Otherwise, with Jin currently surrounded by other nations on all sides, aspiring to rule the world would be extremely difficult, especially if Jin waited for Great Yan to destroy Wei—that would be even more perilous.

Now Great Yan’s imperial family had their eyes set on the world, while in contrast, Jin’s imperial family had an emperor obsessed with elixir arts, and a crown prince who acted entirely based on guessing the emperor’s moods, rarely having his own opinions, yet still maintaining delusions of grandeur as a great power.

In comparison, Jin’s decline in power… was only natural.

However, Bai Qingyan was from Jin, and if she should advise the Crown Prince… she could not refrain from doing so.

Seeing Chun Tao enter carrying a black lacquered gold-decorated food box, she said Second Madam Liu had sent someone to bring Bai Qingyan red date and black chicken soup, telling her to drink more to replenish her blood.

She had Chun Tao place the soup bowl on the small table before her, then said, “Send someone to call Xiao Si over, I have something to instruct.”

“Right away! I’ll go now!” Chun Tao responded and lifted the curtain to leave the main room, sending someone to summon Bai Jinzhi.

Bai Qingyan sat on the soft couch, opened the soup bowl lid, and tasted a sip. It was personally stewed by Second Aunt, with plenty of red dates…

The corners of her lips curved up slightly—this spoonful of soup warmed her to the heart.

Bai Jinzhi arrived quickly. Just as Bai Qingyan finished the soup, she arrived: “Elder Sister, what’s wrong? Are you worried I haven’t packed properly and will delay tomorrow’s departure? Don’t worry, Elder Sister, I’ve already packed! I didn’t have much in the capital anyway!”

Bai Qingyan dabbed the corners of her lips with a handkerchief and said to Bai Jinzhi: “I’m afraid I must trouble you to make a trip to the Crown Prince’s mansion.”

Bai Jinzhi sat up straight: “What’s the matter?”

“Go tell the Crown Prince that this time we cannot allow Great Liang to seize even an inch of Great Yan’s territory to threaten Jin. Once war truly breaks out, we cannot be like last time, stopping the war promptly after winning. This time… if Great Liang refuses to return the cities previously agreed to be ceded to Jin and insists on waging war against Great Yan, then we must beat Great Liang so thoroughly that it can never rise again, never again having the ability to provoke Jin! From then on, it can only turtle up in self-preservation!”

Even… destroying Great Liang was not impossible!

Bai Qingyan’s voice was solemn, her eyes dark and determined, not sounding like a joke in the slightest.

Bai Qingyan didn’t voice the words about destroying the Kingdom because she knew… the Crown Prince lacked such resolve.

But even if they couldn’t destroy the Kingdom temporarily, they must weaken its military and national strength, so that when Jin wanted to destroy Liang in the future… it could be done with ease.

Now, with Great Yan against Wei, if Great Yan destroyed Wei while Jin destroyed Liang simultaneously, leaving only Nanrong, Beirong, and Xiliang—these three countries couldn’t amount to much and wouldn’t create a situation where whoever destroyed another first would be attacked by all others.

With A’Yu in Nanrong, there was naturally no need to worry. Beirong and Xiliang were weak, and if they truly allied against the strong, they would be more wary of Great Yan, which had first destroyed Nanyan, then Great Wei, and whose hidden strength had suddenly emerged, rather than Jin, which had always been a strong nation.

Bai Qingyan’s heart surged with excitement. Once the thought of destroying Liang arose, it was like a tide turning heaven and earth upside down, impossible to contain.

“If… Great Liang hands over the ceded cities, and Jin has no reason for war, then waits… wait until Great Liang fights Yan to the point where Yan comes seeking aid. Because Yan is no longer the weak Kingdom of yesteryear—otherwise it wouldn’t dare send troops to assist the Rong! Jin can wait until Great Yan seeks aid, then extract maximum benefits, righteously… using assistance to Yan as an excuse to deploy troops against Great Liang, fighting until Great Liang has no power to contend with Jin again. If the Crown Prince has grand ambitions, he can wait until the world’s war situation becomes chaotic, then destroy Liang.”

If Great Yan came to Jin seeking aid, then it absolutely couldn’t single-handedly destroy Wei. That would mean both Wei and Liang’s fates weren’t yet sealed, and they should wait… wait for the right opportunity to destroy their countries.

“Have you remembered all this?” Bai Qingyan asked Bai Jinzhi, who was silently reciting and memorizing.

Bai Jinzhi nodded: “Don’t worry, Elder Sister, Xiao Si has remembered it all! I’ll go to the Crown Prince’s mansion right away!”

At this moment, the Crown Prince’s mansion was brightly lit. When Bai Jinzhi spoke these words to the Crown Prince in his study, Old Fang, Qin Shangzhi, and Ren Shijie were all present.

Old Fang nodded, rarely agreeing with Bai Qingyan: “Your Highness, Princess Zhenguo is correct. If this time Liang gives us Jin the territory they previously promised to cede, then the treaty takes effect… but our Kingdom also has a treaty with Yan. Only if Yan requests Jin’s assistance, and Jin sends envoys to mediate, if Great Liang still insists on attacking Great Yan, then… it won’t be too late for Jin to send troops.”

Qin Shangzhi pondered Bai Qingyan’s words repeatedly. Suddenly hearing Old Fang’s words, he raised his eyebrows. He felt Old Fang had misunderstood Princess Zhenguo’s meaning. What Princess Zhenguo meant… was to fight until Great Liang had no power to gather troops and invade borders. Old Fang was interpreting it quite wrongly.

Ren Shijie still sat there drinking tea, not expressing any opinion.

Qin Shangzhi cupped his hands toward the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, what Princess Zhenguo meant… is hoping Your Highness, regardless of what excuse you use to deploy troops against Great Liang, this battle must beat Great Liang until it has no power to fight back, laying the foundation for future unification of the world! Great Liang’s geographical position is extremely advantageous—backed by the great sea, south of Jin and the Rong barbarians! If our Jin can obtain Great Liang’s territory, we won’t worry about fighting on multiple fronts in the future. So Great Liang… is territory that our Jin must fight for before beginning the great enterprise of unifying the world!”

Currently, the powers of various nations are intertwined, and there’s still no opportunity to destroy other countries. Our Jin can only use this chance to weaken Great Liang, preparing for the future!” After Qin Shangzhi finished speaking, he looked toward Bai Jinzhi.

Bai Jinzhi thought briefly about Jin’s geographical position and couldn’t help but nod: “Master Qin’s words are reasonable!”

“This old minister dares not agree with Princess Gaoyi and Master Qin’s words.” Old Fang glanced at Qin Shangzhi, cupped his hands, and addressed the Crown Prince directly: “Currently, His Majesty is gravely ill and has entrusted all governmental affairs to Your Highness because he values Your Highness’s steady nature! If at this time… Your Highness wages war with Great Liang, not to mention how much military funds it would consume, wouldn’t His Majesty be displeased? With continuous warfare… can the national treasury bear it? His Majesty wholeheartedly wants to build the Nine-Tiered Platform, but the Ministry of Revenue can’t even produce the silver. Can the Ministry of Revenue produce money for war?”

“I’ve never seen the Ministry of Revenue have money!” Bai Jinzhi couldn’t help but interject: “Every year, the Ministry of Revenue has no money. When the Bai Family Army requested military provisions, the Ministry of Revenue also said they had no money. Cousin Crown Prince should thoroughly investigate—money is such a good thing… where exactly did it go?”

Bai Jinzhi was most annoyed by the Minister of Revenue, crying poverty every year, claiming poverty for both major and minor matters. Did all the taxes paid by the common people… vanish into thin air?!

The Crown Prince was already accustomed to the Minister of Revenue crying poverty.

However, the Crown Prince felt Old Fang had a point… Father wholeheartedly wanted to build the Nine-Tiered Platform. A few days ago, when he entered the palace, Father had intentionally or unintentionally mentioned it. If money was needed for war at this time and there was no money to build Father’s Nine-Tiered Platform, would Father be angry with him?

“Your Highness, the Nine-Tiered Platform can be built anytime, but this opportunity… if missed, it won’t come again. For long-term planning, this battle with Great Liang… must be fought!”