Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 201: A couple in trouble

‘I’ve already stolen that from Wu Sanguiʼs wifeʼs bed, but Iʼll never tell you.’ Although he mocked Kangxi in his heart, Song Qingshu replied with a serious face, ”Your Majesty, I sorted out Lord Wei’s belongings before, but I did not see anything like the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters. Could it be that because he was murdered not long after he arrived in Shanhaiguan, he didnʼt have time to find the scripture?”

”Youʼre right.” Kangxi nodded, ”Wu Sangui is very cunning and cautious, Xiaobao probably couldnʼt find it in such a short time, and then he was killed, haah…” After speaking, he let out a deep sigh..

”Your Majesty, please restrain your grief.” Song Qingshu had a sudden thought. ‘If Kangxi knew that the murderer is actually me, what would he do then?’

”Wu Sanguiʼs part of the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters canʼt be found. So, you must find the other part belonging to Hongli for Us. You should return to the capital once before you and Fukang’an go to Western Xia, and take the opportunity to hand over the part of the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters to Us. Do you understand?” Kangxi said.

”Heeding the order, this official intends to leave today.” Song Qingshu was worried about Xia Qingqing and didn’t want to delay another day.

”So soon?” Kangxi was taken aback, ”Alright, I originally planned to make you visit Xiaobaoʼs widow to see if she has anything missing recently.”

”Shuangʼer?” The figure of a fair and flawless young woman in mourning attire appeared in his mind, and Song Qingshu spoke up after hesitating for a moment, ”I will go visit her once I return from Shengjing”

Kangxi nodded.

”Thank you, Your Majesty.” Song Qingshu walked out of the imperial study step by step. When he was almost out, he looked back at the plaque on the door, and his thoughts became complicated.

”I can see both desire and hesitation in your eyes, may I know what is making you struggle so much.” The voice of Sunflower Ancestor was heard again from the shadows behind the rockery.

Song Qingshu glared at the old eunuch and angrily said, ”I also see something in your eyes.”

”What?” Sunflower Ancestor was taken aback and asked.

”Eye boogers!” Song Qingshu laughed and walked away. When he turned around, his expression changed, ‘This old monster will prove to be a little troublesome.’(G: Also called “Rheum” in case you were wondering.)

Looking at Song Qingshuʼs disappearing figure, Sunflower Ancestor gave a silent laugh and returned to the darkness.

”Lord Song, you really have good luck! You were designated as an imperial envoy by the Emperor as soon as you came back.” On the way to Shengjing, Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian came to Song Qingshu and said with a flattering smile.

”It’s all thanks to the guidance from the two of you. This Song will remember this kindness in his heart.” Although Song Qingshu was feeling anxious, he still pretended to be in a pleasant mood before the two of them.

Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian waved their hands again and again, ”Lord Song must be joking. Us brothers have been on the job for so long and were often treated as lowly by our superiors. Lord Wei was the only exception, and now there is Lord Song. We think of the Lord as our own, and will naturally talk to Lord Song with open hearts. Moreover, Lord Song will be in charge of the Pole Arms in the future. In the palace, you will be under one person, but above ten thousand people. Just remember to take care of us brothers when that time comes.”

Song Qingshu laughed dryly, ”Heh, the two of you are quite well informed. Even the name ‘Pole Armsʼ hasnʼt been officially decided yet, but you are so clear. Well, my Pole Arms is indeed currently short of people, are you interested to join?”

The two looked at each other and said with joy, ”Can we really do it?”

”Although your martial arts, uh… are a little sloppy, but you are quite aware of the world, so you can do some administrative work in the future. The Pole Arms is also an intelligence department, so as long as you use it properly, you will be even more useful than any martial arts master.” Song Qingshu smiled and nodded.

As Song Qingshu indirectly pointed out that their martial arts were not good, Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian couldnʼt help but feel a little embarrassed, but they also understood the meaning of his words. So Zhang Kangnian couldnʼt help but feel a little excited, ”Thank you, Lord Song for your high evaluation! I also know that my martial arts skills are not very good. I was only able to join the imperial guards because of the shadow of my ancestors. Before, the Guard Commander did not choose us for Blood Drops. Although he did not say it clearly, we knew that he looked down upon our low martial arts…” As he spoke, his tone darkened.

Zhao Qixian also felt the same way, ”We are ordinary children of the Eight Banners, who canʼt succeed in the path of martial arts, and can only become a second-class guard in our lifetime. But what man doesnʼt want a bright career in his heart, and honor his ancestors? I also think the same, thank you Lord Song for giving us this opportunity!”

”As long as you follow me wholeheartedly, you will get more than you could have imagined, but I guess that at some point you will not be able to persevere.” Song Qingshu said with a faux-smile.

The two looked at each other and said with a solemn expression, ”People like us have no ability. If we canʼt even insist on this thing, we deserve to be despised as dog slaves for the rest of our lives.”

”Itʼs too early to say these words, we’ll see when that day comes.” Song Qingshu stopped the two of them from continuing to show their loyalty, and said, ”You two also know that I have something important to do in Shengjing as soon as possible, but now this team of envoys is moving too slowly, what good ideas do you have?”

Zhang Kangnian was stunned for a moment, and confidently replied, ”This is easy to handle. Lord can pick up about a dozen highly skilled guards and move faster on the road, so that the large army can continue to move forward at the original speed. On the one hand, it can solve the troubles of the Lord, and on the other, when the Emperor asks in the future, you can say that you intimidated Shengjing with a large army, and then disguised yourself and went to Shengjing to acquire information. Wouldnʼt it be hitting two birds with one stone?”

Song Qingshu glanced at him in surprise, ”I didnʼt see it before, but you are really talented.” Although Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian were not very skilled in terms of martial arts, they grew up in the imperial city and were born in a noble family. It could be said that they were well-versed in this aspect, and their talents in this aspect would be very useful in the future.

”Lord Song’s praise is much appreciated.” Zhang Kangnian said while rubbing his hands, his eyes narrowed with a smile, and he was obviously very happy.

”Okay, okay, letʼs stop flattering each other. You are familiar with these guards. You can pick ten strong guards, and then we will hit the road immediately.” Song Qingshu said with a smile.

”Yes!” The two happily ran to pick the guards.

*****

Song Qingshu’s group of people were traveling swiftly on the road, riding one behind the other, getting closer and closer to Shengjing. One day it rained quite heavily, and the group hurried to a nearby ruined temple to take shelter.

Not long after settling down, they suddenly heard noisy footsteps outside, as if two people had arrived at the temple gate, but for some reason they did not come in. Song Qingshu was very skilled, and the whispers from outside quickly reached his ears.

”The horses resting outside the temple are obviously not owned by ordinary people from the wulin. There are most likely powerful people in this ruined temple. It is better to be cautious when we travel. Should we just continue and go to the town in front of us to rest?” One rough voice said.

”Senior brother, the darts we pressed this time are not enough for the price of a few horses. Do you think they will play our darts? With such heavy rain outside, I don’t want to harm my little treasures. If you want to go, you can go by yourself. I wonʼt go no matter what.” The womanʼs voice was delicate, tinged with a hint of exhaustion, as if she was out of breath. It could be guessed that she was recovering from a serious injury.

”What little treasure!? Aren’t they just that manʼs bas…” The manʼs voice suddenly stopped, and the rest of his words were obviously stopped by the woman.

”You clearly said that you wouldnʼt mention the past, why are you still…” The womanʼs voice was full of grief, and the man hurriedly started to comfort her.

Song Qingshu laughed when he heard it, thinking that things would probably get interesting again. Not long after, a man and a woman walked in.

The man looked ordinary, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was obviously from a pheasant background, but the woman was different. She had a round oval face, dark eyes, flushed cheeks, but from time to time a faint pale color appeared on her face. Although she was dressed as a peasant woman, she couldnʼt hide her beauty.

The woman was holding two infants on the left and right in her arms. Most of the clothes on her body were wet, but the two babies had no water stains on their bodies. Song Qingshu couldnʼt help admiring her.

A frivolous whistle soon sounded in his ears. It turned out that the woman’s figure was quite full and well endowed. Her clothes were soaked by the rain and were stuck to her skin, they seemed almost translucent.

These imperial guards under Song Qingshu were not good people. Seeing such a beautiful scene, they naturally screamed with excitement. If it wasnʼt for the presence of Song Qingshu, they might have simply walked over and directly attacked the little lady.

Hearing the sound of whistling, the womanʼs senior brother or husband couldnʼt help but get angry, but seeing Song Qingshuʼs group of people with sturdy expressions and swords around their waists, he hesitated for a moment. Then he could only give them a glare, while blocking the view of his companion with his body.

”Little lady, why donʼt you come here and feel a little heat?”

”Yes, we are all fiery men, and you will be able to dry your wet clothes in an instant.”

”Yes, considering the size of your children, Iʼm afraid your body is quite weak now. If the wind and cold invades, Iʼm afraid you will suffer from a lifetime of illnesses. Just take off your clothes, we promise not to look at you.”

As soon as these words came out, the guards burst into laughter.

”You!” The woman was ashamed and angry, and the man beside her stood up with his sword and glared at everyone.

”Ehhh, what, do you want to fight?” When the guards saw it, they also stood up one after another, and pulled out their swords from their waists, and the temple suddenly shone with cold lights.

Song Qingshu furrowed his brow. These ruffians usually stayed in the capital, and they naturally restrained themselves at the feet of the Emperor. When they left the capital, they naturally had a strong sense of superiority, and they felt a bit more courageous than usual.

”You two donʼt have to worry, my subordinates are just acting rude, and joking. Although their words are not pleasant, they donʼt really mean anything. You two can rest assured.” Song Qingshu calmly assured them.

When the guards heard the words of Lord Song, they naturally did not dare to be too rude, and hurriedly put away their swords and sat down with embarrassed expressions.

Only then did the two see Song Qingshu sitting in the corner. Watching his sword eyebrows and starry eyes, sitting there with the bearing of a master, the woman went into a trance, ‘He was also such a person back then…’

”Thank you, Your Excellency.” The man bowed and carefully helped his companion to sit down. Before she could even sit still, the two babies started crying. The woman coaxed them for a long time to no avail. So, she pulled her companion and whispered, ”They are hungry, I am afraid they want to eat milk.”

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