She looked at Ye Yingwan with a smile: “If I’s guess is correct… the prefect’s wife and prefect will probably also propose that I’s brother first marry your daughter, and only then will you be willing to help Great Zhou capture Yecheng Pass. Is that not so?”

Ye Yingwan crawled forward on her knees, about to step forward, but was blocked by Xiao Ruohai, who had a stern expression…

Ye Yingwan glared fiercely at Xiao Ruohai, then said to Bai Qingyan: “If Your Majesty doesn’t trust us husband and wife, you could first issue an imperial edict, arranging the marriage between my daughter and Your Majesty’s blood brother, the Bai family’s Fifth Master, and announce it to the world. After capturing Yecheng Pass, let the two hold their wedding ceremony – this would also work. Your Majesty… we’re just seeking peace of mind! Trading one marriage to save soldiers’ lives is just like a princess marriage alliance – very worthwhile!”

Bai Qingyan heavily placed her teacup on the table, her brows cold and clear, her voice becoming even more chilling: “Homeless dogs who can’t even guarantee their survival dare to covet marrying their daughter into my Great Zhou royal family! Even if Xiliang princesses or county princesses wanted to marry into the Great Zhou royal family, I would have to consider it carefully. She’s merely the daughter of an enemy nation’s prefect who abandoned his city and fled, with a concubine-born mother – are you… even worthy?”

“Your Majesty, spare our lives! Your Majesty, spare our lives!” The prefect hurriedly kowtowed.

Ye Yingwan was also panicking inside, but having come this far, could she give up halfway?

She restrained her fear and clarity, hurriedly kowtowing: “Just as Your Majesty said, we can’t even guarantee our survival, so we need Your Majesty’s imperial edict even more to save our lives. This subject’s wife admits… this subject’s wife is greedy. Besides wanting to preserve our entire family’s lives, I also want to preserve our family’s glory. Only by having my daughter marry Your Majesty’s brother can we feel at ease!”

Seeing Bai Qingyan’s gaze look over, Xiao Ruohai understood and spoke: “Now that the imperial edict is given to you, if in the future you fail to capture Yecheng Pass, but our Great Zhou forces break in instead, could it be that our Majesty’s brother would still have to marry the daughter of an enemy nation’s prefect who abandoned his city and fled? Tell us… what chips do you and your wife have?”

Ye Yingwan looked up at Xiao Ruohai in confusion.

Xiao Ruohai said to her, “I’ve been following your group for more than a day or two. The reason I happened to encounter you was that I had just returned from Yecheng Pass. Yecheng Pass’s defenses are extremely strict. Ordinary generals have no authority over opening and closing the city gates. Especially after the two nations went to war, opening and closing the city gates now requires General Ye Shouguan’s token. Who in Yecheng Pass could obtain the token from General Ye Shouguan to open the city gates?”

Ye Yingwan understood. Xiao Ruohai meant that if they wanted the imperial edict, they had to show Great Zhou their trump cards.

This was reasonable. She raised her head to look toward Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty, Ye Shouguan’s deputy general is my greatest chip! Not only do I have Ye Shouguan’s deputy general, but Ye Shouguan’s beloved concubine is also my person. Ye Shouguan’s deputy general and his father once swore to the heavenly gods before my father’s death that they would protect this subject’s wife’s safety for life!”

“If I let my daughter enter the city under the pretext that this subject’s wife and husband were captured and she’s seeking refuge with her uncle, have Ye Shouguan’s beloved concubine steal the token and give it to Ye Shouguan’s deputy general, telling him that only by opening the city gates at the time chosen by the Great Zhou Emperor can the Great Zhou Emperor spare my life – then… these city gates will certainly open!” Ye Yingwan was very confident.

“The prefect’s wife speaks dishonestly. I stayed in Yecheng Pass for so long, but never heard of General Ye Shouguan having any remarkable beloved concubine! General Ye Shouguan’s wife is the legitimate daughter of the Zhai family, one of the eight great families. He only has two concubines… one is Lady Ye’s dowry maid, and one was originally a servant who shared his bed, but I never heard that either was particularly favored!” Xiao Ruohai still had that light smile: “After all, when Old General Ye favored his concubine and destroyed his wife, causing General Ye Shouguan’s mother to die in anger and resentment, anyone might have beloved concubines, but General Ye Shouguan alone… absolutely would not!”

Ye Yingwan was extremely shocked. She hadn’t expected Xiao Ruohai to have investigated Ye Shouguan’s situation so thoroughly. She had originally wanted to keep a trump card, not expecting to be exposed so easily.

Bai Qingyan stood up, and Xiao Ruohai hurriedly stood up as well, bowing deeply toward Bai Qingyan: “I have no interest in wasting time here listening to others’ nonsense!”

“Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty…” Xiao Ruohai bowed again.

The prefect was already too frightened to move. Ye Yingwan crawled on her knees following them, still wanting to grab Bai Qingyan’s clothing, but was swept away by Wei Zhong’s whisk, causing immediate piercing pain in her hand.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Ye Yingwan covered her wrist, looking at Bai Qingyan’s retreating figure and shouting: “Your Majesty, would you rather let your Great Zhou soldiers sacrifice their lives than have your brother marry my daughter? Having tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of soldiers die versus marrying a Xiliang girl – can’t Your Majesty calculate which is more worthwhile?”

Not seeing Bai Qingyan respond or her steps pause, Ye Yingwan became increasingly panicked, her voice growing louder: “Your Majesty! If you do this… aren’t you afraid it will break the hearts of Great Zhou soldiers when word gets out? The lives of these Great Zhou soldiers are worth less than your own brother’s marriage in the Great Zhou Emperor’s heart!”

Xiao Ruohai straightened up and said: “Whatever you have, speak honestly to me, so I can report truthfully to His Majesty. Otherwise… forget about the glory and wealth you want to preserve, Prefect’s wife – even your family’s lives… probably can’t be protected!”

Seeing that Bai Qingyan had already left, the prefect hurriedly turned back to call his wife. Ye Yingwan was already somewhat panicked. Just as she was calculating in her mind, she heard Xiao Ruohai shout outside: “Someone come! Go bring the prefect’s son and daughter here!”

Hearing that even her son was to be brought, Ye Yingwan shuddered and straightened her spine: “What do you want to do?”

Xiao Ruohai lifted his robe hem and sat down in a chair: “Prefect’s wife, rest assured. Inviting the young master and miss to sit is just so that as long as the prefect’s wife honestly confesses exactly through whom you can obtain General Ye Shouguan’s token, what usable people you have in Yecheng Pass, and how to use them! Otherwise… I can’t guarantee the young master and miss’s safety!”

Ye Yingwan suddenly straightened her spine and shouted: “You dare! At worst, it’s mutual destruction! I’ll go tell your Great Zhou soldiers that their emperor is unwilling to have his brother marry my daughter, so he lets them shed blood… sacrifice their lives! Let’s see if your Great Zhou soldiers are still willing to serve such an emperor who doesn’t care about soldiers’ lives!”

Xiao Ruohai nodded, looking as if he completely believed the prefect’s wife: “I naturally believe that the prefect’s wife dares to go for mutual destruction, but what makes the prefect’s wife so confident that today… I will let you leave this prefect’s residence? A mere Yecheng Pass – at worst, we’ll just attack and take it!”