Chapter 33: Father is Missing

Si'an County was originally an inconspicuous county town. However, with the construction of irrigation canals in recent years, the land has become fertile, and the people have diligently cultivated the land, gradually improving their lives. The area also has many small mountains, rich in mountain products and medicinal herbs, attracting merchants from outside the county. The hardworking people of the county manage to earn a living by doing small businesses every day.

This momentum of prosperity vanished in just a short period of time.

In the past, as soon as the city gates opened each day, traveling merchants from other places and people from surrounding villages and towns would flock into the city. But these past few days, the opposite has happened; people are entering the city in small numbers, while those leaving are forming long queues.

Although very few people left Si'an County directly, and most went to nearby villages or the prefectural city to visit relatives and friends, this was still not a good thing for a county.

These days, population is the greatest resource. Only with people can land be developed, small businesses be started, and construction be carried out.

As the county magistrate, Xiao Shi stood on the city gate watching this scene, his heart heavy. He sighed and said, "When the court is stable, it is the high-ranking officials who live a good life. But when there is turmoil, it is the common people who suffer. Don't be fooled by the fact that they are only away for a short time. Their entire families are spending money every day without earning anything. Once they have enough for food, clothing, and shelter, half a year's worth of work will be wasted."

Si'an County was something Xiao Shi had watched improve little by little. Now, with his term about to end and this turmoil upon him, it's truly hard for him not to feel sorry for the people, and for himself as well.

Magistrate Xiao sighed, "Do you think my transfer has fallen through again?"

"You're asking me?" Song Jin pointed to himself, quite surprised. "I'm just an ordinary citizen, how would I know about these things? You're the county magistrate, aren't you?"

She sat on the city wall, her hands bracing against the stone, her legs dangling in mid-air. The nearly ten-meter-high wall seemed like flat ground to her. A gentle breeze ruffled her fine hair, revealing bright, spirited phoenix eyes and delicate, striking features. She muttered to herself...

"Over the years, you've worked tirelessly for the county, even if you haven't risked your life. Under your leadership, the county's situation has improved year by year. Now, the only problem is the Liang Wang rebels. It's just that the city was almost bombed, and only Qi Zheng and Song Xingzhi narrowly escaped harm."

Magistrate Xiao felt as if he had been struck by three arrows. He clutched his chest and cried out, "Quick, quick, stop talking!"

If we keep talking, it's hard to say whether he'll get a promotion, but it seems like he's definitely going to lose his job.

Xiao Shi felt a heart attack just thinking about it. Everyone says that being an official depends on ability, but in his opinion, sometimes luck is more important than ability.

Some people have a smooth career once they enter officialdom. For example, his classmate from back then couldn't even distinguish between rice and wheat, let alone medicine and vegetables. He spent his days spouting classical Chinese phrases, and nobody thought he could pass the exam.

Unfortunately, in that very year, a cheating scandal broke out in Jiangnan, disqualifying most people from the imperial examinations. Just before the exams, the route was disrupted by fleeing famine, causing chaos among many students. That classmate, by virtue of his last-place ranking, became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and was relegated to a remote, harsh northern region as a county magistrate, where he then encountered a rebellion.

He then entered the Imperial Academy and gained considerable prestige in the court, but at that time, he couldn't even memorize the most basic Four Books fluently.

Xiao Shi then thought about his own experience as the second-ranked scholar in the imperial examination. First, he was demoted, then demoted again, then he encountered a chaotic army, barely escaped death, then encountered famine, then epidemic, and then floods...

They finally managed to make something of themselves in Si'an County, but now it's all gone to waste.

Xiao Shi cried out indignantly, "Those damned Liang King's rebels, a bunch of lunatics, they even want to rebel! Bah! What kind of brain-dead, ass-crushing idiot would help them? Go back to being a savage in the mountains..."

Song Jin: "A gentleman, a gentlemanly demeanor, Magistrate Xiao."

Magistrate Xiao, though a gentleman, may have lofty ambitions to advocate for the people, but isn't his motivation also to support his family and climb the ranks? He, an ordinary citizen, has sacrificed so much to get to where he is today, only to find himself back on the same path, stagnant, or even regressing.

He stood there cursing and swearing, talking about the corrupt previous regime and the current rebellious party, about his own hardships and his pitiful child, without a trace of his former composure.

Song Jin's lips twitched, and she interrupted him impatiently: "Alright, that's enough. I'll go and put in a good word for you with Qi Zheng, okay? He's a reasonable man. Once he returns to court and puts a good word for you with the Emperor, are you still worried about not getting a promotion?"

Magistrate Xiao immediately stopped, his eyes gleaming: "Really?"

Song Jin: "It's really true, but don't overestimate me. I'm just a country girl; what I say is practically the same as farting."

Magistrate Xiao's expression was inscrutable: "Times have changed. You've rendered meritorious service in saving the city; your words will certainly carry weight."

Although there's an old saying, "If you rely on a mountain, it will collapse and everyone will run away," you should still rely on it if you can. You have to be flexible in life; otherwise, you wouldn't have the saying, "Even if you don't respect the monk, you should still respect the Buddha."

Looking at his self-righteous demeanor, Song Jin couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

She knew that someone dragging her out so early in the morning couldn't be anything good, and sure enough, it was. Her life is so tough; she always said you can't just randomly incur favors.

Song Jin jumped down from the city wall, dusted off her hands, and pouted, "I can only say I'll try my best, and that's all we can do. What weight can a country bumpkin like me carry? Alright, stop nagging me. Go do what you need to do; there's a lot going on in the county."

Seeing her like this, Magistrate Xiao's heart stirred, and he suddenly said, "Song Jin, what do you think of my fifth son?"

Song Jin: "...That little brat hasn't even grown all his hair yet. Let's go, I'm going back to see my mother. Now that this matter is resolved, we can finally set off."

This old man is unbelievable. A county magistrate, how could he be afraid of not finding a daughter-in-law? He insists on pushing each of his sons on her, without even considering that his fifth son is only ten years old. He's truly heartless and insane.

Song Jin quickly left the city gate and ran towards her family's courtyard.

In the courtyard, Niu Tielan listlessly drank her bitter medicine, not even bothering to glance at her elusive daughter.

Song Jin didn't seem to care at all. With a bright smile, she walked over, touched her forehead, checked her pulse, and only relaxed after confirming that everything was alright.

She asked, "Mother, is anything bothering you?"

Niu Tielan: "Do you think the flowers I planted will die from the sun?"

Song Jin: "Have you practiced Tai Chi?"

Niu Tielan: "The saffron in my vegetable garden should be ripe by now."

Song Jin: "It's sunny in the yard, do you want to go back inside and rest?"

Niu Tielan: "I wonder how our cow is doing."

...

After a nonsensical exchange in the courtyard, Song Jin left amidst Niu Tielan's curses, intending to find Song Xingzhi to ask when they would be leaving.

Now, the Liang family members have either fled or been arrested, and we've asked them most of the questions. It's just that the mother and daughter aren't important. Qi Zheng, a prince, has been away from the capital for so long, we can't delay any longer, can we?

This is the emperor's own son, whom he just found. After being away for so long, she refused to believe that anyone wouldn't miss him.

Song Jin walked slowly down the street, her hands behind her head. Looking at the street, which was much more desolate than usual, and thinking about the explosives that had been found during the search, her eyes darkened.

The Liang family is truly ruthless and insane.

Just as Song Jin had said before, she had no interest in anything related to rebellion or treason. She wasn't a true citizen of this dynasty, and therefore couldn't be loyal to the emperor or love her country. She only wanted to live her own life well; she had no opinion about who became emperor, and didn't think rebellion was such a heinous crime.

The victor is king, the loser is villain.

However, the Liang family is not an option.

That bastard is a heartless madman, he doesn't value human life at all. Today he's weak and can take a city to vent his anger because his whereabouts have been exposed; tomorrow he can sacrifice the people to appease the heavens because he holds power. In comparison, the current emperor is much more reliable.

For at least the past twenty years of his rule, the lives of the people have indeed improved day by day. Even corrupt officials, once discovered, have been dealt with, resulting in a period of peace and prosperity. Such stability means that even if the current emperor dies and someone else takes the throne, as long as that person isn't mentally challenged, peace can be maintained for a century.

In comparison, Song Jin felt that even for the sake of her peaceful life, those chaotic thieves deserved to die. With this thought in mind, she went to the county government office and was directly taken to Song Xingzhi and his group.

Under torture, interrogation became exceptionally difficult, especially as the Liang family members, seeing that they had been abandoned, became disheartened and confessed one by one.

After the rebellion in Lingnan was quelled, they settled here. One reason was its proximity to the mountains, making escape easier; another was its abundant mineral resources—besides the one they had previously discovered, there was another that was almost fully developed.

The Liang family had gradually built their fortune over the years using these things, establishing themselves in Si'an County—or more precisely, Qingjun Prefecture—with a significant presence in the prefectural city and a vast network of influence. In comparison, Si'an County was merely a relay station, used for transporting goods.

Important, but not much.

Because of this, the matter was transferred to Qingjun Prefecture, and the governor dispatched by the imperial court supervised the arrest. Song Xingzhi and his group, on the other hand, had nothing to do and spent the last two days packing their things.

When Song Jin strode in, Song Xingzhi was reviewing the transcript, checking for any omissions. Upon seeing her, his head instinctively began to throb.

"Why are you here again?"

Song Xingzhi emphasized the word "again".

Song Jin didn't care whether he had a headache or not, and said directly, "When are you leaving? The Liang family has been almost arrested now, what are you doing here?"

Song Xingzhi: "We should finish what we start; at least we should investigate all these people."

Song Jin pressed on: "When will the trial be over?"

Song Xingzhi said helplessly, "Isn't your mother doing just fine now? A day or two won't make a difference."

Song Jin said expressionlessly, "Fine, then I'll take my mother with me tomorrow."

Song Xingzhi had a headache: "It's not safe for the two of you."

...

Seeing his hesitant and evasive manner, Song Jin narrowed her eyes, sensing something was wrong. She slammed her hand heavily on the table and sneered, "Safety or not, I think you just don't want to take us back. What, changing your mind? Let me tell you, it's no use changing your mind. You need to give me an explanation for my mother's matter."

Seeing her expression as if she'd tear the house down if he didn't get an answer, Song Xingzhi tried to smile and appease her, but he couldn't manage a smile. He rubbed his forehead with a wry smile and sighed repeatedly.

Song Jin squinted: "What exactly happened?"

Song Xingzhi remained silent for a long time, then gave a bitter smile: "It's not that I don't want you to go, but it's no use going back now, Father has disappeared."

Song Jin was taken aback, then frowned: "What do you mean?"

Song Xingzhi sighed, took out a secret letter from his pocket and handed it to her, his face full of worry and concern: "A few days ago, my second brother wrote that Father was attacked and fell off a cliff while going out, and has not been found yet."

"What do you mean by not finding him? What will happen to my mother if your father is gone?" Song Jin was anxious and quickly made up her mind. She pursed her lips tightly and said, "No, I'll take my mother to the capital right now. Your father is such a powerful traitor, he'll definitely be alright."

She didn't care about Song Shang as a person, but this person concerned her mother's health, and absolutely nothing could happen to him. Even if Song Shang were gone, she would still take her mother to the capital. Going there would at least offer a sliver of hope; otherwise, they would simply wait and see if the Red Thread Gu would ever manifest.

This is absolutely unacceptable.

Song Xingzhi didn't have the energy to argue with her about "your father" or "my father" right now. He said with some difficulty, "If my father were alright, I would definitely take you back as soon as possible, but his condition is unclear right now. I think it's best if you don't go to the capital."

He was the one who said he would take people back, and now he's the one who doesn't want them to go back. Song Xingzhi's face burned with embarrassment after he finished speaking. He didn't even dare to look at Song Jin's face and was prepared to be beaten.

Surprisingly, Song Jin remained remarkably calm. She didn't kick the table, didn't kick anyone, and didn't utter a single curse. She simply looked at Song Xingzhi quietly, speaking each word carefully.

"I'm definitely going to the capital."

Song Xingzhi suddenly looked up, gritted his teeth, and said, "My father is not here. What good will it do you if you go? There are so many people in this world who hate my father. Even when he was safe and sound, he was already a lot of trouble. Now that his life or death is unknown, once you step into the capital, with your face, you will never have a peaceful day in your life."

Otherwise, he would have returned to the capital long ago, instead of staying here suppressing his worries and grief, all to ensure this matter is resolved cleanly so that he can better protect the Song family upon his return.

Song Jin couldn't think about so many things, nor did she want to. She only knew that if you're afraid of this and that in this life, you might as well slit your throat and start over, and enjoy some peace and quiet.

She raised her eyebrows and said arrogantly, "I'm not afraid of trouble at all. They can try."

Song Xingzhi stared blankly at her unrestrained demeanor.

For a moment, he even thought the person in front of him was Song Shang, because both his appearance and temperament were so similar to the same person.

But the next second, Song Jin shattered this illusion with a slap. She slammed her hands heavily on the table and said directly, "Whether you leave or not is up to you. Anyway, I'm taking my mother to the capital tomorrow."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Song Xingzhi knew he couldn't stop her. He rubbed his head bitterly, "If your other brothers knew I let you go back, they would definitely kill me."

Song Jin crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow: "I see. Anyway, it wasn't me who died."

Song Xingzhi leaned back steadily in his chair, looking at her like this. He knew he should try to persuade her, but in the end, he simply took out a token from his waist.

"This is a token bestowed upon Father by His Majesty. Seeing this token is equivalent to seeing him. With this token, you need not bow to anyone, not even the Emperor. As long as you haven't seen Father's body, and as long as the Emperor hasn't spoken, with this token, you can walk sideways in the capital."

Since they're going back, they'll go back in the most flamboyant way possible, to shatter the intricacies of the capital and turn the world upside down. Even without Song Shang, the Song family still has their older brothers.

No need for my only sister to bend her back

Song Xingzhi handed over the token, and looking at Song Jin's face, which was remarkably similar to Song Shang's, he raised the corners of his mouth, his voice soft yet exceptionally solemn.

"Dad will be very happy to see you, little sister."

Song Jin's dark eyes gazed at him silently, then she fearlessly accepted the token. She tilted her chin up, a smirk playing on her lips: "Then I'd like to see what kind of taste he has. I'll personally hand this token to Song Shang."

With that, she turned and strode away with fearless steps.