On the second day, Huang Qianshan and Shen Yan accompanied Qin Hui to the palace for an audience.

As soon as Qin Hui entered, he sincerely expressed his intention to resolve the emperor's concerns.

Cao Guo was taken aback. Does he really enjoy guessing my thoughts? Alright, speak up. If you guess correctly, I'll spare you.

Qin Hui wasn't that foolish. Instead, he took a roundabout approach: "The emperor must have been troubled by the difficulties of attacking the Jin Dynasty recently, right?"

Cao Guo neither confirmed nor denied it. The matter of attacking Jin was known to everyone.

"The emperor's greatest worry should be how to silence the ministers in the court who advocate for peace!"

"Hmm, you guessed it again. Specifically, it's about your teacher and your good friend leading the faction advocating for peace," Cao Guo replied without saying it directly, pretending to nod in agreement, signaling him to continue.

"I believe that Your Majesty can first use an excuse to deal with one or two influential figures from the pro-war faction, cutting off their roots. Then, reinstate the previously demoted Lord Li Geng and let him lead the northern expedition. Once he suffers a defeat, immediately remove him from his position and investigate him. Using this as a reason, deal with all the pro-war faction. Afterward, take advantage of this opportunity to negotiate with the Jin Dynasty and reach a peaceful resolution..."

"Well, Zhao Guo, that coward, was raised by you bunch of scoundrels!"

Cao Guo suppressed his anger and asked with a smiling face, "Qin Aiqing's words are absolutely right. According to your opinion, which influential figure should be dealt with?"

"I think Chancellor Han Shizhong can serve as an example, along with the deceased Chief Marshal, a military doctor named Yue Fei, who has repeatedly submitted memorials urging a northern expedition. Execute these two individuals to put an end to the war with the Jin Dynasty," Qin Hui suggested.

"Impressive! This 'one arrow, three eagles' strategy is not something an ordinary person can come up with!"

"Then, what reason should be given for their execution?" Cao Guo feigned great interest.

"Collusion with the Jin Dynasty, plotting rebellion, corruption and embezzlement, falsely claiming achievements, even if there's no actual evidence, anything can be used. As long as Your Majesty entrusts it to me, I can always find a suitable reason," Qin Hui replied.

"Truly ruthless and venomous, you're digging into the roots of the Song Dynasty!"

A trace of murderous intent appeared on Cao Guo's face, but Qin Hui didn't notice and continued talking nonstop.

"If Your Majesty agrees, I still have several undercover agents among the Jin Dynasty. We can cooperate to stage a play. As long as Li Geng suffers a major defeat, Your Majesty can negotiate with the Jin Dynasty, ensuring worry-free times ahead."

"More undercover agents, and they can even lure the Jin Dynasty to cooperate in staging a play!"

It's all fabricated, all undercover agents. Qin Hui's methods are truly on par with the ancient strategist Jia Xu!

Hearing this, Cao Guo suddenly became interested. Based on Qin Hui's description, he quickly formulated a complete plan in his mind.

However, implementing this plan would inevitably involve killing a general, but it would be a shame to kill Han Shizhong.

"Qin Aiqing, your loyalty is commendable. However, it would be too impactful to randomly execute a general with the status of Han Aiqing. This time, let's deal with the one called Yue Fei first to demonstrate my attitude!"

The three of them kneeled together and exclaimed, "Long live the emperor's wisdom!"