Han Xingzhou's expression changed, but he was shrewd and still said calmly, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
Song Qingshu smiled faintly, "Since you said you don't understand, I might as well explain it more clearly."
Without waiting for Han Xingzhou's response, he continued, "Minister Han's trip was extremely secretive, but you encountered several assassinations on the way. In the end, it was Linghu … Wu Tiande who happened to pass by and saved you. I think Minister Han knows who ordered those assassins."
Song Qingshu had learned most of their encounters on the way from Cheng Yaojia and Lu Guanying, so he immediately hit Han Xingzhou's weak spot.
"Maybe it's just a group of blind Jianghu people who want to rob." Although he had a general guess, Han Xingzhou was still unwilling to show his true thoughts to outsiders.
"Really?" Song Qingshu smiled noncommittally, "Some time ago, Minister Han accidentally fell into the hands of the Ruyang Mansion. You should know that the White Lotus Society came to attack the Jade Pure Temple, right?"
"I know," Han Xingzhou replied expressionlessly.
"As far as I know, the White Lotus Society and Minister Han have never been on good terms. They didn't attack to save you this time, did they?" Song QingShu sighed on purpose. "Speaking of which, the Ruyang Mansion also suffered an undeserved calamity. They got into a fight with the White Lotus Cult for no reason at all. Although we managed to defeat the White Lotus Cult, we also suffered heavy losses. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been reduced to such a sorry state by the people from the Song Mountain Sect."
Han Xingzhou's eyes flashed, but no one knew what he was thinking.
Song Qingshu continued, "Speaking of which, the Ruyang Mansion is really unlucky. First, they helped Minister Han block the White Lotus Society, and this time they helped you block the Song Mountain Sect …"
Han Xingzhou was finally moved, "Didn't the Song Mountain Sect come for Wu Tiande?" Although he didn't know what attracted them to Wu Tiande, Zuo Lenchan of the Song Mountain Sect had just said it himself, so it didn't seem fake.
"That's right, the Song Mountain Sect is here for Wu Tiande," Song Qingshu changed the topic, "Someone told the Song Mountain Sect that the long-lost 'Bixie Sword Manual' is with Wu Tiande, causing Zuo Lenchan to turn out in full force."
"Evil Warding Sword Manual?" Han Xuan Zhou's expression changed. Although he had lived in the temple for a long time, he had heard of its name and knew that it was a very precious Wulin treasure book.
"Minister Han is not a person of Jianghu, so you may not understand Zuo Lenchan's style of doing things. On the surface, he is one of the leaders of the righteous faction, but in fact, he is cruel and merciless. He has also secretly befriended many masters of the underworld, such as the White Slate Evil Star, the Qinghai Owl, and the Hejian Twin Killers. They are all famous devils of the underworld. In order to maintain his positive image, every time he does something bad, he will follow the principle of 'in for a penny, in for a pound'. He will kill all the witnesses. Therefore, although many people in Jianghu know that Zuo Lenchan has done bad things, they have no evidence. "
Noticing the change in Han Xingzhou's expression, Song QingShu knew that with his knowledge, he probably already knew what was going on. "This time, after the people from the Song Mountain Sect entered the Clear Jade Temple, they killed everyone they saw. If it wasn't for the people from the Ruyang Prince's Mansion blocking them, do you think Minister Han would have been able to escape?"
"Jia Shixian, you're good!" Han Xuan Zhou finally couldn't stand it anymore and slammed his hand on the table. The two of them had been fighting for so many years, how could he not see who was behind such a sinister and vicious killing with a borrowed knife?
"I'm afraid you didn't ask me to come here just to talk about this." Han Xuan Zhou calmed down and looked up at the young man in front of him.
Song Qingshu nodded, "Yes, I asked Minister Han to come here because I want to make a deal with you."
"What kind of deal?" Han Xuan Zhou frowned.
"Minister Han must be clear about your current situation. There are several forces in the imperial court who want Minister Han to never return." Song Qingshu paused and waited for Han Xuan Zhou to reflect for a while before continuing, "During this time, Li Kexiu has agreed to submit to the Golden Snake Camp. As long as Minister Han represents the Southern Song imperial court and recognizes this relationship, I can let Minister Han return to Lin 'an City safely!"
Han Xuan Zhou was immediately tempted. Since he was captured by the Mongolians, he knew that this time he might not have a chance to win over Li Kexiu. Now his primary goal had changed from winning over Li Kexiu to escaping safely.
As for Li Kexiu's power, as long as it did not fall into the hands of the Jin, Qing, or Mongolian forces, the Southern Song could accept it …
Although he had already agreed in his heart, Han Xuan Zhou, a political old fox, would not give in so easily. He deliberately snorted, "This time, not only did I not make any achievements, but I also lost soldiers and generals. When I return to Lin 'an with my tail between my legs, Jia Shixian and the others will not let go of such a good opportunity. Once they use this trip to Yangzhou to attack me, I'm afraid it will be a foregone conclusion for me to step down. Instead of falling into that miserable end, it is better to die for the country in Yangzhou and leave a good name! "
Song QingShu laughed inwardly when he heard Han Xingzhou's impassioned speech. How could he be deceived by these superficial words? Han Xingzhou had deliberately said this to fight for more benefits. In any case, he already had enough trump cards to satisfy Han Xingzhou's appetite.
"Minister Han worries too much. I have a way to let Minister Han return to the Southern Song in glory. Not only will you not be attacked by your political enemies, but you will also be in the limelight for a while and become a national hero."
Han Xuan Zhou was very curious, but he still looked at him suspiciously, "What can you do?"
Instead of answering directly, Song Qingshu asked, "May I ask Minister Han, between Jianghuai and Sichuan, which is more important?"
"Sichuan, of course!" Han Xuan Zhou blurted out. Sichuan was the country of abundance and could provide nearly one-third of the Southern Song court's taxes. At the same time, Sichuan was also the Southern Song court's western barrier. When Sichuan was conquered by the Mongols, the entire Southern Song court was shocked. In the end, with the strength of the whole country, and with the addition of talented generals like Yu Jie and Wang Jian, they barely blocked the Mongols at Diaoyu City.
However, losing Sichuan meant that the Southern Song country had lost its western barrier. The Mongols could not only advance eastward, but also bypass Guizhou to approach the hinterland of the two lakes. They could even borrow Dali to attack the rear of the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. This forced the Southern Song court to set up defenses everywhere, which consumed a lot of manpower and material resources. It was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, making the Southern Song emperor and ministers restless.
If Sichuan was in their hands, the Southern Song could retreat to the front line of Jianguo-Yangping Pass. Sichuan had always been easy to defend and difficult to attack. At that time, the pressure on the Southern Song would be greatly reduced. At the same time, the hinterland of Sichuan could provide a steady stream of taxes and grain, easing the Southern Song's financial situation.
"What if I can persuade the Mongols to return Sichuan to you?" Song Qingshu smiled mysteriously.
"How is that possible!" Han Xuan Zhou stood up in shock. Noticing that Song Qingshu did not look like he was joking, he immediately reacted, "As long as Your Excellency can facilitate this, I guarantee that the court will recognize the Golden Snake Camp's rights and interests in Jianghuai. Both sides can also sign a non-aggression agreement. At the same time, I will request the Emperor to officially confer Your Excellency the title of King of Qi!"
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It was almost the end of the month, and the monthly votes were ranked 20th. He was in a state of being robbed at any time. He still had lingering fears about the tragedy of being overtaken by the people behind him in the last five minutes of his ranking.
He really did not want to repeat the same mistake, so he shamelessly asked for monthly votes. I will update at least seven chapters today and tomorrow to repay everyone.
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