The kiss was brief, stopping at just a taste.

Xiao Rongyan restrained his heavy breathing, his ink-black eyes burning as he gazed at Bai Qingyan, whose breathing was disordered. He kissed her lips once more before saying in a hoarse voice: “A’Bao’s heart is filled with these books left by mother. Is there still room to think of me?”

“Speaking of this…” Bai Qingyan looked at Xiao Rongyan and asked again, “Do you know the meaning of these words in Empress Ji’s books?”

Xiao Rongyan glanced at the bamboo slips left by his mother, straightened up to take the bamboo slip and looked at it, saying: “I have read these books… I once pressed mother for answers. Mother said… these are not suitable for this current era. She left these hoping that someday, when the appropriate era arrives, they could provide enlightenment to the ruler of that time, so that Great Yan would not perish.”

Bai Qingyan’s lips parted slightly. So… Xiao Rongyan’s initial refusal to agree to the two countries deciding victory through national policies was also partly due to Empress Ji’s influence?

She didn’t want to bring up sad memories for Xiao Rongyan again, so she stood up and took the bamboo slip from his hands: “Since that’s the case, let’s discuss this later. First, let’s talk about this four-nation alliance.”

Xiao Rongyan nodded and casually placed the bamboo slip Bai Qingyan had rolled up to one side: “Come…”

Xiao Rongyan pulled her toward the chair. After he sat down, he drew Bai Qingyan into his embrace, having her sit on his lap.

Looking at each other at eye level, Xiao Rongyan said to Bai Qingyan: “The reason Tianfeng Kingdom is holding this four-nation alliance is because their grand shaman… received a revelation from the gods, saying that the gods have chosen a master for this land. If they forcibly occupy this land, they will receive punishment from the gods!”

“Punishment from the gods?” She looked toward Xiao Rongyan.

Xiao Rongyan nodded: “Tianfeng Kingdom has a desert. It’s said that this is the gods’ punishment for the Tianfeng Kingdom, transforming what was originally the most fertile grassland suitable for grazing into a desert that the Tianfeng people cannot easily set foot in. Moreover… It’s said that the desert in Tianfeng Kingdom is expanding daily, swallowing Tianfeng Kingdom’s farmland. This is the real reason Tianfeng Kingdom stepped into Xiliang, not because Xiliang shares the same faith in their gods.”

“How do you know this?” she asked.

“Xiliang is not as guarded against Great Yan, so it’s quite easy for Great Yan’s grain merchants to mix into Xiliang and gather intelligence.”

She nodded and lowered her eyes to think carefully: “Punishment from the gods…”

Hearing Bai Qingyan’s low murmur, Xiao Rongyan grasped Bai Qingyan’s delicate, boneless hand and played with it, asking in a low voice: “Do you believe in gods?”

She looked up at Xiao Rongyan’s seemingly disbelieving eyes and said firmly, “I don’t know whether the heavenly gods that the Xiliang people and Tianfeng Kingdom believe in truly exist, but I respect the gods they worship, and I don’t consider their faith to be vanity. I believe that Heaven has eyes…”

Otherwise, how could she have been reborn when she died with eyes wide open in despair, returning to before Jinxiu’s marriage?

Therefore, Bai Qingyan had always believed that Heaven had eyes! She believed that Heaven, unable to bear seeing a loyal family like the Bai family meet such a fate, had sent her back, had sent her several younger brothers back!

Xiao Rongyan hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan’s answer to be so firm. Quite surprised, he said in a low voice: “The talk of gods and Buddhas has always been one of the means to comfort the people, pacify them… and guide the common folk toward goodness.”

In other words, Xiao Rongyan didn’t truly believe in his heart.

These were things that imperial tutors would teach emperors after they became rulers. It could be said… these were words never shared outside the imperial family through the generations. Because they had always treated talk of gods and Buddhas as a means to guide the people, over time, those who truly held power in the imperial family would have less and less reverence for gods and Buddhas.

Especially since when Empress Ji analyzed things when her children were still young, she could always break their fear of unknown things through practice, teaching them that there were no ghosts or demons in this world.

Without fear of ghosts and demons, reverence for gods and Buddhas would naturally diminish.

She had not yet decided how to tell Xiao Rongyan about her rebirth. Moreover, by now, the situation of the various nations and the state of the world had changed dramatically from Bai Qingyan’s previous life. Even if she spoke of it, there would be no way to prove that what she said was true rather than just a grand dream.

While quietly contemplating, Bai Qingyan suddenly felt movement in her abdomen. She quickly supported herself on Xiao Rongyan’s arm.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Rongyan’s expression grew tense.

“The baby moved…” Bai Qingyan placed her hand over her abdomen, showing a delighted expression.

Hearing Bai Qingyan say the baby moved, Xiao Rongyan’s throat rolled: “Let me try…”

He carefully placed his palm on Bai Qingyan’s abdomen. After waiting for a long while without the child in her womb moving again, Xiao Rongyan was somewhat disappointed. He stood up and helped Bai Qingyan sit in the chair, kneeling on one knee beside her. He placed his ear against her abdomen to listen for movement, and he felt the fetus in Bai Qingyan’s womb move.

“It moved!” Xiao Rongyan looked up at Bai Qingyan, his deep, profound black eyes rarely unable to contain his composure, filled with joy.

Bai Qingyan’s lips curved upward. She saw Xiao Rongyan cup her rounded abdomen with both hands and speak in a low voice to the little one in Bai Qingyan’s womb: “Daddy heard from Mommy that you’re very well-behaved and haven’t made Mommy suffer! Daddy is very happy. Daddy… isn’t by your side and Mommy’s side, but… Daddy thinks of you and your mommy! You must take good care of Mommy. When you’re born, Daddy will thank you properly!”

After speaking, Xiao Rongyan couldn’t help but press his ear against her abdomen again to listen to the child’s movement…

Previously, Xiao Rongyan’s feelings about the child weren’t that clear. He only knew he had to protect A’Bao and his child well, and was determined not to become the kind of father his imperial father was. But just now, feeling the movement of the child in her womb was like a feather stirring Xiao Rongyan’s mirror-calm paternal love, creating ripples in his heart.

She looked at Xiao Rongyan’s completely excited expression and raised her hand to gently stroke the top of his head: “Don’t worry, the child is truly well-behaved. These words aren’t meant to comfort you.”

She supported Xiao Rongyan’s arm: “Get up first, let’s sit down and discuss the alliance…”

The alliance between Great Yan and Great Zhou was quite simple—establishing a covenant that if any other nation attacked either Yan or Great Zhou, the other nation would send troops to assist, thereby deterring the Tianfeng Kingdom from acting rashly.

“Tonight, the Ninth Prince came to first settle this matter with the Great Zhou Empress. Next… A’Bao and A’Li will need to go through the motions.” Xiao Rongyan sat in the seat below Bai Qingyan’s position.

Bai Qingyan nodded: “Furthermore, since both the emperors of Great Zhou and Yan have now arrived, Tianfeng Kingdom will surely send people to discuss the timing of the alliance. So we don’t need to set our alliance too far in advance. When Tianfeng Kingdom sends people to inquire later, as long as our two nations give the same date, they’ll surely understand.”