Chapter 795: Endure Humiliation and Discuss
Early in the morning, Su He came to Liu Xunyi's tent on Hu Lie's orders.

After a few words of greeting, before Su He could take the initiative to bring up the matter of ceding the three prefectures, Liu Xunyi had already guessed his intention and took the initiative to politely refuse.

“Brother Su, you should know my character. Although I am not a loyal saint, I am not a treacherous villain.” Liu Xunyi said firmly, “Therefore, if you are lobbying for Hu Lie... Please forgive me for not being able to obey your order.”

"Ugh!"

Faced with Liu Xunyi's determination, Su He showed neither surprise nor disappointment. He just let out a meaningful sigh full of helplessness, as if all this had been expected by him.

"Brother Su..."

"Brother Liu, I know that even if I talk my mouth off, I can't shake your mind." Su He said bitterly, "I came here because the prince ordered me to come. I believe you have considered the pros and cons of this matter more thoroughly than I have. Since you have made up your mind, I will not force you to do anything."

"Brother Su is very understanding and righteous. I am very grateful to him."

"Although Su has nothing to say, there is one person... you cannot ignore her, and you cannot ignore what she says."

"Oh?" Liu Xunyi raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "Who?"

"I!"

Before Su He could speak, a voice that Liu Xunyi was very familiar with suddenly came from outside the tent. Then, Zhao Xin, with a complicated expression, walked into the tent accompanied by Pan Yuyin.

Liu Xunyi was stunned when he saw Zhao Xin. In an instant, his calmness, his righteousness, and his dignity disappeared without a trace, replaced by trembling eyes, gradually stiffened facial features, and bewildered hands and feet.

Due to the extremely special environment he was in, Liu Xunyi's worries about Zhao Xin were increasing all the time. Although he hadn't seen her for just one day, it felt like a long time had passed.

"Xin..." He subconsciously took a step forward, but suddenly realized the disparity in their status. Liu Xunyi paused and hesitated to speak. Under Zhao Xin's indescribable gaze, he knelt on the ground stiffly and slowly like a puppet, and bowed his hands in a jerky tone, "Your subordinate... greets the princess!"

"Master Liu, there is no need to be so polite."

Looking at Liu Xunyi, who was so close to her but did not dare to show any closeness, Zhao Xin was also heartbroken.

From beginning to end, Liu Xunyi stared at Zhao Xin with an infatuated and concerned look. The two of them looked at each other as if no one was around, their eyes full of tenderness and reluctance for each other.

"Brother Liu, the prince has ordered that you and the princess cannot meet alone, so Su and Miss Pan..."

Facing Su He's hesitation, Liu Xunyi hadn't figured out his thoughts yet, but Zhao Xin took the lead in answering: "Today, my conversation with Master Liu... You can listen to it from the side, no need to be shy."

"Princess, you are magnanimous. I admire you." Su He breathed a sigh of relief, and then he and Pan Yuyin, who was confused and melancholy, tactfully retreated to the door of the tent, trying their best to let Liu Xunyi and Zhao Xin talk "alone".

"Princess, are you... okay?" Liu Xunyi knew that he shouldn't ask this question, but he couldn't suppress his inner anxiety, so he blurted out the question subconsciously.

Zhao Xin frowned slightly, pretending to be relaxed: "I'm fine, how about you?"

"I'm fine too..." I don't know why? Liu Xunyi seemed a little nervous today, his words and actions were very unnatural, and he even spoke incoherently, "Please sit down first, I'll pour you some water..."

"Looking for clothes!"

Looking at the flustered Liu Xunyi, Zhao Xin seemed unwilling to continue pretending, so she made up her mind and called him by his name.

Just this one sound made the panic-stricken Liu Xunyi feel as if he was struck by thunder. The hand that had just picked up the teacup suddenly trembled, and with a "clang" sound, the teacup fell on the table.

"Xun Yi, actually I came here..." Zhao Xin hesitated, as if she was upset, "I want to have a serious talk with you..."

"What to talk about?" Liu Xunyi collected his thoughts and forced a smile.

"Let's talk about Yunya Town, and... Hu Lie's suggestion to take over the three prefectures of Xingyuan."

"boom!"

Zhao Xin spoke reluctantly, but Liu Xunyi was struck by lightning. His heart skipped a beat, his eyes were filled with horror and astonishment, and his face turned pale as wax, looking extremely ugly. "You...what did you just say?" Liu Xunyi asked in disbelief, "Did I hear it wrong?"

"Xunyi, please don't misunderstand. I'm not acting as a lobbyist for Hu Lie, nor am I forcing you to do anything you don't want to do." Zhao Xin hurriedly explained, "I just want to discuss with you the possible consequences of this matter, especially the life-and-death threat to the innocent people in Yunya Town..."

"What threat?" Liu Xunyi was unexpectedly furious, not knowing whether it was out of indignation for the righteousness of his country or out of jealousy of Zhao Xin's protection of Hu Lie. He interrupted Zhao Xin's explanation indignantly, "Did Hu Lie threaten you with the lives of innocent people? Did he force you to persuade me to sign the cession deed? Was it him..."

"Xunyi, calm down first!" Zhao Xin was horrified when she saw Liu Xunyi, who was furious and spouting words. She tried to comfort him, "Things are not what you think. Hu Lie didn't threaten me. I'm just worried about the innocent people within a radius of 200 miles in Yunya Town. I don't want them to be implicated because of a murder that has nothing to do with them. As for Hu Lie's suggestion..."

"What suggestion? This is a plan he has been planning for a long time!" Liu Xunyi said angrily, "And he didn't discuss it, but forced the Song Dynasty to accept his unreasonable demands."

"Let's talk about the facts. Yunya Town is the territory of the Song Dynasty after all. The people sent by Mongolia to pick up the bride died or were injured, and our government dragged its feet and failed to track down the murderer. Therefore, no matter how you look at it, the Song Dynasty is in the wrong." Zhao Xin advised earnestly, "Since we are in the wrong, how can we not make some compensation? We want to make a big deal out of a small matter, but can the Mongols swallow this bitter breath? Can they accept the tragedy of 800 soldiers dying in a foreign land? Although Hu Lie is in a high position and has great power, there is still a supreme Khan above him. At present, the Mongolian Khan is still brooding over this matter and is not willing to give up. Hu Lie can only follow his orders. It is precisely because he does not want the two countries to go to war and does not want blood to flow in the Central Plains that he proposed an expedient plan... For us, Hu Lie's conditions may be very harsh. But for the Mongolian Khan, such conditions may just meet his bottom line..."

"Xin'er, what's wrong with you? Do you know what you are saying?" Liu Xunyi looked at Zhao Xin with an expression full of disbelief, and reminded her indignantly, "Just one night after not seeing each other, you were deceived by Hu Lie? You can't tell right from wrong, right from wrong, and even... become his loyal supporter? I have asked Miss Pan to tell you that Hu Lie was determined to take over the three prefectures of Xingyuan because their army was short of food and grass, and they were eager to levy heavy taxes in the three prefectures of Xingyuan to replenish military supplies. You clearly knew that Hu Lie had other plans, so why did you speak for him again and again? What kind of magic did he cast on you? Or what benefits did he give you that made you so eager to betray the Song Dynasty..."

"Enough! Liu Xunyi, you... have gone too far!" Zhao Xin was displeased by Liu Xunyi's lecture, and she was ashamed and angry. "I am not a supporter of Hu Lie, nor have I taken any benefits from him, let alone speaking for him. I just want to seek justice for the innocent people in the three prefectures of Xingyuan. What if your willful behavior angers the Mongolian Khan, and the army marches south, the people will be displaced and their families will be destroyed. Who should they seek justice from?"

"One thing is one thing, how can we confuse the two?" Liu Xunyi refused to be outdone and argued, "Besides, even if Mongolia invades the south, the Song army will fight to the death and will never let innocent people be imprisoned..."

"If the Song army can really fight the Mongolian army to the death, then what am I?" Zhao Xin asked sadly with tears in her eyes, "If the Song army is strong and powerful and is not afraid of Mongolia, then why am I standing here today? Marriage, marriage, marriage... It's just a nice way of saying it. They are basically using me to curry favor with Mongolia and pray for peace. Now, it's you who confuses the two things, not me. You clearly know that I have no intention of helping Hu Lie, but you lost your mind because of jealousy in your heart, and even refused to listen to my explanation!"

"Xin'er..."

"You are all upright men, always talking about the interests of the country and the people, and would rather die than surrender. You are all heroes, loyal ministers and generals. But what is the truth? The fact is that we do not have the strength to compete with Mongolia, let alone bargaining. Every time you protest, every time you make an impassioned speech, every time you risk your life, the result is that innocent people pay a heavy price, using their hard-earned money and even their lives to clean up the mess for you, isn't it?" Zhao Xin asked tearfully, every word piercing the heart, "It is precisely because I am a victim of the Song Dynasty, and I truly feel the pain of being helpless and the misery of being at the mercy of others, that I don't want more people to be like me, losing their loved ones, freedom, dignity, happiness, and everything..."

"Xin'er..." Every word Zhao Xin spoke was like a sword or a knife, piercing Liu Xunyi's scarred heart once again, leaving it full of holes and bleeding.

"Xunyi, whether you believe it or not, I am not here to speak for Hu Lie today, but to plead with you on behalf of the millions of innocent people in the Song Dynasty. No matter how courageous you are, no matter how great your ambitions are, I hope that before you decide on anything, you can think about those innocent old, weak, women and children. You may not be afraid of death, but what about them? What right do you have to decide the life and death of others? What right do you have to choose the fate of others?"

"I……"

"In fact, not only you don't want to agree to Hu Lie's conditions, I don't want to either." Zhao Xin's voice trembled as her mood fluctuated and she became sad. "This is the real reason why I came to you. I hope you won't completely fall out with Hu Lie because of a momentary impulse. Don't be impatient to fight to the death with them as soon as you hear Hu Lie's conditions. I hope you can handle things calmly, appeal to Hu Lie's emotions and reason, and resolve this matter peacefully and properly. A truly loyal and brave person should solve problems for the court and the people, instead of shouting "sacrifice one's life for justice" while actually creating greater trouble. Think twice before doing anything, not only for the happiness of others, but also for your own... life."

Zhao Xin's last words made Liu Xunyi feel mixed emotions. Although she kept pleading for the innocent people, in her heart, Liu Xunyi's life was still extremely important.

Thinking of this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but feel regretful and said hurriedly: "Xin'er, I'm sorry, I just..."

"Xunyi, you and I have known each other for many years, so I know what you are thinking." Zhao Xin wiped away the tears from her eyes and smiled at Liu Xunyi. "I have said everything I wanted to say. If I say more... I am afraid you will become paranoid again. In short, no matter what decision you make in the end... I believe in you and support you."

After saying this, Zhao Xin suddenly turned around under the pitying and bitter gazes of Su He and Pan Yuyin, and walked quickly out of the tent.

"Wait!" Liu Xunyi murmured in a daze, "I want to ask you one last question..."

"Go ahead and ask!" Zhao Xin slowly stopped but did not look back.

Liu Xunyi's eyes were solemn, his lips and teeth were trembling, and he spoke intermittently: "Today, you...are you the Mongolian princess? Or Zhao Xin?"

"What about you?" Zhao Xin asked without turning her head, "Are you the envoy of the Song Dynasty today? Or are you Liu Xunyi?"

Zhao Xin's words were extremely sad and full of meaning, which made Liu Xunyi suddenly realize his mistake, but also felt lost.

However, before Liu Xunyi could think of an answer, Zhao Xin had already walked out of the tent resolutely.

From the beginning to the end, Zhao Xin behaved in a carefree and relaxed manner, and even when faced with Liu Xunyi's affectionate gaze, she refused to look back. In fact, she just didn't want Liu Xunyi to see her crying but pretending to be strong.

……

(End of this chapter)