Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

Meanwhile, in Lin'an City.

Yuwen Mansion.

Yuwen Huaji stood by the study window with his hands behind his back, holding an urgent secret report that had just been delivered from the military camp.

As soon as Yuwen Chengdu entered, he said, "Father, 20,000 of the 30,000 Imperial Guards have been replaced by our own men. The remaining 10,000, although still trusted men of the Palace Guard, are scattered and without a leader, they can't cause any trouble!"

Yuwen Huaji walked back to the table, threw the secret document into the charcoal brazier, and watched it turn to ashes.

What's been happening on Cai Jing's side lately?

"That old fellow has been behaving himself these past few days, not receiving many guests at home. However, my men found out that he secretly went to the Jia mansion last night."

Yuwen Huaji let out a sneer.

"Hmph, the old man probably guessed something. But what can those two powerless old men do together?"

Cai Jing is useless without money. As for Jia Sidao? His Ning and Rong mansions are already rife with problems; what trouble could he possibly cause?

Yuwen Chengdu thought for a moment, then hesitated and said:

"Father, Cai Jing has been in the court for decades, and he has many protégés and former subordinates around him. Shouldn't we be a little more cautious...?"

Yuwen Huaji waved his hand.

"What do you know? Precisely because he wields great power and deep roots in the court, we must seize this opportunity to uproot them completely!"

Yuwen Huaji walked up to the city defense map hanging on the wall and tapped twice on the location of the imperial city with his finger.

"The ancestral worship ceremony is on the ninth day of next month. On that day, all the officials will follow the emperor out of the city, which will be the perfect time to take action."

"You take five thousand elite soldiers to secure the palace gates beforehand, and I'll personally lead the rest to surround the altar!"

"As long as we control Zhao Gou and those court officials, the Song Dynasty will be under the rule of our Yuwen family!"

Perhaps it was because something big was approaching, Yuwen Chengdu felt his heart beating a little fast.

"What if there are any unexpected events in the Jin Dynasty and the Mongol Empire?"

"There's no need to worry about that. Kublai Khan, the fourth prince of Mongolia, has already accepted our gifts and agreed to stay put. As for the Jin Kingdom..."

"Hehe, Wanyan Zongbi was just worried that even if he wanted to attack south, wouldn't our Prince of Qin be there to stop him?"

Yuwen Huaji burst out laughing.

"So Zhao Gou could only rely on the 30,000 imperial guards in Lin'an in the end, but he didn't expect that these soldiers already belonged to the Yuwen family!"

Cai Jing's residence.

The study was dimly lit by only a single oil lamp.

Cai Jing leaned back in his armchair, his face showing a weariness rarely seen.

Jia Sidao sat in the chair opposite him.

"You mean, Yuwen Huaji is really going to rebel?"

Cai Jing nodded.

"All the spies I placed in the Imperial Guard have lost contact, which is not a good thing."

Moreover, Yuwen Chengdu has been constantly mobilizing city defenses outside lately, effectively sidelining even the Palace Guards.

Upon hearing this, Jia Sidao's heart skipped a beat.

What do these treacherous officials fear most?

It wasn't that they were afraid of the emperor's death, but rather that they were afraid of a change of dynasty!

"If that's the case, why don't you just go and expose the Yuwen clan's scheme to the authorities?"

Cai Jing looked up and stared at him for a long time.

"expose?"

"Lord Jia, the things we've done over the years can't withstand scrutiny."

"If Yuwen Huaji turns around and bites back, the Yuwen clan might not necessarily fall, but our two families will definitely be the first to perish."

Jia Sidao shut his mouth and stopped talking.

Cai Jing was right; he had made a lot of money over the years by reselling salt permits and engaging in canal transport.

Cai Jing, who controlled the government, sold official positions in private, and Yuwen Huaji must have known the details of these activities.

"So what do we do now? We can't just sit here and wait, can we?"

Cai Jing leaned back in his chair for a while.

"I do have a way, but it will require some effort from the Emperor."

Jia Sidao's eyelids twitched. What did the aggrieved emperor mean?

"What method?"

"Marriage alliance".

Jia Sidao stood there stunned for a while before he realized what those words meant.

"You mean, let the government use the princess to exchange for foreign aid?"

Cai Jing got up from his chair and slowly walked to the window.

"That's right."

"Both Kublai Khan of the Mongols and Wanyan Zongbi of the Jin Dynasty are eyeing the Song Dynasty. As long as the Emperor is willing to send Princess Maode and the others over, these two families will definitely be willing to send troops to help quell the rebellion."

Jia Sidao gasped. Wasn't this like inviting a wolf into the house?

"Princess Maode, that's the Emperor's most beloved youngest daughter!"

Cai Jing turned around and stared at Jia Sidao.

"It is precisely because it hurts the most that sending it out can show our sincerity."

"Furthermore, Lord Jia, think about it. Why does Yuwen Huaji dare to rebel now? Isn't it because Qin and Han didn't come to Lin'an? He felt that no one in this place could control him!"

"But if the Jin and Mongol armies really enter the pass, what will Yuwen Huaji's imperial guards be then?"

Jia Sidao went over the pros and cons of the matter in his mind.

"Alright, we'll do it your way, but we have to go see the Emperor now! Otherwise, by tomorrow morning, Yuwen Huaji will either turn around and bite us, or he'll become desperate and do something rash!"

Cai Jing nodded in agreement, and the two old men entered the palace that very night.

Imperial City.

The lights were still on in the Chuigong Hall, where Zhao Gou sat slumped on the dragon throne.

"My two ministers, is this marriage alliance truly feasible?"

Cai Jing bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, Yuwen Huaji's intentions are now out in the open, and the various vassal kings are too far away to arrive in time."

I fear he will act before the ancestral worship ceremony even begins. If we do not seek help from outsiders, I fear the Song Dynasty will be in grave danger.

Jia Sidao quickly echoed this, exaggerating the severity of the situation.

"Your Majesty is wise. The Mongols and the Great Jin have long wanted to form a marriage alliance with our Song princess."

"If the Emperor is willing to bestow Princess Maode and Princess Roufu in marriage, both families will surely be willing to send troops to help."

Zhao Gou was not without capable people around him who noticed something amiss in the palace, and he wanted to take this opportunity to reclaim military power and purge corrupt officials.

Sometimes, you may have a good idea, but you don't have anyone around you who can put it into practice.

Now, hearing from Cai Jing and Jia Sidao that Yuwen Huaji might act ahead of schedule, I don't want to send my daughter away, but the thought of Yuwen Huaji's imminent rebellion makes me hesitate.

"Fujin has always been stubborn, I'm afraid this matter is..."

Cai Jing picked up the conversation.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this matter concerns the stability of the country. The three princesses are very sensible and will surely understand Your Majesty's difficulties. Besides, they will be princesses when they marry into the country, not suffer there."

Zhao Gou closed his eyes, and the image of his father and brother being kidnapped flashed through his mind.

Cold sweat streamed down my forehead.

It took a long time before he spoke.

"Draft the decree."

"Princess Maode was betrothed to Kublai Khan of Mongolia, Princess Roufu was betrothed to Wanyan Zongbi of the Jin Dynasty, and there was also Princess Ande..."

He recited the names of three princesses in one breath, his voice weakening slightly with each name.

Cai Jing and Jia Sidao exchanged a glance.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Harem.

Princess Maode, Zhao Fujin, sat in front of her dressing table, her eyes red-rimmed as reflected in the mirror.

Princess Roufu and Princess Ande sat on the chairs next to each other, shedding tears.

"Sister, I don't want to marry a Jurchen!"

"I won't marry a Mongolian. I've heard they have no rules there; they can even give away wives and concubines!"

Zhao Fujin bit her lower lip.

She was a princess of the Song Dynasty, and her father always said he would choose the best husband in the world for her.

But now the good prince consort has become a boorish man from beyond the Great Wall?

Just as they were wondering what to do, a palace maid carrying pastries walked in.

Zhao Fujiang was about to wave the unruly palace maid out when he suddenly noticed her lifting the lid of the food box.

Inside wasn't a snack, but a black plaque engraved with a spider web pattern.

"Who are you? How did you get into the palace?!"

The palace maid lowered her head and said, "I can rescue the three princesses, but I need their cooperation."

When she slowly raised her head and saw the face clearly, she was surprised to find that it was Jiang Yuyan, whom she had not seen for a long time.