When Yue Shi caught up to Bai Qingyan on a fast ship, it was already the next day.

Lu Yuanpeng, who had just finished training, saw Yue Shi being personally escorted by Wei Zhong to see Bai Qingyan. Without thinking, he threw his sweat towel to Sima Ping and was about to go find Yue Shi.

Sima Ping caught the towel with one hand and grabbed Lu Yuanpeng with the other: “Where are you going?”

“This Yue Shi is Brother Xiao’s bodyguard. Let me tell you…” Lu Yuanpeng looked around, and seeing no one nearby, he leaned close to Sima Ping and said, “I suspect this Yue Shi is a spy that Sister Bai arranged beside Yan’s Ninth Prince. He must be here to gather intelligence! This time Yue Shi suddenly came to seek audience with Sister Bai, he must have learned some incredible news to bring back.”

Sima Ping: “…”

“Come on, let’s go listen!” Lu Yuanpeng tugged at Sima Ping’s wrist.

“Settle down for a moment. Be careful, or I’ll go tell Brother Yuanqing!” Sima Ping brought up Lu Yuanqing.

Lu Yuanpeng stared wide-eyed at Sima Ping: “Sima Ping, you’re boring!”

Sima Ping stuffed the towel back into Lu Yuanpeng’s arms: “That Yan’s Ninth Prince is no ordinary person. You also said Yue Shi is Brother Xiao’s bodyguard, which means he’s our Great Zhou Imperial Consort’s trusted aide! If Yue Shi is a spy, His Majesty placed by his side, do you think… Yue Shi could gather any information to bring back?”

Thinking of Yan’s Ninth Prince, Sima Ping, always felt an indescribable feeling.

Perhaps it was because Sima Ping had too few opportunities to see that Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, he could only vaguely sense that this Great Yan’s Ninth Prince was extraordinary. But even if you beat Sima Ping to death, he couldn’t imagine the relationship between the Great Yan’s Ninth Prince and Xiao Rongyan. After all… these two had once appeared at the same time, and at that time… Xiao Rongyan was not yet Great Zhou’s Imperial Consort, but a close friend that Yan’s Ninth Prince had befriended.

Regarding Xiao Rongyan’s ability to make friends, Sima Ping never doubted it. After all, in a situation where all nations looked down on merchants, Xiao Rongyan could become an honored guest of nobles and royalty from various countries. Besides his abundant wealth, his talent and ability were also unquestionable.

But Sima Ping had never understood why Yue Shi, who was so loyal to Xiao Rongyan, after Xiao Rongyan’s death, didn’t stay beside Bai Qingyan… and the little prince and little princess, but instead went to Great Yan’s Ninth Prince.

Saying it was to repay his master’s debt of gratitude made sense, but… thinking about it carefully, it didn’t seem quite solid.

“That seems right, too!” Lu Yuanpeng looked suddenly enlightened.

Sima Ping glanced at Lu Yuanpeng, crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes. Perhaps Lu Yuanpeng’s guess was correct—maybe before Brother Xiao died, he was worried about His Majesty, who had already ascended the throne, concerned that Yan’s Ninth Prince might do something to His Majesty, so he specifically had Yue Shi use repaying gratitude as a pretext while gathering intelligence.

And now, Lu Yuanqing had brought news that there was an epidemic in Yan, and Yue Shi coincidentally arrived… he was probably here to deliver news to their Great Zhou as well.

However, there was now a distinction between ruler and subject between them and Bai Qingyan. Even if they wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation between Yue Shi and His Majesty, they probably couldn’t get close. But Lu Yuanpeng, this troublesome boy, was used to being fearless and reckless in the capital city. Plus, everyone in the Bai Family Army knew Lu Yuanpeng’s identity, and with General Shen Kunyang and General Cheng doting on him, Lu Yuanpeng had become somewhat lacking in propriety.

After Yue Shi saluted Bai Qingyan, he stated his purpose: “The Regent Prince says he will handle this matter properly and give Great Zhou an explanation! Please rest assured, Your Majesty of Great Zhou!”

Hearing these words, Bai Jinzhi, who was kneeling at the side, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now this was more like it…

Bai Qingyan looked at Yue Shi, who was kneeling on one knee. After letting him rise, she gestured for Wei Zhong to give Yue Shi a seat, then picked up her teacup and asked with a smile: “Is Yan currently under the control of the Empress Dowager of Yan?”

Yue Shi was startled. He hadn’t yet told the eldest Miss Bai, so how did she know, and with such certainty?

However, Yue Shi had originally intended to tell the eldest Miss Bai anyway, lest she misunderstand his master. He nodded: “His Majesty fell ill, probably contracting the epidemic while inspecting the disaster situation outside the palace. So the Empress Dowager now holds power, and the Regent Prince has already rushed back by fast ship to take control of the situation!”

After speaking, Yue Shi thought of how his master had originally planned to celebrate the eldest Miss Bai’s birthday. He glanced at Bai Jinzhi, Bai Qingjue, and Bai Jinse, then lowered his eyes and swallowed back the rest of his words.

Bai Qingyan took a sip of tea and said with a smile: “I also feel that… with the temperament and character of Yan’s Emperor, he indeed couldn’t do such a thing as treating the people’s lives like grass, especially those people who had endured the most difficult times together with Yan.”

Even in her previous life, Xiao Rongyan, despite being so unscrupulous in achieving his goals, had never harmed those former Yan people who had shared hardships with the Yan royal family. Even when seizing people’s grain, he only took from the enemy nation’s people, or those… who later became Yan citizens.

And a child like Murong Li, after becoming emperor, though he used some strategies for Yan’s sake, would never step on his own people’s corpses to seek victory for Yan.

After all, during the country’s warring states, a small half of the cities the Great Zhou had designated from Yan were inhabited by old people who had shared hardships with the Yan royal family.

As Yan’s emperor, although Murong Li, like the Empress Dowager of Yan, hoped that Yan would ultimately win the country wager, he would surely understand… if Yan won, the current Great Zhou people would also become Yan’s people. Using such despicable methods to let the epidemic develop unchecked, whether forbidding Great Zhou’s medicinal herbs from entering Yan or wanting to bring the epidemic to Great Zhou, even if they ultimately won the country wager, it would hurt their people. The same was true for the Great Zhou.

The people are the foundation of the nation!

If this epidemic couldn’t be controlled, those few cities under Great Zhou’s jurisdiction would become ghost towns, and if Great Zhou’s people were gone too, what use would empty land and vacant cities be?

Yet this point was invisible to the short-sighted Empress Dowager of Yan.

Bai Qingyan calling the Empress Dowager of Yan short-sighted wasn’t wronging her. From when she stabbed Great Zhou in the back after the two countries signed the alliance, the Empress Dowager of Yan’s actions had already caused Yan to lose the capital, and to compete for dominion over the world.

Now that the Empress Dowager of Yan had seized power again while Xiao Rongyan was away and Murong Li was ill, even if Xiao Rongyan now rushed back day and night without stopping, how much of the tide could he turn?

“Go back and tell the Regent Prince that eliminating the epidemic should be the top priority for both countries. The two countries should work together with united strength, not use the epidemic to create trouble. I trust that he and Yan’s Emperor are not short-sighted people, therefore… regarding this epidemic, if Yan needs any assistance, Great Zhou will provide full support!” Bai Qingyan said gently to Yue Shi.