Bai Qingyan remained composed but understood Gao Demao’s hint clearly…
Just go up to Luohong Tower to enjoy the scenery, but don’t touch the fine wine and delicacies.
That Gao Demao could give such a warning meant that the Emperor had deceived Grandmother. The Emperor had probably told Grandmother that as long as Bai Qingyan gave up attacking the city and was willing to enter the city to continue pledging allegiance to the Lin imperial power, they could turn swords into jade.
However, in reality, the Emperor… wanted Bai Qingyan’s life.
“Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Gao,” Bai Qingyan said with a smile to Gao Demao, accepting this favor in her heart.
Gao Demao smiled and nodded to Bai Qingyan.
After Qin Shangzhi returned today, when Gao Demao returned to the Emperor’s side, he happened to encounter the Crown Prince coming out from the Emperor, so… Gao Demao also learned that the Emperor had already planned that if Bai Qingyan didn’t agree to help the Emperor obtain those thousand virgin boys and girls for elixir refinement tonight, the Emperor would have that young eunuch called Quan Yu deliver poisoned wine to Bai Qingyan.
What the Emperor was exploiting… was the fact that Bai Qingyan had once shown kindness to this young eunuch called Quan Yu, thinking that Bai Qingyan wouldn’t be too guarded against Quan Yu, which is why he had Quan Yu deliver the poisoned wine. This young eunuch was now being kept by the Emperor’s side.
Gao Demao was afraid that this young eunuch lacked brains and would deliver the poisoned wine to save his own life before the Emperor. If Bai Qingyan truly drank the wine without being on guard because the one delivering it was Quan Yu and something happened to her… then Bai Jinxiu would definitely attack the city to avenge Bai Qingyan. If the Emperor couldn’t survive… then they servants would truly be doomed.
Previously, Gao Demao didn’t know how formidable Madam Qin was. Only after seeing Bai Jinxiu lead the Yuanping army to break through the capital and besiege the imperial city did everyone seem to realize that the Bai family didn’t only have Princess Zhenguo and Princess Gaoyi who could fight—every descendant of the Bai family, male or female, could all fight, but they usually kept a low profile.
That Madam Qin, Bai Jinxiu, was born into a century-old military family and had followed Duke Zhenguo in battlefield campaigns in her early years. Even if she wasn’t as formidable as Princess Zhenguo, ordinary generals would be no match for Bai Jinxiu.
Luohong Tower was built against a small mountain north of Luohong City, with the brilliantly lit tower at the end of the stone steps.
Every ten steps along the stone stairs, crane lamps were lit. When the wind passed, the flames and the exotic flowers and fragrant grasses on both sides of the steps would sway, and the golden, gentle colors would also sway endlessly, illuminating the path to Luohong Tower like a dream.
Heavy troops guarded below the high steps, blocking the hundred soldiers accompanying Bai Qingyan.
Gao Demao smiled and said to Bai Qingyan: “Princess Zhenguo, the hundred soldiers you brought… I’m afraid they can’t all go in together.”
“What, does Eunuch Gao think I would harm my grandmother?” Bai Qingyan looked sideways at Gao Demao.
“It’s not like that. His Majesty is also here today, so the soldiers are inevitably being cautious. May I ask Princess Zhenguo’s accompanying soldiers to wait here? What does Princess Zhenguo think?” Gao Demao said with an apologetic smile.
The soldiers Bai Qingyan brought all had their tasks—they were the surprise troops to assist Bai Jinxiu in attacking the city. Bai Qingyan had never planned to bring these hundred soldiers inside.
She looked at the sword-bearing soldiers guarding Luohong Tower and could roughly guess… if there were any changes inside Luohong Tower, the Emperor would certainly have these soldiers kill the soldiers she brought. So she said: “Since you won’t let them go in, they don’t all need to stay here either. Go wherever you want to look around, and come back in an hour.”
“Yes!”
The hundred soldiers Bai Qingyan brought responded in unison, their momentum intimidating.
Shen Tianzhi stood in the shadows under a lamp beside Luohong Tower. Seeing Bai Qingyan look in his direction from afar, he nodded slightly to reassure her.
With this, Bai Qingyan knew what to expect—it seemed Shen Tianzhi had already taken control of the area around Luohong Tower.
The general leading troops guarding below the high steps of Luohong Tower looked up at Gao Demao. After all, the orders they had received were… if negotiations failed, they were to kill all the people Princess Zhenguo brought, leaving none alive. But forcing Princess Zhenguo’s people to stay here might end the talks before the Emperor even began negotiating with Princess Zhenguo.
To be honest, these soldiers who were originally sent to dig canals had inferior combat effectiveness compared to those battle-hardened soldiers, let alone that these soldiers were under the invincible Bai Qingyan’s command. How could they not feel afraid?
How could Gao Demao not know that Bai Qingyan had already detected the trickery here? He nodded calmly to that general, signaling him not to make a big scene and make Princess Zhenguo suspicious here.
“Princess Zhenguo, please…” Gao Demao smiled and made a welcoming gesture to Bai Qingyan.
Bai Qingyan nodded and followed Gao Demao toward the brightly lit Luohong Tower up the high steps.
Inside Luohong Tower, Grand Princess heard that Bai Qingyan had entered the city. Her fingers quietly curled, gently gripping her slate-blue skirt embroidered with cloud patterns. She looked up at the Emperor standing before her, her expression calm and unruffled, naturally carrying the proud bearing of an imperial princess looking down from above.
“Your Majesty means that if my granddaughter doesn’t agree to help Your Majesty ascend the Nine-Tiered Platform, doesn’t agree to gather those thousand virgin boys and girls for Your Majesty, Your Majesty will… right here in Luohong Tower, before my very eyes, take her life?”
Grand Princess spoke slowly and in a low voice. The flickering candlelight on the high platform made the deep wrinkles around Grand Princess’s eyes, which even powder couldn’t conceal, appear even clearer. Her imposing presence was overwhelming, her blazing gaze as sharp as a blade: “It seems that in Your Majesty’s heart, the Lin dynasty’s kingdom is not important—the Nine-Tiered Platform is important! Immortality is important!”
At this moment, the doors were tightly closed, with the Emperor and Grand Princess having a private discussion behind closed doors.
This was the first time the Emperor had seen his aunt with such harsh words and a stern expression. His hands hidden in his sleeves tightened imperceptibly as he controlled his murderous intent: “I… am very grateful that Aunt was willing to accompany Prince Liang to Luohong City for my sake and the Crown Prince’s. Now that Bai Qingyan has troops at the city gates, I’m also grateful that Aunt is willing to step forward to stabilize this rebellious subject and traitor, Bai Qingyan. I’m willing to give Bai Qingyan this chance to not drag down the Bai family’s reputation, also for Aunt’s sake! But Aunt must not forget… I am the Emperor! This Jin state… is my Jin state. This Kingdom should be decided by the Emperor!”
Grand Princess pressed her lips together, doing her utmost to endure, enduring until her eyes were filled with red blood vessels, her fingers resting on her skirt, tightening until her knuckles turned white.
How had she been so possessed back then to think that this beast before her would be a wise ruler?!
In the vast Luohong Tower, only the rustling sound of sand falling through the hourglass remained, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
The bronze incense burner, half a person’s height, placed in the hall drifted with wisps of light smoke, filling Luohong Tower with a faint fragrance.
Aunt’s expression looks quite haggard. If it’s difficult for Aunt to speak to Bai Qingyan, then… I shall speak personally.”