The Western Huai Prince privately believed that as long as Xiao Rongyan was willing to work for his mother Kingdom and appeal to Princess Zhenguo’s emotions, this matter would succeed.

Hearing repeated calls for Master Xiao outside the door, the Western Huai Prince couldn’t contain himself and stood up to open the carved partition on the second floor, looking down toward the courtyard gate. Seeing Xiao Rongyan lifting the hem of his long robe as he entered from outside the courtyard, he hurriedly called out, “Rongyan!”

Though the back section of this inn was reserved for distinguished guests who could afford the silver, Xiao Rongyan still had Yue Shi rent out the entire inn, driving away all idle people to prevent assassins targeting the Western Huai Prince from infiltrating.

Outside the inn were three layers of Xiao Rongyan’s guards, while inside were three more layers of death-sworn warriors escorting the Western Huai Prince—the defenses were extremely tight.

Even so, the guards at the Western Huai Prince’s door were still deeply worried, protecting the prince who was about to rush out: “Your Highness… please be more cautious! Last time it was also at an inn, and if not for Master Xiao…”

Hearing these words, the Western Huai Prince stood irritably at the doorway, watching Xiao Rongyan climb the stairs with eager eyes: “Hurry up!”

Seeing Xiao Rongyan with his smiling, gentle jade-like countenance walking to the guest room door, just as he was about to bow formally, the prince grabbed Xiao Rongyan’s wrist: “Where do all these formalities come from between you and me?”

Pulling him into the guest room, the Western Huai Prince immediately asked impatiently, “When did you and Princess Zhenguo get engaged? Such a major matter, and you never told this prince!”

The Western Huai Prince sat down at the round huanghuali wood table, looking at Xiao Rongyan across from him with joy in his expression: “If this prince had known earlier that you and Jin’s Princess Zhenguo were an engaged couple, why would I have gone so far to seek that masked prince from the barbarians? I could have asked my sister-in-law to have the Jin Crown Prince pressure Yan and save the Kingdom!”

The Western Huai Prince spoke with a flushed face, as if he had already found an excellent strategy to save his Kingdom. His eyes gleamed as he looked at the composed Xiao Rongyan sitting by the round table, waiting for Xiao Rongyan to nod.

Xiao Rongyan still maintained that smiling, gentle appearance toward the Western Huai Prince. He picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for the Western Huai Prince, pushing it in front of him before speaking: “Does Your Highness truly believe that Princess Zhenguo, someone who could easily burn and kill a hundred thousand surrendered prisoners, would show consideration for personal feelings?”

The Western Huai Prince was stunned by Xiao Rongyan’s words: “But aren’t you…”

Xiao Rongyan also poured himself a cup of tea, placed the teapot back down, and sat properly to address the Western Huai Prince: “I am from Wei. Does Your Highness truly believe… that I haven’t pleaded with Princess Zhenguo? But this time, Jin intends to destroy Liang while Great Yan attacks Wei!”

The Western Huai Prince looked at Xiao Rongyan with a bewildered expression: “Rongyan, you know I’m only good at eating, drinking, and playing. Say something I can understand!”

Xiao Rongyan dipped his finger in the tea from his cup and drew a map of the various states on the huanghuali wood round table, pointing to Jin in the center: “Your Highness, look… Jin’s position is surrounded by other countries on all sides. If Jin wants to unify the realm, they must either destroy Liang, or destroy the barbarians, or destroy Yan—only then can they avoid being caught in the困难 situation of fighting on multiple fronts.”

“Then Jin could attack Yan, too!” The Western Huai Prince looked up at Xiao Rongyan.

Xiao Rongyan shook his head: “Jin initially attacked Liang because Liang refused to hand over the territories and cities they had promised during the previous peace negotiations. Jin attacking Liang… this is called having legitimate cause! Later… Jin presented medical prescriptions to treat the epidemic to Liang, but Emperor Liang was eager for revenge for his son and refused to surrender, insisting on fighting to the death! Therefore, Jin’s destruction of Liang has even more legitimate cause! Even the other states cannot find fault with Jin’s actions. But whether Jin destroys Yan or the barbarians, both would be without legitimate cause. If handled poorly, they could become a target for all, so Jin won’t abandon this optimal opportunity to destroy Liang for the sake of Wei.”

The Western Huai Prince’s mind was in complete chaos, yet he felt Xiao Rongyan’s words made sense. He stood up and paced anxiously around the room: “Then what can be done? Can we only seek that masked prince from the barbarians? I don’t know if the Empress Dowager can hold on until then. Otherwise, shall we give gifts to Jin… mobilize the entire nation’s resources to send generous gifts?!”

Just as the Western Huai Prince finished speaking, he heard Yue Shi speaking quietly outside the door: “Master, the young miss has come. She’s almost at the courtyard, and she’s brought soldiers!”

The already anxious Western Huai Prince, hearing the word “soldiers,” looked at Xiao Rongyan with a terrified expression. Seeing Xiao Rongyan stand up unhurriedly, he quickly asked, “Who? Who brought soldiers?”

“Princess Zhenguo…” Xiao Rongyan explained.

Before Xiao Rongyan could rise to welcome her, the Western Huai Prince stepped forward first to open the carved partition, ignoring the guards’ attempts to stop him as he wanted to go downstairs to greet her. But just as he reached the stairway, he saw a woman with her long hair bound atop her head, dressed in silver armor with a heroic bearing, her hand gripping the sword at her waist as she stepped through the courtyard gate. The Western Huai Prince’s hand gripping the carved red wood rail suddenly tightened, his heart stirred, and his spirit was shaken.

The setting sun slanted across, its orange-red light illuminating Bai Qingyan in her full armor…

What met his eyes was a woman of jade-like skin and bones, extremely pure and stunning beauty. If not for the woman’s profound gaze and the stern, imposing aura of killing authority about her, the Western Huai Prince truly couldn’t connect this fairy-like woman before his eyes with Jin’s god of killing.

The Western Huai Prince had never seen Bai Qingyan before, only heard that she was extraordinarily beautiful. Once at a Jin banquet, she had been mistaken by Great Liang’s Fourth Prince Wei Qiheng for Jin’s foremost beauty Liu Ruofu. At that time, having Liu Ruofu’s portrait, the Western Huai Prince had wondered what kind of beauty this Bai Qingyan could be to surpass the lotus-like beauty of Liu Ruofu.

Seeing her today, she was truly breathtakingly beautiful, stunningly captivating.

If not for her overall aura more solemn than his elder brother’s… the bearing of one in high position, and the restrained yet arrogant presence about her, the Western Huai Prince would have truly harbored disrespectful thoughts.

Xiao Rongyan stepped out of the inn room, seeing Bai Qingyan looking up at him, his brow slightly furrowing. He had clearly instructed her to rest well—why had she still come? She didn’t care about her health.

But on second thought, Xiao Rongyan understood—perhaps Bai Qingyan had come for that member of the Bai family, the masked prince.

“Princess Zhenguo, this way please!” The guards beside the Western Huai Prince, thinking their master was eager to meet Princess Zhenguo, quickly stepped forward and made a welcoming gesture to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan shifted her gaze from Xiao Rongyan to look at the man dressed in frost-white robes with golden cloud patterns at the edges, a warm jade belt at his waist, tall but overly thin and pale.

She guessed that must be the Western Huai Prince.

Following protocol, Bai Qingyan removed the sword from her waist and handed it to the Western Huai Prince’s guard, raised her hand to signal the accompanying soldiers to wait outside, then lifted her foot to walk upstairs.

The Western Huai Prince’s lips moved slightly. Having something to request and being in a weak position, he adopted an extremely humble posture and bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Greetings to Princess Zhenguo.”

Bai Qingyan looked down as she climbed the steps: “Your Highness need not be overly courteous.”