Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 546 Temptation (11,000 words)

At three-quarters past dawn, frost still clung to the plantain grass beside the official road. Wheels rolled over the frost-covered dirt, raising specks of warm yellow mud that clung to the ebony spokes. The puffs of two chestnut horses pierced the cold mist, startling crows perched on the withered willows by the roadside; their dark blue wings cleaved the indigo sky, shaking off a few drops of overnight dew.

Sunlight filtered through the withered branches, turning the old servant's sheepskin coat a honey color. This place was already quite far north; the early mornings of early August already carried a chill.

The car stopped on the side of the road.

I could hear clanging and banging sounds, as well as the crackling of burning firewood, which meant that someone was starting a fire to cook.

For the past five days, they had been traveling day and night. Even though she was sitting in the carriage the whole time, a deep weariness appeared on Cui Yingying's beautiful face, not to mention the old servant driving the carriage and the guards following around.

The woman lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and a gust of wind immediately swept in, carrying the crisp scent of grass. She squinted and looked out, seeing the distant mountain ridges melting into a golden-red hue, the lingering night mist in the valleys gradually dissipating. A few beams of golden light cleaved through the branches, illuminating the girl's fingertips peeking through the curtain, making her nails glow with the pale hue of newly formed mother-of-pearl. The morning breeze ruffled the stray hairs at her temples, fine dew clinging to her ears, causing the pearls on her silver earrings to sway gently.

Not far away, a young man in his early twenties was carrying a porcelain bowl and walking towards the carriage. The young man was tall and slender, and his features were quite regular.

However, he was Cui Yingying's younger brother, Cui Shi'an.

"Third Sister, have something to eat." Cui Shi'an handed her a bowl containing rice porridge with some sugar. With the Cui family's wealth, they certainly wouldn't be so shabby, but when traveling, they didn't have many formalities. Cui Yingying nodded, took the bowl, and sat back down in the carriage. A "hey!" came from behind her as Cui Shi'an climbed in as well.

Cui Shi'an glanced at his third sister and couldn't help but sigh. It was no exaggeration to call his third sister a beauty of unparalleled grace. In the vast Ning Kingdom, perhaps only the eldest princess Luo Yuheng could compare to her.

Luo Yuheng and Cui Yingying are probably the most beautiful women in Ningguo.

Unfortunately, Luo Yuheng's husband was beheaded by Emperor Ninghe early on, making her a widow; as for her third sister, every marriage she was offered resulted in death, and her reputation as a jinx spread throughout the north and south, making her a widow even though she wasn't a widow...

Is this what they mean by "beautiful women have tragic fates"?

Cui Shi'an thought to himself, then spat a few times in his mind, thinking, "What do you mean by 'beautiful women have short lives'? My third sister is alive and well."

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Cui Shi'an's unusual behavior clearly caught Cui Yingying's attention. After taking a small sip of rice porridge, Cui Yingying asked, her voice as clear as a nightingale's. That voice was perhaps Cui Yingying's greatest charm; just listening to it was a pleasure.

"It's nothing." Cui Shi'an smiled. "I'm just curious. My sister had originally decided to remain unmarried for life. What was the reason that made my third sister reject the Yang family's marriage proposal and instead take the initiative to come to Pingyang for a marriage alliance? I know Yang Xiao. He is the eldest grandson of the fourth branch of the Yang family and Yang Siqi's brother. He is quite handsome. Although he is not as talented as Yang Siqi, he is still very learned. He seems to be an excellent choice for a husband. I didn't expect my third sister to be unmoved at all."

"Could it be because of those few poems written by Song Yan?"

In recent days, the situation in Ningguo has been chaotic, and even the Cui family has inevitably been drawn into it.

Cui Shi'an had been busy with the Cui family business outside until he heard that the Yang family intended for Yang Xiao to marry Cui Yingying. Only then did he hurriedly return to the family.

Having just returned to the family, she was ordered by her father to accompany her third sister to Liaodong. She was still confused about many things.

The Yang family's marriage proposal team will likely be disappointed.

As Cui Shi'an spoke, Cui Yingying simply sipped her millet porridge, her expression calm, as if she didn't care about her marriage at all. Only after finishing the bowl of porridge did Cui Yingying put it down and say, "Poetry is nothing but a trivial matter."

"Although I enjoy poetry, I only use it as a way to cultivate my character. In this respect, it is not much different from things like playing the zither, playing chess, calligraphy, and painting."

“I admire scholars who can write fine poems and lyrics, but I’m not that foolish to decide my life’s destiny based on a single good poem or lyric.” Her long eyelashes fluttered, and Cui Yingying’s lips curved into a slight smile as she looked at Cui Shi’an and asked, “Young brother, do you know what Ningguo is like now?”

Cui Shi'an pondered seriously for a moment: "A storm is brewing, the wind is blowing through the tower."

“Indeed, a storm is brewing, and chaos is imminent.” Cui Yingying nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with Cui Shi’an’s answer: “Chaos is imminent, but it will ultimately not be chaos.”

“Currently, there are peasant uprisings everywhere in Ningguo, but these peasant armies cannot cause much trouble. Ningguo is still under the control of the royal family, and Ningguo as a whole will not be completely disintegrated or destroyed because of these peasant uprisings.”

Cui Yingying seemed intrigued, her smile widening: "Do you know what period we're in now?"

Cui Shian was a little confused.

"Now, although the chaos has not yet arrived, it is already a time that can determine the fate of countless people, the life and death of countless people, and the future pattern. It is a time for aristocratic families, powerful clans in various regions, and extremely talented scholars and strategists to speculate and place bets."

"At the end of every dynasty, peasant uprisings often set the stage for the end. However, due to their own limitations, although peasant armies shout loud slogans and have great momentum, they lack a real program to guide them forward. They lack organization and discipline, and ultimately they rarely have the last laugh."

"Often, in the early stages of a chaotic era, or at most in the middle stages, peasant armies would have already withdrawn from the scene. It is unprecedented in history for a peasant to ascend to the throne."

"Even if a peasant army can overthrow a dynasty, in the end it will only benefit others."

Cui Shi'an vaguely understood.

"Just as the peasant army was setting off the prelude to chaos, powerful families, influential clans, and truly talented strategists from the common people were all watching. They were observing everyone, analyzing who was the worthy lord to serve, judging who would become the final victor, and then trying to gain the merit of following the emperor."

"The chaos truly began the moment they made their decision."

"Peasant armies can overthrow dynasties, but they cannot change dynasties. Those who can truly control everything are ultimately the powerful clans. This is the most powerful aspect of the powerful clans. No matter how turbulent the country is, they can always preserve the continuation of their family in the most dangerous situations, and even make their family more prosperous."

If Song Yan were to hear these words, he would likely be astonished by Cui Yingying's intelligence. It is tragic, but it is the truth… the peasants' power is both strong and weak, and they will never be able to enjoy the fruits of ultimate victory.

Ultimately, it was the choices made by powerful clans and aristocratic families that influenced the course of the Central Plains.

Just like Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, the essence of his success was the product of the alliance between the powerful families of Nanyang, the aristocratic families of Hebei, and the powerful families of Guanzhong.

The Li Tong family, known as the "wealthy family of Nanyang," funded the uprising; the Liu family of Chunling provided the banner of the imperial clan; the Deng family of Xinye formulated a strategic plan to "conquer the world"; and the Yin family of Nanyang provided provisions and engaged in political marriages. Among the powerful families of Hebei, Geng Kuang and his son Geng Yan were the pillars of the military; Peng Chong of Yuyang provided financial support, allowing Liu Xiu to break free from the control of Emperor Gengshi. The joining of Liu Yang, the King of Zhending, is particularly intriguing; the seemingly romantic dowry of 100,000 troops was actually a political opportunism by the Bingzhou military group.

As for Li Yuan and Li Shimin, it goes without saying that they were backed by the Guanlong aristocratic families.

Even Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty and the founder of the Ming Dynasty, whose success was based on a legitimate claim to power, relied on a three-pronged approach: grassroots heroes, former nobles of the six former states, and opportunistic scholars. Among them, the former nobles of the six former states, such as Xiang Bo, Zhang Liang, Wei Bao, and Zhang Er, played a significant role in Liu Bang's success.

As for Zhu Yuanzhang, he was an anomaly among anomalies, one of only a few in two thousand years of history, and should be treated as an exception.

"Does Third Sister mean we should put all our bets on Song Yan?" Cui Shi'an asked slowly, understanding his third sister's meaning.

“That’s right.” Cui Yingying nodded slowly. “Although there are peasant uprisings everywhere in Ningguo now, they are destined to be eliminated. There aren’t many who are truly qualified to compete…”

"Emperor Ninghe, as a representative of the old dynasty, is himself one of them."

"Song Yan counts as one."

“The Prince of Jin, who guards the border between Ning and Zhao, is one of them.”

“The Prince of Fu, who has already been expelled from the royal family genealogy, is also one of them.”

"The Yang family, by a means, can be considered one."

“But the Yang family and Emperor Ninghe will definitely be eliminated,” Cui Yingying continued.

"Why is that?" Cui Shi'an frowned slightly. "I can understand why Emperor Ninghe was eliminated. As the emperor of Ningguo, he naturally became the target of all ambitious people. His situation was the worst, so it was normal for him to be eliminated. But the Yang family, although they have suffered a lot of losses in this period of time, still has its roots and remains the most influential family in the entire Ningguo."

"Their foundation will not be completely eliminated just because Emperor Ninghe eliminated a few collateral members of the Yang family and some vassals. In my opinion, the Yang family still has a great advantage in chaotic times."

Over the years, the Yang family has accumulated countless amounts of money and grain, which in turn can be exchanged for countless soldiers.

“You’re right, but your insight isn’t enough; you’ve missed something.” Cui Yingying smiled and said softly, “Have you noticed the imperial edict issued by Emperor Ninghe a while ago?”

"What Third Sister said, is it the imperial edict that Emperor Ninghe declared that Princess Luo Yuheng was not actually the daughter of the late emperor, but an orphan of the late empress's maternal clan, and that he betrothed Luo Yuheng to Song Yan?" Cui Shi'an raised an eyebrow.

To be honest, this imperial edict really surprised a lot of people when it was issued.

Who would have thought that the title of "Princess" for over thirty years would suddenly cease to be that of a princess?
Some people initially felt that since Song Yan had already married Luo Tianxuan, it was somewhat inappropriate for an aunt and niece to share the same husband.

But since she wasn't the late emperor's biological daughter, this matter didn't seem so important. Furthermore, Emperor Ninghe had been acting extremely erratically lately, so no one dared to offend him. Ultimately, Song Yan and Luo Yuheng's marriage was finalized thanks to an imperial edict from Emperor Ninghe. Perhaps if they arrived in Pingyang now, they might just happen to witness Song Yan and Luo Yuheng's wedding.

“That’s right, it is this imperial edict.” Cui Yingying nodded: “Even if Luo Yuheng is not Emperor Yuanjing’s biological daughter, in order to maintain the dignity of the royal family and to protect Emperor Yuanjing’s dignity, Ninghe Capital should not make this matter public. It will not do the royal family any good, and may even cause others to question the bloodline of the imperial family.”

"It can be said that Emperor Ninghe's announcement of this matter was entirely detrimental and not beneficial at all; it was itself full of anomalies."

"The only possibility I can think of is that Emperor Ninghe is deliberately fabricating an identity for Luo Yuheng and using imperial power to pave the way for marrying Luo Yuheng to Song Yan."

Cui Yingying's lips curled into a cold smile as she looked at Cui Shi'an. But for some reason, Cui Shi'an felt as if his third sister's gaze was penetrating his body and looking into the distance... Those eyes had a power to see through everything, and all pretenses would be exposed in front of his third sister.

"Emperor Ninghe is also placing a bet."

"Emperor Ninghe knew very well that as an emperor, once chaos descended, everyone could become the ultimate victor, and he would surely die. He could die, but the Luo family's lineage could not be broken by him, so he placed all his bets on Song Yan."

“Song Yan already has Luo Tianxuan by his side, and it may not be long before Luo Tianyi will also marry Song Yan. Now, he is even marrying his own younger sister to Song Yan. When the twin sisters Luo Qingyi and Luo Caiyi grow up, they may also marry Song Yan under the arrangement of Luo Yuheng. I have no doubt that if there is a chance, Princess Yongle and Princess Yongning will also be sent to Song Yan’s side by Emperor Ninghe for various reasons.”

"In this way, Song Yan will be surrounded by women from the Luo family, and the Luo family bloodline will be passed down in another way through Song Yan's offspring."

"If Song Yan were to ascend to the throne one day, the Luo family would also own half of the world."

Cui Yingying's smile deepened: "And what is Emperor Ninghe doing now? He's locked in a life-or-death struggle with the Yang family."

"Perhaps in many people's eyes, Emperor Ninghe suddenly seized power, became arrogant and out of control, and wanted to vent the frustration of being suppressed by the Yang family for so many years. But in my opinion, all those who think that way are fools."

"Emperor Ninghe is targeting the Yang family like a madman. He is using his last moments to kill as many members of the Yang family as possible. He is paving the way for Song Yan. If he has the opportunity to perish together with the Yang family, I think Emperor Ninghe will not hesitate for a moment. In this way, even if Song Yan ascends the throne one day, he will definitely be grateful for Emperor Ninghe's kindness and will not let down the women of the Luo family."

"Clearly, the Yang family is intelligent enough to see through this."

"The fact that the Yang family attempted to form a marriage alliance with the Cui family shows that the Yang family was already preparing to retaliate."

"However, this is the most brutal time of the battle between Emperor Ninghe and the Yang family. Emperor Ninghe is like a mad dog, chasing and biting the Yang family. With each bite, the chances of the Yang family becoming the final victor decrease. Even if the Yang family survives by relying on its backing, or even kills Emperor Ninghe like it did Emperor Yuanjing and Emperor Longtai, they will surely be covered in blood."

“I even suspect that Emperor Ninghe’s current behavior is a deliberate attempt to provoke the Yang family into attacking him. He probably has some other plan in mind, which is to use his own life as bait to ultimately send the Yang family to hell.”

"Let the Yang family fade into obscurity in the struggle for dominance in the Central Plains."

"Emperor Ninghe is a terrifyingly calm and ruthless man."

"Getting involved in the conflict between the Yang family and Emperor Ninghe at this time would be absolutely suicide."

Cui Shi'an let out a heavy sigh.

He had always considered himself quite intelligent.

In business matters, he always handled everything flawlessly, without a single mistake, and he was also adept at reading people. However, after hearing his third sister's words, Cui Shi'an realized with a start that his skills were far too rudimentary. His methods were probably nothing more than child's play in front of his third sister.
If the third sister were a man, Cui Shi'an had no doubt that she could lead the Cui family to new heights.

"Then why choose Song Yan? Don't tell me you're really interested in him." Cui Shi'an pursed his lips. "After all, if you really think about it, isn't Prince Jin more likely to ascend the throne? He's Emperor Ninghe's younger brother, and he also holds military power..."

"Ah……"

Cui Yingying let out a sneer: "What does personal preference matter when it comes to the continuation of the family's legacy?"

"As for the Prince of Jin..." Cui Yingying's disdain deepened: "Whether he is Emperor Yuanjing's son is still up in the air."

Cui Shi'an's pupils contracted sharply, clearly indicating that he had been subjected to a strong stimulus.

He wanted to press further, but Cui Yingying clearly didn't want to dwell on the issue and changed the subject directly: "Zhao is notoriously weak among the four Central Plains states. How much fighting power do you think the border troops stationed on Zhao's border have?"

"As for why Song Yan was chosen..." Cui Yingying pondered for a moment, "I ask you, how strong are the soldiers under Song Yan's command?"

"Unparalleled in the world," Cui Shi'an replied without hesitation.

The ability to annihilate the 150,000-strong Xiongnu army and capture the Jurchen royal court was something even the elite forces of Chu would find difficult to achieve; to call it unparalleled in the world would not be an exaggeration.

Does Song Yan have the support of the people?

"Yes, in the coastal areas of Ningguo, there are even memorial tablets for Song Yan. In the northern part of Ningguo, Song Yan is revered as a god."

"Now that we have the support of the army and the people, does Song Yan have the support of powerful families and clans?" Cui Yingying asked again.

Cui Shi'an frowned for a moment: "The Zhang family can't really be considered a powerful clan. At most, they can only be considered a local prominent family. This is Song Yan's weakest point."

"Fool, fool." Cui Yingying shook her head helplessly.

"Fang Hai of the Fang family was transferred to Anzhou as the prefect, which shows the Fang family's attitude. Moreover, the youngest daughter of the Fang family, Fang Wanlin, has been living in the prefectural government office in Pingyang. Why is that? The Fang family has recognized Gao Yang as their goddaughter, and Gao Yang is Song Yan's woman. They have reached the point of discussing marriage. Isn't that enough to show the Fang family's attitude?"

"The Fang family is simply hedging their bets. Once Emperor Ninghe dies, all of the Fang family's support will be poured into Song Yan."

"Besides, there are the Zhang family of Pingyang, Shen Qi, and even Aunt Lin of the Duke of Song's mansion, all of whom are supporters behind Song Yan, and even the Kong family of Jin... Perhaps in your eyes they are just merchants with little influence, but you must understand one thing: what is the greatest help that aristocratic families can provide to rebels?"

"It's money and food."

“The Zhang family, Shen Qi, Aunt Lin, and the Kong family of Jindi—they have no shortage of money. With money, they have grain.”

"Now that Song Yan has gathered the support of the people, the loyalty of the army, and the backing of powerful families, what reason is there for him not to succeed?"

Cui Shi'an took a deep breath, feeling his head buzzing: "If we go now, wouldn't that just be adding icing on the cake? Even if we have the merit of supporting the emperor in the future, this merit might not be that great."

Cui Yingying glared at Cui Shi'an: "Remember, what we seek is never sudden wealth, but the continuation of the Cui family... We are not gamblers, we don't need to pursue higher odds, we will only ever choose the option with the highest success rate to bet on."

"Then, Third Sister, how do you think this marriage will definitely succeed?" There were still some things Cui Shi'an felt she had to say: "According to you, Song Yan already has no shortage of support, and he already has many women around him, plus you have a reputation for bringing bad luck to your husbands..."

“For those who are preparing to seize the world, the more support the better.” Cui Yingying scoffed. “As for the marriage alliance, I will naturally offer Song Yan an irresistible temptation.”

lure?

Cui Shi'an was taken aback: "Third sister, are you perhaps planning to seduce me... oh dear."

Before he could finish speaking, Cui Yingying gave him a hard knock on the head.

"What are you thinking about..." Cui Yingying said irritably, "The real temptation is here."

As she spoke, Cui Yingying lifted a large box inside the carriage.

Cui Shi'an was curious, so he opened it and felt his breath catch in his throat.

Inside the box were thick stacks of silver notes, neatly arranged.

“Each banknote is worth ten thousand taels of silver, which is ten thousand strings of copper coins, totaling... a thousand notes!”

Even if you searched the entire Ning Kingdom, you probably couldn't gather that much silver.

Cui Yingying believed that Song Yan would definitely not be able to resist this temptation.

(End of this chapter)