Cui Yu and the monk Jin Yunhou returned to the inn, and did not see any chaotic scenes on the street. The nearly one hundred people who died last night fell silently into the water like a stone, causing no waves at all.

As usual, the people of Huining Prefecture were not affected at all. After the government took away the bodies early in the morning, it seemed as if nothing had happened, as if the one who died last night was not the same as some chickens and ducks.

Even the Song people's inns seemed to have nothing happened. Just when they were about to leave near the Songting Inns, they even saw the servants in the mansion going out to buy as usual, and they also saw some servants coming and going as usual. What happened last night seemed like a dream, no one cared about it at all, and no Song people went to Huining government to report to the officials.

Cui Yu and the monk Jin Yunhou did not feel relaxed because of this calm scene. On the contrary, from the time they left the Song Ren Inn, both of them felt a heavy feeling in their hearts, just like the calmness at the moment... it was just the peace before the storm.

After reporting to Cui Zhongxian what he saw early this morning, Cui Zhongxian fell into deep thought in front of his son and the monk. After a while, he sighed: "Is the Liangzi of the Song people a united? The Song people are really so powerful?"

It can be felt that in addition to regret, Cui Zhongxian's tone was more unwilling.

Cui Yu looked at his father, and then at Jin Yunhou. At this time, he naturally hoped that Jin Yunhou would answer his father's doubts for him, rather than to say it. After all, he, Cui Yu, proposed to provoke Song people last night.

"It is a fact that the Song people are strong, but if the left prime minister and the Jin people join forces, they will not be able to fight." The monk explained for Cui Yu with understanding.

"But after the incident last night, will Wanyan Xun still firmly choose to join forces with us?" Cui Zhongxian frowned and asked, "Of the Song people, we have no room for space in front of the Jin people. At present... we are the only way to tie the Jin people together."

The monk Jin Yunhou, who had a calm face, suddenly raised his eyelids, looked at Cui Zhongxian who was worried and frowned, and thought for a while and said, "The Left Prime Minister... Could it be that he is a good friend to the Song people?"

"Wanyan Xun has been delaying, but we can't hold it back. If we can't decide for a long time, we may be really going to be out of the situation. I came to Huining secretly, with the intention of forming an alliance with the Jin people as soon as possible to fight against the emperor's suppression of us. But now... I feel like Wanyan Xun has noticed something." When he said this, Cui Zhongxian sighed again, his scheming face was full of solemnity, and he shook his head and continued: "I can't spend a long time with Wanyan Xun in Huining Mansion. It's hard to guarantee that the emperor will not find out that I am not in the capital."

"But... but we just offended the Song people last night. Will the King of Yan let go of his prejudice and form an alliance with us?" Cui Yu felt that his actions last night were a bit too thoughtful, and even some backfires.

The monk Jin Yunhou and Cui Zhongxian both looked at Cui Yu, and then they smiled at each other. Cui Zhongxian had no intention of explaining. He believed that Jin Yunhou would help him explain to his son.

As expected, when Cui Zhongxian picked up the teacup, Jin Yunhou explained to Cui Yu: "In the face of the interests of major national affairs, any grudges can be ignored, not to mention... As long as the Zuo Qiao is sincere enough and the benefits that can be given make the King of Yan in Song Ting, then the things that happened last night can be regarded as never before."

"As the saying of the Song people, the saying goes: there are no eternal friends, no eternal enemies, only eternal interests." Cui Zhongxian did not mean to blame his son, not to mention that Cui Yu's suggestion yesterday actually agreed with him, but they did not expect that the strength of the Song people was far beyond their imagination, and the elite under his command were so vulnerable in front of the Song people.

Cui Yu nodded repeatedly when he heard this, but he did not agree with it. The King of Yan of Song Ting really did not care about the conflict last night and agreed to form an alliance with Goryeo.

The Song court may not have been very strong in the past few years, and even in Goryeo there have always been a saying that Song Yi was weak. However, in recent years, since the King of Yan began to advocate the Northern Expedition, the Song court seemed to have changed. When facing the Jin Kingdom, which gave them endless humiliation, it was able to win consecutive battles. Even now, even the original territory of the Jin people had occupied a lot, and even drove the Jin people to the outside of the pass in one fell swoop, unable to step into the Central Plains.

So now in Cui Yu's opinion, if Song Ting is like a fairy, then they who want to form an alliance with Song Ting will be like toads. And after last night's incident, although Cui Yu was not in a conflict, even so, he was no longer as confident in the face of the Song people as before. It can even be said that when facing the Song Ting and the King of Yan, Cui Yu had already felt a deep sense of inferiority in his heart that he had not even noticed.

Under Cui Yu's gaze, Cui Zhongxian nodded to Jin Yunhou after putting down the teacup, and then said that the master was working hard. Jin Yunhou bowed with a smile, and only Cui Zhongxian and his son were left in the hall.

I can't imagine that my father, who had been in power for the rest of his life, was now in Goryeo. Cui Yu still asked a little disbelief: "Father, does Wang Wei really dare to do anything to you in the court? Isn't he afraid that if he suppresses you, it will cause dissatisfaction with other generals who hold military power?"

"Although Wang Wei still dares to openly break up with his father,... over the years, Wang Wei has been holding back and forth, and countless people have been secretly pulled over by him. In the court, his father has always been known as twelve generals, seventeen strategists, and twenty-four loyal ministers and filial sons. However, since Wang Wei openly questioned his father in the court, he dared not fear Wang Wei's anger on the second day, and there were still less than half of them who came to the mansion."

"But... my son thought that those who didn't come were not necessarily attracted by Wang Yan in secret, for example..." Cui Yu said with some disagreement.

"Yes, my son is not wrong in thinking this way. Since that day, those who no longer glared at our mansions may not have betrayed the father. Those who are not afraid of Wang Wei's warnings and dared to come to the mansion openly the next day... Are there any ministers who have not been attracted by Wang Wei?" Cui Zhongxian spent his whole life in the court, and obviously knew the intrigues in the court. He smiled and looked at Cui Yu and said, "Now, my father left the capital on the grounds that he was in good health and needed to recuperate in the mansion. He had no notification. Do you know that just three days after leaving the capital for your father, several generals, counselors, loyal ministers and filial sons came to visit him every day, wanting to visit him. But are they really just concerned about whether he is safe?"

Cui Yu shook his head and guessed: "What do you mean is that these people may have been sent by the emperor to ask them to investigate your true feelings?"

"Of course, Wang Qi also hopes to take this opportunity to find out whether his father is still in the capital. Joining forces with Wanyan Xun to help him usurp the throne, Wang Qi also realized the question of whether his throne was stable. In addition, Wang Qi was old and wanted to abdicate to Wang Zhi in recent years, so how could he watch his father continue to control the court? Leave Wang Zhi a country where most of the power does not belong to their Wang family? He is naturally afraid... One day he will repeat the mistakes of Wanyan Jing of the Jin Dynasty and seize his Wang family by his father." Speaking of this, Cui Zhongxian frowned again. Originally, he had never thought about whether to seek the Wang family, but Wang Qi pressed step by step on the court without leaving him any way out. This made him, Cui Zhongxian, in order to preserve his huge family business, had to think about the ruthless choice.

So for Cui Zhongxian, as long as he can reach an agreement with Wanyan Xun, as long as the Jin Kingdom is willing to mobilize troops to Goryeo, put some pressure on the Goryeo court and cooperate with him, Cui Zhongxian, even if he cannot seek the Wang family's territory in a short period of time, at least he will not be forced by Wang Wei to continue to retreat step by step. At least he can slowly make plans after stabilizing the decline.

But Wang Wei's intention to abdicate was decided. Before abdicating, he naturally wanted to clear Cui Zhongxian, who had only one hand in the court, so as to leave the crown prince with a harmonious court and a stable country for the crown prince.

Wanyan Xun did not want to cooperate with Cui Zhongxian, but after he usurped the Jin Dynasty, his current situation was even more serious than Cui Zhongxian's situation in Goryeo. The Mongols and Song people were eyeing him, and both the Mongols and Song people had irreconcilable deep hatreds with the Jin Kingdom. No matter whether the Jin Kingdom was captured by Mongolia or Song, Wanyan Xun thought that he would not have a good end, and even... Maybe his ending would be more miserable than the two emperors of the Song Dynasty who were captured by the Jin Dynasty and were captured to the Jin Kingdom by the Jin Dynasty.

It is conceivable that if Wanyan Xun had not cracked down on the Mongols and the Song people had dispatched a large army to cooperate with Goryeo before they were eyeing him, would the Jin Kingdom, which he had finally taken the throne, be taken advantage of by the Mongols and the Song people? Then would the Jin Kingdom be divided by Temujin and Ye Qinggua like the Xia Kingdom?

Wanyan Xun naturally did not dare to gamble with Jin Kingdom, because the bet was too big and the outcome would be extremely miserable. So Wanyan Xun would rather betray Cui Zhongxian than give Temujin and Ye Qing a chance to take advantage of the situation.

In this way, if Wanyan Xun wants to keep the current throne and the Jin Kingdom from being destroyed, he must choose one between Temujin and Ye Qing as his backer. Only in this way can he be less pressure from both inside and outside.

Compared with the Song Ting, the Mongolians had always been aggressive and had seized the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but these were all Wanyan Jing's mistakes and had nothing to do with him Wanyan Xun.

As for the Mongols, because of the existence of Yelu Liuge and the Jin Dynasty's inhumane oppression of the Mongolian people for many years, Wanyan Xun regarded the Mongols as a backer as a bad strategy. He would only consider it after Ye Qing decided not to form an alliance with him.

Of course, the Golden Seal and Queen Li Shier in Ye Qing's hand also forced Wanyan Xun to put Song Ting in the first position of alliance, which caused the reason why Ye Qing has now gained a stable advantage among the four powers.

Ye Qing really didn't plan to pursue the fact that the Goryeo people provoked him, just as Temujin saw through this at first glance. This was Wanyan Xun's method of provocation. Ye Qing also saw through it at first glance. Wanyan Xun's provocation was nothing more than hoping to take this opportunity to cut off the possibility that the Goryeo people Cui Zhongxian turned to Ye Qing for help.

The Goryeo monk sat in the front hall of the Song Ting Inn and spoke silently, disagreed with Ye Qing's speculation or objection. In fact, after Ye Qing's explanation, he suddenly realized that Wanyan Xun's actions were indeed as Ye Qing said, just to sow discord between the Song people and their Goryeo.

"Don't the King of Yan want to know the conditions of the Left Prime Minister Cui? Perhaps... Compared with the conditions of the Jin Kingdom, can the Left Prime Minister give the King of Yan more temptation?" Jin Yunhou wanted to make the final struggle, even though Ye Qing had already flatly rejected Cui Zhongxian's request for help twice just now.

"If it were you, how would you choose?" Ye Qing glanced at the maid standing quietly not far away. He believed that before sunset, his conversation with the Goryeo people today would also reach Wanyan Xun's ears.

"But King Yan, don't forget, Cui Qingchu's choice is probably the lesson of your past. Wanyan Xun also promised to give Cui Xiang an extremely tempting condition, but now, even if Cui is coming, he hopes that Jin will help send troops to the border of Goryeo, but only to be at the city rather than conquer the city. The Jin Emperor Wanyan Xun is unwilling to do so. How can the King of Yan guarantee that after forming an alliance with the Jin Kingdom, the Jin Kingdom will not betrayal? Just like betraying Cui Xiang?" The monk Jin Yunhou still maintained the appearance of a monk. No one could see what Jin Yunhou was thinking at this moment.

Ye Qing still shook his head. As the saying goes, the wall fell and everyone pushed him. If Cui Zhongxian was still at its peak in the Goryeo court at this time, Ye Qing might consider forming an alliance with Cui Zhongxian after Temujin left Huining Mansion and chose to watch the wall.

Of course, this risk is far greater than forming an alliance with Jin. After all, if you join forces with the Goryeo people, it is possible to push the Jin Kingdom to the Mongols.

So even when Cui Zhongxian was at its peak in Goryeo, Ye Qing was not very willing to choose to form an alliance with Goryeo, let alone Cui Zhongxian has begun to lose weight now?

Fighting is so cruel. When you are at its peak, the government and the people may be your friends and vassals, but when you start to weaken, anyone may become your enemy and the one who gives you a fatal blow.

Cui Zhongxian was proud of his court for many years, and now he has truly tasted what the "human suffering" is. Wanyan Xun saw through Cui Zhongxian's weakness. Ye Qing weighed the pros and cons, so he naturally favored those with the greatest interests, so he would never choose Cui Zhongxian.

Although Wanyan Xun was not sure about Ye Qing's weighing, he was still extremely satisfied with Ye Qing's decisive rejection of the Korean request.

The news about the Songting Posthouse had reached his ears, which made him admire Wanyan Fuxing's foresight incorporating his purpose and methods in the Songting Posthouse.

"It seems that as long as Ye Qing exchanges the seal in two days, I can make a choice." Wanyan Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Wanyan Fuxing seemed quite cautious and thought, "Sir, I have something I don't know whether to say it or not."

"But it's okay." Wanyan Xun said in a good mood.

"I think that even if the emperor chose to form an alliance with the Song people, no matter what, he had to be careful that Ye Qing's drunkenness was not in wine. Ye Qing's wolfish ambition and a heroic attitude all over the world knows. Now he is a high-ranking minister in the Song court, and he is even more powerful in the north. Even the Song court or the young emperor will act according to his Ye Qing's expression. Therefore, I think that even if he joins hands with Ye Qing temporarily, he must guard against the conspiracies behind his back." Wanyan Fuxing said cautiously.

"Are you talking about Li Shi'er?" Wanyan Xun frowned slightly.

"That's right." Wanyan Fuxing continued: "If Ye Qing only wants to return the seal, I think... Ye Qing must have other plans, but if he is willing to return Li Shi'er, after all, this is the real way to get rid of your worries for the Lord."

"You are right, but how could Ye Qing give Li Shi'er to me easily? Besides, even if he agreed, the conditions...we can afford it for the time being?" Wanyan Xun said worriedly.

Wanyan Fuxing was silent, and Wanyan Xun's concerns were also his concerns and contradictions. For giants like Song Ting and Ye Qing, it was obvious that they should not be too impatient during the interaction, otherwise it would be likely to backfire.

Being willing to return the seal can be regarded as Ye Qing's sincerity to Jin, but if he has to return it to Li Shi'er immediately, then... he would be a little arrogant, and what is even more uncomfortable is that this matter is not easy to mention in front of Ye Qing. After all, once mentioned, Ye Qing offered the return conditions, with the current situation in the Jin Dynasty, whether to agree or not is a wise move.

Moreover, both Wanyan Xun and Wanyan Fuxing believed that once the matter of returning Li Shier was proposed, Ye Qing's condition would definitely be a condition that would make Jin and Wanyan Xun feel dilemma.

"Then if we continue to drag on, things may not turn around..." Wanyan Fuxing said with some depression.

"Yes, it's not a solution to keep dragging on. This thorn in my heart will be pulled out sooner or later. Ye Qing doesn't see a rabbit or an eagle, so I have a lot of thoughts in my heart. I might as well join forces with Ye Qing first, and then raise this matter to Ye Qing at the right time. For example, after using the conflict between Cui Zhongxian and Emperor Gaoli to make a successful achievement... I mentioned it again. Perhaps at that time, Ye Qing will be willing. Of course, this may be my whimsical idea." Wanyan Xun said helplessly.

Telling reasoning to power is a helpless act. Just like when the Jin Dynasty was in its prime, did you ever tell the reasoning to the Song court? Isn’t it that the principle of the strong soldiers and horses lies in whose hands?
Chapter completed!