Chapter 49 This is not the way to ask.
A large river encircles Yong'an City. During the dry season, it is calm and provides drinking and washing water for the many residents both inside and outside the city. During the flood season, however, the river is turbulent, and only professional water carriers dare approach it. This river flows outwards from Yong'an City, passing through the confluence of several other rivers, and its course is observed throughout the entire Dayan Dynasty.
One of the branches passes through the mountains.
Because of its proximity to the mountains, the water, which is relatively calm elsewhere, becomes extremely turbulent here, especially in the central area near the mountains. The terrain here is steep, and the rushing water has formed large, steep cliffs day after day. From the mountaintop, it appears as a white expanse of water, and even the boldest birds that perch on the rocks to preen their feathers are swept away in the next instant.
Song Jin stood on the edge of the cliff, watching the rushing water. She then turned to look at the person standing on the edge, gently poked their back with her finger, and sighed, "The hunters in our area often say, 'Don't stand on the edge of a cliff when you're going up the mountain with others. What if someone gives you a light push?'"
The reefs are steep and the river is swift; if someone falls in, they're sure to drown.
Amid her sigh, Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi silently took two steps back, moving away from the precarious-looking edge.
Despite being poked in the back, Qi Zheng remained calmly standing on the edge of the cliff. He surveyed the precipitous rocks and rushing water below, showing no sign of backing down despite Song Jin's words. Given his martial arts skills, even if he fell, he would be able to react mid-fall and use the momentum to escape.
Song Jin crossed her arms, glanced at the two brothers beside her, clicked her tongue twice, her disdain evident. Then, seeing Qi Zheng staring blankly, she walked over to him and they both craned their necks to look down.
The current below is swift, the rocks are sharp, and a white shadow flashes by.
Why
Song Jin rubbed her eyes, leaned most of her body out over the edge of the cliff, and shouted, "Look!"
Qi Zheng and the others followed her hand and looked over.
Song Jin rubbed her hands together: "That fish must weigh at least 10 pounds. Fish from this mountain stream must have really good meat, don't you think?"
Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi's expressions changed, and they quickly pulled her back two steps: "If you want to eat fish, we'll go back and buy some. We can buy 20 jin, let alone 10 jin."
Song Jin twisted her shoulders and neck, her eyes shining brightly, looking eager to pounce: "You don't believe me? At this height, I could close my eyes and be fine."
The two brothers: "That won't do either."
The three siblings started arguing there.
Qi Zheng's gaze fell on Song Jin's face. He could understand why someone as gentle as Niu Tielan would occasionally become irritable and curse. It was simply because this person needed to be kept in check.
Song Jin is impulsive, reckless, and unreasonable, which is bad enough, but after strenuous activity, he becomes inexplicably excited and somewhat loses control of his emotions.
Just like last time they went into the mountains, they agreed to scout ahead first and proceed cautiously. But once inside, she went straight into a chaotic frenzy, as if she'd eaten some cornmeal, and was incredibly excited.
Today was no different. She first fought inside the Sanqing Temple, then rode out at full gallop, clearly more excited than usual. Otherwise, she wouldn't have wanted to show off her martial arts skills just by looking at the cliff face.
Looking into her bright eyes and slightly flushed cheeks, Qi Zheng said, "Go if you want to. Fish that grow up eating human flesh should taste different."
Song Jin opened her eyes wide, ran over in small steps, and bent down again to examine it carefully: "Where is it? Where is it?"
Qi Zheng pointed it out to her
Song Jin followed her gaze and indeed saw a white skull among the rocks. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, "Do you think it's possible?"
Qi Zheng glanced at it: "No, that will take at least a year."
Song Jin nodded, turned to look at the two brothers who were clearly anxious, and patted them on the shoulder to reassure them: "Prime Minister Song is a lucky man, Heaven will surely help him, he will definitely be alright."
After leaving the Sanqing Temple, they set off from the cliff where Song Shang had fallen, following the river downstream, but saw nothing along the way. This wasn't surprising, however; since Song Shang's accident, there had been daily patrols along this route, so if anything had happened, they wouldn't have had time to come and investigate.
Thinking of the searchers they encountered every mile along the way, Song Jin couldn't help but ask, "How did Lord Song get into trouble? Did he go out without anyone with him?"
Song Jin dared to travel alone only because of her superior martial arts skills; if trouble arose, she could at least escape, if not fight back. If she had traveled with her mother, she would have definitely brought more people with her.
Song Shang holds a high position and wields great power, yet he is surrounded by enemies; he should be even more cautious.
Speaking of this, Song Qingzhi's face turned ugly, his light green eyes swirling with emotion, and he gritted his teeth in resentment.
"That day was the Ghost Festival. My second son and I stayed at the Sanqing Temple with our father for two days. Everything was fine before we came down the mountain, but unexpectedly, assassins rushed out from all sides. We had 50 guards with us at the time, all of whom were well-trained. Even if we didn't capture those assassins, we could have left safely. Unexpectedly, some of these guards colluded with outsiders and targeted my second son and me, preventing us from taking our father away in time."
Song Jin frowned and asked, "Your father can't ride a horse?"
With so many people fighting, if you can ride a horse, it should be easy to find a chance to escape.
Song Qingzhi's face was grim as he gritted his teeth: "He knows how, but then another group appeared, making it three groups in total. We had no choice but to hide in the mountains. We never expected this."
In the end, his father and his horse fell off the cliff, and they are still missing.
Song Jin frowned after hearing this: "Why did you leave at night?"
Song Qingzhi gave a wry smile: "I originally planned to leave the next day, but the Emperor summoned Father that evening, so..."
Song Jin suddenly realized, and subconsciously reached out to measure her neck.
“If he wanted to take action, there would be no need for such trouble,” Qi Zheng glanced at her and calmly stated the facts: “Based on Lord Song’s actions over the years, if Father wanted to punish him, there would be a million reasons; there would be no need for this kind of complicated procedure.”
The power of imperial authority in this era was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. The previous emperor was incompetent and foolish, indiscriminately killing court officials, forcibly marrying wives of his subjects, and enslaving the people. His decadent rule lasted for more than ten years before he was finally overthrown.
His father, the Emperor, had built up a personal guard over the years, wielding immense power. If he couldn't tolerate Song Shang, he could simply shut him down. After all, Song Shang's actions over the years, under any different pretext, would be enough to get him killed a thousand times over; there was no need to go to such lengths.
Song Jin said awkwardly, "I didn't say anything."
Qi Zheng looked at the rushing water below the mountain and said, "With such a rapid current, if Lord Song had fallen in and drifted here, he would surely have been completely destroyed. If he were elsewhere, he would either have drowned or been rescued. However, the scale of the search around here is so large, and there's still no news of him after he was taken away; there must be ulterior motives."
Just like Qu Maoze that day, Yang Youyang knew the person's identity was unusual after bringing him back, and only begged for mercy after they discovered it.
It's hard to say what he was thinking. Maybe he wanted the person to recover properly before reporting it, given their serious injuries and amnesia. Or maybe he thought the person was decent and wanted to keep them there to work illegally—the latter seems more plausible.
However, given Song Shang's abilities, even if he encountered a shady inn, he would surely be able to escape, unless he was fatally injured.
“There’s a third possibility,” Qi Zheng said quietly, gazing at the river flowing eastward below the cliff. “Lord Song is alright; he’s just hiding and not showing himself.”
Although it sounds absurd, it is a possibility.
During this period, undercurrents were running high in the capital. While everyone was happy that Song Shang had gotten into trouble, they also immediately dispatched people to search the area thoroughly, trying to find Song Shang's body and confirm that he was really dead.
Only then will those who have lived in the shadow of the Song family for twenty years finally be able to put their worries aside and truly target the Song family; what we're seeing now is just a small-scale skirmish.
This was a somewhat heavy topic, and seeing their spirits dampen, Song Jin clapped her hands to break the somber atmosphere and confidently declared...
"I think Prime Minister Song is definitely the third type. Men, after all, are usually very good at hiding their true nature, let alone a smart man like Prime Minister Song."
The three men present: ...
It was implied
Seeing that no one spoke, Song Jin reached out and grabbed Song Anzhi with one hand and Song Qingzhi with the other, pulling the two away from the cliff and heading into the forest, walking excitedly as they went.
"Come on, come on, I'll take you to see Huanghuang. What's so interesting about a broken cliff?"
...
The group ventured deeper into the mountains. These mountains, while not as deep as Panlong Mountain, were still considerable. Large and small hills stretched as far as the eye could see, making it easy to get lost. A single misstep could mean certain death. Therefore, most people explored the outer edges of the mountains; only the most daring hunters and a few foolish individuals ventured deeper.
Because there are few people, there are quite a lot of things in the mountains.
As they walked in, they could hear the pheasants scurrying about in the undergrowth every few steps, and every now and then a plump rabbit would peek out, only to run away at the sight of them. The wild cats, however, were quite bold; they even dared to come out and bare their teeth when they heard the noise.
"Tch, who are you trying to be arrogant to?"
Song Jin couldn't stand such provocation. She picked up a stone and accurately threw it at the wild cat. Amidst the cat's baring teeth, she threw it at the gray-tailed squirrel in the tree, killed the venomous snake that was sticking out its tongue, knocked down the brightly colored bird and plucked its feathers, grabbed the fat, fluffy wild weasel, dragged a string of pheasants, and carried a bag of fresh mountain mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and lingzhi mushrooms...
Besides her, the others also carried wild animals to varying degrees.
People who didn't know them would think they were coming into the mountains to buy goods.
Seeing Song Jin take out a longbow and aim it at the roe deer under the tree ahead, with a rabbit slung over her left shoulder, a pheasant in her right hand, and a ring of mushrooms around her neck, Song Qingzhi's eyelids twitched, and she quickly moved closer to try and stop her.
"This must be hard to carry, right? I really want to eat it; I'll buy some when I get back."
He, the richest man in the capital, has never suffered such humiliation since he learned to make money. It's just wild game, isn't it? He can buy as much as he wants when he gets back; there's no need to carry it all the way back.
Faced with his tactful dissuasion, Song Jin curled the corners of her lips, released the bowstring, and the arrow shot towards the roe deer with unstoppable force. After a few screams and struggles, it quickly collapsed to the ground; its size was roughly estimated to be around 100 pounds.
The thought of dragging such a thing out gave Song Qingzhi a headache.
Song Jin looked at it with disdain and said, "Alright, stop making that face. I won't let you drag me out. This is for Huang Huang to eat."
Song Qingzhi glanced at the large roe deer over there and his lips twitched: "Aren't these pheasants and rabbits enough for it to eat?"
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "What do you think Huanghuang is?"
"...Not a wildcat or a mountain cat?" Seeing Song Jin's raised eyebrows, Song Qingzhi felt a bad premonition and asked with difficulty, "Or is it a leopard? A large golden snake?"
Song Jin still looked at him with a half-smile, which made Song Qingzhi grip the pheasant tighter. He swallowed, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath: "It can't be big."
"Roar!"
Before he could finish speaking, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the distant forest. The roar was powerful and resonant, carrying the might of a forest overlord, and the birds and beasts in the forest instantly scattered in all directions.
Song Qingzhi and Song Anzhi's expressions changed drastically, but Song Jin smiled, then took the whistle from around her neck, blew it gently, and with a whoosh, the whistle's sound spread through the forest.
"Roar!"
The distant roar returned, even more joyful than before, growing louder as it approached. In an instant, the ground trembled, and a rustling sound that echoed through the jungle came from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact location.
"roar"
Suddenly, a loud bang was heard, and a golden figure leaped down from the other side of the mountain.
The tiger had a round head, and its golden eyes had pupils that shrank to small dots. Its body was larger than that of an average tiger, and its muscles bulged as it ran. Its claws easily left marks on the ground.
This is a tiger that can be seen with the naked eye.
Even though Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi had already guessed that this thing was the little pet Song Jin had mentioned, they still instinctively tensed up at this moment, pulling Song Jin back a step so that she could hide behind them.
Caught off guard by the sudden pull, and seeing the two people's tense, stiff shoulders, she pursed her lips, then a smile of pleasure played on her lips. She pushed them aside, took a step forward, and blew a whistle.
"sit down"
Then everyone saw the tiger, which had been charging towards them, suddenly brake, roll twice out of control, and come to a stop three meters in front of them, its head covered in weeds.
Huang Huang dropped its round head to the ground, pawed at its ears with its two front paws, and stared intently at Song Jin with its big golden eyes. It gave a cute little squint, and its fierce aura vanished instantly.
For the past few days, it has been surveying and marking out its new territory. There are no other tigers in these mountains, nor are there any cubs trying to take over its territory. Also, because the terrain is not so steep, food is easier to hunt.
Huang Huang was very happy. It lay down on the ground, wagged its tail, and then moved its feet to Song Jin's side. Its pupils widened again, and it rubbed against Song Jin's leg, letting out a sweet, coquettish moan.
Song Jin plopped down, rubbed the yellowish head, and then took out a homemade iron comb to groom its fur, her eyes crinkling as she said, "Oh my, how well-behaved you are! Looks like I don't have to worry about you not adapting. Your belly is all bulging."
Huang Huang nuzzled against her, sweetly meowing, "Mmm~"
The man and the tiger were very affectionate.
Song Jin turned her head to look at the others, grinning, "This is Huang Huang, my little tiger girl whom I raised since she was a cub. She usually doesn't hurt people. Do you want to pet her?"
Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi looked at each other, hesitant.
This sounds rather dubious, like it's not very reliable.
Qi Zheng, on the other hand, had been eyeing Huang Huang for a long time. Upon being invited, he immediately squatted down, looking at the big cat with some delight, but he didn't reach out to pet it.
Seeing someone else beside her, Huanghuang immediately turned her head, her big, round, golden eyes fixed on Qi Zheng. Her pupils changed shape several times, and finally, she twitched her nose, flicked her long tail, and wrapped it around his hand, acting all cute and delicate.
"Mimi~"
Because it was raised by Song Jin, Huanghuang has always been very affectionate. Unless specifically targeted, it won't harm anyone and is very well-behaved. It had previously interacted with Qi Zheng, and Huanghuang remembered him.
It's a familiar face to Mi.
Say hello~
Huang Huang affectionately rubbed its head against him, but quickly withdrew it, continuing to cling to Song Jin, looking no different from a slightly larger kitten—if one ignored its hand-sized paws and sharp teeth.
Seeing how well-behaved he was, Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi, despite remaining wary, couldn't help but feel a little tempted.
This is a big worm!
Big Tiger
Although Huixianglou does use tiger and bear in its dishes, the wild tigers they capture are ferocious and dangerous; a slight mishap could break a person's limbs. How could anyone possibly touch them?
The two brothers exchanged a glance and slowly walked over, carefully observing Huang Huang's expression in preparation for a possible retreat.
Seeing that they were still tense and worried, Song Jin lifted her robe and covered Huanghuang's head with it. Turning her head to look at the two of them, she encouraged them, "It's alright, don't be afraid. It won't hurt anyone. Huanghuang has been traveling with us in a carriage all this way, so don't worry."
The two swallowed hard, but couldn't resist. They slowly approached and cautiously reached out to touch the gleaming golden fur.
Tiger fur is stiffer than that of ordinary cats; with a little pressure, you can feel the firm muscles beneath the fur, even when the cat is relaxed, revealing its inherent ferocity.
Huanghuang's head was covered, and it was pitch black before its eyes, but it didn't care at all. It calmly rolled over, and even when it felt two people's paws on its body, it didn't panic at all. It was very relaxed, except that its tail was swishing and hitting the people, which hurt a little.
Song Jin patiently combed its fur with an iron comb, thoroughly grooming it from head to tail before patting its head.
Huang Huang stood up and shook its fur, which was now cleaner and shinier than before. With its tail held high, it looked even happier than before.
Song Jin smirked and pointed to the roe deer over there: "Go on, it'll get stale soon."
Huang Huang meowed and happily ran over, quickly picking it up and bringing it back. It lay down in front of Song Jin and began to tear at the roe deer meat; the meat was tender and looked delicious.
Song Jin turned her head to look at Qi Zheng, who was happily petting the tiger, and blinked her eyes: "Are you hungry?"
Qi Zheng remained silent.
He said that this person must be quite extraordinary to have found so much food along the way.
Song Jin picked up a dagger and sliced off some tender meat from the roe deer's belly, shaking it in her hand: "It's really fresh and tender!"
Qi Zheng: "...Let's find some firewood."
He didn't need to urge them; seeing that he agreed, Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi had already gone to gather firewood.
In the mountains, everything is scarce, except for firewood. They found a stalk here, and a handful there, and the group quickly gathered a pile of firewood and set it aside. Then they went to a nearby ditch to clear away wild animals.
There is water, firewood, meat and vegetables.
Therefore, if Song Jin hadn't planned this in advance, no one would believe it.
Song Jin just chuckled, squatted down to whittle wooden skewers and skewer mushrooms and wild vegetables, and eagerly handed them to Qi Zheng, who was grilling things, with a fawning look on his face: "Your Highness, you've worked hard. Be sure to eat a lot later. Is there anything else you'd like to eat? I'll get it for you."
Even if he gets hit, isn't it still him who has to deal with it?
Qi Zheng didn't say anything, but simply took the skewered vegetables, rubbed them with some freshly ground spices and fruits he had found, and gently placed them on the wooden rack. Soon, a strong aroma filled the air.
Song Jin rubbed her little hands together, staring intently at the roasted vegetables, swallowing hard along with Huang Huang: "It smells so good! When can we eat?"
Qi Zheng flipped the meat strips over, placed them on a stone, drizzled some oil on them, sprinkled on spices, and put them back on the fire. He glanced at Song Jin's eyes, which were practically turning green, and said calmly...
"Almost done, go and invite those people over to join us."
Faced with this nonsensical remark, Song Jin didn't even ask a question. She wiped away imaginary drool from the corner of her mouth, jumped up, and said hurriedly, "I'll be right back. Wait for me, don't sneak any food!"
Qi Zheng's lips twitched, he shook his head, and continued fiddling with the barbecue.
Song Anzhi, Song Qingzhi, and Li Qingshan watched Song Jin and Huang Huang run away in bewilderment, completely puzzled. They watched until the figures of the man and the tiger disappeared behind the small slope, and then, just moments later, several howls suddenly echoed from that direction.
"Help! Help!"
"We are innocent."
"Just passing by, really just passing by! Get away from me!"
...
A short while later, Huanghuang came back hurriedly, carrying a crying child on his back and a half-grown child in his mouth.
Behind it, Song Jin carried a seven or eight-year-old child in her left hand, pulled a ten-year-old by the hand, and tucked a five or six-year-old girl under her arm. She slowly and leisurely returned, humming a tune.
The once quiet forest was instantly filled with heart-wrenching cries.
Qi Zheng, who asked her to fetch someone: ...
This is not the way to ask.
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