Blood sedge

Chapter 1178: Taking Chestnuts from the Fire
"Don't you want to get rid of Zhang Xiong?"

"This……"

Guo Xian's hesitation made Hu Jin, who was standing beside him, stunned and secretly smacked his lips.

As everyone knows, in such a tense situation, any word, any action, or even any subtle expression is not aimless. Guo Xian has always been cautious, so how could he not guess Liu Xunyi's intention?

However, his undisguised hesitation was tantamount to confessing to Liu Xunyi that he did have the intention to kill Zhang Xiong.

Hu Jin couldn't figure out whether Guo Xian's actions were due to his confusion and carelessness, or... did he have other plans?

As expected, Liu Xunyi also saw a clue from Guo Xian's hesitation, so he smiled slyly and asked, "If that's the case, why bother to go to the far end and take the risk of punishing him for disobeying his superiors?"

When saying this, Liu Xunyi deliberately emphasized the word "adventure", which contained both factual statement and threatening meaning.

"Although I admire Brother Liu very much, I am, after all, the general of Luoyang and a subordinate of the Great Khan Mongke. Even though I have many complaints about the arrogant Zhang Xiong, I must know what is more important and what is less important. I can punish him and take away his power within the scope of the law, and even... use some not-so-bright means. But if you ask me to kill him, the nature of the matter is completely different. That would be betrayal and harming colleagues, a capital crime punishable by the extermination of all nine clans..."

"When did I ever ask you to kill him? If Zhang Xiong's death has nothing to do with you, how can you be considered a traitor?"

"What...what does this mean?"

Although Liu Xunyi's answer was almost explicit, Guo Xian still pretended to be ignorant and insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter.

Seeing Guo Xian's erratic eyes, as if he was trying to evade him, Liu Xunyi, knowing that he had achieved his goal, smiled contemptuously and explained, "You don't need to take Zhang Xiong's life, you just need to properly handle the aftermath."

"Brother Liu, this matter..."

"In addition to the expenses required for the arrangement, I will prepare a thank-you gift for you, and I am sure you will be satisfied."

"This……"

Whether he was moved by Liu Xunyi's "sincerity" or forced by his "threat", Guo Xian's tangled eyes gradually became intriguing, and his tone was no longer as firm as before. He stammered: "There is a saying that goes 'die for a good cause'. What if... I mean, what if Zhang Xiong is unfortunately in danger, no matter what caused his death, there must be an explanation in the end, and an explanation must be given to both the superiors and the subordinates. Even if... it was an accident..."

"grown ups!"

Hu Jin was horrified when he heard this, but because of Liu Xunyi in front of him, he didn't dare to dissuade him directly. He could only call out in a low voice to warn him.

"However, there is a saying that goes 'There is no impenetrable wall.'" Guo Xian changed the subject and continued, "What I am worried about is...what if someone finds some clues in the end and proves that it was not an accident, this matter will inevitably implicate some innocent people..."

"Don't worry, sir. Zhang Xiong's death has nothing to do with you." Liu Xunyi understood that Guo Xian was leaving a way out for him, so he didn't reject his kindness. "If I don't do it cleanly enough and the truth is revealed, I will bear all the consequences alone. I will never implicate you."

"Hey! Brother Liu, you are too kind!" Guo Xian waved his hand pretending to be righteous. "Even if there is any mistake, I will not 'wrongly accuse a good person', and I will not look for trouble with Brother Liu. When the time comes, I only hope that Brother Liu can help me catch the real murderer. Even if... the murderer is from the Xianwang Mansion, I hope that Brother Liu can be impartial and put the interests of the country above personal."

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and a fleeting murderous intent flashed across his deep eyes.

As if sensing Liu Xunyi's displeasure, Hu Jin, knowing that there was no way out, could only bite the bullet and smooth things over for Guo Xian: "Master Liu has traveled a lot, so he should know the ins and outs of this. We are all in the same boat, and when it comes to the last resort, we can only sacrifice the car to save the king. The Xian Palace... must hand over someone to take the blame. This is not only an explanation to the Khan and the court, but also to protect my master and Master Liu."

"Of course, this is just a contingency." Guo Xian was worried that Liu Xunyi would change his mind, so he added anxiously, "As the saying goes, 'help others first help yourself'. Although I am willing to help my friend, I cannot sacrifice the merits of my ancestors and the lives and future of the whole family. Brother Liu is reasonable and should understand my concerns."

At this point, Guo Xian's eyes rolled, and he suppressed his inner panic, and boldly guessed: "Brother Liu, in fact... with your ability, you can directly take Zhang Xiong's life, and even... taking my life at the same time is also effortless, but you went to great lengths to find me to cooperate... You are obviously not good at flattering, and you disdain the art of scheming, but you took the initiative to offer generous gifts, just to let me clean up the mess for you... Excuse me, after all, you don't want to tear your face with Mongolia, for... isn't it also for the people around you? Of course, brother Liu, what storms have you not seen? You are certainly not afraid of fighting to the death with the Khan Court, but you don't want to watch the people in the Xianwang Mansion displaced and fleeing. Therefore, what you did today is not to exonerate yourself, but to avoid disaster for your relatives and friends around you. In this regard, Guo and brother Liu have the same mindset, and we should understand each other."

Guo Xian revealed Liu Xunyi's thoughts in one sentence, but Liu Xunyi remained silent and did not express his opinion.

"Liu..." "What about Sui Zuo's matter?"

"Well... General Sui Zuo died in Dengzhou. It is well known that Jin Fuyu is the culprit. Our Luoyang General's Mansion does not need to interfere too much. If it were not for Zhang Xiong taking advantage of the situation, I would not have disturbed the Xianwang Mansion for this matter." Seeing Liu Xunyi's resignation, Guo Xian, who knew he had escaped a disaster, felt relieved. So he stopped showing off his cleverness and promised readily, "As for this morning's carriage and General Sui Zuo's body, as long as they are not restrained by Zhang Xiong, I will have my own explanation. Don't worry, brother Liu."

"It seems that the Lord has been holding a grudge against Zhang Xiong for a long time, and I hope that this person can completely disappear from the General's Mansion."

Faced with Liu Xunyi's meaningful teasing, Guo Xian's nerves suddenly tensed up. With his slightly trembling mouth, he managed to squeeze out a fake smile that was uglier than crying, but he didn't dare to respond rashly.

Seeing this, Liu Xunyi did not argue and said bluntly: "From now until tomorrow morning, no matter what happens in Luoyang City, I hope you will... keep your troops in place."

"So soon?" Guo Xian was surprised. "This is a serious matter. Brother Liu, why don't you make any preparations? Although Zhang Xiong's ability is far inferior to Brother Liu's, he is also a desperate criminal who has rolled through blood and fire many times. Don't be fooled by his big and strong appearance. In fact, he is rough and cunning like a wolf. What's more, he has a group of death guards who are inseparable from him. What if..."

"I know what you are worried about, sir. You are worried that if I fail, Zhang Xiong will definitely attack you. However, since you have joined forces with me, you should trust my methods." Liu Xunyi's tone was quite impatient and unquestionable. "Sui Zuo's death has caused a lot of uproar in Luoyang City. If I don't solve it as soon as possible, I don't know how many variables will arise. Now the only way to put an end to this matter as soon as possible is to stop the world from talking and avoid involving more people."

"Brother Liu, what you said makes sense." Guo Xian nodded without commenting, and then thought about it silently, as if he had made up his mind, and responded resolutely, "Since Brother Liu is honest with me, I should show some sincerity. I am willing to do my best to deal with all the aftermath, and I will not take a penny, just to make friends with Brother Liu."

"This……"

"Brother Liu, there is no need to say more. This is not because I am aloof. It's just that compared to a friend like Brother Liu who values ​​friendship and loyalty, mountains of gold and silver are insignificant." Having said this, Guo Xian changed his mind and said, "What's more, in the future in Luoyang City... I will also need Brother Liu's help and support."

"Let's put each transaction together. How can I let you do a business that loses money?"

"willow……"

"Your Excellency, there is no need to refuse! After the matter is completed, the thank-you gift will be sent to your house."

Whether it was just a show or out of his inner desire, Liu Xunyi had no intention of accepting Guo Xian's favor.

He took a deep look at the pretentious Guo Xian and the anxious Hu Jin, and then his figure flashed and disappeared out of thin air, leaving only two doors that had been opened apart at some point, swaying slightly.

After Liu Xunyi left, the room fell into deathly silence.

The silence lasted for about an incense stick of time. Guo Xian, still frightened, stretched out his right hand tremblingly, which was covered with cold sweat. He wanted to pick up the chopsticks to continue eating, but unexpectedly his five fingers twitched and stiffened uncontrollably, and the two chopsticks fell on the table with a clang.

"Sir..." Hu Jin swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Do you really want to use Liu Xunyi to get rid of Zhang Xiong?

"I have carefully considered that Zhang Xiong is a close confidant of General Wang, so I will not be able to escape the blame no matter what happens to him. Only if he dies at the hands of Liu Xunyi, who even Yan Wuji and Long Yu are helpless to stop... can the young prince mediate for me, and I will have a chance to escape."

"But just now, Master said that if the truth is revealed, then..." At this point, Hu Jin's eyes suddenly changed, and he looked at Guo Xian, who was showing his vicious face, with fear on his face, "Could it be that Master had no intention of helping Liu Xunyi conceal the truth from the beginning? Master... is going to betray Liu Xunyi?"

"If I don't betray Liu Xunyi, I will surely die."

"No wonder you just told Liu Xunyi that 'there could be a contingency', just to prevent him from biting back." Hu Jin suddenly came to his senses, and at the same time he admired Guo Xian's shrewdness even more. "As long as Zhang Xiong dies, Liu Xunyi will definitely think that you are in the same boat with him, and will be grateful for your risking your life to help. Even if General Wang comes to seek revenge on him, he will only think that he is unlucky, and will never think that you are the one who capsized your own boat..."

"Liu Xunyi is determined to kill. Either Zhang Xiong dies alone, or we die together." Guo Xian growled without warning, as if venting the humiliation he had just suffered and the suppressed fear in his heart. "If he hadn't been so aggressive, why would I bother to seek the skin of a tiger?"

"grown ups……"

"I can't blame others. I can only blame them for going too far... Zhang Xiong or Liu Xunyi, they didn't leave me any choice." Guo Xian, who had gradually calmed down, stared at the door where Liu Xunyi disappeared with his eyes full of brilliance. He murmured absentmindedly, his hoarse voice still trembling slightly. "I used Liu Xunyi to get rid of Zhang Xiong and help the young prince cut off the wings of General Wang in Luoyang City. Then I took advantage of the situation to transfer General Wang's revenge target to this person. This is not only a forced act of self-preservation, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ascend to power. It is also the most dangerous move I have ever planned in my life."

……