Bai Qingyan still remembered that Xiao Rongyan had once told her that Prince Xihuai had said… he didn’t have as much ambition as his little nephew. So even though Bai Qingyan had never chatted extensively with Tuoba Yao, she knew this child’s heart must be filled with hatred toward Yan. This child surely wouldn’t guard against Prince Xihuai, his uncle.

Moreover, this Tuoba Yao, out of gratitude for Xiao Qi having once saved him, clearly held the dignity of Prince Wei, yet was willing to become Xiao Qi’s guard—this was enough to show… he was someone who valued loyalty and righteousness.

Or perhaps, it was because this Tuoba Yao had lost his family and home. Though he was a weak child, he harbored such an intense desire for revenge, even capable of enduring for the sake of this hatred. This reminded Bai Qingyan of herself before her rebirth. She wanted to help this child, but she also didn’t want to be like Prince Liang, who had used her back then, full of sweet deceptions. Even though he was still young… Bai Qingyan honestly told him what she had in mind and how she intended to use him.

“Prince Xihuai will probably still be looking for Tuoba Yao, and since Prince Xihuai already knows Tuoba Yao is with our Bai family, we’ll need to find ways to deal with that when we return!” Bai Qingjue thought of why Xiao Qi had brought Tuoba Yao to Jinwan City before.

“Once matters here in Dongyi are settled, I’ll personally go meet with Prince Xihuai when I return.” Bai Qingyan said as she leaped onto her horse. “Where has the Regent of Yan reached with his Yan army now?”

Bai Qingjue also mounted his horse and said: “I estimate they should now be about four or five li from the west gate of Dongyi’s capital. No matter what, they can’t be faster than our Bai family army.”

She nodded, glanced at her youngest sister in her riding outfit, and asked with a smile: “Did you bring armor when you came?”

Bai Jinse nodded: “I brought it!”

“Qing Zhu, help Xiao Qi change into it! Enter the city together with the main army!” Bai Qingyan said as she turned her horse toward the direction of the main force.

“Yes!” Shen Qingzhu responded.

Bai Jinse had just changed into silver armor and joined the main army with Shen Qingzhu when she was pulled over by Bai Jinzhi.

“Quickly help Fourth Sister understand—what are you doing here with that guard of yours? That Yusheng… what’s this about Yusheng wanting to fight Yan to mutual destruction?” Bai Jinzhi rode alongside Bai Jinse, lowering her voice to ask.

Bai Jinse knew her Fourth Sister couldn’t keep secrets, so she smiled and said, “Fourth Sister should know that I picked up Yusheng from Xiliang. Yusheng’s parents both died under Yan’s army swords—he has a grudge against Yan! Elder Sister intends to leave Yusheng in Dongyi as a spy. After all, Yusheng is young and won’t be suspected, and our Bai family showed him kindness, so Yusheng won’t betray us. That’s how it is.”

“Oh…” Bai Jinzhi nodded and stopped asking further questions, just following behind her eldest sister and brother as they headed toward Dongyi.

In the distance, the soldiers standing on the tower of Dongyi’s capital city saw the black sails with white python flags and the Bai family army advancing like a black tide. They immediately ran down from the tower and bowed to the Empress: “Your Majesty, the Bai family army has arrived!”

This single sentence made all the court officials, who had just experienced their new emperor being shot to death by random arrows, straighten their spines.

The Empress gathered her outer robe, not knowing why a layer of clammy sweat had formed in her palms. She asked the commander of the Imperial Guards beside her: “Where has the Regent of Yan reached with his Yan army?”

“I estimate they’re still about five li from the west gate of the capital. They probably can’t outpace the Bai family army,” the Imperial Guard commander said.

The Empress forced a calm smile: “Both Yan and Great Zhou want to be the first to bring troops into our Dongyi capital to gain the upper hand in negotiations. Let them fight over it later. When they fight among themselves… we can reap the fisherman’s gain!”

“The Empress speaks truly!” After the Imperial Guard commander finished speaking, he couldn’t help but worry. He gripped his sword hilt tightly. “But now that Yan has also come, I wonder what Great Zhou will think. Did Great Zhou bring back our Seventh Prince this time, or are they deceiving us into opening the capital gates only to destroy our Dongyi? This minister is truly full of anxious thoughts.”

“Don’t worry, Great Zhou won’t do that!” The Empress was confident that the Great Zhou’s emperor would certainly keep Dongyi from causing trouble for Yan. “Keeping our Dongyi is more beneficial to the Great Zhou than destroying Dongyi, especially during the national wager. Previously, Yan’s emperor supported the Second Prince’s rebellion and usurpation precisely to have our Dongyi cause trouble for the Great Zhou during the wager! Now the positions are reversed… Great Zhou naturally also wants us to cause trouble for Yan! Don’t think that just because the Great Zhou’s emperor is a woman, she lacks courage or the heart for revenge. Women… hold grudges even more! Otherwise, she wouldn’t have personally led troops to attack our Dongyi over a single Prince of Hancheng!”

“The Empress speaks truly!” After hearing the Empress’s analysis, the Imperial Guard commander found it very reasonable and felt relieved.

Soon, another soldier ran down from the tower and bowed to the Empress: “Your Majesty, this general observed that Great Zhou’s emperor came on horseback, with carriages following behind—perhaps our Seventh Prince is there!”

Upon hearing this, the Empress’s palms unconsciously tightened. Her expression showed anticipation and joy, but also some worry. She turned to her personal maid: “Go up to the tower and look carefully to see if you can spot the Seventh Prince’s guard Jiangkou.”

“Yes!” The Empress’s maid immediately ran up the tower and gazed into the distance, but perhaps because the sunlight was too intense, she couldn’t see anything. She had to come back down and report that the sunlight was too glaring to see clearly.

Upon hearing this, the Empress looked at her stammering maid again. The clammy sweat in her palms turned cold as she tightly gripped the handkerchief in her hand, forcing herself to remain calm, her lips pressed tightly together.

Soon, under the blazing autumn sun, the black sails with white python flags seemed gilded with golden light as they fluttered between heaven and earth, appearing before the Dongyi Empress and all the officials with such imposing momentum.

Tens of thousands of troops moved in perfect unison with rainbow-like momentum. The halberdiers followed behind the heavily armored black cavalry, advancing in formation, vast and mighty, with none daring to oppose their sharp edge.

The Dongyi court officials murmured among themselves. No wonder… with such well-trained elite troops, Dongyi had been beaten so badly, and Great Zhou’s emperor dared to say she would take Dongyi’s capital within three days and destroy Dongyi.

Previously, these Dongyi court officials had said the Great Zhou was too arrogant, but the Great Zhou indeed had the capital to be arrogant, and the capability to back it up.

Their Dongyi’s most prized naval forces had been almost completely defeated by the Great Zhou’s navy, and their infantry was simply no match for the Great Zhou’s heavy infantry. Where was there any chance of victory?

In the end, it was that treasonous usurping prince who was too reckless, bringing ruin to their Dongyi.

After all, the Great Zhou was the same Great Zhou that had once destroyed the Great Liang, and their Dongyi was merely a small vassal state of the Great Liang!

Soon, the Dongyi court officials saw Great Zhou’s Emperor Bai Qingyan in silver armor, riding at the very front.