Murong Li emerged from the Yan Empress Dowager’s sleeping chamber, with Wang Jiuzhou hurrying to follow. Walking briskly, Murong Li seemed to want to vent his overwhelming fury through rapid movement. His expression was deeply somber as he continuously reminded himself that he was Yan’s emperor and should maintain composure like the Bai family elder sister, showing neither joy nor anger on his face.

But he simply couldn’t do it!

After walking for some time, Murong Li was drenched in sweat and exhausted beyond measure. Finally, he gradually came to a stop, standing by the lakeside, gazing silently at the sparkling waves on the water’s surface.

The accompanying guards and eunuchs followed at a distance, with only Wang Jiuzhou standing three steps behind Murong Li, bowing as he quietly waited for Murong Li to calm down.

Murong Li closed his sore and swollen eyes, then said to Wang Jiuzhou: “Issue an edict—the Empress Dowager is gravely ill… from today forward, she shall recuperate, and no one is permitted to disturb her.”

“But…” Wang Jiuzhou stepped forward two paces behind Murong Li. “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is the Regent Empress Dowager. Your imperial edict alone may not be enough to prevent ministers from seeing the Empress Dowager.”

“Then tell those ministers that I… am Yan’s emperor! If anyone dares violate my edict and disturb the Empress Dowager’s recuperation, I want their head! Including my uncle!” After saying this, Murong Li swept his sleeves and departed.

With Uncle Jiu risking his life at the front, he had to stand firm here in Great Yan and could no longer indulge his mother.

This edict from Murong Li was forcing the ministers to choose—whether they would choose him as emperor or choose the Empress Dowager.

“Yes!” Wang Jiuzhou responded.

Murong Li was filled with regret. Wang Jiuzhou had clearly warned him that Yan and Great Zhou’s battle tactics couldn’t be known by others, yet he had been unguarded around his mother… this had harmed General Bai Qingyu!

Murong Li didn’t know whether Uncle Jiu would hate his mother if he told him about his mother betraying Great Zhou!

If the Bai family elder sister found out, would she hate him along with his mother?

Murong Li wiped away tears with his sleeve, exhaling a long breath. It was too late to say anything now—what mattered was how to make amends.

He would personally interrogate that Xiliang person who had left his mother’s palace!

Having received Murong Li’s imperial edict, Wang Jiuzhou immediately went to issue the decree.

Actually, before returning from Xiliang, Wang Jiuzhou already knew that it wasn’t their own master going to lure the enemy deep this time, but Great Zhou…

So when Wang Jiuzhou saw Murong Li with the secret letter containing the battle tactics that his master had submitted, he told Murong Li that Bai family General Bai Qingyu had also written a letter to the master using the same tactics, except it was Great Zhou luring the enemy deep, which put Murong Li at ease.

Murong Li had been quite pleased at the time, saying that since Bai family’s General Bai Qingyu and Uncle Jiu had thought of the same tactics, it must be a sure-win strategy!

Then Murong Li had taken Xiao Rongyan’s written tactics and conducted war games on the sand table several times, enjoying himself immensely as if he too were participating in this great battle.

Later, the Empress Dowager came…

Murong Li was completely unguarded around the Empress Dowager. Wang Jiuzhou had originally quietly put away those battle tactics, but Murong Li demonstrated the war games on the sand table for the Empress Dowager.

After the Empress Dowager left, Wang Jiuzhou had spoken presumptuous words to Murong Li, telling him to be wary of others. But Murong Li had said the Yan Empress Dowager was his mother; in this world, he might need to guard against anyone, but not his own family.

Murong Li had no idea that his one war game demonstration would lead to such consequences.

He had no concealment or suspicion toward his own mother, but his mother… had disappointed Murong Li greatly.

Wang Jiuzhou didn’t know if this counted as a good thing. At least from today forward, having learned this lesson, Murong Li would never easily trust his mother again.

It was just that their master suffered for it!

Walking under the blazing sun, Wang Jiuzhou felt everything before his eyes was filled with dancing green shadows. He too regretted—if only he hadn’t told His Majesty… that the Bai family general was also using these tactics. If he hadn’t said anything… His Majesty wouldn’t have been inspired to conduct war games on the sand table, there wouldn’t have been the Empress Dowager leaking secrets to Xiliang, and General Bai and Miss Bai wouldn’t have met with trouble.

Even though he had later written about His Majesty and the Empress Dowager discussing battle tactics, as well as the Empress Dowager’s close dealings with Xiliang people, in a letter and sent someone by fast horse to deliver it to his master, urging the master to be extra cautious.

But he didn’t know whether the person sent to deliver the letter to his master was a step too late, or encountered some accident on the road—Great Zhou and Yan had still fought according to these tactics.

Ultimately, this was all his fault.

Wang Jiuzhou felt that when his master returned, he would need to properly apologize to his master, and also seek forgiveness from the eldest Miss Bai. This matter wasn’t the master’s fault—he hoped Miss Bai would consider the master’s rescue efforts at Jiangzi City and not blame the master.

Half a month later, news reached the Yan capital: Bai Qingyan had given birth to auspicious dragon and phoenix twins and immediately set out for Xiliang right after giving birth, along with news that Great Zhou had stationed troops at Yan’s borders.

When the Yan Empress Dowager received this news, she was stunned for a moment, couldn’t help but smile, then pressed her lips together in fear.

Bai Qingyan’s concern for her younger siblings indeed far exceeded A’Yan and her children with A’Yan. With A’Yan’s deep feelings for Bai Qingyan, how could he accept Bai Qingyan treating him this way? Wouldn’t he think of how the late Yan Emperor had treated Empress Ji?

A falling out between A’Yan and Bai Qingyan was inevitable, but… Yan lacked food supplies, and their main forces were all in Xiliang. If the Great Zhou attacked Yan, could Yan hold out?

The Yan Empress Dowager immediately became anxious again. No matter what, she had to tell A’Yan about Bai Qingyan abandoning her children to go to Xiliang to save her siblings, as well as deploying troops to Yan’s borders. A’Yan had always been capable… he would surely have a solution!

Murong Li and the Yan Empress received the news simultaneously. While he couldn’t help but feel joy for Xiao Rongyan and Bai Qingyan, he also thought… if not for his mother, Bai Qingyan wouldn’t have had to drag her weakened body right after giving birth, unable even to care for her two children, and rush directly to attack Xiliang.

Murong Li picked up his brush to write a letter to his Uncle Jiu, but the brush tip hesitated over the silk for a long time without touching down. Ink even dripped onto it. In the end, he still set down the brush.

From the captured Xiliang person, Wang Jiuzhou had used every method possible. That Xiliang person only said… the agreement they had originally reached with his mother was that the Yan Empress Dowager would tell Xiliang about Great Zhou and Yan’s joint battle tactics, and after Xiliang annihilated Great Zhou’s forces, they would deliver the captured generals to the Yan Empress Dowager. He swore by Xiliang’s heavenly gods that every word he spoke was true!

Murong Li had gone to question the Yan Empress Dowager, but she said that Xiliang had never handed over Bai Qingyu and the seventh Miss Bai to her, because Xiliang claimed… the Great Zhou and Yan joint battle tactics she had provided were incorrect, so the cooperation couldn’t be considered fulfilled. She was even willing to confront the Xiliang people directly.

But Murong Li didn’t know whether he should believe his mother.

He was no longer clear what kind of person his mother truly was.

After a long while, Murong Li picked up the writing brush again, dipped it in ink, and began writing on the silk…