Bai Qingyan had already ascended as a woman, and was currently implementing new policies domestically—what she most feared was instability in the court.

Yun Tianao watched Bai Qingyan remain unmoved by the offer of cities, his hands trembling constantly. He closed his eyes and thought of the seventeenth Bai son who died at only ten years old. That child had still been singing the Bai family army song under such brutal circumstances—how could he lose to a ten-year-old child?!

Yun Tianao took a deep breath and stood up…

“Sit down! How dare you act presumptuously before the Great Zhou Empress!” Li Zhijie’s expression changed drastically as he raised his hand to press down on Yun Tianao’s shoulder, forcing him back down.

Yun Tianao looked up at Li Zhijie. Li Zhijie averted his gaze, still smiling as he looked at Bai Qingyan, releasing Yun Tianao’s shoulder and saying to her: “On the battlefield, swords and blades are blind. General Yun indeed went too far in this matter, but when two nations war, they compete for victory, not methods. Your Majesty is also a general who has fought battles—you should understand this principle.”

“Bullshit!” Bai Jinzhao said coldly. “When we Bai family fights, even if we use military deception, we never employ such methods that anger both heaven and earth. Every enemy general and opponent is respected by us Bai family! Yun Poxing’s actions… he’s not even human, how can he be called a general? It’s too insulting to the word ‘general.'”

Bai Qingyan raised her hand to signal Bai Jinzhao to remain calm, then saw Liu Rushi stand up holding the diplomatic document with a smile: “If this is an apology, Your Majesty… this minister believes Great Zhou can certainly accept these eighteen cities! As for alliance… we must see Xiliang’s sincerity.”

Liu Rushi held the Xiliang document in one hand, smiling as he looked at Li Zhijie: “This minister has heard that Rongdi seems intent on attacking Xiliang, and has already signed an alliance with Yan. Yan will not interfere in the Xiliang-Rongdi war, merely watching from the sidelines! Xiliang presents eighteen cities at our sovereign’s ascension because they understand the Rongdi-Yan alliance is set and will attack Xiliang! Coincidentally, the three-year deadline our sovereign agreed upon with Yun Poxing has arrived. Xiliang fears facing enemies on two fronts while warring with Rongdi, so they want to dismiss the Great Zhou with eighteen cities. Is this not so?”

Li Zhijie turned to face Liu Rushi, nodding slightly in salute.

Li Zhijie detested this Liu Rushi, finding him increasingly less pleasant-looking than at first meeting, now appearing quite detestable.

“What Minister Liu says is indeed one of the reasons.” Li Zhijie smiled as he finished, then turned back to face Bai Qingyan, yielding: “After Great Zhou destroyed Liang, it has become the undisputed hegemon. Xiliang is now a poor, weak nation. The Battle of Weng Mountain cost us one hundred thousand elite troops—we truly lack the strength to contend with the Great Zhou again! And Great Zhou, having experienced the war to destroy Liang and the chaos in the capital, with a new dynasty just established and implementing new laws, also needs to rest and recuperate, to pacify the people and secure the nation! Mutual alliance between our two nations… would bring stability to both.”

“From Prince Yan’s words, it sounds like Great Zhou fears Xiliang’s attack?” Liu Rushi laughed coldly. “Then why does Prince Yan humble himself to offer eighteen cities seeking peace? Just let Yun Poxing lead troops to attack!”

Yun Tianao suddenly stood up, taking three steps as two to stride forward, kneeling on one knee in the center of the great hall. Li Zhijie was caught off guard and couldn’t pull him back.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes narrowed as she watched Yun Tianao, already understanding what he intended to do. She turned to look at Wei Zhong…

Wei Zhong nodded, silently moving toward the steps below the high platform.

“I am Yun Poxing’s legitimate eldest grandson… Yun Tianao. This time, I accompanied Prince Yan to the capital to present eighteen cities to the Great Zhou Empress, intending to establish an alliance between our two nations. If the Empress cannot let go of her grievance over the seventeenth Bai son, then… however my grandfather treated the seventeenth Bai son, today… Yun Tianao will use the same method to satisfy the Great Zhou Empress! I only ask that the Empress consider the people of both nations, accept the cities, and establish an alliance! Let the people rest and recuperate!”

With that, Yun Tianao suddenly drew a dagger from his sleeve and stabbed toward his abdomen.

“Clang—”

The dagger in Yun Tianao’s hand was struck away by a hidden weapon before it could touch his abdomen, and he was knocked to the ground by the force.

Second Madam Liu, who had been lost in thought, was startled back to awareness by this sudden change. She instinctively grasped Fourth Madam Wang’s hand, fearing the gentle-natured Wang might be frightened. Wang, with her prayer beads, patted Liu’s hand and gently held it, smiling to indicate she was fine.

Liu hazily came back to her senses, then remembered… Fourth Sister-in-law didn’t need to be afraid now—A’Jue had returned!

Liu also remembered Third Son Bai Qingqi, who had just knelt before Fifth Sister-in-law, crying together with her…

She remembered Bai Qingyun, who had struggled to get down from his wheelchair to kneel before Third Sister-in-law.

Now that the third, fourth, and fifth branches each had one child return, what about their second branch? And the main branch? Could they all come back?

Liu’s eyes stung as she looked toward Dong Shi, who sat above her with Bai Qingyan. Seeing Dong Shi’s composed appearance, Liu also steeled herself. The main branch’s children hadn’t returned either, yet the eldest sister-in-law still held strong! She must hold strong, too!

Liu believed that since A’Qi, A’Jue, and A’Yun could return, all the other children whose bodies weren’t found could return! Eldest sister-in-law’s A’Yu… her A’Qiong, A’Jue, A’Hui, and A’Feng could all return!

Now that A’Bao had ascended as Empress, they, as aunts, must support A’Bao and not let those presumptuous feudal princes rely on their age to bully her!

Before Yun Tianao could pick up the dagger again, Shen Kunyang had already seized him, pressing him firmly against the mirror-bright floor of the great hall.

“Prince Yan, Xiliang doesn’t seem to want peace…” Bai Qingyan placed both hands on the edge of the table, her expression solemn. “Xiliang wants to embarrass me today!”

This was the first time Bai Qingyan used the royal “I,” her eyes seeming to hold frost and ice.

Li Zhijie knelt on one knee: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Yun Tianao has a sincere heart and is eager to protect his Kingdom. Please show some tolerance.”

“Then, Prince Yan lending Xiliang assassins to Prince Baishui to wait in Qiankun Hall to assassinate me… this is also sincere heart and eagerness to protect his Kingdom?”

Li Zhijie’s palms tightened as he feigned shock and looked up: “Your Majesty, where do these words come from? This foreign minister is terrified and at a loss!”

“Terrified? Save your terror… you’ll need it later!” Bai Qingyan ordered Bai Jinxiu: “Bring Prince Baishui up!”

Prince Hedong’s face stiffened even more. Prince Baishui plotting rebellion and assassination in Qiankun Hall?!

Was Bai Qingyan deliberately framing them to find an excuse for reducing feudal power, or had Prince Baishui… wanted to seize the throne while the five princes’ armies were gathered outside the capital?

He suddenly remembered the scene when Bai Jinxiu had emerged from Qiankun Hall with the Bai family army—some soldiers still had blood on their clothes that hadn’t been cleaned.

“If Your Majesty wants to reduce feudal power, you can speak plainly. We can sit down and discuss it. Why must you slander Prince Baishui, who is absent due to illness?” Prince Guang’an said coldly.