Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 932: The Situation Shifts Dramatically

Wanyan Liang was taking off his cl0thes as he walked towards the dragon bed. “My beauties, whichever of you pleases me more later, I… no, this Emperor, will appoint her as empress.”

Pei Man smiled coldly. “This palace is already the empress. Why would I need your appointment?”

A chill flashed in Wanyan Liang’s eyes. “Since ancient times, when an emperor passes, there must be those from the harem who join him in burial. Would you like to try that?”

The Empress Pei Man’s expression shifted several times, but in the end, she offered no rebuttal.

Seeing him draw closer, Daiqisi attempted to buy time with words: “Your Highness, why deceive us? You have a legitimate princess consort in your manor. If you ascend the throne, she would naturally become empress. How could it possibly be our turn?”

Wanyan Liang’s face instantly darkened. “That’s not necessarily true. Though Tudan Jing is the princess consort, the empress may not be her.” 

In truth, he had been regretting the events of that night recently. Although he had finally gotten his wish and tasted Gebi’s b0dy, that same night his own wife had also given herself to another man beneath him. The thought of that scene felt like a thorn in his heart.

Now that the coup had succeeded, his annoyance over this matter grew even more. Had he known this would happen, he should have just endured for a while longer. Once he became emperor, obtaining Gebi would have been effortless; why did he have to sacrifice his wife?

Now, every time Wanyan Liang saw his wife, he couldn’t help but think of those unpleasant images. Therefore, when he said the empress might not be Tudan Jing, he wasn’t completely lying to the two women.

Accidentally reminded of this matter, a perverse fury rose even stronger within Wanyan Liang. Since Daiqisi had brought it up, he decided to vent his full anger on her. With reddened eyes, he went to tear at Daiqisi’s clothes.

Daiqisi’s face paled dramatically. She instinctively wanted to dodge, but unfortunately, her acupoints were sealed, making it impossible for her to move even an inch. Moreover, the pink smoke she had previously hidden in her mouth had been used against Da Xingguo. Now, she was utterly defenseless.

Just at that moment, a mocking voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall: “When dealing with such a peerless beauty, if mutual affection isn’t possible, then conquering the heart is superior, conquering the b0dy is inferior. Your Highness is also a lover of beauty; why have you chosen the most reckless and despicable method?”

“Who dares speak nonsense here!” Wanyan Liang flew into a rage, but quickly calmed down. His heart sank immediately; someone appearing outside the hall at this time indicated that something must have gone wrong.

As Wanyan Liang finished putting on his clothes and walked out the hall door, his other subordinates gathered around. He hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand to his subordinates: “Bring those two women out.”

He didn’t know how many people the other side had brought. He was worried it was a strategy to feint east and attack west—distracting everyone’s attention at the front to rescue the two women amidst the chaos.

He could absolutely not tolerate a woman of Daiqisi’s peerless elegance and beauty falling into another man’s hands. As for Pei Man, her status as empress would be greatly useful for stabilizing the court situation later. Therefore, neither of these women could be missing; keeping them by his side was the most reassuring.

“Tang Kuo Bian?” Upon clearly seeing the person standing outside the hall, Wanyan Liang couldn’t help but be greatly astonished.

“Your Highness, long time no see.” Song Qingshu smiled slightly.

“Shouldn’t you be at Chongyang Palace?” Wanyan Liang frowned. The people he had sent to monitor them had been sending back messages consistently. According to the most recent news, Tang Kuo Bian, Pucha Ahute, and their three thousand troops should have been near Zhongnan Mountain.

“Who said I was at Chongyang Palace?” Song Qingshu suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. He threw a bundle he was casually holding in front of Wanyan Liang. “It must have been this person who told you.”

The bundle rolled on the ground a few times, soon revealing a round, ball-like object. Wanyan Liang stared intently and couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath: “Tudan Zhen!”

The bundle contained the severed head of Tudan Zhen, whom he had sent to monitor Tang Kuo Bian’s group.

Tudan Alichuhu’s eyes instantly reddened. He and Tudan Zhen both came from the Tudan family and had always been close. 

Xiao Tanggudai and Yelu Yuanyi also had gloomy expressions. Although their relationship with Tudan Zhen wasn’t as good as Alichuhu’s, as fellow members of Wanyan Liang’s four great guards, seeing their former companion decapitated, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of mourning for a fellow companion.

The few men stepped forward, poised to make a move. Wanyan Liang hurriedly stopped them. He still had many doubts that needed answering from the other party. There would be time for revenge after his doubts were resolved.

“Since you appear here, I presume Pucha Ahute and the others have returned as well. Where are they now?” Wanyan Liang asked coldly.

As soon as his words fell, the faint sounds of clashing weapons and fierce fighting came from around the distant palace grounds. Song Qingshu shrugged: “The Pucha family has always been loyal to the imperial house. Now that a traitor has emerged from within their family, they are busy cleaning their own house.”

Wanyan Liang’s expression changed. No wonder Pucha Ahudie, whom he had sent to take control of the imperial guards within the palace, hadn’t returned after so long. He had been stalled by Pucha Ahute.

However, he wasn’t overly worried. Instead, he snorted coldly: “Ahute has at most three thousand troops at his disposal. Ahudie commands far more men than that. Coupled with the cooperation of this king’s direct line troops, it remains to be seen who is cleaning out whom.”

Song Qingshu laughed heartily: “Your Highness’s men are indeed numerous, but can they outnumber the hundred thousand garrison troops at the northern camp?”

Wanyan Liang’s face finally changed: “Impossible! Without the emperor’s tiger tally, no one can mobilize the northern camp.”

There were three main armies near the capital: one was the Imperial Guard within the imperial city, controlled by the Palace Command Bureau. Wanyan Liang had schemed to remove the Palace Command Bureau Director, Wanyan Tesi, then transferred away the Left Vice Director, Pucha Ahute, allowing his confidant Pucha Ahudie to seize control of the Imperial Guard. Another army was the capital defense force, managed by the Police Patrol Bureau. Through years of infiltration and persuasion, most of this army was also under his control. The final army was the northern camp, arguably the most elite troops of the entire Jin Dynasty, directly led by the emperor. In times of war, the soldiers for the Marshal Command primarily came from here.

Wanyan Liang couldn’t have failed to consider such an army. However, since this army could only be mobilized by the emperor personally or with the emperor’s tiger tally, he had chosen a direct assault on the heart. As long as he controlled the emperor, this army would naturally fall under his control.

Earlier, although he hadn’t found the tiger tally, based on testimonies from relevant personnel, it should have been hidden by the emperor in some secret place. Since he already controlled the palace, he could search slowly. Even if he truly couldn’t find it, once he became the new emperor, he could still command that army. So hearing news of this army from Song Qingshu now, how could he not be shaken?

“His Majesty long anticipated your treachery, so he secretly bestowed the tiger tally upon me. I have already sent the Princess Qi, Wanyan Ping, to dispatch the northern camp troops into the capital. barring any surprises, your men should all be under control by now.” 

Song Qingshu’s calm, light voice struck Wanyan Liang’s ears like a bolt from the blue.