Not understanding the reason for the emperor’s fury, Qin Yining hesitated slightly before picking up the letter.

On the envelope were the six characters “For the Personal Reading of the Yan Dynasty Emperor.”

Each horizontal stroke of the calligraphy curved slightly upward, with the structure perfectly balanced and extremely beautiful. The strokes were as graceful as swimming dragons with iron brush and silver hooks, displaying the writer’s casual elegance and arrogance. Without question, this was Pang Xiao’s own handwriting.

Qin Yining then unfolded the letter inside.

Upon seeing the contents, she nearly burst into laughter.

The letter contained only sixteen characters: “At sunset, return the person, otherwise we attack the city – bear the consequences yourself!”

The signature was an arrogant single character “Pang,” along with Prince Zhongshun’s official seal and Pang Xiao’s personal stamp.

Though called a letter, the content was so concise, yet the seals were used without restraint – one large red official seal and one small personal stamp nearly covered the entire letter!

Especially that final phrase “bear the consequences yourself” – it was arrogant to the bone and displayed complete contempt for Yuchi Yan.

No wonder Yuchi Yan would be furious – his face was practically swollen from being slapped!

If Pang Xiao attacked the city, what would Yuchi Yan use to defend it?

Duke Anguo had already led all the military generals and most of the civil officials in signing surrender pledges. As long as Pang Xiao attacked the city, they would definitely open the gates wide. At that point, Yuchi Yan probably wouldn’t even have a chance to surrender!

Because given the current situation, Pang Xiao had absolutely no need for his surrender.

Whether Yuchi Yan surrendered or not had no impact whatsoever on Pang Xiao’s ability to completely crush the Great Yan.

Qin Yining pressed her lips together, put the letter away, and presented it with both hands raised.

Yuchi Yan refused to take it and sneered, “Are you pleased?”

“Pleased? My country is about to cease existing – what do I have to be pleased about? Rather, Your Majesty, do you know what you’re saying?”

Since Yuchi Yan wouldn’t take it, Qin Yining simply lowered her raised hands and casually placed the letter on the nearby table.

“Your Majesty just said that you knew I was kidnapped by Duke Anguo to use me to lure Prince Zhongshun into a trap?”

Though Yuchi Yan was filled with rage, hearing Qin Yining ask him so directly made him feel somewhat guilty. After all, he was the one who had repeatedly professed to like her, yet he had allowed her to be kidnapped and used as bait.

Yuchi Yan didn’t answer.

Qin Yining continued, “Does Your Majesty know what Duke Anguo’s scheme was? After luring Prince Zhongshun here and killing him, he planned to bestow me upon his personal guards and soldiers for their amusement, then frame my father for Prince Zhongshun’s death!”

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Yan was greatly shocked and slowly crouched down to be at eye level with Qin Yining.

Knowing that Yuchi Yan couldn’t understand these intricacies, Qin Yining continued:

“When I was kidnapped and put in the carriage, I woke up immediately but pretended to remain unconscious. I heard every word Duke Anguo and his advisors said clearly. Duke Anguo had long been in contact with secret envoys from Great Zhou. That person promised Duke Anguo that as long as he cooperated with the Zhou army from within, all surrendering officials would be guaranteed to retain their positions even on Zhou territory.

“Duke Anguo said that my father already overshadowed him in our Great Yan dynasty. Once Prince Zhongshun was killed by my father, when we all surrender and the officials go to Great Zhou, the Zhou emperor would certainly punish my father. He planned to eliminate both political enemies – Prince Zhongshun and my father – before the army even departed.

“Your Majesty, did you know about Duke Anguo’s such intricate calculations?”

This final question struck Yuchi Yan’s heart like Pang Xiao’s “bear the consequences yourself,” causing his body and mind to tremble violently as he fell back onto the ground.

“Ha, haha!” Yuchi Yan looked up mournfully, both crying and laughing. “These are my ministers! Useless at defending the city, but when it comes to playing power games and scheming conspiracies, they’re second to none – they even calculated me into their plans! Amusing, truly amusing! With so many such ministers, this country’s destruction is well-deserved, and I deserve to be this ruined emperor! Haha!”

Qin Yining knelt on the ground, watching Yuchi Yan crying and laughing as he sat on the floor, his dragon robes covered in dust without a care, and her heart felt heavy.

Who would willingly come to this point?

But the deep-rooted ailments of the Yan dynasty weren’t formed in just a day or two, and they had been corrupted for decades under the Great Emperor’s manipulations. Honestly, even if Yuchi Yan had been a diligent and capable emperor, the Yan dynasty could only have lingered on a bit longer.

Yuchi Yan truly lacked talent in this area. He had the will but not the ability, though he had already done his best.

“Your Majesty…” Qin Yining sighed, wanting to offer comfort but not knowing what to say.

Yuchi Yan sat dazedly for a while, then suddenly scrambled to his feet. Looking somewhat embarrassed but very polite, he said, “Please rise. This time I was mistaken. After learning of Duke Anguo’s actions, I wanted to go along with the scheme, so I kept Grand Tutor Qin in the palace to keep me company.”

At this point, as if afraid Qin Yining would misunderstand, Yuchi Yan quickly added, “Don’t worry, Grand Tutor Qin and I have a teacher-student relationship. I won’t harm him and will certainly protect him. In the future, when we reach Great Zhou, I may need to trouble you to put in good words for me before Prince Zhongshun.”

Qin Yining stood frozen in place, looking at Yuchi Yan’s somewhat ingratiating smile, not knowing how to react for a moment.

Finally, she could only say, “Your Majesty is truly too courteous. I won’t forget that I am a person of the Yan dynasty. I also know that everything Your Majesty has done has been for the common people of the capital, not for yourself.”

Hearing this, Yuchi Yan’s tears nearly fell.

After looking at Qin Yining once more, Yuchi Yan patted the dust from his dragon robes, wiped his face, and restored his earlier demeanor. He went outside and commanded loudly, “Someone, prepare a carriage.”

Soon, someone brought a board cart pulled by a mule. There was no carriage compartment on top, so whoever sat on it would be clearly visible.

Yuchi Yan instructed Bingtang, who had already been untied, “You serve your young lady and go together.”

Then he ordered a young eunuch, “You, drive the cart and escort Miss Qin to the other side.”

The young eunuch was so frightened he nearly cried, trembling as he reluctantly agreed.

Qin Yining looked at Yuchi Yan in surprise.

She hadn’t expected that Yuchi Yan would directly send her to Pang Xiao’s military camp!

Pang Xiao’s letter had said to return the person, meaning to return her to the Qin family, but he hadn’t asked for this!

After a moment’s thought, Qin Yining understood.

Yuchi Yan was trying to curry favor with Pang Xiao.

This was simply… she didn’t know what to say.

Qin Yining and Bingtang got onto the board cart. The young eunuch took the whip and, with a bitter expression, drove the cart out of the city, across a wide open space, heading toward the Great Zhou military camp on the other side.

Yuchi Yan watched the city gates open and close, watching the board cart grow more and more distant, his heart a mixture of complex emotions, with the resentment in his eyes finally replaced by helplessness.

Looking again at Duke Anguo and the others standing with hands at their sides, Yuchi Yan didn’t know how to deal with them.

All the military men had turned traitor. If he ordered Duke Anguo’s punishment now, he’d probably lose his own life!

Forget it, forget it. Let’s focus on staying alive first.

Yuchi Yan could only return to the palace with his eunuchs.

Meanwhile, in the Huben Army camp, someone quickly ran to report to Pang Xiao: “Your Highness, a mule cart is coming from the other side with two pretty young ladies on it.”

Pang Xiao’s face lit up with joy as he dropped his book and rushed out.