Wan Qixie rose and looked toward the distant imperial palace. "During this time, Song Qingshu's life and death have become the focus of every faction. Everyone is maneuvering, so at this critical moment, we cannot let certain people learn that Song Qingshu is still alive—not for now, at least. Otherwise, it will ruin our grand plans."
Wan Gui nearly burst into tears. He had suffered so miserably, yet he could not even take revenge openly. Several times, he had nearly blurted out everything that had happened tonight, but whenever he recalled Wan Qixie's usual sinister temperament, he forcibly suppressed the impulse.
To Wan Qixie, power was the only thing that mattered; nothing else could compare. What had happened in Yangzhou this time had caused an enormous impact. Those in court led by Han Tuozhou had impeached Wan Qixie. The princesses of Huan Yi Yuan who had previously received Song Qingshu's favor were also causing an uproar in the inner palace. In addition, the Golden Snake Camp was making moves in the north, while several neighboring countries had dispatched envoys to pressure Southern Song. Wan Qixie's position was extremely precarious.
However, Wan Qixie had always enjoyed a fairly good relationship with Zhao Gou. Li Kexiu had not only pledged the Jianghuai region to him, but had also sent his daughter to Lin'an to be offered as a consort. These were all tangible gains, so Zhao Gou had tacitly approved his earlier actions. No matter how fiercely his political enemies attacked, Wan Qixie remained unshaken.
Of course, all this rested on the premise that Song Qingshu was dead. No matter how formidable the renowned Golden Snake King had been, once dead, he would become nothing more than a fleeting memory. Many people would not stubbornly press on for the sake of a