Because the Jin and Qing envoys had retreated and the Mongols and Southern Song had reached an agreement, Li Kexiu naturally did not need to hide in the military camp like before. She chose to take everyone back to her admiral's mansion.
Li Kexiu arranged for the people of Ruyang's mansion to stay in the east courtyard. At the same time, late at night, he summoned the best doctor in Yangzhou City to treat their injuries. He also took out all kinds of elixirs from the mansion. Wang Baobao was very satisfied with his attitude and his expression eased a bit.
He arranged for Han Xingzhou and the others to stay in the west courtyard. In their group, except for Lu Guanying and the other low-ranking officials who were tortured, the Mongols did not make things difficult for the higher-ranking officials. After all, Wang Baobao did not want to completely fall out with the Southern Song.
They were imprisoned for too long, so they were a bit dirty. Then Li Kexiu arranged for the maids to prepare hot water and fragrant incense for them to bathe and change clothes, which made Han Xingzhou and the others very satisfied.
Song QingShu had originally planned to look for Li Kexiu to discuss some matters regarding the merger, but seeing that he was busy, it was not appropriate to look for him at this time. Thinking that it was already late, and as the saying goes, there was still a long way to go, so he was not in a hurry. Thus, he stayed in a secluded courtyard arranged by Li Kexiu.
"It's a pity that Miss Cheng is too shy to come and accompany me. It's really empty, lonely and cold." Lying on the bed, Song Qingshu helplessly sighed. Previously, he had used Secret Voice-sending to signal Miss Cheng to come quietly, but Miss Cheng always blushed and shook her head to refuse.
It was fine in private, but in front of so many people, including the elders of the Lu family, how could Miss Cheng dare to show the slightest bit of difference?
Song QingShu understood her situation and didn't force her. However, when he saw her shy and coquettish look, he couldn't help but recall the beauty of her singing in bed. Song QingShu felt a little thirsty.
"If I had known it would be like this, I would not have saved Han Xingzhou and the others …" Song Qingshu thought indignantly and unknowingly fell asleep.
On the other side, after Li Kexiu finished making arrangements for the Ruyang Mansion and Han Xingzhou's group, her bright smile gradually disappeared. She returned to her bedroom with a solemn expression.
After opening the door, he saw an old man slowly sipping tea. Although he looked similar to those old men in the countryside, his shining eyes were like a venomous snake waiting for an opportunity to strike. A handsome young man stood respectfully behind the old man.
Li Kexiu frowned but didn't shout. Instead, he hurriedly closed the door, as if he already knew that the other party would be here.
"Admiral, have you considered the matter we talked about before?" The old man gently put down the teacup and asked leisurely.
Li Kexiu smiled bitterly. "Minister Zuo, this is not a small matter. How can it be so easy to make a decision?"
Lord Left Minister!
If Han Xingzhou was here, he would definitely cry out in surprise. Because the old man before him was the current Prime Minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, Moqi Suo. Moqi Suo's status was even higher than Han Xingzhou's, and he was nominally the number one Prime Minister!
Moqi Feng said indifferently, "Since Admiral can't make up your mind, then I will help you make up your mind."
She paused and continued, "Presumably, when Admiral came into contact with Han Xingzhou, you mentioned the old matter again. What was his reaction?"
Li Kexiu's expression was somewhat unsightly. He answered in a low, muffled voice, "He kept changing the subject and hinted that I should be at ease with the Golden Snake Battalion."
Moqi Feng showed an expression of having expected this. "Of course. Now that Song Qingshu has taken the lead, Han Xingzhou has reached an agreement with the Mongolians to recover Sichuan. This is a great achievement. He wouldn't dare to complicate matters."
"Minister Zuo also knows?" Li Kexiu was extremely surprised. She had just learned of the tripartite agreement in the Clear Jade Monastery. How could the other party be so well-informed while staying in the admiral's mansion?
"I have my own channels of information," Moqi Ying said lightly. She then changed the topic, clearly not wanting to discuss this topic any further. "Admiral, have you finally given up? Previously, you were determined to find a way to rescue Han Ke Zhou. Now, you have seen the results yourself."
"After all, I had an agreement with him before …" Li Kexiu looked embarrassed and unsightly.
Moqi Feng had actually come to Yangzhou a long time ago and had been trying to win him over. However, Li Kexiu had some misgivings. Even though Moqi Feng was now the Minister of the Left and Han Xingzhou was only one of the Vice Ministers, Han Xingzhou was obviously a better choice than Moqi Feng. Firstly, Han Xingzhou was the descendant of the famous Minister Han Qi. The Han family was the most influential family in the Song Dynasty. Their family's influence was deep-rooted, unlike Moqi Feng who had no foundation. Secondly, Moqi Feng was one of the main culprits of Yue Fei's death. His reputation among the Han people was not good.
If he joined Han Xingzhou's faction, who knew if he would be cursed by thousands of people? That was why Li Kexiu had tried to save Han Xingzhou.
As for the straightforward promise to join the Golden Snake Camp, it was just a delaying tactic. She was trying to use Song Qingshu's power to save Han Xingzhou.
From beginning to end, Li Kexiu had never considered the Golden Snake Camp. Even though the Golden Snake Camp had been in the limelight for the past two years, it was still a little inferior compared to other countries.
In terms of territory, the Jianghuai region under Li Kexiu's control had always been rich and populous. Coupled with the dense water network, it was a nightmare for all northern cavalry. It was much better than Shandong, which was surrounded by enemies on all sides. In terms of military strength, the 100,000 Green Camp under Li Kexiu's command was stronger than the Golden Snake Camp. How could he be willing to join the Golden Snake Camp and submit to Song Qingshu?
Seeing the hesitation on Li Kexiu's face, Moqi Shou knew that the time was right. She said, "Lady Li, you should have heard that Han Xingzhou and Jia Shidao are powerful, but they are not as close to the emperor as I am."
Li Kexiu nodded. Moqi Shou was a supporter of peace through and through, which was exactly what Zhao Gou wanted. That was why she was so favored in the past few years. She was able to overthrow Yue Fei, who was at the peak of his power, with Qin Hui. Now that Han Xingzhou, Jia Shidao, and Shi Miyuan were fighting fiercely, the first thing Zhao Gou thought of was to call Moqi Shou back to balance the two sides.
"Han Xingzhou is not sure that he can put your daughter on the throne of the Empress, but I am." Moqi Shou finally threw a heavy bomb.
"Is that true?" Li Kexiu was shocked. He had always dreamed of being the Emperor's uncle. If he could make Li Yuanzhi the real Empress of the Song Dynasty, he would not care about the vague promise that Song Qingshu had made. Moreover, he could only offer the position of Imperial Concubine.
"Of course." Seeing that Li Kexiu was tempted, Moqi Feng smiled faintly. "Not only that, after Lord Admiral defers to the Great Song, this minister can persuade His Majesty to bestow Lord Admiral the title of King Wu. Your fief will be here, and I can guarantee that your territory and army will not change."
Hearing Moqi Shou throw out bargaining chips one after another, Li Kexiu was finally moved.
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