Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 938: The Sovereign’s Arrival

It was truly strange. 

Even when facing the Western Poison Ouyang Feng, Qiu Qianren hadn’t been this terrified. Although Ouyang Feng’s martial arts were superior, the gap between them wasn’t insurmountable. If he couldn’t win, he could always flee—Ouyang Feng could never catch him.

But when facing Song Qingshu, Qiu Qianren didn’t even have the confidence to escape. Therefore, while he was wary of Ouyang Feng, he felt a deep-seated fear towards Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu could roughly guess what was going through his mind. Amused, he hurriedly offered a few words of reassurance, urging him and Ouyang Feng to rest peacefully. Then, he took Empress Pei Man and Daiqisi into the emperor’s bedchamber.

“Young master, your calculations are truly masterful,” Empress Pei Man said faintly once Song Qingshu had unsealed her acupoints.

“Why does Your Majesty say that?” Song Qingshu asked with a smile.

“I notified you early on, yet you delayed your appearance, allowing Wanyan Liang to kill the emperor and eliminate Wanyan Zongxian and Zongmin. Then, you emerged to reap the rewards. Now, the future power of the Jin Dynasty rests entirely in your hands. Isn’t that the mark of a master strategist?”

Empress Pei Man’s expression was grim. Through her intelligence network, she had sensed something amiss earlier in the day. She had secretly heightened her guard while notifying Song Qingshu through a covert channel.

However, she hadn’t anticipated the sheer scale of Wanyan Liang’s plot. Somewhat unprepared, she had suffered heavy losses in the palace clashes, and her influence within the palace was likely decimated. With the death of Left Chancellor Wanyan Zongmin, she had lost her greatest ally in the court, reducing her control over the political situation to a freezing point. More importantly, her greatest political asset was her status as empress. But now that Emperor Xizong was dead, what use was that title?

Song Qingshu remained silent. Indeed, everything had unfolded according to his plan—using Wanyan Liang’s blade to purge the Jin Dynasty’s upper echelons before stepping in to claim the spoils. He felt no remorse.

Had he followed Empress Pei Man’s plan, he would have been merely a stud, useful only for impregn@ting her to secure a legitimate heir to the throne. Once that was achieved, his value would have expired. Based on their interactions, Empress Pei Man was a woman with an intense thirst for power. It was uncertain whether she would have tolerated his existence afterward.

Seeing his tacit admission, Empress Pei Man felt even more disheartened. “However, for all your calculations, you overlooked one thing,” she said coldly.

“What might that be?” Song Qingshu asked curiously.

“Although you’ve purged the entire power structure, the emperor is now dead. According to protocol, the throne will pass to Prince Xu, Wanyan Yong. In the end, you’ve merely paved the way for someone else.” A faint flush of excitement colored Empress Pei Man’s cheeks, clearly pleased to see Song Qingshu’s miscalculation.

“Who said the emperor is dead?” Song Qingshu replied with a mysterious smile. He pulled out a pre-prepared mask from his robe and put it on. In an instant, he stood there as the very image of Emperor Xizong.

“You…” Empress Pei Man pointed at him, too shocked to speak. She suddenly remembered how he had impersonated Tang Kou Bian for so long without anyone in the capital noticing. “So, you had everything planned all along.”

Song Qingshu hooked a finger under her chin, a playful smile curling his lips. “Let’s cooperate. From now on, I will be the emperor, and you will remain empress. Together, we will wield the power of the Jin Dynasty. What do you think?”

“Do I have a choice?” Empress Pei Man smiled bitterly. Having been in the palace for so long, she was no naive young girl. His words sounded pleasant—jointly wielding power—but he had seized the opportunity to sever her influence both inside and outside the palace. Left alone, what power would she truly have beyond the empty title of empress?

Still, she didn’t refuse. After all, this was the best outcome she could hope for. If she angered him, she wasn’t sure she could even keep her life. Given that an emperor and several high-ranking ministers had already died tonight, one more empress wouldn’t make much difference.

Daiqisi, watching from the side, felt a tsunami of emotions raging within her. She knew that since he had allowed her to witness such a dark secret, her fate was likely sealed.

Empress Pei Man also noticed her and drew a dagger from somewhere, advancing toward her. “What happened today is of utmost importance. I’ll kill this wretch first.” Over the years, due to Daiqisi’s identity as Lady Taohua, Empress Pei Man had nursed endless jealousy toward her and had long wished to eliminate her.

Daiqisi paled but felt no fear. She simply closed her eyes.

However, the expected pain never came. Instead, she heard Song Qingshu’s voice: “I have a use for her.”

“What use could she possibly be? Are you also captivated by this wretch’s beauty?” Empress Pei Man retorted angrily. Having fought with the Peach Blossom Madame for over a decade, she had no desire to continue this rivalry with a changed partner.

“I don’t believe I need to explain myself to you. Think what you will,” Song Qingshu said coldly.

Empress Pei Man’s heart sank, worried she might have truly angered him. She sheathed her dagger, sulking in silence. 

Song Qingshu said nothing more, sitting on the dragon throne—a seat only Emperor Xizong was qualified to occupy—and closing his eyes to rest, as if awaiting news.

Before long, updates from the palace began to arrive. The soldiers under Pucha Ahutie, hearing of Wanyan Liang’s defeat, lost all will to fight and surrendered their weapons. Pucha Ahutie quickly seized control of the palace and hurried to the Hall of Benevolent Governance to pay his respects to the emperor.

Song Qingshu casually dismissed him after a few words, instructing him to stabilize the palace’s security. Throughout the entire exchange, Pucha Ahutie detected no irregularities, completely unaware that the emperor had been replaced.

News also arrived from Wanyan Ping’s side. She had led the army from the northern camp to defeat Wanyan Liang’s loyalist troops and was now sweeping the capital to purge remnants of the Hailing faction.

With so many events unfolding overnight, the capital’s streets and alleys were filled with troops. Every official knew something major had happened, but the situation remained unclear in the dead of night. With soldiers roaming everywhere, everyone feared attracting trouble and unanimously adopted a strategy of keeping their gates shut and lying low. Still, speculation ran rampant about what had transpired, and many began to doubt whether the morning court session would be held as usual.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

As dawn broke, the palace bells rang, summoning all officials and answering everyone’s questions. 

On their way to the palace, small groups whispered among themselves, trying to guess what had happened the previous night. When they noticed the empty seats at the front of the court hall, their hearts filled with dread.

Once everyone had gathered, Song Qingshu emerged wearing Emperor Xizong’s appearance. 

Gazing at the vast crowd kneeling below and shouting “Long live the emperor,” even with his prior experience in the Qing Dynasty, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.