Lady, let me explain.

Chapter 97: A Grand Ambition with Zhao Min

The next day, Xia Qingqing's injuries improved, and she went to find Yuan Chengzhi. She made a promise with Lin Yi to meet again in Shenjing.

Wei Xiaobao also sent 450,000 taels of silver notes.

The group left Jiangcheng and continued their journey to Shenjing.

Soon after, they arrived in the capital city, sent Lin Daiyu to the Rongguo Mansion, settled Mu Wanqing and the others in, and then Lin Yi went to the Honglu Temple.

He had promised Zhao Min that they would meet again in Shenjing, but his trip to Jiangnan delayed him for too long.

He asked Lu Wenzhao to inquire about it, and fortunately the Mongolian delegation had not yet left Beijing and was staying at the Huitongguan.

Lin Yi arrived at the meeting hall, presented his visiting card, and was led into a secluded garden, where he saw Zhao Min standing gracefully in front of the gate.

She was dressed in a bright red brocade robe, her attire extremely luxurious. The white mink collar made her small face appear as radiant as jade, fair with a rosy tint, and as tender as solidified cream.

Lin Yi suddenly had the feeling of rushing to another city to see his beautiful young girlfriend...

"Oh, isn't this Master Lin? What are you doing in Shenjing?" Zhao Min's tone was full of resentment.

"Minmin, something happened on the way and I was delayed. Luckily, I made it in time."

Lin Yi smiled and took her hand, but Zhao Min turned away.

"What's going on? Seducing the daughter of the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai? Traveling around with your little lover?"

Lin Yi put his arm around her soft waist: "Minmin, even though you are in the capital, your heart is always with me... It's been a month since we last met, and your face is even more beautiful, and your waist is still so slender."

Zhao Min smiled instead: "I wonder how many spies are watching this courtyard of mine. You still dare to be so intimate with me. I'm afraid everyone will say that you have sided with the Mongols."

Lin Yi laughed and said, "The princess is a beauty of unparalleled grace. It is normal for me to be tempted by your beauty when I am young and impetuous... As the saying goes, to die under the peony flower is to be romantic even as a ghost."

"Pah, who seduced you?"

Zhao Min gave a reproachful look, turned around and went into the courtyard, with Lin Yi following behind.

Lin Yi asked, "Your mission to the capital went smoothly, didn't it? Was there anything I could do to help?"

Zhao Min is a Mongol envoy, so it would be inappropriate for Lin Yi to do things for her. However, if someone threatens her safety, Lin Yi can take matters into his own hands.

Zhao Min smiled faintly. She had brought a group of experts from the Prince of Ruyang's mansion with her this time, so what danger could she possibly be in? However, Lin Yi's attitude pleased her.

She tilted her chin up, her small face full of smugness: "The Mongol army is strong and powerful, sweeping across the world. It was your Song Dynasty that begged us for peace, so of course you treated me as an honored guest. What could I possibly have to do with it? On the contrary, it's you..."

Zhao Min hesitated, her small face full of amusement.

Lin Yi thought about it and realized that Zhao Min was implying that he was cooperating with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and from this he deduced that he had the idea of ​​contacting Prince Xin.

Zhao Min's information network is quite efficient...

Lin Yi sat down, pulled Zhao Min onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around her slender waist: "Minmin, we haven't seen each other in so long, why are we talking about this? Give me a kiss first."

"Bastard!"

Zhao Min blushed and pushed against his chest with her hands. But since there were only the two of them in the room, Zhao Min's resistance was not very strong.

Half-heartedly, Lin Yi kissed her smooth cheek, feeling a delicate fragrance rise from her neck, and then kissed her earlobe.

Zhao Min's body trembled instantly, and she jumped up from Lin Yi's arms in shock. She took a few steps away, took a deep breath, and regained some of her composure.

"If you wish to roam the martial world freely and enjoy life to the fullest, there's no need to get too close to those in the imperial court..."

Lin Yi gave a bitter smile: "Now the Song Dynasty is surrounded by enemies, and the Han Dynasty's territory is in ruins. In a few decades, the whole world will belong to you Mongols. My children and descendants will become slaves of a conquered nation, the lowest of the low. How can they still live a carefree life in the martial world?"

Zhao Min smiled and said, "The Mongol cavalry is rampant across the world. How can you, alone, stop them? Why don't you go with the flow, serve the Mongols, and gain wealth and honor? Marry a Mongol woman and make your descendants Mongol nobles."

Lin Yi laughed and said, "That Mongolian woman wouldn't happen to be you, would she?"

Zhao Min turned around and gave him a reproachful look.

Although she didn't say a word, her eyes were full of affection, which spoke louder than a thousand words.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yi's face turned serious.

"We martial arts practitioners have a will as firm as a rock and are indomitable."

"So what if the Mongol cavalry is on the verge of collapse? Even if the heavens are against us, I will still save the day!"

Zhao Min turned around and looked him up and down as if she were meeting him for the first time.

She exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected you, you little lecher, to have such ambition..."

Lin Yi was furious. He raised his hand and used the "Double Dragons Taking Water" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Zhao Min felt a huge suction force coming from him. She flew half a zhang away and fell into Lin Yi's arms.

Lin Yi raised his hand and slapped her buttocks a few times.

Zhao Min let out a soft moan, both ashamed and angry, and struggled a couple of times but couldn't get up. Lin Yi pulled her into his arms and laughed, "Minmin, did I hurt you? Let me rub it for you?"

Zhao Min punched him lightly, struggling to get out: "Get out!"

Lin Yi said, "Okay, I'll hug you, sweetie."

As he spoke, Lin Yi felt her soft waist and then touched her thigh with one hand.

"Ah, it itches... You surnamed Lin, you're going to die... Haha."

The two joked around for a while.

Zhao Min continued, "Emperor Xuanzhi has no son and is fond of Taoist practices, including alchemy and mercury refining. It's not unusual for him to die suddenly one day. Under these circumstances, compared to other members of the imperial clan, Prince Xin, Zhao Zhen, is indeed the most likely candidate to succeed to the throne."

“But Prince Xin is also at the center of the struggle, and you are very famous. If you get close to him, you will inevitably attract attention. Moreover, the emperor’s mind is unpredictable. Even if you help him ascend the throne, he may not repay you for what you want in the future.”

Lin Yi said, "He has the mind of an emperor, and my sword has never been ineffective against him."

Zhao Min looked at him and smiled, "These words don't sound like those of a loyal minister or general." Lin Yi smiled but didn't say anything.

Zhao Min asked again, "You already have a plan?"

Lin Yi nodded slowly and said in a deep voice, "Like Guo Jing, helping to defend a place is only a temporary measure. In the end, they will not escape the fate of the city falling and people dying... I want to change this world."

The Mongols, Western Xia, Jin, and Qing were militarily strong, while the Song Dynasty was gradually decaying. If he had stood by and watched, the Han Dynasty's empire would have fallen into the hands of foreign tribes sooner or later.

The Yangzhou Massacre and the Jiading Massacre.

The chaos in Bianliang and Lin'an...

So after learning about this world, his ambition has never changed... This period of time to enhance his personal martial arts skills, reputation and prestige is just to lay the necessary foundation.

We must not only fight against the Tartars, but also recover the northern lands.

These visions, if attempted to be realized through the corrupt and decadent leadership of the Song Dynasty, will undoubtedly face numerous obstacles.

Starting from scratch is inevitable.

After these days of observation and reflection, he has already developed a preliminary plan.

Although the Song Dynasty showed signs of decline and collapse, the Zhao family's rule lasted for nearly a century and still enjoyed the support of the people.

Given the current state of affairs, with the Han dynasty in decline, it would be a very wrong path to start a rebellion directly within the Song dynasty's borders.

First, it undermines the greater good and loses its popular support.

However, the northern tribes had long been entrenched and deeply rooted, making it difficult for them to succeed.

There is only a sliver of hope in the buffer zone between the two.

The fact that the Golden Snake Camp, the Red Coat Army, and the Loyal Righteous Army were raging on was the best proof of this.

While fighting against foreign invaders and protecting our land, we must also continuously develop our own power; this is the right path.

But it would be too foolish to directly recruit soldiers in Shandong and start from scratch... Of course, there are ways that are more effective.

However, a single rebel army is like a rootless duckweed, and it is still very difficult for them to fight against the behemoth that is the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, although the three rebel armies, including the Golden Snake Camp, frequently reported victories, they remained confined to one place and were forever just a bunch of unruly troops. Their power did not develop to the next stage, and they were unable to pose a real threat to the Qing Dynasty.

If we can gain the support of the Song Dynasty, and benefit from its powerful backing, we can achieve a qualitative change.

Now that Wei Zhongxian is in power in the Song Dynasty, gaining his support is another difficult problem.

It would be better to support a new person in charge.

This was Lin Yi's plan.

To gain momentum in the Shandong area... first, you need to have your own company.

Support Prince Xin's ascension to the throne, gain his support to develop power... and obtain angel investment.

To attack the Qing Dynasty, occupy the northern lands... and complete the company's listing.

Of course, the plan is still a long way from reality; the key is how to implement it.

In Lin Yi's view, although this preliminary plan was a bit rough, it was still feasible.

At least it's more realistic than the efforts of the Murong family over two generations... Trying to restore a kingdom by stirring up some conflicts in the martial arts world is just child's play.

He kept these secrets deep in his heart, and they were not to be told to outsiders.

Even though Zhao Min's love was sincere, passionate, and selfless.

The Mongol strategy was mainly focused on westward expansion. The Prince of Ruyang's government was responsible for managing the Western Regions, while the strategy for the Central Plains battlefield was "allying with the Song Dynasty to resist the Jin Dynasty." None of these strategies conflicted with the interests he was pursuing.

Logically and emotionally, Zhao Min knew his plans, but she would not betray him or cause him trouble.

But some things only bring peace of mind when they are completely in your own hands.

Zhao Min knew the matter was sensitive, so she just gave him a deep look and didn't press him for details.

Lin Yi smiled and said, "Minmin, it's been so long since we last saw each other. Why don't I stay here tonight and we can have a long talk?"

Zhao Min was speechless. Lin Yi's speed in switching from serious to rascal caught her completely off guard...

"Don't even think about it."

Lin Yi sighed. It seemed that getting into Zhao Min's bed was still a long and arduous journey...

She is a mischievous little devil with a superhuman mind, making her unpredictable. Moreover, she is a Mongolian princess, unlike Mu Wanqing, a simple woman from the martial arts world who is easily deceived.

Zhao Min smiled and said, "Tell me what you found on Peach Blossom Island."

Lin Yi then took out two copies. The Heaven Sword was provided by Zhao Min, and the two of them worked together to unlock the Heaven Sword and Dragon Slayer Treasure. He should share the spoils with her.

Zhao Min wasn't particularly interested in military campaigns, or perhaps for other reasons, she simply picked up the Nine Yin Manual and began to study it carefully.

She practiced the Nine Yang Skill, taught by Professor Lin Yi, for internal strength training, and focused on swordsmanship for external skills. Therefore, at Lin Yi's suggestion, she memorized the chapters on Yi Jin Duan Gu and Ding Xue Jie Xue, and diligently practiced them.

After having dinner with Zhao Min, Lin Yi returned to the inn and met up with Mu Wanqing and the others to prepare for their stay.

Although the housing prices in the capital were high, he had swindled 700,000 taels of silver from Wei Xiaobao, enough for him to squander money like water.

The next day, Ding Baiying suddenly came to visit.

"Sect Leader Lin, His Highness Prince Xin requests your presence..."

(End of this chapter)