Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1070: The End of the Show

After listening to Mu Wanqing’s tearful recounting of the events, Song Qingshu finally understood the whole story.

After Qin Hui murdered Yue Fei, he wielded immense power within the country. With numerous supporters, even Emperor Zhao Gou was wary of him, constantly fearing a coup.

Zhao Gou was fortunate; Qin Hui, in his old age, succumbed to illness and, before his death, wanted his son to succeed him as prime minister, but Zhao Gou politely declined.

The Qin family was immediately shaken. Knowing they had been in the limelight for years and had offended many, coupled with Zhao Gou’s ambiguous attitude, the Qin clan feared future persecution and extermination. Therefore, they began planning for the future long ago.

After Qin Hui’s death, Zhao Gou found a pretext to force the Qin family members in high positions to retire. The Qin family then secretly emigrated.

At that time, only the Jin and Qing dynasties could rival the Southern Song. Qin Hui originally had a good relationship with the Jin high command, but unfortunately, the Jin used him to control the Southern Song court. Now that the Qin family had lost power in the Southern Song, they naturally lost their value to the Jin. If they went to the Jin, they might be sold to the Southern Song for greater benefits.

The Qing and Jin were brother states, so if they couldn’t go to the Jin, they naturally couldn’t go to the Qing either.

Looking around at the other states at the time, besides the Qing and Jin, Dali was too weak, Tibet was too remote, Mongolia was too far away, the Liao was barely surviving, and only Western Xia remained. Western Xia had a long-standing feud with the Song and wouldn’t betray the Qin family; it was powerful and self-sufficient; and its regime was rudimentary and desperately needed talent, making it an easy place for the Qin family to rise. Therefore, after weighing various options, the Qin clan migrated to Western Xia.

Perhaps due to their numerous evil deeds, Qin Hui and his wife had no children for many years. To avoid the extinction of their lineage, they eventually adopted their brother-in-law’s son as their own, naming him Qin Shu. After Qin Hui’s death, Qin Feishan was born.

Mu Wanqing’s mother, Qin Hongmian, also came from the Qin clan. By seniority, she was Qin Hui’s niece. From a young age, she was renowned for her beauty. After the Qin family moved to Western Xia, in order to establish a foothold there, and coinciding with the Western Xia general Mu Yuqi’s desire to remarry, the Qin family betrothed Qin Hongmian to him.

At that time, Qin Hongmian had already met Duan Zhengchun in the martial arts world and even became pregnant with his child. Unfortunately, Duan Zhengchun could not marry her. The Qin clan, being a prestigious family, could not allow a woman of the Qin family to be pregnant out of wedlock.

Because of constant pressure from her clan, and Qin Hongmian’s desire to conceal her pregnancy, she ultimately had no choice but to marry Mu Yuqi.

Mu Yuqi, as the Grand General of Western Xia, held nearly half of the military power. His sister was the Empress of Western Xia. With Qin Hongmian as their patron, the Qin family finally settled down in Western Xia.

“Wanqing, you and your mother were merely members of the Qin clan, but even if you were Qin Hui’s granddaughter, I would still love you!” Song Qingshu said softly, embracing her. “Everyone bears the consequences of their own sins. What does it have to do with their family? You and your mother couldn’t choose your birth, but you could choose your actions. You haven’t acted as Qin Hui’s accomplices all these years, so why would I hold a grudge against you?”

“Really?” Mu Wanqing looked at him with delighted surprise.

“Of course it’s true!” Song Qingshu was somewhat puzzled by her excitement. It seemed that in this world, the common practice was for sons to pay for their fathers’ debts and daughters to pay for their mothers’ debts. Although Mu Wanqing wasn’t Qin Hui’s granddaughter, she had some family connection, which had always been a source of anxiety for her. Therefore, Song Qingshu’s progressive thinking naturally struck a chord with her.

“You’re so good!” Mu Wanqing threw herself into his arms, pressing her face tightly against his chest.

Holding her soft, youthful body, Song Qingshu felt a surge of warmth and quickly embraced her, softly comforting her.

“Song Lang, you’re so naughty…” Mu Wanqing suddenly blushed, feigning anger.

“What’s wrong?” Song Qingshu was taken aback.

Mu Wanqing glanced at his lower abdomen, blushing, and said, “Are you holding it in a lot? Should I help you…” She then shrank further under the covers.

Song Qingshu’s face flushed, and he couldn’t help but curse himself for being a beast. He had reacted so quickly, probably because she could feel their b0dies pressed together. He quickly helped her up, saying softly, “No need, I just want to hold you and sleep peacefully.”

Mu Wanqing was grateful, curling up in his arms, her fingers gently tracing circles on his chest. “Song Lang, are you upset that I wouldn’t give myself to you?”

Song Qingshu smiled slightly. “How could I? In my heart, you are the purest and most innocent girl.”

“If I were truly pure and innocent, I wouldn’t have…wouldn’t have done that for you,” Mu Wanqing’s face flushed, and she lightly spat before sighing softly, “Song Lang, it’s not that I didn’t want to give myself to you, it’s just that my mother suffered so much because of her unplanned pregnancy. She always warned me to learn from her experience and promise her I would never repeat her mistakes. I didn’t want to see her heartbroken, so…”

Song Qingshu quickly hugged her and comforted her. “I know the reason, so I will propose to your family in the future, and only after I get your mother’s approval will I…would I bully you.”

Mu Wanqing blushed, then suddenly became shy: “Actually, if you really want to…want to bully me now, Song Lang, I…I won’t…I won’t refuse you.”

Song Qingshu shook his head: “Your brother Song isn’t a beast. I’ll save the most beautiful moment of your life for our wedding night.”

Mu Wanqing was moved, clinging to his neck and murmuring tenderly, “Brother Song~”

The two lingered like this for a long time. Suddenly, Mu Wanqing looked up, her eyes shining: “Brother Song, if you really want to, you can go next door to find that Madam Lu. I won’t be jealous.”

She had been raised by Qin Hongmian since childhood, living in seclusion deep in the mountains. Her temperament was very similar to her mother’s, and she had never had any sense of common ethics or morals. In her view, whether Cheng Yaojia was Madam Lu or some other madam, as long as her lover liked her, it wouldn’t matter what happened between them. 

Just then, Cheng Yaojia heard the noise next door. After a long internal struggle, she finally couldn’t suppress her curiosity and pressed her ear against the wall to eavesdrop. She overheard this conversation and was immediately startled. She rushed back to bed and huddled under the covers, her heart filled with anxiety: “Will he come over? If he does, should I pretend to be asleep or fight back…?”

Song Qingshu was amused and exasperated by Mu Wanqing’s words. He gently kissed her forehead: “I’m not going anywhere tonight, I just want to hold you while we sleep.”

“Okay~” Mu Wanqing’s face lit up with joy. She shifted her b0dy, finding a more comfortable position in his arms.

Song Qingshu smiled knowingly and gently comforted her. 

Meanwhile, Cheng Yaojia next door, filled with anxiety, couldn’t sleep a wink all night.

The next day, at daybreak, Song Qingshu awoke. His practice of the Joyful Meditation Method, which focused on Yin and Yang energies, meant he no longer needed sleep as much as ordinary people. Seeing Mu Wanqing sleeping soundly like a baby, Song Qingshu gently kissed her forehead and quietly left the room.

He instructed his subordinates to prepare breakfast for Mu Wanqing, ordering a few of her favorite pastries. Suddenly remembering that the White Lotus Holy Mother was still in the courtyard, he hesitated for a moment, then instructed his subordinates to prepare a brand-new set of women’s clothing. He took the clothes and headed to her room.

Upon opening the door, he found her gone, the room empty. 

Song Qingshu wasn’t surprised; this outcome was within his expectations.

His gaze suddenly fell on a note on the table. Song Qingshu smiled bitterly: “I wonder if this time I’ve let the tiger return to the mountain.” 

The note contained several elegant yet sharp characters: “Yesterday’s humiliation will be avenged in due time!” 

When Song Qingshu returned to his room, Mu Wanqing was already up. He was about to have a romantic chat with her when a commotion erupted at the courtyard gate.

“I’m Mu Wanqing’s uncle! Why can’t I come in!” A hunchbacked man rushed in.

“Reporting to the Marshal, he…” Several guards, sweating profusely, were about to use force to remove him when Song Qingshu waved them away.

“So it’s Hero Mu,” Song Qingshu said, bowing respectfully. 

“I can’t accept the title of ‘hero,ʼ” Mu Gaofeng chuckled twice, then turned to Mu Wanqing and said, “Come back with me!”

“But Uncle…”

Mu Wanqing wanted to say something, but Mu Gaofeng immediately interrupted her: “Have you forgotten your mother’s fate?”

Mu Wanqing fell silent. 

Mu Gaofeng then said to Song Qingshu, “Sir, although your martial arts are unparalleled, my Mu family’s daughter cannot be bullied so unjustly. If you are interested in our girl, you can come to Western Xia and formally marry her. Until then, I’m sorry I cannot…let her stay with you.”

Song Qingshu frowned, about to say something, but Mu Wanqing, worried he would take his anger out on Mu Gaofeng, quickly pulled him aside and whispered, “Song Lang, Uncle Gaofeng has always treated me very well since I was little, please don’t blame him.”

Song Qingshu smiled slightly: “He’s your uncle, so naturally he’s my uncle too. How could I blame him?”

“Thank you, Song Lang!” Mu Wanqing smiled sweetly, making Song Qingshu’s bones melt. “But this time Uncle came to find me because something happened at home, so I have to go back with him.”

“So soon?” Song Qingshu frowned.

“I’m reluctant to part with you too…” Mu Wanqing blushed, glancing furtively at Mu Gaofeng, and whispered, “But Uncle just said that, how can I possibly stay here any longer?”

Song Qingshu gave a wry smile. Although with his current martial arts skills and power, Mu Gaofeng was nothing to him, he was Mu Wanqing’s elder, and in the right. He and Mu Wanqing had no official status, and this constant interaction wouldn’t be good for her reputation.

“After I’ve dealt with things here, I’ll come to Western Xia to find you as soon as possible.” Not wanting to put Mu Wanqing in a difficult position, Song Qingshu abandoned his plan to force her to stay.

“Mmm~” Seeing that Mu Gaofeng hadn’t noticed them, Mu Wanqing tiptoed and ki$sed Song Qingshu before running back to his side as if fleeing. 

Watching their departing figures, Song Qingshu felt a pang of loss.

“Young Master Song…?” 

Just then, the door behind him opened, and Cheng Yaojia, head bowed, bumped into him.