As expected, Liu Dafu seemed to be a breakthrough. Then, four or five people rushed out of the banquet in a hurry. They were all important figures on the list.
Thanks to Song Yinghuai's letting Caiyu manage his industries freely in the past few days, she took the opportunity to make friends with the shopkeepers and surrounding merchants. To her surprise, she had a general understanding of the large and small merchants and noble people in Yan.
These people included salt merchants, cloth merchants, and spice merchants...
They were all big tycoons in Yan.
"Your Highness, this humble one is guilty. I hope Your Highness can intercede for me!"
"Your Highness, this humble one has an old family to support. I really can't afford to offend Lord Dong, nor the court. Now I only beg Your Highness for protection..."
"Your Highness, this humble one... this humble one is also willing to pledge allegiance to the Yan Army!"
Song Yinghuai stroked the Buddhist beads on his wrist. A faint smile flashed across his crimson lips.
"You're wrong. How can it be pledging allegiance to the Yan Army? My Yan Army is the emperor's army, the soldiers of the Great Ye Kingdom."
The man quickly corrected himself. "Yes, yes. This humble one made a slip of the tongue. It's not pledging allegiance. I just want to help fund the Yan Army, defend the border, drive out the foreign enemies, and bring benefits to the people of the Great Ye Kingdom!"
Only then did Song Yinghuai follow the opportunity. "Since you all have the good intention of protecting the people, I will surely agree. Lao Zhu, take them down and record the amount. If the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun are recovered in my hands in the future, these people will all be the heroes of Yan."
At this moment, a stubborn man suddenly slapped the table and stood up.
"Song, the despicable villain! During the Battle of Nawrkhai, you were chased by the Tartar barbarians and fled back to the border of Yan in a sorry state. You hid in the prince's mansion for six years and didn't dare to show up. Now you want to make a comeback just because you've got a little handle! Bah!"
As soon as the words fell, a cold light flashed before everyone's eyes!
The left deputy director of the provincial administration commission, the cousin - in - law of Dong Fangzhuo, had his head chopped off by Tan Xiong with a single knife!
When the head rolled on the ground, his eyes were still wide open.
Suddenly, screams of panic rang out in the crowd.
Tan Xiong was full of killing intent. He slowly wiped the blood off the blade and sneered.
"How my prince fought in the war back then is not for you idle playboys who only know how to eat, drink, and have fun in Yanjing City to comment on!"
"If anyone else doesn't know their place, don't blame my knife for not being merciful!" Tan Xiong pointed at the dead man's open - eyed head on the ground. "Just like this head!"
Everyone immediately fell silent, trembling with fear.
After only a moment of silence, people suddenly rushed out like a tide. They all knelt in the snow and shouted.
"We will all follow His Highness, the Prince of Yan!"
"We are all willing to support the Yan Army in recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!"
"Drive out the Tartars! Restore our Yan land!"
"Drive out the Tartars! Restore our Yan land!"
At this moment, the thunderous shouts echoed over the Plum Blossom Villa like waves.
Caiyu knew that although many of these people were not willing, when she heard such impassioned shouts, she still couldn't hold back the excitement in her blood.
These thunderous shouts awakened her long - lost memories.
When her father and brother went out of the Yanmen Pass to fight the Oirat army, countless soldiers raised their weapons. The shouts still echoed in her ears, making her blood boil whenever she thought of them.
And now, the echoing shouts also made the Yan soldiers present excited.
The myth of Song Yinghuai's invincibility once again surged in the soldiers' passionate chests. The grievances they had suffered in the past six years also boiled like magma.
They couldn't help but roar along. The momentum was overwhelming!
"Drive out the Tartars! Restore our Yan land!"
"Drive out the Tartars! Restore our Yan land!"
"Bang!" A loud noise!
Tan Xiong's big knife hacked down hard on the nearest plum tree!
The half - waist - thick tree trunk broke with a crash, and the snow on the branches fluttered down.
Tan Xiong laughed heartily. "This is the backbone that the people and soldiers of our Yan land should have!"
The cold wind blew through the crowd, bringing a faint chill. Song Yinghuai's eyes were as cold as ever, showing no emotion at all, as if he was not affected by the current intense situation.
He suddenly stood up, nodded slightly to everyone, and said, "On behalf of the 100,000 soldiers of the Yan Army, I would like to thank you all for your support first!"
His gaze turned to the Dong father and daughter who had collapsed on one side, almost fainting. He said,
"Dong Fangzhuo's crime is conclusive. Both he and the evidence will be sent to the capital for the emperor's judgment. As for you all..."
His gaze slowly swept across everyone. The hearts of those who had engaged in power - money transactions with Dong Fangzhuo sank.
However, Song Yinghuai said with a gentle smile, "I will surely excuse you all."
Everyone immediately felt relieved. They were extremely grateful and expressed their loyalty in a long string.
Since their weaknesses were in Song Yinghuai's hands, they couldn't just pretend to comply. They had to whole - heartedly follow him.
Moreover...
After the shouting just now, the dusty and humiliating history seemed to have awakened everyone's long - forgotten memories.
Everyone agreed that actually -
The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun should be recovered!
The families in Yan should be reunited!
---
Caiyu waited in the small kitchen early the next morning.
It was the day when her younger brother would write again.
Nanny Yu was taken by her to a remote small room. Caiyu couldn't wait to ask,
"Nanny Yu, where is my brother's letter?"
Nanny Yu's eyebrows arched, and all traces of a smile disappeared. She pouted and looked cold.
"If Miss Caiyu was as enthusiastic about her tasks as she is about reading letters, the Prince of Yan would have been captured long ago."
Caiyu pursed her lips. "Nanny Yu, I've done my best. I've already shamelessly offered myself to the Prince of Yan, but he... he..."
Thinking of Song Yinghuai's "shameless" counter - moves, Caiyu was too shy to say it out. So she just said,
"Nanny Yu, does it really have to be a physical union? I don't understand. I'm only one step away from him. If we're talking about breaking the precept, isn't the prince's behavior considered breaking the precept?"
A strange light flashed in Nanny Yu's eyes. Then she coldly questioned,
"Your virginity mark is still there. You say the prince broke the precept. How can you prove it? How can you prove to the emperor that he has broken the precept?"
Caiyu didn't miss the strange light in her eyes. A suspicion arose in her heart.
According to Nanny Yu's words, even if she offered herself to Song Yinghuai, if there was no "evidence on the spot", it would be impossible to prove that it was Song Yinghuai who took her virginity, right?
Previously, she had been eager to complete the task and had always ignored this problem. But now, when she thought about it, she felt that the master's purpose was not simple.
But she didn't know yet why the master was so insistent on Song Yinghuai really breaking the precept. So she said helplessly,
"The prince's character is indeed the most determined one I've ever seen. To be honest... I've run out of ideas when it comes to seducing him physically."
"Then what are you talking to me for?" Nanny Yu coldly interrupted her and said mercilessly, "Since you're already useless, don't blame me for being rude. I'll write to the master. Your life, your brother's, and all the members of the Lan family... Hehe!"
Her meaning was very clear. If Caiyu became useless, not only Caiyu and her brother, but also the exiled Lan family would be wiped out by the master.
Caiyu's breath caught in her throat. She stared intently at Nanny Yu's cold old face.
She had already guessed it.
With the master's character, if she was no longer useful, he would surely eliminate all traces.
"Nanny Yu." Caiyu took a deep breath and forced herself to be calm as she started to negotiate. "A big event happened in Yanjing City yesterday. Dong Fangzhuo, the provincial administration commissioner, has been captured by the prince and secretly sent back to the capital."
"What?" Nanny Yu was greatly shocked. "Why didn't I know about this..."
"Now you know." Caiyu said coldly. "So, Nanny Yu, as you can see, besides seducing the prince physically, I'm still useful... At least, if I stay by the prince's side, I can gather more information than you can staying in the outer courtyard!"
Nanny Yu was stunned. She looked at Caiyu with a scrutinizing look in her eyes.
She hadn't even heard the news about Dong Fangzhuo's capture, such a big event. This was enough to show how meticulous Song Yinghuai was in his actions. She really couldn't gather information as quickly as Caiyu.
However...