Blood sedge

Chapter 1191 The Good Merchant Hides His True Colors (Part 5)

"Doing you a favor?" Xunzhen raised an eyebrow, asking suspiciously, "What kind of favor?"

"Using the name of nephew Xunyi to eliminate Guo Xian will help Wang Dechen regain power in Luoyang and will leave no grounds for Ariq Böke to use against us. In exchange, Zhang Xiong will not take any action against the Xianwang Mansion for the time being," Shen Dongshan said frankly. "It's called an exchange, but in reality, they don't need to pay any price. After all, Sui Zuo's death had nothing to do with you; it was just a rather clumsy smokescreen by Jinjianwu. By letting go of an innocent Liu Xunyi, they can effortlessly gain a prosperous Luoyang. This deal is a sure win no matter how you look at it."

“Master Shen’s plan is truly shrewd,” Xiao Zhirou said. “In this way, you are the one who offers up the city to curry favor with Hulie, but Xunyi is the one who offends Ariq Böke. Hulie is not easy to deal with, but do you think Ariq Böke is easy to deal with?”

“With Guo Xian dead, Ariq Böke has no foundation in the Central Plains, and he is no longer able to reach you.” Shen Dongshan explained confidently, “Moreover, it is better to offend Ariq Böke, who has no real power, than to offend Huli, who has a large army.”

"Khule is indeed powerful, but don't forget that he has the Great Khan of the Mongols above him," Yun Zhuiyue interjected slyly. "How do you know that the Great Khan of the Mongols won't stand up for his little brother? And how do you know that after Guo Xian dies, Zhang Xiong will definitely take his place? Ariq Böke can place a Guo Xian in Kule's territory, and he can certainly place a second Guo Xian as well. If things go wrong, not only will Ariq Böke be offended, but Kule will also not let it go easily."

"That's precisely why I said timing is of utmost importance," Shen Dongshan replied. "That fool Guo Xian, whether for self-preservation or eager for credit, sent a messenger north last night with a letter detailing his scheme to kill someone and his feigned collaboration with his nephew Xun Yi. Now, I have captured Hu Jin, the messenger, along with Guo Xian's letter, and Zhang Xiong has sent it to the Ongud tribe. With these incriminating evidence in his hands, how could Ariq Böke dare to act rashly? Möngke Khan cannot tolerate brothers attacking each other, so once relations break down, he will surely punish Ariq Böke for mismanagement. Even worse, Ariq Böke might completely lose Möngke Khan's trust and be stripped of his princely title. With such serious consequences, how could he dare to risk his life? Therefore, I dare say that even if Möngke Khan gives Ariq Böke another chance to seize Luoyang, for his own safety and future, he will definitely keep his distance."

"Master Shen's handling of matters is meticulous, I admire him!" Xie Xuan bowed to Shen Dongshan, and then sighed repeatedly, "In our eyes, the trouble with Sui Zuo is a disaster that is difficult to resolve, but in front of Hu Lie... it is just a trivial matter. Alas! Compared with these high-ranking princes and nobles, we Jianghu people are really not worth a second glance."

After hesitating for a long time, Su He finally couldn't suppress her thoughts and whispered to Liu Xunyi, "You can't fight city hall. It's unwise to make an enemy of the Prince."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xunyi's eyes trembled slightly. Her hands, which were tucked into her sleeves, clenched into fists, then slowly relaxed, and finally she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Sui Zuo may not be a big shot, but his position as General of the Western Capital was of paramount importance. His death is undoubtedly a resounding slap in the face to the Mongol court." Shen Dongshan changed the subject, cautiously reminding, "After all, Huli was the commander-in-chief of the southern expedition. Now that Sui Zuo has died under mysterious circumstances, he cannot possibly ignore it. After all, since Genghis Khan, successive Mongol princes have always paid great attention to their dignity and face, and there has never been a precedent of swallowing their anger."

"That's why you said Zhang Xiong won't target me and the Prince Xian's Mansion 'for the time being'," Liu Xunyi said thoughtfully. "What do you mean by 'for the time being'..."

"It means that even if we go to great lengths to help them reclaim Luoyang, we can only gain temporary peace. Little do we know that Huli has never been the type to give up one thing for another. He wants to take back control of Luoyang, and he also wants to regain the dignity of the Mongol court." Shen Dongshan sighed, his tone full of helplessness. "I can persuade Zhang Xiong to temporarily let the Prince Xian's Mansion go, but I cannot shake Huli's determination to avenge himself."

"What do you mean by that?" Upon hearing Shen Dongshan's words, Liu Xunyi and the others felt a chill in their hearts, sensing that something terrible was about to happen.

"As far as I know, the experts from Chifeng Ridge, the Hu Ma Gang, and the Twenty-Four Cities of the Northern Desert have already moved upon hearing the news and are secretly heading south. Local governments under Mongol rule have also received secret orders to mobilize elite troops to forcefully purge the martial arts sects, families, and gangs within their jurisdictions." Shen Dongshan's expression hardened, and he said solemnly, "Khulie is using the pretext of avenging Sui Zuo, but in reality, he is determined to use this opportunity to restore order to the northern regions. They are brewing a storm, a storm that will sweep across half of the Central Plains! I believe it won't be long before you feel the bloody terror of this storm; the martial arts forces north of the Qinhuai River... will likely face a catastrophe."

"Mobilize the elite troops?" Liu Xunyi was shocked. "You mean... Hu Lie plans to use the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to suppress the Jianghu forces?"

"That's right! Those who follow the trend will prosper, and those who oppose it will perish. There is no other way."

"This..." Upon receiving Shen Dongshan's confirmation, everyone was speechless for a moment.

"I'm afraid even Jin Fuyu himself didn't expect that his little trick would have such a miraculous effect," Yun Zhuiyue said with a sneer.

"How could this be?" Xunzhen was equally incredulous at Hulie's actions. "Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, making such a fuss over nothing is unlike Hulie's composed and shrewd manner. He..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xunzhen, who had been lost in thought, suddenly changed her expression. Then, a deep look of shock instantly filled her face.

"Xunzhen, are you thinking about something...?"

"Military tactics are not fixed, just as water has no fixed shape." Before Liu Xunyi could finish his question, Xunzhen, with a solemn expression, spoke up quietly, "Could it be... that a great battle is about to begin, and Hulie is implementing a scorched-earth policy to secure their rear?"

"hiss!"

Xunzhen's words stirred up a storm, and everyone present paled upon hearing them. "A great war is imminent... a great war is imminent..." Liu Xunyi murmured repeatedly, her mind in turmoil. "The Mongols have been coveting Jiangnan for quite some time now. For years, the Song Dynasty has been trembling with fear, walking on thin ice, always avoiding the north whenever possible, yielding whenever possible, paying tribute year after year, begging for peace year after year, even sending princesses to marry far away... all in an effort to end the war. But unexpectedly, no matter how much we did, we only brought shame upon ourselves, and could not stop the Mongols' ambition to unify the world. This day has finally come!"

"Brother..."

Suddenly, Xunzhen turned his urgent gaze to Wu Shuang, as if he wanted to verify his conjecture with him.

However, Wu Shuang didn't even need to say a word; Xun Zhen could see through everything just by looking at his calm and composed demeanor.

"Nephew Xunyi, Lord Xie, now you know just how critical the situation is in the Central Plains martial arts world, right? You should also understand what I meant by 'temporary peace' just now," Shen Dongshan said bitterly. "When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? Once war breaks out, it's not just the martial arts world that will be in danger; the country itself will also be in peril! With the country ruined and families destroyed, even if my business spans the world, what use will it be? I am, after all, a descendant of Yan and Huang, with the blood of my ancestors flowing in my veins. Once the country is destroyed... even if I have mountains of gold and silver, I will still be as fearful as a stray dog, subject to the bullying of others. At this critical moment of life and death, for us fish on the chopping block, nothing we do but huddle together for warmth or a sliver of hope is a meaningless death throes."

"As for the war between the two countries, I dare not make a judgment. But I am certain that once Hu Lie begins to suppress the martial arts forces north of Qinhuai, the martial arts world in the north will be thrown into chaos. At that time, Jin Jianwu will not let go of such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They will definitely take advantage of the chaos to crush us in one fell swoop and seize the opportunity to strengthen their own power."

Xie Xuan was frowning and full of worries, but his worries were not about the survival of the Song Dynasty, but about the rise and fall of the Prince Xian's Mansion.

After all, Xie Xuan, who had lived in Luoyang for a long time, was already used to living under Mongol rule. Even though the Song Dynasty had fallen, the martial world still existed, the Xianwang Mansion was still the Xianwang Mansion, and Xie Xuan was still Xie Xuan, just like always, with no significant difference.

To him, it made no difference whether the emperor of the Song Dynasty or the Khan of the Mongols was sitting in the Golden Hall, and he didn't care at all.

The idea that the martial arts world and the imperial court should each follow their own path and not interfere with each other is not only Xie Xuan's idea, but also a deeply rooted traditional concept among many older generations of martial arts practitioners, especially those martial arts sects rooted in the north, who value national righteousness more than loyalty to the country.

What they are protecting is the bloodline of their ancestors, not the land of the Song Dynasty, much less the land of the Zhao imperial family.

Therefore, when the young Prince of Qin instigated Luo Tianjin to plot a rebellion, he did not genuinely resist or oppose it. On the contrary, he harbored grand ambitions and was particularly eager to do so.

"What you say is absolutely right, Lord Xie."

At this moment, Shen Dongshan had vaguely noticed the subtle difference in Xie Xuan's and Liu Xunyi's attitudes toward this matter, but he simply echoed their opinions without offering much, lest he overlook one aspect while focusing on the other.

After saying this, Shen Dongshan changed his mind and cupped his hands to Liu Xunyi, asking, "This news is the second gift I'm giving to my nephew Xunyi. I wonder what you think?"

"Mr. Shen's generosity is truly overwhelming. I..."

"Hey! My dear nephew, please calm down. I have another prize to offer!"

Seeing Liu Xunyi's absent-mindedness, Shen Dongshan smiled nonchalantly, then waved his hand with great magnanimity. Kui Qi, standing beside him, quickly took out a document from his pocket and carefully handed it to him.

Seeing this, Xie Xuan couldn't help but feel curious and asked in confusion, "Master Shen, what is this...?"

"This is a land deed, and it's also an extra gift I'm giving to my nephew Xunyi."

"Land deed?" Liu Xunyi was taken aback and asked suspiciously, "Could it be that Master Shen is going to give me a piece of land and a house?"

"It's not just a field or house, but an entire estate." With that, Shen Dongshan spread his arms wide and slowly raised them, declaring firmly, "It is this very estate beneath our feet, covering thousands of acres and worth over ten thousand gold pieces... Danfeng Garden!"

……