Zhou Qinian stood stunned for a long while, finding it difficult to believe everything Lü Qingxia said.

With Tangyi forces’ strength and Han Qian’s extreme emphasis on reconnaissance and scouting work these years, Zhou Qinian believed that if he wanted to abduct three to five people from behind enemy lines, it should be easy as flipping his hand. But this was completely different from abducting three to five hundred people from behind enemy lines.

If the Sima family was truly so easy to bully, during all those years before the Jinling Incident when Li Yu and Crown Prince Yang Yuanyan led Chu Province forces confronting the Sima clan for so many years in the lower Huai River, failing to achieve decisive results—wouldn’t they all be complete fools?

In early years, Wen Muqiao was a figure equally renowned as Li Yu, Du Chongtao and others. Wen Bo had fought against both Li Zhigao and Han Qian. One could say at the tactical level he would not be too far inferior to Li Zhigao and Han Qian.

The tenacity and combat strength of the direct forces Wen Bo led were sufficient to prove the Wen clan was a military family comparable to the Eastern Zhe Prince’s mansion.

Even if quite a portion of the Wen clan’s sons served as generals under Wen Bo’s command, currently trapped in Luoshan city, how could their clan’s basic defensive forces possibly be weak?

Unless the Wen clan members actively cooperated, who in the realm could abduct the Wen clan members—whose small-scale combat strength was absolutely formidable, unrivaled throughout the realm—from under the Sima family’s noses?

“Madam jests,” Zhou Qinian said with a smile. “Even if the Marquis of Qianyang colluded with Liang forces, Wen Muqiao was one of the chief culprits who killed Han Daoxun back then. How could the Wen clan members not resist and obediently leave with light troops the Marquis of Qianyang sent? Is madam certain it wasn’t the Sima clan making some transaction with the Marquis of Qianyang?”

If this truly happened, Zhou Qinian was more willing to guess that the Sima clan reached some cooperation agreement with the Marquis of Qianyang. Perhaps the Sima clan worried Huaidong would send troops against Xu-Si, deliberately currying favor with the Marquis of Qianyang by offering up his father-killing blood feud.

However, could this count as colluding with Liang forces?

Or perhaps this was an opportunity to persuade the Sima clan to submit to Great Chu?

Zhou Qinian momentarily could not digest such shocking news, unable even to discern the truth or falsity of Lü Qingxia’s words.

“I also don’t know what means Han Qian used to persuade the Wen clan members to obediently cooperate. Afterward, observing their residential settlement, there were no signs of armed resistance or desperate struggle. But the Sima clan was indeed furious, afterward dividing troops into multiple routes to pursue and capture. Though they killed over ten people, all were decoys. Ultimately this light troop successfully escaped.”

Lü Qingxia also did not conceal that they had quite reliable information sources in Xu-Si, explaining in more detail.

“Of course, the reason the Sima clan was negligent and lax in defense was also because this light troop infiltrating from Tangyi initially pretended to be Liang forces approaching northern Xu Province from the north. After the Wen clan members were abducted, the Sima clan sent troops pursuing north without result, realized it might be southern forces masquerading as Liang forces to abduct people. Subsequent pursuing troops deployed along southern Xu Province, but at this time were again disrupted by Tangyi forces crossing from Hao Province to raid during this period. They didn’t expect this light troop, bringing the Wen clan members, neither headed north nor broke through southward, but went east to cross the sea from northern Hai Province. Very regrettably, we received the news somewhat late. Four days ago, Prince Shou’s mansion people discovered at the Yangtze estuary that Chishan Association had four cargo ships entering the Yangtze waterway from the outer sea. Perhaps when Master Zhou went to East Lake, Han Qian had already met with Wen Muqiao…”

Zhou Qinian’s brows furrowed slightly. He knew Lü Qingxia revealing so many details naturally facilitated his verification of authenticity. He hesitantly asked: “Madam wants to say the Marquis of Qianyang abducting the Wen clan members is…”

Zhou Qinian was somewhat stunned by his own thought, so hesitant and uncertain he could not directly speak it aloud.

“Master Zhou has dealt with Han Qian for more than a year or two. Regarding what kind of person Han Qian is, are you still not clear enough?” Lü Qingxia said. “Back then, Han Qian borrowed filial piety’s name, toying with His Majesty in the palm of his hand. Once filial piety became an obstacle to his ambition and lust for power, trampled under his feet—what’s so surprising about that? Father-killing enmity, in such a person’s eyes, what can it amount to? Furthermore, if he doesn’t acknowledge it, who in the realm can say the Wen clan members are definitely in his hands? Can Master Zhou still say Han Qian has not set his heart on colluding with Liang forces to fulfill his ambitions?”

Zhou Qinian drew in a cold breath, thinking—those who murdered fathers, sons and brothers for power and position were countless. If people like them still believed in so-called irreconcilable father-killing enmity, weren’t they deceiving themselves and others?

However, if the Wen clan members fell into Han Qian’s hands, especially without bloodshed, very cooperatively following Tangyi infiltration forces into Tangyi to hide—what kind of secret agreement had Han Qian and the Wen clan members reached?

Zhou Qinian now somewhat understood why Lü Qingxia, who never showed herself publicly, would intercept him here.

He could not help thinking in his heart—if Han Qian reached some secret agreement with the Wen clan members, how could Li Zhigao continue besieging Luoshan city?

Zhou Qinian secretly felt that perhaps they didn’t even need to wait for Tangyi forces and Luoshan garrison to coordinate from inside and outside to launch an offensive. Simply having Tangyi forces deploy more troops to Huangchuan and Le’an cities, Li Zhigao would not dare continue risking such an airtight siege of Luoshan city, would he?

Zhou Qinian had previously expected that no matter how fiercely Han Qian and Shen Yang, Yang En and others in court opposed, the Empress Dowager faction would extremely likely direct Chai Jian in Jun Province to coordinate with Shu forces launching attacks on Guanzhong. But under current circumstances, how would Chai Jian dare act rashly?

Lü Qingxia stared at Zhou Qinian, asking: “Does Master Zhou still lack clear understanding of Han Qian’s wolf cub’s treacherous heart? Master Zhou and Lord Huang belong to the consort faction—do you truly think you have opportunity to seek common ground while preserving differences with Han Qian?”

Zhou Qinian naturally would not be easily swayed by Lü Qingxia’s words. Calmly he asked: “In madam’s view, with the Marquis of Qianyang controlling the Wen clan members in hand, General Zhigao’s side unable to attack, and the Marquis of Qianyang unable to directly send troops across Gu River—what will he do?”

“Wen Bo sends people out of the city to directly petition the court for surrender. Under Han Qian and Han Daoming’s manipulation and arrangement, accepting Wen Bo and his troops’ surrender, having them continue guarding Luoshan and other cities—who can prevent this?” Lü Qingxia asked.

Zhou Qinian nodded, thinking what Lü Qingxia said quite possibly could occur.

Li Zhigao at that time would not dare continue maintaining an airtight siege of Luoshan city. Prolonged confrontation in central Guang Province was also not a solution.

Under such circumstances, with Wen Bo actively submitting a memorial petitioning surrender, the court had no grounds to refuse.

Since it was accepting surrender, or pacification, allowing them to retain a portion of military authority was the customary practice of first winning them over then disposing of them later.

Anyone wanting to firmly oppose could do so, but who the hell dared forcibly attack Luoshan city to annihilate Luoshan garrison while Tangyi forces watched from the side with sinister intentions?

The entire affair was simply a replay of the Si Province civil unrest.

Thinking to this point, Zhou Qinian actually inclined toward believing Lü Qingxia’s words were true.

“Over four hundred Wen clan members entering Tangyi—so many people, Han Qian also cannot hide them completely tightly without any rumors leaking out,” Lü Qingxia also did not want to pressure Zhou Qinian too urgently. Besides, though Zhou Qinian was extremely trusted by Huang Hua, ultimately he was only a guest of the Huang family. This information still needed Zhou Qinian to bring to the Huang family and Jiangdong aristocratic families to properly digest. She said: “If Master Zhou has the mind, I believe you can quickly also find some traces.”

Zhou Qinian did not speak much more with Lü Qingxia. After all, nothing was confirmed. He would not easily believe Lü Qingxia’s words. After parting, he quickly entered the city.

He did not rush to find Huang Huixiang or Huang Hua’s son Huang Lü to mention this matter. After entering the city, he first went to find a fellow townsman who was also a guest under Prince Shou Yang Zhitang’s patronage—Zhang Xian.

As a guest, Zhou Qinian lacked qualification to directly meet Prince Shou Yang Zhitang, but he had extremely good relations with Prince Shou Yang Zhitang’s guests like Zhang Xian.

With Huang Hua’s daughter invested as empress, the Huang clan was consort relatives. With the imperial clan giant Prince Shou’s mansion, no fundamental conflict of interests existed. With Prince Shou’s heir commanding the Right Dragon Martial Army transferred to garrison Run River, controlling defense along the river and coast east of Run Province, Prince Shou’s mansion also deliberately courted and befriended Jiangdong aristocratic families.

Therefore, when Zhou Qinian found Zhang Xian seeking to verify that Chishan Association recently had four sea vessels returning to the Yangtze heading to East Lake, Zhang Xian also did not conceal, confirming this indeed happened.

The lower Yangtze waterway east of Run Province was the Right Dragon Martial Army navy’s defense zone. Prince Shou’s mansion paid special attention to Chishan Association vessels. Even if they would not obstruct without cause, even according to secretly agreed conditions they would not search and inspect without cause, but when several large sea vessels entered the Yangtze estuary, how could they possibly miss seeing them?

Zhang Xian could even confirm the times when Chishan Association’s two batches of large ships went to sea—right after Shu minister Wei Qun’s mission to Jinling.

With Huang Hua far away in Tan Province, transmitting messages momentarily was inconvenient. Zhou Qinian took leave of Zhang Xian, rushed to the Huang mansion, then first met with Huang Huixiang and Huang Lü, mentioning Lü Qingxia seeing him midway.

“I said long ago Han Qian truly is not good stock!” Huang Lü said dismissively.

Initially when on duty at Changchun Palace, partnering with Han Jun, hearing Han Jun speak too much ill of Han Qian as his first impression, where would he have any good impression of Han Qian?

However, Huang Lü was also not naive enough to think Lü Qingxia intercepting Zhou Qinian midway was only wanting to find a stranger to complain to. Curiously he asked Zhou Qinian:

“However, speaking frankly, they have already brought the Second Prince into Cishou Palace. Could it be she still has something good to negotiate with us?”

Currently, though his younger sister had been invested as empress, for the Huang family’s position to truly consolidate, they still had to wait for his young nephew to be established as crown prince.

However, Emperor Yanyou was so young. Regardless of who it was, no matter how anxious, they would not raise the matter of establishing the heir apparent at this time.

Not to mention that after establishing the heir apparent he could still be deposed—now the crown prince had not even been established. Cishou Palace had previously suddenly taken the Second Prince born to Li Pu’s daughter to raise. Wanting Huang Lü to have favorable feelings toward Lü Qingxia and these people was impossible.

“Matters have urgency and priority. Regardless of what intentions Lü Qingxia has, Master Zhou should go see them once more for the best,” Huang Huixiang said.

These years Lü Qingxia, Yao Xishui and others manipulated power before and behind the scenes, but in most people’s eyes, they were all female officials and eunuch ministers dependent on the Empress Dowager. Female officials and eunuchs wielding power—for thousands of years this was nothing new. Even many in court and country seeking office and power liked taking this route.

In Huang Huixiang’s view, they might in future necessarily contend with Lü Qingxia and these people over establishing the heir apparent. But compared to the heart-alarming wolf’s ambition Han Qian and Tangyi forces now exposed, they and Lü Qingxia and these people temporarily still had some room for compromise. He wanted Zhou Qinian to again contact Lü Qingxia to see what thoughts they actually had to respond to the current situation. They could not possibly only be kindly transmitting news.