Chapter 87 - The Japs Have Come

The situation on Yang Miaoqing's side was a bit strange to Song Yan.

It seemed she was completely disconnected from the Yang family, but after careful thought, it wasn't impossible to understand. The three biggest officials in Ningping County are all from a side branch of the Yang family. This should have been specially arranged by the Yang family to monitor Luo Yuheng.

The status of a legitimate daughter of the Yang family was naturally more noble than that of the three side branches. If there was anything she needed the side branches to do, she could just give them a direct order.

But the inside of the Yang family was not a monolithic block; there was also some friction between the direct line and the side branches!

Under normal circumstances, the side branches would cooperate with the direct line's actions, but if the matter affected the interests of the side branches, they would also refuse.

Yang Miaoqing was single-mindedly focused on getting Song Zhen out. Since she had this connection, she must have gone to the County Magistrate. But she was undoubtedly refused. After all, the one who died in this case was the legitimate son of a Duke's mansion. Who knows how many pairs of eyes were staring. Once he really released Song Zhen or replaced him with another death row inmate, the news would be leaked the moment he did it.

His time as a County Magistrate would be over. He might even lose his head. Even though he was just a small County Magistrate, for Emperor Ninghe and the Yang family's hostile forces in the court, they would never miss an opportunity to eliminate a member of the Yang family.

A smile played on Song Yan's lips as he connected various clues in his mind, along with the behavior of Yang Chang, Yang Ping, and Yang Long.

The path of using the County Magistrate's connection to release Song Zhen had failed. Forced by the circumstances, Yang Miaoqing had no choice but to cooperate with the Wokou, attempting to throw Ningping County into chaos and then take the opportunity to rescue Song Zhen. The Yang family side definitely knew about and supported this matter.

One could even say it was possibly the main branch of the Yang clan that directly ordered the three county officials to cooperate.

But there was one particularly strange point. When Yang Chang was leaving just now, he had told him to be careful and not carelessly lose his life! From this sentence, one could tell that it wasn't just the three county officials who knew about Yang Miaoqing's collusion with the Wokou; even their sons knew.

This was the strange part.

Normally, this should be an extremely secret matter. Colluding with the Wokou, being a Ning traitor—once this got out, it would be a huge loss to the Yang family's reputation. Naturally, the fewer people who knew, the better. How could it have gotten to the point where even people like Yang Chang knew? Could it be that the main Yang clan didn't even ask them to keep it secret?

Could it be deliberate?

Song Yan's eyes narrowed, his brain spinning rapidly. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration went through his mind.

Sacrificial pawns!

County Magistrate Yang Siye, County Deputy Yang Zhongning, County Commandant Yang Cheng'en, along with their wives and children, were all sacrificial pawns.

These three probably think that a Wokou attack on the county town is a very normal thing. After all, which year doesn't have a few Wokou troubles along the coast of the Ning Kingdom? They've already done their best, but they just can't resist the Wokou's attack. At worst, they can just get a few injuries on themselves.

Emperor Ninghe wouldn't cut off their heads for just this, right? What's more, this time they are eliminating a huge hidden danger for the Yang family. It's a great contribution. The people at the top of the Yang family will definitely protect them. Who knows, the status of their branch might even climb a little higher.

But they simply don't know that from the moment Yang Miaoqing contacted the Wokou, they had already been abandoned by the Yang family.

Once this is done, the goal of the top echelon of the Yang family will have been achieved.

If it succeeds, the Luo family is annihilated.

This is the best result. Luo Yuheng and her many children die, completely eliminating the hidden danger. The First Imperial Prince will have no more threats to inheriting the throne.

Emperor Ninghe will naturally be furious, but so what? The goal has already been achieved anyway. At worst, they can just have these three families executed to appease your anger.

You still want to pull out the Yang family by its roots? Don't be foolish. If you really had that ability, you wouldn't have dragged it out until now.

And if it fails?

No matter. Even failure would have its gains. At the very least, it would confirm that an extraordinary force has gathered around Luo Yuheng. In the future, if they want to do anything, their objective will be clearer.

As for these three families, as the 'father and mother officials' of a county, to actually let the Wokou invade the county town—what's the use of keeping such trash? To waste grain? Emperor Ninghe will naturally take their heads. Of course, to prevent these three from revealing more secrets, the Yang family might kill them to silence them in advance.

In short, no matter what, they are all dead men.

Thinking again of the irrepressible smugness of Yang Chang, Yang Ping, and Yang Long, Song Yan shook his head. Unaware that death was imminent, truly pitiful, lamentable, and deplorable.

Perhaps even Yang Miaoqing is a sacrificial pawn.

The fact that she had been married once was not a big deal in this era, but having passed childbearing age was extremely serious. Even if Yang Miaoqing was a legitimate daughter of the Yang family, she didn't have much value left. If they couldn't appease Emperor Ninghe's anger, then they would just toss Yang Miaoqing out. A legitimate daughter, in name, would be considered giving him enough face.

The methods of these old foxes are really ruthless enough. A chess piece of several dozen lives, just like that. And they are ruthless enough. Whether it's a side branch or the direct line, they are all relatives connected by blood, yet they betray them without hesitation.

As for Emperor Ninghe, he was indeed much more formidable than the Emperor Yuanjing who died by falling into the water. Although he seemed to be at a disadvantage in the contest, the fact that he could force the Yang family to make such arrangements was enough to prove that Emperor Ninghe still had a little bit of strength to fight back.

The only thing Song Yan couldn't figure out was, how was it that Song Zhen didn't need to face the death penalty?

This matter should not have been the Yang family's doing!

He felt that it seemed a third-party force had intervened.

But whether it was the Yang family or that mysterious third-party force, they all thought that whether Song Zhen lived or died depended on the law. Little did they know that in this Ningping County, the one who could truly decide Song Zhen's death was he, Song Yan!

Thinking this, he got up. Gu Banxia placed a few copper coins on the table.

The scholar surnamed Liu was a bit rigid. In his view, to express his gratitude to his benefactor, he naturally had to be clean and tidy, otherwise it would be disrespectful. It's just that by the time he had finally straightened his clothes, the three figures were already gone.

Time passed minute by minute, second by second.

The lamplight was dim and flickering. Time, like the calm water of the Yi-Luo River, flowed by slowly.

The brighter the lamp, the deeper the night!

Clang clang clang, clang clang clang...

Near the city gate, a dull and chaotic knocking sound suddenly rang out, mixed with a rustling, fine sound. The originally quiet night suddenly became agitated.

Although the yamen had long since closed, the county yamen was exceptionally lively. Yang Siye, Yang Zhongning, and Yang Cheng'en, along with all their relatives and even their servants, were all gathered here. Perhaps they were worried their relatives would be harmed by the Wokou…

It's just that this action showed that none of the three were capable of handling great matters.

The front and back doors were tightly shut. In the great courtyard of the yamen, the whistling wind shook the flames inside the lanterns.

At a stone table, the three Yang officials were gathered. A stove beside them crackled as it burned. The wine pot on top was bubbling. The rich aroma of wine mixed with the hot air and drifted in the night.

Holding a wine cup, Yang Siye took a sip, and an intoxicated expression couldn't help but appear on his face.

He looked up at the sky. The firmament was like a huge black curtain, with dots of candlelight flickering on it.

"Calculating the time, those Wa people should have already landed, right?"

"If there are no accidents, it should be so."

"After today's matter is done, the three of us will all be meritorious officials of the Yang family. Our positions in the clan genealogy will probably have to be moved up. Gentlemen, a toast!" Yang Siye raised the wine cup in his hand.

"A toast."

"A toast!"

Ding... Pa.

The wine cups clinked together, letting out a crisp sound, like the sound of cracking porcelain.

……

Duke's Mansion.

Yang Miaoqing was sitting upright in her room. Today, she was dressed in an exceptionally graceful and noble manner. She had even applied light and exquisite makeup to her face. Brown eyeshadow, like ink wash, was smudged around her eyes. Paired with faint crow's feet, it revealed the charm and flavor of a mature woman without a doubt.

A black, embroidered magnificent robe, exuding nobility and elegance.

Her eyes were tightly closed, as if she were waiting, and also as if she were calming her own mood.

By her side was Yang Siyao.

Swoosh.

A gust of wind blew in from the window.

The candlelight immediately flickered, casting mottled and chaotic shadows throughout the room.

Yang Miaoqing finally opened her eyes.

Creek.

The door was pushed open.

In the courtyard outside were, strikingly, four old servant women, three handmaidens, six household guards, seven house servants, and one old male servant.

This was already all the power she could currently mobilize. Compared to the past when more than half of the Duke's mansion belonged to her, she had indeed fallen quite a bit.

Her gaze swept over each face. She took a deep breath, and there was no longer the slightest hesitation in her eyes.

"Move out."

She didn't know why Song Hongtao had been staying out all night frequently as of late, but this gave her an excellent opportunity. With Song Hongtao not here, a mere Wang Qingshan couldn't stop her.

Zhen'er, don't panic. Mother is coming to save you.

A dozen or so kilometers outside of Ningping County, the calm coast, under the illumination of the bright moon, was sparkling with light, like a giant mirror reflecting the myriad stars in the sky.

In the night, one small boat after another appeared out of thin air, breaking through the waves and approaching the coast.

The Wokou had finally come.

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