At this moment, Song Zixing asked in a very kind and gentle manner, "Tell me, who are you?"
Fang Ruoxi got stuck.
×××××××××××
“I am who I am, who else could I be?” Fang Ruoxi said.
Song Zixing raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Do you know how I treat disobedient pets?"
Fang Ruoxi snorted and said, "I know."
"Tell me about it," Song Zixing said with interest.
Fang Ruoxi watched as the servants brought out various side dishes one after another, her gaze involuntarily following them, and replied resentfully, "Don't feed it."
Song Zixing chuckled softly, nodded slightly, picked up his chopsticks, took a small piece of sea bass, and put it in his mouth. Seeing Fang Ruoxi swallow hard, he smiled and asked, "Want some?"
He was asking a question he already knew the answer to. Fang Ruoxi knew perfectly well, but she still couldn't cry or laugh. This was the first time in her life that she had fallen into such a miserable state. She couldn't help but sigh and say, "What do you want? Just say it."
He chuckled softly, but did not answer.
Fang Ruoxi watched him slowly and deliberately eat his meal in front of her. At first, she could tolerate it and pretend not to see, but after all, she hadn't eaten since noon, and her stomach was rumbling uncontrollably. The tempting aroma of the food made her almost starve. So she deliberately sighed repeatedly, hoping to elicit his sympathy, but as it turned out, he had no sympathy whatsoever. Accompanied by her sighs, Song Zixing finished his dinner at a leisurely pace, elegantly wiping his mouth before the servants cleared away the dishes. Fang Ruoxi watched the dishes being carried away one by one, then sighed heavily and regretfully, the sound so loud and exaggerated that it finally caught Song Zixing's attention and a faint smile.
She knew that Song Zixing was forcing her to reveal her identity. This time, Song Zixing was holding her back, which seemed to be more than just a simple matter. She thought it over and over, but she didn't dare to play tricks on Song again. This person could not be easily deceived, so she decided that it was best not to say anything.
The night was quiet, with only the chirping of insects. Servants around him lit incense to ward off mosquitoes. He seemed to be in a good mood and ordered someone to bring him a long flute, which he then put to his lips and began to play. At the same time, courtesans from the manor accompanied him with a zither.
Normally, playing the zither and flute under the moon would be a refined and elegant affair, but at this moment, Fang Ruoxi was unbearably hungry. She sat weakly under the tree, feeling utterly tasteless, her mind filled with fantasies of various delicacies, and she secretly swallowed her saliva.
The moonlight, like water, fell upon him, reflecting off him in a way that rippled like waves, giving him an indescribable elegant and alluring charm. Fang Ruoxi was slightly lost in thought. Her father had once said that Song Zixing was no ordinary person. She didn't quite understand the meaning of that sentence, but she understood the significance of the title "Second Daughter of the Fang Family" to Song Zixing, which was why she dared not reveal her family name.
The most important thing right now is how to escape. The ropes binding her hands aren't impossible to untie, it just takes some time. She has to wait for the right opportunity.
When the music ended, the courtesan took her zither and withdrew.
Song Zixing stood up, slowly walked to the dejected Fang Ruoxi's side, squatted down, and asked softly, "Still won't you tell me?"
Fang Ruoxi didn't respond, not even bothering to look at him.
Song Zixing gently tugged at the rope, which drew her glare. He then said, "Don't even think about untying the rope. Ordinary sharp tools can't cut it. Besides, the two ends of the rope are locked together. Only I have the key. Tonight, you can't go anywhere except near this tree."
Fang Ruoxi frowned and asked coldly, "Why won't you let me go? What exactly do you want?"
Song Zixing smiled faintly and said, "Tell me who you are, and I'll let you go."
Why do you insist on knowing about me, an unknown nobody?
"Because the more you don't want to talk about it, the more I want to know."
Is that really true? She didn't believe him, and instead mimicked his half-smile, replying calmly, "The more you want to know, the less I want to tell you."
Upon hearing this, he chuckled softly. Suddenly, he stood up and called out, "Someone, remove the incense burner."
The servants hurriedly came forward and carried away the incense burner.
Song Zixing ignored Fang Ruoxi, dismissed the servants, and went into the room. The window was open, and he could see her under the locust tree through it.
Since the incense burner had been removed, and the locust tree was already attracting mosquitoes, Fang Ruoxi soon felt mosquitoes flying all around her. With her hands tied, she couldn't swat them away. As she jumped, she cursed under her breath, "Damn mosquitoes! Let me tell you, I'm starving. If you suck my blood again, I'll deal with you. I'll fry you up, cook you, and make you into a cold dish to eat with my drinks."
Inside the house, Song Zixing lay on his side, looking out the window at Fang Ruoxi, who was hopping around in the yard. His eyes sparkled as if he were looking at some interesting scenery.
Fang Ruoxi noticed his gaze and went around to the back of a tree. She sat down, no longer jumping around or saying a word. She had to endure it, until he fell asleep and let his guard down.
After an unknown amount of time, the only sound was the chirping of insects. Fang Ruoxi secretly peeked into Song Zixing's house from behind a tree. Even in the darkness, Fang Ruoxi's martial arts skills allowed her to see very far. She saw that Song Zixing was facing away from the window, seemingly asleep. This was the perfect moment!
She first approached the brass lock that bound the two ends of the rope together, grabbed it with one hand, and then used her inner strength to slowly shoot out the silver needle on her little finger, catching it with her fingertip and groping for the small hole in the lock. It was just unlocking, wasn't it? She had learned that many years ago.
The copper lock was opened, but the restraints on her hands and back remained untied. She took out a small copper mirror that she always carried with her with her mouth and threw it on the ground. By the moonlight and the copper mirror, she saw the knot on her hands and back. She patiently used a silver needle to thread through the rope and a gold thread to tie the knot. She then used her inner strength to slowly pull the knot open.
With her restraints removed, she stretched her body before picking up the bronze mirror and tucking it into her waistband. Glancing into the room, she smiled slightly, then quietly approached Song Zixing's window. Lurking beneath the window, she peeked inside. After a moment's hesitation, a silver needle shot from her hand, silently striking the sleeping Song Zixing. Seeing the needle pierce the acupuncture point, Fang Ruoxi chuckled, leaped into the window, closed it behind her, first searching for the painting and tucking it into her bosom. Then, looking at the still-sleeping lamb on the bed, she smiled wickedly.
She ruthlessly tore open Song Zixing's clothes, bound his limbs to the four corners of the bed, hesitated for a moment, and finally tore open his undergarment, revealing his chest. Then she took the brush and ink from the room and began to draw all over his body, saying as she drew, "You upside-down turtle, you bullied me, I'll make you turn into Turtle Star!" She finished quickly and stood by the bed, admiring her masterpiece with satisfaction. But just then, Song Zixing on the bed suddenly broke free of his restraints and pointed a finger at an acupoint on her waist. Unexpectedly, he touched the bronze mirror on her waist. She suddenly came to her senses, turned around, smashed open the window, and jumped out.
Just then, a guard shouted, "Who goes there!" and then a flurry of footsteps rushed toward them.
Song Zixing was indeed struck by Fang Ruoxi's acupoints. He woke up when the silver needle touched his body, but it was too late. The acupoints were struck, and he could only pretend to be asleep, but secretly he used his internal energy to break through the acupoints.
He knew Fang Ruoxi had taken the painting, and suddenly realized that the person who had pushed him into the water that night was none other than her! Because his acupoints were still sealed, he could only endure and let her do as she pleased. When his acupoints were broken, he freed his limbs and tried to immobilize her, but unexpectedly struck the bronze mirror instead, allowing her to escape. He initially wanted to chase after her, but upon looking down and seeing his own appearance, and hearing the guards rushing into the courtyard, he quickly closed the windows.
Outside the room, someone called out, "General!"
Song Zixing replied, "It's alright, everyone, you may all leave."
No sooner had Song Zixing finished speaking than someone outside the courtyard shouted, "Turtle Star, come out and catch me if you dare! Let me tell you, I was the one who knocked you unconscious at Taihu Lake that night and hung you from the tree. What are you going to do about it? Come out if you dare!"
Upon hearing the sound, Song Zixing laughed instead of getting angry. Through the crack in the window, he saw her standing on the top of the courtyard wall, dancing a provocative and excited dance while singing loudly, "I'll make you angry, I'll make you angry, I'm just angry at you." She only jumped over the wall when the guards from the mansion rushed towards her.
She was certain he wouldn't dare come out right now.
The joy of reunion
As soon as Fang Ruoxi jumped down from the wall, she immediately crouched down in the shadowy corner outside the wall and waited motionless.
This place is perfect for hiding; she had already sized it up when she was waving her arms and legs on the wall.
She hid here for two reasons. First, she was afraid that Song Zixing would really chase after her. Her lightness skill was not as good as Song Zixing's, and running away would basically be a waste of energy. It would be better to wait for him to come out. Second, even if Song Zixing did not chase after her, she could hide here and eavesdrop on his plans so that she could find a way to leave safely. After all, the entire Jiangnan region was under the control of the Song family, and escaping would not be so easy.
Before the guards could chase after them, Song Zixing called out from inside the house, "No need to chase them."
The guards' footsteps stopped, and one of them asked, "What are your orders, General?"
Song Zixing said, "Her lightness skill is not weak. You are far inferior to her, so there is no need to waste your energy chasing her."
The guard shouted, "General, are we just going to let him escape like this? This thief is so arrogant and presumptuous that he dared to cause a disturbance at the Governor's Mansion at night and openly insult the General. I cannot swallow this insult. I will search the entire city of Hangzhou to find him and hand him over to the General for punishment."
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing chuckled and said, "Just because I'm not going to catch her now doesn't mean I can't catch her."
The guard's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly asked, "Please give your instructions, General."
Song Zixing calmly said, "Have someone secretly send an arrest warrant to all the nearby government offices, saying that a notorious bandit has recently been committing crimes in Jiangnan. This person is skilled in disguise, sometimes appearing as a man and sometimes as a woman, and has excellent agility. There is only one distinctive feature: he wears a gold ring on each of his little fingers. If you find him, do not act rashly and alert him to escape. You must notify me first."
"Yes." The guard accepted the order.
"Step back."
"yes."
Outside the wall, Fang Ruoxi broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. Song Zixing was indeed not someone to be trifled with. With just a few words, she had become a wanted bandit. Even more terrifying, he had noticed her only unchanging feature: the two rings on her little finger! If he had used a portrait to arrest her, she could have left without worry, after all, she had several masks. But he had noticed her weapon. Fortunately, she hadn't left immediately tonight; otherwise, she would definitely have been caught by tomorrow. Remembering her provocative words to him from the wall, if she had been caught this time, it wouldn't have been as simple as being kept as a pet without food or water. She breathed a sigh of relief; that was a close call.
Fang Ruoxi stayed quietly for a while longer, until she could no longer hear any sound, before leaving.
That night, she secretly sneaked back to the inn, extremely cautious along the way, fearing an ambush, but as it turned out, there was none. It seemed Song Zixing hadn't taken her seriously beforehand. However, starting tonight, he probably wouldn't let her off so easily anymore.
After taking her bundle, she quietly left the inn, intending to leave under the cover of night. However, she changed her mind. Even if she rode a horse at top speed, she probably couldn't outrun Song Zixing's carrier pigeon.
She needs to ensure her future security, so...
Before dawn, she had visited every gold and silver jewelry shop in Hangzhou, stealing all the gold rings from them under the cover of night. This time, Song Zixing was right; she had truly become a notorious thief.
The next day, people came and went at the Governor's Mansion, and news kept coming in one after another. In one day, Song Zixing received a total of one hundred messages about wearing gold rings on the little fingers of both hands. After receiving such a message for the one hundred and first time, Song Zixing smiled.
He leaned lazily against the red lacquered wooden chair.
The courtyard is filled with blooming flowers, their subtle fragrance filling the air.
His dark eyes were deep and unfathomable. His fingers brushed over the rope that had once bound Fang Ruoxi, and a slight, ambiguous smile played on his lips, as if he were asking others, or perhaps himself: "Who could she be? Why have I never heard of such a woman in the martial world..."
Meanwhile, Fang Ruoxi had already removed the ring from her hand, dressed in women's clothing, wearing a bright floral dress, and rode away from Hangzhou in a carefree manner on horseback.
The path winds its way through the woods, surrounded by the melodious chirping of birds and the swirling mist. In the distance, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys of mountain dwellings. Suddenly, someone bursts into song at a bend in the path, startling countless birds roosting in the woods: "Life is short and tiring, drink today and be merry, to avoid apologizing I went to a boxing match, to refuse to admit defeat I blew loudly, to piss you off I danced on the wall, to escape I even became a thief!..." Anyone who has ever truly heard Fang Ruoxi sing knows that she has absolutely no pitch; she sings completely randomly and haphazardly.
××××××××
Fang Ruoxi, dressed as a woman, traveled westward, her heart filled with increasing apprehension.
Fang Ruoxi thought that the people of Jiangnan lived in peace and prosperity, and that the whole world was like that. But she never expected that before she even left Jiangnan, she would see a completely different world.
Beyond the Jiangnan region, the people were impoverished. The land had suffered from floods and insect plagues for years, resulting in three years of no harvest. The people were starving, forced to eat each other, or turned to banditry, or became refugees. Large numbers of refugees poured into the border areas of Xiang and Huai. The government only symbolically opened the granaries a few times to distribute grain, and then provided no further relief.
The further west she went, the more bandits there were. The government did nothing to help, and the bandits became more and more unscrupulous. After leaving Jiangnan, Fang Ruoxi was robbed one after another, forcing her to change back into men's clothing and even abandon her horse.
Along the way, unable to bear the cries of hungry children or the hunger of the elderly, Fang Ruoxi spent all her money until she entered Jiangling.
Jiangling Prefecture was under the jurisdiction of Liu Yi, the Prince of Jin.
Fang Ruoxi is now poor, unable to afford the best inns or the finest food and wine. Walking down the street, touching her empty purse, she frowns slightly, feeling a profound emptiness in her heart. In her view, as the saying goes, "With money, you can go anywhere; without money, you can't move an inch."
Unconsciously, she walked to the outside of the largest weapons shop on the street. Looking at the seal-engraved character "方" in the lower corner of the signboard, she hesitated for a long time before finally turning around and leaving. She would never bow down to her father unless absolutely necessary.
Now that my wallet is empty and my stomach is empty, even finding a meal or a simple inn to rest in has become a luxury.
She suddenly remembered that half a year ago, when she first arrived in the capital, she was in the same situation, only back then...
I'm afraid I'll never meet someone like Gongzi Yi again.
Especially in times like these, she longed for the days she spent with Young Master Yi. Back then, money flowed like water, servants thronged to serve her, she ate delicacies, drank fine wine, wore brocade robes, and lived in mansions. How glamorous, how comfortable! And now…
Thinking of him also reminded her of Nanshu Academy. She couldn't help but touch the two paintings she held to her chest, as if the entire Nanshu Academy was there. She smiled and wondered how her teachers and fellow students had been doing lately, and whether they had mentioned her.
She wandered aimlessly, not knowing where she was going, when she saw something happening ahead, with a crowd gathered. She walked forward and saw a richly dressed man standing in the middle of the road, looking disdainfully at the woman kneeling before him. The woman was ragged and carrying a child. She was wiping the man's shoes with her sleeve. The man seemed extremely displeased and kicked her, knocking her to the side of the road. The woman got up again, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "Sir, I really can't afford to pay for your shoes. Please, sir, spare me! Please, sir, spare me!"
The old man snorted disdainfully and cursed, "Damn it, what bad luck to go out today! Get lost!" He then kicked the woman again before storming off. The woman, however, continued to kowtow in the direction the man had gone, saying, "Thank you, sir, for your mercy. Thank you, thank you." Only after the man had gone far away did the woman get up, dragging her child without even looking up, and walk quickly away. The child's eyes were vacant, and he was as thin as a rake, seemingly having gone without food for several days.
No one from the bystanders intervened; Fang Ruoxi had seen similar incidents all along the way and was no longer surprised. Fang Ruoxi sighed. The poor and the rich are both human beings, but the poor are often willing to grovel before the rich for a pair of shoes, and some may even lose their lives. To put it bluntly, it's simply because they don't have money.
Fang Ruoxi suddenly thought of a phrase: Robin Hood.
Given her status, she was really not suited to do this kind of thing, but then she thought, since she had already been a thief once, it wouldn't matter if she did it a second time.
Robin Hood-like actions to help the poor sound easy, but how could she, a newcomer to Jiangling, know who the corrupt officials were? Suddenly, she recalled the tragic scenes she had witnessed along the way, and heard rumors that the local officials had embezzled the people's disaster relief grain. This entire area was under the jurisdiction of Prince Liu Yi of Jin, so… he must be the biggest corrupt official. Alright, she would start from Prince Liu Yi's residence.
Night fell, the sky was filled with stars, and the chirping of insects filled the air. Fang Ruoxi, dressed in black, moved among the buildings, arriving at the back courtyard of the Prince Jin's mansion. She hid on the highest rooftop of the mansion and looked around. She wanted to first observe the surrounding terrain and the location of the patrolling guards, but after looking around, she couldn't help but feel somewhat at a loss.
She actually had little experience in theft. Last time, she stole a gold ring, which she could have simply taken from the counter. This time, however, she had no specific purpose and was facing the heavily guarded and sprawling Prince Jin's mansion. She had relied on her skill and daring, along with her fearlessness, to think that she could roam freely in Prince Jin's mansion. But now, faced with the rows of buildings and nearly thirty rooms in front of her, she really didn't know where to begin.
Just as she was hesitating, she noticed two figures flying towards her. They moved extremely quickly and, like her, were dressed in night clothes, clearly indicating that they had ulterior motives.
Fang Ruoxi thought to herself: Could it be that she has encountered a fellow thief? It is not surprising that she thought so. Nowadays, thieves are rampant and bandits are roaming around. Naturally, there are also many petty thieves. Along the way, she often heard that so-and-so's house had been robbed or stolen from.
Fang Ruoxi was currently perched on the rooftop, contemplating abandoning her Robin Hood plan to escape, but also feeling somewhat reluctant. She decided to observe the situation, wondering who the newcomers were and whether they shared the same goal. If so, these two were undoubtedly experienced; she was already worried about finding a place to strike, so why not follow them? The Prince of Jin's mansion was so large that one or two people couldn't possibly steal everything; wouldn't it be better to steal together?! If not, she could leave later; she was always very confident in her lightness skill, except, of course, when facing Song Zixing.
She only stood up when the two men approached.