“If General Bai doesn’t mind, this Crown Prince certainly does!” The Crown Prince’s face darkened, his eyes filled with anger as he looked at the beautiful and radiant Li Tianfu, not buying into the beauty’s account at all.
Li Tianfu was startled, her beautiful eyes widening as she stared at Jin’s Crown Prince, never expecting this Crown Prince to stand up for Bai Qingyan!
She bit her lower lip, tears spinning in her eyes, looking at Bai Qingyan defiantly: “Could it be that Jin’s Crown Prince is also this God of Slaughter’s…”
“Princess!” Li Zhijie hurriedly interrupted to prevent Li Tianfu from saying the words “subject under her skirt.” “The Princess just drank wine in the carriage—perhaps she’s drunk?!”
With Jin’s Crown Prince stepping forward, the nature of the situation was completely different. If he continued to indulge Li Tianfu’s words, the peace negotiations between the two countries might go awry.
The Empress had just ascended the throne not long ago, and Western Liang’s court was still unstable. If war resumed because of Li Tianfu’s loose tongue, those in Western Liang with ulterior motives might seize the opportunity to cause trouble.
“Western Liang gathered Nanyan to ally, claiming a million-strong army to invade our Jin Kingdom. After losing, you come to accuse us of killing your surrendered prisoners. Western Liang truly… has some nerve!” Bai Qingyan’s eyes held a hint of unperturbed amusement as she spoke with casual indifference. “Our Jin army numbered fifty thousand, while your Western Liang sent over a hundred thousand troops from Weng Mountain. Should we not kill Western Liang soldiers and instead wait for Western Liang soldiers to kill our Jin soldiers?! Or does Princess of Western Liang mean that… whenever Western Liang wants to destroy a Kingdom, that Kingdom should bare its neck for slaughter, otherwise it would be against heavenly principles and lacking in loyalty? Western Liang must still be dreaming… thinking itself the emperor of this world? Who gave Western Liang such audacity? Your Highness, Princess herself?”
“You!” Li Tianfu shot to her feet, so angry that her chest heaved violently. “How dare you be so rude!”
“It was Princess of Western Liang who was rude first!” Bai Qingyan’s eyes were deep and calm, peaceful as water. “A princess from a defeated Kingdom coming for a marriage alliance—if our Jin Kingdom gives you dignity… You are a princess. If we don’t give you dignity… You are nothing! Since you’ve come to submit and seek peace, show the attitude of one asking for favors. Don’t put on airs before the victor. The weak… don’t have that qualification! Such a simple principle—does the Princess need others to teach her?”
Li Tianfu burned with rage, looking left and right, wanting to draw her sword and cleave Bai Qingyan in two, but Li Zhijie grasped her wrist.
No matter how much Li Zhijie appreciated Bai Qingyan’s beauty, during peace negotiations between two countries, Bai Qingyan was trampling on Western Liang’s dignity. How could he bow his head and watch his motherland be humiliated?! Though the Princess’s dignity was hardly worth mentioning, national dignity absolutely could not be insulted!
Li Zhijie’s face alternated between pale and flushed, no longer able to smile. He looked deeply at Bai Qingyan, though his words were directed at the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, Crown Prince, though our Western Liang Princess was rude first, your Kingdom’s General Bai’s words truly insult our Western Liang too greatly. It seems General Bai enjoys slaughter and is unwilling to negotiate peace!”
The Crown Prince’s palms tightened, wanting to say a few words to ease the atmosphere, but before he could speak, he heard Bai Qingyan say: “Insult? Stating facts is insulting? Then, Prince Yan, tell me which of my words was false? Prince Yan’s reasoning is the same as your Kingdom’s Assistant General Yun Poxing’s—could it be that Western Liang’s tradition is… stating facts constitutes insulting people?”
Li Zhijie turned to look at the Crown Prince, smiling: “Crown Prince, it seems General Bai is unwilling to negotiate peace. What is the Crown Prince’s opinion?”
Bai Qingyan looked at Li Zhijie, let out a cold laugh, and pressed forward step by step without giving the Crown Prince a chance to speak, her tone steady: “Prince Yan is right—I am unwilling to negotiate peace! Because this war… was started by Western Liang! Your Western Liang has the heart of a coward and the ambition of a wolf, gathering Nanyan for courage, intending to divide our Great Jin for your pleasure! After defeat… You still put on a superior attitude to seek peace and cease hostilities! What Kingdom in the world is so shameless, and where is there such a cheap bargain?!”
“At that time, the Western Liang-Nanyan alliance was strong… and our Jin was weak! Your Western Liang seized our Jin cities and slaughtered our Jin people! Seizing one city and massacring it… leaving no living thing! Dare I ask, at that time, why didn’t Western Liang feel it was insulting our Great Jin too greatly?! Why didn’t you speak of seeking peace and ceasing hostilities then?!” Bai Qingyan’s sharp gaze swept over the pale-faced Western Liang peace delegation. “Because you Western Liang people knew clearly that in chaotic times, when heroes compete, the strong are supreme! How is it that now, when our Great Jin defeats your Western Liang army with fewer troops, routing you completely… You Western Liang people pretend not to know such principles? You have the nerve to talk about dignity with our Great Jin here, discussing humiliation?!”
Though Liu Rushi looked down on Bai Qingyan’s act of burning surrendered prisoners, as Jin’s peace envoy, he naturally had to protect Jin’s dignity. He also sneered and echoed Bai Qingyan: “Western Liang pretends confusion while understanding clearly, simply wanting to maintain some dignity by stubborn insistence! But Western Liang seems to forget… this thing called dignity, when others graciously give it to you… If you don’t accept it and insist on pushing your luck, then when it falls and hurts, you deserve it!”
Peace negotiations between two countries were always like this—each side using eloquence to seek benefits for their nation. It wasn’t unheard of for talks to break down with torn faces.
Originally Li Zhijie had wanted to handle this peace negotiation amicably, leaving some dignity for both countries. But now Li Tianfu had lost her composure and torn apart civilities—the embarrassment was only for Western Liang, since they were the ones bowing their heads to seek peace this time.
Seeing Jin’s Crown Prince sitting in the position of honor with no intention of speaking, Li Zhijie could only steel himself: “When two countries war, killing and seizing cities is inevitable…”
“Has our Jin’s Duke Zhenguo, in all his wars with various countries, ever massacred any city of any Kingdom?” Zhang Duanrui cupped his hands and raised them high, lifting his eyebrows to ask. “Prince Yan tells us… inevitable. Don’t you find that far-fetched?”
“But your Jin’s General Bai also burned all our Western Liang surrendered prisoners! Our Assistant General was severely wounded, his son had his head taken by General Bai’s subordinates, his grandson was shot through the heart by General Bai’s arrow, which also counts as…” The Western Liang peace envoy originally wanted to say “offsetting each other,” but thinking of the matter of all the Bai family men dying, he changed his words: “…counts as receiving a lesson.”
“A lesson?!” Li Tianfu was so angry that rage shot straight to her temples, her beautiful eyes glaring deadly at her envoy. “Are you insane, or did a horse kick your skull? Are you a subject of Western Liang?! If you like speaking for Jin so much, go to Jin to receive their salary! Bai Qingyan killed over a hundred thousand of our Western Liang surrendered prisoners, burning Weng Mountain valley with fires that didn’t die for half a month. If Jin doesn’t give our Western Liang an explanation for this matter! This peace negotiation ends here! Whoever wants to marry can go—this Princess won’t!”
“Your Highness, Princess!” Li Zhijie, seeing that he could no longer control Li Tianfu, who had been spoiled since childhood, gripped her wrist forcefully. “Don’t forget the earnest instructions the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty gave you before departure!”
The Empress’s position was unstable—Western Liang temporarily couldn’t afford another war.
Seeing this situation, Liu Rushi put down his wine cup, straightened his spine completely, and said solemnly: “Excellent! If Western Liang dares to fight again, our Jin Kingdom absolutely won’t spoil the fun!”