001
The thirty-sixth year of Yuande in the Later Jin Dynasty
Kyoto and Luoyang, Caishikou
"It's noon, carry out the execution!"
The order was thrown onto the filthy soil, which was mixed with black and red stench.
The fat, burly executioner raised his gleaming black executioner's blade, and with a "whoosh," a thick layer of wine sprayed onto it, which he then wiped off with his hand, as if to cleanse the sins of the criminals.
With a swift stroke of the blade, a group of people rushed onto the execution platform like wild dogs going berserk.
"You troublemaker!"
"Get out!"
Soon the crowd dispersed, leaving behind only the muddy ground, which had darkened further, and the lingering stench in the air.
"He is a good official."
Song Ling was dressed in coarse linen clothes, and wore a tattered bamboo hat that covered most of her face. Her tone was calm, revealing no emotion.
"Who cares?" came a faint male voice.
The thin man beside her picked up the basket laden with the spoils, his gaze fixed blankly on the execution platform. Whether he was questioning her words or not, he suddenly retorted, "Does it matter?"
He clutched the basket tightly to his chest, glancing around as if he had found some rare treasure, yet also afraid that some fool might snatch it away, and stumbled away.
Song Ling stepped forward and picked up the bloody, black and white round object that had rolled to the corner of the execution platform.
It was the eyeball of the man who was killed.
"Miss, if you don't want this, could you give it to this old man?"
The old woman was dressed in tattered clothes covered in patches, her back hunched over as if a huge rock was pressing down on her. At this moment, her cloudy eyes were tightly gripping the eyeball in Song Ling's palm.
"Here you go," the old woman said, but the item was snatched away by a withered hand the moment it was handed over, and she quickly disappeared from the spot.
Suddenly, several soldiers rushed over, their long blades pointed at the people who were bending over and lingering in place.
"Put everything down!"
"Don't move!"
Arrest them all!
Amidst the wailing and howling, the once bustling city instantly vanished without a trace.
If this is already the case in the capital, what about the lives of the people of the whole country?
"You three, come with us!"
The knife was almost at his neck.
The man and woman behind Song Ling had already gripped their sword hilts and asked warily, "Miss?"
"Kill them."
Several officers and soldiers, unaware of the danger, lost their lives in an instant.
*
"Have you heard? The corrupt official and the soldier who presided over the case at Caishikou were both killed. I heard that the blood flowed for more than ten meters and didn't soak in for three days and three nights. His Majesty was furious and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter."
"Good riddance! They deserved it! It's just a pity that Lord Su died because of a frame-up, and even his body wasn't properly preserved. What about us..."
Shh—be careful what you say, be careful what you say.
After being stopped, the man could only keep quiet and eventually drank alone in frustration.
Song Ling sat in a corner of the restaurant, pulling his straw hat down to listen to everything.
"The southern barbarians have invaded again. I wonder if General Yu can defend the southern border."
"Him? He's just a peasant who luckily gained the Emperor's favor," one person said disdainfully. "It would be better to send Marquis Wu'an; he'd surely defeat the enemy in one move!"
As the drinking party reached its climax, the crowd grew increasingly excited, as if they wanted to personally charge into battle against the enemy. They became more and more unrestrained in their conversation, and even began to discuss matters of state.
Suddenly, a wine glass fell to the ground and shattered.
The crowd sobered up a bit from the alcohol.
A squad of soldiers in gleaming silver armor burst through the restaurant's doors and surrounded everyone. The leading soldier, holding a token, shouted, "You're all causing trouble and making irresponsible remarks about state affairs! Take you all away!"
Inside the restaurant, shouts of resistance, pleas for mercy, and arguments mingled together, with physical struggles and pitiful cries of pain... Everywhere were broken wine jars and rice bowls, scattered wooden tables and stools, and sticky red stains covering the surroundings.
Song Ling's pupils contracted slightly as she coldly watched everything unfold, like an outsider.
"Seventeen, saving the world and the people is the mission of the Huailai Pavilion Master, and also your destiny..."
Suddenly, the only words of advice my master left me ten years ago before he passed away flashed before my eyes, and that day was the day we were separated forever.
Now all I remember is the reluctance and determination in my master's eyes at that time, placing the heavy responsibility of the world on a six-year-old child, which would surely be a laughing stock to others.
"Don't hit my dad, he's not a bad person!"
Not far away, a little girl, a few years old, stood in front of the dying man, her voice trembling.
"Niu Niu, run! Don't worry about Dad... run..." The man's breath was weak, and he couldn't even lift his arm. He could only watch helplessly as the blood-stained blade slashed at his frail body.
At the critical moment, a gust of sword wind swept past, and the soldier was kicked several meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood and losing consciousness. It was clear that this kick had used all his internal strength.
As Song Ling held the child close to her chest, she also looked down and saw the hope and pain in the eyes of the man on the ground.
Who are you?
The commander, leading the soldiers, demanded, "How dare they disobey the imperial order! Seize them all!"
Song Ling and his two companions were forced to join the battle, and the scene became chaotic. Because of their formidable strength, almost all the soldiers rushed forward, giving many others a chance to escape.
"Clear the way, take him with you, let's go!"
The woman behind Song Ling picked up the man who was lying on the ground and was about to faint, and slammed something onto the restaurant floor. Thick smoke immediately burst out, obscuring everyone's view.
"Cough cough cough..."
After the white smoke dissipated, the restaurant was completely deserted except for the soldiers.
Enraged, the leader kicked a table to pieces, yelling, "Go find someone right now!"
"Martial law is here. Search every house!"
………
They fled into an alley, where Song Ling put the little girl down.
The man suddenly knelt down, his voice sincere and grateful: "Thank you so much for saving our lives today, Niu Niu, come here..." The man hurriedly pulled his daughter to kneel down and kowtow.
“No need,” Song Ling’s voice remained cold as she stopped him with the hilt of her sword. “Let’s go.”
The woman next to Song Ling handed the man a pill, saying, "Take this and it will help you heal. Go home and hide it well. Don't go to the clinic."
"Thank you, benefactor... thank you, benefactor..."
As she watched the man leave the alley, blood slowly trickled from the corner of Song Ling's mouth, which she wiped away without a care.
"Master... here," the woman handed over a pill, but Song Ling waved her hand to stop her, "No need, it's alright."
Just then, the sound of armor clashing against weapons came from outside the alleyway, indicating a group of at least several dozen people.
"Over there!"
"Search your area thoroughly!"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The three of them held their breath and focused their attention. Song Ling swallowed the bloody smell that filled her mouth, and the air seemed to freeze.
Just as a small group of people was about to enter the alley, they were suddenly stopped by an arrogant voice, "Halt—"
"Oh! Lord Liu, what are you doing here?"
"This back street is the Princess's residence. You have disturbed the princess with such a grand display. What is your punishment?"
"It was my mistake..." the squad leader bowed and scraped, "but it was the commander's order, and we were just following orders..."
Lord Liu squinted at the group and said, "What? Even if your Commander Yuan were standing here today, you'd still give me some face? How much influence do you have?"
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! I'll take my men and leave right away." He gestured to the men behind him, "Let's go!"
Song Ling and his two companions remained vigilant and prepared to leave using their light-footed skills when the people outside the alley were not paying attention.
Suddenly, a voice, shrouded in mystery, drifted into their ears, "Isn't it rather impolite of you all to leave like this?"
At the entrance of the alley, Lord Liu, with his round belly, slowly appeared. Behind him, two rows of men in black appeared, more than twice the number of the imperial guards who had chased them earlier.
"Damn, they're afraid we'll run away!" The woman beside Song Ling's lips twitched slightly. "Miss, you go first, we'll cover your retreat!"
But before he could draw his sword, Song Ling forced it back down.
Song Ling sheathed her sword at her side, a slight smile playing on her lips, her previously icy expression softening somewhat. "I am honored by the Princess's favor, and I would be grateful if this gentleman could lead the way."
*
Princess's Residence
A woman with a heroic face, dressed in a red robe, was practicing swordsmanship. The sword wind was fierce and the sword energy could be faintly seen. She was not one of those decorative figures.
"Your Highness has excellent swordsmanship." Song Ling took off her bamboo hat and placed it on the stone table beside her.
“I don’t buy into your literati nonsense,” the princess sheathed her sword and strode forward, slamming it down in front of Song Ling with a loud bang. Her voice was cold and angry: “Su Zhengze is dead, and you broke your promise.”
"Do you want to do it yourself, or should I find someone to help you?"
Song Ling did not touch the sword, but instead took out a letter from his pocket, saying, "This humble subject has not broken his promise."
"Princess, why don't you read this letter first before making a decision?"
Her tone was so calm that even the eldest princess was shocked, wondering if the execution she had witnessed that day was a hallucination.
The letter contained only a few lines, but she would never forget the handwriting—it was Su Zhengze's handwriting. In the corner, there was a secret code known only to the two of them.
It was Su Zhengze, whose head was chopped off that day, and Su Zhengze whose body was taken away and whose remains were never found.
"How could this be?" The princess's voice was somewhat dazed, with only one thought in her mind: "This princess must see him!"
Song Ling shook her head. "No, this would be detrimental to Lord Su."
"When the time is right, I will arrange for the two princesses to meet, provided that you keep your promise."
The eldest princess lifted her robe and sat down. "Tomorrow at court, I can propose the marriage alliance to my father."
"But how can you guarantee that Father won't take it seriously? And how can you be sure that Princess Ben can escape unscathed?"
Those in positions of power must plan ten steps ahead for every step they take in order to remain invincible, but the eldest princess found it difficult to fathom Song Ling's thoughts.
A few months ago, Su Zhengze was sentenced to death. Just when she was busy with this matter and the marriage arrangements, Song Ling suddenly visited her anonymously, in exchange for a promise and a favor.
Human relationships are actually the least valuable thing, so she decided to play along.
For the past six months, the northern barbarians have been making trouble. Her father was worried that her merits would overshadow the emperor and did not want to appoint the Marquis of Wu'an to go north to protect the border. So he came up with the idea of a marriage alliance. At present, the only eligible princesses in the court are her and her fourth sister.
She was unwilling to marry into a foreign land, nor did she want her fourth sister to spend the rest of her life in the desolate desert at such a young age, and she was extremely anxious about this.
But this person wants her to propose a marriage alliance; isn't that putting herself in a very difficult position?
The princess frowned more and more as she thought about it. "Are you playing a trick on me?"
“No,” Song Ling shook her head slightly, “Princess, there is no need to worry. Someone will stop this matter.”
"who?"
Song Ling smiled slightly, "You will know tomorrow."
"Princess! Princess!" The steward rushed into the courtyard in a panic. "The commander of the Imperial Guards is leading troops to search the Princess's mansion and arrest the thieves! They ignored our attempts to stop them and rushed straight in!"
Suddenly, a series of chaotic footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.
The person arrived before the voice.
"Your Highness, it's been a long time!"
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