Fan Bingbing stated confidently, "Moreover, Grand Commander Zhao is well aware that the invasion of the Northern Barbarians is a great scourge to the world. He is willing to temporarily set aside the dispute with the court and jointly resist the foreign aggression."
"If the court is willing, the two sides may find an opportunity to meet and discuss the possibility of cooperation. At that time, it is not an unrealistic expectation that General Li Hu will return safely."
She cleverly linked Li Hu's safety with the prospects of "cooperation".
Madam Huang grasped at this straw as if it were her lifeline.
Although she was a woman, she understood the key points.
She was willing to take the risk for her husband.
The next day, she used the pretext of visiting her cousin in the palace to request an audience with the current Empress Gong.
Empress Gong was of a gentle and kind nature and had a long-standing relationship with Madam Huang.
Upon hearing Madam Huang's tearful account of Li Hu's capture and uncertain fate, and upon hearing news from Xijing that Li Hu was not dead and was willing to negotiate, she couldn't help but feel pity and consideration.
She cautiously brought up the matter when Li Jingang returned to the palace, overwhelmed with worry and extremely agitated about the Northern Barbarians.
"Your Majesty, I heard something today, but I don't know whether I should speak of it or not..."
While massaging Li Jingang's temples, Empress Gong softly relayed what Madam Huang had said, as well as the "cooperation" signal released by Zhao Muyun of Xijing.
"What?!"
Li Jingang suddenly sat up straight, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light. His fatigue vanished, replaced by shock, anger, and a hint of disbelief.
"Tiger Cub isn't dead? Zhao Muyun wants to talk to me? He's even managed to sneak up on you, Empress?!"
The first thing he felt was a chill.
The fact that Zhao Muyun's influence could extend so secretly into the inner palace made him intensely suspicious and angry about his own security and control over the court.
But then, Zhao Muyun's proposal of "cooperation against the Di" struck him like a bolt of lightning into his mind, which was filled with pressure from the Northern Di.
He is now indeed in an unprecedented predicament.
The 100,000 iron cavalry of the Northern Barbarians marched south in different routes, and urgent dispatches from the border arrived several times a day. The generals of Hebei either requested reinforcements or volunteered for battle, causing him a splitting headache.
On the western front, Zhao Muyun not only secured Longyou but also captured Xijing, greatly boosting his morale and creating a situation like a dagger pressed against his waist.
Yang Yan's fate is unknown, Li Hu has been captured...
Beset by internal and external troubles, he was almost overwhelmed.
Is Zhao Muyun's offer of an olive branch at this critical juncture truly sincere?
Or is it just a delaying tactic?
Or is it a bigger conspiracy?
Immense doubts and the pressures of reality clashed fiercely within him.
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