Chapter 58 The Trap Dig for Them
Taihe 17th year
When the former emperor first traveled south, he came into contact with the Yu family, the most prominent family in Jiangnan. He witnessed the extreme luxury of this century-old clan, and from then on, he began his life of extravagance and debauchery.
Extensive construction projects, forced labor, increased taxes, endless conscription, and rampant corruption among officials...
Year after year, he eventually exhausted the nation's fortune that had lasted for 660 years.
In the thirty-fifth year of the Taihe era, the Liang clan of Lingnan spearheaded the first uprising, followed by the Fan clan of the Central Plains, the Yu family of Jiangnan, and generals in the western border regions, all vying to rise up and declare themselves kings, thus beginning a three-year war.
If at first it was out of sheer exasperation with the desolate emperor and out of pity for the suffering of the people, ultimately it all came down to power; only they themselves know the truth.
In less than a year, the lives of ordinary people became increasingly difficult. They faced endless oppression and plunder, as well as various bandits, living a precarious existence...
In this situation, some people held onto their land, some led their remaining families to become bandits in the mountains, and some fled to the most peaceful, but also the most desolate, northern border region.
The North is bitterly cold, with winters so harsh they can freeze you to death, but it also possesses vast tracts of unclaimed land and abundant wildlife.
Going alone is death, going with a hundred is a gamble, going with a thousand is a new life, going with ten thousand is a new force.
In the thirty-sixth year of Yong'an, a large number of impoverished people came to the north.
That year, Song Shang, only sixteen years old, approached Qi Ye. Before that, they had only met once. After that, Song Shang persuaded Qi Ye to join forces with the Qi family to take over the countless refugees, gather manpower from the territory, lead the refugees to eat wild animals and fish, provide tools and guidance, and help them cut down trees, cultivate land, and rebuild their homes.
Within a year, the population of Qijia area continued to expand.
Subsequently, Song Shang, who led the refugees northward, once again persuaded Qi Ye to join the war. They led their troops south, reaching Yong'an City and taking the head of the Desolate Emperor. Over the next two years, they annihilated the Liang clan, who had caused the Gu calamity in Lingnan, and also persuaded other forces to submit...
It took three whole years for the world to be at peace.
Qi Ye also ascended the throne that year. At that time, Qi Ye was already thirty years old and had no children. When all the Qi family members thought that he could only choose a member of the Qi family as his successor, Qi Zheng quietly arrived.
Then, an unexpected event occurred: the newborn prince went missing. Amidst the chaos of the search, Qi Ye was murdered by remnants of the Liang family, suffering from a curse that would kill off his offspring, thus severing his hope of having children. Not two years later, the former empress, Qi Zheng's biological mother, died of depression.
He began his silent revenge.
One by one, the older generation of the Qi family died, and the younger generation entered the palace as they had wished, only to perish in the infighting. The Qi family was then handed over to his uncle, who had experienced something similar to what he had gone through.
But no amount of revenge could bring back his wife and children—that's what he originally thought.
Fortunately, there's always a way out. His child didn't die, and grew up to be someone many people had never expected.
Justice, strength, intelligence, handsome
Although we're a bit culturally inept, sometimes stubborn, difficult to communicate with, and have a rather peculiar way of thinking...
But he is absolutely his good son.
Qi Ye was very satisfied with him and prepared a grand gift for him, waiting for the day it would be unveiled.
Qi Ye stood at the center of imperial power, looking at the noble families and court officials around him, at the flickering surprise and doubt on their faces in the moonlight, and he smiled.
During the twenty years he held power, he worked diligently and conscientiously, racking his brains to divert funds from various sources, increasing revenue while cutting expenditures, making all sorts of compromises and showing forbearance, all so that this devastated country could recover and its people could survive.
Year after year, the people are now prosperous, the population has reached its peak, and even the territory has expanded by 30%. He commands a million soldiers and is surrounded by over a thousand elite guards. Why do these people still believe that everything will go their way?
He only has one son, so why would they think the throne would fall into the hands of those idiots?
If Qi Zheng, whom they found, were just an ordinary person, perhaps Qi Ye wouldn't have been so obvious about it. He would have been patient and waited for the right opportunity.
However, it is completely unnecessary now.
To put it bluntly, even if he, the father, were assassinated, his son would be fine. Don't think he doesn't know what this brat is thinking about every day.
How can a prince like him, who doesn't think about conquering the capital and only thinks about escaping all day long, be allowed to succeed?
Qi Ye then presented him with this small gift, and he and his men stood in the center of the pavilion, laughing heartily.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for moon gazing, a time for family reunion. In all these years, no year has been more complete than this. That year, my A-Zheng was kidnapped by treacherous men and disappeared for twenty years. Now he has finally returned, and today he will join me in reuniting this pearl moon..."
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft; only those in the immediate vicinity could hear him. Further back, a designated eunuch relayed his message.
Song Jin sat in her seat, staring at the person in the center of the pavilion who seemed to be glowing. She paused, then turned her head and asked, "What is He Zhu Yu?"
Song Qingzhi said in a low voice, "It's about catching these 'sharp-fish' (a type of fish), drying them in the moonlight overnight, and then burying them in the growing mud before sunrise. They're left to dry in the moonlight day after day for about a year. When the dried mud shines, they become pearls."
Song Jin was surprised: "That's amazing? What about those in the house?"
Song Qingzhi's lips twitched: "...If you're curious, you can try it next full moon night."
I wonder if such a fat fish can still succeed.
Besides them, the others were also whispering among themselves. No one stood up to refute them on the spot. After all, it was all reasonable; there was nothing special about fishing. What was special was Qi Ye's attitude.
Qi Ye was very satisfied with their sensible behavior.
Grandpa Sun, who was standing nearby, was prepared. He stood to the side holding a wooden tray with a small, golden fishing net on it.
Qi Zheng stood to the side, his posture stiffening under the scrutiny of the crowd. His expression grew increasingly solemn, sharp and serious, exuding an extraordinary aura. He stood beside Qi Ye; the father and son, one tall and the other even taller, left no room for doubt that they were related.
Qi Zheng looked at the fishing net with a puzzled expression.
He had never heard of this "Pearl Scooping Moon" story before, and there were seashells being raised here too?
Qi Ye laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Go and catch ten 'Fishing Fish'."
Qi Zheng's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at the silver fish circling outside. He nodded, picked up the fishing net, and gently scooped up the small fish, each one resembling a moonlight lamp, placing them into a wooden box filled with river mud.
There are ten in total, and not all of them will succeed, but if even one succeeds, that will be enough.
After the fish-catching was finished, the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner officially began.
The musicians and dancers, who had been preparing for a long time, began their performance. Each of them was tall and slender, supple and powerful, dressed in exquisite costumes, dancing gracefully under the moonlight, like a fleeting glimpse of beauty, breathtakingly gorgeous.
The venue was vast, and it wasn't just one group performing at a time; instead, multiple different dances and musical pieces were performed simultaneously, some gentle, some exhilarating, all interwoven together, making it impossible to look away.
After the professional performances concluded, there was still time for guest displays, so the main stage was handed over to the young ladies and gentlemen present.
A solo performance certainly can't compare to a professional musicians and dance troupe, so they usually perform in groups, collaborating with their friends and hiring a dedicated team to choreograph their routines.
Song Jin hadn't expected this segment. As she munched on sunflower seeds and watched the children swaying their heads and singing poems and nursery rhymes, she asked curiously, "Song Laowu, did you guys do this before?"
Song Qingzhi sighed, "If Father hadn't been in trouble, we would have gone up too."
These young masters and ladies all possessed some talent, and being young people, how could they not have a competitive spirit? They engaged in poetry contests, dance battles, and verbal sparring...
Anyway, if we can get first place, we should compete, not to mention...
"The first place winner receives one thousand taels of silver, the second place winner receives five hundred taels, and the third place winner receives one hundred taels."
This might not seem like much to married people who manage their households, but for single people living on a monthly allowance, it's a considerable sum. It also helps them make an impression on the emperor and court officials, potentially aiding in marriage prospects.
"Two years ago, the daughter of a sixth-rank official married into a marquis's family because of her stunning singing voice. There were also cases where a son from a humble family married a general's daughter because of his outstanding looks and performance," Song Qingzhi whispered. "Yang Yanjun and the Marquis of Xuanping met at a poetry gathering. Such cases are not uncommon, but they often end up as unhappy couples."
If the relationship is arranged by parents and the feelings between the man and woman aren't that deep, even if the man changes his mind, it's not as hurtful. But if the two are mutually in love and then betray each other, that's truly heartbreaking.
However, this also leads to a high number of divorces among young people in the capital.
Song Jin listened to his gossip about the young people in the capital while watching the performance and eating dried fruit, thoroughly enjoying herself, until Cheng Siyi, whom she had met before, came on stage.
She looked at the row of gongs and drums, large and small, somewhat surprised. This person had a refined and scholarly air about her, and didn't look like a drummer at all. She asked, "Didn't you say she taught history?"
Song Qingzhi: "He also had some knowledge of poetry, music, mathematics, astronomy, and civil engineering, and held concurrent positions in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Rites."
Song Jin reluctantly put down the dried fruit in his hand, feeling a deep respect for it, and keeping his distance.
Cultured people, you can't afford to mess with them.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Siyi paused only briefly after stepping up, then bowed to Qi Ye, who had moved to the other side: "Your Majesty, I prepared the performance with Junjun. Since she is not here, the drumming alone is somewhat weak. I would like to select someone else to assist me on the spot."
Qi Ye had already heard some rumors, and calmly smiled, "Who do you want to choose?"
Cheng Siyi pondered for a moment and said, "I have heard that Song Jin, the daughter of the Grand Secretary Song, who returned to the capital today, is highly skilled in martial arts and wields a fine sword. I wonder if she would be willing to lend a hand?"
Song Jin, who was happily enjoying her melon, choked, her hairpins jingling loudly: "Me?"
Qi Ye was also a little surprised. He turned to look at Song Jin, whose cheeks were bulging from eating, and asked with a smile, "You little rascal, was the food at the banquet good?"
Song Jin nodded: "Your Majesty, it's more delicious than anything I've ever eaten before."
Qi Ye laughed: "If it's delicious, we can take some back later. Don't eat now. Did you hear what Cheng Xuezheng said? Can you practice swordsmanship?"
Song Jin hesitated, "It's kind of like fighting, right? Should we?"
Qi Ye raised an eyebrow: "Alright, then go ahead. I've heard you're quite the talker and fighter, let me see for myself."
Song Jin clapped his hands: "But I don't have a sword."
Cheng Siyi: "Yes, there are, but they're real swords, so we have to be careful."
Song Jin twisted her neck, the hairpins on her head jingling, but she didn't notice.
Niu Tielan frowned, about to tell her to remove her hair ornaments, when Song Qingzhi stopped her, whispering, "It's alright, Madam, it's fine if they fall off."
Niu Tielan paused for a moment
Song Jin had already stepped onto the lake surface. Amidst gasps of surprise, she reached the platform and stood next to Cheng Siyi, extending her hand: "Where's the sword? Let me try it out first."
Cheng Siyi hadn't expected her to be able to 'fly'. She paused for a moment, then took out a longsword from the side. The sword was heavier than usual; it had been specially forged by Yang Yanjun and practiced on for a long time, just to make it look more powerful.
Song Jin took the sword and casually twirled it around to get used to the feel. Then, she counted the steps to the left and right, sliced off the slightly trailing hem of her skirt with one stroke, kicked her feet to make sure there were no problems, picked up the longsword and twirled it in a neat flourish, her eyebrows slightly raised.
Let's begin.
Cheng Siyi nodded, exchanged a few words with the people next to her, and their makeshift troupe began their performance.
"Ta-da!"
The drums resounded one after another, accompanied by the sounds of the erhu, suona, guzheng, and other instruments. The stirring melody echoed throughout the Imperial Garden, sounding more like the clarion call of war than the drum music itself.
Song Jin raised an eyebrow, casually swinging her longsword to the beat of the drums.
It was impossible for her to practice swordsmanship day after day, but she had practiced those seemingly impressive but flashy little moves countless times, just so she could show off someday. Now was the perfect time. Under the moonlight, she was dressed in gold and red, the gold hairpins on her skirt jingling with her movements like dancing fireworks. The sword light was sharp and cold, flashing white like frost.
As the drumbeats quickened, her movements accelerated, becoming one with the surging sound. A chilling killing intent gradually spread, obscuring her figure and making her movements impossible to discern.
Until the drumbeats suddenly stopped
Cheng Siyi put away the drumsticks, and Song Jin also stopped and stabbed his longsword into the ground.
With a few loud bangs, the gongs and drums exploded one after another. Amidst the explosions, sparse applause rose, hesitated for a moment, then gradually grew louder until it burst forth like thunder.
Qi Ye clapped his hands lightly, his voice tinged with a sigh: "As expected of Song Shang's daughter, she possesses outstanding martial arts skills and is truly capable of shouldering the responsibility of saving the city."
Qi Zheng sat quietly to one side, watching Song Jin's overly bright smile, and said softly, "She really needs to start practicing from scratch."
What kind of fancy stuff is this? It's full of flaws at first glance.
Qi Ye didn't hear clearly and turned his head: "What did you say?"
Qi Zheng paused for a moment: "Indeed outstanding."
Qi Ye smiled, patted his shoulder, stood up, clapped his hands, and shouted, "Good! What a valiant young lady! Seeing your martial arts skills, I understand why you were able to single-handedly thwart the Liang family's conspiracy and save Si'an City from disaster. Such a great achievement deserves a reward!"
"They've finally arrived!" Song Jin's eyes lit up. She threw down her sword and ran back across the lake, excitedly saying, "I thought Your Majesty had forgotten about this!"
Qi Ye raised an eyebrow: "What, are you afraid I'll renege on my debt?"
Song Jin chuckled, "How could that be? As the ruler of a country, you are busy with important national affairs every day. My little matter naturally has to come later."
Qi Ye chuckled: "Now you're being modest. You thwarted the rebel Liang family's plot to bomb the city, and you were the first to find their camp and recover a large amount of grain and property they've hidden over the years. I also want to ask you, my esteemed ministers, how do you all think this merit should be rewarded?"
The ministers should be cautious.
The Minister of Revenue rose and said, “I believe that the rescue of the city is a matter of great importance, and the specific details need to be investigated. The Liang family is treacherous; who knows if this is part of their conspiracy? Furthermore, even if it is true, the local magistrate, county magistrate, and governor must have contributed to the rescue. If, because of Grand Secretary Song, the credit is attributed to Song Jin, it would be unfair to the others.”
The Imperial Censor also rose: "I second that. Your Majesty must not allow the Chief Minister Song's bias to discourage other court officials."
As he spoke, one official after another rose to second his opinion, attempting to suppress the matter of Song Jin.
The ducal families opposite remained silent. Although they weren't on good terms with Song Shang, they didn't hold any important official positions, and their favor and privileges depended entirely on Emperor Qi Ye's will. Compared to regular officials, they were more cautious and adept at reading the room, deciding to wait before speaking to avoid misunderstanding.
Qi Zheng looked at the officials who had stood up, and instead of being angry, he laughed.
"My esteemed ministers are right. This matter is of utmost importance, and it took me so long to obtain the full details. In this affair, Song Jin single-handedly saved the city, and while he deserves credit, his contribution is limited. All subsequent matters were handled by Vice Minister Song. He not only thwarted the Liang family's nearly twenty-year-long scheme in Qingjun Prefecture and captured the officials who colluded with them, but also apprehended a key Liang family traitor. He is the greatest contributor in this entire affair."
"Although the whereabouts of Chief Minister Song are still unknown, it is cause for celebration that his children have all inherited his strategic talents; the Song family has a worthy successor."
The courtiers: ...
That doesn't sound right.
The Minister of Revenue's eyelids twitched, and he immediately changed his tune: "Indeed, this is cause for celebration, but in my opinion, even siblings should each have their own merits and should not be considered as one. If it weren't for Song Jin's example, would we have had Vice Minister Song's success? The Grand Secretary Song has devoted himself to the country and its people for many years, and now that he's in trouble and his fate is unknown, Your Majesty should consider the matter carefully, as Song Jin is an orphan."
Damn it, this was a trap set for them from the very beginning.
Song Xingzhi is only twenty-six years old and is already a vice minister. If he is promoted again, should he replace them? Or should he succeed Song Shang?
In contrast, Song Jin, the daughter of a treacherous official, would only receive some gold and silver jewels as a reward, which would never be presented in court.
A group of officials quickly realized what was happening and unanimously acknowledged Song Jin's contribution, praising him with seemingly kind and genuine words.
"As expected of the daughter of the Grand Secretary, she has inherited her father's elegance."
"Women are truly remarkable, even compared to men."
"We must make sure our children learn from her."
...
The change in his expression and the words he spoke sent a chill down Song Jin's spine.
Think about who they are talking about.
Qi Ye also felt somewhat emotional.
Good officials are rare in this world, but Song Shang had only one.
He sighed, his expression softening. He glanced sideways and saw that Eunuch Sun, who was already prepared, had approached again with the imperial edict. He cleared his throat.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: There is a woman named Song Jin who has saved Si'an County from disaster, captured rebels, and aided the people. She is brave, resourceful, fearless in the face of hardship, dignified, righteous, virtuous, and gentle. Therefore, she is hereby granted the title of Princess, with the honorary title of Mingguang, an annual stipend of one thousand taels of silver, a fief of one hundred acres of Qingjun Prefecture, and a mountain range..."
Song Jin's eyes widened
Wow, it's so big!
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