“Moreover, this minister believes the Empress Dowager should also have confidence in His Majesty!” Zhong Xingxiao’s voice became gentler, and even his way of addressing Murong Li changed, “A’Li has never been a child without proper judgment since childhood—precocious and wise, bold yet careful. These are all things we know! Furthermore, ever since Great Zhou began implementing new policies, the Great Zhou’s policy strategies have been delivered to A’Li every day. I heard from the eunuchs serving at A’Li’s side that A’Li carefully reviews every single volume.”

Empress Dowager Yan nodded, “I know this, too.”

Initially, the Empress Dowager had seen that Murong Li was working too hard and had tried to persuade him, saying that Great Zhou was merely picking up others’ discarded ideas, and that Murong Li needn’t study Great Zhou’s national policies so earnestly—as long as Yan did its own work well, that would be enough. But Murong Li would always agree verbally, then turn around and still meticulously study the Great Zhou’s national policies.

“So, A’Li must have studied Great Zhou’s national policies and determined that they certainly cannot compare to our Yan’s, which is why he dares to send envoys to Zhou, wanting to make such a wager with the Great Zhou emperor to save our Yan.” Zhong Xingxiao’s features took on a smile, “It’s just that A’Li is young, and is suppressed by the Regent in court. Plus, to protect the Empress Dowager, his mother, some things cannot be spoken plainly. When anxious, he becomes even less articulate.”

Empress Dowager Yan’s palm tightened, her heart filled with infinite emotion. Although ever since she and her son had their falling out last time, A’Li had never spoken to her again, A’Li was ultimately the child she had carried for ten months and nearly died giving birth to. A’Li still had her, his mother, in his heart.

A’Li had devised such a method also to protect her.

Empress Dowager Yan swallowed back her tears and turned to look at her brother, saying, “I understand. I’ll go see A’Yan later and persuade him to accept A’Li’s… policy of determining victory through the two countries’ national policies and merging into one nation. Perhaps… this time A’Li will be able to gain Great Zhou’s vast and fertile lands for our Yan without fighting, recapturing the capital city for our Yan without bloodshed! This… could also be considered something that would leave his name in history for eternity!”

“Even if there’s a possibility of gaining Great Zhou without fighting, still… our Yan must prepare for both possibilities!” Zhong Xingxiao spoke slowly, “This minister does not influence the Ninth Prince. If the Ninth Prince agrees to His Majesty’s method, please be sure to persuade the Ninth Prince to prepare militarily early, for His Majesty’s sake and Yan’s sake.”

Empress Dowager Yan looked at Zhong Xingxiao’s sincere and loyal expression, feeling moved in her heart, and said in a low voice, “Brother has been wronged! Both A’Yan and A’Li are young and always distrust their brother, but I know… brother truly has Great Yan’s best interests at heart!”

When Zhong Xingxiao heard his sister’s words, he assumed she still naively believed in the Ninth Prince Murong Yan because of the late emperor Murong Yu, thinking he was still the same Murong Yan from before Murong Yu. Not wanting to argue too much with his sister lest it cause her displeasure, he made a full show of humility, immediately stepping back three paces and bowing deeply to Empress Dowager Yan, pretending his voice was choked with emotion…

“Being able to serve Yan loyally is this minister’s duty! As long as the Empress Dowager trusts this minister… this minister would die without regret!”

“Brother, please rise quickly!” Empress Dowager Yan hurriedly helped her brother up, “I know of brother’s loyalty and helplessness, and I know of A’Li and A’Yan’s wariness toward brother. In the future, I will certainly persuade A’Yan and A’Li more, letting them know that my brother is a good person!”

Zhong Xingxiao waved his hands repeatedly, “Loyalty shouldn’t always be spoken of to others like this. This minister only hopes that if someday this minister is slandered and framed, one person’s death doesn’t matter—please, Empress Dowager, lend your aid and save our entire Zhong family.”

“Empress Dowager, there’s one more matter…” Without waiting for the Empress Dowager to say anything more, Zhong Xingxiao quickly straightened up and said to her, “The matter of persuading the Ninth Prince to agree to His Majesty’s strategy should be done sooner rather than later. Otherwise… those court officials following the Ninth Prince, if they develop other thoughts and do things behind the Ninth Prince’s back to incite officials to support the Ninth Prince’s ascension, it might harm the relationship between His Majesty and the Ninth Prince!”

Zhong Xingxiao understood his Empress Dowager sister best. Deep down, the Empress Dowager was willing to protect Murong Yan, so even if he wanted to sow discord, he couldn’t openly speak ill of Murong Yan. After all, Murong Yan was the late emperor’s younger brother, and the Empress Dowager’s feelings for the late emperor were deep, so she would naturally love Murong Yan by extension.

Therefore, Zhong Xingxiao’s consistent strategy was to never speak ill of the Ninth Prince before the Empress Dowager. This way… the Empress Dowager would feel he wasn’t trying to drive a wedge between the Ninth Prince and her, and would listen to him in everything.

“Brother always thinks of A’Li and A’Yan like this, yet these two children… are constantly wary of brother.” Empress Dowager Yan looked at her brother with eyes full of heartache, “Brother, rest assured. I’ll personally go see A’Yan tomorrow and persuade him to agree to A’Li’s strategy against Zhou.”

Zhong Xingxiao smiled and nodded, “Then this minister can rest easy!”

·

As soon as Xiao Rongyan returned to the Regent’s mansion, he sent people everywhere to spread the word that… today Murong Li had already sent envoys to Zhou, planning to propose to Great Zhou that the two countries wager on whose national governance could make the people prosperous and strong, merging into one country—whichever country won, the losing country would be incorporated into the winning one. This had enraged the Regent greatly.

Furthermore, Yan Emperor Murong Li had even declared that he was merely notifying the Regent and court officials that he had already sent envoys to Zhou to discuss this matter in detail with the Great Zhou emperor. Even if the Regent and court officials disagreed, it was too late—unless they deposed him as emperor and proclaimed to the world… that he, Murong Li, the Yan Emperor, no longer kept his word.

This had so angered the Regent that he stormed off.

The reason Xiao Rongyan had people spread the news that Murong Yan had declared he would depose the emperor if he disagreed was simply to pressure the “Empress Dowager’s faction” and the Empress Dowager, making her unable to sit still and come find him to persuade him.

Only this way could the Empress Dowager dispel her suspicions about Xiao Rongyan and not suspect that he would interfere to deliver Yan’s territory into his two children’s hands.

Naturally, Xiao Rongyan still needed to persist in disagreeing for some time. The more he refused to relent, the less his sister-in-law would suspect him.

Indeed, as Xiao Rongyan had predicted, when the Empress Dowager heard that Murong Yan had declared that if he disagreed, they should depose him as emperor and install a new one, she couldn’t sit still.

Additionally, Zhong Xingxiao had sent people to gather several important officials from the “Regent’s faction” together behind the Regent’s back, presumably to discuss supporting the Regent’s ascension. The Empress Dowager finally couldn’t contain herself, traveling light and simple out of the palace, and under cover of night, quietly entered the Regent’s mansion.

Messages continuously reached Bai Jintong’s hands. After organizing all the intelligence and learning that Murong Li wanted to determine the two countries’ fates through their national policies, though shocked in her heart, she also felt this was Yan’s final gamble—a last chance to seek life from certain death.