“Since Your Majesty knows this minister only returned to Great Zhou on the day of the Great Zhou Empress’s ascension, haven’t you considered… that in the days before this minister returned to Great Zhou, I might perhaps have been in Xiliang?”

Bai Qingqi’s indifferent gaze also looked toward the Great Zhou Empress. He clearly appeared to be an aloof and cold person…

Yet even though his words were sharp and impolite, perhaps because of that gentle jade-like countenance and composed bearing, he still gave people the impression of elegant grace.

The Xiliang Empress’s palms tightened slightly. She put on an appearance of calm, her smile deepening: “Your Excellency is quite forthright.”

Bai Qingqi nodded slightly toward the Xiliang Empress: “This minister doesn’t intend to make things difficult for Your Majesty, nor am I reluctant to have the Bai Family Army’s Huying Battalion training methods spread abroad. It’s just… the Bai Family Army absolutely will not allow our comrades to be forcibly detained in another Kingdom! The Bai Family Army has always protected its own. I hope Your Majesty can understand! If this is a misunderstanding, send someone to accompany this minister’s subordinate to the Huoyun Army’s training grounds to search. If there truly is no one there, both this minister and the Great Zhou Empress will remember this favor from the Xiliang Empress.”

The Xiliang Empress knew in her heart that Bai Qingqi had stated the location of the Huoyun Army camp with perfect accuracy just now. He had investigated this already. Coming here now was merely to find a legitimate excuse to demand the person back.

Bai Qingqi had just returned to Great Zhou, and without waiting for Li Zhijie to sign an alliance with Great Zhou, he had quietly entered Yunjing as an envoy. Perhaps… it was precisely for this matter.

“Naturally, if the Xiliang Empress does not permit this, that would also be reasonable.” The corners of Bai Qingqi’s lips seemed to curve in an extremely faint smile. “This minister can understand, but inevitably… I will remember.”

This was a threat.

The Xiliang Empress recalled the alliance once signed between Qiushan Pass and Jin, and immediately felt humiliated.

When a nation was weak, it had no room to bargain with strong nations.

She suddenly remembered when Li Zhijie had returned from Qiushan Pass with the peace alliance, he had said that Bai Qingyan had told him… when kneeling to beg for peace, one must show the attitude of a supplicant, not put on airs before the victor. The weak… did not have that qualification! She had also said that if Xiliang perished and ceased to exist in the world, where would the face and confidence come from to talk about humiliation or disgrace?

Weak nations had no confidence or face to discuss humiliation with strong nations.

But today’s humiliation—she would remember it. This mess that was Xiliang… she would prop it up. She would make Xiliang return to the ranks of strong nations, strong enough to compete with Great Zhou and Great Yan, to contend with them for supremacy in the Central Plains.

The Xiliang Empress maintained her smile and nodded: “Since Your Excellency is concerned, sending someone to make a trip is not impossible.”

Bai Qingqi bowed to the Xiliang Empress: “The people this minister brought are currently waiting outside the palace. I trouble Your Majesty to immediately send someone to accompany them on this trip, so that this minister can be at ease.”

Pushing for more after gaining an inch…

However, with Xiliang in decline, she had no choice but to nod. She could only turn to the eunuch beside her and say: “Go tell General Yun to accompany the Great Zhou envoy’s people to the Huoyun Army camp, and let the Great Zhou envoy’s people see… whether there are any Bai Family Army members in our Huoyun Army, so the Great Zhou envoy can be at ease.”

The Xiliang Empress looked at Bai Qingqi with a smile. Bai Qingqi straightened his back composedly and nodded his thanks to the Xiliang Empress.

“Yes…” The young eunuch acknowledged and withdrew from the palace hall.

Outside the palace hall, after hearing the young eunuch’s message, Yun Poxing immediately understood the Xiliang Empress’s meaning.

He hadn’t expected that Bai Qingqi had only just arrived in Xiliang yet already knew about the Huoyun Army. He pressed his lips together, raised his hand to signal the young eunuch to come closer, and whispered in the eunuch’s ear: “Go give orders to General Li to quickly proceed to the Huoyun Army camp. Absolutely cannot let anyone see Yun Lan…”

“Yes!” That young eunuch immediately ran off.

Yun Poxing watched the young eunuch run away, then unhurriedly instructed the imperial guards beside him: “You go to the Yun residence and say it’s my order… have Second Master of the Yun residence personally accompany the Great Zhou envoy to the Huoyun Army camp.”

“Yes!”

Yun Poxing turned to look at the main hall with its carved wooden doors tightly closed, feeling inevitably heavy-hearted.

Inside the main hall.

Bai Qingqi bowed to the Xiliang Empress once more, saying: “Your Majesty gives peaches, and Great Zhou naturally returns with plums. There is one matter I would like Your Majesty to hear, though I have no intention of harming the Xiliang court…”

“Please speak, Your Excellency!” The Xiliang Empress looked at Bai Qingqi seriously.

“Prince Yan of Xiliang went to Great Zhou with generous gifts… wanting to sign an alliance with Great Zhou. But the reason our Great Zhou Empress has been hesitant to agree is because… the eight great families of Xiliang once secretly sent people to Jin to meet the Crown Prince, wanting to ally with Jin to support the enthronement of a new emperor in Xiliang, requesting Jin’s assistance. But coincidentally, before that matter was settled, Prince Liang’s rebellion occurred!”

The Xiliang Empress looked at Bai Qingqi with clear eyes, as if judging the truth of his words.

“Your Majesty should know that before our Great Zhou Empress ascended the throne, the Jin Crown Prince consulted with our Great Zhou Empress on all matters. Therefore… this is why Great Zhou has been concerned and hesitant to ally with Xiliang!” Bai Qingqi looked at the Xiliang Empress, whose gaze remained calm and unperturbed, and continued: “This time, the Great Zhou Empress sent this minister to Xiliang’s Yunjing and gave this minister the authority to decide… whether to ally. So after this minister arrived in Yunjing, I did not immediately request an audience because I was considering… whether Your Majesty could truly control Xiliang.”

“Even if there were changes to Xiliang’s throne…” The corners of the Xiliang Empress’s lips curved upward. “No matter who ascends to Xiliang’s throne, they would certainly be most eager to ally with Great Zhou. Could it be… that the Great Zhou Empress fears that if Xiliang changes… the cities that I, this Xiliang Emperor, promised to cede would be reclaimed by the succeeding emperor? Your Excellency’s words… have great intent to sow discord between me and the eight great families.”

The Xiliang Empress seemed to suddenly think of something, raising her eyebrows: “Or perhaps, Your Excellency is telling me this to make me fight with the eight great families, inciting internal strife in my Xiliang court?”

Bai Qingqi smiled faintly, straightened his back, and bowed to the Xiliang Empress: “Your Majesty has keen insight.”

The Xiliang Empress hadn’t expected Bai Qingqi to admit it so easily. His frankness was… simply beyond her expectations.

Perhaps… this was because the Great Zhou was a strong nation, so he feared neither Xiliang nor her as empress.

“Then Your Excellency’s appearance in this Xiliang imperial court—is it to ally with Xiliang, or… merely to sow discord and internal strife in the Xiliang court?” the Xiliang Empress asked again.

“Naturally, if I can successfully sow discord and internal strife in the Xiliang court, there would be no need for an alliance. If I cannot… then we’ll set a date to discuss peace negotiations with your nation’s envoy in charge of such matters.” Bai Qingqi replied.

“Your Excellency… your frankness has truly caught me off guard!” the Xiliang Empress said with a laugh. “Alliance matters should be settled sooner rather than later. Please first return to the diplomatic residence to rest, Your Excellency. I will immediately arrange for negotiation ministers to discuss peace negotiations with Your Excellency.”