Great Zhou’s black banner with white python flag fluttered wildly in the cold wind mixed with white snow. Behind the masked man was an endless sea of black-armored Great Zhou cavalry, mighty and imposing, their momentum like a rainbow, like a giant beast slowly rising after awakening in the wind and snow, baring its claws and fangs with none daring to oppose its edge.

Sa’er Khan clenched his fists, slightly raising his chin to look at the black line that had suddenly appeared on the horizon. In the wind and snow, he seemed to hear the uniform marching steps of Great Zhou’s army. Not knowing what the Great Zhou intended, his heart suddenly became tense.

Though today was the four-nation alliance, there was no guarantee that the Great Zhou and Yan wouldn’t unite to seize the opportunity to cause trouble.

Such wind and snow were not favorable for elephant army combat. Elephants feared the cold and had never experienced battle in snow before, so they might not cooperate.

“Prepare for battle!” Sa’er Khan commanded loudly.

Before the soldiers beside Sa’er Khan could go relay orders, he saw the man leading the troops at the front raise his hand, and tens of thousands of soldiers instantly froze, like black stones in the wind, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Sa’er Khan stopped the soldier preparing to relay battle orders, his eyes deep as he instructed: “Give the order to quietly prepare for battle as a precaution.”

“Yes!” The soldier hurried away to relay the order.

Great Zhou had come… prepared!

Sa’er Khan clenched his fists. He had read “The Complete History of Great Yan,” “The History of Jin,” and “The Political History of Xiliang.” He knew that on this land, whenever nations formed alliances, soldiers would cease fighting—this was the most basic moral principle.

But now, the Great Zhou had come with heavy troops, forcing Sa’er Khan to become wary, though their elephant army was also lurking in unwilling places.

Before long, dark, heavy-armed cavalry also appeared from the west, covering the sky and earth. Great Yan’s Mystic Bird and Azure Sparrow flags fluttered in the wind. Great Yan’s Grand General Xie Xun led his army forth, like a black tide of troops stopping not far away, magnificent and soul-stirring.

This was the four-nation alliance, but it wasn’t quite what Sa’er Khan had expected, nor did it match what was recorded in history.

When nations formed alliances, each Kingdom’s ruler would bring troops, but never had armies been positioned so close.

It seemed that in an instant, Sa’er Khan felt the pressure coming toward him. Great Zhou… Great Yan, it seemed, would not be easy to handle.

Sa’er Khan still wanted to maintain a dominant position, instructing the cavalry beside him: “Send some men to both sides, invite the emperors of Great Zhou and Great Yan into the tent, tell them… It’s very warm inside the great tent.”

Two teams of cavalry received orders and galloped toward the west and north. Sa’er Khan turned to look at the Grand Shaman’s disciple, saying to him, “Looking at today’s situation, there probably won’t be a second chance. You must see clearly… which of the emperors of Great Yan and Great Zhou is truly the master of this land.”

The Grand Shaman’s disciple quickly bowed respectfully to Sa’er Khan: “Your Majesty, rest assured! However… even if we can tell today, looking at the way Great Zhou and Yan have brought their armies, it might not be easy to make a move!”

“It doesn’t matter if we can’t act today. What’s most important is knowing who it is, so we can prepare for the future!” Sa’er Khan said.

After Li Tianhu applied her makeup, she donned a fiery red fox fur cloak and emerged from the great tent, walking toward the alliance tent. Seeing Sa’er Khan standing outside the great tent, waiting for Bai Qingyan and that young emperor of Yan, she walked directly into the tent where the braziers burned brightly.

Many of Sa’er Khan’s guards felt indignant. This Li Tianhu had been put in power by their Tianfeng ruler. Without their majesty… Li Tianhu would still be trapped in that sunless hellish place! Yet she dared to be disrespectful to their majesty.

Sa’er Khan said to his guard captain, “Today, you stay by Li Tianhu’s side. Don’t let her make any unusual moves that would disrupt today’s alliance.”

Li Tianhu was just a madwoman who could drag all of Xiliang into revenge for one man… Sa’er Khan would use her, but also had to guard against her causing trouble.

Soon, Bai Qingyan’s luxurious eight-horse carriage, escorted by a thousand black-armored cavalry, slowly approached. Bai Qingyu, Bai Jinzhi, and Shen Qingzhu guarded the sides, while Shen Kunyang remained at the rear as a precaution…

Murong Yan and Murong Li’s finely crafted elm wood carriage, under the escort of a thousand elite soldiers and Xie Xun, also arrived at the camp entrance.

The Grand Shaman’s disciple of Tianfeng stepped forward to welcome them. Sa’er Khan stood at the entrance of the great tent, watching the Great Zhou carriage approaching the tent with five hundred cavalry left outside the camp and five hundred elite soldiers, and the Great Yan emperor’s carriage doing the same—leaving five hundred elite soldiers outside the camp and bringing five hundred into the camp.

The carriages stopped, and Great Zhou’s soldiers escorted Liu Rushi, Shen Jingzhong, and Shen Tianzhi down from the carriage.

The several men pulled their cloaks tighter, seeing Xie Yuchang leading men to guard outside the camp, with Yang Wuce, Bai Qingyu, and Bai Jinzhi guarding beside Bai Qingyan’s carriage, and only then felt reassured.

The Great Zhou emperor’s carriage stopped steadily in front of the great tent. Shen Qingzhu leaped down from her horse, seeing that Bai Jinzhi had already boarded Bai Qingyan’s carriage and was helping her emerge from within. Her cold gaze looked toward that Tianfeng ruler…

Today, there was no telling what dangers they might encounter, so Bai Qingyan hadn’t brought Chun Zhi, lest there truly be some mishap and Chun Zhi, who had no self-defense capabilities, would be endangered.

The tall and upright Sa’er Khan stood before the great tent, watching the Great Zhou empress who first bent to emerge from the carriage. Seemingly gentle and benevolent smiles hung at the corners of his eyes and brows as he stepped forward two paces, playing the perfect host.

But when Bai Qingyan straightened and her distinct black and white calm eyes looked toward him, his steps faltered.

Sa’er Khan had heard rumors about this Great Zhou empress, but thought these were merely ignorant people’s praise for this emperor. After all, victors write history, and those who record history always beautify those in power.

He believed that truly beautiful women were raised in luxury, like his wives and concubines, who were as delicate as flowers, and this Li Tianhu… even with martial skills, was ultimately still a delicate flower.

Therefore, in Sa’er Khan’s mind, this Great Zhou empress with the title of killing god… who could govern with an iron fist, might have a heroic spirit, but wouldn’t be as beautiful as the rumors claimed.

But suddenly seeing this Great Zhou emperor, her beauty was heart-stopping, beautifully elegant, and those distinct black and white eyes… calm and restrained, clearly those of a profound and powerful strong person, catching Sa’er Khan off guard.

At this moment, Sa’er Khan admitted that beautiful and powerful… combined in one person, was the most appropriate description for the Great Zhou empress.

She was beautiful, but beautiful in a way that made one dare not underestimate her, dare not have any improper thoughts.

Everyone has an appreciation for beauty, and Sa’er Khan was no exception. Any man would be interested in beautiful women, provided… this woman wasn’t an enemy of his Kingdom.

Sa’er Khan appreciated the kind of beauty he had never seen before in the Great Zhou emperor, but he was not one to be blinded by lust.