Chapter 122 Suspicious
Sanqing Temple is a good place for praying for blessings, fortune telling, and consecration...
There are many people coming and going every day, and now that the Chinese New Year is approaching, there are even more people coming and going.
As you travel out of Yong'an City, you'll see rows of oxcarts, horse-drawn carts, and mule carts, with thirty to fifty people sharing the carts, rubbing their hands together, their faces beaming with the joy of setting off on a journey.
Besides the cars, there were also many people walking on the road. They stood in groups, talking loudly about everyday matters.
The little rascals, meanwhile, were jumping and playing around, chasing and hitting each other. They'd fall down a couple of times and get a few scoldings, but they wouldn't care, just dust themselves off and keep chasing.
Amidst the merriment, there were also beggar children passing by, carrying broken bowls and begging for food along the roadside.
Song Jin rode a black mule, carrying a longbow and sharp arrows, carefully weaving through the chaotic crowd. The mule's hooves left small indentations on the snow-soaked mud.
In this kind of weather, walking on the road is bound to be muddy.
Little Black was clever; it deliberately chose to walk on flat ground. Already moving slowly, when its hooves got muddy, it would move to the snow to rub them off – very particular indeed.
Song Jin patted its head: "Hurry up, don't dawdle."
Little Black raised its head: "Whoa—"
Since arriving in the capital, Song Jin has adapted to local customs (and grown tired of the old) and now rides his prized Akhal-Teke horse, flying everywhere he goes. His former pet, Little Black, lives in the Song family stables, well-fed and cared for, and even when he goes out, he's just let the groom take him for a spin.
Back in town, Xiao Hei was a robust and handsome mule, pulling millstones and carts on a regular basis, working in the fields during busy farming seasons, and occasionally venturing into town for a few rounds. Now, however, it's lazy and lazy, the mule has become quite fat, and its face is always sullen. If it hadn't insisted on biting Song Jin's clothes when they went out, she wouldn't have wanted to take it with her.
Song Jin grabbed its ear, disdainfully saying, "Look how fat you are! If I weren't in a hurry today, I wouldn't even ride you. You're a disgrace to you mules."
Little Black huffed and puffed: "Whoa—"
Song Jin rolled her eyes: "Feeling good about it, huh? Hurry up."
Little Black huffed and puffed, then quickened its pace, and the man and the mule arrived at the foot of the Sanqing Temple.
This was Song Jin's second visit. Leading Xiao Hei to the nearby stable, she left it there and turned to look. The red horse beside her poked its head out, snorted twice, and nuzzled Song Jin with its head.
Song Jin stroked his chin, raised an eyebrow, and patted Chi Ma's handsome head: "Hey, young man, you look familiar."
The red horse let out a sigh, then leaned its head closer to her, behaving very docilely.
Song Jin didn't think much of it, patted the horse's head, warned Xiao Hei twice, clapped his hands, and started climbing up the mountain.
It was midday, and many people were already preparing to head back. The stone steps were slippery, so everyone was careful not to slip and fall as they descended the mountain. Suddenly, a red figure darted up the steps and disappeared from sight in no time.
A child exclaimed in surprise, "Mommy, that lady can fly!"
Hearing the gasps behind her, Song Jin smiled and used her light footwork to leap upwards with swift, long strides. Her skirt billowed as she ascended the steep stone steps, making her appear like a phoenix in flight, and she quickly reached the top.
Sanqing Temple stands atop the mountain.
The summit was covered in snow, red ropes fluttered outside, and incense smoke filled the air, creating a more solemn and beautiful scene than before.
Outside the Taoist temple, young Taoist priests sell incense, paper money, red ropes, and talismans at cheap prices, and most passersby buy some. Inside, the prices increase, and the number of people also rises considerably.
Song Jin was only there to check things, but that didn't stop her from joining in the fun. She squeezed into the stall and, looking at the pile of prayer plaques, picked up the most expensive ones.
Her mother must have
Hmm, I'll get one for myself too.
I need a partner too, but finding someone who matches my taste is still difficult.
And that person
Forget it, I'll have one of each. She doesn't lack that little bit of money.
One by one, Song Jin came in empty-handed, then left carrying a bundle of nameplates, heading to the writing area on the other side.
There were carving knives and brushes here, and Song Jin chose the carving knife without hesitation. She threw a bundle of nameplates on the table, a vegetarian pastry from the shop dangling from her mouth, and began carving her name.
Niu Tielan, Ruan Jinling, Qi Zheng, Yan Zheng
Both of them changed their names and occupied four plaques.
Then came Song Shang and Qu Maoze.
It's annoying, all this changing is a waste of her money.
Song Jin munched on her pancake and continued carving. Compared to the careful movements of those around her, she did it as if she were using a calligraphy brush, completing a piece with just a few light strokes.
Then there are the five Song brothers, a bunch of grown men. Let's just leave them be and throw them aside, like Qu Maoze's.
Finally, there was the couple Ruan Donglin and Tai Qingxin, plus their two unruly uncles.
Let's hang this one together with her mother's.
Song Jin wrote on each of the plaques one by one. After finishing, she put down her carving brush, ignored the astonished looks of those around her, and carried a bundle of wooden plaques to the tree where the prayer plaques were hung.
There are several trees here, each with its own story and legend. Song Jin didn't know the details, so she glanced at them casually, walked towards the tree with the most people, stood far away from the crowd, and simply picked up the red rope tied to the wooden sign and threw it onto the tree.
The wooden sign was hung on it with perfect precision.
She picked up another one, and one after another, like throwing stones, she hung them all precisely on the treetops. When she finished, she clapped her hands and muttered to herself, "This is efficiency, not a lack of sincerity. God, feel it carefully. If you can't feel it, reflect on whether you're not skilled enough..."
As he muttered to himself, a force suddenly came from his shoulder.
Song Jin instinctively pulled, turned around and knelt down.
"Hmm"
A painful sound came.
She glanced at the unfortunate man lying on the ground clutching his stomach, touched her nose, feeling a little guilty, but only slightly; she was mostly still self-righteous: "What are you doing?"
Song Xingzhi clutched his stomach, lying on the ground, his face contorted in pain, unable to utter a single word.
It hurt so much!
Song Jin pouted: "What are you all doing here?"
Standing behind Song Xing, Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi swallowed hard and instinctively took a step back as they watched his pained expression.
Feeling his body was frail, Song Anzhi coughed a few times and nudged Song Qingzhi with his elbow, urging him to come.
Respect the elderly and care for the young; if something really happens, the younger ones have to step up.
Song Qingzhi's lips twitched, but he was already pulled into the situation. Facing Song Jin's suspicious eyes, he felt a little intimidated, but also couldn't hide his frustration: "Shouldn't we be asking you that?"
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"
Song Qingzhi was even more frustrated, complaining, "We invited you yesterday, and you readily agreed, but you disappeared this morning!"
Song Jin: ...
She remembered that it seemed to be true; last night, when she was teasing the tiger with a ball, her brothers ran over and called her, talking about something about setting up a perpetual lamp.
Song Jin chuckled, "Well, here we are! Look, you all have a prayer plaque I hung up."
"Don't kill me next time, I want to live a couple more years." Song Xingzhi, who had been curled up on the ground, finally recovered. He rubbed his arm and got up, his pale face flushed red, his eyes filled with resentment. "You really hit me hard."
Song Jin rolled her eyes: "Who told you to take a picture of me from behind? In the past..."
In a past life, who would dare to do this? They wouldn't survive a second.
Song Xingzhi understood her unfinished business, felt a chill run down his spine, rubbed his hands together, took two steps back, and moved behind Song Anzhi and Song Qing, pushing them forward slightly to change the subject.
What are you doing here?
Judging from her personality, she definitely didn't come because she remembered their agreement.
Song Jin shrugged: "I have something to do. You guys do your thing, I'm going to get back to my work."
After saying that, she crossed her arms and left.
"..."
Since they'd already run into her, the three brothers couldn't let her go looking for trouble alone. They quickly followed her, walking past the bustling temples and heading towards the Taoist priests' residential area.
She strode forward aggressively, looking every bit the troublemaker.
Song Xingzhi's eyelids twitched, and he muttered all the way behind him, "The abbot of the Sanqing Temple is very famous in Dayan. He is in charge of star-gazing and sun-calculation. He is in charge of the Star-Picking Pavilion. His daily rituals are very accurate and effective. Even Father has to treat him with respect. You really can't afford to offend him."
Song Jin, arms crossed, became even more interested upon hearing this: "Oh, is that so? Then I'll have to have her do my fortune telling too."
Song Xingzhi sighed, "This isn't how you calculate it. It's impolite. We should present our visiting cards first."
Song Jin interrupted him: "You talk too much. Where's Second Brother?"
Song Xingzhi was speechless, and said plaintively, "He's with his fiancée."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "Oh, envious? You can't blame anyone else for that. You have a bunch of beauties in your backyard, and you just didn't want them."
Song Xingzhi took a deep breath: "Who envies this?"
He's just jealous of the second son, okay?
I haven't seen the second brother do anything, but this girl keeps calling him "second brother," as if the four of them are dead. It's infuriating!
Song Jin scoffed and asked again, "Is everything arranged?"
Because of Chun Yuan and Xia Hua's betrayal, Song Xingzhi, having been bitten by a snake once, became extremely paranoid and dismissed all the beauties in his backyard during their trip.
Passionate yet heartless
Fortunately, he still had some conscience and gave people a choice. Whether it was remarrying, establishing their own household, or moving to the manor, he would arrange it for them.
They took their old clothes and jewelry with them, and with an additional thousand taels of silver each, they would be considered quite well-off even in the capital.
Unfortunately, his harem consisted of weak women who, having grown accustomed to a life of dependence over the years, mostly chose to remarry—but they didn't really have that many choices.
She would either go back to her parents' home and be completely exploited, or marry or be given away to a friend or subordinate of Song Xingzhi.
What's even more outrageous is that this person wants to delay releasing them for another two months, claiming it's because they were carefully selected and for their own good, but in reality, it's to eliminate any possibility of him being implicated.
Sure enough, to rise to his position at such a young age, besides intelligence, ruthlessness was also indispensable.
Even now, given his position and circumstances, he is considered exceptionally loyal and devoted.
Looking at Song Xingzhi's completely indifferent expression, Song Jin sighed, "You're so cold-hearted."
Song Xingzhi didn't think anything of it. Instead, he smiled gently, his expression tender, but his words were exceptionally ruthless: "Most men are like this, so little sister, you must open your eyes wide. Power is only truly yours when it's in your own hands."
Song Jin scoffed and brandished her fist: "I don't compete for power, I compete for martial arts. Anyone who's not afraid of death can try."
She was indeed flamboyant in her actions, but what she relied on from beginning to end, and most fundamentally, was her martial arts skills, not the Song family.
Song Xingzhi was indeed quite unpopular with women, but as a virtuous and powerful official, these private matters were none of Song Jin's business, nor could she interfere.
She wouldn't actually think she could interfere in his affairs just because someone called her "little sister" or said a few nice words. However, while she shouldn't interfere in his affairs, she could certainly beat him up.
Facing her fierce gaze, Song Xingzhi smiled and praised, "That's right, that's how a girl from the Song family should be."
Song Jin rolled her eyes
So, out of the five Song brothers, why did she only call Song Shunzhi by name?
Because he genuinely treated her like a younger sister, while the other four all regarded her as Song Shang's daughter, a young lady from the Song family.
Ugh, annoying.
Song Jin ignored them and continued walking forward, winding her way through the narrow paths until she reached the inner courtyard.
The courtyard was empty except for a Taoist priest in blue robes practicing his boxing. Each punch and movement was powerful and vigorous; you could hear the sound of air being cut through the wind just by standing to the side.
Song Jin raised an eyebrow, stood aside with her arms crossed, and watched him box until he finished. Then she whistled and clapped, "Impressive! Are you in charge here?"
The Taoist priest in blue clasped his hands together: "Mingguang, you've arrived. You look just like your father."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "Shall we exchange a few blows?"
Huan Jin chuckled, took half a step back, and gestured: "Please."
Song Jin laughed heartily: "Great!"
With that, she charged towards the man, clenching her fists and slamming them down at him with incredible speed, so fast that it was impossible to see her movements clearly.
Huan Jin simply reached out and gently pushed her away, catching her attack, and then struck out with his palm.
It seemed like a casual attack, but Song Jin knew that if she were truly hit, her bones would break and her internal organs would rupture. She nimbly dodged the blow and launched another attack.
One launched a full-scale attack, while the other used a strategy of retreating to advance. The two exchanged blows, their movements becoming increasingly rapid, so fast that the three people watching from the sidelines could no longer see them clearly.
Song Anzhi worried: "Guan Chang's skills are profound. What if he hurts my little sister?"
Song Qingzhi also worried: "If my little sister injures someone, those Taoist priests will smash up my shop."
Looking at their cowardly appearance, Song Xingzhi couldn't hide his disdain: "Useless."
Song Anzhi immediately retorted: "If the abbot is injured, boss, guess how many accusatory memorials you'll receive?"
Song Qingzhi sneered, "Do you want me to calculate how much money I spent on all those messes of yours?"
Song Xingzhi: "..."
That's undeniable.
He shut his mouth and continued watching the two people sparring. In the distance, accompanied by the constant whooshing sounds of wind being cut, the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees suffered, snapping one by one.
It looks very painful.
The three brothers retreated to the edge of the courtyard wall, fearing that their own wall would be the next to break.
Two quarters of an hour passed like this. Song Jin did a somersault backward, landing on one knee. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her phoenix eyes shining brightly. She readily admitted, "I lost. You're very good."
Huan Jin waved his hand, appearing nonchalant and carefree: "You're alright. In a few years, you'll definitely surpass me."
Song Jin, adaptable and resourceful, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, grinned, and said excitedly, "I definitely can! I'll come back to compete with you again next month."
Huan Jin subtly took a breath: "Next month will be busy, so practice some more."
Song Jin was somewhat disappointed: "Alright, send a letter to my residence when you have time. I'm available anytime."
Huan Jin: "...We'll talk about it then. By the way, what brings you here?"
Song Jin then remembered the important matter and said, "I need to investigate the people who donated money to buy red ropes here in the sixteenth year of Qing'an."
Huan Jin said earnestly, "The pilgrims are so devout in their pursuit of the Tao, how can you describe their sincerity as mere buying?"
Song Jin rolled her eyes, grabbed a handful of snow to wipe the blood from her palms, and, too lazy to beat around the bush, said directly, "Just tell me if you can or can't you."
Huan Jin sighed softly, "That happened four years ago, it's been a long time."
Song Jin: "I'll donate a thousand taels of silver for my mother's incense oil, and one of those red rope lanterns, please."
Huan Jin's lips twitched. He had previously envied Song Shang for having a daughter who resembled him, but now he wasn't. Having a daughter like that would give him enough headaches for the rest of his life.
He said earnestly, "This is a private matter for the worshippers; we cannot take it."
Song Jin, her leg shaking and hands wiping, interrupted him, directly adding the money: "Five thousand taels."
Huan Jin: "...This isn't about money."
Song Jin smiled slightly: "Ten thousand taels."
Huan Jin became humble: "But I think that Mingguang, as a princess, has the people and the court on her mind. Investigating this matter is the right thing to do. The temple is supported by the court and the people, and we cannot ignore it. Princess, please come with me."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "I like straightforward people like Guan Chang. Let's go."
Using money to pave the way makes finding things much easier.
Huan Jin led her to the library, took out several books, and handed them to her: "The books from the past sixteen years are all here. Take a look yourself. I have to go now."
Song Jin understood; it was all about the dignity of respectable people.
She nodded: "Thank you, Director."
This person is highly skilled and decisive, worthy of her respect.
Huan Jin smiled slightly, then turned and left, his movements unhurried and nonchalant, displaying the demeanor of a master.
Song Jin glanced at it and sighed, "I'm not free next month, how about I come back in a couple of days?"
Huan Jin paused, then quickened his pace considerably, disappearing from sight in no time. Only after he had gone far away did he lean against the wall, lightly touch his chest acupoint, and cough up a mouthful of blood.
He must go into seclusion for a month or six months.
No, he wants to go on a tour.
...
Inside the library, Song Jin sat down, holding the few documents. As soon as she opened them, the densely packed text gave her a headache.
Song Xingzhi walked over, looked at the books, and frowned: "What are you investigating?"
Song Jin looked at the people he didn't recognize, flipped through a couple more pages, skipped over a few smaller amounts, and went straight to the records of amounts over a thousand taels.
It's still densely packed; at a glance, there are at least a hundred.
She gasped, "Are all the people in the capital this rich?"
Song Xingzhi's lips twitched: "Not as extravagant as you, giving away ten thousand taels of silver like it's nothing."
Song Jin pursed her lips, saying nonchalantly, "I'm praying for my mother's well-being; may ten thousand taels of silver have the quality of ten thousand taels of silver."
Although she doesn't believe in this, she's still paying for comfort.
Song Xingzhi took a deep breath, wanting to call her a spendthrift, but then remembered that with such a large household, she couldn't possibly squander it all, so he swallowed his words, took the register, glanced at it, and asked directly.
Which one to look for?
Song Jin tilted her head, reached out and flipped through several pages, pointing to each one, and asked in surprise, "You recognize them all?"
Song Xingzhi said helplessly, "They are all well-known figures in Yong'an City. Can't you remember them?"
Song Jin muttered, "Why should I remember this?"
Song Xingzhi had even written down the information and relationships of all the prominent families in Yong'an City for her, but now it seemed that all that effort had been wasted. He said irritably, "Now you can use it, can't you?"
Song Jin glared: "If you need it, you need it. Why are you being so fierce?"
This villain accused him first, and Song Xingzhi felt a surge of anger rising in his chest.
Before he could speak again, Song Jin snatched the booklet, scoffed, and strode away: "You're not the only one who knows this stuff, what's so great about it?"
She went back to ask that person.
Song Xingzhi: ...
I'm so angry!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
