Chapter 59: There is right and wrong in traps, and it has nothing to do with hatred.
Song Jin boasted that he would take everyone with him, but as for the specific method, Song Jin refused to reveal a single word.
If she didn't tell it, it would be her own business, but if she told it, no one would be safe. So she simply didn't tell anyone and just tacitly buried the bag of silver under the bed to avoid it being seen by Quan Rui and Hong Yun.
Ever since these two came, there has been no more joy in Shidinglou. Every day has become increasingly depressing, and the days of feasting and drinking are gone forever. Everyone's resentment is growing day by day, so much so that they have become particularly tacit about this matter and have not mentioned a word to anyone else.
Among the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou is probably the most lively city on New Year's Eve, except for the southern division of Beijing. However, all this has nothing to do with Song Jin, and her "liveliness" is all in the kitchen.
Song Jin was busy in the kitchen while firecrackers were blasting outside. Because the government office had closed down and Ji Shubai had returned home, it was freezing cold, so she was exempted from the daily delivery duties and was only asked to continue the next year.
Song Jin was grateful in her heart because of his special treatment, even if it was just a small treat and seeing her once a day, it would make Quan Rui and Hong Yun dare not beat her at will.
But this is all he can do, but Song Jin wants more than that.
After the Lantern Festival of the following year, Song Jin resumed delivering snacks to the government office, but Ji Shubai was always busy and she seldom saw him.
There was nothing she could do about it, she could only calculate the time and wait for him to be free so they could sit down and have a good talk.
The wait was not long. On the third day of March, the Shangsi Festival, Ji Shubai asked for more snacks. He wanted to invite his friends to go out for a spring outing, so he asked for the snacks to be delivered early in the morning on the fifth day.
Song Jin agreed and started making snacks overnight, including yam cakes of various flavors and buttered abalones. Before leaving, he also prepared double skin milk and caramel pudding, as well as some other snacks. He then packed them in a lunch box and went to the government office.
It was a beautiful spring day in March. There was a small patio where Ji Shubai lived with a peach tree planted in it. Now it was blooming. Pink flowers covered the bare branches, and bees were buzzing, making the scene extremely lively.
Song Jin stood there. Unlike usual practices where she would put down the snacks and leave without seeing anyone, she waited quietly for Ji Shubai to come out.
Ji Shubai seemed to like green very much, and he was wearing green today. He was wearing a Taoist robe with a bud green satin and a chrysanthemum pattern, wide sleeves, a white collar, and a green silk ribbon around his waist, which made his shoulders look broad and his waist slender. He wore a black Tang scarf and pink-bottomed black boots, and he looked handsome, upright, decent and graceful.
Song Jin felt that the hatred in his heart was somewhat uncontrollable, and he lowered his head in a hurry.
"Master Ji, the snacks you requested." He then added, "There are some hot snacks in it, so it's best to eat them while they're hot."
The servant beside Ji Shubai took it. After hearing this, he didn't know whether he should open the food box and ask Ji Shubai to eat some first, so he had to watch him.
"It's open. Let's eat some in this courtyard."
There was a stone table and four stone benches in the patio. Ji Shubai sat down on one of them. The servant helped him open the food box and took out some hot snacks.
He had seen double skin milk and caramel pudding before, but there was one thing that Song Jin had never made before.
"You made cannonballs?" Ji Shubai picked one up and put it in his mouth. After tasting it, he chuckled and asked, "Why is it sweeter than others?"
Paogu, also known as popcorn, is a kind of popcorn. The ancients mostly buried it in a fire to heat it and explode it, but Song Jin chose to pick it off, dip it evenly in honey and then fry it. The taste is naturally quite different.
"Does your Excellency like it?"
Song Jin smiled gently when she spoke, but Ji Shubai felt a little sad when he saw her. He had seen too many smiles on Song Jin's face, flattering, fawning, and all kinds of smiles, but rarely gentle ones. She seemed to be really tortured, and even her temperament changed.
"Very good, I'll send some more later." Then he asked jokingly, "This cannon grain can't be just one penny of silver, right?"
Song Jin still smiled: "You are joking, sir, it's just a bowl of corn."
Ji Shubai just wanted to ask her to relax, but after he finished speaking, he saw that she still didn't leave, and he felt a little strange, because Song Jin was not a person who liked to stay in the government office.
"Would you like to sit down and talk?"
Song Jin did not refuse. After thanking Ji Shubai, he sat down obediently opposite him.
"You should eat some too." Ji Shubai pushed the plate of cannonballs in front of Song Jin. Song Jin still did not refuse and picked up one to eat.
"There's sugar on it, so your hands will be sticky after eating it. Adults should prepare a wet towel."
As soon as Song Jin finished speaking, the servant turned and left, leaving Song Jin and Ji Shubai sitting under the tree.
"Sir, are you a Jinshi in the second year of Wanli?" Song Jin asked as if chatting.
"How do you know that?"
Song Jin smiled and said, "The young master of the Chai family admires you so much. I guess the question that day was the one that Master Ji had tested before."
Speaking of that game, Ji Shubai couldn't help but think of the bully Song Jinlai.
"Why do you think of this?"
Song Jin said: "The spring examination in February has passed, and now the palace examination is just around the corner. I wonder who will win this time."
When talking about scientific examinations, Ji Shubai became more talkative.
"Last year, many candidates from Suzhou Prefecture came to Beijing to take the imperial examination. Even if they didn't get the top prize, they would definitely be on the list of Jinshi candidates."
Song Jin knew clearly that Suzhou had produced many talented people in the imperial examinations, and the list was a long one.
"I heard that the Prime Minister's son will also take part in the palace examination this year."
After hearing this, Ji Shubai stopped putting the cannonball into his mouth and frowned slightly, as if he was unhappy: "Since the Spring Examination is over, it is natural for me to participate in the Palace Examination."
Song Jin knew what he was thinking and said, "Of course, even if he is the son of the Prime Minister, he has to take the imperial examination seriously before he can become an official."
“As it should be.”
Ji Shubai's voice was cold, Song Jin just stared at Ji Shubai, looked at his white collar, and couldn't help but touch his cuffs with his rough and cold fingers. The narrow cotton sleeves were worn out in some places, and the cotton threads that came out formed irregular frayed edges on the cuffs.
Song Jin smiled more and asked, "Do you still remember that game, sir?"
"What game?"
"In the game between me and the young master of the Chai family, it's my turn to ask the questions."
Ji Shubai sneered, as if he had forgotten the unpleasantness just now: "I didn't expect you to still remember this matter. Well, you can't make things difficult for Baobao, now you make things difficult for me."
Song Jin still smiled: "Are you willing, sir?"
"You ask the questions." Ji Shubai put down the cannon in his hand, supported his elbows on the table, and looked serious.
He was very serious and jumped into the pit very seriously.
Song Jin stood up, paced in the small courtyard, and said slowly: "I heard people talk about the emperor's law before, all in the Zhou Shu Hong Fan. The book says that the emperor has its ultimate, and when it comes to employing people, the three virtues should be used. The three virtues are the art of weighing and balancing, calmness, firmness, wisdom, and softness. The appearance of using people to follow the good, the softness of things, and the overall power are also in line with the three virtues. Some people doubt that strict government affairs and lenient affairs are different... If you abandon firmness and softness and seek uprightness, and don't use the three virtues well, how can you say that you have the ultimate construction?"
Ji Shubai listened carefully without saying a word until Song Jin finished speaking, then he asked, "Are you testing me with Zhou Shu?"
Song Jin said: "If we use the Book of Songs to test you, wouldn't that be underestimating you, sir?"
Ji Shubai smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take the question, but it's not convenient today. I have an appointment with a friend, so I'm afraid I'll have to answer it next time."
Song Jin said, "No hurry, my lord, you have official business even if you don't invite friends. It's already March, why not wait until April when you are a little free to answer me."
Ji Shubai said: "Okay, when I'm free, I'll come to Shidinglou to answer your questions."
Song Jin added: "I'm afraid it will take a long time, and I don't have a good memory like you do. It will be troublesome if I forget. Can you write it down?"
Ji Shubai said: "This is easy, just follow me."
Song Jin followed Ji Shubai to the study, scooped water from the water tank to help him grind ink, and Ji Shubai sat on the armchair and wrote at his desk.
The study was quiet. Song Jin's heart was tense and his hands were shaking as he was grinding ink.
After Ji Shubai finished writing, he looked up and asked her jokingly, "Would you like to add my official signature?"
"It would be nice if you could add more."
Ji Shubai took the porcelain seal, dipped it in ink, pressed it hard, and handed the paper to Song Jin.
Song Jin held the paper in the palm of his hand, looking at the words on it while slowly waiting for the ink to dry.
The handwriting was neat and beautiful, like an official document rather than a piece of memory given to Song Jin.
"Sir," Song Jin suddenly asked, "The three virtues are: integrity, strength, and gentleness. Serenity, strength, intelligence, and gentleness. Sir Hai is not valued. Does the court also think he is too strong?"
When Hai Rui was mentioned, Ji Shubai's expression, which had just recovered, darkened again: "The imperial court has its own way of employing people."
Song Jin asked again: "If you divide it into three categories, which category do you think you belong to?"
Ji Shubai narrowed his eyes and asked back: "I think I should ask you about this matter. Which category do you think I should be classified into?"
Song Jin thought for a moment and said, "Integrity."
"Why?"
Song Jin said, "Being impartial and peaceful is integrity. Lord Ji refused to help me get rid of slavery because slavery was originally allowed by the court. Lord Ji could not use his power to help me get rid of slavery just because I knew you. This is impartiality. I suffered because of being deported, and Lord Ji felt pity for me and asked me to send snacks to the government office every day to save me from more pain. This is kindness. Kind people are naturally peaceful, so I say Lord Ji should be upright."
Ji Shubai smiled silently: "I thought you would hate me."
"Sir, there are right and wrong things, and it has nothing to do with hatred."
Ji Shubai was about to ask more questions when the servant came in and said, "Sir, the masters outside are waiting for you. It's time to go."
Ji Shubai felt a little regretful that he had not asked many questions, but he had to leave. Song Jin folded the paper neatly, put it in his arms and left. It was not until he left the street of the government office that Song Jin finally felt relieved.
She ran wildly on the street.
The wind in March was a little warm, but Song Jin could not feel any warmth. She only felt that the wind instantly chilled her cotton coat, almost freezing her whole body. When she ran back to Shidinglou, she found that she had already burst into tears. The tears were blown by the wind, leaving several tear marks on her face.
Song Jin sat under the stove and took out the piece of paper from her arms. She could clearly see "March 5, the eighth year of Wanli" written in the lower left corner. Ji Shubai's beautiful red seal almost hurt her eyes.
She didn't dare to look further and stuffed the piece of paper into the red-hot stove. The open flame met the paper and burned through instantly. The red flame shone on Song Jin's tear-stained face.
She knew that the fire would eventually start in reality, and she would be the first one to be burned.
Song Jin was staring at the firelight in a daze and didn't notice a foot kicking towards her shoulder, causing her to fall to the ground.
"You went out so early in the morning and never came back. Don't you know that you need to kill the chicken? The chicken was supposed to be sent out at noon, but it's still alive and kicking. Are you going to take the blame for wasting time? What the hell, go outside and kill a chicken!"
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