After raising his head, Li Zhijie slowly spoke: “If that is so, then this external minister will wait until the Zhou envoy returns to the Capital City before coming to bid farewell to Your Majesty!”

She nodded with a faint smile: “Good…”

Chun Tao watched Li Zhijie’s retreating figure, continuously rubbing her hands, appearing somewhat anxious.

Only after Li Zhijie stepped out of the great hall and his figure completely disappeared from view did Bai Qingyan ask: “What’s wrong?”

Chun Tao quickly said to Bai Qingyan, “Miss, Master Xiao has come and says he wishes to see you.”

In Chun Tao’s view, although Xiao Rongyan had helped the Bai family several times when they encountered difficulties, he was inevitably too presumptuous – a libertine capable of breaking into their young lady’s boudoir.

But Chun Tao had heard it seemed that Miss had already become engaged to this Master Xiao, though she didn’t know if it was true or false. She had been well-behaved in the academy during this period and hadn’t yet asked Miss about it.

Chun Tao was somewhat anxious in her heart. Now that Miss had already ascended the throne as emperor, if she truly had feelings for this Master Xiao, they should marry quickly. This way, she wouldn’t have to fear others gossiping anymore.

Bai Qingyan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, sitting up straight and adjusting her sleeves: “Please invite Master Xiao in.”

Xiao Rongyan was invited into the hall by Chun Tao. Just as Chun Tao was about to follow him in, she was stopped by Wei Zhong’s outstretched hand: “Miss Chun Tao, we servants should not go in.”

When Chun Tao first arrived at the palace, Nanny Tong had instructed her that she was unfamiliar with palace rules and should listen to Wei Zhong in all matters while serving Miss. Seeing the hall doors being pulled shut by four young eunuchs, although Chun Tao was anxious, she still nodded and stood guard outside the door together with Wei Zhong.

Inside the great hall.

Bai Qingyan sat upright with proper posture. Seeing Xiao Rongyan in frost-colored robes with a white jade belt walk in from outside the hall and bow to her respectfully, she picked up her teacup and said, “Sit.”

“Did you agree with Li Zhijie? Is Li Zhijie more willing to submit to the Great Zhou, or more willing to submit to the Great Yan?” Xiao Rongyan lifted the hem of his robes and walked toward Bai Qingyan.

“He should be more inclined to negotiate peace with the Rong Di and unite with them to resist the Great Zhou and the Yan State.” Bai Qingyan set down her teacup.

Xiao Rongyan had exposed the matter of the Ghost-Faced Prince of the Rong Di being a Bai family member. When Xiao Rongyan was about to reveal this to Li Zhijie that day, he had sent Yue Shi to the palace to deliver a letter to Bai Qingyan.

But by that time, Xiao Rongyan had already acted.

Bai Qingyan was angry for a moment, but quickly calmed herself down. When things happen, anger and fury are the most useless responses. She had to quickly think of countermeasures and backup plans, calm her mind to figure out how to turn the tide and transform this matter into a situation favorable to Great Zhou.

Afterward, Bai Qingyan sent Lu Ping personally to see A’Yu and inform him of this matter.

For Bai Qingyan, now that A’Yu was already in the Capital City, even if the identity of A’Yu being a Bai family member truly spread back to the Rong Di, at worst, Great Zhou would simply send troops to forcibly seize the Rong Di territory.

Moreover, the Rong Di had always respected the strong. If the Ghost-Faced Prince raised his arm and called out, many would surely follow.

Now, Great Yan, because of their alliance with the Rong Di, could not move against Western Liang, so they naturally tried every means to create trouble for Great Zhou. It would be best if within these three years… Great Zhou and the Rong Di clashed, thus giving Western Liang a chance to catch their breath and hold out until after three years, when Great Yan could move against Western Liang.

As Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, Xiao Rongyan’s actions were beyond reproach.

She could understand Xiao Rongyan, but this also made Bai Qingyan wary of him. During this period, Xiao Rongyan had repeatedly requested audiences, but she had delayed seeing him. This was partly because she was extremely busy with implementing new laws and academy matters, and partly because Bai Qingyan needed to reorganize her strategy toward Yan.

Previously, Bai Qingyan had felt that warfare cost soldiers’ lives and caused people to suffer displacement. Many of her new policies originated from Empress Ji, though some of her concepts differed from Empress Ji’s. Combined with Xiao Rongyan’s influence, her feelings toward Yan State were also different.

She had originally thought to use a five-year period to compare the policies of both countries – whichever Kingdom’s national policies could better enrich the nation and strengthen the people, when the two countries merged into one, that Kingdom would be honored. This would benefit the people and avoid unnecessary sacrifice of soldiers’ lives.

But… she had forgotten that the Murong family had ruled Yan State for generations, and their ambitious aspirations were also to unify the world. The Murong family’s goal of benefiting the people was premised on the Murong family being the supreme rulers.

Bai Qingyan had been naive before. This was also because Bai Qingyan had grown up in the Bai family, where she was taught to protect and pacify the people, putting the people first. But Xiao Rongyan had grown up in the imperial family, where the education focused on consolidating imperial power and how to balance court affairs and govern the people.

Bai Qingyan wasn’t afraid of having set the wrong strategy for unifying with the Yan State. Being able to detect errors in time and correct them promptly was most important. This incident also served as a wake-up call for Bai Qingyan, allowing her to correct her strategy toward Yan in time. She should bring this issue into the open and have a thorough discussion with Murong Yan, the Ninth Prince of Great Yan, in her capacity as the Great Zhou Female Emperor.

Even if Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Yan had the confidence to surpass her and could establish her vision and formally sign an alliance, Great Zhou also had to prepare for war with Yan.

Xiao Rongyan took out medicine for Bai Qingyan from his chest, placed it on the table in front of her, and stood beside her: “A’Bao, you and I once agreed… when encountering major matters, we would not measure them by emotion. I am Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, and I prioritize Yan State’s interests. Exposing that this Ghost-Faced Prince is a Bai family member benefits Yan State, so I did it!”

“But examining my conscience… I did not fail to consider this Ghost-Faced Prince’s safety!” Xiao Rongyan thought Bai Qingyan had refused to see him these past days because she was angry. “Now the Ghost-Faced Prince has already taken control of all the Rong Di. Who the Rong Di King can see… whose voice he can hear, all of this is under this Ghost-Faced Prince’s control. You are confused by concern and overly worried. You should trust the abilities of Bai family members.”

“Moreover, telling this matter to Western Liang’s Prince Yan Li Zhijie will either… force Western Liang to submit to Yan State, or force Western Liang to submit to Great Zhou. This will accelerate the pace of world unification. Even if it doesn’t succeed… It’s still worth trying. It’s not too late to fight afterward.” Xiao Rongyan spoke calmly.

Bai Qingyan set down her teacup: “I haven’t seen you these past days, not because I was angry. As Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, it’s beyond reproach for you to do things beneficial to Yan State! As Great Zhou’s Female Emperor, I naturally also need to calm down and change my strategy toward Yan, thinking about what kind of Yan strategy would benefit my Great Zhou! Please sit first… let’s talk, in our capacities as Great Zhou’s Female Emperor and Great Yan’s Ninth Prince.”

Xiao Rongyan saw that Bai Qingyan’s clear black and white eyes were calm and peaceful, with no personal feelings mixed in her gaze.

Bai Qingyan always meant what she said. Xiao Rongyan also felt this matter needed to be discussed thoroughly with Bai Qingyan, so he nodded: “I have the same intention…”

“Then please, Ninth Prince, take a seat first, and let us discuss this in detail.” Bai Qingyan said.

Xiao Rongyan nodded with a smile, then sat down in the seat below Bai Qingyan.