Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 245: Structuring the Pole Arms

Shuangʼerʼs expression suddenly sank, ”Sister Fang, donʼt make this kind of joke in the future.” After that, she turned around and left.

Fang Yiʼs expression also suddenly became a little dark, and she secretly spat out, ”Bah, pretending to be pure and clean when you clearly did the deed.”

*****

Song Qingshu returned to the palace from the Wei Mansion and walked to the Pole Arms. The current headquarter of the Pole Arms was temporarily set near the Yujing Pavilion in the northeast corner of the Imperial Garden.

Song Qingshu walked into the Pole Arms courtyard, and his subordinates came over to report some news to him. The news made him frown and he gathered everyone in the Pole Arms, then he asked Di Yun, ”Brother Di, I heard that you had a fight with some people?”

”Big Brother Song…” Di Yun felt embarrassed, ”They laughed at my severed palm.”

”That’s good!” Song Qingshu not only didnʼt blame him at all, but also praised him for the act, ”Those who are incompetent deserve to be beaten.”

After saying that he looked around, and most people bowed their heads in shame.

It turned out that the current members of the Pole Arms were all the people sent by various sects in Wulin. These people were usually very prideful of their origin, and although they dared not to offend the inner guards, when they saw Di Yun, who was also from Wulin, they immediately jumped to ridicule him. Di Yunʼs appearance usually made him seem like an honest young man who would be easy to bully, and this group of people wanted to ridicule Di Yunʼs disability to get rid of their boredom.

Although Di Yun lacked a lot of techniques compared to the original book, he was not someone that was weak. This group of people were just from some minor sects in the Wulin, and they got beaten up without much effort. After that, no one dared to despise Di Yun anymore.

Song Qingshu originally intended to develop Di Yun into a leader, and when he saw this, he was overjoyed. He was quite worried that Di Yun lacked the prestige necessary for a leader. After pondering for a while, he said, ”Brother Di, you can choose ten good members from the Pole Arms, and you will be guarding a house for a while.”

Di Yun hesitated for a while, and selected a few people with the best martial arts from the crowd. Song Qingshu nodded with satisfaction, dismissed the crowd, and left the place. After giving them appropriate information, he ordered them to go to Shuangʼer’s Mansion.

Kangxi asked him to set up the Pole Arms a long time ago, but he never had time to actually think of a proper structure for the organization. After thinking for a long time, the framework of the Pole Arms gradually became more and more in his mind.

According to Kangxiʼs intention, the Pole Arms should be able to monitor hundreds of officials, be well informed about domestic and foreign news, and have a certain amount of military force. So Song Qingshu planned to follow a certain institution from his previous life, and the entire Pole Arms was divided into four departments. The first would monitor the officials, the second would be responsible for collecting domestic information, the third would be responsible for foreign intelligence, and the fourth department would be used to fight and deter the enemies.

According to Song Qingshuʼs plan, the intelligence department of the Pole Arms would be temporarily handed over to Sang Feihong. After the strength of the Pole Arms increases, the intelligence department would be divided into two parts, namely the Second and the Third Departments. Moreover, the posts involving different countries, and different subordinate institutions would also have to be set up.

As for Di Yun, Song Qingshu intended to train him as the leader of the fourth department. Di Yunʼs nature was simple and straightforward, which was suitable for this kind of frontal work. He also had Hu Fei as one of the candidates, but unfortunately he was too young.

However, Song Qingshu didnʼt want the Pole Arms to be just a spy organization subservient to Kangxi. He created these four departments just to deal with Kangxi, and he secretly planned to set up ”Shadow Departments” without letting Kangxi know of its existence.

This Fifth Department would be responsible for the development of poisonous hidden weapons, and the Poison King was naturally the first choice to be incharge of it.

The Sixth Department would be in charge of assassination. As Tian Guinong had already been castrated, if he masters the Evil Exterminating Sword Manual and used that ghostly movement technique to kill people…just thinking about that scene made Song Qingshu feel a little excited.

Of course, if Dongfang Muxue was willing to join him, he had already prepared a spot for her at the Seventh Department, but unfortunately, he could only hope for that to happen.

Tianshan Tonglao, who extorted confessions by torture and controlled her subordinates, or Su Quan, who used Leopard Embryo Tendon Severing Pills, were also very good, but unfortunately he had no such methods for now.

The Eight Department would be responsible for strategy. Song Qingshu was an ambitious person by nature, so it was inevitable that he would want to conquer the world, but unfortunately he was severely lacking in talented subordinates.

Regardless of whether they were heroes or villains, there was an urgent shortage of talented personnel he could employ. So, Song Qingshu planned to create his own forces using the pretext of expanding the Pole Arms.

”Lord Song, Lord Song?” A voice soon interrupted his thoughts. Song Qingshu looked up and saw that it was Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian.

”So itʼs you two.” Song Qingshu let out a long breath and relaxed.

”As soon as we came back from Shengjing, us brothers came to the Pole Arms to report.” Zhang Kangnian said with a flattering smile, ”Just now I saw that the lord sent Di Yun to protect a certain family. He seems quite naive, and in a place like the capital, you canʼt solve the problem by force, why not send us brothers there?”

Song Qingshu saw through the plans in their hearts at a glance, and couldnʼt help but tease, ”Do you think that this is a good job? Do you know who they are going to protect?”

Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian looked at each other and shook their heads, ”We ask Lord Song to make it clear.”

”It’s Wei Xiaobaoʼs Mansion.” Song Qingshu slowly said.

The two of them were taken aback for a moment, then they smiled and said, ”Sure enough, itʼs not a job for us, Lord Song really cares for us brothers.”

”It seems that you really know what happened in Brother Wei’s family.” Song Qingshu sneered in his heart. These two slippery loaches were clearly afraid of the Tong family’s power, and would never try their best to protect Shuangʼer and her people. So it was only logical to send the honorable Di Yun to protect Shuangʼer with several disciples of the sects. They had nothing to do with the nobles in the capital, and naturally they would not have any fears.

”We really didn’t think this through very well.” Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixianʼs faces turned extremely unnatural.

”Wei Xiaobao treated you quite well when he was alive. Now that heʼs dead, you just bury your heads and refuse to see the injustice. How can I dare to use you?” Song Qingshu gave a cold snort.

Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian showed a hint of shame on their faces, and they helplessly said, ”Lord Song, although we know that the Tong family was harassing Miss Shuangʼer, we donʼt know the cause. We did want to help before, but the Tong family is now really powerful. Our family has both the old and the young, so we really don’t dare to offend the Tong family.” Noticing Song Qingshu’s expressionless face, Zhang Kangnian hurriedly said, “We don’t know the reason, but there is one person who must know, and Lord Song can ask him.”

”Who?” Song Qingshu asked curiously.

”Director Duo Long!” Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian replied in unison.

*****

Song Qingshu walked through the imperial garden and rushed towards where Duo Long was. In his mind, he was still thinking about whether Wei Xiaobao really offended the Tong family, or whether it was simply Orundaiʼs acting on his own. Suddenly, a palace maidʼs rebuke sounded in her ear, ”Bold, how dare you rush into Concubine Tong!”

Hearing how the maid was acting towards him, Song Qingshuʼs eyes flashed with anger, and when he looked up, he saw a few palace maids embracing a beauty in a palace dress. The beauty was probably in her early twenties.

Before Song Qingshu could speak, the beauty in the palace dress asked curiously, ”Who are you, and why have I never seen you in the palace?”

The inner palace was usually off limits to most people, and only the inner were allowed to go in and out of this place. The women living in the palace didn’t have much interaction with them at all, so Song Qingshu didn’t find it strange that she didn’t know him.

”This one is Song Qingshu, the deputy chief of guards in front of the royal guard. I have seen the concubine Tong. I have been on a mission bestowed by the Emperor before, so itʼs not unusual for the concubine to not recognize me.” Song Qingshu realized that the person in front of him was probably Concubine Tong, who was Kangxi’s most recent concubine.

”It turns out that you are Lord Song who rescued His Majesty that day!” Concubine Tong’s eyes sparkled with interest.

Song Qingshu was most well-known in the Wulin for the battle of Mount Tai, but the concubines and palace maids in the Forbidden City knew him as the person who defeated the Red Flower Society on his own. He was a powerful martial arts master, and his deeds of saving the Emperor made him seem even more impressive.

”Lord Song is indeed a talented person. I wonder if Lord Song will…” Concubine Tong was quite young, but she had to imitate the old-fashioned attitude of other concubines. She tried her best to show the attitude of a master to her subordinates, but the effect was really poor, and Song Qingshu said while forcing down his smile, ”If Concubine Tong doesn’t need me for anything, may I leave? I have to go meet with the Director Duo.”

As soon as Concubine Tong heard his words, she also felt that something was wrong. Looking at the trembling shoulders of the court lady beside her and the smile on Song Qingshuʼs face, she couldnʼt help but feel extremely embarrassed, ”Ah? Itʼs alright, Lord Song can leave.”

Seeing the disappearing figure of Song Qingshu, the palace maid on the side angrily said, ”This Song Qingshu is really daring. He doesnʼt show his respect even when he is in front of the Concubine, but instead, he dares to laugh. He is really unruly!”

Concubine Tong smiled and said indifferently, ”Those who have the ability are always a little arrogant, not to mention that the Emperor wants to recruit talents from all over the world, how can we let this kind of simple thing chill the hearts of heroes in the world. So you do not need to mention this again.” As soon as she finished speaking, she thought to herself, ‘It would be great if the Emperor was as handsome as him…’ But when she realized how rebellious the thought was, Concubine Tongʼs face suddenly turned pale.

”My Lady, whatʼs wrong?” The palace maid on the side asked with concern.

”Itʼs nothing, I just feel a little uncomfortable, let us go back to the palace.” Xiao Tonghou weekly said as the blood on her pretty face faded.

*****

”Whatʼs the enmity between the Tong family and Brother Wei? And how could you let them harass his widow after his death?” Song Qingshu asked directly after he found Duo Long and exchanged a few words of greetings.

Duo Long looked around vigilantly, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he lowered his voice and said, ”No one in the entire Yanjing City dares to talk about this matter, for fear of causing trouble. I also remember my friendship with Brother Wei, but the matter is quite complex. Let me tell you.” Then Duo Long explained the matter of ”Tong Guguang”.

”So thatʼs the case,” Song Qingshu finally understood the whole situation ”But isn’t it too much to make such a fuss over this trivial matter?”

Duo Long said with a dry smile, ”Heh, to us pheasants, itʼs naturally a trivial matter, but in the eyes of a big family like the Tong family, itʼs a matter of face. When Brother Wei was alive, they naturally didnʼt dare to do anything. But, now that Brother Wei is dead, they don’t have to be afraid, so of course they will take revenge.”

”How does harassing a widow give them face?” Song Qingshu said, ”If they act like this, wonʼt they incur the Emperorʼs anger?”

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