Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 559 A Woman Even More Vicious Than Yang Miaoqing (5,000 words, thanks to Yong Su for the generous donation)

The weather is getting colder and colder.

Snowflakes, like goose feathers, traced elusive arcs in the air and slowly fell onto the ground of the Prince's mansion. The vast mansion was covered in silver, and even though the servants and maids did their best to clean, the ground was still covered with layer after layer of snow.

Looking out, all one could see was a vast expanse of gray and white, with the palace nestled in the whiteness, seemingly hidden among thick fog, like a magnificent palace on earth.

After Cui Yingying finished speaking, the large living room fell into an indescribable oppressive silence.

Her eyelids were lowered, and she simply held the teacup, warming her slightly cold fingers while moistening her slightly dry lips with the fragrant tea.

Cui Yingying has a very clean and efficient personality.

The Cui family is ultimately no match for that old fox, Fang De.

That old fox had long seen Song Yan's potential. Last year, Fang Hai had already developed a great friendship with Song Yan. It was rumored that Fang Hai had repeatedly wanted to marry his daughter or other eligible women in the clan to Song Yan, but for some reason, he had repeatedly given up. As a result, two women from the Fang family, Fang Lingyue and Fang Lingyu, died suddenly.

There must be some unknown things going on here, but unfortunately they are too secretive. The Cui family investigated for a while but found nothing. They only learned from some rumors that the two women's behavior was not very proper, and they wondered if it was related to this.

Logically, after the deaths of two daughters, there should have been an irreparable rift between the Fang family and Song Yan. However, in reality, the relationship between the Fang family and Song Yan was not damaged, but even became closer. Fang De, that old fox, not only sent his most beloved youngest daughter to Song Yan's side, but even Fang Hai followed Song Yan to Anzhou to serve as a prefect.

Clearly, the Fang family is placing a bet.

The Cui family had previously made a fortune by providing grain and fodder to Ningping County and helping Princess Luo Yuheng pacify the refugees. In return, they obtained the distribution rights for sugar and tea from Song Yan and the Fang family. However, they ultimately did not pay enough attention to Song Yan himself.

It wasn't until this year, after Song Yan's reputation spread far and wide for his victories against the Xiongnu and Jurchens on the border, that he regretted not having made a bet earlier.

When Song Yan returned to the capital, the court officials impeached him and vowed to kill him. At that time, Cui Yingying had already seen Song Yan's abilities and persuaded her father and several uncles to hope that the Cui family could provide some support for Song Yan at this time.

On the surface, the Cui family has few members holding official positions in the imperial court.

But the Cui family is rich.

Over the years, quite a few officials have been on good terms with the Cui family. If they had used their wealth, at least Song Yan's side wouldn't have been struggling with Fang De and a handful of others.

At that time, placing a bet would have been a godsend, even if it was just a small gesture. Regardless of the outcome, it would have earned Song Yan's gratitude. Unfortunately, although his brothers supported him, his father and uncles hesitated and ultimately missed the opportunity.

It wasn't until Song Yan led his troops to surround the palace, blockade the imperial city, and beheaded two prime ministers, Yang Hetong and Chu Licheng, as well as a whole host of high-ranking officials, including the Left Censor-in-Chief and the Minister of Rites, in the Golden Hall, and then bestowed upon them the title of Prince of Yan, that his father and uncles finally realized the truth.

However, if one wants to curry favor with Song Yan now, the price to pay is much higher than before. It's not just about having ten times the wealth; Cui Yingying also needs to demonstrate greater value in order to be qualified to stay by Song Yan's side.

Whenever she thought of these things, Cui Yingying was filled with regret.

Since she was dependent on him, she had to show loyalty in addition to her value. So Cui Yingying didn't hide anything and told him everything she knew, even things she had only speculated about. She knew that the more she told him, the more Song Yan would value her.

What's more, this is the man she has her eye on.

Cui Shi'an, on the other hand, was filled with unease.

A layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face turned pale. He secretly glanced at Cui Yingying out of the corner of his eye... This third sister is really something, why does she say everything out loud?

How can anyone else have the right to comment on His Majesty's good health?

Neither Song Yan nor Luo Yuheng spoke, and the silence made Cui Shi'an feel an indescribable sense of oppression.

Luo Yuheng's brows were tightly furrowed. After an unknown amount of time, she finally sighed and asked, "Niece of the Cui family, is what you say true?"

"That's true." Cui Yingying put down her teacup and then told the story of how Consort Shu had asked the Cui family to find medicine: "Consort Shu said that His Majesty's headaches are getting worse and worse. He often stays up all night because of the pain, and when the pain is at its worst, he often bangs his head against the wall."

"Since Consort Shu does not trust the Imperial Hospital, she can only entrust this to her father."

Luo Yuheng glanced at Song Yan discreetly, but seeing no surprise on Song Yan's face, he understood that Song Yan also knew about his brother's illness.

Moreover, most of them are beyond saving.

If there were a way to treat it, given Song Yan's personality, he would certainly not sit idly by.

After a brief pause, Cui Yingying continued, "I think His Majesty is already aware of his physical condition, which is why he has been relentlessly targeting the Yang family these past few months, determined to wipe them out completely."

"Those who have marriage ties with the Yang family and have not severed them in time, those who have been promoted by the Yang family, those who have close ties with the Yang family, and even some insignificant soldiers from collateral branches of the Yang family, will all have their heads removed one by one once His Majesty discovers them."

"In this short period of time, the Yang family has suffered extremely serious losses."

"I suspect that His Majesty is deliberately trying to push the Yang family to the brink of desperation. If the Yang family makes any move and something happens to His Majesty, it can all be blamed on the Yang family."

"It just so happens that Yang Hexin, one of the seven elders of the Yang family, came to the capital to seek peace, hoping to buy the Yang family some time. I think His Majesty will not let this opportunity pass... I can't guess what His Majesty will do, but I imagine he will use his own life to create a scene in front of the public or the court officials, making it look like Yang Hexin murdered the emperor in public."

"They wanted to pin the crime of murdering the emperor firmly on the Yang family, making them enemies of the world and trampling all the reputation and influence they had painstakingly built up over the years into the mud, so that they would never have a chance to recover."

Song Yan's expression was grave. Based on his understanding of Emperor Ninghe, Cui Yingying's guess was quite plausible.

This era did not experience the Sima clan assassinating the emperor in the street, and people still held the emperor's authority in high esteem.

Even if it's a rebellion and usurpation, or a change of dynasty, they generally wouldn't exterminate the previous dynasty's royal family. For example, when the Han Dynasty usurped the Chu family's throne, they still selected one person from the Chu family's descendants and bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Anle. Although this person later died of illness, at least on the surface, he acted with benevolence and righteousness.

After the founding of the Great Wu Dynasty, it also searched for the royal family of the Han Dynasty. However, the Central Plains had been in turmoil for nearly two hundred years, and it was ultimately unable to find them. In the end, a temple was built to worship them.

The reasons behind this are rather complex, and Song Yan doesn't quite understand them. However, he imagines that on the one hand, by treating the previous dynasty's royal family well, they can demonstrate benevolence and leave a good reputation; on the other hand, doing so might give people the impression that their throne was not seized through rebellion, but was taken from the previous dynasty's royal family, and that they are the legitimate rulers of the land.

If the Yang family were to commit regicide in the street at this time, the impact would be extremely negative. I'm afraid that no one in the world with any sense of shame would dare to stand on the side of the Yang family, for fear of being condemned to death... What's worse is that in the entire Ning Kingdom, anyone who has any ambition for the throne would probably become an enemy of the Yang family under the banner of avenging the late emperor.

The reasons are readily available.

The banner of righteousness has been prepared.

It would be a disservice to the burgeoning ambition in my chest not to carry it on my shoulders.

It could even be said that the states of Chu and Zhao could directly send troops under the pretext of avenging Emperor Ning.

It's no exaggeration to say that once Emperor Ninghe succeeds in this matter, it's as if he has dug a grave for the Yang family, just waiting for future generations to stuff the Yang family members' bodies into the coffins, nail them in, cover them with soil, and spit on them.

After a long while, Luo Yuheng managed a weak smile: "I apologize for my rudeness, please forgive me, my two nephews from the Cui family."

"Yan'er, those two from the Yang family have been ignored for quite some time now. Why don't you go and see them?"

Song Yan nodded and stood up.

Cui Shi'an and Cui Yingying also hurriedly got up.

"By the way, Brother Cui, Third Sister, where are you currently staying?" Song Yan asked casually.

“Fenglai Inn.” Cui Shi’an spread his hands helplessly: “When we arrived in Pingyang, it was already late, and almost all the inns were full. Only Fenglai Inn had vacancies, so we had no choice but to stay there temporarily.”

Song Yan's lips twitched slightly: "It's best not to stay at Fenglai Inn for too long. That place... is a bit strange, people might die there. Why don't you move to the Prince's Mansion? There are quite a few spare rooms there."

"I have other matters to attend to, so you two can make yourselves at home."

"Please make yourself at home, Your Highness." Cui Yingying smiled and said, "By the way, husband, there are a few things I need to remind you about those two from the Yang family."

"Yang Yunshu is twenty-seven years old and has been married once."

Song Yan's lips twitched slightly. Actually, you didn't need to specifically mention the words "married women," making it seem as if I, the king, have a particular fondness for married women.

"However, after Yang Yunshu gave birth to the Marquis's eldest son, the Marquis suddenly died. Although it was publicly stated that he died of a sudden illness, there were rumors in private that the Marquis died of poisoning."

Song Yan's expression suddenly turned strange. Could it be that the unfortunate marquis was sent away by his first wife, Yang Yunshu, with a packet of poison?
Good heavens, isn't this Pan Jinlian?

For some reason, a scene flashed into Song Yan's mind: a charming and lovely woman holding a bowl of dark soup, sitting next to a man, saying in a sweet voice: "Big brother, it's time to take your medicine."

"Moreover, this marquis has four brothers, none of whom want to find out the truth about their brother's death."

"What's even stranger is that the four brothers had no objection to a newborn baby inheriting the marquisate. In fact, they treated the baby extremely well, as if he were their own son, even better than their own biological son."

Ok.

She is not Pan Jinlian.

This is Yang Miaoqing.

Pan Jinlian only seduced Ximen Qing, but Yang Yunshu directly seduced Yang Shi's lover, as well as her husband's four brothers.

At most, Yang Miaoqing could only render Song Hongtao infertile, but Yang Yunshu sent her husband away with a packet of poison.

This Yang Yunshu is far more ruthless.

As for the four brothers, they probably all thought the baby was their own son, and naturally had no objection to their son inheriting the title. Unfortunately, they probably only found out on their deathbed that the baby was not their child at all.

Five more Song Hongtaos.

Five pathetic wretches!

"I know that you have feelings for widows... cough cough, anyway, please be careful."

Song Yan's forehead was already covered in black lines.

It's infuriating! He really doesn't have any preference for widows, so why does everyone think he does?

Watching Song Yan and Luo Yuheng leave, Cui Shi'an finally relaxed completely.

"Third Sister, are we really going to stay at the Prince's Mansion for the time being?" Cui Shi'an asked. "Isn't that inappropriate? After all, you're going to marry Brother Song. If we live together before the wedding, people might gossip."

“It’s not that we want to live in the Prince’s Mansion, it’s that I want to live in the Prince’s Mansion.” Cui Yingying smiled. “After you return to Fenglai Inn, take all the guards back to the Cui family and discuss the wedding arrangements with your father.”

"As for me, I'm afraid the Princess and the Prince would be uneasy if I left at this time." Cui Yingying didn't seem to care about such matters of etiquette. The world was about to descend into chaos, so who would care about such trivial things? "As for whether it's appropriate or not, the Princess and the Prince of Yan haven't married yet, but they've been living together for over a year. What's the big deal? I heard that Fang Wanlin, Gao Yang, and Nahetuya have also been living with Song Yan for more than half a year. It's fine."

"Moreover, I always need to take the opportunity to get to know the sisters in the inner quarters first. With the Eldest Princess, Hua Lian Yue, and Luo Tian Xuan in charge of the Yan Prince's inner quarters, things probably won't get chaotic. So naturally, I need to get along well with the sisters in advance. I also need to go and see my aunt's two daughters, our two cousins. These two girls are twelve years old this year. I wonder if they have been harmed by their brother-in-law."

Luo Caiyi and Luo Qingyi are the children of Consort Shu and the cousins ​​of Cui Yingying and Cui Shi'an.

"Go to the Wind Inn and bring me that small box from my room."

"In addition, after returning, try to persuade Father to sell all the family's land, mansions, and shops that can be sold, and convert them into gold, silver, and copper coins. It would be best to move the entire family to Pingyang."

Cui Shi'an's pupils contracted slightly.

Cui Yingying sighed: "In the next few years, in the vast Ning Kingdom, I'm afraid Pingyang will be the only stable place."

the other side.

The wind swept by.

Snowflakes drifted obliquely down to the eaves.

It landed on Luo Yuheng's head.

Her originally charming and gentle face has subtly gained a touch of innocence.

Her expression was somewhat subdued, after all, she had heard some unpleasant things about her brother.

“Yan’er…” Luo Yuheng began, but hesitated to speak, unsure of what to say next. After all, what exactly was Emperor Ninghe’s status to Song Yan?
From Luo Tianxuan's perspective, she should address him as her father-in-law; but from her own perspective, she should address him as her brother-in-law.

The way people address Song Yan is somewhat inconsistent.

For a moment, Luo Yuheng was in a dilemma.

Fortunately, Song Yan understood Luo Yuheng's meaning and replied directly, "Your Majesty is indeed seriously ill."

"Can't you cure it either?"

“It’s incurable. He has a tumor in his brain. The only way to remove it would be to open his head, which I don’t have the ability to do.” In this era, such a procedure wasn’t feasible either. Song Yan’s voice carried a hint of helplessness: “I can only prescribe some painkillers and medication to alleviate his symptoms. If His Majesty could put aside everything, relax, and stop worrying about state affairs, perhaps he could live for another year or two, but…”

Luo Yuheng looked sad: "He would never do that."

"Moving to the Yang family was something he had been working hard for his whole life."

"If he knew his days were numbered, he would fight to the death, going all out to go crazy before he completely breathed his last."

A dying emperor is insane and capable of anything.

"That's all."

"Let him be. After all, that's what he wants to do." Luo Yuheng's eyes reddened as she murmured softly, "Even if we return to Dongling right now, it's too late. Even if we stop him, he probably won't be happy in the future."

"But... Father has already passed away, and Mother also left a long time ago."

"Now, it's the elder brother's turn again."

Song Yan felt a bit suppressed. He was eloquent when facing his opponents, but when it came to a woman, especially one on the verge of tears, he didn't know how to comfort her. After a brief hesitation, Song Yan chose a more direct approach. He reached out and hooked his right arm around Luo Yuheng's slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.

"I cannot cure His Majesty's illness, nor can I change His Majesty's decision."

"only……"

"I'll be there for you, for the rest of my life."

In Song Yan's arms, Luo Yuheng slowly raised her head, her eyes, filled with tears, gazing at Song Yan.

Luo Yuheng is, after all, someone who is very afraid of being alone.

When Tianxuan and the others' identities were revealed, Luo Yuheng was terrified. She was afraid that Tianxuan, Tianyi, Tianquan, and Tianshu, who were so important to her, would suddenly leave her, and she was afraid of being all alone. When she learned about Emperor Ninghe's situation, Luo Yuheng's heart trembled.

She didn't know how many of her relatives would be left in this world if Emperor Ninghe were gone. How many of the people she cared about, and the people who cared about her, would be left?

But now she knows.

She also has Song Yan, a man who will cherish her.

There seemed to be some kind of impulse in my heart.

Suddenly, right in Song Yan's arms, Luo Yuheng's full body twisted slightly, her arms wrapped around Song Yan's neck, and she stood on tiptoe.

The moist lips were already imprinted on Song Yan's lips.

The snow is thick.

A deep kiss!

(End of this chapter)