The corners of Wei Zhong’s lips curved into a slight smile, as if deliberately trying to sow discord between the Yan Empress Dowager and Yan Ninth Prince: “Presumably, Ninth Prince has already received news that in the Yan capital, the Yan Empress Dowager… has been frequently meeting with people from Xiliang.”

“Eunuch Wei’s words, those who don’t know might think you’re deliberately trying to sow discord between my Ninth Uncle and Mother Empress Dowager,” Murong Ping couldn’t help but speak, though his attitude toward Wei Zhong was still relatively mild.

Xie Xun glanced at the masked Xiao Rongyan and slowly spoke: “Great Zhou’s Emperor… and Great Zhou’s soldiers are all people who value righteousness; otherwise, the Bai Family Army wouldn’t have fought desperately to open city gates for our Yan army. The Great Zhou’s Emperor also deployed troops at Yan Nation’s border but didn’t directly attack Yan Nation, sending Eunuch Wei to seek an explanation rather than dispatching an envoy. This likely shows he doesn’t want the two nations to become too antagonistic. The Great Zhou’s Emperor simply wants to seek justice for the Great Zhou’s army and the Bai family’s Fifth Young Master.”

“General Xie’s words sound comfortable to this old servant’s ears…” Wei Zhong said with a beaming smile.

“Previously, General Chu voluntarily stepped forward to admit betraying the Great Zhou’s army. Ninth Prince was furious and had already executed General Chu! As for what Eunuch Wei mentioned… that our Yan Nation’s Empress Dowager betrayed Great Zhou to Xiliang, demanding that Old General Cui Shanzhong send captured Great Zhou Female Emperor’s brothers and sisters to Yan Nation.” Xie Xun nodded, then looked toward Xiao Rongyan. Seeing Xiao Rongyan tapping the table intermittently with his fingers without any intention to stop him, he continued: “This Xie doesn’t dare call it groundless talk, but still hopes Great Zhou can give our Ninth Prince time to let our Ninth Prince investigate and verify.”

“Naturally…” Xie Xun’s brows carried a smile, imitating Wei Zhong’s manner with a light smile: “If Eunuch Wei can trust our Yan Nation, could you hand over Old General Cui Shanzhong’s trusted subordinates to our Yan Nation? After our Yan Nation interrogates them in detail, Ninth Prince will certainly give Great Zhou a satisfactory explanation!”

“Does General Xie’s meaning represent the Ninth Prince’s meaning?” Wei Zhong asked with a smiling expression.

Xiao Rongyan nodded: “General Xie’s meaning is this Prince’s meaning. I trouble Eunuch Wei to convey to the Great Zhou’s Emperor that this Prince will certainly give the Great Zhou an explanation. If Great Zhou’s Emperor is not at ease… the Zhou army deployed to Yan Nation’s border can temporarily remain without withdrawing.”

“Ninth Prince!” Great Yan generals stood up, looking toward Xiao Rongyan, their voices agitated: “Ninth Prince, their Great Zhou…”

Before the general could finish speaking, Xiao Rongyan raised his hand to stop his words, then continued speaking to Wei Zhong: “As for Yunjing, although this time it was said to be taken by both nations together, but… without the Bai family’s Fifth Young Master and Bai Family Army disregarding Yan Nation’s betrayal of Great Zhou and opening city gates for Yan Nation, Yan Nation’s entry into the city would not have been so smooth. We would likely have lost many more soldiers and would not have entered Yunjing’s imperial palace first. This favor… our Yan Nation acknowledges it. Yunjing should belong to the Great Zhou.”

“Ninth Prince, you mustn’t! Yunjing was won with our brothers’ lives! How can you just abandon it at will!” Yan Nation generals were emotionally agitated: “Just handing over Yunjing to Great Zhou like this… how can we face the deceased Yan army soldiers! How can we face His Majesty and the Empress Dowager far away in the Yan capital?”

“Ninth Uncle is speaking – where do you get off interrupting!” Murong Ping gripped his sword hilt tightly, standing firmly at Xiao Rongyan’s side: “Before coming, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty entrusted all matters regarding destroying Xiliang entirely to Ninth Uncle. Ninth Uncle’s words… are the Empress Dowager’s words, are His Majesty’s words! How… do you still have dissatisfaction?”

Seeing this, Wei Zhong smiled and said: “This old servant will certainly convey the Ninth Prince’s words. Please give our Great Zhou a definite answer – set a date… when can you give our Great Zhou an explanation?”

“You’re pushing an inch!” A Yan Nation general who had been sitting to the side, silent for a long time, finally couldn’t help but speak, his eyes full of killing intent, looking toward Wei Zhong.

Wei Zhong seemed completely unaware, standing calmly and composed in the center of the main hall, allowing them to glare at him with fury.

“Xiliang’s various matters are settled, and this Prince must also set out to return to the Yan capital. Naturally… I must hand over the witness Eunuch Wei brought to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, verify this matter, and then give Great Zhou an explanation. The time limit… including the time for fast horses to return to the Yan capital and travel to Great Zhou’s capital city, how about one and a half months?”

Wei Zhong pretended to carefully calculate the time, with a very satisfied expression, smiling as he spoke: “What Ninth Prince says is very reasonable. Then… counting from today, this old servant will return to report to our Emperor. I’ll take my leave first.”

After speaking, Wei Zhong bowed and withdrew from the main hall.

As soon as Wei Zhong left, the main hall erupted like a pot boiling over.

“Ninth Prince, our Yan Nation is no longer the former Yan Nation that depended on the Jin Nation. Why must we still be so subservient to the Great Zhou?”

“Exactly! Even if their Great Zhou opened city gates for us, without their Great Zhou opening gates, couldn’t our Yan army still storm into Yunjing?”

“That’s right. If we’re going by who entered Yunjing first, our Ninth Prince risked his life entering Yunjing’s imperial palace to rescue people – our Ninth Prince was also the first to storm into Yunjing’s imperial palace. The Great Zhou intends to use General Chu’s betrayal of the Great Zhou to justifiably seize Yunjing from our Yan Nation’s hands. Why didn’t Ninth Prince even try to argue, just handing over Yunjing! This subordinate refuses to accept it!”

“You refuse to accept it?” Xiao Rongyan’s voice carried bone-chilling coldness: “Good… if I had you fight the Bai Family Army and the Great Zhou army right now, could you win?”

That general stiffened his neck and said: “If we can’t win, we’ll fight to the death. That’s better than so pathetically handing over Yunjing!”

“You…” Xie Xun was about to step forward, but was stopped by Xiao Rongyan’s raised hand.

“Good, you have backbone! Daring to fight hard against Great Zhou…” Xiao Rongyan rested his elbow on the chair’s armrest, speaking methodically: “If the Yan army here faces off against the Great Zhou army and the Bai Family Army, the Great Zhou army stationed at Yan Nation’s border would immediately march toward the Yan capital. I ask you… With our Yan Nation’s main force entirely here, how should the Yan capital respond?”

“Have General Xie lead troops back for reinforcement! I don’t believe… that every one of their Great Zhou soldiers is as fierce as the Bai Family Army!” Though the Yan Nation general lacked confidence in his heart, his mouth was quite hard.

“Do you think… Xie Xun could still lead troops back for reinforcement?” Xiao Rongyan’s cold, stern gaze behind his mask looked toward that general who was breathing heavily and filled with indignant fury: “When Great Zhou initially attacked Great Liang, because of the plague, Great Liang had almost no power to resist. Many Great Liang cities surrendered, and afterward, Great Zhou absorbed these generals and military forces, becoming increasingly powerful! Does our Yan Nation… have so many troops?”

That Yan Nation general’s throat rolled, and he directly removed his helmet and smashed it on the ground: “Even if we don’t have that many troops, it doesn’t mean we’re truly weaker than the Great Zhou army or the Bai Family Army! Admitting cowardice without even fighting – what kind of heroes are we!”