“Miss is pregnant and shouldn’t be kept talking for too long. She should rest well,” Shen Qingzhu said, then cupped her hands toward Xiao Ruojiang and left first.
Upon entering the hall, Xiao Ruojiang saw his eldest miss sitting under the lamp, reading bamboo scrolls.
These past few days, Bai Qingyan had been constantly reading the books left behind by Empress Ji, extremely curious about the free and equal world that Empress Ji had described. Once she picked up a book, she was reluctant to put it down.
Today Chen Qingsheng had returned, and to let Chun Tao and Chen Qingsheng, who hadn’t seen each other for many years, have more time to talk, Bai Qingyan had ordered Chun Tao to escort Chen Qingsheng out of the palace. Chun Zhi attended to Bai Qingyan’s side, not daring to persuade her to rest, only ordering servants to light all the lamps in the sleeping quarters, fearing it would hurt Bai Qingyan’s eyes.
“Chun Zhi, you go out first…” Bai Qingyan closed the bamboo scroll and said to Wei Zhong, “The Yan envoy has also been waiting for a long time. Wei Zhong, go and invite the Yan envoy over. I’ll finish speaking with my sworn brother in just a few words…”
Chun Zhi and Wei Zhong acknowledged and withdrew. Bai Qingyan placed the bamboo scroll aside and said to Xiao Ruojiang: “Sworn brother, there’s something… I need you to make a quick trip to Han City.”
“Miss, please command!”
Bai Qingyan took out the rough map of Tianfeng Nation that Xiao Ruohai had drawn. Xiao Ruojiang hurriedly stepped forward to receive it, holding it in his hands and examining it carefully.
“Go to Han City and have Second Miss focus her energy on training the naval forces while implementing the new policies. They may come in great use in the future!”
Having received the map, Xiao Ruojiang roughly understood Bai Qingyan’s meaning. Now that Tianfeng Nation’s elephant army was approaching, according to the news brought back by Xiao Ruohai and Chen Qingsheng, Tianfeng Nation had already devoted all the nation’s strength to prepare for war. If one day Tianfeng Nation and Great Zhou went to war, they would certainly come out in full force!
At that time, with Tianfeng Nation’s interior empty, if Great Zhou brought naval forces from the coastal ports, entering the Long River… and launching a surprise attack directly at Tianfeng Nation’s rear, it would certainly catch Tianfeng Nation off guard.
“Xiao Ruojiang understands!” Xiao Ruojiang’s fighting spirit suddenly rose as he carefully stored the map. “I’ll depart immediately and will deliver the map to Second Miss!”
“Thank you for your hard work, sworn brother! After delivering the message… sworn brother should stay by the Second Miss’s side. Please help and support Jinxiu more…” Bai Qingyan thought for a moment and added, “The matter of the elephants in the military camp will be left to Qingzhu to handle. Sworn brother, need not worry about it.”
Xiao Ruojiang nodded, then said with concern: “Miss must also take good care of herself. Now that Miss is carrying two lives, you must rest more. With the young masters and misses at the Nan Jiang battlefield, Your Majesty need not worry too much!”
Seeing Xiao Ruojiang’s caring gaze, she nodded: “Alright, I understand! Sworn brother, don’t worry!”
After Xiao Ruojiang left the great hall, he didn’t delay, immediately packed his belongings, and departed for Han City with his men.
Just as Xiao Ruojiang left, Wei Zhong brought the Great Yan envoy stationed in Zhou to request an audience.
Seeing a man in Yan Nation eunuch attire following behind the Yan envoy, wearing a hat and bowing with a respectful posture that obscured his features, Bai Qingyan narrowed her eyes. She heard the stationed Yan envoy bow to her and say: “Your Majesty, this subject has come on orders from our Great Yan’s Ninth Prince to deliver birthday gifts to Your Majesty, wishing the Great Zhou Female Emperor a thousand autumns and ten thousand years.”
The eunuch following behind the Yan envoy also bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan.
“Thank you for Prince Yan Jiu’s thoughtfulness…” Bai Qingyan nodded.
“Additionally, the Ninth Prince has sent someone to deliver a letter to Your Majesty…” The Yan envoy turned to look at the eunuch behind him, signaling him to produce the letter.
The eunuch hastily handed the letter to Wei Zhong.
After receiving the letter from Wei Zhong and opening it for a glance, Bai Qingyan said, “Wei Zhong, please invite the Yan envoy to have tea in the side hall and wait a moment. This… eunuch, please stay behind. I have questions to ask.”
“Yes…” Wei Zhong smiled and made a gesture of invitation to the Yan envoy.
The sound of the door closing echoed, and only then did the eunuch who had been keeping his head lowered raise it…
In the great hall, lamplight flickered, and the mirror-bright floor reflected the wavering candlelight. The entire room was filled with warm, gentle colors, making the man’s sharp, well-defined features even more distinct.
His deep, ink-black eyes reflected the candlelight filling the room, and also reflected Bai Qingyan sitting at the far end of the layered gauze curtains, as if between heaven and earth, his eyes could only contain that beautiful woman sitting amidst the lamplight.
“Why did you come? Did you encounter Yue Shi?” Bai Qingyan supported herself on the hidden armrest, about to rise.
Xiao Rongyan hurried toward Bai Qingyan: “Sit down, don’t move!”
He untied the hat strings, placed the hat aside, then helped Bai Qingyan sit down, gazing quietly at her: “Don’t worry, I encountered him on the way here. I already know about the elephant army…”
“Knowing about it, why didn’t you return to Yan Nation to deploy? You still came here?” Bai Qingyan’s brows furrowed.
Xiao Rongyan chuckled softly, using his finger to smooth Bai Qingyan’s furrowed brow, smiling: “Your birthday… I didn’t want to miss it…”
Looking at Xiao Rongyan in eunuch attire, Bai Qingyan couldn’t help but curve her lips. This time, Bai Qingyan truly hadn’t expected Xiao Rongyan to return.
Xiao Rongyan looked down at his clothing and said, “After marriage, without the identity of Xiao Rongyan, entering the palace is more difficult, so I could only dress like this.”
“Now that Tianfeng Nation has appeared with elephant armies, Yan Nation needs you to oversee it. You didn’t need to make a special trip here for a birthday.” Bai Qingyan said to Xiao Rongyan.
Xiao Rongyan raised his hand to tuck the loose hair at Bai Qingyan’s temples behind her ear, then couldn’t help but caress her cheek with his fingers, his movements gentle yet restrained.
He lowered his head to look at Bai Qingyan’s abdomen, gently stroking it: “Pregnancy is most difficult for women. It’s all my fault for not restraining myself… making you pregnant at this time.”
She smiled, her palm gently covering the back of Xiao Rongyan’s hand: “Since the child has come, let’s not talk about who’s to blame.”
Xiao Rongyan looked up at Bai Qingyan’s serene and composed smile, remembering what Murong Li had said to him when he learned that “Xiao Rongyan” had married Bai Qingyan and that she was pregnant.
“Speaking of the child…” Xiao Rongyan looked up at Bai Qingyan, his features taking on a light smile, “A’Li knows about our marriage and that we already have a child. He quite approves of your previous suggestion… that the two nations determine victory by whose national policies can make the people prosperous and the Kingdom strong, avoiding warfare and uniting as one nation.”
Bai Qingyan was stunned, looking at Xiao Rongyan with slight astonishment…
Although Murong Li was young, he was quite decisive in his heart.
When Great Yan was in crisis, it was the people who supported Great Yan through it. Xiao Rongyan had always felt that if he lost Yan Nation… he would be letting down the people who had suffered alongside the Yan royal family.
But A’Li said that the people protected Yan Nation because they knew that Yan Nation’s new policies benefited them and could give them good lives. If the two nations determined victory by whose national policies could make the people prosperous and strong, the people would naturally support them.
“Before I could return to the Kingdom, news of the marriage had already spread back to Great Yan. Later, news of your pregnancy followed, and A’Li personally came to talk with me once.”