However, this Li Zhijie was born handsome and dashing, romantic and suave. If Bai Qingyan took a fancy to Li Zhijie, the outcome would indeed be difficult to predict.

The Crown Prince worried inwardly but didn’t show it on his face, smiling as he raised his wine cup to appreciate the song and dance, as if already captivated by the dancers’ graceful movements.

The female attendant kneeling beside Bai Qingyan properly lowered her eyes, holding a wine pot to pour wine for Bai Qingyan: “General, this servant will pour wine for you…”

Bai Qingyan watched the dancers while Shen Qingzhu’s voice reached her ears. She said calmly, “Change it to tea instead! I don’t drink alcohol.”

“Yes!” The attendant withdrew and soon brought a cup of hot tea, placing it before Bai Qingyan’s wooden table, then bowed and quietly stood to one side.

She picked up the tea cup, lifted the lid and gently blew a breath of hot air into the cup. Shen Qingzhu wrote the character “nine” on the tea cup lid and circled it.

Xiao Jiu was imprisoned…

She felt her heart suddenly start pounding, and in an instant, she was so shocked by this news that half her body went numb!

It didn’t matter! Being imprisoned didn’t matter, as long as he was alive!

As long as he was alive, she would find a way to rescue Xiao Jiu!

Bai Qingyan calmly took a light sip of tea, forcing herself to calm down.

So… it remained to be seen whether Li Zhijie would use Xiao Jiu as a bargaining chip for peace negotiations.

If Li Zhijie used Xiao Jiu as a bargaining chip for peace negotiations and brought it up openly, then Great Jin’s peace envoys and the Crown Prince would exchange for Xiao Jiu no matter what. After all, the imperial family always liked to maintain appearances and would never be willing to let subjects see that the Great Jin’s imperial family was unwilling to exchange for… a general who fought for the Jin Kingdom and was captured by the enemy!

Moreover, Duke Zhenguo’s entire household had died in battle for the people. If Xiao Jiu were captured… he would be the only apparent heir of the Bai family.

But if Li Zhijie knew about the mutual suspicion between Jin’s ruler and subjects and wanted to make some private deal with the Crown Prince using Xiao Jiu, then Xiao Jiu’s chances of survival would be slim.

In that case, she would have no choice but to risk tearing apart relations with Western Liang and forcibly rescue him.

Bai Qingyan held her tea cup, watching the lightly dancing performers with narrowed eyes. She needed to find a way to test how Western Liang intended to use Xiao Jiu…

“Princess Pingyang has arrived…”

The eunuch’s shrill announcement came from outside the tent. The dancing performers stopped their steps in neat order and respectfully bent their waists, withdrawing to both sides of the great tent.

Li Zhijie hurriedly put down his wine cup. He instinctively glanced toward Bai Qingyan’s direction, seeing her sitting upright in her seat with perfect posture, not drinking wine but holding a teacup and drinking tea. Her every movement was dignified and graceful, her cold and imposing temperament untainted by worldly dust, clear as ice.

Bai Qingyan’s appearance was indeed incomparably beautiful, extremely pure and ethereal. Though Li Tianfu’s features couldn’t match Bai Qingyan’s, when it came to charm… Bai Qingyan truly had no way to compete with Li Tianfu.

Li Tianfu was naturally charming to the bone, possessing an inherent seductive quality that could invisibly make men’s hearts itch.

Though Li Zhijie loved beauty, he only enjoyed appreciating various beauties and was not a petty person who lusted after them. So while he doted on this cousin, it was not because of any improper thoughts.

Li Zhijie stood up with a smile, looking toward the tent entrance. Palace maids carrying copper incense burners with carved auspicious beasts lifted the curtain, and through the curling fragrant mist, Li Tianfu entered the tent with half her face covered by golden gauze. Her thick eyelashes were like fans, and her pair of watery eyes was full of seductive charm.

Almost out of feminine intuition, Li Tianfu instinctively looked toward Bai Qingyan, who sat below Jin’s Crown Prince under the crane-shaped glazed lamp.

The warm amber light outlined that woman’s heart-stirringly exquisite features. Her long hair was bound high at the crown of her head; she wore no powder or rouge, and no hair ornaments or jade accessories, yet she was more brilliant and dazzling than all the luxury in the room.

Her stunning beauty was graceful and gentle in classical style, but those distinct black and white profound eyes were like the vast starry sky, untainted by any dust, carrying cold and imposing chill, with an air of proud superiority that set her apart from others.

To come to this great tent in military armor, she must be that God of Slaughter Young Marshal Bai who caused General Yun’s crushing defeat… Bai Qingyan!

Li Tianfu had always been proud of her beauty. She had thought Bai Qingyan should be a woman with broad shoulders and a thick waist, rough and wild in appearance. Who could have imagined that this Young Marshal Bai… was a stunning beauty!

Li Tianfu felt unhappy and slowly untied the fire-red cloak from her body. Her clothing and accessories were quite in Great Jin style—a snow-azure dress with gold flowers and slanted lapels, waist bound with a red silk flower-woven long-tasseled sash, covered with light gauze the same color as her face veil. Her cloud-like, beautiful hair was arranged in a flying cloud bun, her temple hair adorned with a pearl-inlaid, cloud-patterned, exquisite azure jade ornament. Her slender wrists wore a pair of red gold rings, a pearl, and exquisite nine-turn bracelets. With each step, the jade pendants and clear bells tied at her waist rang together—truly someone whose voice was heard before her arrival.

“Princess!” Li Zhijie smiled and bowed to Li Tianfu, then introduced her to the Crown Prince: “This is Our Majesty’s younger sister, Princess Pingyang.”

“Your Highness, Crown Prince!” Li Tianfu curtsied lightly with lowered eyes, her voice like birdsong, making one’s bones tingle.

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes and smiled, nodding toward Li Tianfu standing in the center of the great tent: “Your Highness Princess need not be so formal, please take your seat…”

Bai Qingyan, sitting below the Crown Prince, raised her eyes to look at Li Tianfu. Princess Pingyang’s steps spread fragrance everywhere, and Bai Qingyan faintly caught the sweet fragrance from her body.

Li Tianfu sat down, removed her face veil to reveal her peach-like beauty, her beautiful eyes looking proudly toward Bai Qingyan with the arrogance of a daughter of heaven: “Are you the God of Slaughter that all kingdoms speak of… Bai Qingyan?”

Being called out by name, she looked toward Li Tianfu and nodded slightly in greeting: “Your Highness Princess, this humble one truly dares not…”

Before Bai Qingyan could finish, Li Tianfu let out a cold laugh, her tone barely concealing sarcasm: “At such a young age, aren’t you afraid of divine retribution, actually daring to call yourself by the word ‘god’?! How shameless!”

Bai Qingyan raised her eyes. Western Liang’s Princess Li Tianfu had taken the lead in tearing apart civilities, which allowed her to test how Western Liang planned to use Xiao Jiu, so she wasn’t angry.

Zhang Duanrui’s expression darkened as he cupped his hands: “Princess of Western Liang, you should watch your words!”

Li Tianfu had always been spoiled and willful; how could she know anything about watching her words? At this moment, seeing Bai Qingyan reminded her that she had to come for a marriage alliance because of Bai Qingyan’s great victory, making her hate Bai Qingyan even more deeply.

The Crown Prince lowered his eyes to hide the smile in them. The strategy he and Old Fang had devised originally aimed for exactly this result.

Li Tianfu’s lips curved into a soul-stirring shallow smile: “You burned and killed over a hundred thousand of our Western Liang surrendered prisoners. Was it just to establish your reputation as a God of Slaughter? The Bai family is at least a loyal and righteous house, famous throughout all kingdoms. If your grandfather knew that you burned surrendered prisoners for personal fame, causing the Bai family’s reputation to become unbearably foul overnight across all kingdoms, could his coffin lid still stay closed?!”

Bai Qingyan’s face darkened.

“Princess!” Li Zhijie’s expression changed slightly as he called out loudly to Li Tianfu, hurriedly standing to bow deeply to Bai Qingyan in apology: “General Bai, please don’t take offense. Her Highness Princess was pampered by the late Emperor since childhood and is somewhat unguarded in her speech. Please, General Bai, be magnanimous and don’t argue with the Princess.”