The Empress Dowager of Dongyi recalled when she met this Regent of Yan, he had said… those five thousand troops could serve as her trump card. It seemed this trump card was now gone.

The Empress Dowager of Dongyi glanced at Xiao Rongyan, then observed the reactions of the Yan generals, and her heart turned cold.

The remaining five thousand troops that the Regent of Yan had probably hidden in the mountain hollow by the Jade River had likely already been subdued by the Emperor of Great Zhou’s forces. Otherwise, the Emperor of Great Zhou wouldn’t speak of this matter so calmly.

This Emperor of Great Zhou was truly too formidable. What kind of figure was the Regent of Yan? How could the troops he had hidden be so coincidentally discovered by the Emperor of Great Zhou?

The Emperor of Great Zhou had led armies attacking from the east, Great Zhou’s navy had attacked from the south, while Dongyi attacked from the east. By logic, Dongyi’s eastern territories should have been entirely under Yan’s control. How exactly had the Great Zhou discovered them?

Her fingers moved slightly, and she suddenly looked toward Bai Qingyan, once again thinking of those legends about time reversal.

Could it be that this Emperor of Great Zhou truly possessed the power of time reversal? Because she had experienced it before, she knew – otherwise… she couldn’t believe, no matter what, that Great Zhou could so coincidentally discover the location of Yan’s five thousand troops in the eastern territories controlled by Yan forces.

The Empress Dowager of Dongyi watched Bai Qingyan raise her wine cup and drink, and the more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. Her hands gripped tightly at her ceremonial dress hem, and a feeling like a hundred claws scratching her heart quietly grew in her chest.

The sovereign of Tianfeng had said there was a pair of jade cicadas, one male and one female, and only when the two jade cicadas were together could they achieve time reversal. The Empress Dowager of Dongyi had also heard that legend – that queen of Dongyi… for Tianfeng to win, she frequently used time reversal, and as a result lost her husband and children…

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager of Dongyi suddenly became clear-headed. The price of time reversal was losing one’s beloved ones. If she had to lose her children as the price for time reversal, she would refuse.

She then thought of what she had heard before about how in the Jin Dynasty, Bai Qingyan’s grandfather, father, uncle, and younger brothers who died in battle at Nanjiang!

Her heart raced, as if she suddenly understood the key to it all, understanding why the Bai family had suddenly lost so many people. It seemed… this was all the price Bai Qingyan paid for time reversal!

This woman was actually… so ruthless with herself!

Bai Qingyan noticed from the corner of her eye that the Empress Dowager of Dongyi was staring at her. She turned to look at the Empress Dowager of Dongyi and asked with a smile: “Why is the Empress Dowager looking at me like this? Is there… something inappropriate about me?”

The Empress Dowager of Dongyi gripped tightly at her elaborately embroidered ceremonial dress hem, restraining herself to show Bai Qingyan a smile, saying: “I just feel that Your Majesty has extraordinary abilities and such beauty. I heard that the Great Zhou’s Imperial Consort has passed away. Does Your Majesty… have plans to replenish the imperial harem?”

Xiao Rongyan lifted his eyes toward the Empress Dowager of Dongyi with a half-smile: “What, does Dongyi have some noble family’s young master who wants to recommend himself for the imperial bedchamber?”

Hearing this, Bai Jinzhi had just taken a sip of wine and hadn’t had time to swallow it before looking toward Xiao Rongyan. Oh my… could it be that eldest brother-in-law was jealous?

This Empress Dowager of Dongyi was also interesting. With Dongyi in such a state, she still had the mood to care about her eldest sister’s harem.

However, although emperors typically had three palaces and six courts, the Emperor of Great Zhou was her eldest sister…

Previously, when emperors were men, the three palaces and six courts were for continuing the lineage and ensuring prosperous offspring. But their eldest sister was a woman; childbirth was like walking through the gates of hell, how heart-stopping that would be!

Her eldest sister wasn’t someone who craved beauty and pleasure, so she probably wouldn’t create three palaces and six courts. If she did establish such a thing, their family’s eldest brother-in-law would probably clean eliminate them all!

“As someone from the inner palace, the Empress Dowager naturally cares about palace matters. Could it be that you want to sit here and discuss state affairs with us? It’s just casual conversation. Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager, but I am not lustful…” Bai Qingyan’s voice was light and indifferent. Looking at Xiao Rongyan, she continued: “Regent, destroying Dongyi is probably no longer feasible now. The matter of reparations… let’s discuss it properly!”

The Empress Dowager of Dongyi’s face immediately turned deathly pale, but she didn’t dare say anything more.

“But since the Emperor of Great Zhou and Dongyi’s new emperor have both spoken, then let’s first pay seventy percent, with the remaining thirty percent paid within two years!” Xiao Rongyan raised his wine cup toward Tuoba Yao.

Dongyi’s court ministers also understood that the Great Zhou wouldn’t press too hard because they viewed them as a vassal state, but… Yan would try to extract as much benefit as possible now. After all… the reparations paid to the Great Zhou would be more than those paid to Yan. This result was already quite good.

Dongyi’s court ministers watched their young emperor bow deeply again, thanking the Emperor of Great Zhou and the Regent of Yan, feeling bitter in their hearts. Even their children, at such a young age, had never been so wronged as to apologize to others like this.

This time, Great Zhou and Yan had fought to Dongyi’s doorstep, equivalent to holding a blade to Dongyi’s throat and forcing them to sign a treaty. Dongyi could only submit and accept whatever conditions the Great Zhou and Yan proposed, so there wasn’t much to negotiate.

The treaty was settled on the second day after Dongyi’s emperor ascended the throne, and it was decided that the formal signing with both countries would take place on the day after tomorrow, October 26th.

But that evening, the young emperor invited the Emperor of Great Zhou into the palace again. Everyone outside was speculating… saying that this young emperor of Dongyi probably wanted to privately plead with the Emperor of Great Zhou once more, asking for more lenient terms for the reparation payments. Dongyi’s court ministers all felt heartbroken.

Bai Qingyan sat under the lamplight, looking at Tuoba Yao and speaking: “The Regent of Yan should have advised the Empress Dowager of Yan that she could place you under house arrest, controlling you to prevent you from harming yourself. So… you need to quickly seize control of Dongyi’s court and strike first, placing this Empress Dowager under house arrest!”

“Your Majesty, rest assured, I understand…” Tuoba Yao, seated below Bai Qingyan, cupped his hands toward her.

Bai Jinse, who was following beside Bai Qingyan, looked at Tuoba Yao, who had now donned a mask and transformed into the Emperor of Dongyi. She gently stroked the redwood box in her arms, lowering her eyes to hide the worry in them.

“You are a child with good judgment and great ambitions in your heart. I’m very reassured!” Bai Qingyan turned back to glance at her Little Seven and asked: “Is there anything else you want to say to Yu Sheng?”

Hearing these words, Tuoba Yao lowered his eyes, his hands resting on his knees, tightening. He didn’t know how to look directly at Bai Jinse. He had once sworn to stay by Bai Jinse’s side for life, protecting her for a lifetime. Now… if he remained in Dongyi, he naturally couldn’t protect her at all times. Moreover… Tuoba Yao wanted revenge against Yan, and he didn’t know if he could return alive.