Chapter 712: Meeting a Boat at the Crossing
At night, we went to Banjing Pavilion.

Su He sat alone in the pavilion, accompanied by the bright moon and the gentle breeze. With only one person, a knife and a jar of wine, he was free and easy, relaxed and happy.

"Brother Liu, you have been hiding in the dark and hesitating for half an hour. I wonder what you are struggling with? Now that you are here, why don't you show up and have a couple of drinks?"

After drinking a glass of wine, Su He cast a frank look at the empty courtyard and asked a puzzling question.

Once the words were spoken, they were like a stone sinking into the sea. There was no response for a long time and the courtyard was always silent.

"If you feel guilty, you don't have to." Su He added, "It's just a piece of cake for me to help you."

"Brother Su's words make me feel ashamed and embarrassed. I... really don't know how to face Brother Su."

Along with a timid answer, there was a rustling sound under the tree shadow. Then, Liu Xunyi stepped out with an embarrassed look on his face and slowly appeared in front of Su He.

"Brother Liu, are you injured?" Seeing Liu Xunyi's pale face and staggering steps, Su He couldn't help but frowned and quickly stood up to greet him, "Did someone torture you in prison?"

"It's just some superficial injuries, nothing to worry about." Liu Xunyi said calmly, and bowed to Su He, "Qin Wei has told me that I'm afraid I can't repay Brother Su for saving my life in this life. I can only repay you by working like a slave in the next life!"

After saying this, Liu Xunyi bent his knees and was about to kneel down and kowtow to Su He.

"Hey!" Su He hurriedly supported Liu Xunyi and said nonchalantly, "It's just a trivial matter, Brother Liu, don't take it to heart. If you do this kind of thing, wouldn't it make me a hypocrite who is doing good for the sake of return? Come, let's go to the pavilion, drink and talk happily, and talk heart to heart."

"Brother Su, I..."

"Let's go!"

Without giving Liu Xunyi a chance to refuse, the forthright Su He carried him into the pavilion and pressed him down on the stool.

"Don't be afraid of being laughed at by Brother Su. Now I am like a stray dog. I am excluded everywhere and encounter difficulties in everything. Not only do people in the martial arts world regard me as an enemy, but even my colleagues in the Tianji Pavilion don't like me. It's really... miserable."

Liu Xunyi took the wine glass handed to him by Su He and drank it without thinking, with a self-deprecating smile on his face.

"You Song people have a saying, 'Eight or nine out of ten things are not as you wish, but only two or three can be told to others.'" Su He advised, "As a human being, who can have everything go as you wish? Brother Liu is just unlucky, why do you have to belittle yourself and be discouraged? You said that people in the martial arts world regard you as an enemy, but Su is also a martial arts man, and I am willing to be your brother and drink with you. You said that your colleagues don't like you, but when you were imprisoned, your friend Qin Wei risked his life to come here to ask me for help, and the young prince Zhao Yu was also willing to accompany him on the adventure, aren't they your colleagues?"

"Brother Qin and I have known each other since childhood, and we have a deep friendship. The young prince is kind-hearted and considers me his teacher. Although I am grateful that they are willing to take risks for me, it is within my expectations." Liu Xunyi repeated the words in his mind and spoke intermittently, "But I don't understand... Why did Brother Su help me? Don't you know why I was imprisoned?"

"Qin Wei has told me that it was because the princess asked the Emperor of Song to have you escort her to her wedding." Su He said frankly, "The Emperor of Song was worried that you would put personal interests above public ones and stir up trouble, so he threw you into death row in a rage."

"That's right!" Liu Xunyi said bluntly, "Brother Su, since you know the relationship between Princess Xinde and me, and why I was thrown into the prison, why did you save me? Aren't you worried?"

"What am I worried about?" Su He asked with interest, "Am I worried that you will kidnap the princess? Or am I worried that the princess will conspire with you to escape privately?"

"I..." Liu Xunyi hesitated, as if he couldn't speak, "No matter which result it is, I'm afraid it's not what Brother Su wants to see."

"Brother Liu, I know a thing or two about you." Su He said with a smile, "Although you keep saying that you want to take the princess away, but...if there is such an opportunity, will you really take her away regardless of everything?"

Liu Xunyi's heart trembled, and he asked suspiciously: "What do you mean, Brother Su? Do you think I don't have the courage?"

"It's not that I lack courage, but I lack a heart of stone." Su He said seriously, "A heart of stone that is indifferent to the survival of the Song Dynasty and the safety of the people."

"I……"

"Not only do you lack such a heart of stone, the princess also lacks it." Before Liu Xunyi could explain, Su He interrupted with a solemn oath, "To be honest, after learning that you were imprisoned, Su made a special trip to the palace to pay a visit to the princess."

"What?" Liu Xunyi couldn't believe it. "Can you see Xin'er?"

"I was ordered to protect the princess and prepare things for her during the trip, so it was easy for me to see the princess."

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi's heart was filled with mixed feelings, and she couldn't tell whether she was sad or helpless. It was almost impossible for a Song official to meet a princess of the Song Dynasty, and even Zhao Yu had to face many obstacles when he asked for an audience. On the other hand, Su He, who was obviously a Mongolian, could meet Zhao Xin with ease, and he could walk into the imperial palace as if it were nothing. Isn't this a great irony?
Sure enough, in the face of the militarily powerful Mongolia, the rules of the Song court and the arrogance of the royal family all became worthless. Even the arrogant Emperor of the Song Dynasty became a reasonable and considerate "good guy" in front of the Mongolian envoys.

In comparison, Liu Xunyi's fate at the mercy of others and his dying struggle in life seem even more sad and ridiculous.

"Since Brother Su has met the princess, I wonder what he said to the princess?" Liu Xunyi was surprised, but more curious.

"Just tell me what you know." Su He said bluntly, "Since Brother Liu has not concealed anything from me, I will naturally not beat around the bush in front of the princess."

"What happened next?" Liu Xunyi became more and more excited, and his tone became more and more urgent.

"The princess really has deep feelings for Brother Liu." Su He smiled bitterly, "When she learned about your situation, she was so frightened that she turned pale and panicked. She wanted to go to the emperor to plead for you. Although she tried her best to hide her concern for you and found a bunch of false excuses to cover up her panic, I can still clearly feel that she still has feelings for you."

"Xin'er..." Liu Xunyi was angry and anxious, but also deeply moved, "You are so stupid."

"In fact, the princess is not stupid at all." Su He shook his head and said, "On the contrary, she is a remarkable woman who values ​​righteousness over life and sacrifices herself for the country. Such a woman will be respected and loved by others, whether in Jiangnan or on the grassland."

"This……"

"The princess appears to be bold in love and hate, and has a steadfast character, but in fact she is soft-hearted, and has compassion and kindness for all living beings." Su He said firmly, "I went to see her because I wanted to see what kind of woman the princess is. After all, Su has been entrusted with an important task by the Khan, and this matter concerns the honor and disgrace of the Mongolian royal family. Although I want to save Brother Liu from danger, I have to consider my mission."

"Brother Su is right. This is also what I don't understand."

"Although I believe in Brother Liu's character, love between men and women is a matter between two people after all. Therefore, I dare not act rashly without visiting the princess in person." Su He said ashamedly, "After a conversation with the princess, I finally understand why she insisted on having you send her off. It's not to find an opportunity to elope with you, but to help you escape from danger. Let me say something that will make Brother Liu sad. Even if you want to elope with the princess halfway, the princess will definitely not agree to abandon the world. Because once she leaves, it will inevitably damage the face of the Song Dynasty and the Mongolian royal family, thus provoking a war between the Song and Mongolia countries. By then, there will be wars, lives will be worthless, lives will be lost, blood will flow like a river, and I don't know how many innocent people will be killed or injured? The princess cannot bear this guilt, and neither can you. Therefore, she would rather annihilate her own selfish desires and happiness than do something so desperate as to abandon the world."

Su He's words made Liu Xunyi feel mixed emotions. He gradually fell into deep thought, unable to extricate himself for a long time.

“Brother Liu, I wonder if what Su said is right?”

"Brother Su is not only upright and righteous, but also has the ability to judge people... which is beyond my reach." Liu Xunyi murmured to himself, as if crying and laughing, "Xin'er and I have known each other for more than ten years... But even so, I still don't know her as thoroughly as Brother Su does after just meeting her once... What you just said is right, Xin'er... seems to be independent, but in fact she has many concerns in her heart..."

"That's why I helped you out of danger without hesitation." Su He continued, "We are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless? I deeply sympathize with your situation, but I can't change the status quo. I hope... I can do my best to let you send her off for the last time, so that you can put an end to each other's worries."

"Brother Su is a chivalrous man, and I admire him greatly. But...what if Brother Su misjudged both the princess and me?"

Su He joked: "If this is true, I can only blame myself for being blind. I can only die to atone for my sins!"

"hiss!"

Su He's light-hearted joke shocked Liu Xunyi.

No matter how many high-sounding excuses and well-reasoned reasons Su He gave, in the final analysis, when he saved Liu Xunyi's life, the stakes were still his own future and life.

Although they were not related in any way, Su He dared to gamble his life and property without leaving any way out just based on the word "trust". Liu Xunyi was amazed and admired by his almost innocent loyalty.

"Brother Su is so righteous, I am your younger brother..."

At this moment, no words could express Liu Xunyi's inner feelings. He simply raised his glass, bowed to Su He, and then drank it in big gulps to express his excitement.

"I'm very curious, how did Brother Su get the emperor to pardon me? And how did he get the emperor to allow me to escort the bride?" Only then did Liu Xunyi feel lucky to have survived the ordeal, and asked curiously, "Did you make the matter between me and the princess known to the public without causing suspicion and opposition from other Mongolian envoys?"

"Brother Liu, you worry too much! In fact, I did not make your affair with the princess public, nor did I ask the Emperor of Song to pardon you, so as not to embarrass everyone." Su He laughed, "From the beginning to the end, I pretended to know nothing about your imprisonment. I just told the King of Hexi that Liu Xunyi was my lifelong friend, and now he was being hunted down by all the major martial arts sects, so I wanted to take the opportunity of sending the bride to escape to the border and hide temporarily. The King of Hexi is a heroic man who values ​​friendship very much. In addition, his ancestors and my ancestors have an old relationship, so he readily agreed to this small request. The King of Hexi informed Prince Rong of this matter, and Prince Rong asked the Emperor of Song to report it. I don't know how they discussed it, but since the King of Hexi did not make clear the relationship between you and the princess, the Emperor of Song would not take the initiative to make it clear. Instead of being hesitant and making more mistakes, it is better to agree to it, which can also be regarded as going with the flow and evading the matter."

"Yes!" Liu Xunyi said self-deprecatingly, "Now, the civil and military officials in the court must think that I have the support of the Mongols, so I can be resurrected. No wonder they treated me so weirdly today. Now... I finally understand."

……

(End of this chapter)