“Now, Great Zhou and Yan have already fallen out over this matter! The Great Zhou Emperor has deep feelings for her younger brother – for his sake, she doesn’t even care about her newborn child and insists on coming to Xi Liang. You can see how furious she has become!” Old General Cui Shanzhong thought of another matter and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “However… this old minister knows that when Yan and Great Zhou joined forces to attack Tianfeng, Great Zhou, considering that Yan lacked grain and troops, contributed the most effort, yet whenever they divided the spoils of war, Great Zhou would always give the majority to Yan!”
He turned to look at Li Tianjiao: “Your Majesty, imagine – Great Zhou treated Yan with such sincerity, yet Yan stabbed them in the back. If this happened to anyone, who could bear it?”
“So this Great Zhou Emperor was overcome by anger and lost her wits. Not only did she disregard her own body, but she also ignored her premature children and rashly came to Xi Liang…” Li Tianjiao found it somewhat incredible.
Old General Cui Shanzhong shook his head: “This Great Zhou Emperor is certainly angry, but not rash! While coming to Xi Liang, she also stationed troops at Yan’s border. This is clearly to… after destroying our Xi Liang, trap the two armies led by Yan’s Ninth Prince and Yan’s General Xie Xun here, then have the Great Zhou forces at Yan’s border attack Yan! Turn Yan into meat on a chopping board!”
Enlightened by Old General Cui Shanzhong’s explanation, Li Tianjiao immediately understood and quickly bowed deeply to him: “The old general is truly brilliant!”
Cui Shanzhong quickly stepped aside to avoid Li Tianjiao’s bow and returned the courtesy: “This old minister is hardly brilliant! The truly brilliant one… is this Great Zhou Emperor! Your Majesty… do you now understand what kind of opponent our Xi Liang faces?”
Although Li Tianjiao had previously admired Bai Qingyan, as a fellow emperor, she didn’t think she was inferior to Bai Qingyan in any way. She only felt that Xi Liang had already been a mess when it came into her hands, and she had done her best.
But now she realized that this Great Zhou Emperor was indeed more capable than she, at least in military strategy.
“So the old general means that after the Great Zhou Emperor arrives, we should submit and willingly bow to the Great Zhou as vassals! Then send Bai Qingyu back, and further instigate the relationship between Yan and Great Zhou! Make Yan and the Great Zhou fight each other!” Li Tianjiao clasped her hands behind her back. “Before the Great Zhou Emperor arrives in Xi Liang, we can approach Yan’s Ninth Prince and say we’re willing to submit to Yan, to stabilize Yan.”
Cui Shanzhong nodded: “Whether for Great Zhou or Yan, after destroying Xi Liang, if either country wants to unify the world, they will eventually have to face each other. Since ancient times, weak countries have always formed alliances to resist strong ones! Rather than expending their forces fighting our already near-extinct Xi Liang, they should first destroy the other country that’s stronger than Xi Liang! Only when they both think this way can our Xi Liang survive in the cracks!”
“How does the old general plan proceed?” Li Tianjiao asked.
“This old minister wants to meet with the Great Yan Ninth Prince right now.” Old General Cui Shanzhong said.
“I’ll follow the old general’s arrangements entirely!” Li Tianjiao replied.
After watching Old General Cui Shanzhong leave, Li Tianjiao suddenly spoke: “Send word to our Xi Liang agents hidden everywhere – if we lose this battle, after my death… spare no effort to rescue Li Tianfu!”
As soon as Li Tianjiao finished speaking, the lamp shadows above her head flickered, as if… her words had just been her soliloquy.
If Old General Cui Shanzhong’s calculations couldn’t succeed, if Great Zhou and Yan would eventually storm the city…
Although Li Tianjiao knew which palace hall contained the secret escape passage, she didn’t know its exact location.
However, even if she knew, Li Tianjiao had the pride of being Xi Liang’s emperor. She could never watch Xi Liang’s destruction while living ignominiously.
If Xi Liang fell, she would die for her country. Let Li Tianfu live!
This would be… leaving some bloodline for their Xi Liang Li family. She hoped Li Tianfu could become an ordinary person and live out her life peacefully and smoothly, no longer pining for that dead eunuch. This was the last thing she, as an elder sister, could do for her.
·
Just as Xiao Rongyan was preparing for tonight’s coordinated action with Bai Qingyu, the scout he had sent to watch Yun Jing returned with news that Cui Shanzhong had come out of the city and was heading toward their Yan army.
Xiao Rongyan immediately gave orders for all soldiers to stop their preparations. He left his tent, leaped onto his horse, and rode toward Yun Jing.
Xiao Rongyan and Old General Cui Shanzhong met halfway. Old General Cui Shanzhong smiled and said, “The Yan army’s intelligence is very well-informed!”
Mounted on his horse, Xiao Rongyan pulled the reins and moved forward, cupping his hands toward Old General Cui Shanzhong with a smile: “Is Old General Cui heading to our Yan army camp?”
“Exactly. This old man heard about Great Zhou stationing troops at Yan’s border and specially came to see the Ninth Prince of Yan, wanting to discuss Xi Liang’s submission with the Ninth Prince.” Old General Cui Shanzhong smiled. “This old man brought wine. If the Ninth Prince doesn’t mind, how about… dismounting to share a cup with this old man?”
“I’m honored by Old General Cui’s regard. Murong Yan is naturally at your service!” Xiao Rongyan leaped down from his horse.
Old General Cui’s attendants brought cushions and a small table, and the two sat facing each other.
“Does the Ninth Prince know what the Great Zhou Emperor, who has just given birth, is planning by rushing to Yun Jing while also stationing troops at Yan’s border?” Old General Cui picked up the wine warming on the brazier and poured a cup each for Xiao Rongyan and himself.
The wildly dancing torches in the wind cast Xiao Rongyan’s features in alternating light and shadow. He smiled without revealing his thoughts: “I’d like to hear the details.”
Old General Cui placed the wine pot back on the brazier and spoke slowly: “Both Yan and Great Zhou are countries with great ambitions, both wanting to unify the world! Although the Great Zhou Emperor is a woman, she can be called a hero of our time, surpassing us men by countless times! Naturally, she can be more ruthless than we men, otherwise she wouldn’t have abandoned her pair of premature children to rush to Xi Liang!”
Xiao Rongyan remained silent, his deep, dark eyes only watching Old General Cui.
Old General Cui picked up the wine cup before him, took a sip, and smiled: “Great Zhou was stabbed in the back by the Yan Empress Dowager, and at this moment of extreme fury… even able to abandon her children to come to Xi Liang for revenge, this Great Zhou Emperor didn’t directly attack Yan, but stationed troops at Yan’s border instead. Why? Isn’t it to… make Your Ninth Prince feel that she still remembers the grace of your aid to Jiangzi City, so that… the Ninth Prince and Yan’s General Xie Xun won’t immediately lead troops back to defend Yan!”
Xiao Rongyan chuckled softly, picked up the wine cup before him, and took a sip, continuing to listen to Old General Cui speak. He had to admit… this Old General Cui was very eloquent, and what he said… was almost convincing him.