The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

The two of them walked slowly along the passage. There was no light in the dark passage, and only the sound of footsteps echoed in the space. Soon, they reached the end. Su Ming took out the key, opened the door, and walked in.

As the lights came on, what appeared before their eyes was a pile of large boxes piled up into a small hill.

"This is all the treasures in the emperor's treasury today. Take a look." Su Ming stepped aside and motioned for her to check.

The empress's beautiful eyes flickered, she gave him a cold look with a smile, and casually opened a box. What came into view was a shining golden light, and in the alley were pieces of gold neatly placed inside.

"Have you seen the list of gifts sent by Khitan? I had someone count it yesterday. In addition to these, according to the Khitan envoys, Khitan will send another batch of gifts." The empress closed the box and said softly.

Su Ming nodded. "According to them, it was because the Khitan envoys attended the wedding ceremony and felt very proud, so they passed the news to the Eastern Dan Kingdom. Yelu Abaoji then sent another batch of gifts to show his sincerity."

The empress smiled and said, "This batch of dowry is really generous. It seems that Yelu Abaoji intends to place a heavy bet on you and wants to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the two tigers."

In this world, there is no love or hate without reason, only eternal interests.

Although Yelu Abaoji gave a dowry worth tens of millions, the peace talks with the Central Plains further strengthened his influence. Secondly, the two sides prepared to open up trade in the border areas and open up trade routes.

Controlling the mutual trade was enough for Yelu Abaoji to control the tribes on the grassland. Without the supply of materials from the Central Plains, not every grassland noble was willing to live in poverty.

Compared with the various exotic goods in the Central Plains, the entertainment activities on the grassland are simply too poor, and even their living utensils are very simple and cannot compare with the luxury and beauty of the Central Plains.

Not to mention ironware, tea, cloth and other necessities of life.

As long as he cracked down on smuggling and controlled the trade, Yelu Abaoji would undoubtedly have a gold mine. He could not only make a fortune, but also control those tribes, bind them to his side with big and small interests, and consolidate his rule.

It can be said that even if Yelu Abaoji died suddenly now, as long as the trade was in the hands of the Yelu family, no one else would dare to covet the throne.

No one can guarantee whether the Central Plains’ attitude towards them will change after the Yelu family is overthrown.

Su Ming, who came from later generations, naturally knew it well. He knew better than anyone the value of a trade route connecting the two countries, and he also knew better the role of commerce.

He smiled faintly, looking very relaxed. "It's okay. Let him watch if he wants to. We can't fight Li Siyuan in a short time. I'm afraid it will be difficult to clean up if we break it up. He is afraid of Yuan Tiangang. As for the money, I think Longquan treasure must be more than this."

"I am not in a hurry to open the Longquan treasure. Now is not the time yet."

Seeing Su Ming's confident face, the empress's eyes flashed with love, "This money is enough to solve your urgent needs. Training soldiers is very expensive. The gifts I sent before have been spent."

"Well, although five thousand imperial guards are not a large number, it is indeed very expensive to provide them with sufficient food and wages as well as enough meat. However, this is necessary to train elite soldiers." Su Ming did not deny it. He did not hide many things from the empress, and the empress was also well aware of the situation of the imperial guards.

In ancient times, an army that trained once every three days was considered a strong and elite army. However, Su Ming's imperial guards were just like the armies of later generations, training every morning and evening, regardless of wind or rain.

The consequence of this was that the cost of maintaining his army increased dramatically, and the wealth and goods sent by the local vassal states when he ascended the throne last year had almost been consumed.

Yelu Zhiwu's dowry arrived just in time to fill the gap.

However, now is not the time to talk about these things.

Suddenly, Su Ming's expression became solemn, and his eyes were extremely serious. "There is something I think it's time to tell you."

The atmosphere immediately became tense. The empress's eyes returned to their cold state. When she saw his expression, she knew that what he was going to say next was extraordinary.

"You say it and I listen."

The appearance of Li Maozhen disrupted Su Ming's plan. He originally thought that everything he had done would be enough to make Yuan Tiangang change his mind and get his approval. Now, he has to realize a cruel reality.

Yuan Tiangang didn't take him seriously at all. The core of his plan to restore the country has always been Li Xingyun.

Even though he had done so much, Yuan Tiangang still only treated him as a substitute. All this would be a waste of time for others.

He had been guarding against this from a long time ago, but he still had some illusions in his heart. Now, these illusions have completely disappeared.

The Empress, Li Wentong, and Yelu Zhiwu are all people he wants to unite, and they are also the bargaining chips he prepares to use to fight against Yuan Tiangang. Although he will definitely not be able to defeat them, it is not difficult to contain one or two of them.

As for Zhang Zifan, when his identity is exposed, he will definitely not help himself, but he may not help Li Xingyun either, because Yelu Zhiwu is his own person, and Qingguo Qingcheng will definitely not let him interfere.

Secondly, does Xu Huan have the courage to bring Zhang Zifan in to disrupt the situation?

In the fight for the throne, one could die if one is not careful. In the past, she let Zhang Zifan go because Li Xingyun was Yuan Tiangang's only one. Now with Su Ming appearing as a troublemaker, there are too many variables.

Does she dare to bet?

Finally, there is Chi Meng. Su Ming has no control over this. Who knows what she thinks of him after a year of contact?

However, Su Ming was also prepared. If it was really a last resort, he would sleep with her first and then confess. Now that the matter was done and a fait accompli, the woman from Raojiang dared to love and hate, so she might not necessarily kill him at that time.

Li Siyuan, needless to say, will definitely follow Yuan Tiangang and develop, and Su Ming will not be able to control the rest.

"Actually, I'm not the real Li Xingyun."

Chapter 186 Silence is better than words

Under the flickering light, Su Ming's face was looming in the dark space, with an inexplicable expression.

When these words were spoken, the empress' pupils shrank, her mouth slightly opened, and she was shocked beyond words.

Then, Su Ming reached out and removed the makeup on his face, revealing his real appearance. The face that looked very similar to Li Xingyun was covered with scars, like broken porcelain glued together, which was shocking.

The empress felt a flash of lightning flash through her mind, and asked in disbelief, "Are you really not Li Xingyun?"

Seeing this face, she seemed to understand everything, but she still didn't want to believe the facts before her.

However, Su Ming's answer shattered her last fantasy. "Yes, I am not Li Xingyun. I am just a substitute sent by Yuan Tiangang. The real Li Xingyun has been taken away by Yuan Tiangang."

The empress's body trembled, and she took a few steps back, tears streaming down her eyes, "How is it possible? How could you be fake? How could a fake person make it this far?"

"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?"

Su Ming sighed, "I also wish I was the real Li Xingyun, but unfortunately, fake is always fake, and there will always be a day when it will be exposed, so I want to be honest with you before that day comes."

The empress wiped the tears from her face, her voice full of tears, "So, tell me now, why is it?"

Su Ming's eyes flashed with apology, and he said in a deep voice, "Yuan Tiangang is coming back, and Li Xingyun is coming back too. Your brother's appearance is a signal that the Longquan treasure game is about to begin. When Li Xingyun comes back, my identity will no longer be a secret, so I can only choose to confess."

"Once I leave this door, I will never recognize anything I say."

"What about you? What's your choice?"

If the empress chooses to stand with him, the subsequent situation will be much easier to deal with. If the empress only recognizes Li Xingyun, then he can only find another way.

"You mean, Yuan Tiangang won't let you go?" The empress quickly regained her composure, analyzing the situation at hand without directly answering his question.

"Yes, if I were just a substitute and still in the martial arts world, Yuan Tiangang would not take me, a small pawn, seriously. But now, I am the emperor, and I have restored the Tang Dynasty. I have justice in my hands and have united with the Khitan."

"Given Yuan Tiangang's personality, he will never let someone like me out of his sight. The most likely thing he will do is to kill me and let Li Xingyun get involved, using the luggage as a substitute for the peach." Su Ming's face was calm, and he seemed to be stating something that had nothing to do with him.

For a moment, the empress was silent.

With her wisdom and knowledge, she could certainly guess Su Ming's future outcome. If it were her, she would definitely not let him go. But it was precisely because of this that she was very conflicted and didn't know how to make a decision.

Once she chooses Su Ming, she will have to confront Yuan Tiangang. However, Yuan Tiangang has lived for more than three hundred years. How could he be so easy to deal with?

If she is not careful, she will get herself into trouble.

However, choosing Li Xingyun meant that he would be a substitute for the old man and his contribution would be great.

But, can Li Xingyun really do better than him? Can he really shoulder the responsibility of reviving the Tang Dynasty?

This question hung in the empress's mind for a long time without an answer.

"What about you? You are Yuan Tiangang's man, so you must be unwilling to be manipulated by him." The empress looked straight into his eyes, her eyes sweeping across his face inch by inch, feeling very regretful.

Su Ming stood with his hands behind his back, and there was a sense of pride in his words, "You know me well. I certainly won't surrender and be killed. Over the past year, I have worked hard and painstakingly to build all this, not just to help Li Xingyun."

"Ask yourself, he doesn't deserve it! Even Li Siyuan and Li Maozhen deserve it more. If it weren't for his bloodline, he would be nothing, let alone qualified to step onto the stage."

"Yuan Tiangang wants to help him become emperor, it's simply a foolish dream! If one's virtue is not worthy of the position, there will be disaster. Once he becomes emperor, the revival of the Tang Dynasty will become a joke."

The empress opened her mouth and wanted to defend Li Xingyun, but in the end she could not say anything because what Su Ming said was true.

If one's virtue is not in line with his position, there will be disaster, especially for the position of the Son of Heaven. If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. Li Xingyun cannot bear the heavy responsibility of the emperor.

In terms of tactics and scheming, is he a match for Li Siyuan? Even the empress is better than him.

In terms of military forces and power, can he compare with the various vassal states and princes in the world?

Even Yuan Tiangang couldn't solve these problems, let alone him.

Then, a hint of cruelty flashed in Su Ming's eyes, "Yuan Tiangang wants to kill me, I will never sit and wait for death, even if I die, I will make him pay the price!"

Then, he looked at the Empress, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face. "There is a secret that even Li Xingyun doesn't know. In this world, probably only Buliang Shuai and I know it."

"What secret?"

Noticing the empress's curious look, he said softly, "In this world, besides Li Xingyun, Emperor Zhaozong has another blood descendant alive in the world."

"What?" The empress's heart was shaken, as if a bolt of lightning had struck her mind. She subconsciously said, "This person, is it you?"

Although this sentence is a question, it has a tone of affirmation.

Su Ming showed an admiring look. He had to admit that the empress's intuition and sharpness amazed him. "Yes, it's me. It's just that I'm neither a legitimate son nor a bastard's son. I'm not even listed in the royal family genealogy."

"Yuan Tiangang, you are so brave!" The empress let out a long sigh, as if she wanted to vent all the grievances in her heart.

Su Ming said softly, "Do you think anyone is qualified to be Li Xingyun's substitute? You are the third person who knows about this matter. The world cannot be handed over to Li Xingyun, and Yuan Tiangang cannot continue to be so reckless."

"When the Longquan treasure comes out, it will be the day when I die. Now, I have told you all my secrets, and you should give me an answer."

After saying this, he looked at the empress with a very nervous expression.

The two just stared at each other, no one spoke.

Suddenly, the empress smiled, her beautiful face was as bright as a flower, "Didn't you already know the answer?"

Su Ming swallowed his saliva, his palms sweating, and asked nervously, "What's the answer?"

The empress rolled her eyes at him, and said with a mixture of anger and laughter, "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. I am already your woman, and from now on, I can only follow you. Are you going to abandon me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Ming flashed in front of her and held her tightly in his arms. Feeling her soft body, his heart melted.

"Thank you."

The empress also took her arm around his waist and leaned on his shoulder without saying a word.

The silence speaks.

Chapter 187 Kill him

After a few moments of tenderness, the two let go of each other, and their excited emotions calmed down again. One of them was the emperor and the other was the King of Qi, so naturally they would not overly indulge in love affairs between men and women.

Since ancient times, heroes are short-tempered and young men are too sentimental. If one has either of these two things in common, nothing great can be accomplished.

No matter how much Emperor Xuanzong of Tang loved Yang Yuhuan, during the Mawei Incident, he just watched the soldiers strangle Yang Yuhuan to death and did nothing.

"What are you going to do next?" The empress asked Su Ming about his next plan. If he chose to stand on the same front with him, then Yuan Tiangang would become their common enemy and they would need to face him together.

Su Ming fell into deep thought, his eyes turned, and he said in a deep voice, "We should wait and see what happens. We can't deal with Yuan Tiangang with our current strength. Before he attacks me, I must not be exposed. Try to gather the people we can use and see what happens next."

The empress did not agree, but spoke doubtfully, "Isn't this too passive? Yuan Tiangang may not let you continue to sit on the throne. Maybe the first thing he will do when he returns to the Central Plains is to deal with you!"