Chapter 95 Jin Jin is not afraid
The previous emperor was incompetent and squandered all human and material resources on massive construction projects.
During his reign, Yong'an City doubled in size.
It sounds good, but in reality, it drove away the ordinary people who originally lived in Yong'an City and took in merchants and officials from other places, creating a situation where powerful families and wealthy clans were vying for power.
As for the lives of ordinary people, nobody cared.
During the reign of the Desolate Emperor, a confluence of factors resulted in the death toll exceeding ten million. The land was littered with corpses and rivers of blood. Various plagues and diseases broke out, and most of the bodies, and even the living, were hoarded and burned.
During that period, cries of agony echoed throughout the night in various places. Even after the new dynasty killed the desolate emperor and rebuilt the sacrificial towers, the burning sites continued unabated, and the wailing sounds never ceased.
"After the rebellion in Lingnan was quelled, the Song Dynasty's chief minister, carrying petitions from tens of thousands of families, requested the construction of the Star-Picking Pagoda. The project was scheduled to take two years. Later, many Taoist priests, including Master Mingxiao of the Sanqing Temple, were invited to various cremation pits to collect the bones of ten thousand people, which were then cast into the pagoda and placed at its base. Finally, seven seven-day rituals were performed to cleanse the wronged souls from their grievances..."
Song Jin stood atop the tower, hundreds of meters high, silently gazing upon the silent city of Yong'an.
The moon is full today, its light spilling across the sky. It's also curfew, and apart from the soldiers patrolling the streets, there are no other people around. The bright moonlight has turned to frost, carrying a chilling and solemn atmosphere.
The Star-Picking Tower is magnificent, standing 166 meters tall, and a chill permeates the air when one stands atop it.
It's hard to imagine that such a building was drafted and constructed by Song Dynasty merchants.
Song Jin's reaction was complicated: "He really knows a lot."
Qi Zheng walked over and stood beside her. Looking down from above, he saw mist rising in the middle, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.
He said, "Grand Secretary Song is a genius, with a vast amount of knowledge. He is not only outstanding in literature and politics, but also in water conservancy. This is undoubtedly due to the influence of his father. The rerouting of the water canal in Qingjun Prefecture was the work of Grand Tutor Song."
Song Jin asked softly, "His parents are here too?"
Qi Zheng nodded: "Yes."
Song Jin turned around, following his gaze to the top of the tower. Beneath the spire, layers upon layers of buildings made it easy to hide something; it was likely the place where both of their remains were buried.
Qi Zheng replied, "No, that needle tower was forged from their bones."
Song Jin was stunned for a moment, then cursed under her breath, "What a madman."
Qi Zheng sighed: "Lord Song is unconventional in his approach to things, unconcerned with details, and sometimes too forceful, willful, and ruthless. Over time, he has made many enemies, and rumors have gradually spread."
Song Jin pursed her lips, looking at the pillar of ashes above, and said, "But the fact that it was all carried out means that what he did was right, right? At least, he did what your father wanted to do."
If the emperor himself is even slightly unwilling when the entire court opposes the plan, things will certainly not go smoothly.
Qi Zheng nodded: "Father and Lord Song, though from humble beginnings, share the same ideals and many similar ideas. The court officials are aware of this. They can't persuade Father, and they dare not offend Lord Song, so they can only demote Lord Song."
Song Jin clasped her hands together and continued casually, "Do you think he'll go back?"
Qi Zheng remained silent for a long time, then sighed softly: "I saw Lord Song's letter of condolence in Father Emperor's study."
Qi Ye and Song Shang's elaborate scheme had a clear purpose: to use the opportunity to eliminate the deeply entrenched and corrupt aristocratic families in Yong'an City, and to allow new people from humble backgrounds to rise to power, thus completely erasing the influence of the previous dynasty.
The charge of murdering the current prime minister is enough.
If the perpetrators are still alive, the weight of the crime is insufficient; even if a few masterminds are eliminated and their families recuperate for a few years, they can simply start over.
It's pointless for them to make such a big fuss.
Qi Zheng looked at Song Jin's pursed lips and said softly, "I'm sorry."
"What do you have to apologize for? What does this have to do with you? Besides," Song Jin wasn't in a good mood, but it was only because of her mother's matter, and had nothing to do with Song Shang. She looked up at the starry sky, her expression indifferent.
"Having spent twenty years in the imperial court, how do you know he didn't want to leave?"
If Song Shang were truly a person who coveted fame and fortune, he certainly wouldn't have come up with this idea. Without needing to ask further, Song Jin knew that this cunning idea was his own, but judging from his character, he wasn't the kind of person who would want to be confined to one city for life.
He is now at the height of his success, with both power and fame at their peak. The emperor is someone he fought alongside. Who can say what will happen if the emperor is replaced in the future?
He's always been a smart man.
Unfortunately, being too clever can also backfire.
Song Jin leaned against the side, looking at the small attic on the next floor. From her angle, she could see nothing but the ornate wooden railings; she could only vaguely hear the painful groans coming from above.
Her mother must be in a lot of pain.
Song Jin's dark eyes narrowed, and she turned to look at Qi Zheng, asking, "Spring is here, would you like to take a trip to Jiangnan?"
From here to Jiangnan, even riding at full speed through the night, it would take them at least half a month to travel round trip. And since they'd certainly need time to recover after all that trouble, it would take a month.
Given her mother's condition, she definitely couldn't leave. Winter's snow and cold weren't suitable for traveling; spring would be a better time.
Song Jin looked towards the direction of Jiangnan.
Don't think that just because there's no evidence, they can comfortably enjoy their lives over there.
She's not that particular about what she does.
Qi Zheng looked at the hostility in her eyes, paused for a moment, and then said, "Is it related to Jiangnan?"
Song Jin nodded, her eyes flashing with even more malice: "Are you going or not?"
Qi Zheng sighed softly: "Go."
This man is reckless and doesn't know what's good for him. He also cares about Niu Tielan, so he wouldn't feel comfortable letting her go alone.
He looked at Song Jin's unusually fierce and anxious expression today, her knuckles twitching as she reached out to stroke him, but he pressed her hand down, gently comforting her, "Madam is blessed with good fortune; she will surely be alright."
Song Jin's eyes reddened, and she plopped down on the ground, rubbing her chin. Her voice was hoarse: "I know she'll be alright, I'm just so worried. She wouldn't let me come with her. I'm her only daughter, and she won't let me come, but she lets that other person go with her. That's not fair."
Qi Zheng sighed softly: "Madam is afraid you'll feel bad. Besides, Young Master Song and Qu understand this. Are you really at ease if we don't let him accompany you?"
Song Jin's eyes were red, and she gripped her legs tightly. "You can't just not let me go with you, can you? What if, you mean what if, something really happens, and that lunatic pulls her down with him?"
Qi Zheng's lips twitched: "...Probably not."
Song Jin sniffed: "You're right, what if? Whatever."
Qi Zheng was unable to refute her. Looking at her red eyes and damp eyelashes, he felt a tightness in his chest. After a long pause, he said, "Madam told me before..."
Song Jin: "What did you say?"
She blinked her wet eyelashes, her nose and eyes were a little red, her eyebrows drooped, and she curled up there. This person, who was always strong and flamboyant, looked unusually vulnerable at this moment.
Qi Zheng's dark eyes were fixed on her, his gaze filled with her reflection. He said cautiously, "Madam said that if you ever shed tears, it will mean you are extremely sad and heartbroken."
Song Jin reached down and touched her eyes; they were indeed wet. She forced a smile and said, "Of course, who doesn't cry when they're sad and upset?"
This must be the second time she's ever cried in her life. The first time was when she was three years old, when Niu Tielan caught a cold and almost didn't survive. This time, it's also because of her.
Song Jin's eyes stung even more at the thought, but she kept a straight face and asked, "Haven't you cried?"
Qi Zheng remained silent for a long while before saying with difficulty, "I cried."
Song Jin sniffed: "When your master left?"
Qi Zheng nodded, then shook his head. Under Song Jin's questioning gaze, he slowly said, "I used to cry a lot when I was little. I would cry when I was practicing horse stance for too long, I would cry when I was tired from practicing swordsmanship, and I would cry when I lost a fight. My master said that he found me in the middle of nowhere because my crying was too loud."
Song Jin wiped her eyes: "Then you really are a crybaby. I never cried when I was practicing martial arts."
She broke her hand and almost had a large piece of flesh bitten off by piranhas in the water, but she didn't cry.
Because she knew that crying wouldn't help.
She raised her eyebrows with a hint of smugness, but the tears that fell gradually increased. No matter how well she spoke or how much she coaxed, she still felt uncertain inside.
This Red Thread Gu was already vicious, and now that it's being used as the basis for refining Gu, its viciousness has increased many times over. Even the old insect master who did it said that only one in a thousand would survive.
How could Song Jin be so optimistic?
She pursed her lips, leaned against her knees, and tears streamed down her face, falling intermittently.
"If my mother leaves, what will I do all by myself...?"
Throughout her life, the first person she saw when she opened her eyes was Niu Tielan, the woman who had raised her from infancy, day and night. She couldn't accept that her mother had left so young.
Thirty-something is too early. You should be at least fifty or seventy.
Qi Zheng stood there, listening to her recount her childhood in fits and starts.
To prevent her from bumping into things, we replaced all the tables and chairs in the house with round ones.
To prevent her from falling, they replaced the door threshold and put up a fence around the entire house.
Fearing she would climb trees, they cut down all the trees in the yard, big and small; fearing she would climb walls, they planted thorny plants in the corners of the walls and covered the walls with sharp thorns...
Qi Zheng could easily imagine just how resilient she was when she was little.
He straightened his robe, gently knelt down in front of Song Jin, his dark eyes reflecting her sobbing. He wanted to reach out and gently wipe the corners of her eyes, but then stopped halfway.
He was certain: "Madam will be alright."
Song Jin choked up: "Really?"
Qi Zheng: "Really?"
Song Jin forced a smile, wiped her face clean with her sleeve, her fair cheeks flushed red. She sniffed, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, wiped her nose without a care for her image, and then tossed it aside.
She looked up at the person kneeling on the ground, patiently keeping her company. Her eyes were still red. She opened her arms and said, "Then I'll trust you this once. Come here, I'll reluctantly let you hug me."
Qi Zheng was taken aback. Looking at her red eyes, proud yet slightly nervous expression, he didn't hesitate and gently hugged her back.
Although the fifteen-year-old girl had a tough temper, she was also exceptionally soft-hearted. Once he held her, she dared not make any unnecessary movements, only stiffly embracing him, her hands resting on his slender waist, then releasing as if touched by fire, quickly turning into a wooden statue.
Having practiced martial arts since childhood, he naturally possessed a broad and sturdy physique, with many shoulders that felt hard to the touch, like meticulously sculpted stone. Even through the thick fabric, one could clearly feel the undulating muscle lines beneath, especially in his shoulders and arms; even beneath the wide sleeves of his robe, one could sense the power within.
It's not quite the same as Song brocade.
She possessed profound internal strength, and her physical training consistently consisted of simple weight-bearing strength exercises, followed by extensive survival training.
She is more agile, like a cheetah in the forest, equally nimble and fierce, yet completely different from tigers.
Song Jin gripped Qi Zheng's back tightly with both hands, burying her head in his chest. The pounding of her heart was almost deafening even through his thick pectoral muscles. In this position, if she had malicious intentions, even with his superior martial arts skills, he wouldn't be able to escape a fatal attack.
Song Jin had just cried for a while, and now, leaning against him, her eyes were dry, and she felt anxious and irritable. Her grip tightened, and anyone with a weak constitution would have had their shoulders broken by her embrace.
Qi Zheng remained expressionless, letting her vent her emotions, until a sudden pain shot through his chest, and the hand that was holding him loosened, instead gripping his arm.
He lowered his head, then lifted it from his chest. Her dark brows furrowed, her expression one of intense frustration, and she bit his chest.
"..."
Qi Zheng reached out repeatedly, trying to pull her away, but only touched her shoulder before pulling back. The stabbing pain in his chest intensified, mixed with a tingling sensation, making it unbearable.
His expression grew increasingly stiff, his brows furrowed, his expression cold and solemn. He said in a deep voice, "You can bite my shoulder."
Song Jin ignored him, and as he heard his words, her teeth tightened their grip. Then, after a pause, as he breathed a sigh of relief, she bit down on the other side.
She wrapped her arms around his waist with a force so strong it could break his ribs, completely unlike her usual restraint.
Qi Zheng was tense all over. Seeing her obviously anxious and agitated appearance, he turned his head away and let her be.
...
As the full moon slowly rose, its light bathed the entire Star-Picking Tower from above, and at the same time, rustling sounds began to rise.
"Hey, stop hugging, get back to work," the old insect's voice came from above.
Song Jinsong spoke, his mouth still reeking of blood, and looked up at the mocking old man who had jumped onto the railing: "What do you want to do?"
The old insect stood steadily on the railing, gazing at the distant horizon: "Those beasts are coming. The Moonlight Insects only appear once a day, during the full moon. They are very nourishing to these beasts, and will disturb the Moonlight Insects, so..."
Song Jin had already stood up, longbow in hand, looking at the eagles and owls circling in the sky, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth: "Is it these beasts?"
The old insect master flickered his silver needles, pinning a long snake to a pillar. He said softly, "And these too. I've lured all the Moonlight Insects nearby. The more Moonlight Insects there are, the greater your mother's chances of success."
Insects are mostly gregarious, and moon beetles are a typical example.
New worms feel safer within the colony and are more likely to hatch safely; if there are too few moonworms around, it will remain dormant.
The old insect stood on the railing, looking down at Song Jin in red and Qi Zheng in black beside her, and let out a strange laugh.
"One hour later, did you see the moon worms in the sky? If half are gone, that girl is dead."
With a whoosh, a dart, brimming with killing intent, hurtled towards him.
Old Insect dodged with a flip, chuckling, "Alright, Old Insect won't say anymore. Young girl and boy, I'll leave the outside to you. I'm off. I'm getting old; I can't stand seeing you young people being all lovey-dovey."
Before they could react, the old insect cackled and jumped off the railing, leaping down the Star-Picking Tower layer by layer, displaying extraordinary lightness skill.
Song Jin watched him quickly return to the ground and hop from rooftop to rooftop like a flea, and pursed her lips slightly: "That old man."
Qi Zheng said solemnly, "His skill is extraordinary."
Song Jin scoffed: "I wonder what kind of leverage they've got over him."
If he hadn't been held accountable for something, he wouldn't be so afraid of Song Shang, nor would he have to feign madness all day long.
However, we'll have to look at these things later.
Song Jin picked up the longbow in his hand, gently pulled it back and released it, and the long arrow pierced the air, shooting straight into the body of the circling giant eagle.
The giant eagle fell directly to the ground.
Then another one fell.
Song Jin turned around and looked at Qi Zheng, who stood to the side, cold and stern as a stone, yet as steady as a mountain. She wiped the bloodstains from the corner of her mouth and licked it lightly with the tip of her tongue.
"I'll leave it to you; I'll guard the other side."
Qi Zheng gazed intently at her with his dark eyes, saying nothing more, only replying in a deep voice, "Okay."
Song Jin slightly raised her lips, said nothing more, picked up her longbow and silver needles, walked to the other side, and with a chilling killing intent, killed all the insects, snakes, eagles, and birds that approached.
...
An hour is neither long nor short, yet it feels as long as a lifetime.
The attic upstairs was quiet; not a single extra sound could be heard, not even a painful groan.
Sweat dripped from Song Jin's forehead, his hand gripping the bow and arrow trembled. Not a single bird flew in the sky, and the surrounding area was littered with the corpses of birds and snakes.
She gasped for breath, sweat stinging her eyes, and her heart sank to the bottom.
Until one creak, the attic window opened.
Niu Tielan's face was deathly pale; her voice was weak and barely audible.
"Mom's alright, Jinjin isn't afraid."
Song Jin's eyes welled up with tears. She forced a smile, baring her teeth, her voice hoarse and choked with emotion.
"I'm not afraid at all."
"Mother, let's go home."
...
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