Chapter 46 He's just plain stingy
"Miss Song, open your hands a little wider."
"Wow, what a great figure, with such long arms and legs."
"With a figure like yours, you'll look good in anything."
...
Inside the bedroom, the embroiderers, each holding a measuring tape and various colored fabrics, were measuring up and down at Song Jin and her daughter, Niu Tielan.
The embroiderer in charge looked to be in her early thirties, with a plain and delicate appearance. However, her light green dress, her black hair styled in a bun, and her simple yet perfectly chosen jewelry transformed her otherwise unremarkable appearance into something much more attractive.
She is a very good dresser
This woman was Su Fang, the head of the most famous brothel in the capital, Jinxiufang. She was exceptionally skilled in dressing and styling, creating new hairstyles and clothing designs every year. Therefore, noble ladies of the capital went to great lengths to have her dress them, hoping to outshine everyone at the banquet.
Ordinary families simply can't afford to hire her, especially now that the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching and various banquets are just around the corner...
Even royalty and nobility had to wait in line.
Despite receiving the notification yesterday, she arrived at the Song family home today with a cheerful smile, showing no sign of reluctance.
At first, Song Jin found it novel, but as the complicated body measurements were taken and pieces of fabric were laid out in front of her one after another, she became like a clothes rack, hanging this and that, trying on clothes and shoes...
After all that work, there's still a huge pile of folded things over there.
She was getting a little impatient: "Isn't it done yet? It's just making a dress, isn't it enough to be close enough?"
Her clothes used to be custom-made, not because she was rich, but simply because she was tall and couldn't find anything suitable in stores, so she had to have them made.
It used to be a simple measurement, unlike now, where they even measure your toes.
Mari is troublesome
Faced with her impatience, Su Fang smiled kindly: "Miss Song, don't worry, getting it done once and for all will save you trouble later. These clothes, even slight differences in color and style can make a big difference. And the fabric, you see, they're all different. How will you know which one suits you better if you don't try them on?"
Song Jin complained, "It's such a hassle, even just two sets of clothes are such a pain."
Su Fang smiled and said, "There are more than just two sets. Master Song said that since summer is almost over, we can just make two sets, six sets each for autumn and winter, plus clothes for banquets and various jewelry. It's going to be a lot of work. We need to hurry back and finish your Mid-Autumn Festival banquet clothes first, and then we can take our time with the rest."
Song Jin's lips twitched: "It's not like I don't have clothes, why make so many? It's a waste."
Su Fang: "Other young ladies pester their elders to buy them new clothes, but you're complaining. It's not that I'm trying to flatter you, but in all my years of making clothes, this is truly the first time I've seen someone with a figure like Miss Song. With your size and looks, you really need to wear more beautiful clothes and jewelry to dazzle the eyes of those young ladies and gentlemen outside."
Over the years, she's mostly met girls, many of whom are beautiful and have great figures, but only Song Jin is this tall.
Song Jin wasn't interested and said listlessly, "No fun. You guys should hurry up and make some for my mother. I'll just have a couple of outfits."
Su Fang covered her mouth and laughed again, teasingly saying, "Madam probably thinks so too."
Niu Tielan glanced over, seemingly calm, but her furrowed brows betrayed her agitation. She looked at the mountain of fabric and asked, "These fabrics must be expensive, right?"
Of the entire pile, she only recognized a few horses, all of which were expensive. A single outfit from them would easily cost over a hundred taels of silver. Together, the clothes she and her daughter owned would easily amount to several thousand taels of silver, not including jewelry.
The Song family's foundation was far deeper than she had imagined.
Su Fang smiled: "These are all the best materials from the embroidery workshop. Master Song said that the best must be used for Madam and Miss. It's just unfortunate that Madam and Miss have something to do today, otherwise we would have chosen jewelry and other items at the same time. Now I can only choose for the two of them."
Upon hearing the word "choose," Song Jin's eyelids twitched, and she quickly said, "Go ahead, we trust you."
Seeing the lingering fear on Song Jin's face, Su Fang couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh again: "You can rest assured and leave it to me. With your outstanding looks and figures, Miss and Madam will surely outshine everyone at this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet."
Song Jin felt another wave of pain.
She had no interest in banquets or anything like that, but while she could skip other people's parties, she had no choice but to attend the ones in the palace.
...
Trying on the clothes took an hour, and by the time it was done, even Song Jin, a man as strong as an ox, was exhausted and collapsed on the ground—mainly because he was mentally exhausted.
Niu Tielan, sitting in a chair, glanced at her and said with a warning in her voice, "Song Jin."
Song Jin slumped to her feet, then slumped back down next to Niu Tielan, her head hanging off the back of the chair, sprawled out, not wanting to utter a single word.
The other young embroiderers tidied up and organized their things.
Su Fang looked at Song Jin, beaming with joy, her eyes shining, her expression even more affectionate and tender than that of her own mother.
Niu Tielan glanced at the overly enthusiastic embroiderer, took a sip of tea, and asked, "Embroiderer Su is really amazing. How long have you been doing this?"
Su Fang smiled: "I've been learning since I was little."
Niu Tielan: "I just heard you talking about Song Wu. Is he involved in your embroidery workshop too?"
Su Fang smiled and said, "Young Master Song is impressive; his businesses are all over the capital. But the embroidery workshop really has nothing to do with him. My embroidery workshop has been around for over ten years, while he's still young."
Niu Tielan glanced at her expression and said indifferently, "Is that related to Song Shang?"
Su Fang paused for a moment, her gaze towards Niu Tielan less affectionate, and smiled, "Madam is right. Back then, when the embroidery workshop was in trouble and on the verge of closing down, it was Lord Song who spoke up for me out of righteousness. He took pity on me, helped me out of the trouble, and gave me some money, which brought the embroidery workshop back to life. He has helped me a lot over the years. Without Lord Song, there would be no Jinxiufang today."
Niu Tielan was no longer surprised that this man was so affectionate towards her daughter.
As for the meaning behind that person's words, it was none of her business; she wasn't familiar with Song Shang.
She nodded to the person, then looked at Song Jin beside her and asked, "Still paralyzed? Are you still going?"
Song Jin twisted her neck and stood up, stretched and yawned: "Go, why aren't you going, Mother, are you really not going?"
Niu Tielan frowned: "You think I'm not tired enough from the journey?"
Song Jin chuckled: "Not at all, it's not far at all, only about an hour by carriage."
Niu Tielan waved her hand dismissively: "Go away, go by yourself, don't cause me any trouble outside."
Seeing that her mother really didn't want to go, Song Jin stopped trying to persuade her.
After all, her mother's health had always been poor, and she rarely went out, even in Linxi Town. Unlike her, who couldn't sit still at all, she'd only been in the capital for a couple of days, and with this little bit of activity every day, her bones were practically stiff.
She said, "Alright, Mom, stay home and don't wander off. I'll be back tonight."
This night, tonight is late, and tomorrow morning is also late.
Niu Tielan glanced at her and simply said, "Behave yourself out there."
Song Jin chuckled, loosening his muscles with confidence: "Don't worry, I'll be right back. Xiao Mei and Xiao Er will accompany Madam. If I'm going out, have Song Laowu arrange for more people."
Little Eyebrows and Little Ears: "Don't worry, Miss."
After finishing her sentence, Song Jin strode out. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw the Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi brothers standing some distance away. She stopped and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Song Qingzhi smiled and said, "I thought you'd tried it out enough, so I came to see how it went."
Song Jin rolled her eyes at him: "I'm exhausted. Why all this formality just to get dressed? It's not like I don't have clothes to wear."
Song Qingzhi's smile froze. Forget about those tattered clothes! The day the mother and daughter entered the palace, the clothes they brought out made his vision blur, especially their jewelry.
If they were to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet in a while and still wear those old clothes, he couldn't even imagine how their family would be ridiculed.
The speed of its decline was comparable to ransacking.
Song Qingzhi smirked: "It's fine when we're outside, but we should be more careful when entering the palace. This is just a bit troublesome this time; it'll be simpler afterward."
Song Jin: "There's a lot of paperwork involved. Don't expect me to pay for it; I'm saving my money to buy a house."
Houses in the capital are really expensive. Song Jin thought she was already quite wealthy, but after seeing this, she realized she should be more frugal; they didn't know how long they would be staying here.
Song Qingzhi's forehead veins throbbed, and his light green eyes were almost turning dark with anger: "Who asked you to pay? Do you think I'm short of money? You and your wife should just settle in and not think about anything else. What are you buying a house for? How many houses in the capital can compare to the Song family's?"
Song Jin pouted: "That's different."
Song Qingzhi's face flushed with anger, and he was about to say something when Song Anzhi pulled him back, changing the subject and saying, "Isn't little sister going to the Taoist temple? Fifth Brother and I have nothing to do today, so let's go together and pray for Father's well-being."
Song Shang has been missing for a month. During this time, Song Shunzhi has led a search and rescue operation, while the two brothers have endured their grief and fear, staying by the Song family's side and not stepping out of the capital. Especially in times like these, they must be extremely careful to avoid giving villains an opportunity to strike them down.
Although there are still no leads, after so long, no leads are the best news.
With Song Shunzhi's return to officialdom, and the fact that they had protected the Song family from attack during the most difficult time, they could now relax a little. Of course, the most important thing was...
Song Anzhi said, "The place where Father had the accident is not far from Sanqing Temple. We can go and take a look after we come out of the temple."
Although the area had been searched countless times and no trace could be found, they still wanted to go and take a look, and also bring their sister, who resembled their father so much.
The two brothers looked at Song Jin expectantly.
Seeing their gazes, Song Jin's disdain gradually disappeared. She paused for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, but can you ride horses? I need to go to the mountains outside the city, and I won't have time by carriage."
The mountains bordering Shangyang Village, the very mountain where Yang Youyang discovered Qu Maoze, are over a hundred li from the capital. A carriage ride would take four or five hours, almost a day round trip, and she didn't want to waste that time.
Song Shunzhi was taken aback: "Zhushan? It would take almost two hours to ride a horse there. What are you going there for?"
Song Jin shrugged: "I left the kitten over there on the street, I'll go check on it."
Before coming, she was worried that Huanghuang would hurt someone, since the mountains weren't as deep as Panlong Mountain. But ever since she went to Huixianglou, she's been worried about Huanghuang instead.
What if your precious daughter, whom you raised, becomes disobedient and ends up as your meal...?
Song Jin was worried.
The two brothers exchanged bewildered glances at her answer, feeling that her description of the kitten might not be entirely true. If it were anyone else, they would have genuinely tried to dissuade her from riding such a long distance, but seeing Song Jin's nonchalant expression, they swallowed their words of advice.
This is also a good opportunity to learn more about this younger sister.
and
“I remember the river below the cliff where Father had his accident flows through several mountains. Fifth Brother and I went to take a look,” Song Shunzhi said.
Song Jin looked them up and down, quite skeptical: "Can you two really do this?"
This weak man, this little brat
Don't hold her back.
The two brothers: ...
Don't judge a book by its cover.
**
Sanqing Temple is the most famous Taoist temple in the capital.
Offering sacrifices and prayers, exorcising evil spirits and performing rituals, consecrating objects and telling fortunes, providing medical care and relief...
The Dayan Dynasty highly valued Taoism. Whether it was palace sacrifices or weddings, Taoist priests from the Sanqing Temple were always present to divine good or bad fortune. Therefore, the Sanqing Temple was always bustling with worshippers, especially on holidays like the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the number of worshippers was endless.
Along the way, Song Jin and his companions encountered a constant stream of carriages and pedestrians. Most of those walking were impoverished people trying to save money, while those better off rode in oxcarts or mule carts. Those sitting in horse-drawn carriages were the more well-off families.
A family with one horse is an ordinary wealthy family; a family with two horses is somewhat well-off; and a family with three or four horses is a prominent family in the capital.
Five or six horses are a rare sight even in the capital.
Song Jin, mounted on his horse and holding the reins, slowly gazed at the Taoist temple atop the mountain ahead. He descended the mountain path and landed on a large, imposing carriage moving slowly ahead. Turning his head, Song Anzhi stared at the carriage and its riders, his expression somewhat somber.
She asked curiously, "Whose family is that up ahead? They're making quite a show of force."
Leading the procession were six carriages, resembling a mobile cabin, no less impressive than Qi Zheng's previous entourage. Behind them followed three more carriages, each with two horses, and flanked by about a dozen tall men, clearly from an extraordinary family.
People around avoided it like the plague, and that area immediately cleared space.
Song Anzhi withdrew his gaze, his expression slightly darkening: "It's from the Duke of Ying's mansion."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "What, do you have a grudge against me?"
Song Anzhi sneered: "This time, with Father in trouble, their family can't escape responsibility. Even the second son being questioned by Prince Jin last time was because of Lu San's meddling."
Song Jin suddenly realized that if that were the case, the enmity would be enormous. She stroked her chin and said, "What if we run into them later and they cause us trouble?"
Though she spoke of her concerns, her phoenix eyes shone brightly, brimming with interest.
These past few days in the capital have been peaceful and tranquil—good days for ordinary people, but for her, they've been a bit too mundane. And with her mother away, she couldn't be happier if more people came looking for trouble.
Seeing this on her face, Song Anzhi's lips twitched. He wanted her to be more composed, but given the unusual atmosphere ahead, he suppressed his words. Thinking of his father, whose fate was unknown, and the coldness Song Shunzhi had received recently, he whispered...
"As long as no one dies, you can do whatever you want. However, this will damage your reputation, making it harder for you to find a good husband in the future."
Adding the suffix only made things worse; Song Jin's eyebrows arched, her lips curled into a smirk, and her expression became extremely arrogant: "Coincidentally, I'd rather marry than get married."
Song Anzhi was stunned, but then laughed: "That's right, a father's child should be like this."
Song Qingzhi chimed in with a smile, "That's right, little sister, take your time looking. If you fancy someone in the future, just tell me, and your fifth brother will pay the betrothal gifts and marry them in style. If that person doesn't want to, we'll just kidnap them and bring them back."
His last words were spoken with absolute confidence.
This time, Song Anzhi didn't call him unreliable and agreed, saying, "The autumn imperial examinations are over. In a while, famous scholars from all over the country will come to the capital, and then my sister can choose for herself."
Song Qingzhi: "Fourth brother is right. It's better to be from out of town; there are fewer problems there. But choosing a partner is different from the imperial examination. Those who are too bookish tend to be eccentric. We should choose someone who is average-looking but good-looking, so that our children will be good-looking too. You can study anytime, but you only have one face..."
That makes a lot of sense, but it's a bit of overthinking.
Sitting on horseback, Song Jin listened to the two men discussing what names would be good for her future child. She rolled her eyes in exasperation, then pulled the reins and galloped off.
"..."
The two brothers, engrossed in their argument, exchanged a glance, decisively abandoned their debate over the name of their elusive nephew, pulled on the reins, and spurred their horses to follow.
Hearing the noise, the convoy ahead stopped warily. The guards drew their weapons and looked behind them, only to see three fine horses galloping down the road, their hooves clattering, quickly reaching their carriages.
"How dare you, Britain..."
Before the guard could even speak, the three horses had already galloped away gracefully, kicking up clouds of yellow dust that smeared their carriages and horses, showing them absolutely no respect.
The lead guard was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
"What's wrong?"
Just then, the curtains of the six carriages at the front were lifted, and Lu Jingyi, the heir apparent of the Duke of Ying, stepped out with a cold face. Through the yellow smoke, he looked at the galloping horses ahead and said in a deep voice...
"Did you see who it was?"
The guard took a deep breath and whispered, "It's the fourth and fifth sons of the Song family, and a woman, who should be Song Shang's mistress who returned a few days ago."
Lu Jingyi's expression darkened: "A mere concubine's daughter, yet she's so arrogant. She really is Song Shang's biological daughter. It's a pity that Song Shang is dead. Let's see how many more days they can be so arrogant."
He looked ahead, gave a cold laugh, lowered the curtain, and went back inside.
The matriarch of the Lu family, with her gray hair, looked at him and said, "Although that treacherous minister is dead, the Emperor's attitude is unclear. Be patient."
Lu Jingyi, however, remained fearless: "The Song family has been arrogant in the past, offending everyone in the capital. Even if I don't step forward, someone else will. Wouldn't I then be seen as a coward? With the Prince of Jin here, Grandmother, rest assured. I know what I'm doing."
The old matriarch sighed, "If it were before, it would have been the same, but now that Prince Qi has returned, the situation in the capital may have changed."
Lu Jingyi didn't care: "It's just an imposter, I don't know if it's real or fake. It has nothing but a face. It was that treacherous minister who brought it back. His Majesty wouldn't be so confused. Grandmother, you're overthinking it."
Old Madam Lu then said nothing more.
Her grandson was her pride and joy; he was talented, capable, and filial. His only flaw was his arrogance, which led to him suffering losses at the hands of the Song family on several occasions, and he was also somewhat impulsive in his dealings with them. However, since Song Shang was dead, the Song family was no longer a threat.
Seeing that his grandmother had closed her eyes, Lu Jingyi gave his younger sister a look and whispered, "When the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet comes, you will..."
...
The convoy moved slowly forward. Song Jin and his group had reached the foot of Sanqing Mountain. There were special stables and staff to watch over the horses. They put the horses down and began to climb the mountain.
There are two paths up the mountain: one is a winding but gentle slope, which is the most popular route; the other is a steep and fast shortcut. They chose the second path without hesitation, as it offered a clearer view of Sanqing Mountain.
Song Anzhi walked at the back. He looked frail, but he wasn't out of breath at all, and could calmly introduce things to Song Jin as he walked.
"The previous emperor was licentious and dissolute, causing immense suffering to the people. Rebellions broke out across the land, plunging the country into chaos, and neighboring small states were eager to join the fray. Initially, the royal family, the Qi family, did not intend to participate, but it was the Grand Preceptor who persuaded them to change their minds. In those years, Taoist priests traveled among the people, helping them and contributing to the overthrow of the previous dynasty..."
In short, the current emperor is a man of deep feelings; give him a little respect, and he will repay you twofold. Of course, this doesn't mean he's weak. While those honest and dutiful officials prospered, those harboring rebellious intentions exist only in the annals of history.
Song Jin had previously only heard rumors that had been passed around countless times. Now, listening to Song Anzhi's account, many things didn't add up. Outside, black was being portrayed as white, white as red, and red as green.
Indeed, the saying "rumors stop with the wise" is best taken with a grain of salt.
In reality, it's already quite an achievement if someone isn't an idiot.
The three chatted as they reached the summit. Sanqing Mountain wasn't actually very high, but it was flat and spacious. The Taoist temple was quite large, occupying half the mountaintop. Outside the gate were two large trees adorned with red threads. Pilgrims came and went in a steady stream, men and women, young and old; most were happy, while a few wore sorrowful expressions.
Song Jin looked around the Taoist temple, then searched left and right.
Where are her roast chickens? Where are all three roast chickens?
Seeing her looking around, Song Anzhi assumed she was just curious.
Song Qingzhi, who witnessed her getting on and off Qi Zheng's carriage that day, had already guessed. He curled his lips and said, "You came here today on purpose because you had an appointment with Prince Qi?"
Song Jin glanced sideways: "What, it's not okay?"
Those are three roast chickens, isn't it worth the trip?
As for things like consecration and blessings, although they're feudal superstitions, she can time travel, so believing in them might not hurt.
Seeing that she had actually made plans with someone, Song Qingzhi's green eyes flashed with displeasure. He said, "Don't be fooled by his seemingly upright appearance. He has no conscience whatsoever. Be careful not to get scammed by him."
Song Anzhi scolded, "Fifth brother, stop talking nonsense. How dare you speak ill of the Prince of Qi?"
Song Qingzhi was even more indignant.
Seeing his expression, Song Jin was puzzled: "What did he do to you?"
Based on her understanding of Qi Zheng, although he was old-fashioned, stingy, and not good at talking, he still had some sense of justice and was also a good barbecue chef, so he shouldn't be the type to cheat people.
Song Qingzhi gritted his teeth and said, "He was found by Father, but he has never eaten at Huixianglou since he came back. Isn't that a clear way of distancing himself from us? He's just putting on an act, all show and no substance, opportunistic and heartless!"
Song Jin's gaze passed over him, landing on the tall figure in the crowd opposite. Looking at his cold and composed demeanor, and recalling his behavior throughout the journey, she turned to look at the indignant Song Qingzhi, and sighed from the bottom of her heart.
"Is it possible that he's just genuinely stingy?"
Song Qingzhi: ? ? ?
Is this possible?
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