate their family's status and their own power will constantly send women into the palace."

“When an aunt’s beauty fades and her affection wanes, her niece is sent to her; when an aunt’s age increases, her niece is sent to her. This has always been the case.”

"However, my husband is not yet in that position; he is merely preparing to do great things. If this gets out, he will inevitably become a target of criticism from others."

"So after discussing it with my sister-in-law, we made a decision in private and sent a secret letter to Dongling, requesting the Emperor to issue an imperial edict stating that my sister-in-law was not actually the late Emperor's daughter, but rather the orphan of the late Empress's family... The late Empress's family was originally a military family, and after marrying the late Emperor, her family line was essentially cut off, so there was no need to worry about being exposed. The late Emperor took pity on her and brought her back to the palace to raise her as his own daughter."

"After the late emperor's passing, she assisted Emperor Ninghe in taking care of the royal bloodline and made great contributions. Therefore, it is hereby announced to the world that the title of Princess Xiaogu will be preserved. In this way, Xiaogu will not suffer any loss by changing her identity, and even if she marries her husband, she will not be criticized."

Song Yan pursed his lips. He hadn't expected Luo Tianxuan to have thought things through to this extent.

Having such a wife is probably the greatest fortune of her life.

As for Emperor Ninghe, that old bastard is definitely cursing himself while stamping the imperial edict... It's impossible for him to disagree; Emperor Ninghe would love for all his offspring to have the blood of the Luo family.

"No, why do you think the prince insisted on retreating five hundred steps?" A muffled voice came from nearby, near the campfire.

It's Lei Yi.

"Idiot, don't you even understand this?" Zhang Han curled his lip, looking disappointed that you hadn't made any progress in so long: "Have you forgotten what the Prince did?"

"In Anzhou Prefecture, the dam on the Laolin River was blown up, and tens of thousands of troops of the Third Prince of the Xiongnu were swept away."

"Even though this is within Ningguo's territory, we still need to be careful, right? To prevent others from using this method on us, that's called being cautious."

Zhang Han had an expression that said, "No one in the world understands the Marquis better than me."

Song Yan couldn't help but laugh, thinking to herself, "Is that really what we think? Isn't it just that we think sleeping on a riverbank full of pebbles would definitely be uncomfortable?"

However, Song Yan's expression quickly changed as he remembered Luo Tianshu's warning... Someone was planning to make a move on his way back to Pingyang.

Could they really breach the dam?
My gaze involuntarily turned to the upper reaches of the Tongjiang River, which was pitch black and devoid of any light, resembling a gloomy hell.

The next second, Song Yan stood up: "Tianxuan, come with me for a walk upstream."

……

Meanwhile, just a few miles upstream on the Tongjiang River, there stood a massive dam.

Beside the dam sat six large, fat men.

"It's been so long, why hasn't the thirteenth brother come back yet?" a fat man muttered in a low voice. "Could something have happened to him?"

(End of this chapter)