Chapter 76 The Business of Murder to Cover Up Wounds
The carriage moved slowly, passing through the bustling and lively East Long Street.
Jin Shu and Zhou Zheng sat in the driver's seat outside, as usual.
Song Zhen specifically pointed to this bustling road, where the noise could mask his and Li Jin's conversation and prevent it from attracting the attention of Jin Shu in front of the car.
On the main road of Dongshi Commercial Street, crowds thronged, and Jin Shu and Zhou Zheng were on high alert, making way for them.
As for what was happening inside the car, neither of them had the energy to pay attention to it at all.
Li Jin sat in the car, arms crossed, motionless, his gaze fixed on Song Zhen's profile like a knife.
He lifted the carriage curtain with one hand and peered at the eaves and the roadside for a long time.
Until he saw He Lin standing at the street corner not far away, giving him a slight nod.
Song Zhen lowered the curtain, smiled faintly, and turned back: "Ahead, the road will be lined with my people."
But Li Jin remained icy, staring at him coldly as if guarding against a thief, which made Song Zhen chuckle: "Please believe me, Your Highness, that I have a favor to ask of you. At least until then, I am on the same side as Your Highness."
"In other words, we were originally on different sides." Li Jin's eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression became even more stern.
The young master of the Song family before him, dressed in white, moved unhurriedly. He took out a smooth, translucent white jade flute from behind him, lowered his eyes slightly, and raised the flute to a horizontal position, as if to hand it to Li Jin.
"If Your Highness wishes to protect Mr. Jin, then you may give this item to him."
Li Jin's expression remained unchanged, and he showed no intention of reaching out to take it.
"...In exchange, Song Zhen wanted the right to accompany her to school."
Accompanying students during their studies.
Li Jin took a deep breath.
"The Crown Prince only knows that Your Highness brought back a Corpse Whisperer from Dingzhou. As for whether you know... you also brought back a boy who is a little over six years old, it depends on whether Your Highness is willing to do this deal."
As soon as he finished speaking, the dagger in Li Jin's hand, hidden in the handle of the black fan, was only an inch away from Song Zhen's heart.
"You've got some nerve."
His eyes flashed with murderous intent, and a cold smile appeared on his face: "Young Master Song, aren't you afraid that I will kill you to silence you?"
To everyone's surprise, Song Zhen nodded knowingly, remaining calm and composed, and still held up the flute: "With this jade flute on Mr. Jin, the Crown Prince will immediately know that I am the one I planted beside Prince Jing. Whether it's you, that child, or even the Six Doors, they can exchange it for a few months of peace..."
"As for Dingzhou, although Your Highness has already made arrangements, Liu Cheng'an and Yang An, whose whereabouts are unknown, are far away and the mountains and rivers are high. Your Highness has not yet had time to completely clean up their mess."
He laughed and said, "If Your Highness agrees to this deal, I can settle things with you in Dingzhou within two days. Whatever your status or background, Mr. Jin will be there.
"As for the child," Song Zhen paused, "no one knows that His Highness brought a child back."
Inside the car, Li Jin's knife tip was almost touching Song Zhen's chest.
Outside the car, the bustling city was filled with noise and the constant hawking of vendors.
The shop signs fluttered in the wind, and unusual people stood at every street corner. Zhou Zheng handed the reins to Jin Shu, and under her astonished gaze, he gripped the hilt of his knife tightly.
His expression was terrifyingly somber, as if a bloodbath was about to erupt.
The shadows on the eaves and the people in long robes on the streets and alleys faced each other, their eyes locked on the carriage, waiting for the signal to "make a move" from inside.
After shaking for a while, Li Jin let out a cold snort, put away the dagger in his hand, and viciously snatched the jade flute from Song Zhen's hand.
Looking at the "Song" character engraved on it, his gaze coldly pierced Song Zhen's smiling face.
“This is something I keep close to my body. Giving it to Your Highness is like handing over half my life to you.” After he finished speaking, he lifted the carriage curtain and gave a knowing look to the person at the alley entrance.
In the shadows of the street corner, those who had put Zhou Zheng on high alert vanished in the blink of an eye.
Looking at Song Zhen's appearance, Li Jin could imagine what had happened outside the car even with his eyes closed.
"Tell me, who do you want to send as a companion to your studies?" Li Jin's voice remained icy.
Song Zhen turned around and bowed respectfully: "He is my younger brother, only 7 years old. Your Highness need not worry."
A seven-year-old boy.
Li Jin sneered: "Aren't you afraid that I'll replace your brother with that child's scapegoat?"
Song Zhen laughed dismissively: "His Highness the Crown Prince can do something like this, but His Highness Prince Jing cannot."
These words left Li Jin speechless.
He frowned and tilted his head slightly: "Song Zhen, you seem to know a lot about us, to the point that I really want to silence you."
Song Zhen still had a smile on his face, but there was a complicated emotion in that smile that Li Jin did not understand: "...Your Highness Prince Jing, it is better if you do not ask too many questions about certain things."
Asking more questions and having more doubts won't cause Song Zhen any loss or harm.
But for Li Jin...
Maintaining this mutually beneficial relationship will ensure that when the day comes in the future, he will not hesitate to abandon you.
As Song Zhen thought this, her gaze towards Li Jin held even more complex emotions.
The carriage traveled for more than half an hour, crossing Zhuquemen Street, from the East Market of the capital to the most bustling West Market.
Weaving through the crowds, brushing past exotic dancers singing and dancing, listening to the melodies played on strings in the buildings, I slowly walked along the wide West Market Street.
Before long, it slowly came to a stop at the entrance of Guilai Pavilion.
Unlike Jinhualou, Guilaige is a high-end restaurant for playing chess and drinking tea. On weekdays, it is frequented by talented and ambitious people, and many people also share their observations and experiences here.
Today, however, there was a sign at the entrance saying "Closed," making it look particularly deserted.
This was Jin Shu's first time visiting such a place. Looking at the imposing shop entrance, she felt a surge of pride just standing in the center.
She nudged Zhou Zheng with her elbow: "It's over, the prince's money might not be working so well anymore."
"Mr. Jin is overthinking it."
The sudden voice startled Jin Shu, who then saw Song Zhen smiling and bowing, saying, "Compared to the Prince, the Song family's vision is still too small."
After saying that, he raised his hand and gestured for him to enter.
Under Li Jin's disdainful glare, Song Zhen finally realized that every time she spoke to Mr. Jin, she would receive a sharp glare from Prince Jing.
It seems that Prince Jing truly values Mr. Jin highly, and the intention to protect him is not concealed at all.
Watching them walk inside one after the other, Jin Shu stood there, looking quite surprised: "Did I introduce myself?"
She was puzzled and extremely confused.
Turning past the screen wall in front of the door, which was carved with auspicious pictures, a hidden main hall appeared before Li Jin.
The room is surrounded by two-story seating areas, with a spacious hall in the center.
Inside the hall, Shen Wen and Su Shangxuan, along with several constables, were holding a terrified man down, forcing him to kneel on the ground.
It was none other than Huang Liangping.
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