Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1011: A Sweet Voice and Flirtation

Song Qingshu couldn’t help but feel frustrated. If he had truly seen something, that would be one thing, but Cheng Yaojia was clearly dressed, just missing her outer coat. 

‘Even if I could just see a glimpse of a belly band, that would be better,’ he thought, feeling unlucky for not gaining any advantage yet ending up in such an awkward situation.

Cheng Yaojia had originally come with her husband, but she suddenly felt unwell yesterday. Lu Guanying, being considerate of his wife, let her rest in their room today while he went out with the envoy Lu You to gather some information. 

As she was dozing off, she suddenly heard a commotion outside the door. At first, she thought nothing of it, but soon realized it seemed like the Qing soldiers were conducting a search. This startling revelation prompted her to quickly get out of bed and dress, only to bump into Song Qingshu as he entered.

She was a very traditional young lady, and even a slightly disheveled hairdo in front of guests was a significant embarrassment for her. How could she possibly appear in front of a stranger dressed only in her nightgown and looking so unkempt? Moreover, she was inherently shy; even speaking to strangers would make her blush. So, when a burly man with a thick beard suddenly barged in while she was getting dressed, panic surged through her mind, and she instinctively screamed.

“Stop screaming and just get dressed; others will be here soon,” Song Qingshu whispered, glancing at Suo Etu and the others who were rushing over.

Cheng Yaojia was taken aback, not expecting him to say that. She instinctively replied, “Could you… turn around?”

Hearing her voice, Song Qingshu shivered slightly. He thought to himself, “Her husband must hear her sweet and delicate voice every day; I wonder if it makes him weak in the knees.” He couldn’t help but chuckle, “You’re not exposing anything, so why should I turn around? Of course, if you don’t want to change, that’s fine too, unless you want more men to see you right now.”

Imagining that terrifying scenario, Cheng Yaojia shook her head vigorously. At this moment, she could hear the footsteps growing closer, and she didn’t have time to think about anything else. Biting her lip, she blushed as she hurriedly finished dressing in front of a strange man.

Just as she got her clothes on, Suo Etu and his men arrived. Upon seeing the woman inside, his expression changed dramatically.

But Song Qingshu seized the opportunity to speak first, “Ah, no wonder those monks were so reluctant to let us in earlier; it turns out this place is a den of filth. Someone, take this woman back; I, the Marshal, want to interrogate her thoroughly.”

Song Qingshu had initially planned to use this opportunity to probe the intentions of the Song envoy and to understand Li Kexiu’s true thoughts. He never intended to harm these Song envoys, as they were all Han people. If they fell into the hands of the Qing court, their lives would no longer be in his control. Thus, he took the initiative to keep the situation under his control. Given his relationship with Suo Etu, it was naturally inconvenient for him to snatch someone away.

Suo Etu’s expression was strange. At this moment, he had clearly seen the woman’s appearance. She stood there timidly, her figure delicate and slender, as if a gust of wind could break her. Especially with the shy and gentle aura on her face, even someone like him, who usually had no interest in women, felt a stirring in his heart.

‘What interrogation? You’re just interested in her beauty and want to claim her for yourself,’ Suo Etu thought to himself, but seeing that the woman was clearly Han, he certainly wouldn’t ruin his brotherly bond for the sake of a Han woman.

“Very well, take her back for a thorough interrogation,” Suo Etu laughed heartily, and the officials from Yangzhou echoed his sentiments.

Everyone present was perceptive; they could see through Song Qingshu’s intentions. Originally, mishandling this matter could have been a national disgrace, and all the officials present, except for Suo Etu, would have faced dire consequences. But now that Song Qingshu had taken an interest in this woman, everything could be resolved easily.

Using this woman as a gift to silence him, turning a difficult problem into a refined affair that pleases everyone—why not? As for the woman’s innocence, who among these officials, big and small, would care? 

They allowed Song Qingshu’s subordinates to bind Cheng Yaojia. 

Cheng Yaojia was about to resist when she suddenly felt a numbness in her waist, her True Qi completely drained, leaving her helplessly watching as she fell into enemy hands. 

Song Qingshu discreetly withdrew his fingers into his sleeve; the reason he intervened was to prevent Cheng Yaojia from displaying her martial arts skills. Now, in the eyes of Suo Etu and the others, it would merely be a scandal of a woman hidden in a Buddhist temple, and since he had taken her, the matter would be brushed aside. None of these officials would want to dig deeper into the monks’ affairs. But if Cheng Yaojia revealed her extraordinary martial arts, things would become serious. Since she could fight, it was clear she wouldn’t be a respectable woman imprisoned by the Chan Zhi Temple. These officials would certainly realize there was a conspiracy, and if they investigated further, the matter of the Southern Song envoy would be exposed. At that point, the situation would spiral out of his control. 

A group of people came to the temple to admire the flowers, only to capture a beautiful young lady. Suo Etu knew that his sworn brother was probably already eager to return home, so he suggested they head back to rest and let Song Qingshu properly interrogate the captured criminal. The other officials exchanged knowing smiles, nodding and bowing as they escorted the two out of the temple. 

As they left the courtyard, a middle-aged man at a distant corner of the corridor repeatedly tried to rush over but was firmly held back by someone behind him. 

“Guan Ying, calm down, calm down!” 

“Uncle, now that Yaojia has been captured by the Qing soldiers, how can I calm down?” 

The two were Lu Guanying and Lu You. Although they were close in age, according to the Lu family genealogy from Shanyin, Lu You was actually Lu Guanying’s uncle. They had originally come to the city to gather information about envoys from other countries, and upon learning that a group of officials had gone to the Chan Zhi Temple, they immediately sensed trouble and rushed back, but unfortunately, they were too late. 

“Guan Ying, there are so many soldiers outside; if you rush out, you’ll only be sending yourself to your death without rescuing Yaojia!” Lu You said anxiously. 

“Am I supposed to just watch my wife fall into the hands of the barbarians without doing anything?” The thought of his wife’s beauty and the rumors of the Jurchens’ lecherous nature sent chills down Lu Guanying’s spine. 

“Of course, we won’t do nothing. We’ll split into two groups; one will contact Li Kexiu to seek his help for a rescue, while the other will gather skilled fighters and wait until nightfall when the enemy is unprepared to storm their hideout and rescue her,” Lu You quickly suggested. 

Only then did Lu Guanying calm down a bit: “Uncle, you think things through so well. Alright, let’s split up and act.” 

After Song Qingshu and his group left the Chan Zhi Temple, seeing Cheng Yaojia being “cared for” as she was sent into his sedan chair, he couldn’t help but smile knowingly. Power truly is a wonderful thing; you don’t have to do anything or say anything, and someone will take care of everything for you. 

Wu Zhirong felt uneasy about today’s events, sensing a dark future ahead, and unknowingly fell behind the main group. 

Just then, a sharp voice suddenly came from the nearby bushes: “Wu Zhirong, you treacherous dog! Today, I will take your life to appease the spirits of the Zhuang family above!”