Chapter 74 - Wokou

Yang Shi had eight sons.

The eldest son, Song Huai, and the second son, Song Yi, had already entered the court as officials, but were implicated by Yang Miaoqing's disrespect to the imperial relatives and were dismissed from their posts.

They are currently staying in Dongling awaiting assignment and are not allowed to leave the capital at will without an edict. Therefore, even though their own brother had died, they could not attend the funeral.

The third son, Song Jing, was not proficient in literature and did not understand ink, but he was born with divine strength and could lift a ding like the Hegemon-King. He was a natural-born soldier. Therefore, he entered the army.

Although he was still young, he was already a partial general. Even though Song Huai and Song Yi were implicated by Yang Miaoqing, Song Jing was as steady as Mount Tai.

And the fourth son was Song An.

It is said that this person had the ability of photographic memory. Of course, this was just an outsider's rumor. The real Song An was naturally not that exaggerated, but for a thousand-character essay, he could remember seventy to eighty percent of it after reading it just once. After reading it three times, there would basically be no errors.

It was often said in the Duke's mansion that if the Fourth Young Master had used this talent for studying, the title of 'Qilin Son of the Song family' might not have fallen to the Sixth Young Master.

Song An had no interest in poetry and literature. On the contrary, he was very fond of the way of business.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants—merchants are the lowest!

One can only say that these nobles were an extremely complex group of people, wanting to be whores while still demanding a monument to their chastity.

On one hand, almost every noble had a large number of shops and even merchant caravans under their name. They relied on merchants to seek wealth for themselves and maintain their extravagant lifestyles.

On the other hand, they looked down on merchants.

When Song An chose to go into business, he was opposed by almost everyone in the Duke's mansion, except for Yang Miaoqing... Yang Miaoqing was the only one who supported Song An's choice.

At that time, the people of the Duke's mansion would always sigh about how a doting mother spoils her son, thinking that it was because Yang Miaoqing doted on Song An too much that she would unconditionally support his decision.

But looking at it now, it was probably still that Yang Miaoqing did not want to see Song An grow up and become an obstacle for Song Zhen.

Song Yan was relatively unfamiliar with this fourth brother. Ever since he went into business, Song An had already left the Duke's mansion. Counting the years, it had been more than six since he had returned home.

When he left home back then, Song An was still a slightly immature youth. Now, however, he was much more mature than before, his expression indifferent, neither happy nor sad. He should have returned this time for the matter of Song Yun and Song Zhen, but no sadness could be seen on his face.

He wasn't wearing mourning clothes, but he wasn't dressed in magnificent attire either, just a set of plain white long robes. The carriage was also an ordinary one.

Although in six years Song An had already made a considerable name for himself in the business world of the Ning Kingdom, his lifestyle was still quite simple.

Just as Song Yan was sizing up Song An, Song An was also sizing up Song Yan. After scrutinizing him up and down for a few seconds, the seriousness on Song An's face suddenly dispersed and was replaced by a gentle smile. He got out of the carriage, ignored Gu Banxia, Zhang Long, and Zhao Hu by Song Yan's side, and patted Song Yan's shoulder.

"We haven't seen each other in six years. Ninth Brother has already grown up. You are indeed much sturdier than when you were a child. Not bad, not bad."

Song Yan smiled shyly: "It's good of Fourth Brother to still remember. I've changed a lot over the years."

"That's normal. Six years, ah." Song An also smiled, presenting a warm picture of brothers reuniting.

Anyone who saw it would have to praise their brotherly affection.

"But to have Ninth Brother marry into the Luo family as a live-in son-in-law is truly a grievance. Ai, if Fourth Brother had been at home back then, I definitely would not have let this kind of thing happen."

"The Luo family is good to me. There's nothing to feel aggrieved about."

"In that case, I can also rest assured. But when Ninth Brother got married, I was all over the country. I didn't even receive the family letter from the Duke's mansion. By the time I got the news, it was already half a month later. Not being able to attend Ninth Brother's wedding, I, as your elder brother, feel very guilty." Song An sighed.

"Since I have returned today, the wedding gift must be made up for.”

Saying this, Song An waved his hand. The carriage driver turned and ducked into the carriage, taking out an exquisite sandalwood box from inside.

"This is a small token of your elder brother's regard. I hope Ninth Brother will not refuse it."

"You and I are brothers. Why bother with these empty formalities?" Song Yan said hurriedly.

Song An then deliberately put on a straight face: "How can a gift that has been offered be taken back? Could it be that Ninth Brother looks down on his Fourth Brother?"

With things having been said to this extent, Song Yan had no choice but to accept. He took the box and turned to hand it to Zhang Long. The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, and only then did Song An get back on the carriage. Judging by the direction he left, he was returning to the Duke's mansion.

It wasn't until the carriage disappeared from sight that Song Yan finally retracted his gaze, his brow slightly furrowed.

He wondered what this so-called fourth brother really wanted to do, having returned this time. Could he also be after the position of family head?

The moment this thought appeared, Song Yan shook his head. Song An had no great interest in power. The only thing he was interested in was money. From beginning to end, Song An had never shown the slightest interest in the Duke's title.

Song Yan's impression of Song An was a bit complicated. This fourth son of Yang Shi had not inherited any of Yang Miaoqing's arrogant and domineering personality. In his daily interactions, he was always gentle and refined. He even rarely bullied the illegitimate sons and daughters. At least in Song Yan's memory, he had never had any direct conflict with Song An.

Of course, their relationship couldn't be considered close either.

In fact, he had barely spoken with Song An, and the number of times they had met was also very few.

But the more a person was like this, the more one needed to be vigilant…

Perhaps it was because he had been plotted against too many times since he was young, to the point that he had developed a persecutory delusion. But no matter what, Song Yan didn't want to lose his life in a muddle-headed way.

Thinking this, Song Yan turned to look at the small wooden box. He wasn't worried about any mechanisms or the like in the box. This wooden box had been handed to him by Song An in public. If something really happened to him, Song An couldn't escape responsibility.

When he opened the lid, he saw stacks of special paper inside. Compared to ordinary writing paper, this paper was thicker, harder, and had even been waterproofed to some extent.

Song Yan frowned. They were bank drafts.

Ten of them, for ten thousand taels each.

One hundred thousand taels of silver?

This gift was by no means a light one, even exceeding the betrothal gift the Luo family had given to the Duke's mansion.

Even with Song Yan's calm and steady mind, he couldn't help but be shocked at this moment. What shocked him was not the number of one hundred thousand taels, but that Song An, with a personality like a Pixiu that only takes in and never lets out, was actually willing to take out so much money?

Could it be that he had been possessed by someone?

At the very bottom of the box, there was another piece of paper. Song Yan picked it up and saw two characters written on it:

— Dongling!

Dongling?

The imperial capital of the Ning Kingdom.

What exactly did Song An mean by this? Did this mean he wanted him to go to Dongling? Besides being the imperial capital of the Ning Kingdom, did Dongling have any other special significance?

Why would he leave him such a message?

After pondering for a long time, he really couldn't figure out the reason.

These people, why can't they just say things clearly? Why must they speak in riddles?

Complaining internally, he shook his head and walked straight ahead. Before long, a shop front appeared before his eyes.

Qian Clan Trading Company!

Although the storefront was not large, the various decorations were quite exquisite and antique. At first glance, one might even think it was a bookshop that sold brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

In reality, what took place here was the simplest and crudest of money-stinking transactions.

This was a draft bank, also called a money house.

Those bank drafts—the moment Song Zhen had turned his back, they were taken by his younger sister-in-law. Now it was time to withdraw this silver. It was a pity that the one hundred thousand taels of bank drafts given by Song An did not belong to the Qian Clan Trading Company, otherwise he could have withdrawn it all at once.

A chubby shopkeeper was napping on the counter, without the busy appearance of other shop managers at all.

This was also normal. After all, a place like a money house only entertained major clients. Ordinary families didn't have extra spare cash to deposit. It was quite normal to not have a single customer for several days in a row.

This kind of business was all about 'making one big score that lasts for three years'.

The so-called 'shopkeeper' didn't mean that this shop was his. The Qian Clan Trading Company was backed by the Qian family. As for the shopkeeper, he could only be considered a high-level wage-earner, like a manager.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, the chubby shopkeeper's ears twitched, and he lifted his head. Seeing Song Yan, a smile immediately spread across his face, and his already small eyes almost turned into soybeans.

“This young master, are you here to deposit money?"

Song Yan shook his head: "No, to withdraw money."

There wasn't the slightest disappointment on the shopkeeper's face. He hurriedly invited Song Yan to the inner hall. But at the entrance, Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, and Gu Banxia were stopped:

"Young Master, these are the rules."

He knew that money houses had such rules. After all, whether depositing or withdrawing, the bank drafts and secret codes were extremely important. Therefore, the transaction was conducted by only the shopkeeper and the client. There would be no third person present.

Thinking this, he nodded at Gu Banxia and the others and followed the shopkeeper to the inner hall.

The so-called inner hall was actually a windowless, dark room, and the walls were extremely thick, ensuring that the conversation inside could not be heard by others outside the walls.

There were only a few oil lamps, the flickering flames providing a little bit of light.

After sitting down as host and guest, Song Yan took out the bank drafts. The shopkeeper inspected them carefully, rubbing them with his fingers, and even bringing them close to his nose to sniff the smell. After about half a quarter-hour, he finally confirmed the drafts were genuine and noted down the serial numbers on them.

"This young master, please wait a moment. I need to go and get the account book."

Song Yan nodded slightly. This method of withdrawing money was indeed as cumbersome as he knew.

Cupping his fists towards Song Yan, the chubby shopkeeper moved his obese body, stood up, and left. About a few minutes later, the door was pushed open again. Looking over, he saw it wasn't the shopkeeper, but a rather thin figure, holding a tea tray with a cup of hot tea on it.

The man was about 1.7 meters tall, which was already considered tall for people of this era. His build was well-proportioned. He wore a coarse cloth short robe, dressed as a servant. Noticing Song Yan's gaze, he gave a fawning smile.

Whether depositing or withdrawing money, they were all extremely wealthy and noble people, not someone a little servant could provoke.

Bowing and scraping towards Song Yan, he quickly walked forward:

"Young Master Song, there are too many account books in the accounting office. It will take some time to search. Shopkeeper Qian instructed me to first bring a cup of tea for Young Master Song. I must ask Young Master Song to wait a moment."

Saying this, the man placed the teacup in front of Song Yan.

The instant his fingers were about to leave the teacup, a dagger suddenly slid down from his sleeve and landed precisely in his palm. The next instant, with a swish, the sharp dagger shot straight for Song Yan's throat.

……

A group of people was advancing on a small path. These people's appearances were somewhat peculiar. Although at a glance they were not too different from the people of the Central Plains, upon closer inspection, one could see some differences. Their statures were shorter, and their gazes were more sinister.

Although they wore short robes similar to the commoners of the Central Plains, they were too wide, and wearing them was like a monkey wearing a hat—completely out of place.

In a short time, the city gate of Ningping County could already be seen.

Ningping was just a county. Although it had city walls and a gate, they weren't particularly tall. There were a few soldiers at the city gate, checking the identities of those entering and exiting the county town.

Although the soldiers felt these people's out-of-place appearance was a bit strange, their identification was indeed not a problem. They waved their heads and signaled for these people to enter.

Compared to Songzhou, Ningping was naturally much more backward. But just looking at the people coming and going on the streets, looking at the rows of shops, a strong greed still couldn't help but well up in the eyes of the several men.

As expected of the Central Plains, so rich and prosperous.

Especially when they saw those women dressed in ruqun, the desire in their gazes was even harder to conceal. In their homeland, it was not easy to see such women with delicate skin and tender flesh.

"Don't forget our purpose," the leader said, retracting his gaze and shouting in a deep voice.

He was speaking the official language of the Central Plains, but his intonation was a bit strange, his tone always rising at the end.

The remaining four men immediately retracted their gazes. From the envy, greed, and surprise they had shown before, it was clear this was their first time entering Ningping. Yet they were very familiar with the layout of Ningping County.

Before long, they had already arrived at a restaurant.

This restaurant was very high-class. The five men's attire was somewhat inappropriate, but the restaurant's manager had clearly been instructed in advance, so even seeing the five men go upstairs, he did not stop them.

With a creak, a door was pushed open. Inside the room was, strikingly, a woman.

Gulp.

When they saw this woman, the five men almost simultaneously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

This woman was advanced in age, probably over forty, but her daily maintenance was clearly excellent. Her skin was still fair and delicate, her face exquisite, graceful and noble. A luxurious Cloud Brocade dress wrapped around her well-proportioned figure. Her mature charm made it difficult for these men to control themselves.

Just one glance, and they felt an inexplicable heat in their lower abdomens.

Beside this woman was another woman. Although she was younger, compared to this woman, she was much inferior, and could only be said to be plain.

If Song Yan were here, he would have been able to recognize the identities of these two people: Yang Miaoqing and Yang Siyao.

Although in the eyes of these few men, Yang Miaoqing's charm still remained, anyone familiar with her could see that in just half a month, she had become much more haggard, as if she had aged several years out of thin air.

Because of Song Zhen's matter, Yang Miaoqing was exhausted.

Song Zhen was her only biological son. She absolutely could not just watch as Song Zhen was beheaded.

That's right, for Yang Miaoqing, only Song Zhen was her biological son. The others, even if they had been born from her womb, were just bastards.

The thought of Song Zhen currently being imprisoned in a dungeon, suffering day after day, made Yang Miaoqing's heart twist as if being cut by a knife.

She had previously tried to use the power of the Duke's mansion, but Song Hongtao, who had previously been obedient to her in every way, had perhaps been stimulated by Song Yun's murder, and his personality had changed greatly. The previously very effective 'crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang herself' had lost its use this time.

Not only did Song Hongtao have no intention of using his connections to plead for Song Zhen, he even directly stripped her of her power to manage the household. If not for his fear of the Yang family, she was afraid she wouldn't even be able to keep her status as his wife.

Without the power to manage the household, that old good-for-nothing Butler Wang took the opportunity to clean out the people in the Duke's mansion. The vast majority of those loyal to her were sold off to human traffickers by Butler Wang. As a result, the number of people Yang Miaoqing could now mobilize was extremely small.

Yang Miaoqing tried to use the Yang family's power again. In the beginning, the Yang family was indeed unwilling to see their arrangement of more than twenty years fail on the verge of success, and they did arrange for some masters. But before these carefully cultivated masters could even enter the Duke's mansion, they were killed one by one.

After successively losing seventeen elite men, the Yang family no longer arranged for people to come over.

Yang Miaoqing knew that the Yang family side had probably already given up on Song Zhen.

Damn it, Zhen'er is of the Yang family's seed.

How can they be so cold-blooded? How can they see him die and not save him?

After understanding this point, Yang Miaoqing felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, as if she had lost all hope in an instant.

She even had a mental breakdown, hanging a white silk sash from a roof beam. But in the end, her doting love for Song Zhen surpassed everything. She knew that once she died, there would be no one left in this world to care about Zhen'er.

She was, after all, the legitimate daughter of the Yang family. Yang Shi was a smart person. In the past, she was just blinded by hatred. When she pulled herself together again, the intelligence and madness she displayed shocked even Yang Siyao.

Yang Miaoqing knew very well that under the current circumstances, it was already impossible to rescue Song Zhen using normal methods. The only two ways she could think of were, one, to bribe the jailers and use another death row inmate to take Song Zhen's place.

But the difficulty was relatively high. It wasn't a problem of money; Yang Miaoqing had secretly embezzled no small amount of silver over the years. What she was worried about was Song Yan. That person would definitely be watching Zhen'er like a hawk. Even with a disguise, she was afraid she couldn't fool Song Yan's eyes.

The second method was a jailbreak.

But because of Butler Wang's purge, although she wasn't completely alone, the number of people she could mobilize was extremely small. To stage a jailbreak, she could only rely on the power of others.

Mountain bandits wouldn't work. Bandits were greedy for money but would never dare to take on this kind of job. Attacking the county yamen and storming the prison was equivalent to rebellion. Bandits sought wealth but wouldn't lose their lives for it.

Therefore, the only force she could rely on was a force from outside the Ning Kingdom.

Everything that had happened during this period passed through her mind. Yang Miaoqing didn't understand why the excellent situation had taken a sudden turn for the worse and ended in a complete rout. Perhaps her only mistake was not strangling Song Yan in his swaddling clothes earlier.

Thinking this, Yang Miaoqing's fingers couldn't help but clench tightly. Forcibly suppressing the agitation in her heart, Yang Miaoqing looked at the man in the lead opposite her.

"You must be Mr. Hirata?"

Beside her, Yang Siyao's beautiful eyes contracted slightly.

They're Wokou!

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