Flower Stealing Master

“You’re now considered a grandmaster, yet you still act so shamelessly and lazily.” Dongfang Muxue rolled her eyes and let out a light snort.

“Well, what can I do? I have an unrestrained heart.” Song Qingshu showed no shame as he grinned and replied, “So, how about it? Do you want me to help you recover your martial arts?”

Dongfang Muxue fell silent. After a long pause, she finally said, “Answer a question for me first.”

“What question?” Song Qingshu thought to himself that no matter what she asked, he would answer in a way that suited her.

“If one day, I k!lled Ren Woxing, and Ren Yingying came seeking revenge for her father, who would you help?” Dongfang Muxue asked casually, as if killing the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult were a trivial matter.

Song Qingshu felt a headache coming on. Why do women always like to ask these kinds of questions? Even though he intended to sweet-talk her, he wasn’t willing to say anything against his conscience.

After a moment of thought, Song Qingshu came up with a plan. “Of course, I’d help Ren Yingying. With your martial skills, you could k!ll her with just one finger. Why would you need my help?”

“You’re quite clever,” Dongfang Muxue said with a light laugh. “So, you should already know my answer?”

“I understand.” Song Qingshu let out a bitter smile. He realized that the best choice earlier would have been to side completely with Dongfang Muxue. That way, their relationship would have deepened, and he might never have to worry about her being disloyal.

But he couldn’t convince himself to do so. In his previous life, while reading ‘The Smiling, Proud Wanderer’, Ren Yingying had been one of his favorite female characters. Even though the current Ren Yingying wasn’t the same as the one from the novel, he still didn’t want to hurt her.

Even though Song Qingshu had achieved far more in this world than in his previous life, he still missed his former world. He had a vague feeling that if he could truly harden his heart against Ren Yingying, someone he had liked so much, it would signify that he had completely severed ties with the memories of his past life. But those memories were precious to him, and he didn’t want to lose the moments of heart-fluttering excitement he had once experienced.

Dongfang Muxue gave him a deep look, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she said emotionlessly, “I’ve quite enjoyed being emperor during this time, so I won’t be returning to Blackwood Cliff anytime soon. That gives you plenty of time to think about this question carefully. I hope you’ll have a different answer then.”

“Maybe…” Song Qingshu let out a bitter laugh at her gaze. Although he had allied with Ren Woxing, partly due to his fondness for Ren Yingying, he also wanted to keep Dongfang Muxue in check. After all, she was too brilliant to be content as a mere supporting figure.

Dongfang Muxue probably understood this as well, but she chose not to expose it. 

Song Qingshu could only feign ignorance, and the atmosphere in the room became subtly tense and awkward.

Qu Feiyan, watching from the side, felt anxious. One was her beloved, and the other was her teacher, to whom she owed an immense debt of gratitude. She didn’t want any rift to form between them. With a quick idea, she broke the silence in the room. “Brother Song, weren’t you just asking why Wu Sangui sent assassins to infiltrate the palace?”

“Yes.” Song Qingshu glanced gratefully at Qu Feiyan. With Dongfang Muxue’s personality, she would never lower herself to speak gently, and he didn’t know how to break the tension either. Having Qu Feiyan act as a mediator was perfect.

Dongfang Muxue cleared her throat softly. “Thanks to your Brother Song, the Qing Dynasty’s 100,000-strong army was nearly wiped out. It has left them quite shaken. The Three Feudatories have always harbored rebellious thoughts, and with this opportunity, they couldn’t resist taking action.”

Qu Feiyan found it amusing that her master, despite intending to explain to Song Qingshu, pretended to address her instead. She couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, surprised that even someone like her master could act so childish.

Holding back her laughter, Qu Feiyan turned to Song Qingshu with a serious expression. “Brother Song, Master asked me to tell you that because you defeated the Qing army, the court has been shaken, and Prince Pingxi and others have started having improper thoughts.”

Even Dongfang Muxue, who was usually aloof, couldn’t help but feel both embarrassed and annoyed at her disciple’s teasing. She glared at Qu Feiyan. “Does he not have ears? Why do you need to repeat it?”

Seeing Dongfang Muxue’s rare display of bashfulness, Song Qingshu found himself intrigued as he studied her slightly flushed, jade-like cheeks.

Noticing Song Qingshu’s amused gaze, Dongfang Muxue suddenly felt flustered and snapped, “What are you looking at?”

“It’s rare to see you like this, so of course, I need to look a bit longer.” Song Qingshu grinned, while Qu Feiyan quietly gave him a thumbs-up from the side.

“Look all you want,” Dongfang Muxue said, quickly regaining her composure. “But if you’ve looked enough, can we get back to business?”

“Such peerless beauty—I could look at it for a lifetime and never get enough.” 

Song Qingshu’s infatuated expression left Qu Feiyan inwardly marveling. She thought to herself, ‘When it comes to shamelessness, there’s probably no one in the world who can match Brother Song. But it seems to work. Even Master has been coaxed into acting like a shy maiden…’

Though she knew Song Qingshu was only spouting nonsense, Dongfang Muxue couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased. Her expression finally returned to normal. “I give up. Now, do you want to know about Yue Le or not?”

“Yue Le?” Song Qingshu instantly became serious. “How is the court dealing with him?”

With the near-annihilation of 100,000 troops, Yue Le, as the commander, couldn’t escape blame. Though Song Qingshu had heard bits of news, nothing was as reliable as directly asking Dongfang Muxue, the “Qing Emperor.”

“Yue Le’s prestige is too great, and the court is divided. Some believe the defeat was mainly the fault of other commanders and that he shouldn’t be held accountable. Others argue that, as the commander, he bears full responsibility. Both sides have their points, and for now, it’s a stalemate,” Dongfang Muxue explained.

“The key lies in how you want to handle him.” Song Qingshu, who had long been involved in court politics, understood the essence of such disputes. Ultimately, it all boiled down to a power struggle.

Dongfang Muxue nodded slightly. “Yue Le cannot be allowed to stay.”

“Why?” Song Qingshu asked. Despite the defeat, Yue Le had shown decisiveness by retreating to preserve the army’s strength. Song Qingshu saw him as a valuable talent.

Dongfang Muxue’s expression turned grave. “Do you know what Yue Le said to me during our private conversation after his return?”

“What?” Song Qingshu’s heart sank.

“He said there’s a traitor within the court—and that person holds a high position!” Dongfang Muxue repeated, a hint of lingering fear in her voice. At the time, she had thought her identity was exposed.

“What?” Song Qingshu was stunned.

Dongfang Muxue explained, “Yue Le is an experienced commander. The Qing army’s defeat against the Golden Serpent Camp was too suspicious. He keenly suspected someone in the court was leaking information. Otherwise, you couldn’t have anticipated the army’s movements so precisely every time.”

She continued, “According to Yue Le, only a few people in the court had access to such detailed intelligence. He suspected the traitor might be Suo’ertu, Mingzhu, or Prince Kang. That’s why he sought a private audience with me, not realizing the ‘Kangxi’ before him was the real traitor.”

“Then why not eliminate him sooner?” Song Qingshu asked, still reeling from the revelation.

Dongfang Muxue smiled faintly. “Yue Le’s influence is immense. If I had acted rashly, many would have pleaded for him. But after letting the court debate for so long, at least half the ministers now want him dead. When the time comes, a mere hint from me will suffice to seal his fate.”

Song Qingshu sighed inwardly. Dongfang Muxue’s mastery of political maneuvering far surpassed his own. With one subtle move, she had turned Yue Le’s case into a matter of political strife, gaining the support of half the court without them even realizing they were being manipulated.

“Even though the time was ripe, I lacked a decisive opportunity to act against Yue Le,” Dongfang Muxue said, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. “But today, the opportunity has presented itself.”

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