Soon, the sweet rice balls were served…
Bai Qingyan looked at the plump white sweet rice balls in her bowl, rose with Shen Qingzhu’s support, and smiled as she spoke to the soldiers: “Today is the Lantern Festival. Though we celebrate away from home, our entire army eats sweet rice balls together. After eating them, we’ll go see the lanterns. Of course… the lanterns hastily made at Yecheng Pass cannot compare to those carefully prepared for over a month in the cities throughout our Great Zhou territory! But… when the world is at peace, we will surely see the most beautiful lanterns every fifteenth day. I firmly believe… with our Great Zhou soldiers sacrificing their lives to secure peace for the people and stabilize the realm for them! That day will not be far off! Bai Qingyan thanks you all on behalf of the people of Great Zhou!”
After speaking, Bai Qingyan bowed to the soldiers in the wounded camp.
The soldiers straightened their backs and kowtowed in Bai Qingyan’s direction.
Xiao Rongyan watched as the wounded soldiers in Great Zhou’s camp all had reddened eyes, once again marveling at Bai Qingyan’s ability to inspire hearts.
After Bai Qingyan sat down, the soldiers began eating their sweet rice balls.
The great tent was very lively. The soldiers, who could normally eat a sweet rice ball in one bite, used spoons to carefully take small bites, all hoping they could eat the only sweet rice ball with a copper coin in the entire military camp.
Xiao Rongyan also received a bowl of sweet rice balls, but hadn’t touched his spoon.
Bai Jinzhao stared intently at Xiao Rongyan, very curious about how the Ninth Prince of Great Yan would eat while wearing a mask…
Who knew that when Xiao Rongyan noticed Bai Jinzhao staring at him, he looked toward Bai Jinzhao. Seeing Bai Jinzhao’s bright black eyes gazing at the sweet rice balls before him, he thought of Bai Jinzhi and smiled, having someone carry his bowl of sweet rice balls over to Bai Jinzhao, saying he didn’t like sweet foods.
Bai Jinzhao knew that staring at the Ninth Prince might have given him the wrong impression, making him think she coveted his sweet rice balls. Since he had sent them over, she couldn’t refuse without being rude, so she used the soup spoon to take one to her mouth. With one bite…
“Hmm?!” Bai Jinzhao spat out the copper coin from the sweet rice ball, her eyes widening as she quickly showed Bai Jinhua: “A copper coin! I got the copper coin!”
“Oh my! Fifth Sister got the copper coin. It seems Fifth Sister will be the most fortunate person in our Bai Family army this year!” Bai Jinhua’s face lit up with a smile.
The delighted Bai Jinzhao suddenly looked toward the Ninth Prince of Yan. This bowl of sweet rice balls had been sent over by the Ninth Prince, so… did this fortune belong to her or the Ninth Prince of Great Yan?
“This bowl of sweet rice balls was sent by the Ninth Prince of Great Yan, so this fortune… should belong to the Ninth Prince of Great Yan!” Bai Jinzhao stood up and walked to Xiao Rongyan, offering him the copper coin in her hand: “Ninth Prince, this is yours!”
“Since Fifth Miss ate it, naturally, the fortune belongs to Fifth Miss!” Xiao Rongyan glanced at Bai Qingyan before saying, “This prince is already the most fortunate person under heaven. This fortune should remain with the Fifth Miss. I hope Fifth Miss stays safe on the battlefield…”
With Bai Qingyan, and their child on the way, plus his ambition to unify the world gradually advancing, wasn’t he the most fortunate person in the world?
Bai Qingyan understood, lowering her eyes with a gentle smile.
Bai Jinzhao felt this Ninth Prince of Great Yan was quite easygoing, not like the rumors suggested, so she happily accepted the copper coin and cupped her hands toward Xiao Rongyan: “Then… Bai Jinzhao thanks the Ninth Prince here!”
After speaking, Bai Jinzhao joyfully returned to her seat with the copper coin and handed it to Bai Jinse: “Xiao Qi, this year’s fortune from Fifth Sister is for you! You must wear it well… this copper coin can protect you safely on the battlefield!”
Bai Jinse accepted the copper coin and bowed to Bai Jinzhao with a bright smile: “Xiao Qi thanks Fifth Sister.”
Seeing the copper coin finally given to the Bai Family’s youngest general, the soldiers congratulated him one after another, all saying that Bai Jinse would surely achieve merit and kill several more enemies in this battle.
After the lively sweet rice ball feast, Bai Qingyan led the Bai Family members and Great Zhou generals to distribute sweet rice balls to the people of Yecheng Pass.
The people of Yecheng Pass, fearing that the Great Zhou would massacre the city as Xiliang forces had invaded Great Zhou cities, had been hiding in their cellars for several days. Suddenly hearing that the Emperor of Great Zhou and the generals were distributing sweet rice balls to the people of Yecheng Pass with no intention of massacre…
Some people, already starving, looking at their children who could no longer bear the hunger, instructed their wives to watch the children while they went out first to test the situation. If the Great Zhou truly didn’t kill people and even gave food, they would return to call their wives and children. But if they never returned, their families must never leave the cellar.
Amid the children’s soft crying, the man left the cellar and saw neighbors pulling their children and carrying bowls running toward the city wall, saying Great Zhou gave food and didn’t kill people.
The man couldn’t worry about anything else, turned back to call out his wife and children, grabbed bowls and ran toward the city wall.
From afar, the Xiliang people saw Bai Qingyan in her fox fur cloak standing beneath the colorful swaying lanterns on the city wall, her features bearing a gentle smile as she ladled sweet rice balls for the queuing Xiliang people.
Xiao Rongyan stood atop the city wall, watching the stunningly beautiful Bai Qingyan. There she was, amid the noisy clamor of grateful voices and children’s cries, becoming part of it yet remaining the most captivating presence while always appearing serene and transcendent.
Though renowned as a war god, she restrained her overwhelming presence. When bending down to caress children, the smile in her features made her face appear increasingly gentle and warm, indescribably clear and stunning under the colored lanterns.
Hot, sweet rice balls kept being brought over continuously. Seeing many Xiliang people had come, all holding steaming bowls and eating nearby, then queuing again for more after finishing.
Bai Qingyan handed the ladle for sweet rice balls to Bai Qingqi, lifted her skirt hem, and walked toward the city wall.
The Xiliang people’s gazes followed the Great Zhou Emperor. Seeing the Great Zhou Emperor climb the city wall, everyone tensed up – some feared the sweet rice balls were just a final meal before execution, that once the Great Zhou Emperor mounted the city wall, she would order their slaughter. Others were captivated by Bai Qingyan’s stunning beauty that one couldn’t look directly at, unable to help but raise their heads and stare.
She stood atop the city wall, looking at the Xiliang people who all raised their heads to look at her, and spoke: “Everyone, I am Bai Qingyan, Emperor of Great Zhou. I know you harbor many doubts, and many people have not yet come, fearing that Great Zhou soldiers lured you here for slaughter…”
“Though Great Zhou and Xiliang have generational enmity, and Xiliang forces once invaded Great Zhou, massacring our Great Zhou people, this has nothing to do with the common people of both nations! Unarmed civilians are the ones who suffer most in this world – when dynasties rise, the people suffer; when they fall, the people also suffer! So my Bai Family ancestors often pondered how to make this world free of warfare, free of the tragic sight of people separated from families, with nine out of ten houses empty!”