The situation in Dongyi had just been settled, and Great Zhou couldn’t afford to have any more incidents affecting the national welfare. Sima Ping only hoped to smoothly get through the next three years. After three years, the Great Zhou would certainly be victorious, and Sima Ping also wanted to see what kind of state Bai Qingyan could build the Great Zhou into by then.
Or rather, the entire world now… wanted to see what the unified realm that this female emperor of Great Zhou spoke of would look like. Yan… had already lost their chance to compete for the world the moment they betrayed their alliance and stabbed Great Zhou in the back.
Those who break faith with the world cannot gain the world.
And Bai Qingyan, this emperor who came to the throne by chance, had never betrayed the Bai family’s character of keeping faith. At least… what she showed to the world, what the world saw, was exactly this.
Moreover, her methods were all superior open strategies, not conspiracies and schemes.
If such a ruler couldn’t gain the world, what kind of ruler could?
“Your Majesty!” Upon seeing Bai Qingyan, Lu Yuanqing immediately knelt and paid his respects: “Prince Zhongguo, Prince Gaoyi, Marquis Yinghui.”
“Rise!” Bai Qingyan looked at Lu Yuanqing as he stood up and spoke: “Grand Commandant Lu sent you personally, so there must be a major incident. Tell me what happened!”
“Your Majesty, a plague has suddenly broken out in Kuangping in Yan. Minister Shen Tianzhi took precautionary measures, wanting to purchase medicinal herbs from Yan cities, but the herbs were controlled by government offices. Even the medicinal herbs that Minister Shen had previously sent people to purchase from various places couldn’t be delivered to the Great Zhou’s administered cities. What was originally Minister Shen’s preventive measure turned out to be prescient when infected citizens were also discovered in Great Zhou’s cities within Yan territory. Our Great Zhou faces a shortage of medicinal herbs in Yan’s domains. Minister Shen is simultaneously having people make arrangements up and down in various places in Yan, hoping the medicinal materials can be delivered, while also sending people back to the country for aid!” Lu Yuanqing looked solemnly at Bai Qingyan and continued: “Your Majesty, this is probably… Yan’s treacherous plot!”
“What kind of plague? Is it the same as the previous plagues in Qinhuai and Huayang?” Bai Qingyan’s heart rose with concern. Whether this was Yan’s treacherous plot could be discussed later, since the situation had already occurred, but understanding exactly what this plague was and treating it accordingly was crucial to saving more citizens’ lives from the King of Hell.
“It should be different. Minister Shen tried Physician Hong’s prescriptions, which could slightly alleviate symptoms, but… couldn’t cure the disease!” Lu Yuanqing then reported to Bai Qingyan the orders issued by Prince Zhenguo, Bai Qingyu, Prince Huguo, Prince Fuguo, and his grandfather: “The court has ordered the closure of routes between Yan and Great Zhou, allowing only exit but not entry, to prevent our Great Zhou citizens from being infected by the plague. But because of this… Yan now also refuses to allow our Great Zhou’s teams to pass through, saying it’s to avoid spreading the plague to the Great Zhou people and further expanding this natural disaster! But if medicinal materials can’t be sent in, our Great Zhou cities in Yan territory will be trapped to death!”
“This Yan is too despicable!” Bai Jinzhi’s eyes widened in shock.
“Prince Zhenguo has now personally led troops to escort medicinal herbs to Yan’s border and sent people to deliver a state letter to Yan. If Yan refuses to allow the medicinal herbs to enter when Prince Zhenguo reaches Yan’s border, then that state letter becomes a declaration of war… Prince Zhenguo will engage Yan in battle.” This was why Lu Yuanqing had to make this trip.
Although Bai Qingyu had made it very clear before leaving that after Great Zhou launched its national bonds, what Yan feared most was going to war with Great Zhou, because Great Zhou could now fight wars without consuming or forcibly conscripting from the people, while Yan could not. Unless… Yan also issued national bonds like the Great Zhou, but once embroiled in war, it was uncertain whether Yan’s treasury could support paying monthly interest to the people.
War wasn’t just about fighting people; it was more about fighting with silver, about the two countries’ foundations.
“If… Yan truly refuses to allow our Great Zhou’s medicinal herbs to enter Zhou cities in Yan territory, then we fight!” Bai Qingyan’s voice was solemn. “Those Yan people are now the Great Zhou’s citizens. We absolutely cannot let our people be trapped to death there!”
If Bai Qingyan’s speculation was correct, Yan’s refusal to allow Great Zhou’s medicinal herbs into Yan should be to negotiate conditions with Great Zhou, making Great Zhou allow Yan merchants to enter Great Zhou’s territory. This way… if Yan had the plague, Great Zhou would also be infected.
“Does Yan already have methods to treat the plague?” Bai Qingyan asked again.
“We don’t know yet. Yan has sealed many cities, so our information is quite blocked.” Lu Yuanqing said.
“Have the fleet proceed at full speed back to the country!” Bai Qingyan ordered.
“Yes!” Jiang Huaisheng acknowledged the command.
Inside the Yan warship, Xiao Rongyan’s expression suddenly darkened as he sat in the cabin. He looked up at the leader of the shadow guards kneeling on the ground – guards he had left for Murong Li’s covert use – his eyes churning with murderous intent: “This was the emperor’s decision?”
If it was said that after the plague outbreak, using medicinal herbs to trap the Zhou domain citizens in Yan territory to death… was Murong Li’s decision, Xiao Rongyan absolutely wouldn’t believe it.
Although in the matter of the national wager, the two countries were competing… A’Li had indeed used underhanded methods in the Dongyi affair, but… when it came to citizens’ lives, Murong Li would never do such a thing!
Even though those cities now belonged to the Great Zhou, these people had once lived and died together with their Great Yan. When Yan was at its most difficult, it was these people who saved their food rations that allowed Xie Xun to train new soldiers!
Although Murong Li was still young then, he had heard many stories from those years from his brother and others. He didn’t believe that the current Murong Li, after ascending to the imperial throne, would be so unscrupulous as to disregard the lives and deaths of people who had once shared hardships with Yan!
Moreover, even if Murong Li wanted to win the national wager, he would never use such mutually destructive methods. If he were to use anything, it would only be methods like inciting Dongyi that wouldn’t harm his people.
“This was not His Majesty’s decision. This subordinate once heard Lord Wang Jiuzhou mention that before you departed for Dongyi, there were already people collapsing in succession in Kuangping and Jinling. Reports from physicians suspecting plague were submitted, but His Majesty was afraid of worrying you and didn’t inform you! Later, after you left, similar symptoms appeared in our Yan capital as well. The people were panicking, so His Majesty left the palace to observe the people’s conditions and personally came forward to comfort them. Who knew that after returning, he collapsed!” The official reporting to Murong Yan was trembling all over. “Afterward, the Empress Dowager came forward to take control. This was not His Majesty’s intention! Now this subordinate can’t even see Lord Wang Jiuzhou. We subordinates estimate that… the Empress Dowager is using His Majesty’s illness as an excuse to seize power, but in reality has trapped His Majesty!”
Xiao Rongyan clenched his fists tightly…
Sister-in-law!
Xiao Rongyan gripped the teacup in his hand tightly and asked: “How is Yan’s plague situation now? What measures has His Majesty taken? Has it been controlled?”
The shadow guard leader answered truthfully: “His Majesty said, ‘For those people afflicted with plague, provide empty residences and medical treatment.’ The Imperial Medical Bureau has already dispatched imperial physicians…”