Since they were using a mansion in the outskirts of the Capital City that had just been rebuilt by a noble family from the Jin Dynasty, the Ministry of Works only needed to make minor repairs before it could be used. Therefore, the women’s school proceeded very smoothly. On the thirteenth day of the eighth month in the first year of Yuanhe, court ministers sent their daughters to the school one after another.

Shen Tianzhi was sitting across from Bai Qingyan, having lunch together with her while discussing the flourishing situation of this women’s school.

“The daughters of important court officials go first, and later, when the women’s school expands, it can accommodate more women to come to school…” Shen Tianzhi said.

Bai Qingyan nodded: “Regarding the expansion, please trouble Lord Shen to put more effort into it…”

“Your Majesty…” Wei Zhong approached Bai Qingyan with small steps and whispered, “Prince Yan of Western Liang requests an audience. He seems to want to bid farewell and return to his Kingdom.”

Seeing this, Shen Tianzhi quickly put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, rose, and walked to the center of the great hall to bow to Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty, this humble minister has finished eating and will take his leave first…”

Bai Qingyan nodded, picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth: “Please trouble Lord Shen with the expansion blueprints. I won’t need to review them.”

Shen Tianzhi quickly bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan, then withdrew from the great hall.

“Clear it away!” Bai Qingyan put down her napkin and took the honey dew that Chun Tao handed her to rinse her mouth.

After tidying up briefly, with Nanny Tong and Chun Zhi serving Bai Qingyan to change clothes, she went to the front hall accompanied by Wei Zhong and Chun Tao to receive Prince Yan of Western Liang, Li Zhijie.

In the great hall, Li Zhijie gripped his folding fan tightly. Today would be his final gambit for Western Liang. Since Yan State dared to tell him that the Ghost-Faced General of the Rong Di was a member of the Bai family, why couldn’t he tell this news to the Great Zhou Female Emperor? If he could provoke Great Zhou and Great Yan to fight each other, Western Liang would at least be temporarily safe.

He would try with all his might once. If it didn’t work, he would have to return to Western Liang and think of other methods.

Hearing the eunuch’s announcement, Li Zhijie rose and bowed deeply toward the hall entrance.

Bai Qingyan glanced at Li Zhijie, who was looking down with his eyes lowered and whose complexion didn’t look very good. She stepped across the threshold and said: “Prince Yan need not be overly courteous. I heard Prince Yan has come to bid farewell.”

Li Zhijie bent respectfully at the waist. Only after hearing Bai Qingyan take her seat did he straighten his back, nod, and say: “Now Yan State remains in the Capital City for marriage alliance matters, while Western Liang stays in the Capital City for alliance matters, but… this external minister has received news. After hesitating and wavering for nearly a month, I have decided to bid farewell to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty truly wishes to ally with Western Liang, please send an envoy to accompany this external minister back to Yun Jing to sign the alliance.”

She looked at Li Zhijie’s serious manner of putting on airs and chuckled softly, asking: “Is it perhaps because… the Ninth Prince of Great Yan told you that the Ghost-Faced Prince of the Rong Di is a member of the Bai family?”

Li Zhijie suddenly raised his head…

Seeing Li Zhijie’s surprised expression, she rubbed the armrest of her chair with her fingers and smiled as she spoke: “Because Great Yan signed a covenant with the Rong Di not to attack Western Liang for three years, Great Yan’s army was able to return to their Kingdom. So they don’t have a legitimate excuse to attack Western Liang. Let me guess… did that Ninth Prince of Great Yan tell you… that the way for Western Liang to preserve itself is to pay tribute and submit to Great Yan?”

Li Zhijie’s palms began to sweat, and he even suspected that when he was talking with the Ninth Prince, Bai Qingyan had sent someone to eavesdrop nearby.

“After being frightened by Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, is Prince Yan planning to return and tell the Western Liang Female Emperor to pay tribute and submit to Great Yan?” She accepted the azure sweet porcelain wide-mouth teacup that Chun Tao handed her with a half-smile. Seeing Chun Tao signal to her with her eyes, she waved her hand to indicate that Li Zhijie should sit. “Prince Yan, please sit and have some tea before speaking.”

Li Zhijie stood in place without moving, very resistant. She didn’t force him, only smiled and said: “Setting aside whether the Western Liang Female Emperor would agree if Western Liang were to pay tribute and submit, would the eight great families who truly control Western Liang agree? Even if… truly following what Great Yan’s Ninth Prince said, that the Ghost-Faced Prince of the Rong Di is someone from our Great Zhou, then… if you want to pay tribute and submit, wouldn’t it be better for Western Liang to pay tribute and submit to Great Zhou?”

Hearing this, Li Zhijie felt even more like meat on a chopping block. He pressed his lips together and finally sat down in the seat below Bai Qingyan.

“What does Prince Yan think? You can speak and let me hear…” Bai Qingyan said with a smile.

Li Zhijie felt that Western Liang was now beset by internal troubles and external threats, surrounded. He looked up at Bai Qingyan with a bitter smile and said, “I suppose Your Majesty’s conditions for peace talks are about to change again?”

She nodded with a smile: “Since the Rong Di all belong to our Great Zhou, and Great Yan can propose having Western Liang pay tribute and submit, why can’t Great Zhou do the same?”

Li Zhijie closed his eyes, his heart full of the words “Great Yan’s Ninth Prince has harmed me.”

“If we pay tribute and submit, our nation will cease to exist. Li Zhijie dared not become Western Liang’s eternal sinner!” Li Zhijie straightened his back and bowed once to Bai Qingyan. “Therefore, this external minister can only bid farewell to Your Majesty and return to share Western Liang’s fate.”

“Prince Yan need not be hasty. I have already sent my third brother, Bai Qingqi, to Western Liang’s Yun Jing to discuss alliance matters with the Western Liang Female Emperor. Counting the days, he should already be on his return journey. Prince Yan can first remain in the Capital City and wait quietly for news with me.” Bai Qingyan said with a smile.

Li Zhijie was stunned. Only then did he remember what Great Yan’s Ninth Prince had mentioned before about Great Zhou Female Emperor’s newly returned cousin, Bai Qingqi, heading toward the Southern Border. It turned out… he had gone to Western Liang!

“Why was this never mentioned by Your Majesty before?” Li Zhijie asked with a frown.

“Naturally, it was to prevent Great Yan from gathering intelligence…” Bai Qingyan set down her teacup.

“If the envoy Your Majesty sent… wants our Western Liang to pay tribute and submit,” Li Zhijie stared steadily at Bai Qingyan, “then this external minister can tell Your Majesty with certainty that our Western Liang Female Emperor will not agree.”

“Whether she can agree or not, we’ll just wait quietly! After all, even if Prince Yan returns to his Kingdom now, it won’t help matters. Staying in the Capital City… you can still maneuver with Great Yan, oh… or discuss with the Ghost-Faced Prince of the Rong Di whether the war between the Rong Di and Western Liang can be avoided.” Bai Qingyan looked completely unconcerned as she gently blew on her teacup. “Prince Yan should try some. This is cloud mist tea that Master Xiao sent. I remember Master Xiao doesn’t have many shops in Western Liang, so he probably hasn’t sent such fine tea there.”

Bai Qingyan’s seemingly casual words suddenly stirred Li Zhijie’s heart…

Perhaps he could try talking with the Ghost-Faced Prince of the Rong Di about alliance matters. By logic, weak nations should unite to resist the strong, but why would the Rong Di bite onto Western Liang and not let go? Great Yan’s Ninth Prince had precisely used this point to make him believe that this Ghost-Faced Prince of the Rong Di was a member of the Bai family.

He had prided himself on his wisdom, yet had never thought to seriously ask about this matter before the Ghost-Faced Prince of the Rong Di.

Thinking of this, Li Zhijie forced himself to remain calm as he stood up and bowed to Bai Qingyan in a measured manner.