As a high-ranking general under Hongli, Li Shiyao naturally knew about Hongli’s plan. Hongli had realized that Kangxi’s power was getting stronger and stronger, and his grasp on the dragon throne was getting more and more stable. He knew that if he didn’t act quickly, he might have to stay as only a prince for the rest of his life.
His previous plan was to unite with Wu Sangui and form a in-law relation with him, and then the two armies would merge into one and attack Yanjing all the way from Shanhai Pass.
It’s a pity that during Fukang’an’s mission to Shanhai Pass last time, Wei Xiaobao and Princess Jianning died mysteriously. Although Hongli and Wu Sangui both suspected that it was Kangxi’s conspiracy, the relationship between them had completely dropped to the freezing point.
Recently, Mongolia took the initiative to cease war and negotiate peace talks, and with the added persuasion from his Xin Concubine (Xia Qingqing), Hongli decided to completely conquer the Mystic Dragon Cult. Then he would join forces with Xin Concubine’s Golden Serpent Camp in Shandong to completely gain control of the Bohai Sea. After that, they would set off from Tanggu, Tianjin by water, and directly attack Yanjing.
Many knowledgeable people under Hongli pointed out that the truce was just a scheme by Mongolia to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. If they rushed to start a war with Kangxi, Mongolia would only take advantage of it.
But Hongli had made up his mind. He was confident that the northern defense line under his authority could block Mongolia for a period of time, and then the Golden Serpent Camp in Shandong could be used to attract Kangxi’s attention. That way, the battle would be settled very quickly, but he didn’t plan to explain these thoughts to his subordinates.
All of his plans depended on the premise that he would be able to take full control of the Mystic Dragon Cult’s naval forces. So Hongli decided to use the reason that he was taking revenge for Fukang’an, and was hoping that it would help hide his intentions from Kangxi.
Seeing that Li Shiyao’s expression was uncertain, Song Qingshu said with a smile, “General Li works under Prince Bao, and Yuanzhi’s father works under Kangxi. It stands to reason that no matter who wins or loses in the end, the glory of the Li family is guaranteed. But what if Mongolia ends up as the only winner?”
Song Qingshu’s words hit Li Shiyao’s heart. This matter has always been one of Li Shiyao’s concerns, as he was also a staunch anti-war faction in the Hongli faction.
“Kangxi has been paying attention to Prince Bao’s movements, so he sent me to observe the situation. The Mystic Dragon Cult is an important chess piece to maintain the balance between the two sides. If the Mystic Dragon Cult is occupied by Prince Bao, Kangxi will definitely not sit idly by. A big battle will definitely break out soon. ” Song Qingshu added.
“But the army has already set out. We can’t return without success.” Li Shiyao said in a deep voice.
“Didn’t Prince Bao claim to avenge Fukang’an and ask them to had over the murderer? So, if take Su Quan, the new leader of Mystic Dragon Cult, to Shengjing, won’t he be convinced?” Song Qingshu said.
Li Shiyao thought, ‘This is indeed a way to get the best of both worlds, and this way, the Prince will control the leader of the Mystic Dragon Cult, which is equivalent to indirectly controlling the whole cult, so he won’t blame me for anything…’
“Okay, as long as Nephew Song can make Su Quan surrender, I will take care of the matter of convincing the other two armies, and stay put for the time being. After we have a talk with Prince Bao in Shengjing, he will decide whether to fight or make peace.”
“Thank you, General Li.” Song Qingshu said with a smile.
*****
On the second day, Li Shiyao, Zhaohui, and Hai Lancha got together, and after some discussion, they decided to allocate three warships from the navy, and then selected martial arts fighters from their respective personal teams. They introduced them as escorts, but they were actually surveillance, and they would accompany Song Qingshu and Su Quan on the way to Shengjing.
“Madame, you’re going to go into the tiger’s mouth soon, are you feeling scared?” Song Qingshu asked Su Quan with a smile as he looked at the soldiers standing on the deck from the window.
“Anyway, I have entrusted my life to you, so it’s all up to you.” In fact, Su Quan was still full of fear for this journey. That deep feeling of powerlessness, accompanied by not being able to control her own destiny at all, made her feel very uncomfortable. If it wasn’t for her trust in Song Qingshu, she would never have taken such a risk.
“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll lie to you and betray you?” The two were so close that Song Qingshu could smell Su Quan’s fragrant scent.
“Are you really willing do that?” Su Quan’s eyes were full of smiles.
“I’m really reluctant…” Song Qingshu pulled up a strand of Su Quan’s hair and sniffed it, “But no matter how beautiful a woman is, she can’t compare to a man’s future.”
Su Quan blankly stared at him, as if she was trying to discern the truth from the falsehood. But soon her eyes turned into a pair of crescent moons, “If it can help you get a good future, I will be willing to do anything.”
Song Qingshu became stunned as he looked at the charming woman in front of him. He suddenly started to feel a little regretful. He felt like he was playing with fire and setting himself on fire. If he really fell in love with her, it would be way too dangerous.
“The master of Shengjing and his faction is really unpredictable…” Song Qingshu sighed, “Nowadays all the heroes in the world are competing for the hegemony over the Central Plains, and the Mystic Dragon Cult is destined to become a vassal of one of those powers in the future. No man can refuse the Madame’s charm. When I think that my dear Madame is destined to be taken into the house of a certain hero in the future, I feel a little unwilling.”
Su Quan’s thoughts had never gotten so far, she has been more worried about the fate of Shengjing and her domain. Although Song Qingshu’s martial arts prowers were strong, he didn’t have the power to protect himself against Hongli’s strong army. But after hearing Song Qingshu’s words, she was surprised to find that this man seemed to have different ambitions than an ordinary martial artist.
Su Quan’s eyes lit up, and she burst out with a strange expression, “If you want to, you can take the Mystic Dragon Cult as your home at any time.”
“Everyone in the cult listens to Madame’s orders, how dare I treat it as a family…” Song Qingshu said with a faux-smile, and the expression on his face was unclear.
Su Quan was a smart woman, so she naturally knew what he was worried about. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke up as if she had made a final decision, “There are three treasures in the Mystic Dragon Cult, I wonder if you know about them?”
“Oh? I didn’t know that… what are those three treasures?” Song Qingshu sat up straight and became interested.
“The first one is the Leopard Embryo Tendon Severing Pills, through which the Mystic Dragon Cult can ensure the absolute loyalty of its subordinates.” Su Quan pursed her lips and smiled.
“Using dr*ugs to control the subordinates is not a long-term solution, but the effect is immediate in the short term, and it is indeed a treasure.” Song Qingshu has always been curious about the formula of Leopard Embryo Tendon Severing Pills. In fact, one of the main reasons that he came here was to get that formula.
Su Quan showed a charming smile, “Do you want to hear how the poison and antidote are made?”
“You will tell me so easily?” Song Qingshu was taken aback, as he had previously thought that Su Quan would use it to bargain with him.
“I had originally planned to use this formula to bargain with Hongli as a last resort, but I suddenly changed my mind just now.” Su Quan looked at Song Qingshu with her eyes full of tenderness, and coquettishly said, “Do you want to hear it or not?”
“Of course I do.” Song Qingshu didn’t know how to respond to her for a me=oment, “Madame, this treasure is really too precious…”
“Is this even considered precious?” The corner of Su Quan’s mouth curled into a beautiful arc, then she stretched out her hand and hooked her fingers at Song Qingshu, “Come closer, there are Hongli people outside, I don’t want to be taken advantage of by that perverted prince.”
Song Qingshu turned sideways. Then he felt Su Quan’s soft lips exhale warm breath in his ears, and he suddenly felt his heart flutter.
“Young master Song, do you remember it?” Su Quan herself didn’t expect her voice to be so gentle when she spoke.
“Madame, would I dare to forget.” Song Qingshu felt his body turn a little hot and uncomfortable. He knew that if he continued this ambiguous game, Su Quan might completely have the initiative. Just as he was about to get up, Su Quan stretched her hands, and tightly hugged his arms.
“I’m not a tiger, why are you running away? I haven’t told you about the second treasure yet.” Seeing Song Qingshu’s slightly embarrassed appearance, Su Quan felt extremely proud. She had tried all kinds of charms on him before, but all of them had failed. So she completely gave up on those complicated methods, and instead used her natural charm as a woman, which really seemed to work.
Feeling the rich and full mounds on his arm, Song Qingshu showed a rare blush, “The second treasure must be more precious.”
“That’s natural. It’s related to a great treasure of the Qing Dynasty. There are very few people in the world who know this secret.” Su Quan said with a smug look on her face.
“Is it the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters?” Song Qingshu subconsciously asked.
Su Quan was stunned, and suddenly remembered all kinds of things that happened in Shengjing, then she angrily grabbed him, “I almost forgot, last time in Shengjing, your fake Sutra of Forty-two Chapters made me feel miserable.”
“Weren’t we enemies at that time?” Song Qingshu twisted his waist to dodge, while catching Su Quan’s evil little hand, “Then what about the third treasure?”
Seeing that her wrist was firmly held in Song Qingshu’s grasp, and feeling the heat from his hand, Su Quan fell into silence, “The last treasure is in my heart, it is much more precious than the first two. I am still hesitating whether to give it to you or not.”
“Since it’s so precious, then let’s forget it.” Song Qingshu looked down, and saw the skin under Su Quan’s collar. At some point, a rose-like hue had spread on it.
As if Su Quan had finally made an important decision, she slowly raised her head, and stared at him with her beautiful eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, but eyes were clear as a crystal, and there was a mysterious light in its depths.
The, she said, “The third treasure is me.”
Having reached this point, Su Quan was very worried about being ruthlessly rejected by Song Qingshu, and didn’t want to give him a chance to answer. She printed her delicate and ruddy lips on his, and then gently licked his earlobe.
Although he already had some kind of speculation in his heart, Song Qingshu was still a little surprised when thing started to advance, and he felt a sense of numbness. So he asked in a deep voice, “Didn’t you say that I had to get your heart first?”
“The master of Shengjing and his faction is really unpredictable. I’m worried that I won’t be able to keep my body pure.” Su Quan’s warm lips gradually moved down, and her whole body seemed like a beautiful snake, half lying in Song Qingshu’s embrace.
Song Qingshu opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but Su Quan held his hand, and guided him into her collar.
“It’s still broad daylight now.”
“Does that matter?”
“The soldiers outside will hear us.”
“Are you worried that Hongli will be angry if he knows that you have taken my purity?”
“How could I be afraid of him!”
“Shh! Stop talking~”
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