Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 939: The Confrontational Sisters-in-Law

At the early morning court session that day, Song Qingshu, speaking in Emperor Xizong’s tone, recounted the events of the previous day. Hailing Prince Wanyan Liang had attempted a rebellion and used treachery to kill the Ministers of the Department of State Affairs, and Marshal Wanyan Zongxian, as well as Prince Cao and Left Chancellor Wanyan Zongmin. 

Just as success seemed imminent, Tang Kuo Bian and Pucha Ahute arrived in time to thwart Prince Hailing’s conspiracy.

He then began to reward those who had contributed. 

Left Deputy Minister of the Department of State Affairs and Imperial Son-in-Law Tang Kuo Bian, who had turned the tide and saved the emperor, was promoted to Left Deputy Minister of the Department of State Affairs and Marshal, and enfeoffed as Duke of Qin. Due to severe injuries sustained while rescuing the emperor the previous night, he was granted special permission to recuperate at home and exempted from morning court sessions. Left Deputy Capital Commander Pucha Ahute was promoted to Palace Capital Commander and enfeoffed as Duke of Chu. Chief Eunuch Da Xingguo, who had died protecting the emperor the day before, was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Dingtao. The Laundry Courtyard was reestablished, with Wanyan Ping appointed as Grand Commander. Pucha Shijie, recognized for his merit in suppressing the rebellion, was appointed Military Supervisor of Henan Circuit and Military Commissioner of Chongyi Army. The former Military Commissioner of Chongyi Army, Wudai, was ordered to return to the capital immediately to report…

As for Wanyan Liang and his accomplices, they were temporarily imprisoned in the imperial prison to be investigated by the Ministry of Justice, which would determine their corresponding crimes.

To stabilize public sentiment, Empress Pei Man was also present at the morning court session. Initially, she had been quite doubtful whether Song Qingshu could handle the situation, as the emperor’s majesty was not something an ordinary person could withstand. She recalled how Qin Wuyang, who had dared to kill at the age of thirteen, had been so terrified upon meeting the King of Qin that he collapsed, paralyzed with fear.

To her surprise, Song Qingshu’s performance far exceeded her expectations. Had she not known in advance that it was him impersonating the emperor, she would have thought Emperor Xizong had truly been resurrected, sitting effortlessly on the throne with ease.

After much thought, Empress Pei Man could only attribute this to the emperor training she had given him in the past, unaware that he had already been a real emperor countless times before.

After the court session, Gebi and Wanyan Ping, the sisters, were already waiting for him in the Hall of Benevolent Governance. 

Both women looked upset. 

Song Qingshu waved his hand, signaling the eunuchs and palace maids to withdraw. Once they were alone, the sisters could no longer hold back: “Why did you have to destroy our brother’s body?”

Despite the fading bond between them over the years and the sisters’ heartbreak over the Tang Kuo Bian imprisonment incident, Emperor Xizong was, after all, their biological brother. Seeing him meet such an end was still difficult for them to accept.

Song Qingshu removed his mask and sighed, “If people were to find out that Emperor Xizong is dead, the Jin Dynasty would surely fall into chaos. I assume you wouldn’t want to see that happen, would you?”

Wanyan Ping glared at him. “Perhaps you just want to take his place and become emperor yourself?”

Song Qingshu smiled faintly. “Indeed, I won’t deny that. I do intend to seize control of the Jin Dynasty’s power. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for you. After all, I am ruling in Emperor Xizong’s name, ensuring the imperial lineage remains within your bloodline.”

Gebi knew there was some truth to his words. Since Emperor Xizong was already dead, if the imperial lineage were to fall to another branch, history had shown that the previous emperor’s bloodline would suffer greatly. Even if the successor was benevolent, they would still take extensive measures to suppress and guard against potential threats.

“But…” Although they saw some logic in his words, the sisters still felt somewhat uneasy. Wanyan Ping happened to glance up and saw Empress Pei Man watching the scene with amusement. Instantly, her anger flared, and she said with unmistakable sarcasm, “Sister-in-law, you’ve certainly been loyal to our brother.”

Empress Pei Man’s face flushed. Although she didn’t care about Emperor Xizong, being caught in an affair by her sister-in-law was still embarrassing. However, she was not one to be easily bullied and immediately retorted, “Didn’t your sister also betray Tang Kuo Bian? And you, haven’t you found a cheap husband for yourself? How are you any more loyal to him? Hmph, if word got out that you sisters are sharing a husband, it would be far more shameful than anything I’ve done.”

Her eyes were sharp; she could tell at a glance that Wanyan Ping was no longer a v!rgin. Combined with the intimate familiarity between her and Song Qingshu, their relationship was not hard to guess.

Wanyan Ping’s face turned crimson. As a young woman, she was no match for the experienced Empress Pei Man in such matters and was quickly rendered speechless after just a few words.

Song Qingshu laughed heartily, pulling both women into an embrace. “Stop arguing. If word got out about sisters-in-law’s sharing a bed, none of it would reflect well on anyone.”

This made not only Gebi and her sister but even Empress Pei Man blush deeply. The three women immediately united against Song Qingshu, showering him with a flurry of playful punches.

After the playful scuffle, Song Qingshu spoke up: “I will soon begin constructing an imperial mausoleum. When it’s ready, we will bury your brother there, allowing him to rest in peace. We will also erect a tablet for him in the ancestral temple, ensuring he receives eternal offerings.” Most emperors built their mausoleums during their lifetimes, so no one would oppose his proposal to construct one. As for eternal offerings, he knew full well that no dynasty lasted forever, but he said this to comfort the sisters.

Sure enough, Gebi and Wanyan Ping’s expressions softened upon hearing this. 

To divert their attention, Song Qingshu seized the moment to add, “Wanyan Liang is finished. I promised you I would help you seek revenge, and now I have fulfilled that promise. Wanyan Liang is currently imprisoned in a secret chamber within the Laundry Courtyard. You may exact your revenge as you see fit and torment him however you wish. However, there is one condition: you must spare his life. After all, he has committed the crime of treason and must be publicly executed in the end.”

“Don’t worry. Letting him die now would be too merciful. There’s no way we’d allow that,” Wanyan Ping said bitterly. The punishment for treason in any country was extremely severe and cruel, and she naturally wanted Wanyan Liang to “enjoy” every part of the process.

After the three women left, it wasn’t long before Pucha Alihu and Wanyan Zhongjie, mother and daughter, arrived at the palace for an audience, having been summoned.

“You’ve certainly made a grand move,” Pucha Alihu said, looking at Song Qingshu in his imperial robes. Her initial shock and astonishment were quickly replaced by an expression of deep complexity.

Song Qingshu smiled. The reason he hadn’t kept her in the dark was twofold. First, while protecting Gebi, Wanyan Zhongjie had likely seen things she shouldn’t have. Given how clever the mother and daughter were, they would eventually figure it out. It was better to lay his cards on the table early to eliminate any potential risks.

After the previous night’s coup, the influence of the Taizu lineage and the imperial clan had been significantly weakened. In comparison, the Taizong lineage had suffered the least losses. Among the three major families, the Tudan family was doomed, leaving only the Pucha and Tang Kou families. The Tang Kou family was naturally aligned with him, so the Pucha family and the Taizong lineage were the next targets for his efforts to win them over. The mother-daughter pair of were the perfect intermediaries.

Pucha Alihu came from the Pucha family, and Wanyan Zhongjie was from the Taizong lineage’s eldest branch. Their dual identities gave them a natural advantage. Therefore, the biggest challenge now was ensuring the loyalty of this mother-daughter pair.