Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 577 The woman in the cave, is it you? (11,000 words)

I'll borrow the head of the Prefect of Dongshan Prefecture!
As Yang Guoxuan finished speaking, many people in the council hall leaned slightly to one side.

The Prefect of Dongshan Prefecture, the Governor, and even the magistrates and county lieutenants of several nearby counties, though not surnamed Yang, had intricate connections with the Yang family and could be considered confidants of the Yang family. The establishment of the Yang family's prestige in Langya City was also inseparable from these officials.

The specific methods were quite simple: these officials, in the name of Ningguo, levied all sorts of exorbitant taxes, engaged in corruption and bribery, and bullied men and women. The more despicable and beastly these officials were, the more the Yang family appeared handsome and refined. However, the people of Dongshan Prefecture did not know that almost all the grain they were forcibly confiscated went into the Yang family's granaries, and most of the money they were robbed also ended up in the Yang family's pockets.

The officials at all levels in Dongshan Prefecture can be said to be the Yang family's secret agents. Through these officials, the Yang family can seize the wealth of the entire Dongshan Prefecture while maintaining an excellent reputation.

Some time ago, Yang Hetong was killed, which damaged the reputation of the Yang family. Yang Hexing then had the idea of ​​rebellion. He remotely controlled the governor and prefect of Dongshan, and under the banner of Ningguo, he used the excuse that Pingyang and Anzhou needed to resist the Xiongnu and Jurchens to impose a large amount of taxes. In a short time, the people of Dongshan were full of resentment, and the matter of Yang Hetong was suppressed. The Yang family also took the opportunity to take out some of the old grain and win over the hearts of the people.

Now that the Yang family is truly preparing to rebel, there is no longer any need for this black glove to exist.

Not only are they unnecessary to exist, but the Yang family must also sever ties with these people as soon as possible. The things the Yang family has done must never be made public, as that would be a devastating blow to the Yang family's reputation.

Yang Guoxuan's words clearly pleased Yang Hexing, and a rare smile appeared on his wrinkled old face: "Tell me more about it."

"To assassinate the emperor in the street is an infamy that can never be washed away for all eternity." Yang Guoxuan nodded slightly and spoke eloquently: "This is Emperor Ninghe's most fatal attack on the Yang family. Breaking this deadlock will be extremely difficult. Once this crime is pinned on the Yang family, the Yang family will have completely lost the possibility of forming an alliance with almost all the powerful families in Ningguo. No family is willing to share such a crime with the Yang family; they cannot afford this price."

"At the same time, we also lost the support of almost all the scholars in Ningguo. No matter how despicable they may be at heart, they are the people who care the most about their reputation. Don't be fooled by their usual lofty discussions, pointing out the flaws in the country, criticizing the policies of the court, and cursing the current emperor. They may seem to have a lot of dissatisfaction with the court and the emperor, but their real purpose in criticizing and cursing is just to gain fame. If they really join the Yang family, they will become traitors and rebels, and they may even leave a heavy mark on the history books."

"The vast majority of those scholars were unwilling to do this."

"This is the general principle of the scholar."

Yang Guoxuan analyzed the current predicament of the Yang family. Apart from that, there was no other sound in the council hall, but it was clear that many people agreed with Yang Guoxuan's views and were nodding to themselves.

"Aside from aristocratic families and scholar groups, the only force the Yang family can utilize is..." Yang Guoxuan paused briefly before continuing, "...the common people!"

"Commoners?" Yang Hexing raised an eyebrow slightly.

"To be precise, they are farmers," Yang Guoxuan explained. "Perhaps in the eyes of most people, farmers are just the lowest level of society. They have never had power, knowledge, or wealth. Even the food they produce is difficult to eat."

"They are as lowly as weeds, as if anyone could come and trample on them."

"I do not deny that a single peasant is indeed an extremely weak existence, but the entire peasant class is an extremely terrifying force."

"Have you not seen the mighty Han Dynasty, which suppressed all the surrounding states, defeated the Xiongnu so that they dared not graze their horses in the south of the Gobi Desert and were forced to migrate to the colder north, but in the end, the Han Dynasty was overthrown by a group of peasants?"

"Have you not seen the mighty Wu, where all nations come to pay tribute? Apart from the Western Rong, almost all the surrounding foreign tribes have been suppressed by Wu and pay tribute every year. Even the Western Rong, for more than two hundred years, have never dared to go east to plunder. Countless foreign tribes have been completely wiped out by the Great Ancestor, Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Wu of Wu, but in the end, they were all brought to ruin by a group of peasant soldiers."

Yang Guoxuan spoke at length, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then continued: "History has proven that peasants have the ability to wreak havoc or even destroy a dynasty, but they do not have the ability to conquer the world and rule the country. The reason is simple: most peasants have not received a systematic education, and their vision and perspective are insufficient for them to rule the world."

"So, what if we take the Yang family as the head and the peasants as the limbs?"

"If we win the hearts and minds of the people, unite the peasantry, and use the wisdom of the Yang family as a guide to build an army with peasants, will the outcome be different?"

Upon hearing this, countless eyes in the council chamber lit up instantly.

Those who could enter the Yang family council hall were naturally all extremely important members of the Yang family. It is not to say that all of them were learned and erudite, but they were certainly knowledgeable about the past and present. They were familiar with the history of the Han Dynasty and the Wu Dynasty. However, if Yang Guoxuan had not explained it today, they would have found it hard to imagine that the peasant army could have such exaggerated destructive power.

Generally speaking, looking down on farmers has become a habit, deeply ingrained in their bones.

"How to win the hearts and minds of the people?" Yang Hexing nodded approvingly and asked again, as many of what Yang Guoxuan said were things he was doing.

“It’s very simple. The prefect and governor of Dongshan have already caused widespread poverty and resentment throughout the entire Dongshan Prefecture. If the Yang family steps in and beheads all the officials of Dongshan Prefecture, the people of Dongshan will naturally be won over, and countless people will flock to support them.” Yang Guoxuan said in a deep voice, “Of course, this is only the first step.”

"Moreover, at this time, we cannot directly raise the banner of rebellion. This is just our Yang family's way of doing justice because we cannot stand the corrupt officials oppressing the people."

"We should not deny or cover up what Uncle Thirteen did. On the contrary, we should openly admit it and let the people know that the people under Emperor Ninghe are corrupt officials such as the Prefect of Dongshan and the Governor. Emperor Ninghe is a foolish and tyrannical ruler. Uncle Thirteen killed the emperor in the street. His real purpose was to save the millions of people in Ningguo who were suffering under the rule of the tyrant."

"Whether scholars believe it or not, whether aristocratic families believe it or not, is not important. As long as the common people believe it, that's enough."

"And coincidentally, the common people are the easiest group to be fooled in this world, so the impact of Uncle Thirteen killing the emperor in the street can be minimized."

Yang Hexing's eyes gradually brightened, and even his wrinkled lips curled into a smile.

The other important figures in the Yang family in the council hall were also seriously considering Yang Guoxuan's words. They had to admit that although Yang Guoxuan was only a son of a concubine, his abilities and methods were unmatched by many legitimate sons. For the Yang family, which was currently mired in difficulties, this was indeed the most effective method.

"This operation will make the people feel good about the Yang family, but it is not enough to make the people risk their lives to follow the Yang family in rebellion. So, we need to do three things next. First, after we take control of the entire Dongshan Prefecture, we will immediately confiscate the land of the wealthy families in the city, as well as the official land in the prefecture, and distribute it to the people of Dongshan Prefecture to further win over the hearts of the people."

Yang Hexing frowned slightly.

He also wanted to win the hearts of the people and use the peasants to seize power.

Yang Guoxuan mentioned some of the things that he had already begun to implement.

However, there seemed to be some disagreements between him and his son. For example, there was no possibility of cooperation with the powerful clans. But if the opportunity arose, he was still prepared to unite with the landlord class and small families. He knew very well that although these landlords and small families were as insignificant as ants in front of powerful clans like the Yang and Fang families, once they came together, they would definitely be a powerful force that could not be ignored.

Yang Guoxuan noticed his father's hesitation, pursed his lips, and continued:
"These landlords and minor aristocratic families may be willing to join us, but firstly, their power is not very strong to begin with, and even if one or two households join us, the benefits they can bring us are extremely limited. Secondly, most landlords and minor aristocratic families are rich but heartless, and they usually cause trouble in the countryside. Countless people have been bullied and trampled on by them. If we want to unite with the peasant class, we cannot get too entangled with them. We can use their lives to show our determination to stand with the common people."

"With the distribution of grain, gold, silver, and land, there will inevitably be more people willing to submit to the Yang family."

"The second thing is to spread some messages among the people, such as that the imperial army will soon be coming, and once the Yang family is killed, a new governor will take office. The people need to know how cruel, greedy, and lustful this fictitious governor is. The people need to believe that once the Yang family fails, their land, wealth, and food will be plundered again, and they may even be implicated because the new governor is killed, and the city may be massacred. In short, the people need to be afraid and terrified. Only fear can breed their thoughts of resistance."

“Only when the people try to rebel will they want to find a leader and a backbone. And in the vast Dongshan Prefecture, no one is more suitable for this role than the Yang family.”

"The third step is to create some strange phenomena to make the people believe that the Yang family is the chosen one. We all know that these superstitious things are fake, but they are the most suitable for fooling the people."

"Once the atmosphere is sufficiently built up, select dozens or even hundreds of elderly people from among the common people. Holding a petition written in the blood of ten thousand people, kneel before the Yang family mansion, begging the Yang family to act on behalf of Heaven, to relieve the people's suffering and punish the guilty, and to earnestly request Father to ascend the throne. After three such refusals, the great event can be expected!"

This time, Yang Guoxuan did not pause, but poured out all his plans in one breath.

According to Yang Guoxuan, the Yang family's rebellion did not seem like a desperate struggle, but rather a promising road lay ahead.

Almost everyone felt as if a scorching fire was burning in their chest, and their breathing became slightly rapid.

Only Yang Hexing remained as before, lazily curled up in his chair, even his wrinkled face showed no change in expression. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he calculated something in his mind. After a long while, Yang Hexing finally opened his eyes: "If we proceed according to your plan, our Yang family will be able to have the ability to stand on equal footing with the imperial court?"

"Of course not." Yang Guoxuan smiled and shook his head, saying, "How could things be so simple? My arrangement was merely to allow the Yang family to initially gain a foothold, to prevent their reputation from becoming too infamous, and at the same time to raise a banner of righteousness for the Yang family." "If you truly want to contend for the world, force is the fundamental principle."

"And this is precisely what the Yang family lacks most right now."

"Even if we can gather 100,000 or 200,000 people, what then?"

"Perhaps relying on our numerical advantage, we can defeat the garrison troops of a prefecture and dominate the Ningguo region, invincible. But what if we encounter the Three Guards of Dongling? You must know that the Golden Guard, the Silver Feather Guard, and the Imperial Guard were all established by Emperor Longtai. Even though decades have passed and the fighting strength of the Three Guards of Dongling has weakened compared to Emperor Longtai's time, they can still be considered elite. What chance do the Yang family's chaotic army have against the Three Guards of Dongling?"

"Even if we capture a few more prefectures, and our forces reach 300,000 or 400,000, we can rely on our numerical advantage to painstakingly crush the Dongling Three Guards. But don't forget, to our north, there is an even stronger and more terrifying force."

"King Yan."

The moment the words "Prince of Yan" were uttered, almost everyone in the council hall changed their expression.

Some were terrified, some were disgusted, and some had murderous intent on their faces.

The Yang family originally held absolute power in Ningguo, but the reason why their situation has deteriorated so drastically and they have fallen to their current state can almost be attributed to the Prince of Yan.

"Don't forget, Ningguo's most powerful army is in the hands of the Prince of Yan." Yang Guoxuan sighed helplessly. Encountering a mad and powerful being was probably the greatest tragedy for the Yang family.

"The army under the Prince of Yan is a ruthless force capable of going out of the city to fight the Xiongnu and Jurchen cavalry in open field battles. They are capable of trampling the royal court and slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu. The real elite force is the peasant army gathered by the Yang family. They are untrained and even lack weapons and equipment. When they encounter the black-armored soldiers and silver-armored guards under the Prince of Yan who kill without blinking an eye, it is an understatement to say that it is like throwing an egg against a rock. The two sides are simply incomparable. It will probably be a one-sided massacre the moment they make contact."

"As long as the Prince of Yan is alive, and as long as his army remains, even if our Yang family can conquer this world, it will only be a wedding dress for Song Yan."

“I even suspect that once we raise the banner of rebellion, the Prince of Yan might directly march his army south. At that time, our Yang family won’t even have a chance to develop; we will be wiped out by the Prince of Yan as traitors.”

Yang Guoxuan's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads.

My restless heart cooled down instantly.

Some people still felt a sense of pride and were unwilling to admit that the Yang family was so insignificant in front of Song Yan, but when they opened their mouths, they couldn't utter any words of rebuttal.

There was no way around it; the countless mounds of corpses already proved just how powerful Song Yan's army was.

Yang Hexing chuckled, which was what he liked most about Yang Guoxuan. No matter what, he always maintained a calm demeanor and wouldn't be blinded by false prosperity: "So, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Yang Guoxuan took a deep breath, his expression more serious than ever before: "If the Yang family wants to succeed, they must first get rid of Song Yan."

"The only way to get rid of Song Yan is..."

"Borrow troops!"

A strange light began to flicker in Yang Hexing's eyes: "From where?"

"Hun!"

"Jurchen!"

"And...Japanese pirates!"

……

The sky had quietly darkened.

The Prince's Palace in Pingyang City was completely silent.

Song Yan maintained the posture of holding Luo Tianyi in both arms. This made Luo Tianyi a little helpless. He had been holding her like this all afternoon. Didn't her brother-in-law get tired of it?

Anyway, after sitting on her brother-in-law's lap for a long time, her little bottom started to hurt.

Luo Tianyi could see that her father's death had dealt a tremendous blow to Song Yan, an unimaginable blow. Song Yan's grief was probably no less than Luo Yuheng's, and it had even brought Song Yan to the brink of mental breakdown. Luo Tianyi noticed this, which was why she came to comfort her. However, she still didn't quite understand. Her brother-in-law and Emperor Ninghe's relationship was, at most, that of son-in-law and father-in-law. Could their feelings really be that deep?
We've barely met each other more than a few times.

There are some things that Luo Tianyi is unaware of.

For Song Yan, Mei Xue's existence filled the void of her mother's position, but in both her previous and current lives, she ultimately had nothing in the position of her father.

Perhaps, at times, Song Yan even regarded Emperor Ninghe as his biological father.

The existence of Emperor Ninghe was more like a small, unrealized wish in Song Yan's heart.

Her slender body shifted slightly in Song Yan's arms: "Brother-in-law, let go of me."

"Someone's here; it should be Liu Yisheng and his group."

Luo Tianyi was quite capable; he could sense the commotion outside the Prince's mansion and muttered to himself.

However, Song Yan stubbornly refused to let go, his breath tickling Luo Tianyi's neck.

After a while, Song Yan finally raised his head with some reluctance, and his eyes finally regained their clarity:

"Heavenly Garment".

"Hmm?" Luo Tianyi hummed in response, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a slender finger.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you for a long time," Song Yan said slowly, "but I've been interrupted several times by unforeseen circumstances."

"Hmm, what is it? Go ahead and ask." Luo Tianyi seemed very easy to talk to.

"In the cave on the banks of the Yi and Luo Rivers in Ningping County..." Song Yan said, enunciating each word clearly, "that woman!"

"is that you?"

This time, he held Luo Tianyi tightly, determined not to give her another chance to escape.

(End of this chapter)