“Under the leadership of the head of the Golden Serpent Camp, our territory has expanded a thousand miles, and our strength has increased more than tenfold. I am just a woman of limited insight; what opinions could I possibly have to offer…” As she heard Song Qingshu close the door, Jiao Wan’er felt her heart skip a beat. What exactly was he planning?
“Madam, you are too modest. After your father’s unfortunate demise, you took charge of the Golden Dragon Gang as a weak woman and managed the affairs of the gang with great efficiency over the years. You are certainly not someone of limited insight,” Song Qingshu said with a slight smile, pouring Jiao Wan’er a cup of tea from the teapot on the table.
Song Qingshu proceeded to ask Jiao Wan’er several questions, to which she absentmindedly replied one by one. After a long while, Song Qingshu glanced at the untouched cup of tea on the table and thoughtfully asked, “Why isn’t Madam drinking the tea?”
“I am not thirsty,” Jiao Wan’er replied, looking at the clear tea. She thought to herself, alone with a man, how could I dare to drink it? Although she didn’t like Xia Qingqing, she knew that Xia Qingqing was not a promiscuous woman. But with the facts laid before her, she wondered how Song Qingshu had managed to ensnare her. Could it have been drugged…
“Is Madam perhaps afraid that I dr*ugged the tea?” Song Qingshu directly voiced her thoughts.
Jiao Wan’er’s expression changed slightly, and she forced a smile, “The head is joking.”
Song Qingshu took a sip from the teacup and, with a faint smile, looked at her gentle face, “It seems Madam has always been wary of me.”
“The head is joking,” Jiao Wan’er knew it was not suitable to stay long in this place and took the opportunity to rise and bid farewell, “It’s late at night, and I fear idle gossip. I hope the head understands that it is inconvenient for me to stay longer.”
Seeing her bow with such grace and elegance, Song Qingshu felt his heart itch a bit, and he smiled, “Recently, Brother Luo has been continuously capturing cities in Xinnan and Ju County, achieving great military successes. Madam has chosen well for a husband.”
Seeing him mention her husband, Jiao Wan’er found it difficult to leave, “It is all thanks to the head’s earlier great victory over the ten thousand Qing troops. Nowadays, when the various prefectures see the Golden Serpent Camp’s army, they surrender immediately. My husband did not contribute that much.”Back then, Jiao Wan’er had married her senior brother Luo Liru to avoid making Yuan Chengzhi uncomfortable, despite not loving him. However, over the years, Luo Liru had treated her with love and care, and she gradually grew fond of him.
“Madam, there is no need to be so humble. I may not have many virtues, but I am a firm believer in rewarding merit and punishing faults. Your contributions will certainly be rewarded, but,” Song Qingshu suddenly shifted the tone, “we must first settle your offenses.”
Jiao Wan’er’s expression turned pale, and she hurriedly said, “I beg the head to enlighten us. My husband and I are unaware of any crimes we have committed.”
Seeing Jiao Wan’er’s panicked expression, Song Qingshu felt a strange sense of satisfaction, “Madam, you truly have a short memory. Back when candidates for the Golden Serpent King were being nominated, you changed your support at the last moment to Murong Fu, almost causing me to miss out on the election. That is the first offense; you colluded with the traitorous Southern Song chancellor Jia Sidao, secretly collaborating and betraying the interests of the Golden Serpent Camp. That is the second offense; after I was elected as the Golden Serpent King, you sought to preserve your own strength, choosing to sit on the sidelines, allowing my direct troops to fall into danger. That is the third offense!”
Cold sweat broke out on Jiao Wan’er’s forehead as she realized this was a reckoning after the event.
At the time, the Golden Serpent Camp was on the verge of collapse, and she and her husband had lost hope, contemplating a return to their old home in Jinling. It was then that Jia Sidao’s envoy approached them, and they readily agreed to nominate Murong Fu from Gusu as a candidate for the Golden Serpent King. Who could have known that despite Murong Fu’s great reputation in the martial arts world, he would be eliminated in the first round?
As for later, when the Qing expeditionary force arrived, their decision to stay on the sidelines seemed logical—after all, the Qing army’s hundred thousand troops came with an overwhelming force, and Song Qingshu’s decision to confront them head-on seemed as futile as an ant trying to stop a cart.
“Please forgive us, head. It was our ignorance and inability to recognize a true hero that led to those foolish decisions. After Murong Fu’s defeat, we cut off all contact with the Southern Song side. As for the third offense, I dare not accept such blame. While it is true that we wanted to preserve our strength, we were not merely sitting on the sidelines. If not for our success in delaying the other Qing armies, the head would not have had the opportunity to defeat them individually.”
Jiao Wan’er answered neither humbly nor arrogantly. Though she appeared gentle, she was a woman of strong will. Having managed the Golden Dragon Gang for many years, she had developed the presence to stand on her own.
“So, defeating the Qing army was all thanks to you?” Song Qingshu sneered, and the room seemed to drop in temperature.
“We dare not.” Song Qingshu’s sudden burst of pressure made Jiao Wan’er’s scalp tingle, and she instinctively knelt on the floor, pleading for mercy repeatedly.
At the same time, Jiao Wan’er felt a deep sense of confusion. In her recent interactions with Song Qingshu, though he was flirtatious, his abilities were those of an unparalleled genius. His strategies had left the Golden Serpent Camp in awe, and he treated others with courtesy and humility. He did not seem like a petty person.
If the previous Song Qingshu had given the impression of warmth and kindness, the present Song Qingshu felt dark and sinister, leaving Jiao Wan’er unable to explain why she felt this way.
“Throughout history, new leaders have always supported their confidants while removing those deemed unreliable. Madam, should I trust you or…”
Song Qingshu did not finish his sentence. As he spoke, his hand casually slid over the table, and a corner of it fell off without a sound, making Jiao Wan’er’s eyebrow twitch wildly.
“What must we do to earn the head’s trust? As long as the head commands, my husband and I are willing to go through fire and water!” Jiao Wan’er gritted her teeth. Having been the leader of a gang for many years, she understood that trust could not be merely spoken; it required action, akin to a pledge of allegiance.
“From now on, will you both obey all of my commands?” Song Qingshu asked, looking at her calmly.
“Of course!” Jiao Wan’er replied decisively.
“You will follow any order?” Song Qingshu’s tone suddenly became strange.
Jiao Wan’er’s heart skipped a beat, but with no room to retreat, she knew that refusing at this point could mean that she and her husband would not live through the night. She gritted her teeth and said, “We will follow any order!”
“Good, then stand up.” Song Qingshu sat arrogantly on the bed, staring at her intently.
“Yes.” Jiao Wan’er bowed her head and stood up, waiting for Song Qingshu’s next command. Meanwhile, she wondered what task he would assign them—perhaps it was to k!ll Jia Sidao’s envoy or surrender their military power…
“Und*ress,” Song Qingshu said expressionlessly.
Jiao Wan’er was initially bewildered, but she quickly realized what he meant. She was shocked and furious, “What!”
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