The prefect’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, turning back to look at his wife: “My lady! This is our entire family’s lifeline!”

Ye Yingwan’s hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly. This jade pendant was now her only bargaining chip with the Great Zhou, and she had to make good use of it.

“What about my husband’s official position? I want you to arrange for my husband to enter the capital city as Minister of Revenue, and guarantee that you’ll never strip my husband of his official position!” Ye Yingwan declared loudly.

The position of Minister of Revenue was indeed a lucrative post.

Xiao Ruohai’s smile deepened: “Prefect’s wife… this is truly pushing one’s luck.”

“It’s not that I’m pushing my luck, but rather that if just anyone takes this jade pendant, that person probably won’t be believed. After all, this is a matter of losing one’s head – it requires my daughter to personally carry my jade pendant and risk making this dangerous trip!” Li Yingnan’s gaze was resolute. “Seeking one quota for my daughter to take the imperial examinations is what should be given to my daughter. But what about me… what about my husband? Shouldn’t everything be properly arranged?”

Ye Yingwan bit her teeth and continued: “I’ll take a step back. It doesn’t have to be the Great Zhou’s emperor’s brother marrying my daughter – someone else would be acceptable! Or have the Great Zhou’s emperor’s sister become engaged to my son! Otherwise, even if I smash this jade pendant into pieces, I absolutely won’t hand it over! I, Ye Yingwan… would rather be broken jade than intact tile! In this lifetime, I have never bowed my head to anyone!”

The prefect stared wide-eyed at Ye Yingwan, feeling that she must have gone mad. With the Great Zhou’s emperor’s attitude laid bare, she still wouldn’t soften and abandon her ambitions.

“Are you trying to get our entire family killed?!” The prefect, who had been submissive to Ye Yingwan his entire life, was being forceful with her for the first time. “You’ve never bowed your head to anyone in this lifetime, but have you thought about who you’re facing? They’re all your relatives! This time… we’re facing Great Zhou! It’s because my father-in-law and I have spoiled you until you don’t know how high the heavens are or how thick the earth is. You’ll get our entire family killed, do you know that?”

“I don’t know!” Ye Yingwan shouted. “I’ve spent my entire life planning for you! Planning for the children! What right do you have to blame me?”

“The prefect’s wife is truly confused!” Xiao Ruohai’s voice was indifferent. “Even if an engagement were arranged, so what? If His Majesty is displeased with the marriage and wants your daughter or son to die young, that would be as easy as lifting a finger. Could it be… that we Great Zhou wouldn’t dare kill the offspring of an enemy nation’s traitorous minister?”

Ye Yingwan’s spine stiffened.

“As long as our Majesty is displeased… dislikes them, we wouldn’t even need shadow guards. Just letting word slip out, and people wanting to kill your entire family would be as numerous as fish crossing the river!” Xiao Ruohai shook his head. “The safety of your entire family, or marriage alliances – Madam should choose for herself!”

Ye Yingwan immediately collapsed to the ground, her entire being as if someone had drained her soul.

The prefect crawled on his knees to his wife’s side, yanked off the jade pendant, then knee-walked to Xiao Ruohai’s presence, holding it high above his head: “My lord, please… You must speak favorably before His Majesty, begging His Majesty to forgive my wife’s offense and transgression. I alone will bear all guilt and responsibility! Please have His Majesty spare my wife and our two children! This official is willing to die!”

Ye Yingwan’s pupils trembled as her gaze turned toward the husband she had always looked down upon.

Xiao Ruohai accepted the jade pendant, helped the prefect to his feet, then asked Ye Yingwan: “Madam… besides this jade pendant, what other words could gain the trust of the personal attendant by General Ye Shouguan’s side?”

Ye Yingwan’s tears fell pitter-patter, but she still maintained her last bit of stubbornness, unwilling to speak everything completely.

“Madam!” The prefect couldn’t help but urgently call his wife again.

Ye Yingwan’s palm tightened, keeping one last card up her sleeve. She looked up at Xiao Ruohai and said, “My daughter needs to personally carry the jade pendant there. My daughter looks extremely similar to how I looked when I was young. As long as he sees my daughter carrying the jade pendant to find him… he’ll be willing to do anything for me!”

The prefect’s finger twitched. He didn’t think his daughter looked like Ye Yingwan in her youth at all. He understood that his wife must be plotting something, but couldn’t expose her in front of Xiao Ruohai. He could only keep giving his wife meaningful looks, but Ye Yingwan acted as if she couldn’t see her husband’s expressions, staring fixedly at Xiao Ruohai.

Xiao Ruohai glanced at Ye Yingwan and called outside: “Someone come… take the prefect and prefect’s wife down to rest!”

As she was being lifted, Ye Yingwan saw Xiao Ruohai holding the jade pendant and examining it carefully. She added, “If you take the jade pendant to find him, the credibility won’t be high either. Only if my daughter pretends to have escaped from Suining City and carries the jade pendant to find him will he believe it!”

The corner of Xiao Ruohai’s mouth curved up. If this prefect’s wife hadn’t said this, Xiao Ruohai would still have had doubts. But since she said this… Xiao Ruohai could rest assured that this jade pendant wouldn’t bring danger.

He smiled and said: “Thank you for informing me, prefect’s wife. Please escort the prefect’s wife down first. I still have words to speak with the prefect!”

After speaking, Ye Yingwan was carried away. Before leaving, she stared intently at her husband, signaling him not to speak carelessly.

After Ye Yingwan left, Xiao Ruohai smiled at the prefect: “Does the prefect have something to say? This concerns your entire family’s lives. If the prefect’s wife left anything unsaid, the prefect can supplement it. As long as we take Yecheng Pass this time, your family will have rendered great service. Not only will your lives be safe, but wealth and honor await you!”

The prefect’s heart was filled with anxiety. He said honestly, “Wealth and honor don’t matter. As long as our family can all be safe and sound, that’s enough. This official’s heart isn’t large – I only ask that after Great Zhou takes Yecheng Pass, you can let our family leave safely!”

Xiao Ruohai looked at the sincere and honest prefect and nodded: “This I can promise you!”

Only after the prefect bowed to Xiao Ruohai did he say: “My daughter doesn’t look like my wife in her youth at all. Moreover, in these years, because General Ye Shouguan hasn’t allowed my wife to set foot in Yecheng Pass, my wife hasn’t returned there for over ten years. This official’s daughter is beautiful and has many schemes… This official thinks you shouldn’t let my daughter carry the jade pendant to Yecheng Pass. Otherwise, if my daughter develops other thoughts, I’m afraid it will affect the greater situation.”

Now that the Great Zhou was the general trend, although the prefect was from Xiliang, he was unwilling to attempt such a futile task as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

He didn’t want his daughter to go to Yecheng Pass also because he worried… that something unexpected might happen to his daughter there.

If truly their entire family couldn’t survive, the prefect hoped the family could be together.

“Good! I understand…” Xiao Ruohai nodded to the prefect. “Please rest well in the prefect’s mansion these few days. I’ll instruct people to take good care of your family of four. If you have any requests… as long as they’re not excessive, they’ll agree to them! The prefect still has injuries, so please recover peacefully first. We Great Zhou never killed innocents indiscriminately.”