Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 608 Mingyue Needs an Antidote? (11,000 words)

Yongning.

Luo Xiangtong.

It really has changed a lot.

Once a lively and active princess, she has now become quiet and silent.

A pair of dark, slightly weary eyes silently gazed at Song Yan's retreating figure, recalling the scene when Luo Yuheng told her that her mother planned to marry her off to Song Yan. Her first reaction was to jump up and refuse... but the words caught in her throat, and she held back, because she suddenly realized something: this marriage wasn't a question of whether she wanted to marry, but whether Song Yan wanted to marry her.

The vast Prince Yan's mansion was certainly not lacking in beauties of all kinds: some with graceful figures, some with celestial looks, some gentle and virtuous, and some richer than a country... She, a fallen princess, truly had nothing to stand out in front of these women.

Once upon a time, Princess Yongning was a noble and elegant princess, born of a golden branch and jade leaf. However, her father, the emperor, was suddenly assassinated and died. It was like a thunderbolt that struck Luo Xiangtong hard, making her finally see the reality... The so-called imperial lineage is actually not very meaningful. There is not much difference between her and ordinary people. She is a person, has a life, and that's all.

Luo Xiangtong was also a young girl in the prime of her life, who once dreamed of marrying a handsome scholar and living a loving and idyllic life together. However, outside Dongling City stood a mound of corpses, a rebellious governor, the Yang family in turmoil, invading Japanese pirates and Jurchens, countless refugees, and corpses strewn everywhere…

The turbulent times in Daning finally made Luo Xiangtong realize that in this chaotic world, what was needed was not poetry and literature, but the power to save one's life.

Looking at Song Yan's figure, Luo Xiangtong suddenly had a thought: Although he has the reputation of being a "jingguan maniac", if you look closely, Song Yan is actually quite good-looking.

Perhaps, marrying this man wouldn't be bad.

At least, he can protect his own life.

Protect his younger sister.

Perhaps it can still protect my brother... and my mother.

"ah."

While her mind was in turmoil, Luo Xiangtong suddenly let out a scream.

A chill ran down her neck and spread across her smooth back, making her shiver. Turning her head, she saw Luo Shuangshuang, who was still holding a snowball she hadn't had time to put in her hand.

"Sister Yongning is staring at her brother-in-law so intently, how embarrassing!" Luo Shuangshuang rubbed her face, stuck out her pink tongue, and exclaimed with a grin.

In an instant, Luo Xiangtong's face turned bright red, her eyes filled with a layer of mist. She spread her arms like an eagle, fiercely pouncing on Luo Shuangshuang, the little chick. She seemed to have forgotten her status as a princess, shouting, "You brat, how dare you laugh at me? You deserve a beating."

"You were peeping! You were peeping!"

In the backyard, a group of people were chasing and playing.

Running and laughing.

Luo Xiangtong's face, which had been filled with worry, seemed to have finally let go of all her burdens, radiating the vitality and brilliance that a young girl should have.

"When I left Pingyang this time, I saw many refugees in the city, but when I came back, I could hardly see any of them. Where did all those refugees go?" Song Yan sighed slightly, withdrew his gaze, and asked.

“Jia Yifei has made the arrangements,” Cui Yingying said. She knew more about the outside world than Gao Yang: “Because of the Yang family’s rebellion, Dongshan Prefecture and Tongan Prefecture fell, and a large number of people were massacred. The people of many surrounding prefectures and counties were worried about being attacked by the rebel army, especially since the rebel army included Jurchens and Japanese pirates. Whenever a city fell, they would carry out massacres and acts of rape. As a result, most of these people moved their families and became refugees.”

“In recent days, Pingyang City has been receiving a large number of refugees every day.”

"Prefect Jia even arranged for a group of officials to guard the city gates. Every time someone entered the city, their identity would be verified. If they were refugees, they would be asked if they were willing to settle down in Pingyang or Anzhou. Nowadays, there is a lot of unclaimed land in Anzhou and Pingyang. If they were willing to settle down, they would be taken to the government office immediately to register their household registration. These people would be allocated a house in the place where they settled down."

Song Yan didn't find it strange. Anzhou and Pingyang had been invaded many times before. Even if we don't say that nine out of ten houses were empty, five out of ten were empty. Empty houses would rot and even collapse in a short time if no one lived in them. They were not bad for settling refugees.

“Each month, each household of refugees can also receive a certain amount of grain from the government office where they settle, based on the number of people in the household. Until the autumn harvest next year, the county government will also provide seeds, oxen, and farm tools. At the same time, according to the prince’s arrangement, all the unallocated land in the fiefdom has now been registered under the prince’s name. Refugees can rent land from the prince’s land. Apart from the fixed grain tax, they do not need to pay any additional rent. Of course, it cannot be traded or sublet.”

"Even if you want to leave this lease agreement to your son or grandson, that's fine too."

This is equivalent to the common people actually owning these lands, but in name the land still belongs to the royal family. The common people cannot buy or sell them, which can, to some extent, curb land annexation.

“The Prince’s name is renowned throughout Da Ning. Even the refugees know that the Prince is the most capable general in the entire Ning Kingdom. The Prince’s fiefdom is definitely the safest. In addition, he provides both houses and land. Therefore, five or six out of ten refugees are willing to settle in Pingyang Anzhou.” Cui Yingying smiled.

"However, these require a lot of money to support. Not to mention anything else, just the monthly food rations, the farm tools, oxen, and seeds for the spring harvest are not a small amount."

Song Yan grinned. Although he had been making money all along, earning hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels each time, it seemed that he never had enough money.

“The Prince’s wealth can’t last long.” Cui Yingying covered her mouth and chuckled. “So, when does Your Highness plan to marry me? With my dowry, Your Highness can at least hold on for a little longer.”

This woman is truly unscrupulous; taking advantage of her age, she occasionally teases Song Yan.

Am I that kind of person? Would I marry you just for your dowry?
However, thinking about those millions of silver notes... well, that's definitely a small part of the reason.

"I plan to take a trip to the Haixi Grassland. After slaughtering the barbarians there and finishing this war, I will come back to marry you."

Song Yan said it casually, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized that something was wrong. Damn it, he had accidentally set a death flag!

Cui Yingying was somewhat dissatisfied with this answer. She snorted, rolled her eyes at Song Yan, and then continued, "Hmph, whatever you want."

"Among the refugees, there are some who are quite attached to their homes and always hope to return to their roots. These people are just hiding in Pingyang to escape the war and find a way to survive. Once the war in their hometown is over, they still plan to go back. For these people, Jia Yifei specially set up a large camp outside Pingyang City. Everyone lived in one area for easy management. At the same time, he also arranged some work for them, such as cutting down trees, burning coke, and polishing gunstocks. These were not very important tasks. Each person received two bowls of thin porridge a day. Those who did work could also receive two steamed buns. The more they did, the more they ate."

"Although there are some lazy troublemakers, Lord Jia has arranged for soldiers to guard the area, so there aren't any major problems. In addition, Lord Jia has also notified General Mei Wu, who comes to the refugee camp almost every two days. Each time, he can select seven or eight hundred young men to be recruited. According to Lord Jia, the Yan fiefdom is short of farmers and soldiers. Those who are willing to settle down here will be incorporated into the farming households, and those who are not will be used to select soldiers. After all, the soldiers here are well treated, and they might be tempted."

Song Yan couldn't help but clap his hands and chuckle. This Jia Yifei was indeed a talented person.

He may not be good at court intrigue or military strategy, but he is definitely a master at handling domestic affairs.

"How's the food collection going?"

"As per the prince's request, the caravans of the Duke's Mansion's concubine Lin, the Shen family's Shen Qi, the Shang family, the Zhang family, the Fang family, and my Cui family have never stopped sending all the tea, sugar, snow salt, soap, perfume, and other goods produced in their fiefdoms to the Zhao Kingdom."

"Zhao is wealthy and produces a lot of rice. Most of the silver they have earned has been converted into rice. Some of it has already been sent to their fiefdoms. The two large granaries in Anzhou and Pingyang are full. There are currently 300,000 shi of rice stored. If the population of the fiefdoms is estimated to be 500,000, it is enough to feed them for about half a year. If it is used exclusively for soldiers, it can feed them for several years without any problem."

"The third large granary is under construction. This time, we plan to build a giant granary with 400 storage pits. If it is successfully built, it should be able to hold another 600,000 shi of grain without any problem."

Song Yan nodded with satisfaction. In chaotic times, money is worthless. Having food, weapons, and soldiers is the key to success. With these, you can turn other people's money into your own.

According to the records in the ancient texts in Song Yan's mind, the Sui Dynasty's Huiluo granary had 700 storage pits, capable of storing 360 million jin of grain, roughly 3 million shi. Unfortunately, Ningguo didn't have granaries of that scale yet. Even if they bought grain, it would be difficult to store. If it was simply piled up, it would easily ferment, mold, sprout, and spoil. "How are the provisions prepared?" Song Yan slowly exhaled and asked again. Cui Yingying was a talented person, unlike Yang Siyao and Gao Yang. Yang Siyao was good at handling trivial matters and resolving disputes, Gao Yang was good at managing the household, while Cui Yingying was good at handling large-scale matters.

"That's about it. The rations mainly consist of salted fried rice and salted fried noodles, supplemented with dried meat and egg pancakes. This is enough for ten days' worth of food for each person, based on a scale of ten thousand." Cui Yingying pursed her lips: "Your Highness, are you preparing for another expedition?"

Song Yan hesitated briefly for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

"When will we leave?"

"The morning after tomorrow."

Cui Yingying remained silent for a moment, her pearly white teeth gently biting her lower lip: "Wouldn't ten days' worth of rations be a bit too much?"

"It's alright, we can get food by slaughtering a few tribes." Song Yan chuckled.

Dealing with these nomadic peoples on horseback is virtually impossible if you try to lead a large army with cartloads of provisions. Once you bring these things, your marching speed will be significantly slowed down, and if the enemy finds out, they may pack up their tents and flee at any time.

The best approach would be like Huo Qubing: bring only a few days' worth of rations, travel light, and sustain the war effort through battle.

After a brief pause, Song Yan asked again, "May I come to your room tonight?"

Cui Yingying's eyes suddenly widened, a hint of surprise flashing in her bright eyes, but it quickly turned to sadness: "Your Highness, I... am doomed!"

She lost three fiancés in a row.

This was no longer just a matter of gossip from others; even Cui Yingying herself felt a sense of inferiority.

Song Yan was taken aback, then burst into laughter. He grabbed Cui Yingying's slender waist and pulled her close to his chest. Cui Yingying blushed and instinctively struggled, saying, "Your Highness, there are many people watching here."

"What are you afraid of? I am a prince, who dares to say anything?" Song Yan blinked and said arrogantly.

Some maids in the backyard covered their mouths and chuckled, then shifted their gaze to other directions, pretending that I hadn't seen anything, which seemed rather like an attempt to cover up the truth.

Cui Yingying puffed out her cheeks. Wasn't this just being unreasonable?

"What's all this talk about good or bad luck? Don't worry about these things." Song Yan's tone was arrogant: "Even if I am truly a jinx to my husband, I'll take the blame."

"I'm tough as nails, I won't die easily. If there really is such a damned thing as justice and fairness, if there really is such a thing as divine punishment, let the lightning strike my head and see what happens."

He's just incredibly resilient; Yang Miaoqing tried to kill him countless times but failed.

Cui Yingying was speechless for a moment.

In this era, although people say that Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits, they still ultimately held a degree of belief in these supernatural things. Few men would have the courage to say something like Song Yan, who openly declared he would take away her misfortune.

Initially, her desire to marry Song Yan was merely to facilitate a marriage alliance between the Cui family and the Prince of Yan, seeking security for the Cui family. There was little to no affection involved; she even felt that she and Song Yan were more likely to become a couple in name only. Given her reputation for causing the deaths of her three fiancés, Song Yan probably wouldn't lay a finger on her.

But now, her heart, which had not trembled for many years, seemed to be trembling slightly.

Perhaps, before the Jingguan Maniac, the mere jinx was nothing special?

Cui Yingying smiled faintly.

Unlike her usual habitual smile, this smile... is beautiful!
Just then, Gu Banxia hurried over, her expression slightly surprised. When she reached Song Yan, she spoke, "Master, someone has come to visit outside the Prince's Mansion!"

"Who is it?" Song Yan finally released Cui Yingying.

Cui Yingying had felt somewhat ashamed before, but when Song Yan let go, she actually felt a sense of loss.

"It's Miss Mingyue."

Bright moon?

Song Yan was stunned for a moment. After a few breaths, a woman who was gentle yet exuded a coldness and aloofness gradually emerged in Song Yan's mind.

She is the most beautiful courtesan in the Qunyu Garden under the Hehuan Sect.

I had met them twice before.

If I think about it carefully, it's been almost two years since we last met, right?
Back then, he had obtained quite a bit of information from Mingyue. The clues about Gao Yang falling into the river and even Fang Jun's murder all came from Mingyue. After informing Fang Hai of this information, the Fang family exerted their influence and directly killed Yang Hetong's grandson, Yang Ming, and also got Song Zhe imprisoned.

Although he helped Mingyue fend off the Four Young Masters of Dongling, and it was a transaction between them, the importance of this intelligence was far greater than stopping a few playboys. Therefore, Song Yan always kept it in mind, considering it a debt of gratitude.

However, the secret of cultivating the Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror was revealed to the Hehuan Sect headquarters by Mingyue. Hua Lianyue's first attempt to kidnap him stemmed from this, and Dong Yunshu's attempt to abduct him this time was also due to the information provided by Mingyue.

Therefore, Song Yan's feelings towards Mingyue were somewhat complicated. It wouldn't be accurate to say he hated her, but at least the gratitude he had felt for her before was not as strong as it had been at the beginning.

Shaking his head, Song Yan stood up: "Never mind, let's go see him."

Gu Banxia nodded and led the way, with Cui Yingying following beside her. She seemed very curious about this Mingyue girl. Gao Yang, on the other hand, was not very interested because he knew a lot about her. He went to Luo Yuheng's place to help Luo Yuheng take care of the children... Song Polu and Song Xueheng, as Song Yan's only son and daughter, were the apple of everyone's eye in the entire Wangfu.

Upon entering the reception hall, I saw a woman sitting quietly in a chair, wearing the same snow-white long dress as I remembered, which hugged her slightly slender body. Her waist was so thin it could be encircled by a single hand, making her appear even thinner than before, almost giving the illusion that she could dance in the palm of one's hand. Yet, her breasts were ample, as if slender branches were laden with ripe fruit.

Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back like a dark waterfall.

Her pretty face was still fair, but she looked a little tired.

It's clear that things haven't been going so smoothly for Mingyue in the Hehuan Sect lately.

Song Yan sighed, "Miss Mingyue, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Upon hearing the voice, Mingyue gracefully rose, glanced at Song Yan with a hint of helplessness on her face, and then, before the slightly surprised gazes of Song Yan, Gu Banxia, ​​and Cui Yingying, Mingyue bowed deeply to Song Yan: "Your Highness..."

"I am suffering from a cold poison. I beg you to save my life."

(End of this chapter)