"King Qi was surrounded by fairy-like confidantes. How could a woman as plain as me ever catch his eye?" Though Ruan Xingzhu spoke with apparent ease, embarrassment still showed on her face. Having taken the initiative to use a honey trap only to be rejected to her face—no woman would find that easy to swallow.
"Madam needn't pretend to be pitiful. You've served as Prime Minister Han's ace spy all these years, never forgetting to make use of your own advantages." Song Qingshu remained utterly unmoved.
Ruan Xingzhu smiled with pursed lips. "An occupational habit. I hope Young Master will forgive me. What would it take for you to agree?" She was still playing a little trick here. A person's anger was often greatest the moment they discovered they had been deceived. Once that critical moment passed, even the greatest fury could be worn away by time, making it far easier to handle later. Thus, she had already resolved to pay any price to make him delay his retaliation.
"I already said it. The Ruan family submits to the Golden Snake Camp," Song Qingshu replied flatly.
Ruan Xingzhu frowned. "I cannot comply with that alone. Please name another condition, Young Master."
Song Qingshu somewhat admired her loyalty. He continued, "Madam needn't refuse so quickly. Let's add a condition. If Han Tuozhou can turn misfortune into fortune this time, this agreement is void. But if Han Tuozhou falls from power, the Ruan family will submit to me. How about it?"
Ruan Xingzhu opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to refuse, yet the terms tempted her somewhat.
Seeing that she was wavering, Song Qingshu added fuel to the fire. "The Ruan family has worked for Han Tuozhou all these years and has long been regarded as a thorn in the flesh by Jia