Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 576 Gentle Sister-in-Law (6,000 words)

The north wind whipped up leaves that raced through the courtyard of the Prince's mansion.

Some leaves fell into the lake and canals, creating ripples. Song Yan sat quietly on the stone bench in the backyard, his eyes fixed on the ripples in the water. No one knew what he was thinking.

He found it hard to describe how he felt.

Although he hadn't known Emperor Ninghe for long and hadn't spoken much with him, Emperor Ninghe was still an extremely important figure in his life.

The experiences of the previous fifteen years made Song Yan value anyone in this world who genuinely cares for him.

People are gone.

My heart felt empty.

It seems like something is missing.

feeling bad.

It's more like he's holding something in, and if he can't release it, he'll suffer even more.

He blamed the Yang family for Emperor Ninghe's death.

Although Emperor Ninghe orchestrated the assassination in the street, and the Yang family was somewhat innocent in this matter, was Emperor Ninghe's death truly unrelated to the Yang family? If it weren't for the Yang family's humiliation, coercion, and even threats of death over the past twenty years, Emperor Ninghe probably wouldn't have been burdened by excessive worry and lived in constant fear, nor would he have fallen ill from overwork. If he hadn't had a brain tumor, Emperor Ninghe probably wouldn't have chosen such a resolute and tragic way to leave this world.
After all, who would really want to die if they could live a good life?
This world still has many things worth cherishing, especially for an emperor like Emperor Ninghe who has great ambitions.

Therefore, the Yang family is not wronged; they are simply reaping the consequences of their past actions.

Of course, there were also some selfish motives involved. After all, he had a grudge against the Yang family, and he would eventually uproot them. Moreover, the wealth and grain possessed by the Yang family were a huge prize. If he could swallow them up, the entire fiefdom would probably not have to worry about military expenses and provisions for the next few years.

There is even a large amount of money available for investment in improving people's livelihoods.

In short, taking over the Yang family would bring many benefits.

In fact, if we look at military strength alone, Song Yan already had the ability to swallow up the Yang family.

However, Song Yan did not do so.

It's not that I don't want to, but I can't.

Although the Yang family was arrogant and domineering in the court, and even the deaths of the late Emperor Longtai were vaguely related to the Yang family, they were a completely different family in their ancestral home, Langya City, where they were typical local gentry.

The Yang family never bullies men or women or steals from them in Langya City. If any member of the Yang family does something outrageous, they will be whipped if they are minor, and expelled from the family register if they are serious.

The Yang family's clan school is open to all residents of Langya City. Children of school age with certain talents can study at the Yang family clan school for free.

When people are struggling to survive due to floods or droughts, they will set up soup kitchens to provide relief. They will also buy land from those who are struggling to survive at a very high price and then lease it to them to cultivate the following year at a very low rent.

They built bridges and paved roads, and the people of Langya City benefited from the Yang family's kindness.

It can be said that the Yang family has truly managed their base in Langya City like an iron barrel. Almost all the people in Langya City are tenants of the Yang family, and in their hearts, the Yang family is definitely a family that has accumulated good deeds.

With just a little mobilization, the Yang family could easily incite tens of thousands of people.

Faced with these people blocking his way, should he kill them or not?

Don't kill!

How can Ninghe avenge himself? And how can he resolve his hatred for the Yang family?
kill!

How innocent are these common people? At most, they can only be considered as being misled by the Yang family. Once Song Yan really takes action, his reputation in the Central Plains will be completely ruined, and it will be extremely difficult for him to rebuild his prestige.

Now, Emperor Ninghe has used his imperial authority to break the Yang family's golden statue.

The biggest obstacle facing Song Yan no longer exists.

Now that things have come to this point, if he still can't seize this opportunity, then he would be letting down Emperor Ninghe's sacrifice.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

The distinctive sound of shoes crunching on the snow startled Song Yan from her reverie. She turned around and saw Luo Tianyi.

No matter the occasion, Luo Tianyi always wore a white dress, like a cold fairy who stepped out of a painting, untouched by worldly affairs. Although it had been sunny for several days, the palace was still covered in snow. If it weren't for her long, black hair, the young lady in her white dress would probably blend into the snow.

With her long eyelashes lifted, Luo Tianyi looked at Song Yan with her dark eyes. She felt somewhat helpless. Anyone could see that her brother-in-law's mental state was not quite right. She had also heard the orders her brother-in-law gave to Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, Wang Chao, and Ma Han.

Luo Tianyi didn't know much about military matters either.

Aside from martial arts, she is actually not very good at most things.

But she at least knew one thing: when people are in a state of extreme grief, impulsive decisions often lead to disastrous consequences.

The higher a person's status, the greater this influence.

At times like this, someone should be there to keep the brother-in-law in check.

Normally, this responsibility would fall to the younger sister or the older sister... but now, the younger sister herself needs comforting, let alone restraining her brother-in-law. As for the older sister, she should still be dealing with troublesome matters in Dongling.

There were other people in the Prince's mansion, such as Hua Lianyue and Gao Yang, but it would be inappropriate for them to speak up about such a matter.

With these thoughts in mind, Luo Tianyi slowly walked towards Song Yan: "Husband..."

Since their heart-to-heart talk, Luo Tianyi and Song Yan have become much closer. They no longer try to hide the stares of the servants in the Prince's mansion, since everyone in the mansion knows that Luo Tianyi will soon marry the Prince.

Even the way they address each other has changed.

However, Song Yan was clearly not satisfied with this form of address. He smiled and corrected her, "I forgot again. You should call me brother-in-law."

Luo Tianyi felt somewhat helpless.

It was normal before, but after she and Song Yan officially became a couple, calling him "brother-in-law" always made Luo Tianyi feel an indescribable sense of shame.

The man she's set her sights on probably has some slightly perverse hobbies.

Luo Tianyi rolled her eyes at Song Yan, pursed her lips, and obediently changed her address to "brother-in-law".

Song Yan nodded with satisfaction, then his expression became somewhat strange. Having just received the news of Emperor Ninghe's death, Luo Tianyi must be in a bad mood. Although the relationship between Luo Tianyi and Emperor Ninghe had become somewhat distant, Song Yan could still tell that Luo Tianyi was very sad.

However, this sadness was not as intense as Luo Yuheng's; it wasn't to the point of being unbearable.

Luo Tianyi sighed softly, silently walked over and sat down next to Song Yan. Her little face was a little conflicted, as if she was considering how to start the conversation. After all, she was really not used to advising others.

Song Yan slowly stretched out his arm and embraced Luo Tianyi's slender waist.

Luo Tianyi struggled slightly, but finding she couldn't break free, she let him go.

With a little effort, Song Yan lifted Luo Tianyi's small body and placed her on his lap. He reached behind her and wrapped his arms around her lower abdomen, resting his chin on her shoulder and closing his eyes slightly.

For some reason, he suddenly felt very tired.

Luo Tianyi seemed to sense this as well, and sighed softly. She gently twisted her body in Song Yan's arms, resting her smooth back against Song Yan's chest. Perhaps this would make her brother-in-law more comfortable holding her. A delicate hand quietly landed on the back of Song Yan's hand and grasped a few of his fingers.

"Brother-in-law..."

Finally, Luo Tianyi spoke again.

"Ok?"

"I heard you just told Zhang Long and Zhao Hu to call people over to prepare to attack Langya and wipe out the Yang family." Luo Tianyi's voice was soft and calm.

"Really?" Song Yan muttered softly.

A few strands of his hair were lifted by the wind and fell onto his face, making him feel slightly itchy.

“I know that you and, well, Father, have a very deep relationship,” Luo Tianyi said again. After all, her brother-in-law was Emperor Ninghe’s son-in-law, so calling him “father” was not a problem. According to royal rules, it would be more appropriate to call him “Emperor.” She paused briefly, then added, “Perhaps even deeper than I, as his daughter.”

Her daughter is probably somewhat heartless.

Even though she knew very well that everything her father did was for their lives, they hadn't lived together since childhood. So, although she was grateful for everything her father had done for her, her feelings for him were somewhat lukewarm. Perhaps she was just the kind of woman who was naturally indifferent to emotions.

In her life, few people have ever truly touched her heart. Apart from her aunt and a few siblings, only her brother-in-law has truly entered her heart, and only Gao Yang can be considered a close confidante. As for the rest of the people, she doesn't really care about them.

“I understand, you want to avenge your father.” Luo Tianyi’s fingers gently stroked Song Yan’s hand. “I didn’t mean to stop you from avenging your father. I just wanted to tell my brother-in-law that you are now the Prince of Yan.”

"The lives of your 60,000 to 70,000 troops, and even the hundreds of thousands of people in Anzhou and Pingyang, are all on your shoulders."

"No matter what you do, stay calm and don't do anything impulsive that you'll regret for the rest of your life."

After a long preamble, Luo Tianyi finally expressed his meaning. "Of course, I don't know much about military matters. If this is a decision made after careful consideration by my brother-in-law, and he has already taken measures to deal with various unforeseen circumstances, then just pretend I didn't say anything. My brother-in-law can do it at his own pace."

Song Yan's body trembled slightly, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

My sister-in-law is worried about me.

Although this sister-in-law usually appears aloof and cold, she is ultimately very gentle towards those she cares about.

Moreover, he did overlook some things.

Although the Yang family had reached its end, it was still a behemoth. Just as a dying emperor is mad, a dying aristocratic family is also extremely terrifying.

Because of the assassination of the emperor in the street, the Yang family's network of relationships was almost completely severed. Almost all their relatives and in-laws wanted to sever all ties with the Yang family as cleanly as possible. However, the Yang family's network of relationships was not limited to Ningguo. They also had close ties with foreign tribes such as the Xiongnu, Jurchen, and even Japanese pirates.

It's hard to guarantee that the Yang family, knowing that their demise is inevitable, won't take the risk of inviting foreign tribes into the pass.

Song Yan didn't answer, but simply hugged the woman in his arms even tighter, their faces almost touching, smooth to the touch.

"Thank you."

A faint smile appeared on Luo Tianyi's lips.

He was happy to be able to help his brother-in-law in any way.

"Oh, right." Luo Tianyi seemed to suddenly remember something and said softly, "We might have to postpone our wedding for a while."

"what?"

Luo Tianyi raised her hand and stroked Song Yan's cheek: "You must observe mourning!"

In this era where filial piety is paramount, it is customary for children to observe a three-year mourning period after their parents' death, during which they are forbidden from marrying. Because of this custom, countless girls miss the prime age for marriage, and after the mourning period, they are often seen as old maids by others... Fang Wanlin of the Fang family is probably in this situation.

"Alright, don't think about it so much." Luo Tianyi sighed softly, gently comforting him. She twisted in Song Yan's arms, turned to the side, and gently pressed her slender fingers against Song Yan's chest. "Perfect timing. You can take this time to resolve the issues with Sister Gao Yang, Miss Wan Lin, Nahe Tuya, Miss Cui, as well as Sister Si Yao, Sister Bu Yu, and Sister Ban Xia. It's only been two years, and my brother-in-law already has so many female confidantes."

I felt a little strange about it.

I was the one who met my brother-in-law first, so why can everyone else get ahead of me? What's going on?

Song Yan looked somewhat embarrassed.

According to custom, when the emperor passed away, not only were the princes and princesses required to observe mourning, but the imperial consorts were also subject to it. In fact, the situation for the imperial consorts was even worse. During the mourning period, they were not only forbidden from taking concubines, but also from having sexual relations with princesses or even their maids. If any of the imperial consorts' maids became pregnant, it was considered a grave act of filial impiety and disrespect towards the late emperor, a serious crime that could result in execution.

However, given the current situation in Ningguo, no one really cares about all that.

Luo Tianyi was not a talkative person to begin with. After saying what she had prepared in advance, she didn't know what else to say. So she was quietly held in Song Yan's arms, letting the sun gradually slant down.

I don't know how much time had passed, but the setting sun gradually began to turn a fiery color.

Several fast horses were galloping wildly on the official roads of Anzhou and Pingyang.

Li Er, Lei Yi, Zhang Han, Mei Wu, Zhang Zhen, and Fang Hai, the governor of Anzhou, who were guarding the border, all rushed to Pingyang as quickly as possible.

Liu Yisheng, Jia Yifei, Liang Guangzong, and Gao Xingcai, who were already in Pingyang, gradually moved closer to the Prince's Mansion.

Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, Wang Chao, and Ma Han not only brought Song Yan's order to prepare for war, but also the news of Emperor Ninghe's death.

Almost everyone had an extremely serious expression.

……

Langya City.

The old house of the Yang family.

The news of Emperor Ninghe's death and the thirteenth prince of the Yang family's assassination of the emperor in the street could not be kept secret for long and gradually spread. Although no other news has come yet, almost everyone can feel the invisible pressure in the air. Even the most unruly son of the Yang family is now gloomy and full of sorrow.

No one knows what the future holds for the Yang family.

The council chamber was closed.

Apart from the seven elders of the Yang family... no, now it should be said that the five elders of the Yang family, only some important figures of the second generation of the Yang family are qualified to participate in such a meeting.

Although Yang Hexing said he wanted to become emperor, becoming emperor was obviously not something that could be decided with just a few words. The dragon robe, the dragon throne, and all kinds of etiquette needed to be arranged. Even the timing had to be chosen on a so-called auspicious day.

Moreover, almost everyone understands that everything the Yang family is doing now is just a death throes, and their chances of success are extremely small, almost negligible.

"Tell me your plans, everyone. What should we do next?" Yang Hexing's slightly hoarse voice broke the oppressive and dull atmosphere of the council hall.

The incident happened so suddenly.

Apart from the five elders of the Yang family, most people had only just learned about the assassination of the emperor in the street and had only just realized the perilous situation the Yang family was facing. It would take them quite some time just to process this information.

It must be said that Emperor Ninghe's move was truly ruthless.

It's simply impossible to find a way to break the deadlock in a short period of time.

Therefore, no one uttered a word in the face of Yang Hexing's question, and the huge council hall remained in a deathly silence that made people uneasy.

Yang Hexing lowered his eyelids slightly, giving these people ample time to think without urging them.

After an unknown amount of time, a voice slowly broke the silence of the council hall: "Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to take a gamble. It is possible to declare ourselves emperor, but not now. The Yang family needs a pretext, a suitable opportunity to raise the banner of rebellion."

Yang Hexing slightly raised his eyes, his cloudy gaze fixed on the source of the sound, which was a middle-aged man in his forties.

Yang Guoxuan!
His son.

A son born out of wedlock.

When he was very young, Yang Hexing did not like or value this son very much, because he had this son with a maid after he got drunk.

She was indeed born into a humble background.

There are many different kinds of maids.

Those of higher status were the lady's dowry maids and the master's personal maids. These maids were often graceful and beautiful, and their duties included serving the lady's daily needs, serving tea and water, and possibly assisting the lady in managing the household or even the master in managing the internal affairs.

Occasionally, when the master was in the mood, he would have someone stay with him in bed.

After being brought to bed, she would be elevated to the rank of concubine or mistress.

Then there were the skilled maids. These maids were often adept at singing and dancing, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and possessed melodious voices and charming appearances. Whenever distinguished guests arrived, these maids were required to perform and entertain them. Although they were still servants, their status was relatively high. Even the children of the household could not be easily touched; they had to maintain their chastity. If a distinguished guest took a liking to them, they would be given as a gift. However, if a distinguished guest gave a maid who had lost her virginity, it might be seen as a sign of contempt, which would not only fail to foster a closer relationship but could even lead to enmity.

These three types of maids can basically be considered first-class maids.

Then there are the second-class maids who serve the young masters and ladies, helping to manage the affairs in their courtyards.

Next came the third-class maids who did light physical labor such as sweeping the courtyard, boiling water, and feeding the birds. These maids had a very low status and were not allowed to enter their master's room without permission.

The lowest class were the lowly maids.

Dirty and tiring jobs such as fetching water, chopping wood, emptying chamber pots, and washing clothes were all done by maids who were rough and careless. They were often dark-skinned, rough, and of ordinary appearance.

Back then, if it weren't for his elder brother's schemes against him in his competition for the position of head of the household, he wouldn't have ended up in the hands of a stout, ugly maid. In fact, in order not to tarnish the Yang family's reputation and for the sake of the position of head of the family, he had no choice but to reluctantly elevate this ugly maid to the position of concubine.

That woman was considered by Yang Hexing to be a disgrace for the rest of his life.

He also disliked Yang Guoxuan, the son of this woman.

However, Yang Hexing was no ordinary person. As Yang Guoxuan grew up day by day and his talents gradually became apparent, Yang Hexing paid more and more attention to him. Even the treatment of the maidservants became better and better. The father and son had a deep relationship and were kind and filial.

In this respect, Yang Hexing was clearly far superior to his daughter, Yang Miaoqing.

Nowadays, Yang Guoxuan has long become Yang Hexing's right-hand man, and many family affairs are handled by Yang Guoxuan.

Sometimes, Yang Hexing couldn't help but sigh in his heart, feeling sorry for Yang Guoxuan, who was not born to his legal wife and was not the legitimate son. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to bypass the eldest legitimate son to raise Yang Siqi.

Hearing Yang Guoxuan's words, he became slightly interested: "What kind of excuse does the Yang family need, and what kind of opportunity?"

“A few months ago, the governor of Dongshan Prefecture, following my father’s orders, imposed a large amount of exorbitant taxes on the entire prefecture.” Yang Guoxuan smiled and spoke eloquently: “During the autumn harvest, the vast Dongshan Prefecture was almost like a bandit’s passage, a complete mess, with eight or nine out of ten of the people’s harvest being stolen.”

"That's about right, we can borrow the governor's head now!"

(End of this chapter)