Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 587 Luo Yuheng Gives Birth (13,000 words, please vote)

"Please... Your Highness the Imperial Concubine enters the palace!"

The eunuch's distinctive, highly individual voice echoed throughout the golden hall, reverberating in everyone's ears.

The officials and nobles all subconsciously looked up, their faces showing a hint of confusion.

Dowager Consort?

Which imperial concubine?

When the late emperor passed away, he left behind more than ten concubines. Apart from the empress who was promoted to empress dowager, the other concubines could all be called imperial concubines.

This is the Golden Hall of the Imperial Court, where His Majesty and his ministers discuss important matters of state. Wouldn't it be somewhat inappropriate to send a woman from the inner palace here?
A slight rustling sound came from inside the golden hall, and then footsteps approached. A beautiful and elegant woman in a long purple dress slowly walked out from behind. The woman should have been in her thirties, but she was used to a life of luxury, with the best of everything, so the years had not left many marks on her. She looked no more than thirty years old at first glance.

He also exuded an innate nobility that came from a prominent family.

Many people's expressions changed slightly, clearly indicating that they had recognized the woman's identity.

Yang Miaoyun, the late emperor's beloved concubine.

His heart pounded with fear. What did Emperor Tianwu want with Yang Miaoyun in the Golden Hall of the Imperial Court? Could it be that he was taking his anger out on Yang Miaoyun because of the Yang family's rebellion, and wanted to execute her in front of all the officials, staging a bloodbath in the Golden Hall? Executing someone on the first day of the Lunar New Year? Couldn't he at least rest for a few days?
Yang Miaoyun was poised and graceful. Although she had never been to this Golden Palace before and was burdened with the infamy of being the daughter of a traitor, she showed no fear. Upon arriving at the main hall, she first bowed to Luo Tianshu and said, "This old woman greets the Emperor."

Given our seniority, there's nothing wrong with addressing me as "this old woman."

"Your Highness, please rise." Luo Tianshu had a slight smile on his face. His gaze inadvertently swept over the nobles in the court, and his smile deepened. "Your Highness told me some things a few days ago. These things concern the nobles of Ning Kingdom. The nobles in the court have all followed the founding emperor and the previous emperors in their campaigns, spending their lives on the battlefield and making great contributions to Ning Kingdom."

"After much deliberation, I feel that these matters should not be kept from the nobles. Why don't you, the Dowager Consort, recount the events of that day again right here in the Golden Hall? Is that alright?"

The murmurs among the officials in the court intensified, especially among the nobles, who were all filled with suspicion. No one knew what the Emperor was up to, or why they had been inexplicably implicated. Instinctively, all eyes fell on Yang Miaoyun. Some frowned, others looked nervous, as if they were afraid that Yang Miaoyun would reveal her past dealings with the Yang family. If Emperor Tianwu were to accuse them of colluding with the Yang family, they feared for their lives.

“The Emperor has given his decree, and we shall obey.” Yang Miaoyun curtsied again, then turned leisurely, her gaze sweeping over the many nobles: “Duke of Liang, Duke of Ao, Marquis of Wuying, Marquis of Wulie, Marquis of Beichuan…”

Yang Miaoyun read out one name after another, from Duke to Marquis to Earl, calling out dozens of names before stopping. All those whose names were called tensed up, as they were all related to the Yang family by marriage.

Their backgrounds were relatively clean. Although they were related to the Yang family by marriage, their relationship was not close. Therefore, they were able to escape the repeated purges of the Yang family by Emperor Ninghe and Emperor Tianwu. Now, they were suddenly singled out by Yang Miaoyun, and they were filled with unease. They were even more confused about what Emperor Tianwu wanted to do.

"Gentlemen, most of you or your sons have married daughters of the Yang family..." Yang Miaoyun spoke eloquently, and in her gentle voice, she revealed the Yang family's plan to use their daughters to marry into noble families, then seize the title, control all the nobles in Ning Kingdom, and even try to replace the princes, a plan to steal the sky and change the sun.

These words caused an uproar in the vast imperial court.

Countless nobles looked at each other in bewilderment.

impossible.

It is absolutely impossible.

How could they possibly make a mistake about the son and grandson they raised with such care?

Moreover, isn't the Yang family's plan just too absurd?

The risk is too great; there is almost no chance of success. The slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin.

Could it be that Emperor Tianwu deliberately used this tactic to sow discord between them and the Yang family, and even invited Yang Miaoyun out specifically to stage such a show in order to increase credibility?
The large group of civil officials standing nearby grinned, their faces showing a hint of excitement. Of all the court assemblies they had attended, this one was the most interesting.

“Impossible.” Just then, Duke Liang suddenly stood up, his face gloomy: “Your Majesty, although my daughter-in-law is a Yang family woman, since she married into the Duke’s mansion, she has never left the mansion and has only left a handful of times.”

"Her dowry servants were all female, and there were no men."

"To say that the grandson added to our Duke's mansion is a pure-blooded member of the Yang family, this old minister would never dare to believe it."

As soon as Duke Liang finished speaking, Duke Ao stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, my daughter-in-law, although she is the eldest daughter of the Yang family, is gentle and mild-mannered and always adheres to the virtues of a woman. She has never had any contact with men outside the family alone. To say that her son is not of the blood of our Duke’s family is a slander.”

"The Yang family murdered the late emperor in the street, and instead of accepting their fate, they even dared to rebel. This old minister knows Your Majesty's hatred for the Yang family, and I also deeply abhor them. However, the laws of Ningguo stipulate that a married daughter is not implicated in the crimes of her maternal family. That is why this old minister has been able to tolerate this daughter-in-law until now. If Your Majesty is displeased, this old minister will go back and have my son write a letter of divorce to the Yang family woman, and abolish her son's position as the legitimate heir!"

The meaning is quite clear: Your Majesty, if you don't like the Yang family's daughter, you can simply divorce her. There's no need to resort to such underhanded means to slander her; it's too low-class and unbecoming of your status as emperor.

Strangely enough, Luo Tianchu, who usually has a fiery temper and gets angry easily, was unusually amiable today. Even when the two dukes retorted, he showed no anger and just smiled.

At this moment, Yang Miaoyun spoke again: "Gentlemen, think carefully, after the Yang family daughters married into various families, did any of the Yang family elder brothers come to visit? Most of them claimed to be from the Huilong Yang family."

The nobles were taken aback, and after thinking about it carefully, it seemed that there really was such a thing.

When he saw his colleagues nodding in agreement, he couldn't help but wonder, "Is it too much of a coincidence that every family has a cousin from the Yang family of Huilong coming to visit?"
Some people already had a bad feeling and their faces turned pale.

"Think again, did she become pregnant after this cousin's visit?"

Upon hearing this, the nobles fell into an eerie silence. After thinking it over carefully, their expressions grew increasingly grim. It seemed that this cousin had indeed become pregnant after his visit. Looking at the appearance of the noble beside him, their hearts sank even lower.

If it were just one family, it could be a coincidence.

If everyone is like this, then it's definitely not just a coincidence.

I was already eight or nine parts convinced.

In an instant, almost all the nobles changed their expressions, their eyes turning bloodshot, like angry lions, their throats filled with suppressed roars.

The Yang family!

The Yang family!!!

How dare they do that?!
Just then, the Duke of Liang took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed to Luo Tianshu: "Your Majesty, this old minister suddenly remembered that there are still matters at home that have not been dealt with. Please allow this old minister to leave court early."

At this moment, Luo Tianchu was completely different from his usual tyrannical self. He nodded gently and said, "Please rise, old Duke. There's no need for this. Hey... In recent days, I have personally eliminated many people associated with the Yang family. Why haven't I taken any action against you all? It's because I know that you are all pitiful people."

"Old Duke, you should go back now, but you must not harm your health because of what the Yang family has done. Ningguo is currently in turmoil and needs a pillar like you, Old Duke, to stabilize the situation."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." The Duke of Liang bowed again and then hurriedly prepared to leave.

"Lord Duke, you can search carefully when you get back; there might be some unexpected finds," Yang Miaoyun suddenly added.

Duke Liang paused slightly, nodded, and turned to leave.

With the departure of the Duke of Liang, the other nobles also became restless. One by one, they made up excuses and hurriedly left. Luo Tianshu was very easy to talk to, and he granted permission to leave to anyone who wanted to.

As for the civil officials, they were all dumbfounded, watching the departing nobles' backs, feeling an intense itch all over their bodies.

I can't stand still anymore, I really want to go see what's going on.

Seeing this, Luo Tianchu smiled wryly and generously announced the adjournment of the court.

After bowing, a group of civil officials hurriedly left. They wished they had more legs so they could rush to the mansions of these nobles to see what was going on. In this respect, there was not much difference between officials and ordinary people; they all had a keen interest in gossip.

Especially since it's such a sensational story about being "hatted," you'd definitely regret missing it for the rest of your life.

……

The Marquis of Wulie's Residence.

Upon returning to his residence, Marquis Wu Lie sat alone in the main hall, his face ashen, his lips twitching uncontrollably. After an unknown amount of time, he finally raised his head and said, "Bring Concubine Yang and Chen'er here. Also, have some meticulous people thoroughly search Concubine Yang's room, leaving no corner unchecked."

The butler outside the door immediately accepted the order and prepared to leave.

Marquis Guo Si of Wulie originally had Yang Yunpan as his wife, and the two had a son named Guo Chen.

Not long ago, Yang Yunpan was the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, and Guo Chen was the heir apparent, the next successor to the Marquis of Wulie.

Yang Yunpan and Guo Si were a loving couple. Guo Si only had Yang Yunpan as his wife and had no concubines. When Emperor Ninghe began to purge those related to the Yang family, Guo Si was forced to demote Yang Yunpan to a concubine and also stripped Guo Chen of his title as heir.

Even so, Guo Si still frequently went to Yang Yunpan's room. Seeing Yang Yunpan in tears, Guo Si felt as if his heart was being torn apart, and he would comfort her every night.

Because of Guo Si's attitude, even though Yang Yunpan had lost her position as the mistress of the house, no one in the Marquis's mansion dared to disrespect her. However, the Marquis's attitude today was clearly a bit off, and the steward, being a clever man, dared not delay and immediately sent people to bring Yang Yunpan and Guo Chen to the main hall, while his trusted confidants began searching Yang Yunpan's room.

"master."

"Your son greets Father."

Yang Yunpan took Guo Chen's hand and respectfully bowed to Guo Si.

He stared intently at his son's face, looking at it carefully. He had spoiled his son since he was a child, and even taught him martial arts himself. He had seen this face countless times, but only today did he realize with surprise that his son's face did not resemble his own at all.

Guo Chen is already eleven years old.

Yang Yunpan met Yang's cousin, who was the same man who had visited the Marquis's residence twelve years ago and stayed there for more than a month. After he left, Guo Si only shared a room with Yang Yunpan once, and Yang Yunpan became pregnant the next day. In addition, since Guo Si married Yang Yunpan, few people from the Yang family had come to visit, so Guo Si had a deep impression of this so-called cousin.

Even now, he can still vaguely recall the appearance of his cousin.

Having not noticed before, now that His Majesty has reminded him, the more Guo Si looks at Guo Chen's face, the more he feels that the face is very similar to that person's. Apart from being slightly immature, they are practically cut from the same mold.

Crack, crack... Guo Si's fingers clenched involuntarily, his knuckles making a crisp sound, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Not receiving a response from Guo Si for a long time, Yang Yunpan was somewhat surprised. She quietly raised her head and immediately met Guo Si's fierce, bloodshot eyes. Her heart skipped a beat for no reason: "Master, what's wrong? Has someone made you angry...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Guo Si suddenly stood up and took a step forward, already standing in front of Yang Yunpan. He stretched out his fan-like fingers and grabbed Yang Yunpan's neck, lifting her up. Her originally fair face instantly turned red: "Master, what's wrong with you? Is there something I did wrong?"

Yang Yunpan was still begging for mercy, but Guo Si's anger had already reached his head. His rough face pressed forward, and the oppressive feeling was even stronger at close range: "You bastard, tell me... whose child is this bastard?"

hum!
Guo Si growled, his voice piercing Yang Yunpan's ear.

In an instant, Yang Yunpan's pupils contracted violently, her eyes revealing an intense fear, followed by disbelief and shock. Several seconds passed before Yang Yunpan reacted, screaming sharply, "Master, if you are tired of me, you can just say so and give me a letter of divorce. Why do you have to frame me like this and ruin my reputation?"

Yang Yunpan's reaction was quick enough.

However, Guo Si still saw the fear and shock that flashed through his mind.

Guo Si's heart sank lower and lower. Even at the very last moment, he still clung to a sliver of hope, but now that hope was completely dashed. He understood that Yang Yunpan had betrayed him.

Guo Chen is not her own child at all.

Guo Si, a descendant of military merit, devoted all his attention to Yang Yunpan after marrying her. His vast mansion didn't even have a single concubine, and apart from Guo Chen, he had no other children.

Despite all the pampering, he ended up having no descendants.

Ah ah ah ah ah……

The more I thought about it, the more indignant and desperate I became.

Suddenly, Guo Si roared like a tiger and swung his arm. Yang Yunpan's petite body was thrown out by Guo Si. With a thud, her head hit the doorpost, bleeding profusely. Her body slid to the ground and curled up.

Bright red blood trickled down his forehead.

Beside him, Guo Chen was terrified, trembling all over, his face deathly pale.

Guo Si ignored all that and strode up to Yang Yunpan, grabbing her hair and pulling her head up: "Tell me, is this bastard the bastard child of that wild man from the Yang family in Huilong twelve years ago?"

Yang Yunpan's pupils were constantly contracting; the shock of having her secret completely exposed was impossible to conceal. However, she kept her mouth tightly shut, refusing to utter a single word. She knew that with Guo Si's temper, once she revealed the truth, there would only be one outcome: death.

Just then, the steward hurried over, his expression somewhat gloomy. Without saying a word, he handed a box to Guo Si. When the box was opened, a set of men's clothes was found inside. However, due to being stored for too many years, the clothes were somewhat rotten, and the silk had long lost its luster.

There were also letters written by Yang Yunpan herself, but never sent. The contents of the letters were so nauseating that Guo Si even felt like vomiting.

Guo Si chuckled, "I never expected that a daughter of the prestigious Yang family would be so fond of stealing men..."

"You like cheating on men, don't you?"

“I remember there were a lot of beggars in Yongqingfang. Break her limbs, strip her naked and throw her there. There are plenty of men there, let her steal to her heart’s content.”

"As for this bastard, there's a dry well in the backyard. Throw him in, and don't give him a drop of water or a grain of food!"

Yang Yunpan, who had been silent all along, panicked completely. She struggled desperately and crawled toward Guo Si, screaming uncontrollably, "My lord, spare Chen'er! He's just a child!"

"Your Excellency, you have spoiled him for eleven years, eleven years!"

"Could it be that eleven years of affection are no match for mere blood ties? Are you really going to be so heartless?"

Yang Yunpan's words almost made Guo Si laugh in anger. He couldn't understand what was going on in the minds of the women in the Yang family, how could they have such outrageous ideas?
It's precisely because I've invested eleven years of my feelings that seeing you two now makes me feel even more disgusted.

Siblings from the same clan, the product of incestuous intercourse.

Pooh.

Nausea.

nausea!

Seeing that Yang Yunpan seemed to want to rush up and hug his leg, Guo Si stepped out and with a crack, his arm was cut off.

Then came the other arm, and then the two legs.

Then there's Guo Chen... no, perhaps he should be called Yang Chen.

A piercing scream rose into the sky within the Marquis's mansion.

Similar situations were playing out simultaneously in countless mansions.

The first day of the first lunar month of the first year of Tianwu!

In Dongling City, all the women of the Yang family were eliminated.

Some were chopped into mincemeat on the spot, just like Zhao Gaizhi in the past; some had their limbs cut off and were thrown into the latrine to be soaked in filth; even worse, some were stripped naked and thrown into a beggar's den, where they met their death in pain and screams.

As for all the purebred Yang family bastards, some were thrown into dry wells and waited to starve to death in despair; some were thrown onto stone mills and turned into mincemeat; some were simply buried alive in a pit. None of them survived.

The sins committed by the Yang family will ultimately have to be borne by the Yang family members.

At the same time, the hatred of the nobles in the court for the Yang family reached an unprecedented extreme. If it was originally that Luo Tianshu arranged for Ban Cheng to lead the troops of the two guards to suppress the Yang family's rebellion, there were still people in the court who kept obstructing it. Ban Cheng had not even been able to set off yet. But now, all the nobles were united around Luo Tianshu, and there was no longer any objection to sending troops.

Even more extreme, some wished they could lead their household servants and guards to the battlefield, hoping to chop that old scoundrel Yang Hexing into mincemeat and perhaps alleviate their hatred.

Most of these military elites were grateful to Luo Tianchu, because if it weren't for His Majesty, they would have had to raise someone else's child for the rest of their lives, and even their family titles would have been usurped by an illegitimate child. Their only complaint was that His Majesty couldn't have made such a thing public in court. Couldn't he have discussed it privately? Now, the entire court knew that he had been cuckolded.

It's probably a bit embarrassing.

As for the civil officials, they would just chuckle whenever they saw these military merits.

Good heavens, this is half the imperial court being cuckolded! The Yang family really went all out.

Then, if Wu Xun accidentally discovers it, he will be beaten black and blue.

However, whether they were military or civil officials, most of them gave up the idea of ​​cooperating with the Yang family. Even those who occasionally had contact with the Yang family during this period quietly cut off their contact.

The Yang family clearly wants to monopolize all the benefits, leaving no share of the spoils for others. Cooperating with such people will likely result in being ripped off and left with nothing but scraps.

……

Time continues to move slowly forward, and the New Year holidays have passed in the blink of an eye.

The first month of the lunar calendar has reached its middle.

Pingyang City.

There were clearly more people than usual, a large portion of whom were refugees who had fled from the south.

After finishing his lessons at the Prince of Yan's Academy, Song Yan returned to the Prince of Yan's residence, and it was already getting dark.

Luo Yuheng greeted him as usual.

Unlike before, now that she was pregnant, she no longer sat directly on the stone steps, but instead moved a chair over.

She always hoped that when Yan'er returned from her trip, she would see the person she was thinking of the first thing she saw.

Although it was useless, she still wanted to do it. Whenever she saw Yan'er's figure in the hazy night, she felt inexplicably happy.

Song Yan knew Luo Yuheng's habit, so he quickened his pace from a distance and quickly took Luo Yuheng's arm when he arrived. Luo Yuheng had been pregnant for more than eight months, and it was estimated that she would give birth in less than a month.

"It's chilly at night, you don't need to wait for me here every day," Song Yan sighed, somewhat helplessly.

"I'm used to it now, and I'm dressed warmly, so I'm not cold." Luo Yuheng smiled gently, moving her feet carefully. She looked up at Song Yan, her brows full of heartache, and raised her hand to try to smooth the wrinkles between Song Yan's brows: "But Yan'er, you've looked much more haggard these days."

“Sometimes, it’s okay to relax a little; there’s no need to push yourself too hard,” Luo Yuheng said softly.

Song Yan just smiled and didn't say anything more.

Just then, Song Yan suddenly sensed something, turned around and looked, and sure enough, Qingluan had silently appeared behind him.

"Your Majesty!"

"The Jurchen fleet has set sail."

Song Yan's body trembled, and a flash of madness and excitement suddenly appeared in his eyes. He had waited so long, and this moment had finally arrived.

only……

Luo Yuheng smiled and gently patted Song Yan's hand: "It's alright, go ahead."

“I still have about a month to go, it won’t be that quick. Besides, the Prince’s mansion has prepared midwives and physicians, all of whom are highly skilled senior doctors. Lian Yue also knows medicine. Moreover, Yu Shuang sent a letter today and will be back in the next couple of days, so there’s no need to worry.”

Song Yan took a deep breath and nodded emphatically: "I will be back as soon as possible."

He felt somewhat helpless; the timing was too perfect.

It takes about two and a half days to travel by boat from the Haixi Grassland to Pingyang. It will take about a day for Qingluan to send a message back. Even if he sets off by boat immediately, it will still take at least a day to reach the area where he can intercept Qingluan at sea.

Time is very tight.

However, this is an excellent opportunity to eliminate the Jurchen's fighting force. If handled properly, this time they can be completely crippled.

The Yang family, and even the crisis of the Six Barbarian Invasions, will be greatly reduced.

He can't afford to delay.

Luo Yuheng smiled and released Song Yan's fingers: "Go, go do what you should do."

"I'll wait for you to come home."

Taking a deep breath, Song Yan nodded emphatically and, accompanied by Yu Qingluan, turned and left, heading straight for the governor's mansion.

Luo Yuheng silently watched Song Yan's back, a faint smile on his face, until Song Yan disappeared into the night and could no longer be seen, then he withdrew his gaze with a touch of melancholy.

Then, Luo Yuheng's body suddenly trembled, and she covered her stomach with one small hand, a clear look of pain flashing across her face.

The intense feeling of falling made Luo Yuheng panic.

Feeling like you're falling?
Is she... about to give birth?

(End of this chapter)