Just as An Qingshan was about to open his mouth to argue, he saw Bai Qingyan’s gaze fall upon him: “Your analysis of the battle situation is correct, but you haven’t understood what the mutual alliance between our two countries is truly for…”
“The mutual alliance between our two countries is indeed for mutual benefit! But the alliance… is even more for mutual support!” Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell upon the Yan soldiers who looked up at her. “Yan currently lacks these iron armors that can be reforged into weapons against enemies more than our Great Zhou does, and lacks food more than we do. Therefore… Yan soldiers would compete with our Great Zhou soldiers for these Tianfeng war elephants after the battle. Otherwise, we’re all men of iron and blood – who would be willing to harm the bonds forged through life-and-death battles together between allied soldiers over such things? We’re all military men – don’t we understand that a soldier’s dignity and comradeship are priceless?”
Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, the Yan soldiers lowered their heads. Perhaps when competing for these giant elephant carcasses, they had never thought about military dignity, never considered the bonds forged through bloody battles between allies…
But when Bai Qingyan pointed it out, some Yan soldiers remembered that yesterday when they fought beneath Pingdu City’s south gate, Great Zhou soldiers had fought desperately to capture the north gate, shooting arrows from the city walls to kill those giant elephants and change their direction, also saving many Yan soldiers’ lives. This could indeed be counted as a life-and-death friendship.
Thinking further that the Great Zhou’s Emperor was discussing with their prince about giving them the majority of the giant elephants, while they were here making noise and nearly fighting with Great Zhou soldiers, all just to make a big scene to争得 half the elephants for Yan.
Guilt appeared in the eyes of the Yan soldier who had led the disturbance.
“Today, our Great Zhou yields to Yan in the distribution of spoils. In future battles, when we capture what the Great Zhou lacks, Yan will naturally yield to the Great Zhou. This is the meaning of alliance, this is what allows two countries to go further in mutual support!” Bai Qingyan looked at the Yan and Great Zhou soldiers, whose emotions had gradually calmed. “Since the two countries have allied, soldiers of both countries should regard each other as brothers! On the battlefield, we can confidently entrust our backs to each other. Off the battlefield… we can make concessions for each other. If we’re too selfish and only care about our own Kingdom’s interests, what meaning does this alliance have? Is it just to gather together to attack one city, then fight among ourselves?”
Murong Yan pulled his reins forward, his cold gaze looking toward the Yan soldiers: “Dividing spoils according to each side’s battle zone – isn’t this fair? This is the fairest! Because we didn’t send that many troops, and even as Emperor Zhou said… many severely wounded giant elephants fell at Hanwen Mountain, that was already outside our combat zone!”
“Emperor Zhou, mindful of alliance principles, is persuading our Great Yan to accept the majority of the elephant army, and you… They are here competing for spoils. Our Yan lacks food and iron, but we haven’t lacked to the point of coveting things that don’t belong to us! We haven’t lacked to the point of throwing away all face to compete with our allied nation! You are Great Yan’s elite soldiers! You should be Great Yan’s backbone! But your actions bring shame to Great Yan!” Murong Yan’s voice was low. “You should feel ashamed.”
Both Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan understood that such attitudes must never be encouraged!
In the future, the two countries would merge into one. Even though they couldn’t speak plainly to the soldiers about this now, they needed to ensure that through future interactions and joint battles, the soldiers would get along like brothers. Only then, when the two countries eventually united their armies, or even when the Zhou and Yan armies merged, would military resistance be minimized.
Indeed, Emperor Zhou was persuading their Ninth Prince to accept the majority of war elephants, even more than what they had been clamoring for in their equal division demands. This truly brought shame to Yan.
“Fighting over spoils only distracts allied forces, even to the point of hostility. How could we face the elephant army in future battles?” Bai Qingyan’s clear voice was more gentle than Xiao Rongyan’s, and her words were directed at soldiers of both countries. “If alliance becomes mutual enmity, when the main elephant force comes to attack either Yan or Great Zhou in the future, will the other Kingdom watch coldly from the sidelines? Must we wait for the elephant army to destroy one Kingdom before turning to destroy the other?”
“Your Majesty! We were wrong!” An Qingshan clasped his fists toward Bai Qingyan. “We were too narrow-minded!”
“We were wrong!” The Yan general who had led the disturbance also kowtowed to Murong Yan and Bai Qingyan. “We had petty minds. Emperor Zhou’s magnanimity has taught us today what it means to be allied nations and armies!”
The Yan general who had led the disturbance turned to look at An Qingshan and the Great Zhou soldiers: “Here, I apologize to the Great Zhou brothers!”
With the Yan soldier taking the lead, all Yan soldiers clasped their fists and apologized to the Great Zhou soldiers.
An Qingshan also led the Great Zhou soldiers in returning the courtesy to the Yan army: “Our Majesty spoke correctly. Since we’re allied… it should be you help me, I help you! Just like brothers in a family, working together to make life better, not fighting each other first over competing for spoils! We’re sorry!”
With apologies from both sides, everyone smiled embarrassedly, and the tense atmosphere that had been sword-drawn just moments before instantly dissipated.
Xie Xun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Bai Qingyan with admiration not only for her flawless military calculations but also for her foresight regarding relations between the two countries.
At this moment, not just the soldiers below, but even Xie Xun was very willing to fight bloody battles alongside Great Zhou – a Kingdom that didn’t calculate its gains and losses, was willing to help allied nations, and considered the bigger picture.
Bai Qingyan watched the Great Zhou and Yan soldiers facing each other with silly grins, then smiled: “Very well, the matter of counting the war elephants and sending the majority to Yan forces will be handled by An Qingshan!”
“Yes!” An Qingshan clasped his fists and accepted the order.
“What is your name?” Xiao Rongyan asked the Yan soldier.
“Replying to the Ninth Prince, this lowly one is called Wang Dagou!” Wang Dagou quickly replied.
Hearing this name, Bai Jinzhi couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Seeing Bai Jinzhi laugh, Wang Dagou embarrassedly scratched his head: “My mother said giving a lowly name makes one easier to raise! This lowly one was troubled by this name for a long time and wanted to change it. Later… later, my mother and father starved to death after Xiliang cavalry robbed our grain, leaving me nothing except this name. So I became reluctant to change it!”
Wang Dagou seemed to remember his parents, his simple-minded smile accompanied by reddened eyes.
Hearing this, the smile on Bai Jinzhi’s face froze then disappeared. Looking at Wang Dagou’s simple-minded smile, she actually found him not so annoying anymore.
“The matter of receiving the giant elephants from Zhou forces… and transporting them back will be your responsibility!” After Murong Yan finished speaking to Wang Dagou, he turned to Bai Qingyan: “Emperor Zhou, we must quickly discuss how this battle should proceed next!”