Destroying Yan was her inevitable course of action!

Moreover, when Xiao Rongyan lifted her in front of everyone, Bai Qingyan understood… Xiao Rongyan had abandoned Yan country.

From now on, Xiao Rongyan was her husband, no longer a Yan country Regent.

Then she, too, had no more concerns.

Xiao Rongyan… had entered Yan pretending to be the Yan Regent for Great Zhou’s sake!

“Master!” A hidden guard sent back by Wei Su stepped forward and handed Bai Qingyan the letter that Bai Jintong had asked to be delivered to Bai Qingyan. “This is what Lord Wei Su asked to be sent back to Master!”

Bai Qingyan reached out to receive it. She didn’t know if it was because she had exerted too much force today, but her fingers were sore and trembling. Seeing Bai Jintong’s blood letter, she finally understood why Prince Xiping had suddenly acted.

So it turned out… it wasn’t only because seeing Great Zhou’s current strength meant they would surely win the gambling agreement, but also because the news that Murong Yan was Great Zhou’s Imperial Husband had come from Yan country’s Empress Dowager… Xiao Rongyan’s trusted sister-in-law. Knowing that Xiao Rongyan had married her and they had two children, these feudal princes felt that their Regent would surely hand over Great Zhou to her and their children.

Bai Qingyan put away Bai Jinzhi’s blood letter and said to that hidden guard: “Quickly return and tell Wei Su to protect Third Miss well. If there is chaos in Yan’s capital… all hidden guards and Dong family death warriors, no matter what, must rescue Third Miss and Yan country’s Emperor!”

Xiao Rongyan looked down at Bai Qingyan, knowing that Bai Qingyan had decided to unify Yan country by force.

Xiao Rongyan was not unaware of Yan country’s problems – the feudal princes were the biggest problem…

At present, it seemed that aside from military unification, there was no better way to completely resolve the major problem of Yan country’s feudal princes.

“Yes!” That hidden guard accepted the order, leaped onto his horse, and was the first to leave.

All the soldiers from the mountain had come down, and reinforcements stepped forward to help the wounded rejoin the ranks.

“Return to Shequ!” Bai Qingyan said.

Hearing this, Bai Jinzhi stepped forward and looked up at Bai Qingyan on horseback: “Elder sister… I want to go see Lu Yuanpeng first. Lu Yuanpeng took several arrows to protect me. When I left, I still didn’t know how Lu Yuanpeng was doing. After I confirm that Lu Yuanpeng is safe and sound, I’ll go to Shequ City to find my elder sister! Moreover, I was afraid we didn’t have enough manpower earlier… so I also sent people to the other four cities to mobilize troops. They should arrive soon, and then I’ll bring the armies from the four cities together to Shequ.”

Bai Qingyan, seeing Bai Jinzhi’s worried expression, nodded: “Good… take more people with you and be careful.”

After Liu Pinggao bowed to Bai Jinzhi, he leaped onto his horse and shouted: “Depart for Shequ!”

On the way back, Xiao Rongyan didn’t ride fast, afraid of jostling Bai Qingyan.

“Rest for a while!” Xiao Rongyan said softly to Bai Qingyan.

“A’Yan… I’m going to do wrong to you.” She said softly to Xiao Rongyan with her eyes closed.

“There’s no right or wrong about it. Unifying the realm is our lifelong wish. Whether Great Yan unifies Great Zhou or Great Zhou unifies Great Yan, ultimately, it must be unified. Now it seems… Yan’s country has more problems!” Xiao Rongyan’s hand holding the reins slowly tightened as he encircled Bai Qingyan in his embrace. “Military conquest of Yan country… can conveniently solve these troubles and give the people truly peaceful mountains and rivers.”

Now, these Yan country royal relatives and feudal princes had reached the point of killing the Regent and the Great Zhou Emperor. The next step would be to depose the Emperor and then overthrow the Yan country’s new policies to restore the old system!

If the elder brother and A’Li knew, they would probably also support A’Bao’s military conquest of Yan country to complete the great undertaking of unifying the realm.

·

As soon as Bai Qingyan arrived at Shequ’s government office, Physician Hong hurriedly came carrying his medicine chest.

Just as Physician Hong stepped through the main gate of the courtyard where Bai Qingyan was staying, he heard Bai Qingyan giving orders. He didn’t rush in but instead took Wei Zhong’s pulse. Learning from Wei Zhong that the bleeding from Bai Qingyan’s wounds had temporarily stopped, after bandaging Wei Zhong’s wounds in a side room, he stood with Yinshuang under the covered walkway, quietly waiting.

Hearing the generals inside filled with righteous indignation about destroying Yan country, Physician Hong looked up at the pitch-black sky where not even a trace of starlight could be seen, his fists clenching. After listening for so long, Physician Hong finally understood – Great Zhou… was going to destroy Yan!

Physician Hong’s heart surged with excitement. He hadn’t expected that in his lifetime, he might actually witness true unification of the realm.

Previously, Physician Hong had thought that even if the gambling agreement resulted in unification, there would still be many troubles afterward, such as… those feudal princes of Yan country, such as those old aristocratic families of Yan country.

Only through military conquest, breaking their foundation once and for all, making these Yan country feudal princes and aristocratic families lose their reliance, would they become obedient and compliant.

Unifying the realm, bringing peace to the seas and rivers, giving the people peaceful mountains and rivers without worry or fear – this was what old Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting had strived for his entire life, but failed to achieve.

And this matter… was it going to be completed in their eldest miss’s hands?

Yinshuang, carrying the medicine chest, simply set it down and sat on the steps under the covered walkway, taking out cloud cakes hidden in her clothes to eat.

The bright candlelight from inside the room shone through the carved wooden screens, enveloping the gluttonous Yinshuang within it. The warm yellow light seemed to kindle a fire in one’s heart.

Physician Hong stroked his beard, thinking that when he went underground to meet Duke Zhenguo someday, he would have to tell him properly that he had participated in the war to destroy Xiliang and also in the war to destroy Yan, witnessing the unification of the realm with his own eyes.

“Send this letter back to Duke Zhenguo, Duke Huguo, and Duke Fuguo. Since Yan country doesn’t know what’s good for them and insists on raising troops to contend, don’t blame our Great Zhou for using strong forces to seize the country and complete unification ahead of schedule!” Bai Qingyan pushed the letter forward. The letter contained Bai Qingyan’s troop mobilization order. “Tell the princes that with heavy troops pressing at the borders, we must strive for swift victory and divide our forces to advance… this battle must destroy Yan!”

“Yes!” That young general stepped forward to take Bai Qingyan’s letter, withdrew from the main room, and rode swiftly to deliver the letter back to Great Zhou.

“All generals, go back and prepare. When Duke Zhongguo arrives tomorrow morning… We’ll immediately deploy troops and catch the Xiping army off guard!” Bai Qingyan ordered.

“Yes!”

The generals came out of the main room one after another. Seeing Physician Hong, they quickly bowed to him before leaving.

Before Physician Hong could enter, Bai Qingyan called Wei Zhong in again and handed him a letter: “Send someone to deliver this to Dongyi, to Dongyi’s young Emperor!”

In the letter, Bai Qingyan told Tuoba Yao that if the entire court could be under his control, then… when Great Zhou attacked Yan country and Yan country fought Great Zhou with full force, Dongyi country could advance south into Yan country, and Xiao Ruohai and Shen Qingzhu remaining in Dongyi could assist Dongyi country.

If Tuoba Yao couldn’t fully control the court, making a big show along the coast would also count as cheering for the Great Zhou.

After Bai Qingyan had made all arrangements, Physician Hong finally entered with Yinshuang…

Seeing that Bai Qingyan’s clothes, which she hadn’t had time to change, were covered in blood, Physician Hong’s pupils contracted.