Bai Qingyan looked at Xiao Rongyan with clear, bright eyes: “But since Jin did not receive news, I guessed that… the Yan army should have been captured, or completely slaughtered.”

Xiao Rongyan nodded. With Bai Qingyan’s unparalleled intelligence, naturally, she would guess this—it was not surprising.

“I sent an envoy to Rongdi, asking the Rongdi to release the Yan army, but the Rongdi King claimed… that he had entrusted this matter entirely to the current Rongdi Ghost-faced Prince to handle. He would not interfere, nor did he know whether this was the Rongdi King’s excuse or if the Rongdi King truly trusted the Ghost-faced Prince to this extent.”

Xiao Rongyan’s voice was steady, but as she listened, she believed it must certainly be… the latter.

She knew that her younger brother A’Yu wanted to control Nanrong, so he would definitely firmly control the Rongdi King, and even more firmly control the army.

“Later, Wei also heard that Nanrong’s Ghost-faced General had completely pacified Rongdi, so they sent an envoy to Rongdi seeking aid. The Rongdi King told the Wei envoy the same thing… that everything was up to the Ghost-faced Prince to decide. And like the Yan envoy, the Wei envoy also failed to find this Rongdi Ghost-faced Prince.”

Her eyes, like deep pools and ancient wells, quietly gazed at Xiao Rongyan, waiting for him to continue…

“Just at the beginning of last month, Wei’s Prince Xihuai found my subordinates, hoping to use my merchant routes to come to Great Liang to find the Ghost-faced Prince and request Rongdi’s aid for Wei! I happened to also wanted to personally meet this Ghost-faced Prince of Rongdi to discuss the Yan army matter! So, remembering my past friendship with Prince Xihuai of Wei, thinking to save Prince Xihuai, I brought him out of Wei. Unexpectedly, along this journey, the former Wei emperor’s elder brother sent people to pursue and kill Prince Xihuai all the way.”

Xiao Rongyan had not originally intended to truly bring Prince Xihuai to Liang, but with assassins pursuing them all the way, Xiao Rongyan could only keep Prince Xihuai by his side. Who would have thought this would lead them to Great Liang?

However, Xiao Rongyan did not plan to bring Prince Xihuai to meet Rongdi’s Ghost-faced Prince. He would find a suitable opportunity to settle Prince Xihuai in some coastal city of Great Liang, giving him shops and a residence, letting him live out his days as a wealthy man. This would be worthy of Prince Xihuai’s past trust and care.

Prince Xihuai truly regarded Xiao Rongyan as a friend, so Xiao Rongyan did not want to betray this genuine affection, planning to forever conceal from Prince Xihuai and never let him know… his true identity.

Bai Qingyan was not concerned about Wei’s Prince Xihuai. She was more concerned about Rongdi’s Ghost-faced Prince. She was somewhat surprised, asking: “You’re saying… Rongdi’s Ghost-faced Prince is in Great Liang?”

Xiao Rongyan nodded: “He should be on the road to Han City right now. I heard he was invited by Great Liang and brought troops with him… I’ve already verified this news is accurate!”

Her heart suddenly jumped.

She understood. A’Yu… was bringing troops into Han City, using the pretext of reinforcements to take Han City!

But if so, it was too dangerous!

If A’Yu had already acted upon reaching Han City, and she had not managed to reach Han City before Bai Jinzhi and Liu Hong, A’Yu could very easily be surrounded like dumplings, or… attacked from both inside and outside.

She quickly went through the maps in her mind, guessing… A’Yu might encounter Xiao Si.

“The Ghost-faced Prince of Rongdi… is a young master of the Bai family?” Although Xiao Rongyan was asking, his tone was quite certain.

Xiao Rongyan had long known this matter, which was why he told Bai Qingyan this news, letting her be prepared.

She looked back at Xiao Rongyan, revealing the truth: “Yes.”

Even though Xiao Rongyan already knew, he was still very happy about Bai Qingyan’s lack of concealment.

Xiao Rongyan knew… this was not because Bai Qingyan had been overwhelmed by emotion, but because Bai Qingyan had the confidence and ability that even if he knew, he could not do anything to harm this Ghost-faced Prince.

Whether regarding Rongdi or the world, she had the determination to win.

Such a Bai Qingyan also ignited Xiao Rongyan’s fighting spirit.

Jin could be said to already be in Bai Qingyan’s grasp, and Rongdi had already completely fallen to the Bai family. Her taking Great Liang… was also a matter of time. Looking again at Yan… recovering Nanyan, the current war to destroy Wei was still being fought.

If he wanted to stand as an equal opponent to Bai Qingyan, he would need to quickly seize Western Liang after taking Wei!

But unfortunately, the Western Liang Empress was no incompetent fool.

After all, this world was inherently unfair to women, and women who could truly reach the pinnacle and grasp power in their hands were outstanding among the elite, absolutely not to be underestimated.

The war to destroy Wei could not be delayed further. He must take Wei before Jin conquered Great Liang, only then could he compete with Bai Qingyan to see who could ultimately pacify the world.

“If this is the case, more than half the world is already in A’Bao’s hands. I need to work hard.” Xiao Rongyan kneaded Bai Qingyan’s fingers, delicate and white as jade tubes, his eyes full of admiration and joy. “After pacifying Wei, I will come to formally propose marriage. I wonder… has A’Bao spoken well of me before my mother-in-law?”

“Mother should be satisfied with you.”

She had not forgotten her mother once asking her about whether she favored Xiao Rongyan. Although saying this was not particularly modest, it could be considered giving Xiao Rongyan peace of mind.

Xiao Rongyan’s low laughter was light and cheerful. He held the woman in his arms even tightly, slowly lowering his head, touching her nose with his prominent nose. Their lips were almost touching, but he delayed kissing her, only caressing the corner of her lips with his fingers, asking in a low voice: “With mother-in-law’s love for A’Bao, if A’Bao is satisfied, mother-in-law will certainly be satisfied, correct?”

Without waiting for Bai Qingyan’s answer, Xiao Rongyan’s lips had already gently touched Bai Qingyan’s lips, almost lip to lip as he murmured: “These days, day and night, I have been longing for A’Bao. Does A’Bao also think of me?”

He kissed the corner of her lips, looking at the red blush spreading across Bai Qingyan’s face, gazing into her eyes, his throat producing a low questioning sound: “Hmm?”

The seemingly present yet absent touch of lips was like scratching an itch through boots, making the feeling of being moved beyond self-control seem magnified countless times.

Her hand around Xiao Rongyan’s neck tightened, her gaze falling on Xiao Rongyan’s lips as she kissed him lightly and shallowly. Her eyelashes trembled slightly from nervousness as she said in a low voice: “I thought of you. On my birthday, knowing you couldn’t get away, I still hoped you would come.”

Xiao Rongyan had once said, “Celebrating life together, sharing joy each day.” Bai Qingyan had not forgotten.

She had also not forgotten Xiao Rongyan once saying, “I hate that I cannot unify the world right now, day and night… holding you in my embrace.”

“Originally, I could have made it, but I didn’t want to bring danger to you. The assassins trained by Wei’s royal family came out in full force, quite troublesome. After being injured, I rested for a while…” Xiao Rongyan interlaced his fingers with Bai Qingyan’s, smelling the quiet fragrance in her hair. Moved beyond self-control, he tightened his embrace around Bai Qingyan’s slender waist. When she worried and wanted to ask more, he kissed her lips.

No longer just a taste, the kiss grew more and more forceful.

In a moment of distraction, with her heart and spirit in chaos, she had already been kissed down onto the soft couch covered with fox fur.