Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 578 Luo Tianyi Dons a Veil (6,000 words)
"The white-clad fairy in the cave by the Yi River in Ningping County!"

"is that you?"

call!
A night breeze swept by, ruffling the strands of hair around Luo Tianyi's ears and temples.

Song Yan was gradually figuring out what had happened. For example, on the night of his wedding to Luo Tianxuan, it was Luo Yuheng who raided the bridal chamber, and it was Luo Yuheng who took the bloodstains from the bed. However, Song Yan still couldn't be sure of the true identity of the white-clad fairy in the cave by the Yi River... At one point, Song Yan even suspected that the white-clad fairy and the mysterious woman on his wedding night might be the same person, but as the secrets surrounding Luo Yuheng were revealed, this speculation was shattered.

Song Yan also had doubts about Luo Tianxuan.

However, the bloodstains on the bed when Song Yan and Luo Tianxuan shared a room proved that Luo Tianxuan was not the woman from the cave.

Song Yan also had doubts about Yu Shuang.

After all, Yu Shuang and the woman in the cave did have some similarities in temperament, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Firstly, there was the difference in their figures; Yu Shuang's figure was obviously fuller, while the woman in the cave was more slender. Secondly, there was the difference in their voices; Yu Shuang's natural, high-pitched voice was something that could hardly be faked.

After that, Song Yan's main suspect was Luo Tianyi.

After all, although the woman in white had her face veiled, her figure and temperament were so similar to her sister-in-law's that when Song Yan first met her sister-in-law, their images overlapped in her mind. Later, as she lived under the same roof with her sister-in-law for a long time, the longer they spent together, the stronger the idea that her sister-in-law was the woman in white became.

Song Yan had several opportunities to ask her about it before. Once, at the palace gate, he confessed his feelings to his sister-in-law for the first time, but before he could ask her anything, Luo Tianyi ran away because she was too shy. This time, when he returned to Pingyang, he temporarily camped by the river. It was late at night and quiet, which should have been a good opportunity to ask her, but those fat guys ruined it again...

At this moment, Song Yan hugged Luo Tianyi. No matter what, he had to hear the answer from Luo Tianyi.

Luo Tianyi's body stiffened slightly in Song Yan's arms.

Even through the thin gauze dress, Song Yan could clearly feel the burning heat emanating from Luo Tianyi's body.

Based on this performance alone, Song Yan already knew the answer.

If the woman really wasn't Luo Tianyi, and Luo Tianyi knew nothing about this matter, then her most likely reaction would be to look up with a blank expression and ask, "Cave? What cave?"

Instead of what it is now, a blush has spread from her long, snow-white neck to her ears.

Where Song Yan couldn't see, Luo Tianyi's eyes were already misty, her gaze unfocused, her lips slightly parted, and her breath sweet as orchids.

Her slender body writhed gently in Song Yan's arms, trying to break free.

This time, Song Yan did not continue to forcibly restrain him; he loosened his arms.

Luo Tianyi stood up, and with a light tap of her toes, her figure disappeared in front of Song Yan.

In a daze, a lingering fragrance still lingered between my nose and nose.

Song Yan smiled, said nothing more, straightened the wrinkles in his robe, and prepared to go to the front courtyard. With Emperor Ninghe's passing, he still had many things to deal with, and it was already extremely difficult for him to steal a moment of leisure in his busy schedule.

However, after taking only two steps, a crisp voice suddenly came from behind:
"Brother-in-law."

Song Yan paused, then turned around. The next moment, she saw a familiar figure, and after just one glance, she couldn't take her eyes off him.

The stream inside the palace was not frozen and continued to flow gurglingly, with thick snow piled up beside it, pure white and pristine.

The Luo River ripples and ripples, and atop the snowflakes stands a slender young woman, dressed in a white dress, her figure perfectly proportioned; her shoulders are like those of a sculpted figure, her waist slender and graceful; her skin is as white as snow, and her black hair flows like a waterfall.

With her face covered by a veil, she looks like a fairy in a painting!

She felt somewhat ashamed.

A slight blush rose on her delicate cheeks.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly with unease.

call!
A heavy exhalation sound.

Luo Tianyi put on her veil again, and Song Yan didn't know how to describe her feelings at this moment. It was as if she had gained an unprecedented sense of spiritual satisfaction.

Even the corners of her lips couldn't help but curve into a slight smile.

He silently watched Luo Tianyi.

After a long while, Song Yan suddenly burst into laughter, then turned and left.

……

As night fell, Mei Wu, Zhang Zhen, and Fang Hai, who were furthest away, finally arrived outside the Prince's Mansion. As soon as they dismounted, they saw that there were already some people waiting at the gate of the Prince's Mansion, namely Liu Yisheng, Li Er, and others.

Almost everyone had a serious and solemn expression on their faces. The news of Emperor Ninghe being assassinated in the street was a great shock to them. However, compared to Emperor Ninghe, they were more concerned about the condition of their own prince. Judging from the information conveyed by Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, and Wang Mahan, the prince must be in a very bad mood right now.

If the prince were just an ordinary person, he could naturally be happy or angry, and it wouldn't cause too much of a problem. But the prince is not an ordinary person. He carries the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Anzhou and Pingyang on his shoulders, as well as tens of thousands of soldiers who have followed him through thick and thin. One of his orders may be related to the life and death of tens of thousands of people. No matter what, he absolutely cannot let his emotions affect his reason.

After exchanging greetings, Liu Yisheng spoke first to Mei Wu: "General, you are the Prince's elder. We'll need you to persuade the Prince later. Now is not a good time to mobilize troops. At the very least, we can't act rashly."

"To the north, there are still the Xiongnu and Jurchens, eyeing us covetously."

"A rash attack on the Yang family could very well cause all the wealth we've painstakingly accumulated to vanish in an instant!"

That's right, the Xiongnu and the Jurchen.

The Yang family has extremely close ties with these foreign tribes!
"Yan'er is a sentimental person." Mei Wu sighed with a hint of helplessness. For those who followed Song Yan, such as Liu Yisheng, Li Er, and Zhang Zhen, Song Yan's sentimentality was a good thing. After all, a sentimental person wouldn't easily do something like "the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked." However, for the burden on Song Yan's shoulders and the heights he wanted to reach in the future, being sentimental might not always be a good thing.

"The late emperor treated Yan'er with sincerity, and Yan'er reciprocated with sincerity."

"However, acting on emotion is a major taboo for military strategists."

"As far as we are concerned, we should do our best to advise them."

With Mei Wu's assurance, the others felt a little more at ease. After all, Mei Wu was Song Yan's maternal grandfather, and his words carried some weight.

The group was still waiting at the entrance. Song Yan had already given instructions that they could enter the Prince's residence without announcing their arrival. However, even Liu Yisheng, who had been by Song Yan's side the longest and had the deepest affection for him, still adhered to the proper etiquette.

As they were talking, footsteps came from the front yard.

Looking up, I was immediately struck by Song Yan.

Looking at Song Yan's current appearance, everyone exchanged glances. His Highness the Prince of Yan seemed to be somewhat different from what Zhang Long and Zhao Hu had described. There was a look of sadness between his brows, but he did not appear to be out of control.

Despite their doubts, everyone quickly bowed in greeting.

“Why do we need so many formalities? Wouldn’t that make us too distant?” Song Yan quickly reached out to help his maternal grandfather up. “I’ve said it before: if any of you need to come to the Prince’s residence, just go in and let me know. The weather is getting colder now, and it’s quite chilly outside.”

As he spoke, Song Yan led these important figures from the fiefdom toward the guest hall.

In the guest room, Gu Banxia and Ziyu had already prepared hot tea, and the charcoal fire was also lit, crackling and popping, with a spark occasionally flying out.

Upon entering the guest room, everyone felt a warm sensation throughout their bodies.

The aroma of tea brings a sense of comfort from the inside out.

The slight chill I felt earlier was no longer worth mentioning.

After everyone was seated, Song Yan first bowed to everyone and said, "I apologize. When I suddenly heard of His Majesty's passing, I lost my composure and rashly prepared to send troops against the Yang family, causing you all to travel dozens of miles. This was my fault, and I hope you will forgive me."

In this era, the distinction between superiors and inferiors was still very clear.

Song Yan, a prince, actually bowed and apologized to them, the staff and soldiers who were dependent on the Prince of Yan. This truly made Liu Yisheng, Jia Yifei, Zhang Zhen, and the others feel extremely apprehensive. Especially Li Er, who was just a surrendered general, was treated with such courtesy by the prince, and he couldn't help but admire the prince's magnanimity.

They all hurriedly stood up to return the greeting, saying they were unworthy of such a gesture.

They couldn't help but feel more and more subservient to Song Yan. Liu Yisheng, Li Er, Zhang Han, Lei Yi and others even felt that Song Yan's actions, which showed respect for the virtuous and learned, were exactly the qualities of a wise ruler.

It seems that the dragon's achievement is secure.

Only Mei Wu accepted Song Yan's greeting without hesitation. After all, as a maternal grandfather, it was only natural for him to accept the greeting from his grandchildren.

It was already late, and most of Mei Wu, Fang Hai, Liu Yisheng, and the others had come hungry, so Gu Banxia and Ziyu began to prepare dinner. The dishes weren't extravagant, but they were still quite plentiful. After everyone sat down, they ate something to fill their stomachs and then shared a drink.

The wines served at the Prince of Yan's residence were clearly different from the yellow wines and fruit wines commonly found on the market. They looked clear and pure, like water, without any impurities or turbidity. However, they were spicy and made one feel hot all over after swallowing them.

Although it was quite unusual to drink at first, it inexplicably became something I liked.

Especially in winter, a glass of wine feels even more refreshing.

This is the baijiu that Song Yan distilled in his spare time. It's not very strong, only about 30 or 40 degrees. He originally intended to make it into a business, but when he put it in the tavern under the Zhang family's name, the sales were not satisfactory. Ordinary people didn't seem to be able to accept this strong liquor. Only some hunters, warriors, and soldiers would try it but not much.

Song Yan was slightly disappointed, but didn't take it too seriously. Even if it didn't sell, it could be further distilled and purified to increase its alcohol content, and then used in the army to clean soldiers' wounds, preventing mass deaths from ulcers. That would be a good thing. He only brought out the strong liquor to entertain Mei Wu and the others today because they had braved the cold wind. Unexpectedly, everyone present seemed to like the liquor; even scholars like Liu Yisheng and Jia Yifei couldn't help but drink a few extra sips.

Song Yan then brought up the matter of the Yang family again.

“The Yang family deserves to be executed.” Liu Yisheng took another sip of baijiu, his face already flushed. For someone trying strong liquor for the first time, the alcohol was quite potent, but not enough to impair his thinking. “However, Your Highness must not act impulsively. Whether or not to execute the Yang family depends on the imperial decree. If the imperial court issues an imperial edict, the governors of each prefecture can take the initiative to send troops to exterminate the Yang family, or even issue an imperial edict directly to Your Highness. In that case, Your Highness can mobilize troops without any problem.”

“If Your Highness were to lead troops away from your fiefdom without an imperial edict, it would be tantamount to treason,” Liu Yisheng said slowly, exhaling a breath of alcohol.

In reality, given the current military strength of the Prince of Yan's fiefdom, it wouldn't be impossible for him to directly pacify Ningguo, and rebellion wouldn't be considered a major issue.

However, to accomplish great things, one must have a great sense of righteousness.

Many people look down on so-called reputation, but in this day and age, the banner of righteousness is still extremely important. Without a righteous reputation, one is a traitor and a villain, which may even discourage other talented people from serving, and will become a stain on one's record in history books.

"We don't know who the new emperor is yet." Fang Hai pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "But no matter who the emperor is, if we mobilize troops at will, it will be a desecration of His Majesty's authority and will displease the new emperor. This is definitely not a good thing for us."

"For an emperor, it is extremely easy to trip up a prince whose fief is in a remote area. He doesn't even need to send troops to attack directly. He can cause us a lot of trouble simply by instructing the various prefectures along the way in Ningguo to restrict the grain transported to Anzhou and Pingyang."

"So, Your Highness, the best thing we can do now is to wait..."

"We need to know who has ascended the throne and what their attitude is towards our Yan vassal state."

"We must wait for the imperial edict targeting the Yang family. Once we have the imperial edict, we can then launch a military campaign, and no one will be able to find fault with us."

Fang Hai and Liu Yisheng analyzed the matter from the perspective of court politics.

Mei Wu's focus was clearly on military deployment: "Although the Yan fiefdom is now stable, it is also surrounded by wolves. On the Haixi grassland, Wanyan Guangzhi is gradually completing the unification with the help of the Xiongnu, and on the Mobei grassland, the Xiongnu are still eyeing us covetously."

"You should know that the Xiongnu and Jurchen are still having a tough time this year. They haven't made a move yet because they know that the military strength of the Yan vassal state is not to be trifled with. If they find out that Your Highness has mobilized a large number of elite troops to besiege the Yang family, will they take the risk?"

"Furthermore, the Yang family has always had close ties with foreign tribes. Previously, the Yang family provided Wanyan Guangzhi with a large amount of food and weapons. The Yang family's caravans have been traveling between the Xiongnu and the Central Plains for many years. The Yang family also frequently went to sea to do overseas trade. Their ships were almost never plundered by Japanese pirates, which obviously shows that they also had close ties with Japanese pirates."

"Nowadays, anyone can see that the Yang family is likely to suffer a great calamity. No matter who sits on the throne, the first imperial edict will definitely be to exterminate the Yang family. Otherwise, he can forget about securing his position as emperor."

Song Yan nodded slightly, agreeing with these words.

This era values ​​filial piety. If you can't avenge your father, do you still want to be emperor?

You look beautiful.

“What we can see, the Yang family must feel even more deeply.” Mei Wu also took a big gulp of baijiu. Although Mei Wu was old and had been tormented by Mei Zicong, leaving him in serious physical condition, he was still a military general. A few cups of baijiu wouldn’t cloud his judgment. “Your Highness is also knowledgeable in military affairs. Do you think the Yang family’s military strength can withstand the imperial army?”

After a moment's thought, Song Yan shook his head: "Impossible."

The Yang family definitely maintains a private army, but the number of soldiers is certainly not very large.

If they really wanted to rebel and resist the imperial army, the only way was to mobilize the tenant farmers and forcibly conscript laborers from Langya City and even Dongshan Prefecture. But it is easy to imagine how much fighting power such soldiers would have. Even if they could withstand the exhausted prefectural soldiers, they would only be annihilated if they encountered the Dongling Three Guards or border troops transferred from other places.

“Yes, that’s impossible.” Mei Wu nodded. “But the Yang family certainly won’t sit idly by and wait to die, so at this time the Yang family will definitely think of other ways, such as… borrowing troops!”

Song Yan narrowed his eyes: "Borrow troops? From where?"

"It's impossible to borrow troops within Ningguo itself. No one wants to get involved with the Yang family at this time. The only way for the Yang family to borrow troops is through a foreign tribe with close ties to them." Mei Wu exhaled a breath of alcohol.

"For example, the Xiongnu, the Jurchen, and the Japanese pirates."

"Invite foreign tribes into the pass and use them to fight against the imperial court's encirclement and suppression."

Mei Wu's eyes gleamed: "I have met Yang Hexing before. He is a man with considerable ambition. Perhaps Yang Hexing still harbors the idea of ​​using the power of foreign tribes to ascend the throne of Ningguo."

"These powerful families don't really have any concept of the nation."

Upon hearing this, Fang Hai's expression became slightly awkward, after all, the Fang family was considered one of the powerful clans.

Unfortunately, Mei Wu was a rough and uncultured man. He was a first-rate military talent, but he was rather weak in interpersonal relationships. Mei Wu did not notice Fang Hai's expression and just continued to say to himself: "For most aristocratic families, they don't really care who is the emperor. Whether it is an enemy country or a foreign race, as long as it does not harm the interests of the family, they will not care too much. In fact, for the sake of the continuation of the family, they would not mind selling the country to the barbarians."

Song Yan nodded slightly: "Then how does the Yang family intend to borrow troops?"

A glint of light flashed in Mei Wu's eyes: "At sea!"

……

"The land routes to the Jurchens and Xiongnus are all within the fiefdom of the Prince of Yan." At the same time, in the council hall of the ancestral home of the Yang family in Langya, Yang Guoxuan was still speaking eloquently: "Therefore, the only way for our Yang family to borrow troops from the Xiongnu and Jurchens is by sea."

"The sea is where Prince Yan Song Yan's control is weakest."

“We can sail the large ship to the port of the Jurchen territory, so that we can bypass the Yan King’s blockade without anyone knowing and transport the reinforcements to Langya.”

"The elite troops of the Jurchen and Xiongnu are far beyond what ordinary soldiers of Ningguo, or even border troops, can withstand."

"It can be said that as long as the Prince of Yan does not make any moves, relying on the reinforcements from the Xiongnu and Jurchens, our Yang family is basically invincible."

Yang Guoxuan's voice echoed in everyone's ears in the council hall.

Many people looked somewhat tempted.

Everyone thought the Yang family was facing certain death this time, but who would have thought that Yang Guoxuan would actually find a way out.

A kind smile appeared on Yang Hexing's wrinkled old face as he nodded: "What Guoxuan said is indeed true, but what price should we pay to ask the Jurchens, the Xiongnu, or even the Japanese pirates to send troops?"

"You should know that Song Yan has dealt with all three of these foreign tribes, especially the Japanese. The Japanese pirates along the coast of Ningguo have basically been wiped out by Song Yan. If we want to invite the Japanese pirates into the pass, we will probably have to find them from Zhao."

"Money? Grain? Right now, the Yang family is facing a life-or-death crisis, and ordinary conditions are unlikely to sway these people."

Foreign races are all insatiable.

Yang Hexing was well aware of this.

“Father is right,” Yang Guoxuan continued. “The foreign tribes are greedy. They will naturally take advantage of the Yang family’s crisis to demand more benefits. But don’t forget that the Jurchens, Xiongnu, and Japanese pirates are also in a very bad situation this year, especially in terms of food. If there is no food, they will starve to death. Therefore, they will definitely send troops.”

"At worst, our Yang family will cede more benefits."

"For example, they promised foreign tribes that as long as they could help the Yang family ascend to the throne, they would cede Anzhou to the Xiongnu, Pingyang to the Jurchens, and Songzhou to the Japanese pirates."

"With three of the sixteen prefectures of Ningguo in exchange for the support of the three clans, I think they would definitely not refuse."

“In the future, our Yang family will still have thirteen prefectures to control. Such a transaction is very worthwhile.”

When Yang Guoxuan uttered such a heinous act as ceding land, not a single person in the council hall objected.

Clearly, in their minds, both territory and people are bargaining chips that can be used for trade.

"How exactly should we borrow troops?" Yang Hexing pondered for a moment before asking again.

"First of all, the main focus of borrowing troops should be on the Jurchens and the Japanese pirates. We can send ships and arrange for Yang family envoys to contact the leaders on both sides as soon as possible. This is a relatively simple matter."

“The problem lies with the Xiongnu. They are too far from the coast, making it inconvenient to borrow troops.” Yang Guoxuan pondered briefly before speaking again: “In my opinion, the Xiongnu’s more important role is to guard against the King of Yan.”

"Even if the new emperor does not initially use the Yan army, he will have no choice but to use the Yan King's forces after repeated defeats in battle."

"We can prepare for battle with the Xiongnu. Once the elite troops of the Prince of Yan leave, we can lead a large army south to wipe out the remnants of the Prince of Yan's fiefdom."

"We could even coordinate with the Yang family's army to launch a pincer attack from the north and south, completely annihilating the Prince of Yan."

"Once the Prince of Yan is dead, the matter will be settled!"

……

"In my opinion, the Yang family's request for troops should mainly focus on the Jurchens and Japanese pirates. It is unlikely that they would be able to reach the Xiongnu. The journey is thousands of kilometers long, and in the vast snow-covered mountains, who knows how many Xiongnu people would freeze to death."

“Therefore, the Yang family will likely ask the Xiongnu to put pressure on the Yan vassal state from the Anzhou border.” A map had appeared on the table at some point. Mei Wu pointed his rough fingers at the map and analyzed it seriously: “Once the imperial edict is issued and the elite troops of the Yan vassal state are mobilized, leaving the fiefdom empty, the Xiongnu will likely take the opportunity to move south.”

“I have fought with Nasochoro several times and know his character well. He is treacherous and cunning, often uses surprise attacks, and is vindictive.”

“Last time, he lost over 100,000 people and three sons. He must be single-mindedly thinking about revenge. Sochoro will never let go of such an opportunity.”

"It seems to be a crisis for Yan, but it is also an opportunity."

"If handled properly, we might be able to seize this opportunity to completely eradicate the two malignant tumors, the Jurchens and the Xiongnu!"

(End of this chapter)