He lowered his voice and said: “The Princess has misunderstood me. I harbor no improper thoughts toward Fourth Miss Bai. I am far too old for Fourth Miss, and my health is frail. I was merely thinking about my family…”

“If the Bai family daughters do not marry, then they do not marry. If they marry, they must certainly marry someone who pleases their heart to accompany them for life. If anyone intends to use my fourth sister’s lifelong happiness, Bai Qingyan will not hesitate to fight to mutual destruction…”

Bai Qingyan’s voice was kept very low, but these words to the Yan Emperor could be considered threatening.

For Bai Qingyan, she inwardly feared Xiao Rongyan. When it concerned herself… she could retreat or yield, but when it concerned her sister, she, Bai Qingyan, would not retreat even half a step.

Xiao Rongyan’s ears twitched slightly. He calmly lowered his eyes to drink tea without showing any reaction.

“Bai Qingyan likes to speak harsh words upfront. If the Yan Emperor feels offended, please forgive me!” Bai Qingyan nodded slightly toward Murong Yu, but her attitude was extremely arrogant. “Bai Qingyan advised Great Yan to take Southern Yan without bloodshed because Great Yan taking Southern Yan benefits the people of Southern Yan, and… Great Yan taking Southern Yan has no direct conflict of interest for me. But if Great Yan pushes its luck and still wants to control my fourth sister’s marriage, Bai Qingyan doesn’t mind finding some trouble for Great Yan.”

Looking at Bai Qingyan across from him with her sharpness fully revealed, the gentle smile on Murong Yu’s face gradually faded.

Although the Yan state was weak, Murong Yu was ultimately the emperor of a nation. How could he not take seriously matters involving Yan’s safety and security?

Bai Qingyan had a weakness, and her weakness was her family members. As the eldest sister… protecting her sisters’ peace and happiness had long become one of her life’s bone-deep beliefs.

If the Yan Emperor dared to set his sights on her sister, even if it meant standing in opposition to Xiao Rongyan and fighting him, she would not be afraid.

Family affection could sometimes be a person’s weakness, but sometimes it could also be a person’s armor… making one fearless of life and death.

“Princess, these words you speak… are rather arrogant,” Murong Yu smiled coldly.

Bai Qingyan curved her lips in a smile, forcibly suppressing the anger in her heart, and sneered: “Xiao Rongyan… Murong Yan. Does the Yan Emperor truly think Great Yan’s chess moves are superior, that the Ninth Prince’s actions are so secretive that no one notices?”

Murong Yu’s palm tightened, with killing intent hidden in the depths of his eyes.

“Bai Qingyan has no intention of interfering with your nation’s deployments, nor any intention of causing trouble for your nation! But please, Yan Emperor… don’t let your hands reach too far. If the Yan Emperor and Ninth Prince truly wish to have a contest with Bai Qingyan, Bai Qingyan will certainly not disappoint and will surely accompany you!”

Murong Yu understood clearly—Bai Qingyan’s meaning was… if he dared to seek marriage with Fourth Miss Bai from the Jin Emperor on his brother’s behalf, the eldest daughter of the Bai family would take action against the Yan state.

If it were some other young lady speaking such words, Murong Yu might not care, but… the target was the legitimate eldest daughter of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, the Bai family. Although all the men of the Bai family were already gone, the woman before him… had demonstrated her capabilities and depth through the Southern Border war, through Xiao Rongyan’s identity, through this game where she could overturn clouds and rain with a flip of her hand.

Great Yan was currently weak. The reason for sending a hostage prince to Jin was entirely to gain breathing room to gradually build strength. Murong Yu was unwilling to create unnecessary complications.

Murong Yu had always been able to endure. He looked at Bai Qingyan’s stunningly beautiful and elegant features, and asked in a low voice: “Why doesn’t Princess Zhenguo ask Fourth Miss Bai’s opinion? Perhaps… Fourth Miss Bai herself would be willing?”

“Why doesn’t the Yan Emperor ask your brother whether Great Yan, now impoverished with its people in poverty, can wage war against me?”

Bai Qingyan spoke with killing intent, placed the white stone in her hand, rose, and curtsied to Murong Yu, then looked toward Xiao Rongyan: “Master Xiao, please have the painted boat dock.”

Bai Jinzhi, who had been chatting and laughing, was startled. She could see that her eldest sister was angry. She glanced toward the Yan Emperor’s direction: “Elder sister…”

Xiao Rongyan stood up and smiled: “Is the Princess feeling stuffy? Why not go sit on the upper level? It’s more open there…”

Murong Yu saw that the chess game had changed dramatically again. Forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, he also smiled and stood up, maintaining his composure as he bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan: “If I have offended the Princess with my words, please forgive me.”

Dong Changyuan was shocked and stood up. He hadn’t expected the Yan Emperor to bow so deeply in apology to Bai Qingyan, without any imperial airs whatsoever.

Bai Qingyan had already torn off the pretense with the Yan Emperor. She wasn’t afraid of making the tear even uglier, letting the Yan Emperor know her determination to absolutely not allow him to interfere with Bai Jinzhi’s marriage…

As they say, the barefoot aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes. The Yan Emperor had an entire nation behind him, and based on this alone, the Yan Emperor wouldn’t dare gamble with Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan looked at Xiao Rongyan with a smile: “Or is it that Master Xiao’s boat… once boarded, cannot be disembarked?”

The old eunuch Feng Yao, who had been accompanying Murong Li, raised his eyes to look at Bai Qingyan, who showed no face to the Yan Emperor. His palm tightened, his gaze toward Bai Qingyan unfriendly, then his eyes fell on Yan Emperor Murong Yu, as if waiting for Murong Yu’s command.

“Or is it…” Bai Qingyan’s gaze directly met Feng Yao’s, then fell on Murong Yu, “that the Yan Emperor truly dare to order someone to kill Princess Zhenguo and County Princess Gaoyi in Jin’s capital?”

Xiao Rongyan could feel the towering rage in Bai Qingyan’s heart.

He hadn’t expected that his elder brother’s first meeting with Bai Qingyan would be so unpleasant.

Murong Yu’s hands, clasped behind his back, tightened. It seemed… if he truly sought marriage with Fourth Miss Bai for Xiao Rongyan, this eldest daughter of the Bai family would truly fight to the death.

“Yan, Yan Emperor?” Dong Qingyu widened her eyes, looking toward Murong Yu.

Dong Tingzhen looked uneasily toward Bai Qingyan. She had never seen her cousin lose composure like this: “Cousin?”

“Cousin.” Dong Changsheng hurriedly stood up to try to smooth things over, “Cousin, don’t be angry. Master Xiao, please dock the painted boat.”

Bai Jinzhi reacted and immediately ran to Bai Qingyan’s side, looking at Murong Yu with full wariness, her hand already gripping the small dagger at her waist.

Seeing Bai Jinzhi’s protective stance toward Bai Qingyan, Murong Yu didn’t want to make things difficult for Xiao Rongyan, so he spoke: “Master Xiao, please dock! Where I have offended the Princess with my words today, I hope the Princess will forgive me.”

Xiao Rongyan stepped forward and bowed deeply: “May I request Princess Zhenguo to step aside for a private word…”

Bai Qingyan gave him no face: “It’s improper according to etiquette, and there’s nothing that cannot be said in front of others. If Master Xiao has something to say, you might as well speak plainly!”

“Brother, our painted boat has followed!” Dong Tingzhen tugged at Dong Changsheng’s sleeve.

“Elder sister?” Bai Jinzhi seemed to be inquiring about Bai Qingyan’s intentions.

She maintained a stern expression, her demeanor unchanged: “Since Master Xiao refuses to dock, then we’ll wait for the Dong family’s painted boat to arrive, and we’ll take our leave…”

“Please, Princess, for the sake of Yan having once helped rescue the Fourth Madam of the Bai mansion, step aside for a word.” Xiao Rongyan positioned himself very humbly.

Xiao Rongyan had done more than just save Fourth Aunt—Bai Qingjue was also rescued by Xiao Rongyan.

Seeing that Bai Qingyan didn’t refuse, Xiao Rongyan made a gesture of invitation to her.

Having already vented her anger, the Yan Emperor should understand her attitude and know that the Bai family was not truly without anyone and was not a chess piece they could manipulate at will.