Chapter 88 Why don't you just bear with it a little longer?

"Everyone, sit down properly."

"Yes, yes, that's it, from short to tall."

"Say it, say it all at once."

...

In the cell, Song Jin could only tolerate the little brats' distress for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before his true colors were revealed. He pressed the brats down like mushrooms being pulled from the ground, moving them from left to right until they were half-squatting on the floor.

The way he moved from low to high, kneeling in a half-squat, combined with his tear-streaked face, really did look like someone about to be beheaded.

Song Jin was very satisfied.

Don't be fooled by her current authoritative demeanor towards the female prisoners; that's only after she's dealt with them. Initially, they ignored her completely, even mocking her to her face since they were all going to die anyway.

joke

Did you think she would endure it if she was about to die?

Song Jin picked up a wire, pried open the lock, and brazenly beat up everyone who disliked him before swaggering back to his cell.

Those people naturally couldn't be beaten into submission in one go. When the constables came in, they immediately filed a complaint. However, Song Jin was a princess, and with so many eyes watching her, how could these small fry afford to offend her?

Besides, they can't just tie her up and bind her up because she's skilled in martial arts, can they? They wouldn't be able to hold her in that position anyway.

Besides, even when she caused trouble, she only did so when they weren't around, and afterwards she obediently went back to her quarters, which already showed them, the lowly soldiers, a lot of respect.

What else do you want?

The jailer turned a blind eye, but Song Jin, taking advantage of the situation, gave the complainant another beating after he left, successfully seizing power in the prison and listening to the female prisoners recount their experiences.

Those female traffickers who dared to speak up, regardless of what crimes they ultimately committed, all had their own reasons for doing so at the beginning. In a sense, they were all strong women who dared to love and hate.

Song Jin found it quite amusing, but these little brats in front of her were just there to cause trouble.

The four people squatted in a row, from left to right: Ningning, Xiaohua, Shengge, and Fuge. Their eyes were red, and they shrank back, facing Song Jin's question.

Ningning pouted and sobbed, "Look, look at the princess, she's alright."

Song Jin glanced at her little face, wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, and patted her head: "Okay, I believe you, silly girl. Come sit over here. Next, what about you?"

When asked, Hua Hua's eyes also reddened. Although she had been frightened, she had recovered and, with her eyes darting around, she repeated, "Worried about the princess."

Song Jin smiled enigmatically: "Disobedient children will have their tongues pulled out."

Hua Hua shrank back: "I just wanted to take a look. The headmaster loves to say we're disobedient and will end up in jail. I've never seen one before, so I wanted to come and see. She's also been crying and whining, it's so annoying!"

There was no other choice for her but Ningning.

Song Jin glanced at Ningning beside her. The little one was sobbing like a baby dumpling, her big eyes brimming with tears, her little hands clutching Song Jin's clothes. She did look truly pitiful.

The two little ones seem to be getting along well these past few days.

Song Jin accepted this reason; if they moved one more child, there would only be two older children left.

Sheng Ge suppressed his panic and pointed at Xiao Hua: "I...I was just with Xiao Hua."

Song Jin wasn't surprised. Among the children in the orphanage, Xiao Hua was clearly the one in charge. This little rascal was clever and resourceful at such a young age, full of ideas. It was Xiao Hua who had instigated them to go into the mountains to catch the tiger last time.

Another one solved, only Brother Fu is left.

Song Jin crossed her arms and raised her chin: "Your turn."

Fu Ge opened and closed his mouth, raised his arm to wipe away his tears, and knelt down abruptly: "I...I'm worried about the princess. If something happens to the princess, Ningning, Lao Er, Jiajia, and I will be homeless again."

The group of young beggars now live in a room next to the wine cellar provided by Song Jin. Although the five of them are crammed into a small room, it provides shelter from the wind and rain, a small stove for cooking, and storage for their belongings. They have even gotten a small job because of it, so they no longer have to worry about food and lodging.

You don't have to worry about your belongings being stolen after you make money, or about encountering a bad landlord who cheats you out of your money, or about being bullied by other beggars...

All of this stems from Song Jin. If something happens to her, all their efforts will be like a reflection of the moon on water, easily shattered.

Brother Fu was really afraid something would happen to her.

That makes sense; they haven't even seen each other for years, how could there be such a deep bond?

Upon first seeing the group, Song Jin wondered if she had forgotten something due to her occasional amnesia. But no matter how she thought about it, she realized she had only met these kids once or twice.

Hearing what the others said, Song Jin felt satisfied. She liked honest people, and the more sincere they were, the more tolerant she became.

Song Jin flicked Fu Ge's head, confidently and arrogantly saying, "Don't worry, I'll be fine even if anything happens to anyone. I'll leave once the matter is investigated. If I really want to kill someone, they don't need to bother me."

Although she acts simply and brutally, she has always been open and aboveboard. If she were to use so many hidden weapons behind the scenes, she must have been out of her mind to leave so many openings.

Now we'll see how the investigation goes over there.

The person behind this is incompetent, so investigating them shouldn't be difficult. The question is, how much they can uncover?

Those people who think they can bring her down with this are being far too simplistic.

Of course, this may just be the beginning.

The Song family is indeed a thorn in the side of many people.

But Song Jin was fearless. Her eyebrows were raised high, and even sitting in prison, she remained confident and dazzling, making people feel at ease.

Seeing her like this, and then looking at the dark and gloomy prison, Fu Ge gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and knelt down twice, bowing his head heavily: "Actually, I... I've always had something I wanted to tell the princess."

Song Jin's arrogance vanished; she rubbed her forehead, gazed at the prison ceiling, and sighed deeply.

Based on what Brother Fu mentioned about Ningning last time, she knew these kids were a big problem, but since she'd already taken them in, she couldn't just abandon them, could she?

The problem is, can we slow down a bit?

Song Jin said with a sigh, "Actually, I don't want to hear it at all. Why don't you just bear with it a little longer and talk about it later in the month?"

Fu Ge made a huge decision before speaking, and even after he finished, he was still incredibly nervous. Song Jin's comment caused him to stammer, "...Later, later part of the month?"

Song Jin looked up at the sky: "Yeah, maybe later in the month. I've been really busy lately, I don't have time."

Brother Fu: ...

Busy with what? Busy with going to jail?

Fu Ge struggled to keep up with Song Jin's train of thought. In his view, Princess Song Jing, despite her high position and power, was approachable, bold and fearless, yet surprisingly considerate. However, she was sometimes too unconventional, such as when she suddenly took them to release lanterns, or when she led them to seize territory last time.

Too casual

So at this moment, faced with Song Jin's 'suggestion,' he couldn't tell if it was a joke or serious, and stammered, "No, that won't do, will it? The meeting will be held in the latter half of the month, won't that be a bit too late?"

Song Jin sighed, then decisively said, "Then you tell me."

"Well, then I'll say it," Brother Fu stammered, speaking slowly, to avoid Song Jin changing her mind. He then raised his chin, swallowed, and quickened his pace.

"Does the group admin remember those people you arrested during the Mid-Autumn Festival lantern festival that night? The short one, I went out one night and happened to see him meeting with a strange person, talking about stalking and murder. I followed him for a few days and saw him, saw him..."

Song Jin looked at him thoughtfully.

It has to be said, this kid has quite the adventurous spirit. Most people would run far away in this situation, and he even pretended not to know anything, daring to follow and observe. No wonder he managed to learn a skill as a beggar to earn money, save up, and support his child.

They will definitely be very successful in the future.

Seeing him stutter, Song Jin didn't rush him, but simply said, "Don't be afraid. It's not a big deal no matter who it is. The person who brought you here just now was a prince. Do you understand what the prince means? He's the emperor's own son. Even if the sky falls, he can hold it up."

Qi Zheng, waiting outside: ...

My shoulders suddenly felt heavy.

Encouraged by Song Jin, Brother Fu took a deep breath and whispered, "I...I saw that person meet with the eldest son of Jin Yu Ge. When he left, his purse was bulging. It happened a few more times after that. And then..."

Song Jin stroked her chin: "I caught him."

Brother Fu swallowed hard: "He died. He was gone the day he was released from prison. They say he drowned after falling into the water while drinking."

Song Jin: "Oh, is that so? Then the clues are gone?"

Brother Fu scratched his head and reminded him, "His cronies definitely know something. They haven't shown up lately. I saw them sneaking around discussing something the last time."

Song Jin looked down at Brother Fu, thinking that what he saw might not be something entirely aboveboard, just like how he would go out at night for no reason.

Fu felt a little guilty under her gaze, shrank his neck, and lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her.

Song Jin seemed to be deep in thought, but there were too many things to do lately, so she decided to take it one step at a time. She nodded and called out to Qi Zheng on the other end, "Did you hear that?"

She had roamed the mountains since childhood and later often trained tigers; her voice was clear and resonant, echoing throughout the prison, audible to everyone.

Qi Zheng didn't reply. He quietly walked back, looking at Song Jin through the iron bars. Song Jin had handsome features, a stern expression, and spoke with a particularly helpless tone: "I can hear you."

Song Jin raised an eyebrow, pulled Fu Ge around, and pressed his head down: "Did you hear that? He said he heard it. You go talk to him about this, understand?"

As she said this, her bright phoenix eyes sparkled, filled with the smug satisfaction of having gotten rid of the situation.

I'd like to see if you're still too embarrassed to refuse.

Qi Zheng shook his head and said to the somewhat frightened Brother Fu, "Don't be afraid. I will send people to investigate when we get back. You won't be implicated."

Brother Fu breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "Besides them, there are a few others."

Song Jin slapped him on the head and said speechlessly, "Let's talk about it when we get back."

This guy must be working the night shift every day.

Brother Fu shrank back, curled up, and moved backward.

Xiao Hua and Sheng Ge looked at him in surprise and gave him a thumbs up.

Admit defeat

Fu scratched his head sheepishly, held Ningning's hand, and lowered his head without saying a word.

He was able to support his younger siblings on the streets and still manage to save money, so he must have some skills. However, some things, once explained clearly, are not so simple.

Song Jin ignored the brats, stood in front of the iron bars, looked at the cold yet exceptionally soft-hearted person outside, and stretched out her hand, clenching her fist...

She slightly raised her chin, gave a soft "uh-huh," and her eyes were full of cunning, looking like she was plotting something bad.

Qi Zheng hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand.

He was tall and had exceptionally large hands with long, slender fingers. Years of martial arts training had left his palms covered in calluses, layer upon layer of thick calluses pressing down on them. Even a thin layer of callus was so fine that a knife could not easily pierce it.

In contrast, the calluses on Song Jin's hands immediately revealed her laziness. She gently placed her palm on Qi Zheng's palm and then slapped it hard.

She said smugly, "Take all these kids back with you."

Qi Zheng glanced at her briefly, then extended his hand, gesturing for her to come closer.

Song Jin raised an eyebrow and reached out her hand again without hesitation.

If you want to beat her up, you'll have to rely on your skills.

Qi Zheng looked at her eager and provocative expression, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He gently released his grip, and a piece of candy fell to the ground.

Song Jin's hand, which had dodged, snapped back, and she caught the candy just in time, pressing it against the back of her tongue, and scoffed, "That's all? How stingy."

Qi Zheng didn't mention the large food box, but said, "Madam didn't leave the manor today. The Song family brought the physician back this afternoon, so you don't need to worry."

When Niu Tielan's matter was mentioned, Song Jin immediately became serious and said, "That's good. I just don't know if that old man gave my mother a hard time. I'll deal with him when I get out."

This is unreasonable.

Qi Zheng continued habitually, "The two Dai brothers have been interrogated separately. Dai Yuanhua knows nothing about it and is likely unaware of the situation. However, Dai Yuanhong is hiding many things. Using him as a starting point should uncover a lot. The men sent out by Lord Li and Lord Fan have also made some discoveries. It won't be long before you are cleared of suspicion."

Song Jin stroked her chin: "Why would they do something so impossible?"

Qi Zheng: "...If it were an ordinary noblewoman, even if she were innocent, being implicated in murder and going to jail would still make her life difficult."

Song Jin was even more frustrated: "Was my performance so ordinary before?"

She fights and curses without holding back, but any normal person could see that she doesn't care about these things, right?

Qi Zheng nodded: "There are always some people who are both vicious and stupid."

That's true.

Song Jin felt less depressed after thinking about it. She tossed her hair and sighed, "Luckily, the weather's cooled down now. If it were summer, I couldn't stand it."

As he moved, the familiar golden tiger and black jade pendant adorned his neck.

It was the jade stone he had given her before, the one that was warm in winter and cool in summer, that fell onto her heaving chest.

Qi Zheng's eyelids twitched slightly. He looked away, the fire half-burned, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Just hold on for a few more days."

Song Jin: "I know, I know, alright, take them away. Don't bring them next time, their howling is giving me a headache."

As soon as she finished speaking, the young bastards in the cell looked at her resentfully.

They risked their lives to come see her, and she still looked down on them.

Princess Bad

Song Jin glared back defiantly, threatening, "What? Don't want to go back? Want to stay here with me?"

The four of them quickly shook their heads. Without her having to lift a finger, they rushed to the door, staring expectantly at Qi Zheng, waiting for him to open it for them.

Qi Zheng didn't speak; he looked down at these audacious children.

The four children are intelligent, quick-witted, and grateful. Give them a chance, and they will surely achieve great things when they grow up.

But the prerequisite is growing up.

In Yong'an City, where powerful and wealthy people congregate, these rootless orphans must act with utmost caution. Their actions today, clinging to Li Qingshan, were certainly a case of choosing the right person, exploiting his soft heart, and going along with his wishes.

However, if they make even one mistake, their lives won't even be enough to be used as a stepping stone.

Qi Zheng's features were deep and defined, every inch of his skin clinging tightly to his flesh and bone, handsome and rugged, yet sharp and menacing, especially when he lowered his brows.

Ningning and the other three held their breath, their backs ramrod straight, not daring to move an inch.

Qi Zheng: "Will you act up again next time?"

All four shook their heads.

I won't dare again, I really won't dare again.

They initially took advantage of Li Qingshan's perceived weakness, habitually pushing their luck and causing trouble. By the time they realized something was wrong after entering the Prince's residence, it was too late.

Ultimately, their audacity stemmed from their connection with Princess Song Jin. In the past, they wouldn't have dared to act so brazenly, let alone try to stop someone; they'd be as wary of anyone from afar as mice before a cat.

Seeing that they understood the gravity of the situation, Qi Zheng reluctantly relaxed, but then instructed them, "Be careful in the future."

The children continued to nod, regardless of age, all doing so earnestly, a stark contrast to their behavior towards Song Jin.

Song Jin leaned against the side with her arms crossed, and after they finished talking, she teased, "Not bad, you're so good at raising children. His Highness Prince Qi will definitely be a good father in the future."

Qi Zheng replied, "You'll be a good mother too."

Song Jin rolled her eyes: "What do you mean by 'girly'? I'm still a child."

Qi Zheng paused, realizing that Song Jin was only a fifteen-year-old girl, while he was already twenty. He frowned, his dark eyes fixed on her.

Song Jin felt a little uncomfortable being stared at. She wrinkled her nose and glared at him, "What are you looking at?"

At times like these, a young girl's charming and delicate nature shines through.

Qi Zheng lowered his eyes and gently shook his head: "It's nothing, I'm leaving."

Song Jin said "oh," watched him turn around, then knocked on the iron bars and threw something over.

Qi Zheng caught

It was a small rooster, about the size of a palm.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Song Jin said fiercely, "I've been working on this for a long time, don't you dare say it's not pretty."

Her craftsmanship was actually quite good; the straw rooster was remarkably lifelike in both form and spirit, although some of the scattered straw was a bit torn.

Qi Zheng carefully held the straw rooster, then, seeing Song Jin's fierce expression, a slight smile played on his lips, like spring snow melting away: "It's very beautiful, I like it very much."

Song Jin snorted: "That would be best..."

Time passed by

The crescent moon hangs high in the branches, mist begins to rise, and every household turns off their lights and goes to sleep.

Inside the Song residence, Xiao Mei carefully inspected the windows and curtains. Once she was sure there were no problems, she walked to the bedside and whispered, "Madam, shall we extinguish the candles?"

Niu Tielan leaned against the pillow, her soft, dark hair cascading down her back. Her small face was expressionless. She said softly, "Light it. Frost is expected tonight. You should all go back to your rooms and sleep. There's no need to keep watch."

Xiao Mei hesitated: "What if Madam gets up tonight?"

Niu Tielan shook his head: "You've only been in the capital for a few days, and you've already forgotten the days you spent in the town?"

Xiao Mei smiled and said, "How could that be? Since Madam is so considerate, I'll let the little maid go back to sleep and come to check on us twice during the night. Is that alright?"

Niu Tielan nodded: "Take care to keep warm."

Xiao Mei chuckled softly, "Please don't worry."

Niu Tielan wasn't used to having an extra person in the room, and she continued to sleep alone for some time. However, two young maids kept watch outside every day, as was the custom in wealthy families in the capital, so she followed suit.

She has been in good health lately and has hardly had any coughs or colds.

Xiao Mei wasn't too worried. She planned to come over a few more times that night. She took the kerosene lamp and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

Niu Tielan lay on the bed, watching the swaying gauze curtains, smelling the faint incense, and slowly closed his eyes. Soon, his breathing became even.

The moonlight outside gradually brightened, spreading across the ground like frost, casting swaying shadows.

Silently, the tightly closed door opened again, then gently closed once more.

The bright moonlight shone through the cracks, falling on the figure who had burst into the room and illuminating the smile on his lips.

He stood by the bed, looking at the figure beneath the gauze curtains, and sighed softly.

"Why are you being so naughty?"