Seeing the young eunuch respectfully receive the diplomatic document, he walked with small steps around the black lacquered sandalwood pillars to the foot of the steps beside the high platform where Bai Qingyan’s throne sat, handing the Xiliang diplomatic document to Wei Zhong.
Prince Guang’an seized the moment when everyone was focused on the Xiliang document, assuming the airs of an elder and adopting a lecturing posture: “Your Majesty, why are other family members absent from today’s coronation ceremony and state banquet? Your Majesty’s conduct… lacks proper etiquette.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Rushi looked up at the presumptuous Prince Guang’an, forcibly swallowing back the words that were about to burst forth. He didn’t want Great Zhou’s family scandals to be seen as a joke by Yan, Rongdi, and Xiliang, lest they be exploited.
Dong Shi’s gaze turned toward Prince Guang’an, her eyes cold and clear. She understood that this sudden bold speech from Prince Guang’an meant he likely had backing behind him—today, if they didn’t tear off the mask of civility… this matter definitely wouldn’t end well.
But as the Great Zhou’s Emperor, if Bai Qingyan responded, it would lower her dignity and give face to Prince Guang’an.
Reducing feudal power was imperative—they absolutely could not give these people the chance to become increasingly presumptuous.
Dong Shi said, “The family members Prince Guang’an speaks of are all here. Every single relative of the Bai clan who has come to the capital is present.”
Prince Guang’an kept a stern face as he bowed to Dong Shi: “Empress Dowager, although the former Jin royal family doesn’t share the same surname as Your Majesty, they are ultimately like us feudal princes—sharing ancestry with Your Majesty’s grandmother, the Grand Princess—and can also be considered Your Majesty’s relatives. Such a grand ceremony should be celebrated together with Your Majesty.”
Seeing Prince Guang’an being shameless, insisting on embarrassing their female emperor before foreign envoys and putting on airs, Liu Rushi could no longer endure it since Prince Guang’an wasn’t afraid of foreigners knowing Great Zhou’s family scandals. He spoke with cold laughter: “Even distant relatives dare claim to be Your Majesty’s family? Former dynasty relatives—Your Majesty allowing them to live is already her benevolence. To demand more is called being increasingly presumptuous. Even clay bodhisattvas should know self-preservation and not be shameless when given face.”
Not giving Prince Guang’an another chance to speak, Dong Shi spoke first: “Prince Guang’an…”
Dong Shi’s expression remained unchanged as she spoke deliberately: “This is now the Great Zhou dynasty. If Prince Guang’an wishes to be a relative of the Jin dynasty, speak plainly. Your Majesty will surely accommodate and absolutely won’t force you to stay.”
The elderly Prince Guang’an immediately flew into a rage. Relying on having troops at his disposal, he was about to say more when Prince Hedong stopped him.
Prince Hedong saw that Bai Qingyan had no intention of acknowledging Prince Guang’an, clearly not taking these feudal princes seriously. He feared… Bai Qingyan had a backup plan and didn’t want to push things to an irreversible point. He smiled and bowed to Dong Shi: “Empress Dowager, please calm your anger. Prince Guang’an spoke carelessly because he considers Your Majesty family. Please forgive any impropriety.”
“Family? Is Prince Guang’an surnamed Bai? With envoys from Yan, Xiliang, and Rongdi present, Prince Guang’an, as a subject, questions Your Majesty’s etiquette—where is the propriety in this… Is he trying to establish his authority and let all nations know that he rules the Great Zhou?”
Prince Hedong glanced at Prince Guang’an and quickly knelt to beg Dong Shi’s forgiveness: “Please, Empress Dowager, for the sake of Prince Guang’an’s advanced age, spare him.”
Li Zhijie looked at Prince Guang’an and Prince Hedong, half-lowering his eyes. It seemed Bai Qingyan’s hold on the throne wasn’t particularly stable—there might still be hope for surrendering cities to seek peace.
The Xiliang diplomatic document no longer offered the original fifteen cities, but eighteen cities. Li Zhijie presented such generous gifts, hoping to move Bai Qingyan. If they could sign an alliance treaty, that would be best. If Bai Qingyan insisted on revenge…
Li Zhijie’s face remained impassive, smiling calmly, but his hand gripping the iron-ribbed fan kept tightening.
If Bai Qingyan insisted on revenge, he still had to find a way to protect Yun Poxing’s grandson, or it would truly disappoint the Xiliang people.
Seeing the diplomatic document had reached Bai Qingyan’s hands, Li Zhijie’s gaze swept over Bai Qingqi and Bai Qingyun, speaking with a smile: “In the Xuanjia years, the war between Xiliang and Jin… was truly brutal. To this day, our Xiliang General Yun Poxing still feels heartache when he thinks of the Bai family, thinks of those hundred thousand Xiliang elite troops.”
Li Zhijie’s words were quite ambiguous—whether Yun Poxing felt heartache thinking of the Bai family or thinking of those hundred thousand Xiliang elite troops.
Bai Qingyan’s hand paused as she was unfolding the Xiliang document. She looked up toward Li Zhijie, her eyes deep and indifferent. Setting down the Xiliang document, she placed her hand on the low table.
Li Zhijie’s grip on the iron-ribbed fan tightened. He smiled shallowly at Bai Qingyan, but her inscrutable gaze made him feel somewhat unsettled.
“Prince Yan’s words remind me… I once spared Yun Poxing’s life and made a three-year agreement with him, saying… if he didn’t come for battle after three years, I would lead troops to his gates. The three-year deadline is approaching—has Prince Yan come to deliver a declaration of war for Xiliang?” Bai Qingyan asked.
Li Zhijie quickly stood, respectfully bowing to Bai Qingyan before saying: “Your Majesty misunderstands. Please review our Xiliang diplomatic document… Xiliang is willing to offer eighteen cities to the Great Zhou to celebrate the Great Zhou Empress’s ascension! We only seek alliance with the Great Zhou, eternal peace without war, so that both nations’ people can rest and recuperate, to secure the nation.”
Xiliang’s offering of eighteen cities immediately surprised all Great Zhou officials.
Bai Qingyan lightly tapped her fingers on the table, having an attendant take the Xiliang document down for circulation, her expression carrying a slight smile: “Xiliang makes such a generous offer—is this to appease… Yun Poxing’s humiliation of my seventeenth brother?”
The Xiliang document first reached Grand Commandant Lu, who, after reading it, passed it to Duke of Works Shen Jingzhong, who passed it to Minister of Education Dong Qingping, circulating among Great Zhou officials.
Yun Poxing’s grandson, Yun Tianao, heard this and looked up toward Bai Qingyan. He was afraid of death too… but when he came, his grandfather had said that if his life alone could secure Xiliang’s peace, it would be very worthwhile.
His grandfather also said that back then, to boost military morale, he had been ruthless to a ten-year-old child, but that Bai family child was stubborn… even on the verge of death, he still sang the Bai family army song. So… not only did his grandfather fail to force the Bai army to surrender or break their morale, he boosted the Bai army’s fighting spirit, with soldiers clamoring to fight to the death.
Bai Qingyan was someone who extremely protected her own, held grudges, and always kept her word.
If Bai Qingyan held a grudge over the death of this seventeenth Bai son and insisted on leading troops to their gates when the three-year agreement expired, Xiliang would be unable to simultaneously face Great Zhou and Rongdi.
If Yun Tianao and Li Zhijie’s mission could not move Bai Qingyan with cities, his grandfather wanted him to disembowel himself before Bai Qingyan and envoys from various nations, giving his life for the seventeenth Bai son.
Only thus… could Bai Qingyan lose justification to attack Xiliang. If Yun Tianao died in the Great Zhou in the same brutal manner as the seventeenth Bai son, repaying the debt with his life, and Bai Qingyan still insisted on attacking Xiliang, it would surely draw criticism from court officials.