Hearing this, Lady Li wiped away her tears and nodded repeatedly: “Hold your head high when marrying a daughter, bow your head when taking a wife—I understand all this. My lord, rest assured, I know what’s proper. If I can’t decide something, I’ll discuss it with my natal family and my mother.”
Just as they were speaking, Sima Yan saw a group of exiled prisoners being escorted out of the city. The leading escort soldier showed his documents to the gate guards, then mounted his horse and rode leisurely toward the city outskirts.
“Then I have nothing more to instruct!” Sima Yan said to his wife, then bowed deeply. “The household is entrusted to you, madam. You’ll have to work hard.”
Lady Li nodded: “Husband, take care on your journey!”
·
When Yan Kingdom’s envoy, Regent Xiao Rongyan, arrived at the capital, Bai Qingyan received Xiao Rongyan and his party during morning court.
Regent Xiao Rongyan proposed in court the strategy of determining victory through national policies and merging the two countries, immediately causing an uproar in the Great Zhou’s court.
Great Zhou’s court officials, both civil and military, were all emotionally agitated, clamoring to hand over the Yan Empress Dowager, otherwise Great Zhou’s court would definitely fight to the death. After all… if they fought now, Great Zhou had the advantage, and completely destroying Yan Kingdom within two years wasn’t impossible.
Bai Qingyan sat on the high platform, looking at Xiao Rongyan standing in the center of the great hall as Yan Kingdom’s envoy, a faint smile playing around her eyes and brows.
Even though they were husband and wife, they now each represented their respective countries. In great matters, personal feelings didn’t matter. Bai Qingyan didn’t speak to stop Great Zhou’s officials from glaring at the Yan envoys.
Zhong Xingxiao stood trembling to Xiao Rongyan’s left, keeping his head very low, afraid that Great Zhou’s officials would discover he was the Yan Empress Dowager’s brother and tear him apart alive.
Zhong Xingxiao was even more afraid that Bai Qingyan would learn his identity. He feared that while Bai Qingyan wouldn’t dare do anything to him openly, she might seek revenge in secret. After all, they were now on the Great Zhou’s territory, and if the Great Zhou Emperor wanted to deal with him, it would be effortless.
“Yan Ninth Prince…” Minister of Rites Liu Rushi stepped forward and bowed to the masked, tall figure of the Yan Ninth Prince. “Our Great Zhou wanted Yan Kingdom… to give our Great Zhou an explanation for betraying Great Zhou when the two countries joined forces to destroy Western Liang. The Ninth Prince asked for a month and a half, and we Great Zhou, gave the Ninth Prince a month and a half. But not only has the Ninth Prince failed to give our Great Zhou an explanation, he’s instead proposing this strategy of determining victory through national policies and merging the two countries. This benefits Yan Kingdom, but is of no benefit to our Great Zhou! Yan Kingdom’s calculations are being made too loudly!”
After Liu Rushi finished speaking, the Great Zhou court’s civil and military officials became even more agitated, clamoring for the Yan Kingdom to explain. Some hot-tempered military officials were already calling the Yan Kingdom shameless.
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes with a faint smile. Actually, not only Liu Rushi and Great Zhou’s officials—if this strategy of determining victory through national policies and merging the two countries hadn’t been first proposed by her, and they hadn’t agreed to it before deciding to destroy Western Liang, Bai Qingyan would also suspect that this policy competition was Yan Kingdom’s delaying tactic.
Fortunately, the entire affair was controlled and arranged by Bai Qingyan. Whether it was her, Xiao Rongyan, or Murong Li, they were all preparing for this matter.
On Yan Kingdom’s side, Murong Li and Xiao Rongyan had already made proper arrangements. Next, it depended on how she and Grand Commandant Lu, Minister of Works Shen, and Uncle Minister of Education Dong responded in Great Zhou’s court.
“Not only has Yan Kingdom failed to give our Great Zhou an explanation, they even want to take advantage of our Great Zhou! Are they still not awake?” A Great Zhou military official had anger written all over his face, shouting loudly in the great hall.
“Truly shameless! With military strength inferior to our Great Zhou, they want to compete with our Great Zhou using national governance…” After one military official finished speaking, his gaze fell on Yue Shi, pointing at Yue Shi behind Xiao Rongyan. “You… you treacherous dog! You were our Great Zhou’s Imperial Consort’s guard. After the Imperial Consort’s death, you should have properly protected Her Majesty and the little prince and princess, yet you ran off to be a lackey for the Yan people who destroyed your Wei Kingdom! Aren’t you afraid the Imperial Consort’s spirit in heaven will be heartbroken knowing this?”
Yue Shi: “…”
Originally, Yue Shi didn’t want to enter the hall today, but Uncle Feng insisted he follow, and he couldn’t very well tell that general… he had never changed masters.
Yue Shi could only use their pre-arranged explanation, bowing deeply to that general: “General, please calm your anger. The Yan Ninth Prince once showed kindness to our master. After the master’s death, Yue Shi must repay this debt of gratitude on the master’s behalf. Please forgive me, General.”
“I cannot forgive!” That military official pointed at the upright figure of Xiao Rongyan. “This Yan Kingdom nearly killed Prince Zhenguo and Marquis Yinghui—they are Her Majesty’s blood brother and sister!”
Yue Shi looked helpless and raised his head to look at Bai Qingyan sitting steadily on the high platform.
“Your Majesty!” Minister of War Zhang Duanning stepped forward, cupping his hands toward Bai Qingyan. “This subject believes that Yan Kingdom’s method is merely buying time for themselves. Even if they lose in the policy competition, they absolutely won’t hand over the Yan Kingdom. Right now, it’s only because Yan Kingdom’s main forces are trapped in Western Liang and cannot return, and as long as our Great Zhou advances westward, the remaining old, weak, sick, and disabled in Yan Kingdom would be no match for our Great Zhou.”
“Minister Zhang…” Xiao Rongyan nodded slightly to Zhang Duanning, then spoke deliberately: “How does Minister Zhang know that our Yan Kingdom only has the old, weak, sick, and disabled left? Has Minister Zhang ever been to see our Yan Kingdom?”
“There’s no need to trouble our Minister Zhang to personally make a trip to Yan territory. The Yan Kingdom has had many natural disasters in recent years, with insufficient food to begin with. Who knows how many people have starved to death, and who knows how many Yan people have fled to our Great Zhou! Although South Yan was later recovered, it’s only been a few years—can Yan Kingdom have recovered?” Liu Rushi’s tone was calm. “One can imagine… the domestic situation is probably difficult, and military strength is naturally limited.”
“Yan people have always been hot-blooded and strong-boned. If it truly reaches a moment of life and death, the Great Yan’s main forces trapped in Western Liang would return to the Yan capital to rescue the emperor, no matter what, not to mention… the domestic people would all rather die than become slaves of a conquered nation!” Xiao Rongyan turned to look at Bai Qingyan on the high platform. “This point, I believe, the Great Zhou Emperor understands clearly, after all… it was once the Bai Family Army that took our Yan Kingdom’s cities and territory inch by inch, including this capital city!”
Bai Qingyan gazed at those deep, profound eyes behind Xiao Rongyan’s mask, her elbow resting on the armrest, listening quietly.
“The Great Zhou Emperor must also know how difficult it is to take our Yan Kingdom’s cities. The people, regardless of men, women, old, or young, unite with one heart to resist together. Even for the brave and ever-victorious Bai Family Army, taking a single city resulted in heavy losses.” Xiao Rongyan stood with his hands behind his back, slowly pacing in the great hall as if telling a story. “Not to mention… the cities taken were already destroyed beyond recognition, and most of the people in the cities would die in battle.”