But she also understood that this method was thought up by Murong Li, because her son wanted to protect her as his mother and was unwilling to hand her over to Great Zhou, so he could only think of such a method to protect Yan and protect her.
But whether it was her elder brother or Xiao Rongyan, neither had agreed to this method, which greatly reduced the Empress Dowager’s suspicions about Xiao Rongyan.
She understood… after Bai Qingyan gave birth prematurely, despite her condition and the two children, she insisted on rushing to Xiliang, then deployed troops at Yan’s borders, and had her personal eunuch question Xiao Rongyan… these several matters combined had also made A’Yan feel disappointed in Bai Qingyan.
She finally believed that even though A’Yan had married Bai Qingyan and become her husband, in his heart he still put Great Yan first. Otherwise, when Murong Li just proposed such a method for merging the two countries, A’Yan should have immediately agreed and then secretly helped Bai Qingyan defeat Yan, so that the entire world could fall into his children’s hands.
The Yan Empress Dowager’s eyes filled with tears—both moved by Murong Li’s willingness to gamble with the entire country to protect her, and feeling guilty toward Xiao Rongyan. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She maintained her dignity as Empress Dowager and strode into the great hall, each word resounding: “The matter of betraying Great Zhou was done by me! If Great Zhou insists that our Yan give them an explanation, then hand me over, this Yan Empress Dowager! Even if I die… I absolutely cannot watch Your Majesty gamble with the entire country’s future!”
Seeing the Empress Dowager enter, the Yan ministers all bowed to her.
Even Xiao Rongyan stood up from his chair and bowed deeply to the Yan Empress Dowager.
Murong Li saw his mother step through the palace doors, and seeing all the ministers, including his Ninth Uncle, bow to his mother, finally lowered his eyes, clasped his hands, and bowed, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
The Yan Empress Dowager looked at Murong Li and Xiao Rongyan on the high platform, took a deep breath, and said: “I trouble all the ministers to wait outside the hall first. I will persuade His Majesty!”
With the Empress Dowager’s words, the ministers all rose and withdrew from the great hall.
Just as Zhong Xingxiao was about to leave, the Yan Empress Dowager spoke: “You stay…”
“Yes!” Zhong Xingxiao quickly bowed and responded.
Soon, only Xiao Rongyan, Murong Li, the Yan Empress Dowager, Murong Ping, and Zhong Xingxiao remained in the great hall.
The Yan court ministers standing in the square outside the great hall discussed among themselves—the Empress Dowager had colluded with Xiliang and betrayed the Great Zhou. Since the Great Zhou allied with Yan, they had taken very good care of Yan. If this got out… wouldn’t Yan earn a reputation for being unrighteous and ungrateful?
Inside the great hall, as soon as the ministers left, the Empress Dowager could no longer hold back her tears, which fell pitter-patter.
“A’Li, you’ve gone mad to think of such a method!” The Yan Empress Dowager lifted her dress hem and walked toward the high platform: “You even dare to contradict your Ninth Uncle and your maternal uncle. A’Li… you’ve grown wings!”
“The Empress Dowager should still advise His Majesty!” Xiao Rongyan spoke unhurriedly: “How our Yan has reached this point today, others may not know, but the Empress Dowager knows. For this country… what elder brother sacrificed, what this prince sacrificed—”
Xiao Rongyan’s words suddenly paused, then continued: “What our Yan’s people have sacrificed, the Empress Dowager should understand better than His Majesty!”
How could the Yan Empress Dowager not understand what her husband had sacrificed for this country, and what Xiao Rongyan had sacrificed for Yan was even more… almost daily risking his life for Yan’s affairs, and then there were Yan’s people…
The Yan Empress Dowager looked at Xiao Rongyan and nodded with tears: “A’Yan, you’ve been wronged. Sister-in-law knows that for this country, you’ve worked hard! A’Li saying such things has hurt your heart! Sister-in-law will scold A’Li! A’Yan, don’t take it to heart!”
“If Ninth Uncle doesn’t approve of my method, then what brilliant insight does Ninth Uncle have?” Murong Li boldly turned around, looking furious as he shouted: “If Ninth Uncle can use a better method than A’Li, this Yan Emperor, to resolve Yan’s current predicament, then A’Li… is willing to abdicate to Ninth Uncle and never be this emperor again!”
“A’Li!” The Yan Empress Dowager raised her hand high, widening her eyes as she looked at Murong Li, but her palm hesitated and didn’t strike down.
She remembered that day when she argued with A’Li, she had lost her mind and slapped A’Li. She still regretted it, so she could only clench her raised hand into a fist, flick her sleeve, and turn away, not daring to look at Murong Li, saying sternly but weakly: “Apologize to your Ninth Uncle! The matter of Great Zhou deploying troops at Yan’s borders… seeking an explanation from our Yan, at worst, your mother will personally go to Great Zhou to plead guilty to Great Zhou’s Emperor!”
Hearing this, Zhong Xingxiao’s heart thumped.
“Mother…” Murong Ping called out uneasily.
“The trouble was caused by me, so I alone will bear it. My life, death, honor, and disgrace compared to our Yan is not worth mentioning!” Having said this, the Yan Empress Dowager was already prepared to die in Great Zhou, but no matter what, she could not let A’Li use that method to fight for Yan’s chance of survival.
If in the future Yan were lost because of this wager, what face would she have to meet her deceased husband?
After all… the cause was because of her, and A’Li’s method was to protect her as his mother!
“That would truly be throwing our Yan’s face away for all to know! Letting everyone under heaven know… that our Yan is a shameless villain who repays kindness with enmity!” Murong Li’s words were sharp.
“Empress Dowager!” Before the Empress Dowager could get angry, Zhong Xingxiao quickly stepped forward and kowtowed: “Sending the Empress Dowager to Great Zhou to plead guilty would be more shameful than losing territory! This would be equivalent to admitting to the world that you, Empress Dowager, stabbed our allied country, Great Zhou, in the back, and also make people think His Majesty is unfilial, actually pushing out his mother to appease Great Zhou’s anger. How would this make people view our Yan imperial family? The Yan imperial family would lose all prestige in the people’s hearts!”
“Then what better method do you have?!” The Yan Empress Dowager’s hysterical voice carried a crying tone: “What better method is there! My death doesn’t matter, but we cannot lose Yan!”
More importantly, the Yan Empress Dowager didn’t believe Bai Qingyan would dare to kill her!
“The National Uncle speaks correctly…” Xiao Rongyan slowly spoke, rarely agreeing with Zhong Xingxiao: “If we push the Empress Dowager out, then people throughout the world will not only say our Yan are ungrateful, but will also speculate about His Majesty and the imperial family, which would be even more disadvantageous to Yan!”
“If I go to Great Zhou, I’ll become a hot potato in Bai Qingyan’s hands!” The Yan Empress Dowager’s chest heaved violently, her mind already calculating, speaking her thoughts as they came: “If she kills me, it will certainly arouse the anger of all Yan. At that time, when Bai Qingyan attacks Great Yan again, all of Yan will surely rise in resistance!”