Chapter 66 Won't you snatch it from the little girl?
Noon
The east gate of Yong'an City was wide open.
The entire street leading to the city gate was cleared out, the road surface was spotless and free of dirt and disorder, and a mile in front of and behind the city gate was covered with red carpet.
Golden ceremonial guards stood beneath the city gate. Tall, imposing guards in heavy black and gold armor, wielding heavy swords and broad shields, stood along the front and back of the gate. In contrast, the guards in indigo short coats were slightly shorter, each appearing nimble and agile, like white streaks in the waves. Each carried a small crossbow, short sword, or long whip at their waist.
The two teams fought to a draw, during which a small squad stood on the upper floor wielding longswords.
The once quiet city walls were now filled with people.
Qi Ye, clad in a golden dragon robe, stood firmly at the forefront. The city wall was tall and thick, its three-meter width providing ample space for them to stand comfortably atop it and gaze into the distance for miles.
The army, waving black banners, slowly approached Yong'an City. Though the figures were obscured by the distance, Qi Ye could imagine the spirited young man at the forefront.
That was the young general of the Dayan Dynasty, the third son of the Song family at the night market.
The five sons of the Song family each had their own unique charm.
The eldest son, Song Xingzhi, was skilled in literature and adept at social interaction, having cultivated a large circle of acquaintances.
The second son, Song Shunzhi, was skilled in criminal investigation. He was neither arrogant nor humble, meticulously unraveling cases and solving many of them.
The third son, Song Shenzhi, was a skilled military commander who fought on the battlefield, subduing neighboring vassal states and becoming a pillar of the nation.
The fourth son, Song Anzhi, was skilled in weaponry, particularly bows, crossbows, longswords, and armor. He had made numerous improvements over the years, saving the court a significant amount of military expenditure.
The fifth son, Song Qingzhi, was a shrewd businessman who managed to fill his private coffers every year.
Those people always say that Song Shang has ulterior motives, that raising so many children is for his own purposes, and that he should pay more attention to him and suppress him. What do they know? They can't raise capable children themselves, so they won't let others raise them?
With Song Shang around, he didn't need to review so many messy memorials, nor did he need to worry about those former rebels causing further chaos, nor did he need to worry about fools coming up with reckless ideas. The situation in the court was stable, the security of the borders was protected, and even his private treasury was becoming increasingly abundant.
Those idiots don't know anything!
These people have become too good at making threats. They don't even look at the dead emperor of the previous dynasty. He almost killed all the people. Why didn't they say anything then?
One after another, spineless cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong.
Qi Ye scoffed at them, but after all, they had worked together to overthrow the previous dynasty and build the current peaceful and prosperous era. As long as they didn't make any major mistakes, he could barely tolerate their gossip.
But that was for him.
A new emperor brings a new court. These old fools occupy their positions without doing anything, not thinking about improving the lives of the people, but only about enjoying their own comforts. And that's tolerable in his case.
Qi Ye will not tolerate the next generation continuing like this.
Powerful families, each with their own greed, will inevitably turn on each other year after year, and who knows when they might suffer a backlash.
He needs fresh blood, he needs students from humble backgrounds, he needs upright people, he needs to slowly crush these rotten bones, hidden deep within the past dynasties and scheming for their own benefit, and throw them into the tide along with fresh grass.
Qi Ye turned his head to look at his son, who resembled him by about five points but was younger and taller. He pointed to the orderly army approaching in the distance and asked...
What did you see?
As the emperor, Qi Ye's every word and action was naturally observed by everyone. They watched as he kept Qi Zheng by his side all the way, and watched as he bypassed the other princes to ask him questions first.
A sense of unease settled over everyone.
The Emperor's intentions were far too obvious; he seemed eager for them to know that he wanted to pass the throne to his own son.
All eyes turned to Qi Zheng, scrutinizing this prince who had been found among the common people.
Without a doubt, Qi Zheng is definitely Qi Ye's biological son. This had been confirmed countless times when he first returned, based on his build, age, birthmarks, blood test results, and even his movements over the years.
Everything confirmed that he was indeed the prince who had been lost years ago.
As the emperor, Qi Ye naturally had no problem inheriting the throne himself.
However, Qi Zheng has been missing for twenty years. In those twenty years, the power structures in the court have expanded considerably, and each has chosen its own side.
His return immediately disrupted the balance.
Moreover, he was brought back by Song Shang, and was somewhat close to the Song family. Yet, he remained unmoved by their various attempts to curry favor, completely refusing to listen to either soft or hard tactics, offering them no benefit whatsoever.
Putting aside personal interests, let's just talk about matters of state. Qi Zheng's knowledge is shallow; he hasn't even mastered the most basic Four Books and Five Classics, let alone anything else. Who could trust such a rough and uncultured person to take the throne?
Everyone looked at Qi Zheng, waiting for his answer, and also waiting to see him make a fool of himself.
Qi Zheng had seen this kind of scene quite a few times recently, and he'd toned it down a bit now. When he first came back, almost everyone he ran into would bring up the topic of studying, whether openly or subtly, and then he'd have to feign apology, saying he didn't mean it.
In his opinion, these high-ranking officials and nobles are no different from the village elders; their favorite thing to do every day is to scrutinize other people's affairs, big or small, and then go back and gossip.
So boring
He ignored their gazes, pondered for a moment, and, despite using all his knowledge, couldn't think of anything to embellish his words. He didn't insist, and simply stated honestly...
"I saw someone who missed their father."
Compared to the other children's backgrounds, Song Shenzhi was arguably the most innocent of the five. He was born into an ordinary family; his father and uncles all died from forced labor, and his mother died of illness. When he was four or five years old, he became a beggar and wandered the streets.
He was seven years old when Song Shang adopted him. By then, he had already become the leader of the beggars on the street, leading a group of followers to fight with other beggar children for territory.
He won the bid and also gained the favor of Song Shang.
From then on, Song Shenzhi went from being a disliked beggar on the street to the third young master of the Song family. Later, at the age of fifteen, he went to the battlefield, at sixteen he made great contributions, and now he is twenty-three years old.
He last returned to the capital three years ago.
Back then, Song Shang personally led his four sons to the post station outside the city to pick him up. But this time, he faced his adoptive father, whose fate was unknown, and the Song family, already in dire straits.
Song Shenzhi led so many troops on this trip, and even though he was delayed for a few days in Qingjun Prefecture, he still returned to Yong'an City in less than a month. He must have been traveling at full speed the whole way.
Qi Zheng put himself in Song Shenzhi's shoes. If he were Song Shenzhi, and his adoptive father, who had pulled him out of the beggars' pile and raised him single-handedly, was still missing and in grave danger, he would certainly be extremely anxious and would rush back day and night without rest.
Unfortunately, as a border general, Song Shenzhi couldn't just run around without information. The news of the incident was being relayed back and forth, and he had to arrange his departure and go to Qingjun Prefecture to arrest people; he must have been extremely anxious.
Thinking of these things, a hint of sadness and worry appeared on Qi Zheng's face.
For the sake of Song merchants, and also for the coldness of human relationships.
The new dynasty has only been established for twenty years, and officials at all levels are already acting this way because of their own interests. What will happen to them in a few more years?
Ultimately, it's because half of the new dynasty's officials were carried over from the previous dynasty; even if they were gradually stripped away over the years, it wouldn't cause any fundamental damage.
He was deep in thought, but to those present...
He was using a self-inflicted injury ruse.
How could he possibly resort to a self-inflicted injury ruse when such a grown man came?
But it's very useful.
Qi Ye's question was meant to express his own stance, and he genuinely wanted to hear his son's opinion.
What was his opinion of the Song family?
He was stunned by the unexpected answer, and his eyes immediately filled with heartache and guilt. He reached out and patted Qi Zheng's shoulder, his voice softening.
"I'm right here beside you. If you miss your father, you can come to the palace anytime. Staying for six months or a year won't be a problem. By the way, don't you like going out of the city? There's a horse ranch outside the east gate. I'll send someone to deliver the land deed to you when we get back."
Qi Zheng was both shocked and confused: "Huh?"
Is horse farm some kind of free lunch? How can they just give it away like that? What did he say?
In Qi Ye's eyes, his expression meant he was moved by her.
Qi Ye felt a pang of sadness again. His precious son, if he hadn't ended up on the streets, would never have been moved by these little creatures.
The other princes: ...
Forget being moved, they're green with envy!
Even these princes have never seen anything like this before.
That's a horse farm.
Leaving aside the location itself, land around Yong'an City is incredibly valuable. A horse ranch is one thing, but the horses themselves are even more precious, easily costing hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver each. It's a veritable treasure trove, and ordinary people can't even touch it.
It was Qi Ye; he only had six horse farms, and now he only has five left.
Feeling the envious and disdainful gazes around him, Qi Ye was still a little confused as to why he was suddenly given something, but why not take advantage of a free gift? He bowed to Qi Ye.
"Thank you for the reward, Father Emperor."
Respect, yet unfamiliar.
Qi Ye felt a bitter taste in his mouth, but he didn't show it, only patting his shoulder to ease the feeling. He glanced at the various looks from the others present, especially those from the princes, and sneered inwardly.
He can give his things to whomever he wants.
He turned his head to continue watching the returning army in the distance, thinking of the Song brothers and Song Shang. Suddenly, a pair of bright phoenix eyes appeared before him, and he asked again.
"How is Mingguang doing?"
It took Qi Zheng a while to realize who Mingguang was. He carefully said, "That's good. Yesterday, he went to the Dao Academy to watch the martial arts competition and also went to Jinling Mountain to see the flowers. He should be able to loosen his grip when he gets back."
Qi Ye sighed, "Jinling Mountain, indeed. The golden bell flowers have bloomed again recently, but it's a pity that the people who planted them can no longer see them."
Qi Zheng had already guessed something, and seeing Qi Ye's expression, he tentatively asked, "Does Father Emperor know whose name this Jinling Mountain is under?"
Qi Ye raised an eyebrow: "What, you like it?"
Qi Zheng nodded in agreement.
Qi Ye: "Then go ahead and like it. This mountain belongs to Chief Minister Song. He's gone now, and it'll be in Mingguang's hands in the future. You don't want to try and take it from the young lady, do you?"
The long-held speculations have come true, and everything has turned out exactly as predicted.
Although we don't know how Song Shang did it, or why he left like this, Song Shang is Qu Maoze, and Qu Maoze is Song Shang.
His initial guess was correct.
Qi Zheng frowned slightly and tentatively said, "Since it is a relic of Grand Secretary Song, I naturally will not compete with Princess Mingguang for it."
Qi Ye pretended to know nothing and sighed softly: "Premier Song has been missing for two months. Although his body has not yet been found, the prognosis is probably grim. He has served the country and its people for so many years, and he only has one daughter, Mingguang. If anything happens to her, you should all be more considerate of her, do you hear me?"
The three people standing beside him: Prince Gong, Prince Jin, and Prince Li: ...
No, you ignore them when you're saying nice things, you still ignore them when you're giving rewards, but now when you're warning people, you only target the three of them, right?
This favoritism is just too much.
The three men were indignant, but on the surface, they all appeared honest and responded with smiles.
"Father, rest assured, we will definitely treat Princess Mingguang as our own sister."
"Chief Minister Song is highly respected and virtuous; we know what is important and what is not."
"Mingguang is a lively person, and we older brothers love him dearly."
...
They were all so hypocritical.
Qi Zheng observed their behavior and thought to himself, "If Song Jin were here, she would definitely follow their lead and climb the ranks, not stopping until she's taken a bite out of them. She wouldn't let them just spout empty words."
Qi Ye chuckled, "Remember what you said today. Alright, General Song's return is a big deal. Let us go down and welcome him into the city."
This is the honor Qi Ye bestowed upon Song Shenzhi, and it is the honor he deserves.
He was awarded the highest merit for pacifying the northern deserts over the years.
Qi Ye descended the city wall, followed by hundreds of officials. The large group marched out of the city gates in a grand procession, arriving outside the city to welcome the soldiers returning from their border duties.
The black pieces in the distance drew ever closer. The soldiers, dressed in neat uniforms, had trudged along the way, and while they were far from clean, even somewhat disheveled, their skin was tanned from the sun and wind, their clothes were stained, and their expressions were visibly weary.
But at first glance, everyone will only notice their imposing presence.
Two hundred men rode on warhorses, in neat square formations of ten in a row and twenty in a column, advancing towards the city gate.
They were all seasoned warriors, each having taken at least ten enemy heads. Mounted on horseback, their long swords gleamed coldly at their waists, some even bearing dried blood.
They didn't utter a single word, yet their chilling killing intent surged forth, making it impossible for anyone to look them directly in the eye.
Especially the young man leading the group; he had narrow eyes, a thin face, a high, slightly upturned nose, and thin, slightly downturned lips, giving him an inexplicably sinister look. His eyes flashed with a chilling killing intent, but it was suppressed by the determination in his brows and eyes, revealing more of the sharp edge of someone who had come from the battlefield.
He was Song Shenzhi, the third son of the Song family.
The troops surged forward. A mile from the city gate, Song Shenzhi halted his horse, dismounted, and his soldiers followed suit, one after another, dismounting in an orderly fashion and walking step by step to the city gate.
Song Shenzhi knelt on the ground, head bowed, and the soldiers behind him knelt in unison, their loud and righteous voices echoing throughout the city gate.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!
...
Looking at the soldiers before him, Qi Ye felt a surge of pride.
Look, look
These are the soldiers of Dayan, each a powerful warrior capable of taking on ten men, not the emaciated, starving chickens of the previous dynasty.
Their Great Yan Dynasty will get better and better.
Qi Ye stepped forward, smiling as he helped Song Shenzhi up, patting him on the shoulder: "Good, good, good. It's been three years, and you've become more and more impressive. With that physique, you truly deserve to be called a general who has been tempered through countless trials. With you all here, our Great Yan's borders will never have any worries."
Song Shenzhi: "Your Majesty is considerate of the soldiers. Even during the most difficult times these years, you have never shortchanged them in terms of military pay. The soldiers are well-fed and clothed, and their families are worry-free, so they can devote all their energy to training. This is all thanks to Your Majesty."
Qi Ye exclaimed, "You lad, even if you don't become a general, you could still be a vice minister. You're skilled in both literature and martial arts; you've got your father's style just like you."
Mentioning Song Shang, Song Shenzhi became somewhat anxious and asked, "Your Majesty, has my father returned yet?"
Qi Ye didn't speak, but shook his head, patted his shoulder, and changed the subject, saying, "Now that you're back, get some rest. I've already arranged for the Ministry of Rites to provide accommodations for the soldiers. Go back and rest, and we'll discuss rewards and punishments at court tomorrow."
Song Shenzhi's expression darkened, and he forced a smile, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qi Ye sighed, patted his shoulder to comfort him, then looked at the battle-hardened soldiers behind him. He didn't ignore them, but glanced at Eunuch Sun beside him and began to speak to the other soldiers.
"You've all had a long journey. Go back and rest for a while. You can stay at Yunhe Garden for a while. If you need anything, just let the guards know. If it's inconvenient, you can go out and buy some yourself..."
As he spoke, the young eunuch stepped forward carrying a wooden tray. On the tray were neatly arranged gold ingots, one for each person. It wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a small amount for anyone.
That's a hundred taels of silver, enough for many families to live comfortably for eight to ten years.
And this is just a small gift; the real rewards are yet to come.
...
Song Jin stood on the city wall, chin in hand, taking in the entire scene.
It must be said that Qi Ye was indeed a good emperor. He knew how to use people, how to bestow favors, and he was generous. No wonder he ushered in a golden age of peace and prosperity in just twenty years.
The million-strong army of the Dayan Dynasty was no joke; the money they spent every year was like water flowing away. Throwing in a million taels of silver was all it took to make a name for themselves.
Fortunately, the national treasury is well-stocked now. A few years ago, however, the treasury was already in dire straits, and every penny had to be spent exorbitantly. Many civil officials proposed reducing the soldiers' salaries, but he rejected these proposals.
He has rejected proposals to reduce the number of soldiers every year.
Song Jin couldn't help but sigh, "I truly hope His Majesty can live to be a hundred and stay young forever!"
Niu Tielan warned: "Don't you want your mouth anymore?"
Song Jin pouted: "You were just calling me your darling daughter, and now you're swearing at me? Mom, you change your mind so fast!"
Niu Tielan: ...
She had cried for a while and then slept, and even with makeup on, her eyes were still faintly red and swollen.
She was in a bad mood earlier and said a bunch of nonsense. Thinking about it now makes her cheeks turn red. That brat of a daughter had the nerve to tease her.
Niu Tielan retorted angrily, "Believe it or not, I'll slap you!"
Song Jin stuck out her tongue, feigning concern: "I'm your precious daughter, more important than your life, how could you bear to hit me?"
Niu Tielan was annoyed and shouted, "Song Jinjin!"
Song Jin continued to play dumb, covering half her face and giggling, "I'm here, Ruan Lingdang, you can borrow my shoulder."
Niu Tielan: "You're dead."
...
The city walls were very high, so even if the mother and daughter had shouted louder up there, the sounds of their chase wouldn't have been heard below—that's how it was for ordinary people.
The father-in-law was still handing out money, and the resolute soldiers couldn't hide their joy.
Song Shenzhi raised his head and looked towards the city wall not far away. On the thick, gray city wall, the blue and red figure stood out conspicuously.
Although this part of the city wall is closed, the other gates are still open, and the guards are busy. It wouldn't be surprising if someone sneaked up, and even if they did, how could they possibly get to this side?
They've got some skills, and they've got some guts too.
Song Shenzhi seemed to be deep in thought, but his pupils suddenly contracted.
On the high wall, a gray figure had appeared out of nowhere among the figures who had been chasing each other. In the blink of an eye, it was tossed off the wall by the man in red.
Suddenly, disregarding everything else, he leaped towards the other side, trying to catch the person.
Qi Zheng looked up at the city wall. Unlike Song Shenzhi, who was unfamiliar with people, he immediately recognized who was causing trouble. Seeing the gray figure being chased and falling onto the wall, his expression changed slightly. He grabbed Song Shenzhi's shoulder and twisted him to the side.
Song Shenzhi dodged the attack, instinctively drawing his long sword from his waist. He looked at Qi Zheng, who had made the move, with fear, and was about to ask...
In a flash, the troops on both sides erupted, and some of the guards and soldiers rushed out, brandishing swords and attacking Qi Ye.
Qi Zheng's expression turned cold. He pulled Qi Ye back, drew his longsword from its sheath, and held it horizontally in front of him, its blade gleaming coldly.
"Escort"
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