Princess Hanyue pouted. “How do you know?” From her standpoint, she wished Yun Ya dead, after all, he was the true murderer of her husband. But Jiao territory now belonged to New Xia, and her close friend, the Queen of New Xia, was in love with Yun Ya—this calculation became increasingly confusing.

“If Yun Ya were dead, Wei Kingdom would immediately have a new State Preceptor in position,” Feng Miaojun replied calmly. “We’re in wartime, and the opponent is Yan Kingdom. How could the King of Wei allow elemental power to be absent?”

Princess Hanyue let out a long “Oh,” thinking that made sense.

But Feng Miaojun understood that Yun Ya’s current situation was special. Setting aside whether Xiao Yan could find someone else to replace the position of State Preceptor, the transfer of elemental power only had two paths: either through the State Preceptor abdicating or dying, causing the sacred vessel to return to the ancestral temple, or a new person defeating the old State Preceptor and successfully taking the position. But with Yun Ya currently in a coma, neither method was applicable. Xiao Yan couldn’t bring himself to kill him, so he could only maintain this stalemate for now.

“Will you send troops to help the Wei Kingdom?” Princess Hanyue asked, unknowingly voicing what was on many people’s minds. After all, New Xia and Yan Kingdom were already at odds. If the Wei Kingdom were crushed, New Xia would immediately feel the threat. Ordinary people might cling to notions of right and wrong or grudges, but those in power only considered gains and losses.

“There are many ways to aid the Wei Kingdom. Sending troops is the least desirable option,” Feng Miaojun smiled slightly. “The turning point I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.”

Princess Hanyue didn’t understand. “What turning point?”

Just as she spoke, Miao Hansheng came running back excitedly with a large watermelon. “Mother, this is for you!”

The melon was so big he could barely wrap his arms around it, weighing at least forty jin by sight. Princess Hanyue laughed in surprise. “Has my son become so strong?” She tried to take out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat but found her son’s forehead dry, his face not even flushed.

Miao Hansheng was just over ten years old this year, yet his strength exceeded that of an adult man. His aptitude for cultivation had been tested and found to be quite good. Feng Miaojun had arranged excellent teachers for him, who guided him attentively.

With this interruption, Princess Hanyue forgot the topic. Feng Miaojun didn’t remind her, rising to her feet instead. “I still have official matters to attend to, so I’ll return to the palace first. Take your time enjoying yourselves.” By her calculation, the time was about right.

Half a month later, in the dead of night, Xiao Yan once again communicated through the red-headed parrot.

He was direct from the start: “Can you wake Yun Ya?”

“I can try,” Feng Miaojun answered honestly.

“You…” Was he being asked to take a huge risk for a small probability?

“For several months, your mediocre physicians couldn’t wake him. Why not let me try?” Feng Miaojun knew she needed to show sincerity. What was negotiation if not each side taking a step back and gaining something? So she continued, “Rest assured, whether or not I can wake him, New Xia will subsequently take action to help you against the Yan Kingdom.”

She had finally spoken, and Xiao Yan’s full attention was immediately drawn. “You’re willing to send troops now?”

“You understand, I need a suitable reason to justify New Xia aiding Wei.” Feng Miaojun kept him in suspense. “When the time comes, I’ll need your cooperation.”

If she was willing to send troops, everything could be negotiated. Xiao Yan agreed, and next, they had to discuss the meeting location—Xiao Yan decided to go personally.

Choosing a location within Wei Kingdom’s borders, Feng Miaojun would certainly refuse; choosing within New Xia’s territory, Xiao Yan would not agree. Both sides were concerned for their own safety and wary of each other.

A small country at the southern border between Wei and Xia might be an option, but it was too close to the Wei-Yan front line and too far to travel, risking unexpected variables.

So Feng Miaojun proposed: “Why not meet at Tingyuan Town?”

Tingyuan Town? Xiao Yan was quite unfamiliar with this name. Feng Miaojun smiled. “That’s former An Xia territory, now belonging to Wei, located at the northern line of the Wei-Xia border, near the Yellow Pine Forest. The place is remote, with few people, very suitable for our meeting.”

Xiao Yan immediately understood.

When the Fu Lingchuan siblings established New Xia, they inherited An Xia’s territory, but the actual territory was smaller than the former An Xia country. Specifically, some former territories at the edges of the map had not been reclaimed, such as the seven provinces in the northwest of An Xia, still occupied by the Wei Kingdom.

Tingyuan Town was in the easternmost part of the seven provinces, adjacent to the border between Wei and Xia.

Since this location was still within Wei territory, Xiao Yan naturally had no objections. For Feng Miaojun, it was originally An Xia land, and those living in Tingyuan Town were An Xia people, giving a sense of geographical closeness.

Most importantly, this place wasn’t far from the Wei capital, just a thousand li apart. On this vast continent, distances of two or three thousand li weren’t significant for cultivators.

After agreeing on a meeting date, Feng Miaojun smiled and said, “I’ll go ahead and await Your Majesty at Tingyuan Town.” A ruler’s every move was bound to attract attention. During a war between two powers, for Xiao Yan to suddenly leave state affairs and travel to a small border town a thousand li away was itself a huge risk. “I heard Lu Ming was attacked. How is he now?”

She had just received news that Lu Ming had been attacked in the dead of night, and his partner had unfortunately died.

Feng Miaojun knew that Lu Ming had been by Yun Ya’s side since childhood, making vengeance from enemies unlikely. He also lived near the royal palace, where the guard force was much stronger than elsewhere in the capital. Whoever could wound him must be a first-rate expert and most likely sent by the King of Yan. After all, with Yun Ya’s whereabouts unknown, only confidants like Lu Ming would know.

The King of Yan was eager for intelligence, which would help decide the Yan Kingdom’s next attack strategy.

“He was injured but not fatally. The assassin was also captured,” Xiao Yan said grimly. “Playing tricks on my territory—the King of Yan is too naive!”

“You should be careful too,” Feng Miaojun immediately expressed concern. “Deliver Yun Ya to me safely.” The old King of Wei had been killed by a traitor, so Xiao Yan’s investigations of spies and assassins were the most rigorous, far exceeding other countries on the continent. No wonder the King of Yan’s attempt on his turf had failed.

He snorted and disconnected.

Hopefully, this journey will go smoothly. If there were a second choice, he would never want to deal with this viper of a woman.

The Queen and the King of Wei had a private conversation, with only Chen Dachang listening. After the red-headed parrot fell silent, he saw the Queen’s smile grow increasingly radiant until she finally slapped the table forcefully: “It’s done!”

“Congratulations, Your Majesty.” He naturally understood how long Feng Miaojun had planned for this chess move, and it was also thanks to her rock-solid determination. If it were any other woman who knew her beloved was lying on the brink of death a thousand li away and couldn’t see him, wouldn’t she be in tears all day? How could anyone else remain as calm as her, navigating countless state affairs and court officials daily?

Feng Miaojun smiled like a flower, feeling that she hadn’t breathed this freely for months. “We leave tomorrow. Come with me.”

“Yes.” Chen Dachang also sighed in relief. “I thought the Queen would wait longer before negotiating with the King of Wei.”