“What does Great Yan’s Ninth Prince mean by this?” Li Tianfu gritted her teeth.

Xiao Rongyan spoke unhurriedly: “Princess Xiliang’s identity is unclear. If in the future the Xiliang Empress confirms that this time… it was Princess Xiliang who usurped power and seized the throne, wouldn’t Great Yan and Great Zhou become Princess Xiliang’s backing for nothing! Therefore… today’s alliance cannot include Xiliang either.”

After speaking, Murong Yan lifted the hem of his robes and sat down beside Murong Li.

Murong Yan’s words were reasonable and well-founded, gentle yet composed.

Li Tianfu’s face twisted with rage as she suddenly stood up: “What… are Great Zhou and Yan trying to interfere in my Xiliang’s national affairs by relying on your superior national strength?!”

“Your Majesty, Yan Emperor…” Liu Rushi rose and bowed to his sovereign and the Great Yan Emperor before looking at Li Tianfu and speaking: “Since Princess Xiliang says she doesn’t want foreign nations interfering in Xiliang’s national affairs, then don’t bring your Xiliang national affairs… into the tent of the multi-nation alliance!”

“Princess Xiliang came alone, claiming to participate in the alliance as Xiliang’s empress, yet the nations don’t know when you ascended the throne. You have neither Prince Yan, who has always been responsible for foreign diplomacy, by your side, nor Xiliang’s Assistant General Yun Poxing beside you. Could it be that with Princess Xiliang’s words alone, you can transform into Xiliang’s empress? If Princess Xiliang truly is already Xiliang’s empress… then Xiliang’s national affairs are far too frivolous!”

Liu Rushi bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty, this minister advises that in this four-nation alliance, our Great Zhou absolutely cannot ally with Xiliang. Xiliang treats national affairs as child’s play, so their alliance would surely also be child’s play. Our Great Zhou absolutely cannot trust it.”

Li Tianfu clenched her fists tightly, increasingly detesting this Liu Rushi. The first time she had met Liu Rushi, she had wanted nothing more than to tear his mouth apart.

The corners of Bai Qingyan’s lips curved upward as she looked toward Murong Yan and Murong Li: “What do the Yan Emperor and Ninth Prince think?”

Sa’er Khan sat down at the table parallel to Li Tianfu’s, turning to glance at the Tianfeng disciple of the great shaman kneeling behind him. The disciple nodded and raised his eyes to look in Murong Li’s direction…

Murong Li looked up at his Ninth Uncle, adopting the appearance of a young child who knew nothing and relied entirely on his Ninth Uncle to make decisions. Ninth Prince Murong Yan nodded: “What this lord said is extremely correct, but since we’ve come, we cannot make this trip in vain…”

Murong Yan raised his hand, and the old eunuch Feng Yao, who had been following behind Murong Li, immediately bent his waist and respectfully carried the peace alliance document in his hands, taking small steps to Bai Qingyan’s table and handing the alliance document to Wei Zhong.

Wei Zhong received the alliance document, nodded, and returned to beside Bai Qingyan’s table, passing the document to Bai Qingyan…

The content of the alliance document had already been reviewed by Liu Rushi and the others. Today’s meeting was merely going through the motions.

Bai Qingyan glanced at it briefly, then instructed Wei Zhong: “Give the alliance to Minister Shen and Lord Liu, Minister Shen to review.”

Wei Zhong acknowledged and handed the document to Shen Jingzhong and the others for circulation and review.

“The content of the alliance document is no different from what was previously discussed. After the two nations ally, they will henceforth be as one body… If anyone attacks either Great Zhou or Great Yan, the other nation must go to war with full assistance.” Great Yan’s Minister of Honglu spoke.

After the Great Zhou and Yan seemed to exclude Xiliang, they appeared to have no intention of including Tianfeng in signing the alliance either.

The corners of Sa’er Khan’s lips curved upward, his eyes cold and sharp. How could he not see that Great Zhou and Great Yan intended to completely exclude both Tianfeng and Xiliang?

He had expended so much effort and created such a grand scene – was it just to provide Yan and Great Zhou with an occasion to sign an alliance?

Getting nothing in return, was his Tianfeng nation full from overeating?!

Sa’er Khan looked toward Li Tianfu, signaling her to sit down.

Only then did Li Tianfu reluctantly and unwillingly sit down.

Sa’er Khan’s lips curved into a smile: “Today is a four-nation alliance, signing an alliance agreement. It should also be signed by all four nations together. Although Tianfeng is not large, our elephant army is fierce, and we have the intention to form eternal alliances with Great Zhou, Yan, and Xiliang.”

Sa’er Khan raised his hand to the guard standing behind him. The guard placed three alliance documents respectively in front of Li Tianfu, Bai Qingyan, and Xiao Rongyan: “I also have a four-nation alliance document here. I hope the Zhou Emperor, Yan Emperor, and Ninth Prince can take a look. We can discuss what parts are suitable and what parts are not. Please…”

Sa’er Khan, smiling as he looked at Bai Qingyan and Murong Yan, made a gesture of invitation, but neither Bai Qingyan nor Xiao Rongyan opened that alliance document.

“This four-nation alliance cannot be signed, whether we look at it or not. Better not… waste our sovereign’s time.” Liu Rushi lifted his official robes and stood up, bringing the Great Yan alliance document in his hands to Bai Qingyan’s table, respectfully saying: “Your Majesty, the Great Yan alliance… Minister Shen and I have discussed it, and it can be signed.”

Seeing Liu Rushi showing no regard whatsoever for Tianfeng’s sovereign, Tianfeng’s soldiers were already filled with anger, each gritting their teeth, wishing they could tear Liu Rushi apart alive, yet Liu Rushi seemed not to see it at all.

“My Great Zhou has always maintained good alliance with Yan. Before my husband departed, what he most hoped to see was the alliance between our two nations…” Bai Qingyan turned to look at Shen Jingzhong: “Minister Shen, sign and seal it…”

“Yes!” Shen Jingzhong respectfully received the alliance and followed Bai Qingyan’s instructions to seal and sign it.

Indeed, they were completely excluding Xiliang and Tianfeng. Sa’er Khan forcibly suppressed the murderous intent in his eyes: “Wait!”

Murong Yan raised his eyes to look at Sa’er Khan, his deep gaze beneath the mask looking at him: “Could it be that Tianfeng’s sovereign wants to interfere in our two nations’ national affairs?”

“I wouldn’t dare! However, this is a four-nation alliance. How can there be a reason for only the Great Zhou and Yan to sign an alliance?” Sa’er Khan smiled and raised his head to look at Bai Qingyan: “Zhou Emperor… refuses to ally with Xiliang. Could it be because you once had a three-year agreement with Xiliang’s Assistant General Yun Poxing, and with the three years about to expire, the Zhou Emperor still wishes for revenge?”

Without waiting for Bai Qingyan to answer, Sa’er Khan continued: “This alliance meeting is to resolve hatred between nations and seek mutual peace…”

“If this prince remembers correctly, Tianfeng’s territory does not border Great Zhou and Yan, and is even separated from Xiliang by the towering Worship God Snow Mountain…”

Upon hearing the four words “Worship God Snow Mountain,” all of Tianfeng’s soldiers, including Sa’er Khan, respectfully bowed their heads, their posture even more devout than the Xiliang people.

Murong Yan raised his eyebrows and looked at Bai Qingyan. Seeing her nod to him, he continued: “If not for a Great Zhou merchant named Cui Fengnian reaching Tianfeng, Tianfeng wouldn’t even know that on this side of the snow mountain… The Great Yan, the Great Zhou, and Xiliang existed. Since your territory isn’t even on this side of the snow mountain, I wonder if Tianfeng’s crisis awareness is too strong, or if you have ulterior motives, actually wanting to sign alliance treaties with Great Zhou and Great Yan?”