The Regent of Yan and the Empress Dowager of Dongyi sat facing each other in positions below the two emperors.

As the host, Tuoba Yao raised the wine cup before him and respectfully toasted Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan: “Dongyi is indeed facing difficulties now, and our hospitality is lacking. Please forgive us, Your Majesty of Great Zhou, and please forgive us, Regent!”

Bai Qingyan’s brows carried a gentle smile: “This is understandable. Your Majesty of Dongyi is too courteous. His Majesty is injured and still young, so there’s no need for him to drink wine.”

With that, Bai Qingyan drank the cup of wine.

Xiao Rongyan raised his cup in acknowledgment, then said: “This prince finds it inconvenient to drink wine. I hope… the new emperor of Dongyi will understand.”

After Tuoba Yao nodded, he continued: “Your Majesty of Great Zhou and the Regent of Yan have both seen Dongyi’s dire straits. Today, I dare to boldly make an unreasonable request here to Your Majesty of Great Zhou and the Regent of Yan. The compensation that Dongyi has agreed to pay – could it possibly… be paid within three years? Paying such a large sum all at once would be too heavy a burden for Dongyi.”

This was something Tuoba Yao had discussed with Dongyi’s court ministers. Originally, the court ministers didn’t want their new emperor to humble himself and beg others, but Tuoba Yao said… compared to Dongyi, what was his dignity? If the capital was lost, what use was dignity?

Tuoba Yao spoke these words from his heart. If Great Wei was gone, what dignity would he have left as emperor?

Previously, Dongyi had said that having a child ascend the throne as emperor, especially when inheriting such a mess in Dongyi, would probably have to rely on the Empress Dowager of Dongyi. But unexpectedly, this child emperor made them look at him with new eyes. Indeed, legitimate birth was legitimate birth… different was different.

Now in Dongyi’s court, the officials were either Great Zhou’s ministers or had already been won over by Tuoba Yao.

Tuoba Yao was clear in his heart that this Empress Dowager of Dongyi had reluctantly acknowledged him as her fake son, and she must be feeling uncomfortable about it. If he were the Empress of Dongyi, although she might have reservations, she could still place him under house arrest to ensure he wouldn’t harm himself, then create a fake replacement, put on his mask, and control Dongyi’s court.

Therefore, Tuoba Yao had to grip the entire Dongyi court in his palm, making this court inseparable from him, preventing this Empress Dowager of Dongyi from daring to switch people midway.

Although the Emperor of Great Zhou had given him this opportunity and provided him with useful personnel, he still had to prove himself worthy.

Bai Qingyan understood that Tuoba Yao was about to begin gradually winning over the hearts of Dongyi’s court ministers step by step. She felt very gratified and, after thinking it over, said: “How about this… first pay sixty percent, and the remaining forty percent within two years. What do you think?”

“Yan is not as wealthy as the Great Zhou, but it’s not impossible to make concessions. However, regarding the matter of stationing troops, yesterday, this prince gave Dongyi’s court time to deliberate. I wonder how Dongyi’s deliberations went?” Xiao Rongyan gently swirled the wine in his cup but didn’t remove his mask, appearing to look down on Dongyi’s wine.

Bai Jinzhi glanced at her eldest brother-in-law, then looked at her seventh brother, signaling him to look at their brother-in-law. This domineering posture was executed flawlessly without revealing any flaws – he was such a good actor! Even better at acting than their family’s seventh sister, Bai Jinse. She really should have brought the seventh sister along to see how formidable the eldest brother-in-law was.

Bai Jinzhi didn’t know why she thought of Prince Liang of the Jin Dynasty. Looking at her eldest brother-in-law’s current appearance, he seemed even better at acting than Prince Liang. Just looking at this commanding attitude of the Regent of Yan, who could connect him with her brother-in-law, who was ethereally graceful and gentle with everyone?

If Bai Jinzhi didn’t know Xiao Rongyan’s identity, even if someone came to tell her that the Regent of Yan was Xiao Rongyan, she probably wouldn’t believe it and would beat that person up, thinking they were mocking her stupidity and deliberately fooling her.

“The matter of stationing troops…” The young emperor of Dongyi set down the cup in his hand and faced his enemy, the Regent of Yan, with a respectful attitude, speaking slowly: “Yan wants to station troops, and Dongyi indeed has no room to resist, but… isn’t the number of troops Yan wants to station a bit excessive? Moreover, having Dongyi provide all military supplies is truly difficult.”

“Yesterday, this prince believes we made it very clear to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager that stationing troops is Yan’s bottom line and non-negotiable…” Xiao Rongyan heavily set his wine cup on the table, leaned lazily against the armrest, and looked toward the Empress Dowager of Dongyi: “The emperor is young. What does the Empress Dowager say?”

“The harem… must not interfere in politics. Why must the Regent make things difficult for my mother?” Although Tuoba Yao was using the principle of the harem not interfering in politics to protect his mother, in reality, he was saying this for Dongyi’s court ministers to hear. In the future, Tuoba Yao had no intention of letting this Empress Dowager of Dongyi use his youth as an excuse to create a regent empress dowager to control him and tie his hands.

“Since that’s the case, then Yan has nothing more to say.” Xiao Rongyan cupped his hands toward Bai Qingyan.

“The Regent of Yan brought no more than three thousand armored soldiers. I think… stationing troops is acceptable. Could three thousand armored soldiers attack Dongyi’s capital?” Bai Qingyan spoke with a gentle smile. “After all, there are Great Zhou’s stationed troops watching, and Dongyi is Great Zhou’s vassal state. If one day Yan truly attacks Dongyi’s capital without cause, could Great Zhou’s army just stand by and watch?”

“Three thousand?” The Empress Dowager of Dongyi glanced at the Regent of Yan, then smiled at Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty of Great Zhou must have misheard. Yan wants to station eight thousand troops.”

But Bai Qingyan smiled and said: “When I say three thousand… it is three thousand. General Cheng led people to investigate this number, and there will be no mistake.”

Then Bai Qingyan looked at Xiao Rongyan: “What does the Regent say?”

Xiao Rongyan’s eyes narrowed. Bai Qingyan never spoke uselessly, and thinking about how, from entering the city until now, the five thousand troops nestled in the mountain hollow by the Jade River had never sent another report, he immediately understood… his five thousand troops must have been discovered by Bai Qingyan and were already under her control.

But when did this happen? Originally, these five thousand troops were his trump card to intimidate Dongyi. He had specifically hidden the army there – when had Bai Qingyan discovered them?

Although shocked, Xiao Rongyan couldn’t help but smile beneath his mask, feeling a sense of pride in his heart. He hadn’t expected A’Bao to be so formidable.

“It seems Your Majesty has trapped our Yan’s five thousand troops…” Xiao Rongyan’s voice revealed no emotion.

Bai Qingyan raised her wine cup and toasted Xiao Rongyan: “The mountain hollow by the Jade River is indeed an excellent place for encampment. The Regent chose the location well. How about… Yan’s garrison will be established there!”

Bai Qingyan smiled as she pointed out the location of Yan’s garrison, making the Yan generals seated at the banquet restless, all looking toward their regent.