Two days later, Song Jinzhao and Song Qiming returned to Suining City at almost the same time.
The moment they rode into the inner city, the commoners crowding both sides of the street immediately erupted into cheers.
"Long live the Princess of Linghui! The Prefect is wise..."
Their voices, sentence after sentence, seemed powerful enough to overturn the sky of Suining City.
Realizing what was happening, Song Jinzhao offered the crowd a gentle smile, her expression full of warmth and approachability.
Since she had decided to make the southwest her base of operations, winning the hearts of the people was naturally of the utmost importance.
Riding beside her, Song Qiming happily raised his hand and waved to the people.
As an official, nothing gave him a greater sense of accomplishment than the approval of the people.
Every shout praising the wise Prefect was a validation of his efforts.
At the entrance of the prefectural office.
Upon seeing the two riding on their tall horses, Shi Simian rushed down the steps, closely followed by all the officials of Suining City, both high and low.
"Greetings to the Princess. Greetings to the Prefect."
They bowed in unison at a ninety-degree angle. When they raised their heads, the light in their eyes made it seem as though they were looking at their saviors.
After being welcomed into the second hall, Song Qiming could not wait to search the crowd for the treasurer.
Spotting him, he immediately waved him over.
"Treasurer Yin, bring me the warehouse ledger for the past month and a half immediately."
The treasurer froze. They had just returned and already wanted to check the ledgers. Was it really that urgent?
Though he thought this, he still smiled and bowed in compliance.
"Yes, sir."
It did not take long for him to bring the ledger over.
From the first page to the last, the light in Song Qiming's eyes never dimmed.
After finishing, he handed it to Song Jinzhao, his eyes shining so brightly they could almost blind someone.
There were 180,000 taels of silver alone, not to mention the silks, satins, and gold and silver jewelry. He definitely would not be short on funds for his upcoming projects anytime soon.
Under the gaze of the numerous officials, Song Jinzhao casually flipped through it before returning the ledger to Song Qiming.
She stood up with a smile on her lips. "I have been busy for over a month and I am tired. I will head back to rest first."
After Song Jinzhao left, the atmosphere in the room instantly relaxed by half.
Shi Simian's gaze toward Song Qiming also became much calmer.
No matter how capable Song Jinzhao was, she was still a woman; it was inappropriate for her to remain while they discussed official business.
"My Lord, the number of bandits escorted back these past few days has reached over seven hundred. The prisons can no longer hold them. I suggest we build a labor camp outside the city."
Reclaiming wasteland outside the city meant traveling back and forth every day, which was not only a waste of time but also troublesome. Building the camp outside the city would save a lot of hassle.
Song Qiming nodded. "Tomorrow, I will personally go out of the city to select a site. The buildings must be constructed to be unbreakable, and guards must be stationed there to prevent these bandits from harboring any rebellious thoughts."
These people had blood on their hands. Strict precautions were necessary to prevent any uprisings.
Shi Simian's voice softened. "My Lord, you just returned. Will you not rest for a few days?"
Something as minor as selecting a site did not require Song Qiming to do it personally.
Song Qiming shook his head.
"In addition to selecting the site for the labor camp, I also want to finalize the locations of the wastelands as soon as possible, so we can start work early."
Over seven hundred mouths to feed meant wasting money on plain rice every single day.
In four years, Gu Zhongxun would retire. He had to achieve political accomplishments as soon as possible to meet his sister's expectations.
After deciding on the tasks for the next day, Song Qiming headed straight for the backyard.
Inside the room, Song Anhao was currently claiming credit from Song Jinzhao.
"After discovering the corpse, I immediately realized things were not simple. Then I tracked them all the way and finally managed to capture the person at the clinic. A full fifty thousand taels of silver, not a single coin missing. Good thing I was there."
Song Jinzhao retorted coldly, "Could you have tracked the person without Xuetuan?"
"I warned you time and time again to stay in the manor. Why didn't you listen?"
The smile on Song Anhao's face vanished instantly, and his heartbeat began to race.
He stammered an explanation, "I... I brought a lot of guards. There wouldn't be any danger."
Song Jinzhao looked at him quietly.
"The officials of Suining Prefecture have to bring hundreds of guards when they go out. How many did you bring?"
"The bandits in Suining Prefecture have been caught batch after batch. If any of them escaped and wanted revenge, you would be the first one they kill."
Song Anhao's heart trembled, and tears instantly welled up and spilled from his eyes.
As the sound of sobbing arose, Song Shixue, who was sitting to the side, instinctively wanted to plead for him, but was stopped by a single glare from Song Jinzhao.
Helpless, she had no choice but to remain silent.
Song Jinzhao said, "Do you think your martial arts are high enough to protect yourself?"
"If he hadn't run out of poison, those three injured guards would already be dead."
His thin, small shoulders trembled uncontrollably as his tears fell patter-patter onto the floor.
"Sis—" Discovering his younger brother crying, Song Qiming, who had half a foot over the threshold, immediately swallowed his words.
His gaze instinctively turned to Song Shixue.
What is going on?
Song Shixue subtly shot him a look.
Hurry up and persuade her.
Song Qiming stepped lightly onto the floor, walked over to his endlessly crying younger brother, and wiped away his tears.
"Sis, what happened?"
Seeing the child she had raised with her own hands crying until he hiccuped, Song Jinzhao also felt a pang of heartache, and her voice could not help but soften.
"Ask him yourself."
As soon as she finished speaking, before Song Qiming could even ask, Song Anhao threw himself onto Song Jinzhao's knees and hugged her legs.
"Sister, I was wrong. I won't ever dare to do it again."
"You guys were gone for so long, leaving me alone at home. I wanted to get stronger quickly so I could go with you, which is why I wanted to go out hunting. I won't be willful ever again."
Snot and tears smeared all over Song Jinzhao's leg, the wetness burning straight into her heart.
Thinking about how they had left their young brother alone in the manor just a few days after arriving in Suining City, she could not help but begin to reflect on her actions.
No matter how many servants there were, they were not family, and it was an unfamiliar place.
Even though he seemed independent, she could not ignore the fact that he was only seven years old, still a child who needed the love and care of adults.
At the thought of this, Song Jinzhao's heart completely softened.
She reached out and lifted Song Anhao onto her lap, picking up a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.
"I'm sorry, your sister was wrong too. I shouldn't have left you alone at home."
"I was too fierce just now, but you can't be so willful next time. What would we do if something happened to you?"
Song Anhao wrapped his arms around Song Jinzhao's neck and rested his head on her shoulder.
As his sobbing gradually quieted, he nodded.
"I know. I definitely won't do it again."
