Even though the Jianghuai region of Shandong was more fertile, the Manchurian nobles still cared more about the prosperous land of the Manchurian Dynasty. That was the lifeline of the Jurchens. Therefore, the plan to counterattack the Golden Snake Camp had to be put on hold. The Jianghuai region, which was further away, was beyond the reach of the Qing court. They could only let Li Kexiu defend it.
However, the situation was not as bad as the Qing court had imagined. After all, Li Kexiu had tens of thousands of troops in the Green Camp. Jianghuai would have no problem protecting itself in a short period of time. Moreover, Li Kexiu's family and clansmen were still in Yan Jing City as hostages. The Qing court was not afraid of Li Kexiu's disloyalty.
However, the civil and military officials of the Qing court did not know that their Emperor had become the biggest 'traitor'. With Song QingShu and Dongfang Muxue's current ability in Yan Jing City, it was not difficult for them to send Li Kexiu's family away. This was the greatest source of confidence for Song QingShu to recruit Li Kexiu.
"In my opinion, Li Kexiu is not that easy to recruit." Dongfang Muxue frowned. She was not optimistic about Song Qingshu's success.
"We still have to try. Even if we can't recruit him, we have to make sure that he will not go into the arms of other forces. After all, as long as he appears to be loyal to the Manchurian Dynasty, we still have the upper hand." Song Qingshu replied in a low voice.
In the next few days, Dongfang Muxue, who was disguised as Kangxi, flatly refused the various requests of the three border defenses. Moreover, the news that Princess Jingnan entered the palace to meet the concubines and was kept in the palace for the night and never came out spread quickly throughout the capital.
The court was in an uproar. Many ministers wrote letters expressing their dissatisfaction with 'Kangxi's' behavior. However, Dongfang Muxue had already privately contacted several important ministers in the court — Prince Kang, Songgotu, Mingzhu, and the others — and explained the situation to them.
Back then, the Jin Kingdom had underestimated the defense of the prosperous land, which led to the loss of the prosperous land by the Mongols. Since then, there was no retreat or strategic depth. As a result, the power of the Jin Kingdom was gradually eroded and suppressed by the Mongols. Now, only the Guanzhong, Henan, and Huaibei regions were left.
Prince Kang and the others deeply agreed; they felt that the place where the Great Qing's dragon flourished was the most important place. As long as the three border defenses were pacified, when the time came, they would be in a situation where they could attack or retreat as they pleased. When the time came, it would not be too late to turn around and recover Shandong.
With the help of these important ministers, Dongfang Muxue quickly decided on the next course of action in the imperial court — to negotiate peace with the Golden Snake Camp and put in all their effort to quell the rebellion of the three border defenses.
But regarding the candidate to go to Golden Snake Camp for the peace talks, the court very quickly had a disagreement. After all, they did not know the attitude of the Golden Snake Camp. They might not even be able to guarantee their personal safety, not to mention that they had to ensure the successful negotiation with the Golden Snake Camp. It was really a difficult task.
The ministers of the imperial court pushed the responsibility to each other, no one was willing to go. But Prince Kang remembered that last time he was swindled by Songgotu because of Ah Ke's placement problem, no matter what, he wanted to swindle him back. Thereupon, he praised Songgotu to the heavens, strongly recommending him to be the peace negotiator.
Songgotu was scared out of his wits and immediately realized that the other party was taking revenge. He hurriedly hinted to his trusted aide to refute. Who knew that on the other side, Ming Zhu, who had always been at odds with Songgotu, saw this heaven-sent opportunity and decisively joined in, praising Songgotu and strongly recommending him.
Dongfang Muxue, who was sitting on the Dragon Throne, saw Her Highness's situation and could not help but secretly laugh. How could these people know that Song Qingshu could not wait to stop the war? Since Prince Kang and Ming Zhu both recommended Songgotu, Dongfang Muxue was happy to push the boat with the current and gave the task to Songgotu. At the same time, she instructed Songgotu to continue south to Yangzhou and appease Jianghuai Provincial Commander Li Kexiu after he finished the matter with the Golden Snake Camp.
Under Dongfang Muxue's deliberate indifference, the previously noisy Yue Le case was not brought up again. After all, the entire imperial court's energy was now focused on allocating resources and how to pacify the rebellion of the three border defenses.
Dongfang Muxue did not kill Yue Le, but imprisoned him in the Imperial Clan Court and did not allow anyone to visit him. After all, she still wanted to use him to toy with Princess Roujia, so naturally she would not easily kill him.
As for Song Qingshu, he was busy with one thing during his stay in the capital – reorganizing the Sticking Rod. Because Kangxi was now dead, there was no need for him to continue the previous arrangement of 'Fourth Bureau in the light and Fourth Bureau in the dark'. Instead, he changed the previous Eight Bureau to Seven Bureau.
Sang Feihong was in charge of the First Bureau of Intelligence. It existed in the form of the Five Lakes Sect and was similar to a propaganda and intelligence organization. The scope of the intelligence it was in charge of was mainly Jianghu and common people's intelligence.
He Qing was in charge of the Second Bureau of Intelligence. She planned to establish a chain of brothels in various countries and train a large number of concubines to be sent to the mansions of high officials and nobles. She was in charge of some intelligence of the upper class. Song Qingshu allocated a sum of money from the palace treasury as the start-up capital for He Qing. Then, he secretly used the power of the government to support He Qing to open a brothel in Yan Jing. As for the huge amount of money needed to open a chain of brothels in various countries, it could only wait until Song Qingshu took out the Roaming King's treasure.
The Third Bureau was in charge of the Tiqi. Their main responsibility was to capture and attack. Song Qingshu was in charge of Di Yun. When Di Yun saw him again, he was shocked at first, then he suddenly understood. Although he was honest, he was not stupid. He had a vague guess in his heart, but he did not ask anything and solemnly agreed. Some time ago, Sang Feihong had sent news that they had found traces of Qi Fang in Jingnan. Song Qingshu hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he did not hide it from Di Yun. Finally, there was news of his junior sister. Di Yun was very excited and immediately decided to leave for Jingnan. However, before he left, he promised that he would definitely return.
The Fourth Bureau was in charge of poison research and development. They were in charge of developing various poisons for the other bureaus. From Song Qingshu's point of view, this bureau was naturally prepared for Cheng Lingsu. It was just a matter of whether that little girl was willing to come or not.
It was hard to say whether she would help him or not. It seemed that he could only let Hu Fei use a honey trap, and then let Icy Snow use the identity of her future mother-in-law to deceive her. Song Qingshu thought that the poison in Hu Fei's body should have been more or less detoxified by now. It was time to find an opportunity to visit the King Of Medicine Manor.
The Fifth Bureau was in charge of assassinations. At first, Song Qingshu had his eyes on Li Mochou as the leader of the Fifth Bureau. With her appearance, martial arts, lightness skill, and concealed weapons, she was simply the perfect candidate for an assassin. However, after forming an alliance with the Sun Moon Sect, Song Qingshu conveniently placed her in the Sun Moon Sect. As a result, Song Qingshu had no choice but to set his sights on Tian Guinong. Tian Guinong was an intelligent and vicious person. The only thing he lacked was martial arts. Although he was a sect leader in the past, he was still able to survive in Liaodong. However, his martial arts were really not up to par in the world. Now that he was in Fujian to look for the Bixie Swordplay, it was just that Song Qingshu reckoned that with his abilities, he might not be able to successfully obtain it. Song Qingshu had to think of a way to help him.
The Sixth Bureau was in charge of interrogation and control. Su Quan was originally the best candidate to be in charge of the Sixth Bureau. With her charm and the Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill, she could bring interrogation and control to the extreme. However, it was a pity that she was nowhere to be found. No one knew what she was busy with in Liao. Song Qingshu had no choice but to temporarily choose an assistant for her to be in charge of the work.
The Seventh Bureau was the strategy department, in charge of strategic arrangements and the like. Throughout the fourteen books, although there were countless beauties, there were only three who were suitable for this position: Zhao Min, Huang Rong, and Huo Qingtong. However, it was a pity that no matter who these three were, they were not on the same side as Song Qingshu. Song Qingshu could only temporarily hide this Seventh Bureau in the bottom of his heart.
Of the Seventh Bureau, there were a few leaders who were not in position. Song Qingshu had no choice but to choose a few assistants to temporarily take over their work and run the various bureaus.
After finishing all of this, when Song Qingshu left the capital, more than half a month had already passed.
"I really have to think of a way to help Dongfang girl change that strange habit of hers. How good would it be to be a soft girl with a soft waist? Why must she be a strong attacker?" Thinking of all the tricks Dongfang Muxue had used to tease Princess Roujia, Song Qingshu couldn't help but shudder.
"A soft girl like Nanlan is still the best." Song QingShu felt his body go limp at the thought of Nan Lan's bashful and angry expression. Suddenly, he frowned and said, "It's just that Ruolan, that little girl, how did she get the habit of eavesdropping? Will it cast a shadow on her growth?"
This time, Song Qingshu traveled south alone. He did not ride a horse or a carriage, but walked with lightness skills. If someone was observing from the side, they would definitely find it strange. A moment ago, Song Qingshu was walking slowly in front of them, but in the blink of an eye, his figure had already disappeared dozens of feet away.
Song QingShu had cultivated the Traceless Sand Treading to the extreme, and now he had gradually comprehended the profoundness of shrinking the ground into an inch. He didn't need to fly like he did when he first learned it. He only needed to stroll leisurely. It seemed slow, but with a single step, he would traverse a distance of tens of feet. That was why he gave off a contradictory feeling of speed.
However, this kind of shrinking the ground into an inch technique consumed a lot of internal energy. With Song Qingshu's current internal energy, he had to stop to meditate and rest after walking for more than a hundred miles.
Song Qingshu looked around, and with a light tap of his toes, he leaped onto a nearby tree to rest.
After an unknown period of time, Song Qingshu suddenly opened his eyes and looked into the distance. After hesitating for a while, he took out a silver mask from his bosom and put it on his face.
Soon, a young boy and girl walked over from afar. The boy had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. At such a young age, one could tell that he would be a distinguished and elegant person in the future. The girl had delicate and refined looks, and in particular, she faintly exuded an elegant and scholarly aura, giving people a good impression of her at first glance.
"Why have you been following me?" The two of them happened to stop under the tree where Song Qingshu was, and the girl could not help but look back at the young man.
"Dark Cloud Pearl, the journey to the south will not be peaceful. I can protect you by your side." The young man smiled bitterly.
"Dark Cloud Pearl? This name seems somewhat familiar. " On the tree, Song Qingshu could not help but secretly frown. The reason why he wore the mask was because he recognized the young man below. He was the son of the pearl, Nalan Rongruo, who had enchanted thousands of girls in the future.
Previously, Nalan Rongruo was a First-class Imperial Bodyguard in the Imperial Palace, and Song QingShu had met her several times. Later, after Song QingShu assassinated Kangxi, in order not to reveal any flaws, he replaced all the eunuchs and palace maids who previously served Kangxi, and also replaced all the Imperial Bodyguards. Even the Chief of the Imperial Bodyguards, Dolong, was transferred to another place. Nalan Rongruo was also assigned an idle job and sent out of the Palace.
Song Qingshu was worried that if he was seen by her, it would lead to unexpected complications, so he wore the mask just in case.
"If it was not for your father throwing stones at me when I was down, why would I follow my father to the south?" The girl's jade-like nose wrinkled slightly. Clearly, she was somewhat angry in her heart.
"This … it seems that Suo daren did not agree to you leaving the capital. It was you who sneaked out." Nalan Rongruo cautiously glanced at the girl.
On the tree, Song Qingshu finally remembered who this Dark Cloud Pearl was. In the capital, the princes and dukes often teased Songgotu for having a daughter as beautiful as a flower and as beautiful as jade. In addition to her beauty, Dark Cloud Pearl was also a well-known talented woman. Many of the younger generation in the capital admired her. It could be said that her reputation spread far and wide. Even Song Qingshu had heard a little about her.
Having her lie exposed, the girl's complexion turned slightly red. She angrily stamped her feet: "None of your business."
"It's too dangerous along the way, and you
Come back with me. "Nalan Rongruo hastily advised.
The girl snorted. She could not help but roll her eyes cutely: "I heard that after the Golden Snake King occupied Shandong, he exempted the local people from taxes for three years. Now, within a circumference of a thousand li, no one picks up anything lost, no one closes their doors at night. How could I be in danger?"
"You really are going after the Golden Snake King." Nalan Rongruo faintly sighed.
"So what?" A strange expression appeared in the girl's eyes. "I want to see what kind of person is able to single-handedly defeat my Great Qing's army of one hundred thousand. I also want to ask him how he can call the wind and summon the rain."
When she heard that her father was going to the Golden Snake Camp, she begged her father to bring her along. Unfortunately, Songgotu was worried about his own safety, so how could he feel at ease bringing his precious daughter with him? Dark Cloud Pearl saw that her father did not agree, so after he left the capital, she quietly left a letter and left to pursue him.
Noticing the expression in the girl's eyes, Nalan Rongruo's heart was slightly sour. She could not help but say: "Those are only hearsay, how can you believe it? Moreover, the Golden Snake Camp is currently hostile to my Great Qing. If your identity is leaked, it is difficult to guarantee that you will not be captured by the Golden Snake Camp to threaten your father. "
"The Golden Snake King is not that kind of person. He is a great hero with an indomitable spirit. Oh ~ I understand. You are jealous. He is only a few years older than you, but he is now faintly the number one expert in the world. Moreover, he is also the leader of a faction … "Seeing that the other did not believe her, the girl immediately became anxious.
On the tree, Song Qingshu could not help but rub his nose. He did not expect his reputation to be so good. It seemed that he would have to increase Sang Feihong's salary in the future. He has almost promoted me to be the dream lover of every unmarried girl.
"You!" Nalan Rongruo was immediately furious. She could not help but strike the tree next to her.
Feeling the leaves around him tremble, Song Qingshu secretly sighed in relief. Fortunately, this boy's internal energy is insufficient. Otherwise, he would have broken the tree with one strike and forced me to reveal myself. That would have been embarrassing.
"Hey, are you angry?" The girl carefully pulled the corner of his clothes. "I just wanted to annoy you. I did not really think that way. In fact, you are also very powerful. You are a first-class imperial bodyguard at such a young age. Moreover, your poems are better than mine …"
"Alright, alright. Don't insult me. I know that in your heart, writing poems and essays is not a proper occupation. Fighting on the battlefield is what a man should do." The girl said softly. Nalan Rongruo felt that no matter how big her anger was, it had disappeared. He and Wu Yunzhu grew up together. It could be said that they were childhood sweethearts. He did not know when it started, but he found that he seemed to have fallen in love with his childhood playmate. However, he was very clear that Wu Yunzhu had always regarded him as a brother.
Since childhood, Wu Yunzhu was a talented girl. Her ambition was very high. Her criteria for choosing a partner was that the man must be able to fight on the battlefield and be able to govern the country peacefully. Although Nalan Rongruo boasted that she was well-versed in both literature and martial arts, he was still a little far from her standard. Originally, he only regarded this criteria as a young girl's yearning for love. After all, how could there be such a perfect man in this world?
However, not long ago, Song Qingshu appeared out of nowhere. He defeated all the experts in the world and won the Golden Snake King. Then, he led a few thousand old and weak people to defeat the imperial court's 100,000 troops. What was even more legendary was his ability to summon the wind and summon the rain. After being embellished by various stories, the current Song Qingshu perfectly matched the image of the lover that Wu Yunzhu had always dreamed of.
Therefore, when she heard that her father wanted to negotiate peace with the Golden Snake King, Wu Yunzhu disregarded everything and followed him.
Although she was very depressed, Nalan Rongruo was still worried that Wu Yunzhu would encounter some danger on the road. Therefore, she followed her to protect her.
"Brother Rong Ruo really dotes on me the most," Wu Yun Zhu giggled, "Alright, I can't refuse your good intentions, so I'll let you escort me. However, after you meet up with my father, you should leave as soon as possible. My father is currently in a fit of anger, when the time comes, he'll hate you and beat you up badly."
Hearing her care for herself, Nalan Rongruo felt warm in her heart. Then, she thought: Actually, even if there was no Song Qingshu, it would still be impossible for me and Wu Yunzhu to be together. First, Wu Yunzhu only has a sibling relationship with me. Second, my father and his father are sworn enemies. Naturally, he won't agree to our marriage …
Nalan Rongruo was originally a gentle gentleman. With this thought, she suddenly became cheerful. She made a decision in her heart: Since Wu Yunzhu likes it, why not help her see her lover once? As long as she can be happy, I'll be satisfied.
Song Qingshu saw the expressions of the boy and girl under the tree. He could not help but smile bitterly in his heart: I didn't expect that I would unintentionally become Nalan Rongruo's rival in love. However, I remember that in history, his beloved wife seemed to have the surname Lu …
"Oh, there's actually such a beautiful young lady in this wilderness." A middle-aged man's voice suddenly came from not far away. His tone was full of vulgarity.
"Business is more important. Don't delay Alliance Leader Zuo's important matter." The other man said in a deep voice. He was obviously displeased.
"Hehe, look at the clothes these two are wearing. They are obviously Manchurian. Moreover, the material of their clothes is so expensive. They must be Manchurian nobles. Perhaps they are Songgotu's children. If I capture them, I'll be doing a great service." The man from before said with a chuckle.
Song Qingshu casually swept his gaze downward. His expression immediately became somewhat interesting. He happened to know these two people. One was Qinghai's Owl, and the other was the Manor Lord of Thousand Willow Manor, Chu Hongliu, who had defected from Golden Snake Camp.
-----
Merry Christmas to everyone.
(End of Chapter)
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