Martial Arts World Assassin

Chapter 368 Gentleman's Agreement
Huang Sixi knew very well that once the Li family had secured their power, they would turn around and declare war on the Hu people until they defeated the Eastern and Western Turks and recovered the Western Regions that were once the territories of the Han Dynasty.

The reason why Song Que was worried about the re-emergence of the Hu Lu threat was that Li Yuan temporarily submitted to the Turks in order to eliminate the threat from behind.

No matter how wise Song Que was, he could not see the future trajectory of the Li family creating a prosperous era in Middle-earth.

Huang Sixi naturally had no way to tell Song Que clearly.

He only asked Song Que the purpose of his visit: "Does the clan leader intend to seize the capital before the Li clan does?"

"I do have such a plan!" Song Que nodded: "Otherwise why would I lead my family to travel thousands of miles and raid here?"

"Have you ever thought about how to control the Sui court after you occupy the capital?" Huang Sixi admired Song Que's courage.

As long as the Song army crossed the north bank of the Yangtze River, it would be equivalent to an isolated force advancing deep into the enemy's territory. If there was any miscalculation, there would be a danger of overthrow.

However, the current period of time is indeed the best opportunity to capture the capital. If the Li family occupies the capital first, they can easily consolidate the three auxiliary areas and create decisive conditions for unifying the world.

If we wait until the Li clan occupies the capital before attacking, it will be extremely difficult. This is not to say how strong the Li clan's fighting power is.

Instead, after the Li family occupies Guanzhong, there will be a stable governance environment, and both the court and the people will firmly support them. If they attack them at that time, the price they will have to pay will be very heavy.

If the Li clan could be stopped outside Guanzhong and forced into a melee with the Sui army, Wagangzhai and Dou Jiande, they would lose the foundation for their struggle for the world.

Song Que understood this. He knew that after the Li clan took control of Guanzhong, the situation in the world would be basically difficult to reverse, so he took the risk of leading his troops north.

He told Huang Sixi frankly: "I know that the Song clan has no influence in the capital. Even if I occupy the capital, the people in the city will not submit. However, when Dong Zhuo entered the capital at the end of the Han Dynasty, his influence was even lower, and he still easily occupied the court!"

He had no intention of compromising with the officials and dignitaries in the capital. Once he entered the capital, he would directly control the regent, Yang You, and use Yang You to control the disobedient. Anyone who dared to resist the king's orders would be killed immediately.

He would follow Dong Zhuo's example and suppress all destabilizing factors by force.

Huang Sixi pursed his lips and smiled: "The clan leader uses Dong Zhuo as a metaphor for himself. Isn't this a bad omen?"

Everyone knows that Dong Zhuo died a violent death.

Song Que was calm and composed: "Dong Zhuo is a traitor to the country. He started the rebellion out of personal gain. I, Song Que, want to revive the Han Dynasty. Even if I conquer the capital, I have no intention of becoming an emperor!"

Huang Sixi couldn't help but question: "Master, are you sure this is the truth?"

Song Que met Huang Sixi's gaze frankly: "Before you, Mr. Huang, rose to power, I had no plan to attack the capital. I was appointed Duke of Zhennan by the Sui court, just like Zhao Tuo in the past, and I am the de facto emperor in Lingnan. Why would I risk a life-and-death battle with the heroes in the north?"

His star-like eyes suddenly shone brightly: "When I learned that you, Mr. Huang, killed Tiele Qu'ao, showed no mercy to the foreign races, and raised a real dragon, I felt that the time for the Han Dynasty to flourish had come, so I decisively raised an army! Everything I did was for you, Mr. Huang!"

"For me?" Huang Sixi seemed to be listening to some mumbling:
"I have never met the clan leader before, but he actually staked the three thousand clan members of the Song clan for a person he has never met?"

"If Mr. Huang is determined to fight for supremacy, I am willing to bet all the foundation of the Song family!" Song Que showed his pride:
"My Song clan has sufficient soldiers, horses, and food. You, Mr. Huang, have unparalleled military power and the righteous reputation of the True Dragon Emperor. Let's join forces to capture the capital. First, we can use Yang You to seize the military power of the Sui army in Guanzhong. When the time is right, you can replace Yang Sui in the name of the True Dragon. By then, it will be easy to conquer the world!"

He pointed north again and said with longing: "The Han Dynasty has been weak for too long. We should rise up. Unifying the Central Plains is not the end. If we continue to lead our troops to the Western Regions, we may be able to reproduce the glory of Emperor Wu of Han!"

Huang Sixi was not moved by Song Que's bold words.

After all, Huang Sixi is alone and has no aristocratic family to rely on. Song Que is willing to spend a lot of money to support him. He must be seeing the huge benefits after his support is successful, and the Song family can share the world.

Huang Sixi calmly asked Song Que: "If I don't agree to cooperate with the master, what will the master do?"

Song Que sighed softly: "I can't accomplish anything by myself. Although I can use tough means to capture the palace, hold the Sui court king hostage, and even subjugate the people of the capital, I can't deal with the Li clan. Even if I transfer all the Song clan's troops to Guanzhong, I still can't gain the upper hand over the Li clan!"

He was willing to assist Huang Sixi in becoming emperor because of this. He could not defeat the Li family alone, but as long as Huang Sixi was willing to join forces with him, he would have a great chance of overwhelm the Li family.

Song Que looked at Huang Sixi with expectation: "I sincerely hope that Mr. Huang can create an unprecedented career. If you refuse, I will lead my troops to leave Guanzhong and may go to support Li Mi and help Li Mi capture Luoyang, the eastern capital. Then, we can compete with the Li family in the Central Plains and still have a chance to seize the world!"

This is also the reason why Song Que made an appointment to meet with Huang Sixi. If he could persuade Huang Sixi to join forces, he would attack the capital, otherwise he would withdraw from the battle for Guanzhong.

His talk of joining forces with Li Mi was just a show, just giving some money and food to deal with it. He would never really use his family generals and troops to fight against Li Mi.

He would rather give up all his foundation to support Huang Sixi than give up a single soldier to support Li Mi.

It's a question of risk and reward.

He bet on Huang Sixi with low risk and high return. If successful, not only would the Song family prosper, but the Han Dynasty would also flourish, which would bring countless benefits to both the public and private sectors.

But betting on Li Mi has high risks and low returns, so Song Que might as well return to Lingnan and continue to be the carefree Duke of Zhennan.

Huang Sixi listened to Song Que's decision and said to him, "This matter is too important. Master, you should have discussed it with me in advance, maybe I would agree! You suddenly attacked me and caught me off guard. I didn't have time to think about it. How can I easily answer you?"

Song Que spread his hands towards Huang Sixi and said, "I was also forced by the current situation. I decided to start an army after receiving the news that you raised a real dragon. At that time, you were trapped in the flood area and I couldn't find your trace at all. How could I discuss it with you?

I can't delay raising an army, because the Li clan's army has already set out, and I must station troops in Guanzhong before them! If the Li clan attacks the capital first, it will be too late!"

If he couldn't find Huang Sixi after arriving in Guanzhong, he could just retreat along the same route. Apart from the hassle, he wouldn't suffer any loss.

Huang Sixi looked up at the ceiling and carefully considered Song Que's suggestion.

Song Que stood aside with his hands behind his back and did not disturb him.

After considering his words, Huang Sixi said, "Let me tell you two things first. First, I just made a deal with Master Fan Qinghui of Cihang Jingzhai. I promised her to leave the capital as soon as possible. You can't go back on your word!"

Hearing Fan Qinghui's name, Song Que's eyes showed a complicated expression, and then he frowned again: "She is obviously optimistic about the Li family taking over the world?"

Huang Sixi replied: "Her original words were that the Li family has the best conditions to seize the world. I heard that the family leader has a good relationship with her, so maybe we can win her support."

Song Que suddenly sneered: "She overestimated the influence of Cihang Jingzhai and implicated it in the bloody struggle for power in the world. If she gets too involved, she might lose her foothold in vegetarianism and Buddhist practice. I have never felt that Cihang Jingzhai is qualified to choose the master of the world, so naturally, we don't need to pay attention to her."

He paused, and the peerless beauty of Fan Qinghui in her youth emerged in his mind, and he added: "But I do have a personal relationship with her, and I admire her compassionate character! What is the other thing?" Huang Sixi said frankly: "I want to go to the Western Regions to find the Heavenly Monarch Xi Ying. This is very important to me. I will set off soon and will not stay in the Middle Earth any longer!"

Song Que was puzzled: "What's so special about Tianjun Xi? I killed him and he fled thousands of miles away. He fled to the Western Regions for forty years and dared not come back. Could he be more important than fighting for supremacy in the world?"

"Yes!"

Huang Sixi did not elaborate on Xi Ying's situation. He told Song Que: "Although I am leaving China, I deeply agree with your ambition to revive the Han Dynasty!
I have found the Yang Gong treasure house buried in the capital. This treasure house is connected to a secret passage outside the city. I can help the clan leader secretly send 3,000 warriors into the city, control the palace and the king, and then control the military power of the Sui army and seize the Guanzhong area!"

Song Que shook his head repeatedly: "If you stay away from the Central Plains, how can you hold the capital firmly? How can you defend Guanzhong? The generals of the Li family are good at fighting, and I dare not claim victory even if I lead the army myself!"

Huang Sixi said: "Before I leave, I will go to the Li family camp..."

"Are you planning to assassinate someone? Absolutely not!"

Song Que hurriedly stopped him: "The moment you killed Chao Gongcuo, the Li Clan had already begun to prepare for battle. Li Yuan and his legitimate son all hid themselves and set traps specifically for you to fall into. They have tens of thousands of elite soldiers, and your assassination would be exactly what they want!"

It doesn't matter if Li Yuan hides. Huang Sixi doesn't have to kill Li Yuan at once. He will kill a group of generals and senior officials of the Li family to deter the Li family from continuing to advance westward into Guanzhong, and make them advance eastward into Luoyang to fight with Li Mi.

Huang Sixi added: "There is an official named Li Jing in the capital, who is gifted in military affairs. Let Li Jing lead the troops to confront the Li clan. I guarantee that the Li clan will not be able to enter Guanzhong."

Song Que still felt that something was wrong: "Since you have the intention to confront the Li Clan, why don't you stay in the Central Plains and eradicate the Li Clan first? After you have conquered the world, wouldn't it be more convenient to mobilize the power of the world to find Xi Ying?"

Huang Sixi had his own concerns: "If we really wait until that time, the news will definitely leak out. Master, just imagine, if Xi Ying knew that he was being sought by the whole world, what would he do? He would definitely find a remote place with few people, and he would never show up again until he died!"

Not to mention being hunted by troops from all over the world, the mere presence of Huang Sixi was enough to make Xi Ying retreat.

Fan Qinghui knew very well what Huang Sixi wanted to do with Xi Ying. If Huang Sixi continued to delay and Xi Ying learned that the master who killed Qu Ao, Zhu Yuyan and Chao Gongcuo was looking for him, he would never meet Huang Sixi.

Huang Sixi wanted to catch Xi Ying before the news reached the Western Regions.

Song Que stopped trying to persuade Huang Sixi, but he put forward a condition to him: "If Mr. Huang insists on leaving, I will not stop you. The cooperation I talked about before still counts. I can enter the capital first, stabilize the Guanzhong area, and wait for you to come back before conquering the outside world. But I hope you can make a marriage contract with Yuzhi before you leave!"

He and the Song family paid such a huge price, ultimately just for this matter. After the marriage, the descendants of the Song family's bloodline would inherit Huang Sixi's future power.

Huang Sixi knew that this was a common method used by the aristocratic families to form alliances. He did not reject it, but he would not agree to it immediately.

He glanced outside the tent and said to Song Que, "We'll discuss this matter when I come back from the Western Regions!"

Seeing that Song Que was still trying to argue, he waved his hand to interrupt him and said, "I hope that you, Lord, will understand that I only value the Han Dynasty, not the throne! During my absence from the Middle-earth, if you can stabilize Guanzhong and conquer the world with the power of the Song Clan alone, then I will be happy to see you ascend to the throne in the future!"

"This……"

Song Que had just been humble and willing to assist Huang Sixi, and now Huang Sixi was being humble and willing to help him succeed. If both sides put Han Tong first, they could reach a gentleman's agreement.

He no longer insisted on the marriage, and finally said: "Before you leave the Middle Earth, you must prove to the world your alliance with the Song clan and deter other forces to prevent them from wantonly interfering in Guanzhong!"

Huang Sixi has already considered it: "I have established a Dragon Subduing Academy. When you, the clan leader, lead your troops to control the capital, first allocate a building for me to use as the academy site, and then let the children of the Song clan join the academy. I will accept them as my disciples, and the real dragon I raised will become their uncle. All of this can be handled in the form of a national ceremony!"

After hearing this, Song Que smiled happily: "That's it!"

Having the children of the Song family worship Huang Sixi as their teacher is as influential as a marriage.

Song Que discussed with Huang Sixi again: "Mr. Huang, when can you open the secret passage outside the city to Yang Gong's treasure house?"

Huang Sixi pointed to the south of the city and said, "The entrance to the treasury from outside the city is located on a hill more than ten miles south of the city. The hill is full of apricot trees, which can be used to cover up the tracks. The chief of the clan can go with me to the apricot forest to check the terrain. As for when to open the secret passage to capture the city, we have to wait for a few days, because the entrance and exit of the city need to be arranged separately!"

Song Que immediately stretched out his arms towards Huang Sixi: "Let's go now!"

The two left the tent side by side.

Song Yuzhi had been standing not far outside the tent. She listened to the entire conversation between the two without missing a word. Huang Sixi's refusal of the marriage proposal made her sad, but she always put important matters first, and there was no emotion change on her handsome face.

Song Que asked her to stay and take charge of the soldiers and troops temporarily, and she gladly did so.

She accompanied Song Que and Huang Sixi to the foot of the mountain. After watching them get on their horses, she asked Huang Sixi, "Mr. Huang is going to open the Jianglong Academy in the capital. Can Yuzhi be admitted to the academy?"

Huang Sixi laughed and said, "That won't do! When I leave the capital, the academy cannot be without someone to manage it. I'm going to ask Yu Zhi to temporarily take over as the dean. If you also come to the academy to attend classes, I'm afraid the students won't obey you!"

Song Yuzhi couldn't help but smile: "As long as Mr. Huang trusts me, I dare not disobey you."

"Okay, if you have anything to say, wait until we take over the capital!"

Song Que raised the whip, urged the horse to gallop, and in the blink of an eye, he and Huang Sixi disappeared on the official road.

Huang Sixi first led Song Que to the south of the city and asked Song Que to identify the location of the entrance to the treasure house.

Afterwards, he accompanied Song Que into the city, preparing to survey the terrain at the creek behind Wulou Temple.

Unexpectedly, when the two men dismounted in front of the Wulou Temple gate, they saw Zhai Jiao running out of the gate in a panic.

She ran into Huang Sixi head-on and hurried forward to report: "Brother Haohan, a thief just broke into the guest room and stole the copper pot of Nun Wan. The thief fled to this temple. I followed Nun Wan and Nun Shi to chase him, but they were too fast and I lost them in a flash!"

Huang Sixi thought that since Xianxian had already reached the level of Grandmaster, who could snatch the evil emperor's relic from her? "Did the evil thief leave behind a name?"

Zhai Jiao shook her head: "There is no name, but Shi Shigu seems to know the evil thief. She once said to him: 'You have promised my brother to retire to the mountains, why are you here to stir up trouble again?'

The evil thief laughed: "I am here to retrieve the ancestral treasure, it is not a breach of promise!"

At that time, Master Wan was placing the copper pot in front of Master Shi and teaching her the secret method of refining the copper pot treasure. The evil thief hit me with a palm. Master Wan and Master Shi came to save me at the same time, and the copper pot was taken away by the evil thief! "

(End of this chapter)