Li Zhijie didn’t know what Bai Qingyan was going to say and nodded in confusion.

The corners of Bai Qingyan’s lips curved up, her expression calm: “Then, why can’t this story be… after the Tianfeng queen’s husband died, she was unable to leave behind an heir with her husband. Fearing that those with ulterior motives would seize the imperial throne and lose control over Tianfeng, to continue her right to rule Tianfeng, the Tianfeng queen used the jade cicada to fabricate such a story, making herself the faith of Tianfeng’s people, and also boosting the morale of the soldiers who would face Mengshe in the upcoming battle. Hmm?”

Setting aside the mythical elements of this story and looking at it purely from the political perspective of a ruler, Bai Qingyan’s analysis… could be said to be extremely politically persuasive.

Li Zhijie was stunned for a moment, then laughed self-mockingly: “Great Zhou doesn’t worship the heavenly gods, so naturally wouldn’t believe this story. But we, Xiliang… worship the heavenly gods and have deep faith in their divine power! Tianfeng… has reached a fanatical level of devotion to the heavenly gods.”

At this point, Li Zhijie looked up at Bai Qingyan: “Presumably… Your Majesty’s spy Cui Fengnian, who was arranged in Xiliang early on, has already told Your Majesty everything!”

After Li Zhijie returned, he had already heard from Li Tianjiao that the Jin merchant Cui Fengnian was a woman. If she wasn’t a spy sent by Bai Qingyan in advance, then she was a spy sent by Jin to Xiliang. But regardless of whether Cui Fengnian belonged to Jin or Great Zhou, the current Cui Fengnian had already joined under Great Zhou’s Third Imperial Brother Bai Qingqi, so she was now Great Zhou’s person.

Bai Qingyan’s fingers lightly tapped the black lacquered table. Li Zhijie’s words also carried a threatening meaning…

If she handed Li Zhijie over to Tianfeng, then Li Zhijie would tell Tianfeng’s ruler that Cui Fengnian was a Great Zhou spy, destroying Cui Fengnian’s arrangements in Tianfeng.

“Your Majesty…” Wei Zhong said quietly from outside, “Xiao Ruohai has returned and requests an audience with Your Majesty!”

“Understood.” Bai Qingyan responded.

Li Zhijie’s body tensed as he stared at Bai Qingyan, waiting for her answer.

“I’ve never liked being threatened…” Her black and white eyes looked toward Li Zhijie. “Moreover, I don’t believe this story about the jade cicada that Prince Yan mentioned, and I don’t believe that Tianfeng’s ruler would abandon his plans to occupy territory and gradually encroach on my Great Zhou and Yan simply because Prince Yan knows a legend and a story. He wouldn’t risk attacking my Great Zhou just to capture Prince Yan. Prince Yan… places far too much importance on this mythical legend.”

With that, Bai Qingyan stood up.

Seeing Bai Qingyan lift her foot to step down and turn to leave, Li Zhijie’s eyes widened. He anxiously glanced at the Tianfeng envoy outside, then looked back at Bai Qingyan’s retreating figure, calling out loudly: “If Your Majesty has met Tianfeng’s ruler, you should know that Tianfeng’s ruler has a jade cicada in his possession. Does Your Majesty find that jade cicada familiar? That jade cicada… Your Majesty’s imperial consort Xiao Rongyan also has an identical one!”

Upon hearing this, she stopped, slightly turning her head to glance at Li Zhijie from the corner of her eye: “So what?”

“Your Majesty must have seen it. Sa’er Khan never parts with that jade cicada, constantly taking it out to play with. Sa’er Khan deeply believes in the jade cicada legend. If Sa’er Khan knew that Your Majesty’s imperial consort also has such a jade cicada, would he not ransack the imperial consort’s tomb? Would he not turn Great Zhou upside down searching?”

“Your Majesty…” Li Zhijie was extremely anxious and threw off the brocade quilt, supporting himself on the bed’s edge. But because he was too weak and hadn’t recovered his strength, he fell from the bed. However, he couldn’t care about that and crawled forward with his remaining leg: “War between Your Majesty and Tianfeng is unavoidable. If you hand this foreign minister over to Tianfeng now, seeking peaceful coexistence, when summer arrives… that will be when Tianfeng slaughters Great Zhou! Every word this foreign minister speaks comes from the heart!”

“Tomorrow… Great Zhou and Yan will join forces to attack Xiliang and Tianfeng, so Prince Yan need not waste effort trying to make Great Zhou clash with Tianfeng. Instead, you should think carefully about what information you can provide to make me keep you. For example… where are Li Tianjiao and Yun Poxing hiding with the Huoyun Army? For example… whether Xiliang has arranged spies in Yan and Great Zhou.”

Li Zhijie’s fists clenched tightly. Hearing Bai Qingyan say they would send troops tomorrow, the heart that had risen to his throat could finally settle. If this were the case, Li Zhijie could die without regret. As long as Great Zhou, Great Yan, and Tianfeng clashed, their Xiliang Empress and General Yun would make a comeback.

“Although this foreign minister cherishes his own life, he cannot betray our Xiliang Majesty because he cherishes his life. Please forgive this foreign minister for being unable to tell Your Majesty where our Xiliang Empress is located! As for whether Your Majesty mentioned that we have arranged spies in Great Zhou and Yan, Li Zhijie truly doesn’t know!” Li Zhijie lowered his head.

“Do you dare swear by the heavenly gods that you Xiliang people worship?” Bai Qingyan asked again.

Li Zhijie’s fist tightened, his pupils suddenly contracting. Before he could speak, he saw Bai Qingyan look at him with a brilliant smile and lift her foot to walk toward the door.

The wind and snow had stopped. In the small courtyard, servants had swept the accumulated snow clean, also clearing the fallen snow from the trees. Even the water-worn hollow spots in the azure stone floor under the eaves were completely clean.

Seeing Bai Qingyan lift the door curtain and emerge from the small room, the Tianfeng envoy hurriedly stepped forward to bow: “This foreign minister greets Your Majesty…”

Today, as soon as the Tianfeng envoy arrived, he was brought to this small courtyard and had been standing in the cold wind for quite a while. Occasionally when wind passed, broken snow from the azure tile roof would fall on his face. The Tianfeng envoy had grown up in Tianfeng’s warm climate since childhood—when had he ever endured such weather? He was shivering from the cold.

“We’ve kept the honored envoy waiting…” Bai Qingyan stood under the covered walkway, taking the prepared hand warmer from Wei Zhong’s hands, looking at the Tianfeng envoy and asking, “Last night, your nation just sent elephant troops to attack my Pingyang City, and today you suddenly sent an envoy to our door. Is this… a Tianfeng custom to fight first and then deliver a declaration of war?”

As soon as Bai Qingyan finished speaking, a row of young eunuchs came forward—those carrying chairs carried chairs, those carrying small tables carried small tables, those bringing braziers brought braziers, those serving hot tea served hot tea, those bringing pastries brought pastries. In a flash, everything was properly arranged, and Wei Zhong stepped forward to invite Bai Qingyan to sit.

The Tianfeng envoy looked up at Bai Qingyan, who appeared extremely warm and comfortable under the covered walkway, then bowed again and said: “Yesterday, it was originally the Xiliang Empress who requested our Tianfeng ruler to come to Great Zhou to demand the Xiliang traitor Li Zhijie. Before coming, our ruler specifically instructed that we must speak properly with Your Majesty…”

“The Tianfeng envoy speaks the refined language quite well, and your words are also pleasant to hear.” Bai Qingyan handed the hand warmer to Chun Zhi standing beside her, picked up her teacup to take a sip, then raised her eyes with murderous intent: “But Tianfeng has already made a move against my Fourth Sister. Do you think a few pretty words can gloss over this?”