Chapter 51 What a grand air!
"Hey, are you guys alright?"
Compared to the galloping horseback ride earlier, the return journey was much quieter.
Song Jin walked ahead, turning back several times to see the two tall, handsome horses behind him, their long legs swaying as they took small, hesitant steps, just like their owner, looking listless and dejected.
These two were the same people who had been exploring along the long river earlier, still quite energetic, and occasionally even able to race horses with them. But after returning from the orphanage, they looked like this—drooping eyes, listless, and extremely depressed.
Song Jin, who had been holding back all the way, couldn't help but tilt his head, puzzled: "Didn't we already stay an extra day and handle everything? Why do you still look like you've suffered a great injustice? Seriously, you two grown men are so petty. Is it really that hard for you to accept that Lord Song is keeping another dog, cough, a son outside?"
While it's true that if Song Jin put herself in her mother's shoes, she would be furious if her own mother had another child, how come these two people have such a close relationship with Prime Minister Song?
Faced with her genuinely questioning expression, Song Qingzhi and Song Anzhi were unable to refute her.
Song Jin bears a striking resemblance to her father in both appearance and demeanor, but there are also many obvious differences, such as her somewhat dim-witted appearance.
Do they think they're little children? And they're even possessive of their food?
As they looked at the children, they thought of how their father had cared for them over the years, and they also thought about their own origins.
All five brothers were adopted by Song Shang. They were all quite young when he brought them home, with very different personalities, but their backgrounds were all similarly tragic. The desire to survive was ingrained in their instincts. They were sensitive, sharp, vigilant, and competitive, always fearing that they would be the worst performer among the five and be kicked out.
So their relationship wasn't exactly good at first.
Even now, unless they are in front of outsiders, they still habitually address each other by their first names or titles.
Song Qingzhi was the youngest child in the family, and also the one with the most unusual appearance. He was neither a Han Chinese nor a purely foreigner; he was a combination of both, and had been raised by wolves for two years as a 'little bastard'.
At the beginning of the Dayan Dynasty, various forces were in disarray, the court was in turmoil, and Song Shang's position was not as stable as it is now. As the youngest child in his family, and not understanding human speech very well, he was bullied a lot as a child. He was a notorious "little bastard" among the sons of officials in the capital, and was ridiculed wherever he went, attracting strange looks wherever he went.
But now, with most of the capital's economic lifeline in his hands and his father firmly holding power behind him, no one dares to act like before; instead, there are more disgusting, obsequious, and fawning faces.
Thinking of the hardships he had endured over the years, Song Qingzhi forced a smile and said softly, "I am a Northern Desert person."
He had barely opened his mouth when Song Jin exclaimed, "The Northern Desert? You mean the Northern Desert with its millennia-old ice? Then you must have a way to get this stuff, right? Hey, can you get me some?"
Song Qingzhi's gloom instantly dissipated. He was speechless: "That thing has to be dug deep in the northernmost ice mountains of the Northern Desert. Anyone who isn't a professional ice digger would freeze to death. Do you think it's some ordinary stuff that you can just dig up like that?"
Song Jin gave an "oh" and her phoenix eyes darted around.
The message is clear: if it's not going to work, just say so. Why make so many excuses?
Song Qingzhi's forehead veins throbbed, and he gritted his teeth: "Are you even listening to me? If not, then forget it."
Song Jin quickly waved her hand: "Of course I'm listening, I'm listening!"
Song Qingzhi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but he couldn't regain his previous composure. He said irritably, "The Northern Mu region is vast, stretching for thousands of miles northwards, with no end in sight. It's divided into large and small tribes, each with its own rules, but the one thing they all have in common is that they don't intermarry with outsiders. If an exception is made and discovered, the child born will be fed to the wolves."
"I'm that unlucky guy."
Song Jin exclaimed "Wow!" and stroked her chin thoughtfully, "Isn't this similar to those Gu tribes in Lingnan?"
Upon hearing this, Song Qingzhi's expression towards Song Jin became more complicated, and he hesitated to speak.
Song Jin tilted her head: "What? Did I say something wrong?"
He swallowed his words, shook his head, and said, "That's right, they're pretty much the same, but feeding the wolves is a quicker death. I was lucky; not only did I not get eaten, but they raised me like a cub until a wolf-hunting team came into that territory, killed the wolves, and took me with them. They originally planned to sell me to a theatrical troupe for a high price, but luckily I ran into my father. He saw how cute I was and couldn't bear it, so he took me home."
"Don't listen to his bragging. Dad didn't bring him back because he couldn't bear to see him like that. He just thought he was weird and interesting, so he brought him back to play with him," Song Anzhi interrupted Song Qingzhi's self-praise, laughing heartily. "You guys don't know, when he first came back, he didn't wear any clothes. He would put them on and then take them off again. He had a little bald head and green eyes, and he crawled around naked on the ground like a little puppy. It was so funny!"
There were five brothers in the family, and the four older brothers were constantly fighting and vying for things, including Song Qingzhi, their 'toy'.
Annoyed that he had exposed her weakness, Song Qingzhi retorted, "That's still better than all of you getting your bottoms all red from being spanked."
Song Anzhi clicked his tongue: "That's still better than you crawling around naked on the ground, making your own mess wherever you want."
Song Qingzhi angrily replied, "That's still better than you hiding in a cabinet and being locked inside for three days because you couldn't open it."
Song Anzhi: "Two days, that's two days."
...
When the topic turned to embarrassing childhood incidents, the two brothers instantly perked up, each telling their own story. It was clear that children from all walks of life, regardless of their family background, often did similar misdeeds in their early years.
Song Jin listened with great interest, taking out some roasted peanuts from her pocket and eating them as she went. She even handed a handful to Qi Zheng next to her, her mouth full of peanuts.
"Eating, did you do this when you were little?"
"My master, my adoptive father, was a strict man. From as far back as I can remember, he required me to practice martial arts and swordsmanship for eight hours every day, leaving me no time for anything else."
After Qi Zheng finished speaking calmly, he hesitated for a moment when he looked at Song Jin's dark, grimy hands, before placing his hand under hers.
Song Jin was already tall, and having practiced martial arts since childhood, he was incredibly muscular and had large hands. However, Qi Zheng's hands were even larger; his palms were rough and calloused, and his fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles. Even without considering internal energy, he appeared to possess considerable strength.
She grabbed a handful of peanuts, which only filled half of his hand. Song Jin grabbed another one, peeled it, tossed it into the air, caught it in her mouth, chewed it, and sighed.
"These old folks are so inhumane! My teacher is the same; doesn't he realize we kids need to sleep? All he does is practice and practice, we don't even get enough sleep, we won't grow tall!"
Qi Zheng looked at her height, which was taller than most men, then looked at himself, and was speechless.
They don't need to grow any taller.
but
"Your teacher?" This was the first time Qi Zheng had heard Song Jin talk about the origin of her martial arts since they met, and he couldn't help but ask, "Who is that person?"
Song Jin peeled another peanut and tossed it into the air, catching it with his head tilted back. He mumbled, "It wasn't anything good, but it was my master—well, you could call him my master, I guess. He was a strange old man I found at Old Liu's clinic. He was a bit eccentric, but he had a good eye; he saw right away that I was a martial arts prodigy."
She was still young then and knew nothing about internal energy cultivation techniques or anything like that. She only knew that supernatural abilities could be used, so she practiced every day. However, she could never truly master it and couldn't condense her inner energy externally; she could only increase her strength.
Later, she encountered that strange old man, who dragged her into learning a bunch of nonsensical internal and external cultivation techniques. Only then did she open a new door and master the correct usage.
Thinking about it, she couldn't help but sigh, "I wonder if that strange old man is dead or not, and where he died, so I can offer him some incense."
"..."
While it certainly smacks of self-promotion, judging by Song Jin's martial arts skills, she truly deserves the title of a prodigy.
Unlike him
Qi Zheng sighed, "My adoptive father passed away when I was twelve years old. Before he left, he transferred all his internal energy to me. Otherwise, I would have been just an ordinary person."
Song Jin stuffed another peanut into her mouth, trying to hide her slight unease.
Well, she certainly has some extraordinary talent, but her profound skill is mainly due to the different cultivation methods she uses.
In the apocalypse, supernatural abilities are crucial, so people prioritize enhancing them—essentially increasing their internal energy—along with other survival skills. The Great Yan Dynasty is different. Internal energy cultivation here is rudimentary, and its growth is slow. The focus is more on external techniques like swordsmanship and saber skills.
Song Jin was not good at these things. Compared to Qi Zheng, a professional who had trained day in and day out for more than ten years, her swordsmanship was terrible. She only managed to hold on because of her profound internal energy.
Simply put, it means having great strength, being able to overcome any force with sheer power, and saving time and effort.
She suffered her whole life in her past life, and her original plan for this life was to live a simple life in the countryside. Little did she know she would get involved in so many things.
Song Jin touched his nose guiltily: "You must be very good with a sword, right?"
Qi Zheng nodded: "I also have some knowledge of swords, spears, halberds, and bows."
Song Jin blinked: "Then when will you take a look at my case? That strange old man thought I was too talented, that he couldn't teach me, and he ran away in less than a month."
In reality, she was lazy and didn't practice any of the techniques except for internal energy cultivation. She lost her temper in less than a month.
If she had said anything else, Qi Zheng could have said something like, "Men and women shouldn't touch each other," but when it came to gestures, he simply couldn't refuse.
Although Li Qingshan and his guards would spar with him when they were in the manor, the difference in skill was obvious, and he could never get his fill of fighting.
He also happened to want to probe Song Jin's abilities, so after a moment's thought, he said, "Then let's wait until after the Mid-Autumn Festival and choose a time to have a match at the martial arts arena at Young Master Song's place?"
Upon hearing his name called, Song Anzhi, who was still arguing with Song Qingzhi, looked over and asked, "What does Your Highness want with me?"
Song Jin clenched her fists, eager to get started: "He said we should come to your place in a few days and fight."
Song Anzhi: "Huh?"
What kind of fight is this? Is this a fight or a fight over heads?
Qi Zheng said helplessly, "It's a competition, the Ministry of War's training ground is more suitable."
Song Anzhi realized what was happening and quickly nodded, "No problem, Your Highness just needs to let us know. The Ministry of War will be ready to welcome Your Highness at any time."
Song Anzhi works in the Ministry of War. Just last year, he designed a new crossbow that uses fewer materials, saves time, and is more lethal than the previous ones. He is very talented.
However, the three brothers in the Song family were young but already held high-ranking positions, and Song Shenzhi had been promoted for great merit last year. A further promotion for him would be too conspicuous, so he was only given a simple reward.
In summary, each of the five sons of the Song family possesses unique strengths; they are all naturally gifted. However, Song Shang, who was able to unleash and cultivate these talents, is the most remarkable of them all.
Qi Zheng then looked at Song Jin, who looked remarkably like Song Shang. She was sitting on horseback, casually tossing peanuts and catching them with her mouth. Her lips were slightly black, and her hands were also covered in black. She turned her head to the side and mumbled, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Oh, it seems there really is.
She stretched out her two paws and rubbed her face, but instantly her face darkened. The more she rubbed, the more she felt something was wrong. She pouted, then simply reached out and rubbed her hands on the horse's head, clapped her hands, swung her legs, and hummed a tune.
"I have a small stove..."
Qi Zheng shifted his gaze back
As expected, he had been overthinking things; their resemblance was just a coincidence.
Lord Song, this should never happen to you in your lifetime.
**
After returning from Shangyang Village, the group first went to Sanqing Temple to meet up with the other guards before heading towards the capital.
When they arrived, it was exactly noon.
The city gates opened, and pedestrians and carriages came and went in a steady stream, undergoing only basic checks. However, this was mainly for foreign merchants; those from the imperial palace and nobility within the capital were only given a perfunctory glance before being allowed to pass.
Song Qingzhi and his group were no exception.
Although the Song merchants have encountered trouble and the Song family is not what it used to be, it is still far superior to the rest of the capital.
A group of people entered the city smoothly.
However, Song Jin had ridden a horse all the way, and on the way back, she was too lazy to ride anymore. Without any hesitation, she climbed into Qi Zheng's carriage. But it wasn't appropriate for a lone man and woman to be alone, so Song Anzhi, her 'delicate' older brother, could only follow her in, leaving Song Qingzhi to ride ahead with the accompanying guards.
Song Jin squatted on the small couch, stretching and teasing Qi Zheng: "Your Highness Prince Qi came in with us, aren't you afraid that some fly will cause you trouble?"
Qi Zheng glanced at her and corrected, "It's the Duke of England."
Song Jin didn't seem to care much: "They're all pretty much the same. Hey, is that your sister-in-law's house? The one with the most talkative personality?"
Qi Zheng reminded him: "My second brother is the Prince of Jin."
Song Jin rubbed her cheeks: "What kind of trouble will they cause me?"
Qi Zheng: "Isn't it a bit too late to talk about this now?"
Song Jin shrugged: "What can we do? That thing is shameless, looking like a toad pretending to be a frog. And that old hag is even worse, she even had people beat me up. I didn't kick her to death because I knew she wouldn't live for more than two years. What, is it legal for old men and women to beat people up in your capital?"
It seems there was a similar tradition for a long time before the apocalypse in my previous life, but in the apocalypse, not eating them is considered respecting the elderly and caring for the young. Who gave them that right?
Qi Zheng shook his head: "If it were an ordinary elderly person, of course it wouldn't work, but the old lady is a titled lady and a member of the royal family. Even if she hit someone by mistake, it's fine, no one will say anything. At most, the younger generation in the family will be asked to go out and apologize."
Song Jin suddenly realized: "Feelings still depend on power, don't they? If this were when Prime Minister Song was still here..."
Qi Zheng sighed, "She will definitely greet you with a smile."
When the Song family was still alive, who in the entire capital, whether openly or secretly, would dare to show them any respect?
Song Jin sighed, "These people are quite good at reading people's expressions, not much worse than the village watchdogs. But whatever, as long as the Emperor doesn't speak up, I'll just back down if the others can't beat me. Oh, by the way, I hope your brothers won't shamelessly call for reinforcements to beat me up too? What would happen if I fought back?"
Qi Zheng: "...Because of the Second Young Master Song's matter, my second brother was confined to his quarters for a month and had to copy Buddhist scriptures. Others should not follow suit."
Song Jin genuinely didn't know this, but now that she did, she raised her eyebrows, her phoenix eyes bright, and gave him a thumbs-up: "Your father is this."
Qi Zheng remained silent, shook his head, and closed his eyes to rest.
This person is indeed not someone he needs to worry about; it's the other people in the capital who should be concerned.
After all, she possessed exceptional martial arts skills, feared neither heaven nor earth, and had rendered meritorious service in saving the city. Furthermore, she held no official position, and as long as she didn't violate the law, it would be difficult for others to control her.
Several days have passed, and the reward his father promised still hasn't arrived.
Qi Zheng frowned slightly, pondering when to go in and urge them again.
"Hoo..."
As he pondered, the carriage suddenly stopped, and Song Qingzhi's displeased voice came from outside.
Song Jin tilted her head, quickly pulled back the carriage curtain and peeked out. Raising an eyebrow, she darted out with practiced ease. She whistled, "Yo ho, let me see who this is. Isn't this the upside-down garlic and scallion from the other day?"
Lu Jingyi, sitting opposite him, darkened his face and said fiercely, "You actually dare to come back?"
Song Jin raised her eyebrows and said arrogantly, "Oh, you're not that big of a person, but you've got quite the nerve. Why wouldn't I dare to come back? Now you dare to say that? Get out of my way with your pig brain, or you'll regret it."
The road wasn't wide; they could squeeze past each other by pushing and shoving, but it wasn't very elegant, so usually someone would give way.
Normally, this is not a big deal.
Whoever is stronger goes first, and those with good relationships give way to each other.
However, their feud was so deep and unbreakable.
Lu Jingyi's attention was entirely focused on Song Qingzhi and Song Jin, so he didn't bother to examine the ordinary carriages closely. He sneered, "My Lu family is a Duke's mansion and also related to the imperial family. What do you Song family have to offer? Get out of my way, or I'll impeach you later."
Song Jin stood with his hands on his hips, continuing his arrogant statement: "Am I some kind of ancestor to you? Get out of my way, or you'll regret it."
Lu Jingyi's face was grim. He sneered and waved for the others to rush past: "I want to see what the consequences will be. Get out of here."
After speaking, the carriages of the Duke of England sped up and rushed over, deliberately using their large size to ram the seemingly ordinary carriages. Startled, the carriages shook violently, alerting the unassuming guards who looked no different from ordinary servants.
Li Qingshan steadied the carriage and stepped forward with a cold expression: "The Duke of Ying's mansion has quite the airs."
"That's right, that's right! The Heir Apparent of the Duke of Ying doesn't even put Prince Qi in his eyes. It's truly an eye-opener for me!" Song Jin stood to the side and loudly cheered, then turned to look at Qi Zheng, who had also stepped out of the carriage, and asked...
"Is that so, Your Highness Prince Qi? Alas, I did not expect the Duke of Ying's mansion to be so arrogant, actually riding horses in the city. I hope I did not startle you?"
Qi Zheng glanced at the smug Song Jin, then at the dumbfounded Lu Jingyi and the alarmed guards, sighed deeply, and returned to the carriage.
"Never mind, let's keep going."
The guards then sheathed their weapons and returned to their ranks. This time, however, they were not as discreet as before; instead, they formed a neat line, displaying an imposing presence that made them instantly recognizable as well-trained soldiers.
The carriage started slowly
Lu Jingyi and his group remained frozen in place, not moving for a long time.
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