Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1055: Yue Fei’s Daughter

Zhang Jun, along with Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and Liu Guangshi, was ranked among the Four Great Generals of the Southern Song Dynasty’s Restoration. However, he wasn’t exactly a good person; he was one of the main culprits in Yue Fei’s death and was later cast into a bronze statue kneeling in the Yue Fei Temple.

But that’s a matter for later generations. Now, Zhang Jun is at the height of his power. After Yue Fei’s death, Qin Hui, Wan Qili, Zhang Jun, and others seized control of the Southern Song’s central power structure. However, this group quickly turned against each other due to power struggles. Ultimately, Qin Hui prevailed, and Wan Qili and Zhang Jun were demoted and expelled from the court.

At the height of Qin Hui’s power, even the Southern Song Emperor Zhao Gou was wary of him, even carrying a dagger at all times, constantly guarding against a potential coup.

Fortunately, fate intervened. Qin Hui, due to his advanced age, finally succumbed to illness. Taking advantage of this, Zhao Ruyu, a member of the imperial clan, united with a group of like-minded individuals to overthrow the Qin family’s power. However, Zhao Ruyu’s tenure as Left Chancellor was short-lived; he was impeached and forced to resign by Han Dingxiao.

With the Left Chancellor’s seat vacant, Han Dingxiao believed he was the obvious choice. However, Shi Miyuan and Jia Sidao, along with Zhao Ruyu’s remaining influence, conspired to block his rise.

The infighting among these factions created chaos and confusion within the Southern Song court. Finally, to balance the power, Zhao Gou had to reinstate the former prime ministers, and Wan Qilin and Zhang Jun were reinstated as Left and Right Chancellors.

While none of the factions were entirely satisfied with this outcome, they were able to accept it, and the Southern Song court gradually stabilized.

(Author Note: This historical account is 70% true and 30% fictional, serving only the plot of this novel. Please do not treat it as actual history.)

Although those in the know understood that Wan Qi and Zhang Jun were a transitional figure, they were still, after all, the Left and Right Chancellors of the Imperial Court, and had once served as prime ministers. Even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse; their power could not be underestimated.

Therefore, Song Qingshu was so moved to hear that Zhang Hongfan was Zhang Jun’s nephew. He simply couldn’t imagine that the rebel army of Dabie Mountain had any connection with Zhang Jun.

What he couldn’t understand even more was why the Loyal Army would attack the Mount Hua Sect group. How could Zhang Jun, a prime minister-level figure, have a grudge against these martial arts figures from Mount Hua Sect?

With so many questions in his mind, Song Qingshu finally decided to go and ask Zhang Hongfan for clarification.

Having made his decision, Song Qingshu looked at Cheng Yaojia apologetically, “Madam…”

Cheng Yaojia was already extremely embarrassed and didn’t dare turn around to look at him. She could only lower her head and softly reply, “Go by yourself, don’t worry about me.”

“Madam, please rest well. I’ll be right back.” Being interrupted at this crucial moment, Song Qingshu was also annoyed, but now that the important matter was at hand, he could only ask her to bear with it.

Cheng Yaojia was so embarrassed she almost fainted. She thought, “How am I supposed to answer that? Should I say, ‘Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back’?” She had already made up her mind to lock the door tightly after he left!

Song Qingshu had no idea what she was thinking. After putting his Tang Kuo Bian mask back on, he hurriedly went out, only thinking about finishing his questioning of Zhang Hongfan and returning quickly.

“Release me immediately, or my father will lead his army to raze this place to the ground!”

“My uncle is the Right Chancellor of the Southern Song Dynasty. If you dare to touch a hair on my head, the Song army will march north…”

Before Song Qingshu even arrived, he heard Zhang Hongfan howling like a banshee from the cell. Already annoyed by his plans being interrupted, he kicked open the door impatiently: “What are you yelling about!”

Upon seeing his face, Zhang Hongfan shuddered and immediately calmed down. He knew Song Qingshu’s behavior at the inn had been far too terrifying.

Seeing him finally shut up, Song Qingshu said, “You yelled and screamed to get me here, and now I’m here. Get to the point.”

Zhang Hongfan cautiously said, “My lord, I was blind and offended your friend…”

“Get to the point!” Song Qingshu interrupted him rudely.

“Uh,” Zhang Hongfan’s eyes revealed a hint of resentment. He was usually surrounded by followers and lived like a local emperor within a radius of hundreds of miles in the Dabie Mountains. People were too busy flattering him to dare to speak to him like that. However, he knew the situation was beyond his control, and quickly concealed his resentment. 

“Your Excellency,” he said, “it’s like this: my father is the leader of the Loyal and Righteous Army, and my uncle is the Right Chancellor of the Southern Song Dynasty. If you would be so kind as to spare my life, we will certainly prepare a generous ransom. Furthermore, my father and uncle will owe you a favor…”

He dared to say this for several reasons. First, although the Loyal and Righteous Army was nominally a Han Chinese righteous army, they had generally never opposed the Jin Dynasty, unlike the Red Coat Army. Their relationship with the Jin Dynasty was even considered good, so they wouldn’t be harassed by Jin officials because of their status. Second, Zhang Jun was a well-known advocate of peace in the Southern Song Dynasty and had regular dealings with high-ranking Jin officials. Finally, the Jin people were generally greedy, and it was common for prisoners to pay huge ransoms for their freedom.

Song Qingshu remained silent, pondering. Given Tang Kuo Bian’s stance, there was indeed no reason to make things difficult for him…

In Song Qingshu’s mind, the Mongols were the number one enemy. There was no need to provoke a conflict with the Southern Song for such a minor figure. Extorting money from him was a perfectly good option, especially since the Golden Serpent Camp was short of pay. Why not take advantage of this easy opportunity?

Although he had a plan in mind, Song Qingshu didn’t reveal it. Instead, he coldly snorted, “You say Zhang Jun is your uncle, so what proof do you have?”

“Huh?” Zhang Hongfan was dumbfounded. How could he prove it? He couldn’t very well summon Zhang Jun right now, could he? Even if he sought confirmation by letter, the time it would take to travel back and forth would be too late.

“Since there’s no proof, he must be deliberately deceiving me. What audacity! Men, beat him until he tells the truth!” Song Qingshu sneered inwardly. This man had once plotted against Cheng Yaojia; how could he be allowed to act without being taught a lesson? Moreover, historically, Zhang Hongfan, though Han Chinese, had helped the Mongols destroy the Song Dynasty.

Luckily, Song Qingshu, being from a later era, still retained some legal principles and was unwilling to execute someone based on events that hadn’t even occurred. Considering the interests of various parties, Zhang Hongfan wouldn’t have been spared even if he died ten times over.

Seeing Song Qingshu about to leave the room, Zhang Hongfan panicked. He thought, “If he leaves, I’ll be beaten to a pulp!” He shouted, “Wait! I have a way to prove it!”

Song Qingshu, understanding human psychology well, didn’t stop and continued walking out.

Now Zhang Hongfan panicked, and the secret he had originally planned to use as a bargaining chip slipped out: “We came to Yangzhou this time on my uncle’s orders to… to find Yue Fei’s daughter.”