Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1000: Riding a Crane Down to Yangzhou

“How did you know I was outside?” Daiqisi asked, feeling a bit shy and fidgety after entering the room.

Song Qingshu shot her a fierce glare and replied irritably, “First, Pucha Qiucao was disguised as you. Who else would do something so boring besides you? Second, I’m sure you’re quite pleased with this masterpiece, so wouldn’t you be curious to observe the situation unfold? Third, with my martial arts skills, it’s not difficult to sense you hiding outside.”

“Oh~” Daiqisi deliberately elongated her tone, “So you knew I was outside all along, yet you remained calm, letting me eavesdrop to satisfy some indescribable kink deep within you, right?”

Song Qingshu felt his face heat up and snapped, “We’re discussing your issue right now, so stop changing the subject.”

“Do I have any issues?” Daiqisi replied with a charming smile, “You got to enjoy the company of such a beautiful girl without any moral burden; you should be thanking me.”

“Thank your sister!” Song Qingshu was furious, “Is Pucha Qiucao just any ordinary girl? Her father controls nearly half of the Imperial Palace’s forbidden troops in Daxing Prefecture. If things go wrong, it could ignite a feud between our families. Haven’t you thought about the consequences?”

“Of course I have. I’ve already prepared a way to handle it for you,” Daiqisi said nonchalantly.

“Oh?” Song Qingshu looked at her in surprise, “How do you plan to handle it?”

“What else is there to do? Just kill her, and it’s all over. Then find a place to bury her and claim she went off to find her fiancé, Yang Guo. As for her never appearing again, the wulin is so vast; it wouldn’t be unusual for her to run into some bandits or a shady inn, right?” Daiqisi said with her usual tone.

Song Qingshu broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. 

The saying went, “The mouth of a bamboo snake and the stinger of a wasp are both not poisonous, but the most poisonous is a woman’s heart.” The ancients truly did not deceive him! This woman was ruthless; no wonder many in his past life described Daiqisi as cold-hearted, only caring for those she valued while completely disregarding the lives of others.

“I just didn’t expect you to come up with an even better solution…” As she spoke, a hint of fear crossed her face. She had clearly seen how Pucha Qiucao had acted when she left, and the thought that Song Qingshu possessed such abilities made her feel a chill run down her spine.

“That’s the Soul Capture Technique recorded in the Nine Yin Scripture; you don’t need to be so surprised,” Song Qingshu guessed what she was thinking based on her expression. “As long as you behave and listen to me in the future, I won’t use it on you.”

“Of course,” Daiqisi hurriedly agreed. At the moment, Song Qingshu’s image in her mind was almost on par with Ming Zun; he seemed capable of anything. She thought that since she couldn’t resist him, it would be better to comply with him, lest she end up as a soulless zombie after a soul capture.

Song Qingshu noticed that Daiqisi had misunderstood the Soul Capture Technique, but he was pleased with this misunderstanding and chose not to clarify.

*****

The next day, sunlight streamed into the tent as Pucha Qiucao slowly opened her eyes, feeling incredibly sore all over. She sat up in confusion and suddenly blushed, spitting out, “Ugh, how could I have such a dream, especially with Tang Kuo Bian…”

Although Song Qingshu had hypnotized her, some fragmented memories still lingered in her subconscious. However, these fragments were too disjointed, and she simply regarded them as an extremely erotic dream.

Suddenly feeling something unusual in her body, she hurriedly lifted the blanket and discovered a sticky mess between her legs, her cheeks flushed bright red. “I’m dead, I’m dead!” 

Having just recently come of age, she had no experience in such matters. Although she sensed something was off, she attributed it to the dream she had last night. Embarrassed, she tossed aside her clothes and changed into a completely new outfit.

However, after she got out of bed, she suddenly stumbled. Fortunately, she was quick enough to grab the edge of the bed, preventing herself from falling. A strange expression appeared on her face as she muttered, ‘Is it possible to feel pain from just a dream?’

After dazing for a while in the tent, Pucha Qiucao finally came to her senses and called a soldier to ask, ‘Where is the Marshal? Why is there no morning assembly today?’

Usually, she exuded a heroic demeanor, but today, there was an added softness and weariness to her presence. The soldier was momentarily taken aback, thinking to himself that he had never noticed how beautiful Miss Qiucao was before. After a moment of distraction, he regained his composure and replied, “Miss Qiucao, the Marshal left the camp with a dozen guards before dawn.”

“I see. You can go now,” Pucha Qiucao nodded. Thinking about what the other party had said in yesterday’s meeting, he must have gone to Yangzhou. 

The thought of not having to see him for a long time made Pucha Qiucao secretly breathe a sigh of relief. She didn’t understand why she felt this way; subconsciously, she seemed to be very afraid of him. 

After pondering for a while without any clues, some suggestive fragments suddenly floated in her mind, causing her to sit there in a daze. 

Song Qingshu had instructed Daiqisi to return to Daxing Prefecture with the army while he, traveling light, took a dozen elite cavalrymen to Yangzhou. Once he was free in Yangzhou, Daiqisi would reappear in the guise of Tang Kuo Bian, working with the Gebi sisters to control the court, while also sending Ouyang Feng back with them for protection.

Given Song Qingshu’s solitary nature, he actually didn’t want to bring any soldiers to Yangzhou. However, his current public identity was significant; as the top military and political figure of the Jin Dynasty, it wouldn’t do to have too few guards around him. Moreover, since this mission was a diplomatic one, it would be inappropriate for him to be the only one in the entire delegation.

The group of over ten people traveled day and night, reaching Yangzhou in just a few days. Fortunately, these were elite cavalrymen, and each of them had three fine horses to continuously swap out, allowing their travel speed to be no slower than if Song Qingshu were alone.

Yangzhou had always been a prosperous place. In the Tang Dynasty, the poet Du Mu wrote, 

“After ten years of dreams in Yangzhou, 

I gained a reputation for being unfaithful in the br0thels.” 

Ancient people said that the greatest joy in life was to ‘have ten thousand gold pieces and ride a crane to Yangzhou.’ 

Since Emperor Yang of Sui dug the canal, Yangzhou became a crucial point for the transportation of goods between Suzhou and Zhejiang.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it became a hub for wealthy salt merchants, thriving with riches. Many years ago, the Qing Dynasty entered the capital, and the Ming Dynasty finally collapsed under the dual pressures of the Qing and Li Chuang. Yangzhou was the last city where the Ming army and civilians resisted the Qing forces.

After several days of fierce battles, the Qing army suffered heavy losses. Unfortunately, the Ming Dynasty’s momentum had already waned, and the city ultimately fell. In a fit of rage, the Qing army’s commander, Dodo, ordered a massacre, leading to the infamous ‘Ten Days of Yangzhou’ in history.

After many years of recovery, Yangzhou gradually regained its former prosperity. 

Song Qingshu’s trip was to represent the Jin court, so there was no reason for him to be sneaky. Therefore, he sent someone ahead to inform the officials in Yangzhou. The Governor of the Two Rivers, Ma Leji, and the Jiangning Prefect, Ma You, along with the various officials, received the news and came out to welcome him several miles away.

Originally, Song Qingshu was an official of the Jin Dynasty, and no matter how high his rank, he wouldn’t have jurisdiction over these Qing officials. However, everyone knew that the Jin and Qing Dynasties shared the same origin and had formed a close alliance. Now, as the top military and political figure of the Jin Dynasty, Song Qingshu was quite popular, and the Qing officials in Yangzhou dared not be negligent, all coming out to greet him, thus giving him due respect.

After exchanging pleasantries with the officials, Song Qingshu suddenly realized that the most crucial figure, Li Kexiu, was absent. He intentionally asked, “Oh, where is the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Commander, Lord Li Kexiu?”

G: Ok this marks 1000 chapters. A significant milestone for me. I want to thank all the people who have supported me to this point. There’s an epubs (500 chapters) available in the Patreon and the BMC shop.