Bai Qingyu had long known about the Wei State spy hidden among his people. The reason he kept the man by his side to relay messages for Prince Xihuai was precisely to lure Prince Xihuai into a meeting. But who could have expected… instead of luring Prince Xihuai, he had drawn out Great Yan’s Ninth Prince.

Wang Dong, a Bai family soldier who had been following Bai Qingyu disguised as his guard, limped into the room and clasped his fists: “Master, Great Yan’s Ninth Prince has arrived.”

“Mm…” Bai Qingyu turned around, his fingers rubbing the thumb ring on his right hand.

He walked to the soft couch, lifted the hem of his long robe, and sat down casually, asking: “Have you extracted information through interrogation?”

“Reporting to Master, that man claims… he only sent messages to Prince Xihuai reporting on Master’s whereabouts and had no dealings with Yan State people! Moreover, that man says Prince Xihuai is rushing toward Xiangliang but was pursued by Wei State assassins at Yin Mountain, taking a detour. Prince Xihuai’s contact person came yesterday to instruct him… no matter what, he must find a way to make Master stay in Xiangliang for several more days. It seems Prince Xihuai should arrive within a day or two.” Wang Dong spoke in a low voice. “This subordinate believes that man doesn’t seem to be lying, and Yan State is currently Wei State’s mortal enemy…”

“Human hearts are hard to fathom. Liu Huanzhang was also from Jin, yet he still harmed the Jin State and destroyed the entire Duke Zhenguo’s entire household.” Bai Qingyu’s voice was cold and desolate as he poured himself a cup of tea. “Send people to investigate around that Prince Xihuai! Also, the interrogation methods that General Zhao of the old Zhao family army used on captives can be employed. We’ll always extract some interesting information!”

The education Bai Qingyu had received since childhood was to protect the Kingdom and people. Such education… led Bai Qingyu to mistakenly believe that all Jin people, like the members of the Bai family, would never betray their motherland.

It was Liu Huanzhang who taught Bai Qingyu a lesson, but… the cost of this lesson was too great, nearly causing the destruction of the Bai family.

“Yes!” Wang Dong clasped his fists in acknowledgment. Just as he was about to leave, Bai Qingyu called him back.

“Wait…”

“What other instructions does Master have?” Wang Dong asked.

Bai Qingyu gazed at the clear tea in his cup and spoke deliberately: “Later, ask this Great Yan Ninth Prince what his relationship is with Xiao Rongyan…”

Wang Dong was startled, then nodded in acknowledgment and left, tightly closing the door behind him.

This time, Bai Qingyu did not plan to personally meet Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, but instead sent his own man wearing a mask to meet with Yan’s Ninth Prince in the adjacent room.

From the moment Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Yan requested to meet him, he had been wondering how this Ninth Prince of Great Yan had learned of his whereabouts…

Initially, he suspected the Wei State spy beside him had switched allegiance to the Yan State.

But if that man truly was not a Yan State spy, then there must be a Yan State spy around Prince Xihuai.

He had heard that Prince Xihuai was rescued by the wealthy Wei merchant Xiao Rongyan, and afterward all his travel arrangements were made by Xiao Rongyan, with Prince Xihuai having complete trust in Xiao Rongyan.

Calculating the time, Prince Xihuai should have already arrived in Xiangliang by now, yet he had not arrived to this day, while the Yan people arrived first.

What Wei State assassins pursuing him—Bai Qingyu didn’t believe a single word of it.

If assassins were truly so capable of knowing Prince Xihuai’s whereabouts, they would have assassinated him long ago. Why wait until Yin Mountain to act?

Thus… the one who could control Prince Xihuai’s itinerary and arrange for Great Yan’s Ninth Prince to meet him ahead of Prince Xihuai could only be… this Wei State wealthy merchant Xiao Rongyan.

However, whether this Xiao Rongyan was exchanging benefits with Yan State, or… whether this Xiao Rongyan’s Wei State citizenship was fake, remained unknown for now.

Bai Qingyu tapped his fingers intermittently on the small table by the soft couch. When he heard three very short knocks from outside the door, he rose and walked to a painting of a beauty playing in water, took down the scroll, revealing a very small hole in the wall that allowed him to see the activity in the adjacent room.

In the adjacent room, brightly lit and luxuriously furnished, a man with a similar build to Bai Qingyu wore a half-mask and sat at a round huanghuali wood table, raising his hand to gesture for Xiao Rongyan to sit.

Xiao Rongyan observed the masked man before him, and with a half-smile, raised his hand to unfasten his cloak, saying: “I’ve kept Your Highness waiting…”

“Not at all. I wonder if the Ninth Prince’s request for a meeting concerns the captured Yan soldiers?” the masked man asked.

Xiao Rongyan nodded, handed his cloak to Yue Shi, signaled for Yue Shi to leave, and also sat at the round table, smiling: “I wonder what price Your Highness would require Yan State to pay before agreeing to return Yan State’s soldiers to their homeland?”

The masked man tapped his fingers intermittently on the huanghuali wood round table, trying his best to imitate Bai Qingyu’s naturally imposing demeanor, looking at the refined and scholarly Xiao Rongyan with calm, indifferent eyes: “Yan State must cease attacking Wei, allow Wei State to cede territory for peace, submit as a vassal and pay tribute… to preserve Wei State.”

Through the small opening, Bai Qingyu observed Xiao Rongyan’s reaction.

The reason for making such demands was not because he truly believed Yan State would agree, but to test Yan State’s determination to destroy Wei…

If Yan State was determined to completely destroy Wei without leaving any room, then it harbored ambitions to compete for dominance over the Central Plains.

If this were true, Bai Qingyu would need to find ways to obstruct Yan State, leaving room for his elder sister to destroy Liang first, then turn to destroy Xiliang or attack Yan…

Bai Qingyu was more inclined to restrain Yan State and pacify Xiliang first. Only by restraining Yan State could his elder sister free her hands to pacify Xiliang. Then, if Yan State still wanted to compete with Jin State for supremacy, it would no longer be a match for his elder sister.

“In that case, this prince must ask what benefit this would bring to the Rongdi?” Xiao Rongyan said with a smile. “Your Highness has not yet met with Prince Xihuai, yet you already favor the Wei State so much. This prince is quite puzzled.”

The man pretending to be the Ghost-Faced Prince chuckled softly, unafraid of Xiao Rongyan’s gaze, meeting it directly and speaking deliberately: “How we negotiate with Prince Xihuai is our Rongdi’s affair. If Yan State wants to reclaim its prisoners… it must pay some price. Or is the Ninth Prince so determined to destroy Wei that you won’t even care about the Yan soldiers detained by the Rongdi?”

“If Your Highness wishes to know whether Yan State is determined to destroy Wei, you need only ask directly. Why go through such a large detour?” Xiao Rongyan lowered his gaze with a smile, then raised his eyes again, his gaze profound and solemn. “That’s correct… Yan State is determined to destroy Wei this time, absolutely without mercy! Yan State also wants the prisoners detained by the Rongdi. Your Highness may state your conditions freely.”

Bai Qingyu’s hands behind his back tightened slightly into fists. If this were the case, he should first find ways to restrain Yan State.

“In that case, let this prince consider it. After meeting with Prince Xihuai in due time, I’ll discuss details with the Ninth Prince.” The man pretending to be the Ghost-Faced Prince lifted his teacup to dismiss the guest.

Xiao Rongyan nodded: “Murong Yan will quietly await Your Highness’s good news.”

Watching Murong Yan rise, the man pretending to be the Ghost-Faced Prince suddenly covered his teacup and asked: “I wonder… what relationship does the Ninth Prince have with the Wei State wealthy merchant Xiao Rongyan?”

Xiao Rongyan’s pupils contracted, but in an instant, he curved his lips in a smile, maintaining his completely composed demeanor.