Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1073: Offering W!ves for Glory

Currently, the city of Yanjing is effectively under the control of Song Qingshu, making it quite easy to rescue Li Kexiu’s family.

Looking at the contents of the envelope, Li Kexiu’s expression changed several times. He slowly closed his eyes and after a long while said, “I understand the intention of my esteemed nephew very well. Back then, my esteemed nephew saved the lives of my father and daughter, and this time you have saved my family. With this bond, we are not outsiders, so I will speak frankly.”  

“Uncle Li, please feel free to speak,” Song Qingshu replied, knowing that things were not so simple and not showing any surprise.  

“In today’s world, many heroes are rising. Although I command an army of a hundred thousand, I must admit that I lack the ability to unify the world. Therefore, I have been seeking a wise leader,” Li Kexiu paused, casting a meaningful glance at him. “Although the Golden Serpent Camp is currently powerful, I must speak frankly that it is unlikely to dominate the Central Plains.”  

Song Qingshu raised an eyebrow and asked nonchalantly, “May I ask why Uncle Li thinks so?”  

Li Kexiu sighed, “Over the years, the Huaxia has been in decline, and in the Central Plains, righteous armies have risen one after another. Who knows how many righteous armies have suddenly flourished and then suddenly declined? As the saying goes, one sees the tall buildings rise, sees the guests at the banquet, and then sees the building collapse… In the end, it is because the righteous armies do not understand what governance is. They can be bandits, but they cannot aspire to dominate the world.”  

“Given our friendship, my joining the Golden Serpent Camp should be the best choice. However, since it seems unlikely for the Golden Serpent Camp to unify the world, then my joining would put my family at great risk,” Li Kexiu continued. “Rather than seeing our family vanish in the future, it would be better to make a decisive break now. At most, I would sacrifice a few people, like my wife and children. If I were to join the Golden Serpent Camp and it were to fall, it would be a disaster for our entire family. I hope my esteemed nephew understands.”  

Song Qingshu smiled slightly, “Uncle Li’s concerns are quite normal. However, the Golden Serpent Camp under my leadership is different from those other righteous armies. We not only have the strength to defeat the powerful Qing army, but we can also govern the Shandong region in an orderly manner, allowing the people within our territory to live and work in peace. Yangzhou is not far from Shandong, and I believe Uncle Li knows that what I say is not false.”  

Li Kexiu nodded slightly, “Indeed, the governance in Shandong has been quite effective lately, presenting a scene of prosperity.” He then shifted the topic and continued, “But in my view, this is merely temporary prosperity. Once the Qing court pacifies the Sanfan Rebellion, it will inevitably not tolerate the existence of the Golden Serpent Camp. The Jin Kingdom has always moved in tandem with the Qing. At that time, under the pressure of these two military powers, how long can the Golden Serpent Camp last?”  

This actually represented the views of most people regarding the future of the Golden Serpent Camp. After all, the Golden Serpent Camp is bordered by the Jin Kingdom to the west, the Qing Kingdom to the north, and the vast ocean to the east, leaving no room for expansion. Maintaining the current situation is already the limit; what future could there be?  

“The Qing and Jin Dynasties?” Song Qingshu smiled mysteriously, “Uncle Li, because we are not yet on the same side, there are some things I cannot speak plainly to you. I can only say that the Qing and Jin Dynasties will not become obstacles to the Golden Serpent Camp; rather, they will become its support.”  

The fact that he secretly controlled the affairs of both the Jin and Qing Dynasties was his greatest secret and trump card, and he certainly could not casually reveal it to others. Song Qingshu had considered using this as leverage to persuade Li Kexiu to join, and theoretically, the chances of success were very high. However, the risks involved were too great. If Li Kexiu were to leak this information, all of his previous plans would be for naught. Therefore, he held a trump card but could not easily play it.  

“What do you mean by that?” Li Kexiu, being an old fox in the officialdom, quickly sensed the hidden meaning in his words.  

Song Qingshu organized his thoughts: “I can only say that I can influence the decision-making of both courts to a certain extent. I wonder if this satisfies you, Uncle Li?”

“Can you really influence the decisions of the court?” Li Kexiu was taken aback, but he also understood that these words could mean a lot or very little. The key lay in how much influence it could actually have. If he directly asked the other party, they would certainly not divulge the details, but he could try to probe indirectly. “If your esteemed nephew can make Suo Etu and Tang Kuo Bian leave Yangzhou, I can consider forming an alliance with the Golden Serpent Camp.” During this time, Suo Etu and Tang Kuo Bian had been a significant pressure on him in Yangzhou, making it impossible for him to carry out his plans. Naturally, he wished for these two calamities to leave as soon as possible.

Of course, Li Kexiu was just saying this casually. Even though Song Qingshu claimed he could influence the political situation of both the Qing and Jin dynasties, Suo Etu and Tang Kuo Bian were top figures in their respective courts. He didn’t believe the other party had the ability to influence these two. Li Kexiu said this deliberately, hoping to make Song Qingshu back off, to avoid an awkward situation by being too straightforward.

Who would have thought that Song Qingshu would look at him with a strange expression and ask, “Uncle Li, are you serious?”

Li Kexiu was startled but nodded, “Of course, I am serious.” In his heart, he thought, how could two prime minister-level figures be so easily influenced by the Golden Serpent Camp?

“Then it’s settled,” Song Qingshu said with a mysterious smile, making Li Kexiu’s heart race as he felt like he had fallen into a trap.

After parting ways with Li Kexiu, Song Qingshu did not return to the Daotai Yamen but instead went to a secret base of the Golden Dragon Gang, where he immediately wrote a secret edict for Suo Etu. He carried several blank secret edicts sealed with the jade seal for emergencies. Additionally, having disguised himself as Kangxi in the Forbidden City years ago, he had learned to imitate Kangxi’s handwriting perfectly. Thus, this secret edict was enough to pass for the real thing—of course, in a sense, this edict was indeed real.

He also wrote a letter to inform Dongfang Muxue in the Forbidden City, to avoid any discrepancies in their testimonies when Suo Etu returned to the capital. This letter was written in code, and without the corresponding key, even if intercepted, it would not reveal anything. Coming from a later time, Song Qingshu had the advantage of much experience from predecessors in this regard.

After sending the two secret letters through their respective channels, Song Qingshu leisurely made his way back to the Daotai Yamen.

What he didn’t know was that in the courtyard of the Daotai Yamen, Lu Guanying and his wife were already in a heated argument.

“How can you believe me!” Looking at her angry husband, Cheng Yaojia’s eyes brimmed with tears of grievance.

Lu Guanying lay on the bed, sneering repeatedly but remained silent.

Cheng Yaojia felt a surge of anger, but seeing her husband’s injuries and the thick bandages on him, her heart softened. She walked over, grabbed his sleeve, and said softly, “Guanying, let’s not fight anymore, okay? Let’s make up.”

Lu Guanying’s expression fluctuated, and he suddenly said, “If we are to make up, you must first promise me one thing.”

Cheng Yaojia’s heart leaped with joy, and a smile appeared on her face. “Don’t say one thing; even if it’s ten or a hundred things, as long as I can do it, I will definitely agree.”

“You can certainly do it,” Lu Guanying looked at his wife meaningfully, “You need to ask that person to help rescue Master Han, Uncle Lu, and the others.”

“Ah?” Cheng Yaojia looked troubled. “Just rescuing you has already put him at great risk, and it was only because I begged him that he reluctantly agreed. To rescue Master Han and the others, I’m afraid…”

“Begging…” Lu Guanying’s face twitched a few times, and he sneered, “He has such high martial arts skills; rescuing people is as easy as pie for him. What risk is there?”

“But he is after all an official of the Jin dynasty, our enemy, so why would he be willing to rescue Master Han and the others?” For some reason, Cheng Yaojia instinctively defended Song Qingshu while not revealing his true identity.

“From the perspective of a Jin state official, he indeed wouldn’t save Master Han and the others,” Lu Guanying paused, suddenly staring meaningfully at his wife, “But what if it were for you?”

Cheng Yaojia’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly asked, “What do you mean?”

Lu Guanying lowered his eyes, his expression emotionless as he said, “Later tonight, you need to go to his room. No matter what method you use, you must make him agree to help.”

Cheng Yaojia’s face drained of color, instinctively taking a few steps back, looking at her husband in disbelief: “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“Of course I know!” Lu Guanying’s expression suddenly turned ferocious, “But what can I do! Our Lu family has already staked the fate of the entire clan on Master Han. If anything happens to him here, our Lu family will be completely finished. In the future, Jia Sidao and Shi Miyuan will settle scores, and our Lu family will face utter ruin. The men will be en$laved, and the women will be sent to the br0thels, with the Shanyin Lu clan humiliatingly disappearing into the annals of history.”

“But I am your wife! How can you make me do such a thing?” Cheng Yaojia murmured.

Lu Guanying sneered, “What do you mean by making you do such a thing? As if you haven’t done it before. What’s one more time?”

This was Lu Guanying’s true thought; he only considered that his wife had already done something unforgivable to him. Since the fact that his wife had lost her chastity could not be changed, he decided to go with the flow and use his wife to save Han Dingxiao, maximizing their benefits. 

Although as a man, such a thing felt somewhat despicable, the interests of a wife could be completely disregarded compared to the interests of the entire family.

“You!” Cheng Yaojia pointed at her husband, so furious that she couldn’t find the words.

Lu Guanying knew his wife’s character well; he understood that she was shy and tender. If he pushed her too hard, it might backfire, so he quickly softened his tone and said, “Yaojia, it was my fault before. Actually, what happened after we arrived in Yangzhou isn’t your fault either; it’s just that I didn’t have the ability to protect you well. But now that things have happened, we must face them positively. You know our Lu family’s honor and disgrace are tied to Master Han. If anything happens to him, our entire family will suffer. At that time, as a daughter-in-law of the Lu family, your situation won’t be any better.”

“If you can save Master Han this time, he will definitely be grateful, and our status in the family will rise accordingly…”

Seeing his wife remain silent, Lu Guanying continued, “I will remember your sacrifice this time. After we return to Jiangnan, I will treat you twice as well. Let’s just pretend that everything that happened in Yangzhou was a dream, okay?”

Cheng Yaojia shook her head, a sorrowful smile on her face: “Since you want me to find another m@n, then I will go find him tonight.”