Just like… if someone close to her that she cared about had planted spies around her, she would accept it calmly as well.

At this moment, he sent Yue Shi to deliver a message to her. Yue Shi didn’t bring back a written reply, but instead brought back her fury—this was what Empress Dowager Yan wanted to see.

Yue Shi was a child who couldn’t hide her thoughts. If she told Yue Shi everything honestly, she feared that Yue Shi would return in high spirits, which would arouse suspicion from the spies that Empress Dowager Yan had placed around Xiao Rongyan.

What Empress Dowager Yan wanted most was for her and Xiao Rongyan to turn against each other. At this time, if Murong Li proposed the strategy of merging the two nations, and Murong Yan pretended to oppose it, only then would Empress Dowager Yan give Xiao Rongyan the greatest degree of trust regarding the merger of the two nations.

Although there were officials in the Yan court who refused to submit to the Great Zhou, when the Great Zhou truly stationed troops at Yan’s borders, those who truly dared to support Yan in fighting the Great Zhou were not many, after all, there was still a gap in strength between the two nations.

Moreover, this time, Yan was at fault first. While the alliance between the two nations was still in effect, they betrayed Great Zhou, causing Great Zhou to suffer heavy losses, resulting in the Great Zhou Emperor’s own younger brother and sister being captured alive. Subsequently, the Great Zhou Emperor, in his burning rage, seemed to have gone mad with anger, disregarding even children and his own body, which showed his determination to destroy Xi Liang and annihilate Yan.

The greater the determination the Great Zhou showed in attacking Yan, the more the wind direction in Yan’s court would lean toward seeking peace.

Dong Shi understood Bai Qingyan’s words perfectly well. She nodded, indicating her understanding: “But… since this is the case, why must you leave the palace to go to Xi Liang? Just spread the news… let Xi Liang and Yan think you’ve gone!”

“There are quite a few spies from Xi Liang and Yan in this capital city.” Bai Qingyan gently grasped her mother’s hand. “If you’re going to put on a show, you must do it completely. So daughter must leave this capital city. Only this way can the secret agents in the capital be stirred into action!”

“You…”

Dong Shi was about to persuade her when she heard Bai Qingyan continue speaking.

“Others don’t know A’Yan’s identity, but Mother knows!” Bai Qingyan softly spoke Xiao Rongyan’s name, her eyes slightly moist. “When Jiangzi City was besieged, A’Yan abandoned Yan’s opportunity to attack Yun Jing first. Despite being severely injured, he traveled day and night with a high fever to rescue me. He once asked me… when I was trapped in Jiangzi City, did I ever think for a moment that I was still carrying our child? He said… If something happened to me and the child, he couldn’t live on either. I believe him, Mother!”

Hearing this, Dong Shi couldn’t help but let tears stream down her face.

She also couldn’t forget… when A’Yan said she didn’t care about him that much, saying that if he and her younger siblings were simultaneously besieged, all facing life-and-death situations, he would ask her to definitely go save her younger brother. He said this was his choice and request, because… he didn’t want to be the one she abandoned!

“Mother, A’Yan is my husband and also my family. His words broke my heart and made me ache! I never knew that A’Yan, such a proud man, would humble himself to such an extent because of me! From that day on, I swore that for A’Yan’s sake… I would never again risk my own and my child’s safety!”

She looked at her mother, tears falling uncontrollably. “So, Mother, rest assured. After I leave the capital and head south, I’ll change carriages and return when I reach the next city, obediently staying at the Bai Mansion for my confinement period, letting Lu Ping and the others continue forward with the carriage.”

When she learned that A’Yu and Xiao Qi’s life and death were unknown, Bai Qingyan was indeed so furious that she wanted to rescue A’Yu and Xiao Qi, wanted to level Xi Liang! She even harbored thoughts of trapping Yan’s main forces and letting Great Zhou’s army march directly to Yan’s capital to destroy Yan. But she knew clearly in her heart that this was neither rational nor wise!

Fighting… was the worst strategy. It could be used as a last resort, but it should never be the first choice.

Moreover, even if Empress Dowager Yan alone was at fault, both A’Yan and Murong Li were people doing their utmost to promote the merger of the two nations. Bai Qingyan wouldn’t truly vent her anger on A’Yan and Murong Li.

After reading Xiao Rongyan’s letter, she learned that Bai Qingyu was turning the tables on the enemy and wasn’t truly missing, and that Xiao Qi might have been captured and taken to Yun Jing. Her heart settled, and she quickly reacted according to her previous arrangements, getting angry at Yue Shi… letting Empress Dowager Yan see what she most wanted to see.

Dong Shi hurriedly used her handkerchief to wipe Bai Qingyan’s tears: “Alright! Mother understands! Don’t cry anymore! You just gave birth! Rest assured… Mother will have Steward Hao make proper arrangements to ensure you can have a proper confinement at home! Don’t worry about A’Yu and Xiao Qi either. A’Qi, Jinxiu, and the others were all taught by your grandfather and uncle. They will rescue A’Yu and Xiao Qi!”

Bai Qingyan nodded. She not only trusted A’Qi, Jinxiu, A’Jue, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Liu, but she also trusted her husband, Xiao Rongyan.

A’Yan knew the importance of her younger siblings to her, so she believed… A’Yan would rescue her younger brother and sister.

In the second year of Yuanchu, on the tenth day of the third month, the Great Zhou Emperor gave birth to imperial heirs. When the prince and princess were born, heavenly auspicious signs appeared—purple-gold flowing clouds and rosy light filled the sky.

Learning that His Majesty had given birth to auspicious dragon and phoenix twins, the ministers all entered the palace and waited in the front hall for the Empress Dowager to come and announce this joyful news.

Who knew that after the ministers entered the palace, they learned that their Emperor, having just given birth, had fallen asleep from exhaustion. She was only waiting for the traveling party to Xi Liang to be ready before departing for Xi Liang, which immediately shocked them greatly.

The clever ministers guessed that Bai Qingyan wanted to go to Nan Jiang immediately after giving birth because of the war report from Xi Liang.

The Fifth Young Master and Seventh Miss of the Bai family’s life and death were unknown, so their Emperor didn’t want to delay for even a moment and immediately set off for Xi Liang.

When Lu Jin heard that Bai Qingyan had sent someone galloping ahead to Xi Liang immediately after giving birth, conveying the news of her premature birth due to falling from her horse after learning of the Fifth Young Master and Seventh Miss’s unknown whereabouts, as well as her immediate departure for Xi Liang after giving birth, Lu Jin guessed Bai Qingyan’s intention.

Xi Liang had captured the Fifth Young Master and the Seventh Miss. The more nervous the Great Zhou Emperor appeared about this matter, the more Xi Liang would spare no effort to protect these two bargaining chips.

Not long after, Lu Jin heard that Bai Qingyan had ordered troops to be deployed to Yan’s borders, and decreed that… if Yan made any unusual moves, there was no need to request imperial approval—they should advance directly to Yan’s capital. There was also the matter of her scolding the messenger sent by Yan’s Ninth Prince out of the imperial palace.

He sensed something was amiss. The hand tucked in his wide official sleeves rubbed thoughtfully, always feeling that this incident was strangely suspicious.

Lu Jin still had some understanding of what kind of person their Great Zhou Emperor was. She wouldn’t make such hasty decisions just because of uncontrollable rage. What deeper meaning could there be?

With this imperial edict issued, the sense of imminent war with Yan became even more pressing.

Minister of Revenue Wei Bugong was troubled. He stood beside Lu Jin, like Lu Jin, with both hands tucked in his sleeves, brows furrowed tightly, calculating the grain supplies and silver in the national treasury.