Chapter 62: Last words: Why don’t I just go out and die?
Song Jin had always wondered why Ji Shubai had not married at his age, but when he saw Mother Chen's nagging look, he really couldn't bring himself to ask.
It was dark outside and she was sleepy. She hurriedly asked for some hot water to wash, then undressed and went to bed.
Song Jin slept so deeply that night that she was still asleep when Ji Shubai came back the next morning.
Ji Shubai, with a gloomy face, stood under the rose tree full of buds, while Song Jin was sleeping soundly in the room, completely unaware that the people outside were furious.
"Sir, do you want to ask Mother Chen to wake them up?"
"She actually...she actually could still sleep. Go, tell Mother Chen to beat her up for me."
When Mother Chen came in, the bed curtains were still closed. She walked over and saw that the man was sleeping on his back.
"Girl? Girl?"
Mother Chen pushed Song Jin, but there was no response, so she had to increase her strength, and then Song Jin turned over.
In the Ji family, in this courtyard, she was no longer a slave, she didn’t have to wait on others, and she didn’t have to get up early to kill chickens. Her body was clean, and her bedding was soft. This was the most sweet sleep she had ever had since she came into this world.
Seeing that she couldn't wake the person up, Mother Chen had to go out alone to answer the call.
"My young master, she is sleeping soundly and cannot be woken up. How about letting her sleep for a while longer?"
Ji Shubai was thirty years old and already a fifth-rank official in the court, but Mother Chen was still used to calling him "little master". In the past, when Ji Shubai asked her to change her name, she always said that it would not be too late to change her name after Ji Shubai had a child and she had a new little master, so Ji Shubai stopped mentioning this matter.
Because of what Song Jin did, Ji Shubai did not sleep all night and rushed back early in the morning to continue questioning her. However, Song Jin was sleeping soundly. Ji Shubai was immediately furious, but helpless. He couldn't just rush in himself because she was still asleep.
"Mother Chen, could you please help me cook something?"
Ji Shubai told Mother Chen to cook something, and he asked the servant Qingshan to move a chair and a square table so that they could sit under the crape myrtle tree and drink tea.
He wanted to see how long Song Jin could sleep.
When Song Jin woke up, it was already noon. He opened his eyes hazily and it took him a while to remember where he was. He got up, dressed, and went out with a basin to find water to wash.
As a result, as soon as she opened the door, a dazzling light made her unable to open her eyes, so she had to cover her eyes with her hands. Through the gaps between her fingers, she saw a person sitting in the yard.
Her hair was gathered up and tied with a jade crown, and a net scarf could be seen on the back of her head. She was wearing a moon-white robe. The spring sunshine and the fragrance of flowers were wafting in the air, and she looked quite bright and sunny.
The man had his back to Song Jin, so she couldn't see his face clearly. Song Jin didn't know what she was thinking, but she went around to the front to see his face. She was shocked when she saw him, and the basin in her hand fell to the ground with a clang, spinning on the ground.
"Master Ji?"
What a bright and sunny day! They are clearly enemies.
"Are you ready?"
Ji Shubai's tone was not very good. Song Jin touched himself all over and only felt relieved after making sure that he was dressed neatly and ready to go out.
"Why are you here?"
“This is my home.”
Song Jin curled his lips: "I know."
"Then do you know I still have questions to ask?"
Song Jin lowered his head: "I know."
"Then you..." Ji Shubai was so angry that he wanted to curse, but seeing Song Jin's voice getting lower and lower, he had to suppress his anger: "Go wash up quickly."
Song Jin said "oh", picked up the basin from the ground and ran outside. When he came back after washing up, Ji Shubai's face had calmed down.
Song Jin stood there, not knowing how to greet her for a moment, and Ji Shubai didn't seem to want to argue with her.
"I will ask you again today. Please think of your answer carefully. If you dare to lie again, I will punish everyone in Shidinglou as well."
Song Jin nodded heavily.
"I want to know your name, origin, and experience."
Song Jin lowered his head, thinking carefully about Mancao's experience, and told it everything. Except for the death and time travel, everything he told was true.
"You mean, you didn't know how to read before, and you only started to learn to read after you traveled to the Pure Heaven when you had a high fever?"
Ji Shubai walked up to Song Jin and asked questions, and Song Jin nodded repeatedly.
"Well, let me ask you, besides the Book of Shang, what else have you read?"
Song Jin became a little nervous. Facing the Jinshi in front of her, she could barely handle the assignments, but had no idea about the open-ended questions.
"Not much, just a little."
Ji Shubai stared at her with his eyes fixed on her: "You didn't forget what you should forget, but you completely forgot what you shouldn't forget."
Song Jin knew that he was talking about "The Great Ode to the Joy of the Union of Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth", but he didn't dare to respond.
Now that she is a girl, there are some things that she cannot say to Ji Shubai.
"I'll ask you again," Ji Shubai's voice was cold and serious: "Where did you know the question?"
Song Jin began to hesitate. If he didn't cover up the lie, he would find it hard to believe. What would he do if he covered up the lie?
Seeing her hesitation, Ji Shubai spoke first: "As far as I know, the palace examination this year is on March 24th, and Lord Shen was ordered to set the questions on March 23rd. You lied to me and wrote down the questions on March 5th. Tell me, how did you know the questions for the palace examination so long in advance? If you can't answer this question, I will not let you go."
Song Jin licked her dry lips, guessing that he must have gone out to look around for information if he didn't come back last night. She took a deep breath, and raised her head as if she had mustered up a lot of courage and said, "I guessed."
Ji Shubai was stunned.
"At first I didn't know it was the exam question, I just wanted to make a question, but one day I heard the diners in the restaurant talking about this year's top scholar, and I asked out of curiosity, and then I knew this year's question. I wanted to get rid of my membership, so I hid the paper. I just wanted to ask you to help me get rid of my membership, and I didn't mean to harm you."
"That's not what you said in jail yesterday."
Song Jin hesitated: "Really... I really just want to renounce my citizenship..."
Then she heard Ji Shubai let out an inaudible sigh of relief: "Well, tell me where the paper is, and I'll believe you."
"If you can't find it even after digging three feet underground, then it must be safe."
Ji Shubai understood that this person would not release the eagle until he saw the rabbit, and would not give the question until he got rid of his membership.
"Do you really want to threaten a fifth-rank official?"
Song Jin felt his skin tighten: "...I don't dare."
"You already did."
Song Jin was helpless, he lowered his head and almost cried: "Really... I just want to get rid of my citizenship..."
"Do you think I will believe your reasons?"
Song Jin could feel Ji Shubai's anger without even looking up.
"Sir," a voice came from behind. It was Qingshan, the servant beside Ji Shubai: "The food you requested is ready."
A bowl of strong-smelling medicine was placed on the square table, and Song Jin almost lost his soul.
"...Sir...Sir?"
Ji Shubai slowly sat down in the chair: "You were very brave and decisive yesterday, and you killed the enemy halfway. It was very clean. I thought about it all night and felt that this was indeed a good idea, so I ordered someone to cook this bowl of medicine for you early in the morning to send you on your way."
"On...on the road?"
Song Jin thought that maybe she had made a mistake. She did not travel into the Ming Dynasty, but into "Water Margin".
"Sir, why must it be like this?" Song Jin wailed, two lines of tears falling down uncontrollably.
"You have used me to frame loyal officials. Even if I do not punish you today, you will surely cause trouble in the future. It is better to get rid of you today."
"You also said that if I can't find the paper, then no one else can find it either, so there's nothing to be afraid of."
"My Lord," Song Jin continued to wail, "What if? What if?"
"If anything happens, you deserve to die!"
"Ah——" Song Jin cried at the top of her lungs, and Ji Shubai frowned.
"It's not what you said. You'd rather die in my hands."
"Ah——" Her crying became louder until she choked herself.
Song Jin was choked by the air and coughed several times, even deliberately raising his voice. His face turned red from coughing. However, Ji Shubai just sat up straight and showed no intention of changing his mind.
Song Jin finally understood that Ji Shubai would not change.
She dragged her feet over and looked at the bowl of medicine. It was black and smelled terrible.
"Sir..." Song Jin regained his composure and pleaded in a low voice: "I...I am about to die, and I still have something to say. Can you let me finish it?"
"You say." Ji Shubai relaxed and lay back in the chair. Song Jin even saw him cross his legs.
"This is my own idea, and..."
"I will not make things difficult for other people in Shi Ding Lou."
Song Jin lowered his head and continued: "My parents are old..."
"I will hand over the bag of silver to the two elders."
Every time before Song Jin finished speaking, Ji Shubai had already thought of a solution for her. Song Jin touched the edge of the bowl with her fingers, hesitating as she thought of her last words.
"Sir, it is already April now. The scenery in late spring and early summer is also very beautiful. Why can't we..."
"cannot."
Song Jin pouted and this time she was really about to cry.
"Master Ji... I was wrong. I will never dare to do it again... wuwuwu..."
"Master Ji, I'm only eighteen years old, I haven't lived enough..."
......
However, Ji Shubai remained unmoved and just watched her cry quietly.
Song Jin sobbed twice, and finally picked up the bowl: "Master Ji, you don't have to worry, I hid the paper very well, it won't affect your future."
Ji Shubai narrowed his eyes.
"Master Ji, you are a good official. In the future..."
"Do you want to drink or not?"
Ji Shubai became a little impatient. Song Jin closed her eyes and tears fell down.
Who would urge others to get on the road?
Song Jin's hand holding the bowl trembled slightly, and the edge of the bowl touched his lips, feeling warm.
Song Jin closed her eyes and mouth, refusing to let the medicine flow into her mouth. Suddenly, she opened her eyes:
"Sir, where shall I be buried after I die?"
"You..." Ji Shubai was very angry, he stood up and shouted: "Drink it for me."
Song Jin continued to mutter: "I was thinking, if I die in your house, wouldn't it bring trouble to you? Why don't I go out and die?"
Ji Shubai closed his eyes tightly, frowned, and clenched his fists at his sides: "Drink it!"
Gnashing of teeth.
"I was thinking..."
"drink!"
Song Jin didn't dare to make trouble anymore, so he had to close his eyes and put the bowl of medicine into his mouth. Just when Ji Shubai breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly heard a "puff" sound, and Song Jin spat out a large mouthful of medicine, and the bowl in his hand fell to the ground.
With a crisp sound, the bowl broke into pieces and the medicine spilled all over the floor.
Ji Shubai was standing in front of Song Jin, with a large area of his chest wet. The black medicine spilled on his moon-white robe, which was particularly eye-catching.
He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and suppressed his anger. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Song Jin sticking out his tongue and uttering an unclear word.
"......hot."
After saying that, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and refused to drink a single drop.
"If you value your life so much, why do you do such life-threatening things?"
Song Jin kept silent. Ji Shubai flicked his sleeves and said, "Just stay here and reflect on yourself."
Ji Shubai left, leaving only Song Jin and a few pieces of broken porcelain on the ground in the yard.
Song Jin felt that it was not her fault. If she wanted to kill someone, wouldn't she use pre-made medicine? It would be strange if it wasn't hot right after it was cooked. How could she be blamed?
As for reflection, no one died. What is there to reflect on if no one died?
Thinking of this, Song Jin felt relieved. He picked up the broken porcelain pieces on the ground and happily went forward to find something to eat.
Ji Shubai asked her to reflect, which meant not to kill him.
Song Jin knew that she really survived this time.
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