Chapter 106 He was extremely unlucky
Song Jin suspected she had been scammed.
Something's wrong, something's really wrong.
She never encountered these things when she went out in her previous life. Wherever she went, people would run far away. It was nothing like this now.
She plopped down on the railing, squinting at the people in front of her.
There were twelve boatmen in total, tightly bound in two rows with ropes. Each one, with bare torsos and muscular builds, was kneeling on the ground, their hands and feet bound. It was unclear what habit they had, but they were all kneeling with their hands and feet bound.
Song Jin's face, which had been contorted with bitterness and resentment, shifted, and unsurprisingly, she ended up with a wicked thought, winking at Niu Tielan beside her.
It looks pretty good, doesn't it?
Niu Tielan, who was seriously observing the boatman, twitched at the corner of his mouth and retorted irritably.
brat
The mother and daughter exchanged glances. Qu Maoze, standing to the side, narrowed his eyes, his expression cold and aloof, and looked at the bandits with a chilling voice.
"What's the point of asking? I think we should just tie their hands and feet and throw them in the water."
Qi Zheng nodded: "Uncle Qu is right."
Lang Lihei, the leader of the group, sneered, "Kill us or torture us, it's up to you. But very few people come from this waterway. If you're willing to wait ten days or half a month to catch another wave of river bandits, then kill us."
Song Jin flipped off, crossed her arms over her chest, and clicked her tongue: "Threatening us? You think we can't leave without you?"
How about she demonstrates walking on water for them right now?
Langlihei, neck stiff, said sarcastically, "How could I possibly threaten you, Miss? You're quite the martial artist; you must be tired of putting on this act the whole way."
Song Jin laughed: "Then you overestimate yourself. With your amateur skills, how could I get tired?"
Langlihei: ...
Song Jin continued, "I thought it would be a big event, but it's just a few people? No one else? There's no one else on the mountain either?"
She looked at the people in front of her and felt that something was off.
Too few, and too weak.
She looked at Qi Zheng
Qi Zheng frowned and shook his head slightly.
The two of them subconsciously looked at Qu Maoze, who was standing on the other side.
He gave a half-smile: "What's there to ask? Just throw it in the water."
Song Jin asked uncertainly, "Is that all?"
Qu Maoze chuckled: "Otherwise? You want to ask about the cause and effect, identify each crime, and send them to the government office for investigation? The Great Yan Law stipulates that highway robbers can be executed on the spot."
The rest is unimportant.
Song Jin and Qi Zheng looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Alright then, it's not convenient for us to go to the government office anyway. We're going to die sooner or later, so you can go now." Finally, as if she had made up her mind, Song Jin picked up the long knife from the ground and slowly walked over.
"Don't worry, I'm quick; it won't hurt at all."
As the sharp blade of the longsword approached his brother's neck, Lang Lihei's face changed, and he shouted, "Spare my head! Big sister, spare my life! I'll confess, I'll confess everything! Ask me whatever you want to know, just let Seventh Brother go!"
Song Jin stopped wielding her long sword and raised an eyebrow: "Elder sister?"
Lang Lihei changed his story: "Great hero, great hero, spare us! We really didn't mean to! It was someone, Wu Mazi and his gang, yes, they deliberately sent us here. They said you were foolish and rich, carrying a lot of money, and that our gang leader was seriously ill and needed ginseng to cure him, so, so, we really didn't mean any harm, we just wanted some money."
Song Jin clicked her tongue and slapped him: "You want money but don't seem to have any ill intentions? Who are you calling stupid? You idiot, if you're so short of money, why don't you sell the ship? You're just up to no good."
Lang Lihei retorted, feeling aggrieved: "The boat... the boat doesn't belong to us, it belongs to Wu Mazi."
Song Jin looked thoughtfully towards the wooden house, which was connected to the ship's cabin. The six accomplices had just come out of there.
Now
Qi Zheng said in a low voice, "I'll go check on it. You stay here and watch over things."
In a quiet room, the sounds of breathing wouldn't escape their notice, but a ship sailing on the waves creates a noisy environment that can conceal many things.
They had long suspected that the men in the waves were up to no good, and they also expected that someone might be hiding, which is why they had stayed outside the whole time.
Unexpectedly, they split into two groups.
Qi Zheng glanced at Lang Lihei, not entirely believing his words, but also believing he had been deceived.
They were all in cahoots; the men below either charged forward or ran away.
He held up his longsword, its sharp blade gleaming coldly, carving deep marks into the deck as he swung it towards the disembarkation entrance.
Looking down the staircase, boxes and goods stood quietly below.
Qi Zheng didn't go down, but said, "I'll count to ten, and if you don't come out, I'll set it on fire."
"ten"
"Bang"
A crashing sound came from below.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Don't let go, don't let go! How did it go straight to ten..."
Qi Zheng naturally didn't have a torch; he was just bluffing, and he didn't expect this person to be so easily frightened.
He's either too timid, or he understands him very well.
He became alert, his arm straightened, the long sword in his hand pointing downwards, ready to strike at any moment.
The clattering and clanging continued below as the person hidden inside the box struggled to open the door and tumbled out, covered in dust and dirt.
There was no light at the bottom of the boat; it was pitch black and nothing could be seen. Qi Zheng could only make out vague figures.
Short, thin, and pockmarked
Qi Zheng frowned, stepped aside, and the faint moonlight shone into the shipyard.
A man dressed in blue, as thin as a monkey, with a pockmarked face, struggled to crawl out from underneath.
Wu Mazi shouted, "Brother Yan, Master Yan, please spare my life! It's me, Skinny Monkey, the Skinny Monkey who used to run errands with you, the one who didn't like washing his feet, the Skinny Monkey whose life you saved..."
I have a vague impression of it.
When he was still called Yan Zheng, he did work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) with others, but that was five or six years ago, and they didn't get along very well back then.
Qi Zheng took a few steps back and looked at Wu Mazi, who was struggling to climb up while clutching his back: "Wu Yong?"
Wu Mazi hadn't heard this name in a long time, and awkwardly scratched his head: "It's me, useless skinny monkey."
Qi Zheng remained vigilant. He took two steps back, pointed his longsword at him, and asked, "Just you alone?"
Wu Mazi said awkwardly, "It's me, it's me. I haven't seen you, Brother Yan, for a long time. And seeing that a lot of people are eyeing you, I sent Lang Lihei and the others ahead of me."
Langlihei, filled with grief and indignation, cried out: "I knew it was you, you son of a bitch!"
Wu Mazi wasn't angry at all. His mother didn't breastfeed him when he was a child, so he grew up on dog milk. You could say he was raised by a dog's mother. He picked at his ear and said, "It's all because you're greedy. You should be glad you met Hero Yan. If it were anyone else, you would all be dead. You still dare to believe what River Snake said. Do you really think those river bandits are so kind?"
Lang Lihei retorted angrily, "That's still better than you. Just wait until something happens to us brothers, then you won't be able to escape either."
Wu Mazi sneered: "With your half-dead water dragon?"
Langlihei roared, "Try saying that again!"
...
The two of them started arguing as if no one else was around.
Song Jin, her mind filled with questions, walked over with her arms crossed and nudged Qi Zheng with her shoulder: "You know him?"
Qi Zheng nodded: "We've worked together on escort missions before, and I also know Li Qingshan."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "So what does this mean? Are you playing us?"
Qi Zheng hummed in agreement, then added, "It's hard to say, let's stay vigilant."
Song Jin was getting impatient; she hated this kind of roundabout way the most. She narrowed her eyes as she watched Wu Mazi still arguing.
The next moment
Wu Mazi felt a chill run down his neck and froze instantly. He raised his hands and pleaded, "Brother Yan, spare me! I was just joking, I meant no harm. Please forgive me, you're a magnanimous person."
Song Jin: "Strict what? You're my aunt! You better behave yourself and explain properly, or you'll lose your head!"
She applied gentle pressure, the sharp blade slicing through his neck; thick, sticky blood gushed out from beneath the cold surface.
Wu Mazi froze on the spot, turning to meet Song Jin's icy gaze. Like a wild beast, her eyes held a ferocity that seemed to tear its prey apart, leaving no doubt that she could bring herself to do it.
Wu Mazi stammered, "Yes, let's talk this out! Sister, hero, Brother Yan, Brother Yan, help me! I really didn't mean any harm, please say something!"
Qi Zheng glanced at the bloodstains on his neck, then shifted his gaze to Song Jin's face.
Under the moonlight, she held a long sword, its sharp gleam illuminating the side of her eyes. Her long, narrow phoenix eyes flashed with a cold light, giving her an aura of sharpness.
It's quite different from his usual flamboyant and arrogant demeanor.
Qi Zheng couldn't take his eyes off her, and after Wu Mazi repeatedly tried to pull his leg up, he whispered, "I'll listen to her now."
So don't look for him.
They weren't that close before.
Hearing this, Song Jin's lips curled slightly, and she tightened her grip: "This is your last chance. I'll count to three."
"three"
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you. It's Liang Jishui. I came for that kid, but I didn't expect him to be so clever. He recognized Brother Yan and wouldn't leave. We didn't want to be exposed, so we thought we'd take him away in the chaos."
Wu Mazi dared not gamble, fearing she might suddenly stab him hard. He clutched his head tightly, trembling as if having diarrhea, and stammered...
"But don't worry, Brother Yan, we really have no other intentions. We've already dealt with the others who followed you. Lang Lihei may be stupid, but he only steals a little money and won't cross any lines. We had no choice. It's not that we don't trust you, it's just that this matter is of great importance, and we don't want you to get involved or implicated..."
...
In June of this year, a sudden rainstorm hit Caixiao Town, Liangcheng County, causing floods that inundated farmland in sixteen villages. Thousands of acres of fertile land were destroyed, leaving the villagers with no harvest. The floods also resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands, causing devastating losses.
“The irrigation canals in Liangcheng have always been well maintained. That rain wasn’t that heavy, so how could the dam suddenly collapse? They say it was caused by a mountain collapsing and pressing down, but I don’t believe it. Even with a flash flood, how could it happen so quickly?” Wu Mazi gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
"If it really collapsed due to heavy rain, I would accept it. But if that's the case, why did they block people from going over there in the first place? I sneaked in a few times, and there were always many people guarding it. Then, less than two months later, the person in charge, Liang Shaoyuan, died. How could there not be something wrong? My parents were just going up the mountain to find mushrooms, and then they were gone."
After listening for a while, Song Jin picked up the slumped Liang Jishui and asked, "Is this kid Liang Shaoyuan's son?"
Liang Jishui struggled to break free: "Let go! I want to go to Liang City! I want revenge!"
With a gentle press, Song Jin sent the man sprawling on the ground like a tortoise, unable to get up. She scoffed, "Revenge? Do you even know who the enemy is?"
Liang Jishui said viciously, "I know it's the county magistrate, that old geezer. I'm going to kill him to avenge my parents."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow, then looked at Wu Mazi, who had also fallen silent, and raised an eyebrow again: "Really? You have evidence?"
Wu Mazi wiped his eyes heavily and nodded, "There's some, but not enough. This kid overheard us talking last time and ran away secretly. And that's how it ended. Brother Yan, it's not that I don't believe you, I just don't want to implicate you. That county magistrate, from the Zheng family of Wanfeng, has connections to the palace. Even if we had enough evidence, we couldn't afford to offend him."
Qi Zheng sat to the side, his silence and honesty gradually fading, revealing his sharpness and fierceness. He remained silent throughout, but when he finally spoke, he asked, "So you plan to intercept and kill an official appointed by the imperial court?"
Wu Mazi was speechless.
He knew Qi Zheng too well. He was taciturn and seemed difficult to get along with, but he was incredibly thoughtful and loyal. Although he was only fourteen or fifteen years old, he was able to help and take care of many people, which also caused him some delays, making them quite displeased.
Until danger befell them
Qi Zheng remained silent, risking his life to rescue them one by one.
Even though it happened five years ago, a person's inherent nature will not change because of that.
Wu Mazi didn't want Qi Zheng to get involved in these matters, didn't want to implicate him, and was also afraid that he would obstruct him. He simply said, "This has nothing to do with you. When you get there tomorrow, just pretend you've never seen me. Anyway, we weren't familiar with each other."
Song Jin sat down on the deck, listening to this messy tale, clicked her tongue twice, then leaned back against Niu Tielan's chest, tilting her head back: "Mother, don't you think he's unlucky? He seems to run into trouble wherever he goes."
Niu Tielan laughed
She had also read Qi Zheng's books and naturally knew about his experiences over the years; to say he was unlucky was an understatement.
He was extremely unlucky.
But those words didn't sound nice, so she poked Song Jin's head: "Nonsense, stop making a fuss, let's hurry up and finish this, I'm a little sleepy."
Song Jin immediately sat back down and nudged Qi Zheng: "Didn't you hear me? I told you to hurry up and resolve this, Your Highness Prince Qi?"
Qi Zheng's fierce aura dissipated, replaced by a hint of helplessness.
She's the one who wants to make a scene, and she's the one who wants to listen; now it's over.
OK
He looked at the bewildered Wu Mazi and nodded: "Don't act impulsively. Since you have evidence, let the evidence speak for itself. Tomorrow, after we disembark, you can return to Guangning Prefecture and find Prefect He Bo to reinvestigate this matter. If there is indeed more to the story, whoever is behind it, they will be dealt with according to the law."
Wu Mazi wondered if he had misheard. He stared blankly at Qi Zheng and stammered, "Wh-what Qi, King Qi? You changed your name?"
Years have passed, and the boyishness on Qi Zheng's face has faded, replaced by the handsome and rugged features of an adult. He is indeed the same young, orphaned swordsman who wandered the streets since childhood, without parents.
What king? He must have misheard.
Wu Mazi couldn't believe it.
Qi Zheng simply took out a token, handed it over, and said in a deep voice, "The rest, I shouldn't need to teach you, right?"
Wu Mazi stared blankly at the token in his hand, the character "Qi" on it particularly conspicuous, tears welling up and blurring his vision.
He set out early to work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), all so that his parents could live a better life. Now he has a boat and money, but they die with their eyes wide open in disbelief.
Qi Zheng added, "As for the others, they may face death, but they cannot escape punishment. They will serve a year in the local area to help the people rebuild their homes."
Wu Mazi wiped away his tears, gripped the token tightly, and prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Your Highness's kindness is immense; even if I were to be reborn as an ox or a horse in my next life, I would repay it..."
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