Bai Jintong’s cold, clear features showed no expression. With one hand holding a fan behind her back, she tapped it against her spine intermittently – it was clear her mood was pleasant.

Perhaps catching sight of the figure upstairs from the corner of his eye, Murong Ping, gripping his reins, looked up toward the wine house and saw “Cui Fengnian” standing at the window.

Their eyes met. With a smile in her eyes, Bai Jintong quickly cupped her hands and silently bowed to Murong Ping.

Murong Ping was preoccupied with the paper business. Although A’Li had said that Wang Jiuzhou would take over after he left, he was still somewhat uneasy. After all, the Great Zhou had suddenly proposed this exchange of cities between the two nations, with each implementing new policies in the other’s territory. What he had originally discussed with “Cui Fengnian” was handing over the paper business within the Great Zhou’s territory to the Yan Kingdom.

Murong Ping had originally wanted to rein in his horse and go up to discuss things with “Cui Fengnian” in more detail, but he couldn’t seek him out under the watchful eyes of everyone. After thinking it over, he decided to write a letter and send it back later.

He also nodded toward “Cui Fengnian,” withdrew his gaze and looked straight ahead, spurred his horse with his heels, and headed toward the city gate.

Seeing Murong Ping depart, Bai Jintong turned around and placed the fan in her hand on the desk, lifted her robes and sat down, picked up her teacup… and stared at the pinwheel in contemplation.

Now that Second Prince Murong Ping had left, she wondered who would come to renegotiate cooperation matters with her next.

If it were that Yan Kingdom regent who was about to return from the Great Zhou, she would need to be extremely vigilant.

·

“These newly forged weapons are indeed identical to those Tianfeng Kingdom weapons our Great Zhou army previously captured, but they still differ somewhat from the weapons we painstakingly forged by melting down that giant elephant armor.”

In the presence of Tianfeng Kingdom’s ruler, Sa’er Khan, Bai Qingping spoke of the results from days of research.

Early this morning, Sa’er Khan had come requesting an audience. Bai Qingyan had summoned Liu Rushi and the others, and after some thought, had also called for Bai Qingping.

Bai Qingyan leaned against the ginger-yellow embroidered silk flower cushion and turned to look at Sa’er Khan, speaking as if joking: “Trade between two nations is originally a good thing. Even if Tianfeng Kingdom didn’t offer the ink powder formula, Great Zhou would be happy to see it succeed. But… since Tianfeng Kingdom’s ruler wants to present gifts, naturally, you should bring out the best. How is it that… you think we in Great Zhou don’t know quality goods?”

Sa’er Khan’s brows and eyes carried a light smile, as if he had anticipated this: “Please don’t blame me, Your Majesty. After all, when the Tianfeng Kingdom came to seek peace and request mutual trade, we didn’t know whether the Great Zhou would agree. So we first offered a formula that is precious to us but not that precious – if negotiations failed, it wouldn’t be too great a loss.”

Sa’er Khan spoke without any guilt, so frankly that all the Great Zhou court ministers felt this Tianfeng Kingdom ruler was an upright gentleman.

“Moreover, the ink powder used to forge armor for giant elephants… is extremely rare and costly. Only because it’s used on giant elephants are we in Tianfeng Kingdom willing to spend it!” Sa’er Khan spoke slowly. “If Your Majesty truly wants it, then… once the alliance and mutual trade between our two nations is settled, Tianfeng Kingdom will certainly present it with both hands.”

Bai Qingyan smiled lightly at Sa’er Khan: “Very well, then I shall await the ruler’s ink powder.”

“Tianfeng Kingdom offers ink powder as a gift, but also wishes to request something from Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will be willing to part with it.” Sa’er Khan’s brown eyes gazed deeply at Bai Qingyan.

“Your Majesty can rest assured – your nation’s great shaman’s disciple is on the way back to the capital…” Bai Qingyan knew Sa’er Khan was referring to the jade cicada, but deliberately misinterpreted his meaning.

“Your Majesty misunderstands. Since both nations are allying, our Tianfeng Kingdom’s great shaman’s disciple will naturally be returned – after all… that person is Tianfeng Kingdom’s next great shaman!” Sa’er Khan’s gaze fell on the pouch worn at Bai Qingyan’s waist as he smiled and said, “What Tianfeng Kingdom wants… is the jade cicada that the Imperial Consort once possessed. This jade cicada is Tianfeng Kingdom’s national treasure, lost for many years. Tianfeng Kingdom very much wishes to bring it back to Tianfeng Kingdom for worship, to appease the Sky God’s anger and pray that the Sky God will no longer let the desert devour Tianfeng Kingdom’s fertile fields.”

When Sa’er Khan mentioned the Sky God, Tianfeng Kingdom’s ministers quickly assumed respectful postures.

Bai Qingyan followed Sa’er Khan’s gaze to look at the pouch at her waist, then raised her eyes and smiled at Sa’er Khan: “What’s this? Is Sa’er Khan interested in my pouch?”

“When we first met at the Four Nations Alliance, I noticed Your Majesty wearing this pouch. It seems you always carry it and never remove it, so I wondered if this pouch might be a token of love between Your Majesty and the Imperial Consort?” Sa’er Khan lifted his brown eyes and smiled faintly at Bai Qingyan.

“Indeed it is!” Bai Qingyan answered frankly.

“Since Your Majesty already has the pouch as a keepsake, why not… present the jade cicada to Tianfeng Kingdom as a gift to seal this trade alliance.” Sa’er Khan seemed to speak with determination. “If Your Majesty is willing to part with it, Tianfeng Kingdom can make further concessions on taxation.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Rushi turned to look at Bai Qingyan. After so many days of entanglement with Tianfeng Kingdom, wasn’t it all because of disputes over taxation?

“How unfortunate – this jade cicada has been lost, and I’ve been sending people to search for it. To this day, it still hasn’t been found!” Bai Qingyan also looked at Sa’er Khan. “I remember telling Sa’er Khan this before. Surely Sa’er Khan isn’t trying to make things difficult for me?”

“That’s not the case…” Sa’er Khan turned to look at Tianfeng Kingdom’s great shaman. “Our Tianfeng Kingdom’s great shaman is the Sky God’s messenger. He accompanied us this time specifically to search for the jade cicada. He divined that this jade cicada is within the Great Capital’s imperial palace, which is why… Tianfeng Kingdom makes this request.”

“Simply ridiculous…” Liu Rushi became annoyed upon hearing this.

But Bai Qingyan raised her hand to signal Liu Rushi not to be hasty. She looked at the Tianfeng Kingdom’s great shaman, who had already stood up and bowed to her: “Are your divinations accurate?”

“In response to Your Majesty, if the Sky God shows favor, they are naturally accurate!” the Tianfeng Kingdom’s great shaman spoke slowly.

Bai Qingyan supported her elbow on the cushion with one hand, propping up her chin: “In that case, divine for me how many of my uncles and younger brothers… remain alive in this world! If you divine correctly… I’ll open the gates of this imperial palace wide and let you search. If you divine incorrectly… I’ll only want your head.”

When she spoke these words, Bai Qingyan was clearly smiling, yet it made people feel a chill run down their spines.

Sa’er Khan’s eyes tightened – he hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan to speak so… arrogantly.

How could the Tianfeng Kingdom great shaman divine this? If he said… they’re all alive? If people couldn’t return, what difference would there be between divining correctly and incorrectly?

If he divined that they were all dead, and Bai Qingyan said he was wrong, whom would he complain to after losing his head?

Simply put, Bai Qingyan just didn’t want to give up this jade cicada.

The Tianfeng Kingdom’s great shaman stood in place without looking up at Sa’er Khan or answering Bai Qingyan’s words. He just stood there rigidly, calculating countermeasures in his mind.

Liu Rushi glanced at Bai Qingyan, feeling that her words made her sound like a capricious tyrant.