69novels Page 628
Page 628
After all, as long as the "crown prince is young" and all military and political affairs are temporarily handed over to the "regent" to handle, and he can handle political affairs after he comes of age, all power and authority can be transferred to Qiu Tu.
Thinking this, amidst the swirling smoke, Qiu Tu's gaze gradually hardened...
Just then, perhaps sensing that Qiu Tu had made up his mind, Su Wanqing slowly uttered two more words, "Double 1".
Upon hearing Su Wanqing's words, Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then looked up at her with a cigarette between his fingers.
As Su Wanqing spoke, the gentle, poetic beauty of the Jiangnan water towns was evident. "What my brother means is that he has actually considered your situation in its entirety."
"With your strength and magnanimity, it is impossible for you to remain confined to a corner of the Northwest."
“The Sixth Shelter is not your destination, but merely a stepping stone.”
"Therefore, the Kou family has no direct conflict with you."
"When you want to take charge of the 6th Shelter, our Kou family is willing to assist you; when you want to go to a bigger stage, our Kou family will also protect the 6th Shelter for you."
"The reason why we can't let you become Shelter Number 1 first, but only Number 2."
"It's because you're not from the 6th Sanctuary after all. Without a sense of righteousness, relying solely on superior military strength to directly ascend to the top of the sanctuary not only fails to win over the people but is also likely to provoke dissatisfaction from the human camp."
"After all, this is suspected of being against the rules."
"And, as an assistant we invited, you have made meritorious contributions in suppressing the rebellion. It is reasonable to make you the number two person for a short period of time."
"After a few months of transition, find an opportunity, on the day of the Double 1, you and your brother will be in charge together. You will be number 1, and your brother will also be number 1. That way, there will be no need to fight over it."
"If this still doesn't meet your requirements for advancing through the 'Cataclysmic Path,' then I, your brother, can voluntarily downgrade to number 2 to make way for you."
To be honest, Qiu Tu was genuinely shocked when he heard Su Wanqing's words, even though his expression remained unchanged.
Putting aside the possibility that this condition is a trap or a delaying tactic, if it really was Kou Xuan's offer, Qiu Tu was genuinely impressed by this monstrous talent he had never met before.
Such a vision and such decisiveness are somewhat frightening.
At this moment, Su Wanqing looked at Qiu Tu with clear eyes and said frankly, "Lord Qiu, you don't need to doubt our sincerity."
"Our Kou family has existed for thousands of years, experiencing ups and downs, but we have never cared about temporary gains or losses."
My grandfather once said: "The decline of a family may not be because of doing anything wrong. Rather... it is because the world no longer needs us."
"Or, to put it another way, our short-term prosperity may simply be for the benefit of another family or another person."
"Therefore, as long as we ensure the continuation of our family line and avoid being eliminated by the times, we will naturally usher in the next period of prosperity."
Upon hearing Su Wanqing's words, Qiu Tu's expression slowly changed, becoming extremely solemn.
He looked at Su Wanqing quietly, just stared. Then, suddenly, they changed the subject.
"So... everything you've done is just taking advantage of the situation?"
"When King Kang rose to power, he supported him. When King Kang fell, he seized power. When I rose to power, he bet on me..."
"What if... I lose?"
Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Su Wanqing's gaze remained completely calm.
She looked directly into Qiu Tu's eyes. "Lord Qiu, to be frank, you may have been bewitched by Princess Xi."
"Is it possible that...King Kang's will is real, the secret decree is real, and that Princess Xi's poisoning of the Queen and King Kang is also real?"
Qiu Tu scrutinized Su Wanqing, and Su Wanqing met his gaze calmly.
The two stared at each other for three or four seconds before Qiu Tu chuckled softly and remarked, "Interesting."
After saying that, Qiu Tu bowed and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. Then he straightened up, looked at Su Wanqing, and said, "Miss Wanqing, I have already understood the conditions you have offered."
"I need some time to carefully consider your proposal."
"So... you can rest in Dongcheng City for the time being."
After saying that, Qiu Tu pressed the "Call Secretary" button on the table.
A moment later, the office door was pushed open from the outside, and Tao Yaoyao stepped in. She then bowed slightly to Su Wanqing with courtesy and gestured to the outside, "Miss Su, please."
Seeing this, Su Wanqing didn't press the matter. She stood up, gave Qiu Tu a slight bow, and then gracefully and elegantly left Qiu Tu's office.
Watching her retreating figure, Qiu Tu narrowed his eyes, only turning his gaze away when the office door closed.
After a moment, Qiu Tu's expression slowly returned to normal. Then he picked up the landline on the table and dialed a number.
A moment later, the call connected, and Qiu Tu instructed, "Investigate Su Wanqing. This woman is not simple."
Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, a deep voice responded from the other end of the phone, "Yes."
After hanging up the phone, Qiu Tu leaned back in his large chair, closed his eyes, and recalled all the details of his conversation with Su Wanqing.
After a moment, Qiu Tu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat complicated...
'It seems... the traitor from the "Mist Shadow Society" in the 6th Shelter really is in the Kou family...'
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Chapter 569 Tang Feifei's Absolute Perception! (10,000 words, please vote!)
Qiu Tu's certainty that there was a traitor within the "Mist Hidden Society" was not based on mere guesswork, but rather... he had discovered some clues.
In fact, Su Wanqing behaved perfectly from the moment she entered Qiu Tu's office until she left.
When negotiating with Qiu Tu, she was poised, gentle, and intellectual, giving off the air of a talented woman from Jiangnan, a lady from a prominent family.
This kind of elegant and confident temperament can only be cultivated by prestigious families that have remained undefeated for thousands of years.
Because they have witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties and the destruction of nations and families.
The throne may come and go, but powerful families will always exist.
But precisely because of this characteristic, the concepts of "race" and "nation" of aristocratic families are very shallow.
They might select a promising talent at the right time, nurture and assist them in building an empire. But they might also decisively betray their country for personal gain when all else fails.
Because, in their hearts, the continuation of the family line is the top priority. And their forte is "adapting to circumstances," which makes them easily prone to becoming "spineless."
Or... multiple bets.
Qiu Tu prefers to analyze and deduce things using information and data. So when he was searching for the traitor in the 6th Shelter, he was looking for flaws in the Kou family and Princess Xi.
The goal is to narrow down and pinpoint the traitor by identifying flaws and subtle clues.
However... he overlooked starting from the "motivation".
From the perspective of "motives," the "legal basis" for Princess Xi's rule is Prince Kang.
Her premise for ruling the Sixth Sanctuary was that King Kang was the ruler of the sanctuary and that her son was of King Kang's blood.
As long as this remains unchanged, then in the 6th Sanctuary system, the loyalists, direct followers, and royalists of the Kang King will automatically gather around her.
However, the "Hidden Mist Society"... couldn't offer her much help.
Even... once it's discovered that she joined the "Hidden Mist Society," her son's inheritance rights could be affected and he could be stripped of them.
Therefore, she had no motive to become a spy for the "Hidden Mist Society".
As for whether it is possible that Princess Xi was selected and trained by the "Hidden Mist Society" before becoming a princess?
That's possible.
After all, that's how Pang Haichen was selected and trained step by step.
According to the Kou family, Princess Xi did indeed seem to be actively plotting to seize power in the 6th Sanctuary.
This is also why Qiu Tu has never cleared Xi Wangfei of suspicion.
However... perhaps it's due to preconceived notions. During this time, Qiu Tu spent time with Princess Xi, and based on his interactions with her... at least in terms of feel, he didn't think Princess Xi was the traitor.
Of course... the more important reason is that Princess Xi did not act like someone with a powerful backer or someone to rely on during the "King Kang's death" incident.
Moreover... she has never tried to contact the "Hidden Mist Society".
If she was indeed trained by the "Hidden Mist Society" and placed beside Prince Kang, she would definitely have sent intelligence to her superiors and requested support from above when faced with such a major upheaval.
As for whether she knew about the deaths of Yaksha and Meirenfeng and didn't know who to contact?
Don't forget, Qiu Tu once convened a meeting of the "Hidden Mist Society".
Even if Princess Xi couldn't leave at the time and couldn't attend, she must have known that a "new regional head" had appeared.
She should then contact the "new regional head" afterwards and re-establish contact with the "Hidden Mist Society".
As for whether she might have sensed something was wrong and guessed that the new regional manager had a problem, which is why she didn't dare to contact him?
She's a human, not a god... and she doesn't notify the meeting's chairperson before starting a meeting.
Even Pang Haichen, who knew there was something wrong with "Twilight", only discovered the problem after a meeting.
It is precisely because of this series of reasons that the suspicion surrounding Princess Xi on Qiu Tu's side is decreasing.
Therefore, Qiu Tu also began to suspect the relationship between the Kou family and the "Mist Hidden Society".
It wasn't until Su Wanqing inadvertently mentioned "the foundation of the Kou family's existence" that Qiu Tu suddenly realized what was going on.
Why... does he have to start his search for the traitor from the direction of "being trained by the Mist Society" or "being selected by the Mist Society"?
Is it possible that the Kou family proactively contacted the "Mist Shadow Society" and actively provided them with resources and assistance?
The reason is quite simple: it's the instinct of aristocratic families to hedge their bets.
After all, the evil god faction was powerful, and if it weren't for the barrier of the "core area," the human faction would likely have been wiped out long ago.
As a powerful evil god organization located in the core area of the "Boundless Heart Sea", the "Mist Hidden Society" has cultivated two sixth-tier evil gods in the Northwest region in such a short period of time.
Everyone knows that if things continue like this, the "Hidden Mist Society" will eventually rule the entire Northwest region.
Therefore, Qiu Tu believes it is highly likely that the Kou family arranged for someone to contact the "Mist Hidden Society" in advance, seeking refuge with the "Mist Hidden Society" to preserve their escape route.
However, they clearly did not expect that two sixth-tier evil gods would perish at Qiu Tu's hands.
This is probably why they simply conceded defeat.
Humans have difficulty understanding things beyond their cognitive scope unless they are already within it.
While the various sanctuaries were shocked that Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji had killed two Rank 6 evil gods, they didn't really have a concrete understanding of the situation because they hadn't fought against them or learned about their past.
But the Kou family is different. Kou Xuan had fought against the Yaksha before and even devised a plan to seriously injure him, so he knew how troublesome the Yaksha was.
Subsequently, the Kou family likely also came into contact with Yaksha and Meirenfeng, gaining a clear understanding of Tier 6.
It was precisely because they knew the power of a 6th-tier being that they understood the significance of Qiu Tu's battle with Zhao Ji.
After reviewing all this intelligence, Qiu Tu became much more thoughtful.
If he wasn't mistaken, the traitor was most likely neither Kou Yu nor Kou Xuan.
Even powerful families place their bets separately, which is a matter of strategy.
It is usually done by someone else.
However, even if it's a collateral branch, all the intelligence, benefits, and secrets they've provided over the years should be attributed to the Kou family.
Cutting it is not that easy...
With this in mind, Qiu Tu had a rough idea of what to do.
Pretending to cooperate with the Kou family is also an option; it would be a good opportunity to probe their capabilities.
If the problem isn't serious, then we'll analyze the specific situation and see if we should sell Princess Xi; if the problem is serious, then Qiu Tu can only see if he can wipe this thousand-year-old family out of the Northwest region!
But there's no rush for that.
The Kou family just came to me seeking peace. If I agree too quickly, it will only arouse their suspicion.
Since the initiative is in our hands, we can give them a push, which will also provide an opportunity for our intelligence agencies to hone their skills.
After getting to know Su Wanqing, Qiu Tu had a very high opinion of her.
Don't let her gentle and intellectual appearance fool you. Her shrewdness, vision, and way of thinking are all extraordinary.
Such a talented woman should not be an unknown.
If any random branch of the Kou family had such power, the entire Northwest region would have been under the Kou family's control long ago.
Therefore, Qiu Tu will not be in a hurry to make a move after he has learned about her information and figured out the other talents in the Kou family.