Quite a few widows in the capital who had been living their days guarding their husbands’ memorial tablets couldn’t help but feel moved after hearing this, and began tentatively trying to take that step toward remarriage.

The marriages of poor families differed from those of high officials and nobles. Poor families almost all had arranged marriages, with most people spending their entire lives struggling for survival and to continue their bloodlines. While some couples could develop feelings over time, those with feelings deep enough to be inseparable in life and death were not many.

Moreover, even if couples had feelings for each other, after losing a wife, men would feel the days were hard to bear, with no companion, life was too lonely and bitter, so they would remarry. But when women lost their husbands, they were expected to remain chaste until death. How many women harbored resentment in their hearts, yet were helpless to do anything about it?

Now, with the new law as support, whether for children who couldn’t be raised alone or because they didn’t want to endure loneliness anymore, they contemplated bravely taking that step. Some had already boldly begun discussing remarriage with their natal families.

Ever since Bai Qingyan’s debate with students at the Imperial Academy and her handling of the Bai clan elder who wanted to drown his daughter-in-law, the implementation of the new laws gradually accelerated.

The nobility and distinguished families in the capital moved with the wind, releasing their widowed daughters-in-law back to their natal families and permitting them to remarry.

Dong Changyuan seized the opportunity and communicated with all the matchmakers in the capital, having them focus on arranging marriages for widows. For each successful match, the matchmaker would receive a triple reward of three gold pieces.

For a time, widows became the most sought-after marriage prospects, especially young ones still of childbearing age—matchmakers practically wore out the thresholds to their doors.

·

Li Zhijie watched Great Zhou’s vigorous implementation of new laws with great unease in his heart.

From Bai Qingyan’s ascension to the throne until now, the Great Zhou court had not given a clear response about whether to form an alliance with the Rongdi or with Xiliang—both sides were being dragged along.

Moreover, with that masked prince from Xiliang not leaving, Li Zhijie didn’t dare depart either…

Li Zhijie reclined on a soft couch, his elbow propped on a ginger-yellow embroidered silk pillow decorated with acacia flowers, gazing at the thin gauze curtains swaying gently in the wind. He tapped his palm intermittently with a fan, his brow stern and cold: “We have been in the capital for exactly eighteen days, and the Great Zhou Empress has been on the throne for eight days, yet the alliance cannot be settled. Do any of you have suggestions?”

The Xiliang strategists Li Zhijie had brought sat on either side of him, but they were clearly at a loss regarding this matter.

“I heard that Lord Liu, the Liu Scholar who is mediating the peace talks, handed over all the generous gifts Your Highness sent him that day to Grand Marshal Lu. This person appears quite stubborn.”

“This Lord Liu has gathered both our Xiliang envoys and the Rongdi envoys together—isn’t he just trying to give the alliance to the highest bidder? Yet now our Xiliang is willing to cede twenty cities and pay countless treasures in compensation, but the Great Zhou Empress delays allying with us. I rather think… the Great Zhou Empress seems intent on interfering when Xiliang and Rongdi go to war!” analyzed a strategist beside Li Zhijie.

“If that’s truly the case, we should immediately return home and share Xiliang’s fate!” said another Xiliang strategist.

Li Zhijie paused in his fan-tapping, pressed his lips together, and spoke: “Don’t be hasty. Send someone back to report to His Majesty that the Great Zhou seems unwilling to ally with our Xiliang. Until we get definite news from Great Zhou, we cannot leave!”

The eldest strategist beside Li Zhijie turned to face him: “Your Highness might consider meeting with Great Yan’s Ninth Prince. If Great Zhou truly intends to join with Rongdi to attack Xiliang, see if Great Yan would be willing to constrain Great Zhou from Jin’s western border.”

Li Zhijie had thought of this method as early as the day Bai Qingyan’s coronation ceremony ended, but… this was a last resort.

Li Zhijie, his expression deep and brooding, set down his fan and picked up a teacup, pressing his lips together in silence, clearly not wanting to use this tactic yet.

“Your Highness, in this humble one’s opinion, why not directly approach that masked prince from Rongdi? Rongdi has no deep hatred with our Xiliang. Their desire to attack Xiliang is probably as Your Highness said before—wanting Rongdi to quickly form a three-way balance with Great Zhou and Great Yan.” Seeing that Li Zhijie didn’t voice opposition, the strategist continued: “They simply want to seize territory. We could give all the land originally meant to be ceded to the Great Zhou to Rongdi instead, buying ourselves breathing room and trying to outlast the three-year term of Great Yan and Rongdi’s alliance! Once the alliance with Rongdi is established, if Rongdi attacks Xiliang again, they would lack justification. Then asking Great Yan for help would be perfectly reasonable!”

Li Zhijie looked up, his gaze growing colder: “According to your meaning, wouldn’t it be more secure for our Xiliang to simply submit to Great Yan and pay tribute?”

Realizing Li Zhijie was speaking sarcastically, the strategist quickly knelt to beg forgiveness: “This subordinate spoke inappropriately…”

“Get up!” Li Zhijie’s voice was steady. After setting down his teacup, he sat up: “I will personally request an audience with the Great Zhou Empress. This time, the Great Zhou Empress must give our Xiliang a definite answer—whether we fight or make peace with the Great Zhou. Then we can discuss our response strategy.”

“Your Highness is wise!” The strategists bowed deeply to Li Zhijie.

Li Zhijie didn’t feel he was being wise. Xiliang’s current strength was simply too weak…

When the former emperor was alive, Xiliang’s national power was at its peak, and he felt confident that they could contend with Jin. Although Li Zhijie had also advised against it, the former emperor was stubborn and insisted on joining with Nanyan to attack Jin. But what was the result? They lost over a hundred thousand of Xiliang’s elite troops on the southern frontier battlefield, and Xiliang’s people trembled at the mere mention of the Bai family army.

That battle caused Xiliang to decline from prosperity, and they still hadn’t recovered.

If not for that southern frontier battle, why would the current Xiliang fear Rongdi?!

·

Liu Rushi was sitting to Bai Qingyan’s right, reporting to her about forming alliances with Rongdi and Xiliang.

Bai Qingyan lifted the teapot and poured herself a cup of tea, set aside the bamboo scroll in her hand, and listened carefully to Liu Rushi’s words.

“Although this official has followed Your Majesty’s instructions and not replied about which Kingdom to ally with, continuing to delay like this is inappropriate. After all, diplomatic relations between nations are no trivial matter.” Liu Rushi had always been fearless, so he boldly spoke to Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty, this minister knows Your Majesty has deep hatred with Xiliang’s Yun Poxing, but… regarding diplomatic relations between our two countries, the conditions Xiliang is currently offering are indeed beneficial to our Great Zhou. Your Majesty might consider it!”

Wei Zhong personally brought hot tea to Liu Rushi, then retreated to the side and quietly instructed the young eunuchs to raise all the lamp wicks in the palace hall higher.

“Our Great Zhou could perfectly well wait for Xiliang and Rongdi to exhaust each other, then reap the benefits…” Liu Rushi, fearing Bai Qingyan couldn’t let go of the Bai family’s hatred, continued: “Allying with Xiliang would only delay revenge by a year or two, but it could weaken both Rongdi and Xiliang’s military strength! When our Great Zhou sends troops, then… we could avoid meaningless casualties among our soldiers. This minister believes this is a win-win strategy.”