Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 600 Like Wolves and Tigers (12,000 words)

The midday sun was slightly warm.

Yu Shuang stayed quietly beside Song Yan, occasionally listening to Song Yan and Hong Qidong's conversation. A breeze blew from behind, and some strands of hair fluttered and fell onto her face, making her slightly disheveled.

Yu Shuang didn't quite understand what they were saying, but she could feel the aura that Song Yan suddenly exuded. It was like a tiger roaring through the mountains... no, not a tiger, but more like a monstrous dragon roaring in the sky.

Even with the cultivation level of a ninth-grade martial artist like Yu Shuang, a layer of small bumps appeared on her neck in an instant.

She knew that at that moment, Song Yan had murderous intent.

This murderous intent was not directed at any particular person.

call.

Song Yan let out a heavy breath, forcibly suppressing the agitation in his chest. When he raised his eyelids again, he saw Hong Qidong and a group of local gentry and wealthy men looking at him expectantly, waiting for his decision. Song Yan chuckled lightly: "Gentlemen, there's no need to be so nervous. Since you have such intentions, then I grant your request."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present was overjoyed. However, their joy quickly turned into embarrassment, especially Hong Qidong, who was at a loss for words: "Thank you, Your Highness, but... but... Huangqiao County is a remote and impoverished place..."

Although Song Yan can't be considered an old fox, he's certainly a young one.

Seeing Hong Qidong's expression, he already understood: "Since that's the case, then consider it a small token of my appreciation. I will leave the remaining heads in Huangqiao as a gift, since I also hope that the people of Huangqiao County can live a better life."

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed. Hong Qidong even trembled slightly, his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, kowtowing devoutly: "Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Your Highness. On behalf of the people of Huangqiao, I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's kindness."

Song Yan quickly reached out and helped Hong Qidong up. He was willing to show respect and help an official who got things done.

With a wave of his hand, he ordered the soldiers to remove all the heads from the warship.

Tens of thousands of heads were piled up haphazardly together; to be honest, the scene was somewhat frightening.

After everything was arranged here, Song Yan comforted him and then boarded the ship.

Accompanied by the rushing sound of water, the warship sailed upstream against the current. The wind on the water grew stronger, howling against their faces like cold knives. Looking up, they saw a dark mass of people kneeling on the banks of the Cang River.

Watching this scene silently, Song Yan's lips seemed to curl up slightly uncontrollably.

He knew that this was the people of Huangqiao recognizing him.

Anzhou and Pingyang had been humiliated by foreign tribes for countless years. This was the first time someone had truly stood up for them... Even though Song Yan's real purpose this time was only to intercept the Jurchen reinforcements, he still ended up with the heads of nearly ten thousand Japanese pirates.

People knelt for a long time.

They only turned their attention away when the warships disappeared into the mist over the Cangshui River, leaving no trace.

With Hong Qidong leading the way, many local gentry and commoners behind him also stood up one by one.

Hong Qidong's face was still flushed. He hadn't expected that the Prince of Yan, known as the "Crazy King of Jingguan," would be so easy to talk to. Those were tens of thousands of heads, just handed over to Huangqiao County like that. Song Yan patted his shoulder gently several times, making Hong Qidong feel as if he was carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders, carrying the Prince of Yan's high expectations.

This time, he's determined to make a big splash in Huangqiao County.

We must ensure that when His Highness the Prince of Yan visits again, he will see that Huangqiao has changed.

While the constables persuaded the people to do what they were supposed to do, Hong Qidong stopped the many gentry and scholars. He wanted to discuss with them how to proceed, since the repair of the Jingguan (a mound of stones) would require donations from these people; otherwise, the meager surplus in the yamen would be far from enough.

"Everyone, I've made my decision. From now on, the bridge over the Cangshui River in Huangqiao County will be called Huanglong Bridge..." Hong Qidong said in a deep voice, and from his mouth, a magnificent and magical story began to unfold.

It was likely that the Japanese pirates colluded with the Jurchens, and with the help of the traitor Yang from Ningguo, a total of hundreds of thousands of people boarded warships and attempted to land at Huangqiao to wreak havoc on Daming. Although His Highness Prince Yan only had a few thousand elite troops, he was fearless and led his elite forces to fight the enemy on the sea. The two sides fought for three days and three nights, with countless casualties on both sides, and the vast sea was dyed a scarlet red.

Seeing the Prince of Yan's bravery, the bandits decided against killing him and instead used a human sacrifice to awaken a monstrous dragon lurking in the deep sea with evil magic. When the dragon appeared, it swallowed the sky and darkened the world. Its scales were so hard that ordinary weapons could not harm it. It stirred up a monstrous tsunami, attempting to devour the Prince of Yan. Fortunately, the Prince of Yan was protected by the gods. Just as the waves were about to engulf the Prince of Yan and his soldiers, a golden light shone brightly in the sky, and a golden dragon descended from the heavens, forging a sword from its fangs and armor from its scales, which it then presented to the Prince of Yan.

The Prince of Yan wore dragon scale armor to defend against the claws of the evil dragon and wielded a dragon tooth sword to slay the evil dragon at sea.

The dragon bowed to the Prince of Yan, then wished to return to the heavens. However, seeing that the Cangshui River flowed through the county and the people of the county had difficulty crossing the river, the Prince of Yan ordered the dragon to descend and descend into an incarnation on the Cangshui River, which became a bridge, known as the Huanglong Bridge.

"And our county was renamed Huangqiao County as a result." After saying this in one breath, Hong Qidong felt his mouth was dry: "Gentlemen, I wonder if this explanation is acceptable, if it can fool... cough cough, is it acceptable to praise His Highness the Prince of Yan's illustrious name?"

For a moment, the surrounding gentry and a group of scholars were all dumbfounded.

Three breaths later, they all bowed and paid their respects to Hong Qidong, shouting their admiration.

Especially those few scholars, whose admiration was palpable. It is said that scholars have no shame, but now it seems that scholars who have become officials are the ones who truly have no shame.

Hong Qidong, however, showed no embarrassment whatsoever. On the contrary, he was quite pleased with himself. He felt that the story he had come up with on the spot would surely become a sensation in Ningguo and attract countless tourists to Huangqiao County. In short, Huangqiao County should have what Dehua County doesn't have, and Huangqiao County should take what Dehua County has to the next level.

It's just flattering the Prince of Yan... ugh, it's praising the Prince of Yan's achievements. He can talk the same thing to anyone. If he's shameless, he can come up with dozens of these things in one night.

……

The river flows swiftly.

Going against the current is ultimately more time-consuming.

It was already evening when Song Yan returned to Pingyang.

Batu and Shi Lei led their troops back to the camp, leaving only a few dozen men to help move boxes filled with silver.

This silver was naturally the payment from the small families and gentry of Huangqiao County for purchasing the heads of Japanese pirates.

Song Yan did agree to give away the head, but this transaction occurred before the gift was given away, so it shouldn't be taken seriously.

It was very cold, and there weren't many people in Pingyang City at night. A few days ago, due to the Yang family's rebellion, a large number of refugees flowed into Pingyang from Tong'an and Langya. On the day Song Yan sent out his troops, the streets were still chaotic, but now there were hardly any people to be seen.

On the streets, you can still see black-armored guards and constables on routine patrols.

Some brothels and taverns were still open, brightly lit, and one could hear decadent music coming from them from time to time. Occasionally, flushed-faced, disheveled, and drunken customers would stagger out of the brothels, with few servants following them, seemingly unafraid of being robbed.

This sight left Song Yan somewhat helpless. He hadn't expected that his efforts to improve public order would first benefit this group of people.

By the time Song Yan returned to the Prince's residence, the moon was already high in the sky.

There were still many people at the entrance of the Prince's Mansion.

Luo Yuheng, Hua Lianyue, Luo Tianyi, Gu Banxia... Luo Tianyi had already told Song Yan yesterday that he would be back today, so everyone had been waiting here for a long time. Although the night was a bit chilly, they still smiled faintly when they saw Song Yan.

Seeing these people, Song Yan felt a warmth rise in his heart. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly noticed Luo Yuheng's belly, and his expression changed. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Luo Yuheng's small hand, looking her up and down: "Yuheng, what happened...? Is something wrong?"

Even with Song Yan's composure, he was momentarily flustered. According to his previous estimate, Luo Yuheng would give birth in about twenty days, or a month.

Now, Luo Yuheng's belly has returned to its original shape. What exactly happened? Was it premature birth, or...?

Seeing Song Yan's incoherent manner, Luo Yuheng's face lit up with a smile. She could feel Song Yan's concern for her, which was truly genuine. Although the night was chilly, her whole body felt warm.

Entrusting her entire life to this man was probably the best and happiest thing she ever did.

Luo Yuheng couldn't bear to keep Song Yan in such a hurry, so he gave a wink, and the women stepped aside. Behind them, Cui Yingying and Fang Wanlin each held a swaddled baby stuffed with thick cotton, and both babies wore tiger-head hats, so there was no need to worry about them getting cold.

Two tiny figures appeared before Song Yan.

Their eyes were tightly closed, clearly they were sleeping soundly, and one of the little ones even had a finger in its mouth, making a slurping sound.

For a moment, Song Yan froze on the spot.

He simply couldn't describe how he felt at that moment.

Is it joy?
Is it excitement?
Is it confusion?
Is it unbelievable?
He just stood there, staring blankly at the little face in the swaddling clothes that resembled his own, just standing there, stunned.

The brain, too, seemed to have lost the ability to think.

After an unknown amount of time, Song Yan stiffly looked at Luo Yuheng, his tone strange, as if each syllable had a slight upward slant: "Yuheng...I...I have a child?"

Luo Yuheng smiled gently, reached out and hugged one of them, rocking her gently: "Yes, Your Highness, on the very night you left Pingyang, I gave birth to a son and a daughter. This is the older sister. Your Highness, take a look and see how much she resembles you?"

Unfortunately, Song Yan was unable to answer Luo Yuheng's question at this point.

He felt as if hundreds of cannons were exploding in his mind at the same time.

Rumble, rumble!

"I have a child?"

Having lived two lives, the word "child" was absolutely foreign to Song Yan.

I have a child!

"Hahaha...I have a baby!"

Song Yan suddenly burst into laughter. He didn't know what kind of expression he had, but he figured it was probably similar to that of Bu Jingyun, who knew the Cloud-Dispelling Palm. The difference was that Bu Jingyun was Jian Chen's child, while these two were his own.

Luo Yuheng rolled her eyes at Song Yan with a hint of helplessness. Wasn't she afraid of waking the baby up by making such a loud noise? However, she couldn't help but understand Song Yan's feelings. For people in this era, carrying on the family line was undoubtedly a major event. Whoever had a son and a daughter was generally very happy.

After a long while, Song Yan finally stopped laughing.

But his lips still twitched from time to time, proving that he was still not at peace.

His throat moved slightly as he reached out and picked up the other boy. Although the boy was light and didn't weigh much, for some reason, Song Yan felt his whole body stiffen when he held the little thing, and he didn't dare to move his arms at will... He had never been so terrified when he first created the Thunderclap Thunder and held it in his hand.

The little one in my arms was clearly asleep, but somehow, as if sensing her father's stupidity, she pouted, her little face looking like she was looking down on someone.

"My lord," Luo Yuheng spoke again, his form of address changed. Previously, Luo Yuheng had always addressed Song Yan as "Yan'er," but now that they had children, the form of address had to change: "The two little ones don't have names yet..."

Song Yan slowly exhaled, then looked down at the little guy: "The day he was born happened to be the day I led troops to quell the barbarians, so let's name him Po Lu (meaning 'destroy the barbarians')."

“Song Polu…” Luo Yuheng pondered, feeling a little helpless. If this name were placed in the eyes of those great scholars, it would be somewhat inappropriate, but she understood that this name carried some of Song Yan’s thoughts and hopes.

“As for this girl, let’s name her Xueheng!” Song Yan thought for a moment and said, “It’s winter now, and the snow hasn’t melted yet. Snow symbolizes purity, and heng means fragrant grass. As the saying goes, ‘White snow congeals a beautiful face, and bright pearls adorn crimson lips,’ my girl will surely be as beautiful as her mother when she grows up.”

It is taboo for a younger generation's name to have the same characters or the same pronunciation as an elder's name... In ancient times, there was such a saying. As for the reasons, on the one hand, it was about ethical order. Duplicate names would blur the boundaries between superiors and inferiors and disrupt the etiquette of respecting elders and juniors. In particular, if a daughter and her mother had the same characters in their names, it would be easy to confuse their identities in daily address, which was considered abnormal. On the other hand, it was also a feudal superstition that it was believed that if a younger generation had the same name as an elder, it would deprive the elder of their blessings and longevity.

However, this kind of saying mainly took shape in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, and became increasingly strict in the Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Before that, people didn't care about these things. The most typical example is Wang Xizhi's seven sons, named Wang Xuanzhi, Wang Ningzhi, Wang Huanzhi, Wang Suzhi, Wang Huizhi, Wang Caozhi, Wang Xianzhi, etc. Wang Xizhi lived to the age of fifty-nine, which was definitely considered a long life in that era. If he had violated the taboo and had his lifespan shortened, Wang Xizhi probably wouldn't have lived that long.

However, there is no such rule in Ningguo now.

Therefore, no one felt there was anything wrong with it. On the contrary, Song Yan's casual remark, "A face as white as snow and lips as red as pearls," made all the women's eyes light up slightly.

During this period, their prince had been so focused on leading troops into battle that they had almost forgotten that Song Yan was also extremely talented in poetry. Now, he could recite rare and exquisite lines off the cuff... For a moment, the women looked at Luo Yuheng with envy. The line "Snow-white face, pearl-like lips" seemed to be praising the little princess, but it was actually praising Luo Yuheng.

Even Luo Yuheng's cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Alright, alright, go back now. My husband probably hasn't had dinner yet. It's all prepared at home. Go have a cup of hot wine to warm yourself up."

After Luo Yuheng spoke, everyone returned to the Prince's residence.

In the dining hall, everyone took their seats, and they were all gathered together.

Normally, only the prince and princess, and at most the secondary concubine and concubine, would dine at the same table. The wife and concubines were not qualified.

Fortunately, most of the concubines in the Prince of Yan's mansion are now concubines, so they don't have to worry about so many rules.

Even when she sat down, Song Yan was holding a little one in her arms, with a silly smile on her face from time to time, teasing the baby with a finger every now and then.

Seeing that, all the other women present, except for Hua Lianyue and Luo Yuheng, couldn't help but feel envious.

Gu Banxia, ​​Bu Yu, Nahetuya, Yang Siyao, and Luo Tianyi all frowned slightly, subconsciously placing their hands on their abdomens, wondering when they would be able to conceive the prince's child.

As for Fang Wanlin, Cui Yingying, Gao Yang, and the others, they were increasingly helpless. At least Luo Tianyi and the others had a chance to start a relationship, but they hadn't even started yet, and they didn't know when they would have the opportunity to consummate their marriage with the prince.

Then, everyone's eyes turned to Song Yan.

Although she was teasing the little one in her arms, Song Yan still sensed something and subconsciously looked up.

I could only feel the gazes all around me... like wolves and tigers!
In an instant, Song Yan's body trembled violently.

What's wrong with her? Look at her, she seems to want to devour him alive.

"Your Highness, please have a cup of wine to warm yourself up first."

Ziyu smiled and poured a cup of wine in front of Song Yan!

(End of this chapter)