Chapter 112 A Proper Princess
Early in the morning, Song Jin got up as usual, tiptoed to open the window, and leaned most of her body out to look at the figures on the street outside.
In the countryside, farmers would get up before dawn to fetch water, plant crops, wash and cook, and go door-to-door.
Busy and never stopping
Actually, it's pretty much the same in the city.
Ordinary vendors, carrying bent baskets and wooden buckets, begin their day's work by walking through the streets and alleys early in the morning.
Selling pancakes, selling noodle soup, selling tofu, steamed buns and mantou...
This is the best business in the morning.
As dawn broke, peddlers, grooms, merchants, and tourists emerged one after another, buying from each other, their lives unfolding day after day.
It's not unusual for a fight to break out occasionally, and for someone to die.
Song Jin leaned against the window, watching the thugs fighting in the street outside, then pulled out a nut and smashed it down.
"It's so noisy, go away and fight."
The shovelers below dispersed one after another.
The Nanxin Inn is closed for the next two days. Those who can stay there are all extremely wealthy and powerful; they are not to be trifled with.
As the words fell, the other window opened, revealing Qu Maoze's handsome face.
He wore a silver-white robe with a white cloak over it, exuding a refined and elegant air, and looked like a young man in his early twenties.
Song Jin pouted: "Will you look like this from now on?"
Is this forty-year-old man really trying to look young, like an old cucumber with fresh paint?
Qu Maoze chuckled: "Isn't it good?"
Song Jin rolled her eyes: "What do you think?"
Qu Maoze rested his chin on his hand, smiling leisurely: "Although your father would also like to be like our Jinjin, your mother probably wouldn't like it."
Song Jin took a few seconds to react, her face turned green, she glared at him fiercely, closed the window, and went back inside.
Shameless
Qu Maoze chuckled, his expression gradually darkening as he looked at the white mist billowing outside.
Since the mother and daughter appeared, his original plan has fallen apart by more than half, but coincidentally, everything is still moving in the same direction.
A better direction
Although that old geezer Ruan Donglin is annoying, having him around makes things much easier to handle later on.
Jiangnan is his old base.
Those messy things happening outside probably didn't escape his notice.
That makes things even simpler.
Qu Maoze tapped lightly on the windowpane, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
The Duke of England, the Minister of Revenue, the Yuan family, and the Zheng family.
not enough
They couldn't control that madman Liang, nor could they stir up trouble in Lingnan; there were at least two more groups of people behind them.
Unfortunately, those people were too cowardly and too useless; they only knew how to hide behind others.
He shook his head, then thought of Changdu Prefecture next door, where he had a daughter-in-law he had betrothed.
At the time, I just thought we were a good match, but who knew that as the years went by, it would drag on until now?
Fortunately, the second child is reliable, so there's nothing to worry about.
The third one, nothing to say.
The fourth and fifth kids, two little brats, are enough to amuse them.
As for the boss, he's a piece of trash.
Thinking of Chun Yuan and Xia Hua, who had come out to identify Song Jin last time, he curled his lips into a smile, narrowed his eyes, and beneath the sinister glint was an uncontrollable pride.
His daughter, by her own power, summoned so many demons and monsters. Who in the entire capital could compare to her?
...
Song Jin had no idea what he was thinking. If she had known, she would definitely have said something.
There are many, there's one right here.
What did you do yesterday?
Niu Tielan sat on the edge of the bed, gently combing her hair.
They're going to the Ruan residence for a gathering today, staying for two days before returning to the capital. There's nothing particularly important going on, but staying here too long could cause problems with the Gu poison in her body, and things aren't looking good for Qu Maoze.
They've been gone for almost half a month. If they go back, it will be another half month, and by then it will be mid-November. In December, she'll have to cast another powerful spell, and there's no time to delay.
All things considered, I can only stay for a maximum of half a month; there's no need to delay.
Having confirmed that everyone was alright, Niu Tielan calmed down. Sitting by the bed, quietly combing her hair, she posed a crucial question.
Song Jin, who usually sits anywhere, sat on a futon on the ground, pouting slightly, her eyes darting around, and shuffling backward little by little with her bottom propelled: "Well, nothing much, just went out to play."
Niu Tielan replied calmly, "Is that so?"
Song Jin: "Yes, yes."
Playing with people is also playing, isn't it?
Niu Tielan glanced at her guilty look and knew that she must have done something bad yesterday, but it was still better than staying there yesterday.
As a mother, she still wanted to save face for her husband, and perhaps save some face for him too.
Niu Tielan didn't say much about it, gently combing her hair: "Go change your clothes, we'll go to your grandpa and grandma's place in a bit."
Song Jin didn't want to move, so she lay back on the ground with her arms and legs stretched out, pouting and not saying a word.
She holds grudges.
That old man not only cursed at her, but also hit her. Even though she hit his child too, she couldn't get over her anger so quickly.
Looking at her childish appearance, Niu Tielan shook his head: "Hurry up, we'll go there later and have him apologize to you."
Song Jin jumped up instantly, slid down to her knees, rested her chin on her leg, and asked with bright eyes, "Really?"
Niu Tielan found it amusing, patted her head, rubbed it a couple of times, and said softly, "Of course it's true. Our Jinjin was wronged yesterday. Does her hand still hurt? Let me see."
Song Jin hugged her mother's waist and rubbed against her; a flick of her sleeve revealed her...
She lived a rougher life, her hands and face were darker, but the skin underneath, which never got sun, was still radiantly white, and now the bruises and swellings on it were particularly noticeable.
Niu Tielan hadn't looked at it closely yesterday, but now, seeing it, her eyes reddened, and she cursed under her breath: "Shameless old man."
She was so cruel to her own granddaughter; she shouldn't have recognized her family so quickly.
Song Jin tilted her head, watching her mother's distressed expression. Her eyes darted around, suppressing a hint of smugness, and she clung tightly to her mother, feigning concern: "It's alright, I'm not in pain, Mother, don't worry, the medicine has already been applied."
Niu Tielan pursed her lips, pinched her ear again, and whispered, "There won't be a next time. Don't use your body to fight."
She didn't know how skilled her father was in martial arts, but she knew her own daughter better than anyone. She could scale walls dozens of meters high. And yesterday's little display of skill...
If this child really gets serious, how could he possibly get hurt?
Song Jin pouted, then heard Niu Tielan say again, "Mother will feel sorry for you."
She kept her head down, muttering, "I didn't do it on purpose."
Niu Tielan didn't argue with her, but patted her head and said, "Okay, you didn't do it on purpose. Go change your clothes, I'll comb your hair in a bit."
Song Jin collapsed again with a groan, rolling around on the floor, cleaning the entire room before finally getting up and struggling to find her clothes in the trunk.
...
Inside the Marquis of Andong's residence
Merchants kept delivering goods through the back gate, maids and servants were busy at work, and hired laborers were hanging colorful decorations inside the mansion.
"Even the Spring Festival wasn't this lively!"
Ruan Jinle sat on the corridor, looking at her father standing at the desk opposite her, painting with a brush in hand. She pouted, quite unconvinced: "I didn't even know Dad could make kites. Has he ever made any for us?"
That must be impossible.
Ruan Jinhe was a little disappointed, but he quickly recovered and said, "We are boys, we don't need to fly kites, it's normal that Father doesn't make them for us."
Ruan Jinle pouted: "Really? What about the paintings? How come I didn't know he was such a good painter? Look at those butterflies, so lifelike! When you were learning to paint, he must have hired an artist for you, right?"
Ruan Jinhe said with a stern face, "Shut up. No matter what you say, I won't stand with you. As an elder, you should act like one. Don't argue with the younger generation."
My parents said yesterday that their older sister, who had been missing for decades, had been found and was coming back today with her whole family.
They are elders
He is my uncle.
So what if I get beaten up?
Shouldn't he take a beating for his father?
Ruan Jinhe tried to adjust her mindset, took a deep breath, and instructed, "Your older sister went missing when she was only six or seven years old. She must have suffered a lot over the years. Your parents must be heartbroken. Whatever you think, please be nice to her during this time and don't let her down."
Ruan Jinle wasn't that vengeful; he just felt it was unfair. His father was so harsh on them, especially him, who was constantly beaten. Now that his daughter was back, she was treated like a precious treasure, with the father ransacking their house and even physically assaulting them.
At her age, she doesn't find it tiring.
He pursed his lips: "I know, but tell me, now that they've come this far, are they going to leave again?"
He could tolerate it for a while, but if it were like this every day, he really couldn't stand it.
Ruan Jinhe said with a straight face, "The Marquis's residence is my eldest sister's home, so it's not surprising that she doesn't leave."
Ruan Jinle scoffed, "Brother, you're just pretending."
Nguyen Kim Hoh ignored him, stood up, and walked towards Nguyen Dong Lin.
Ruan Donglin held the brush and gently moved it across the kite, pressing it left and right. A colorful butterfly leaped onto the paper, lifelike and vivid.
Having not painted for many years, his skills had become rusty, but fortunately, his previous foundation was solid, and he gradually regained his feel for the art, and his paintings became smoother and smoother.
He looked at the butterfly on the paper and thought of the years he raised his child alone. The child was born sickly, and after finally growing up, she lost her mother. For the first two months, she cried night after night, and he stayed by her side day and night, comforting her.
Three years passed like this, and she gradually recovered, only to have it taken away again.
In his youth, Ruan Donglin was also full of ambition. Although his family was of modest means, he achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, married a beautiful wife, and had a clever daughter. Unfortunately, later, due to the complexities of court politics, he was framed and missed the examinations, his wife was taken away, his child was kidnapped, and he was left in grave danger.
He slowly got up.
Those years were incredibly difficult, but he persevered, achieved great things, found his wife, and had a new child. Everything seemed to be getting better.
But it's always just missing that one piece.
That piece is back now.
Ruan Donglin was finally able to pick up his pen again, and regain the pride that once belonged to a scholar. Looking at his two sons, he shook his head and sighed, "You two brothers, in terms of academics, the elder one is not as good as I was in my youth, just average. If you were to take the imperial examinations, becoming a middle-to-upper-level scholar would be your limit. In terms of martial arts, the younger one is reckless and impulsive. Although he has some cleverness, he lacks the bearing of a great general. He won't earn a marquisate; he can only be a minor general."
Nguyen Kim Hoa said with remorse, "It's my fault for being incompetent."
Ruan Jinle retorted, "What kind of father says that? I'll make sure you become a great general someday. My goal is General Song. He can earn a title for himself, so can I. In two years, I'll go to the northern desert to join him and protect our country just the same..."
That sounds quite ambitious, but
Listen to this, listen to this. They're both sons, but that bastard's sons are all so successful, while his son has to go and work as a hired hand.
Does he have no soldiers or no generals under him? This child just wants to run that way.
He was already heartbroken enough because of this before, but now, the thought that thing had even slept with his own daughter, and that his granddaughter had been implicated in the Song family affair, only added to his distress.
Ruan Donglin felt that their feud was irreconcilable and would never be resolved in this lifetime.
He even suspected that Song Shang did it on purpose.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so early or late, but just exactly six months.
Listening to Ruan Jinle praising someone, Ruan Donglin gently raised his hand, and with a brush stained with black ink, he poked it straight at Ruan Jinle's face, drawing a heavy circle, and then stuffed it into his nose.
Ruan Donglin sneered: "Don't even think about it. In two years, you'll be in the Tianxing Army. Don't even think about running far away. With your skinny arms and legs, what will your mother do if you break them outside?"
Tai Qingxin nodded repeatedly: "Mother is worried, Ah Le will be obedient."
Ruan Jinle grinned, pulled out a calligraphy brush, and tried to wipe it off with his sleeve. Unfortunately, it was ink, and the more he wiped, the blacker it became. In the end, with his face covered in ink, he muttered, "Can't you think of something better? I'm sure I'll be fine."
Ruan Donglin said disdainfully, "Hurry up and change your clothes and wash up again. When your elder sister arrives, you all better be warm and welcoming, you hear me? Our Marquis's mansion is already inferior to others. If we're looked down upon, we can forget about any allowances from now on, especially you."
The one being pointed at, Ruan Jinle, exclaimed, "Father, what are you saying? My sister's background is quite impressive, isn't it? Really? Is she even more powerful than our Marquis's mansion?"
Although he was somewhat skeptical that his father was exaggerating, judging from the crazy woman's demeanor yesterday, she certainly didn't seem to come from an ordinary family.
Ruan Donglin's eyes stung at the sight of his son's inscrutable face. He didn't really want to talk about these things, and he didn't think they were important, but he was afraid that his son's sudden outburst might cause trouble for someone.
His daughter has a good temper and won't hold grudges even if something happens. He's only worried about her being wronged.
Unfortunately, there's an even more mischievous daughter.
They already had a bad day yesterday, and if things escalate further, who knows what that bastard might do to stir things up later?
Ruan Donglin was still worried, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "The niece who beat you up yesterday is a legitimate princess."
He was a marquis, and his two children were his sons. To outsiders, they seemed quite successful, but neither of them had designated an heir, and even if they had, he wouldn't have succeeded to the throne. In the end, they were essentially commoners.
Song Jin was a princess personally bestowed by the emperor, so it was understandable that the two of them would perform a grand ceremony.
It all depends on whether she wants to cause trouble for people.
Upon hearing this, Ruan Jinle's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Princess?
That crazy woman from yesterday?
Besides being prettier, taller, and better at martial arts, what else is there to tell about her?
Ruan Donglin reiterated, "She has a bad temper. She even fought with me yesterday. Judging from her martial arts skills, I can't beat her if she goes all out, so you'd better behave yourself."
Nguyen Kim Lor: ...
So should he thank her for showing mercy yesterday?
Ruan Jinle's face suddenly stung again. He immediately turned around and ran back to the yard to tidy himself up, so as to avoid being beaten again.
If you can't afford to offend him, can't you at least avoid him?
Very pragmatic
"That little brat," Ruan Donglin muttered irritably at his son's sensible manner, then looked at his eldest son, who was equally astonished but still stood calmly, feeling a mixture of relief and wistfulness.
"Keep a close eye on the second son from now on, don't let him cause trouble. Your niece is a tough nut to crack."
If he weren't a tough nut to crack, they wouldn't have started fighting after exchanging only a few words, nor would he have come and beaten up his two uncles after they had established a relationship.
That's practically like they had the words "ruthless to their own family" engraved on their foreheads.
We can't afford to offend them, we absolutely can't afford to offend them.
Seeing his appearance, Ruan Jinhe became even more suspicious and whispered, "Father, the princess you mentioned, could it be the Mingguang Princess who has been making such a fuss these past two months?"
There are only a handful of princesses in Dayan, most of whom have known names and backgrounds.
Besides Princess Mingguang
Furthermore, the character "宋" (Song) also matches the name.
But if that's the case, things become a bit complicated.
The situation with the Song family...
Ruan Donglin nodded heavily at his guess.
Nguyen Kim Ho swallowed hard.
This is too much of a coincidence.
...
Both sides packed up separately until noon, when the carriage sent by the Marquis's residence arrived at the inn.
Song Jin leaned against the window, her arms hanging straight out, motionless. The pearl hairpins in her hair jingled in the wind, making her look like a rag doll.
Niu Tielan sat in front of the dressing mirror, trying on earrings.
She didn't bring many clothes this time, but she had several boxes of jewelry, intending to make a grand entrance. However, now that the time had come, she regretted bringing too much and couldn't decide which pieces to wear.
After much deliberation, Niu Tielan removed quite a few sets, leaving her with three.
She turned to Song Jin and said, "Stop lying down, you're making your clothes wrinkle. Come over and help me choose some."
Song Jin yawned and dragged her feet over, looking utterly dejected. Standing behind Niu Tielan, she glanced at the three equally beautiful jade ornaments, then at her mother's bamboo-green dress, and chose the middle one.
"this"
Niu Tielan nodded, carefully put away that set, then looked at the remaining two sets, still struggling with her decision.
"..."
Song Jin was a little annoyed: "Mother, is it really that serious?"
Niu Tielan sighed softly, turned around, smoothed out the wrinkles around her waist, and then patted her arm: "You don't understand, just lie down over there."
Song Jin held out her hand: "Can I go lie downstairs?"
Niu Tielan said softly, "Reject it. Don't mess up your hair."
Song Jin rolled her eyes, drooped her head, and dragged her feet back to the window to continue staring blankly.
She doesn't understand, she really doesn't understand.
She wanted to jump.
Song Jin carefully compared the floor heights, thinking that she could go down even without using her light-footed skills; it was only this short distance.
"Ta-da!"
The knocking at the door promptly interrupted her chaotic thoughts.
"Come in," Song Jin replied listlessly, gripping the window and leaning back, his face utterly bored.
Qu Maoze saw her like this as soon as he came in and found it amusing: "What's wrong?"
Song Jin said listlessly, "Ask my mother."
Niu Tielan glanced over, her voice rising slightly: "Hair."
Song Jin sighed deeply, pulled her head back in, and hung back on the window frame. Normally quite tall, she now looked frail, as if she might be blown away by the wind at any moment.
It's obvious she really wants to run away.
Qu Maoze chuckled, shook his head, and walked behind Niu Tielan, looking at the two sets of jewelry in front of her: one set of green bamboo teardrop jewelry, elegant and warm like jade; and the other set of magnolia bead pendants, delicate and exquisite.
He reached out and picked up the jade bamboo hairpin, gently placing it on her wrist. Then he flicked the magnolia pendant and chuckled, "This one will do. It's elegant, yet less aloof. Today is a reunion, so let's omit the 'orchid' element."
He used a double entendre.
It's rare to find someone from your family. Today, she is Ruan Jinling, Ling, not Lan.
Lan seems difficult, and ultimately not quite suitable.
Niu Tielan pursed her lips, looked up at the blurry image in the bronze mirror, and said softly, "This one will do. You can make it for me."
Qu Maoze smiled, smoothing his hair and gently pinching his slightly cool earlobe: "Then I shall gladly accept your offer."
...
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