The vast Mingsha Hall stood utterly empty, with only the Emperor of Xijing seated high above on the Nine Dragon Throne, glaring down disdainfully at Han Ziqing and Situ Haonan, who had come alone, boldly, into his presence!
Though beset by troubles both within and without, this old emperor still kept close watch on every development along Da Zhou’s northern frontier.
When he had first received word that Han Ziqing had arrived in Xijing, he had already anticipated that she would come to stand before him!
Casting a cold, appraising look over Han Ziqing and Situ Haonan, the Emperor of Xijing suddenly burst into cold laughter. “The two of you—well, well, how very bold of you! One of you abducted my daughter, the other caused my son’s death, and yet here you both stand before me!”
“Emperor of Xijing, didn’t you already anticipate this? I rather thought you’d welcome us.” Ziqing remained entirely composed.
“Welcome? Of course—of course I welcome you! Guards!”
The moment the Emperor of Xijing spoke, countless wild wolves surged out from every corner of the hall, glaring hungrily at Han Ziqing and Situ Haonan, as though ready to pounce at any moment and tear them to shreds!
And behind these wolves stood rank upon rank of archers, bows fully drawn, ready to loose. The Emperor of Xijing had clearly come fully prepared this time—with a show of force like this, even if it meant mutual destruction, he had no intention of letting them leave alive!
But Ziqing wouldn’t have come at all if she’d feared she couldn’t leave!
Seeing this, Situ Haonan’s face changed color slightly, but Ziqing remained utterly composed, and amid the countless arrows trained on her, she calmly walked over and took a seat.
She knew that the Emperor of Xijing allowing her to stand here at all meant he was willing to give her a chance to speak!
He was no benevolent sage of a ruler, but he was certainly no emperor who let his emotions rule him either!
Seeing Ziqing’s composure only deepened the fury in the Emperor of Xijing’s eyes. He suddenly snapped, his voice sharp. “Han Ziqing, aren’t you afraid you’ll never make it back, leaving Da Zhou’s western border leaderless?”
“Could it be that the Emperor of Xijing still has troops to spare, enough to attack my western border?” Ziqing asked with a smile, turning the question back on him.
The Emperor of Xijing drew several deep breaths before he managed to calm himself, then demanded sharply, “Where is Qianqian!”
For Han Ziqing to come at all, she must have come intending to trade using Qianqian!
Yet the moment he said this, both Ziqing and Situ Haonan were taken aback!
They had always assumed that whoever had abducted Yelu Qianqian and secretly crossed the border had been Xijing’s own people!
They never expected that, after all this time, the Emperor of Xijing would still be asking them for her!
Which meant Yelu Qianqian hadn’t been taken by Xijing’s people at all!
Could it have been Xiliang, then?
That didn’t seem right either—if it had been Xiliang, given Wanyan Lie’s temperament, he would have already proclaimed it to the entire world.
Situ Haonan and Ziqing exchanged glances. Ziqing quickly composed herself and said earnestly, “She was abducted by someone. We assumed it was someone from the imperial family!”
Ziqing spoke with blunt directness—so direct that even Situ Haonan drew in a sharp breath, frowning as he looked at her.
And the Emperor of Xijing suddenly understood as well, exploding with fury, slamming his hand down hard on the table as he rose to his feet. “What did you say! How dare you try to deceive me!”
Earlier, word had come out of Da Zhou’s western border claiming Yelu Qianqian was being held there!
That was precisely why he’d guessed Han Ziqing would come, bringing Qianqian along to trade with him!
Yet here she was, claiming she didn’t even know where Qianqian was!
The Emperor of Xijing could barely keep his footing, bracing both hands against the table, roaring furiously at Situ Haonan, “Qianqian… wasn’t Qianqian with you? Where is she!”
At this point, Situ Haonan had no choice but to tell the truth—he had to tell the truth.
“She had a change of heart. She said she wanted to return to Xijing, to personally apologize to the Crown Prince of Xiliang, to put an end to the war between Xijing and Xiliang,” Situ Haonan said flatly. “We searched everywhere, all the way to the border, and discovered she’d been taken by someone!”
There was no need to explain further—everyone present understood exactly what it would mean if Yelu Qianqian had been sent to Xiliang.
The Emperor of Xijing’s eyes, already bloodshot with fury, instantly brimmed with tears. He had always known—Qianqian was the most sensible of his children, even more sensible than Yelu Chenyi.
Taken by someone—but who?
And why, after all this time, had there been no word at all!
Given the current state of affairs, whoever had abducted Qianqian could use her to threaten Xijing—or just as easily, to threaten Da Zhou!
Who could it possibly be?
The more the Emperor of Xijing thought about it, the more anxious and furious he grew. He suddenly stepped down from his throne, striding straight up to Ziqing, roaring, “Han Ziqing, you’ve lost Qianqian—what right do you have to speak to me now! What gives you the nerve to come here at all!”
Ziqing remained seated, physically lower than him, yet not the least bit beneath him in standing. She met the Emperor of Xijing’s furious, bloodshot gaze and said, word by word, “Wherever she is, she is certainly not in Xiliang. You have only two choices. First: Princess Qianqian marries Situ Haonan, Xijing and Da Zhou join forces, and together we repel Xiliang’s army. Second: kill me and Situ Haonan, and sit here waiting for Xiliang’s cavalry to trample Mingsha Mountain flat.”
The Emperor of Xijing froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. “What a joke! What an absurd joke! Han Ziqing, it was your Da Zhou that ruined the marriage alliance between my Xijing and Xiliang, it was you and Jun Beiyue who caused the death of Xijing’s future heir to the throne—what right do you have to demand that Xijing cooperate with Da Zhou! Let me tell you this—even if Xijing falls, I will never agree to it! Give up on that hope right now! And don’t think I don’t know that all three of your western-border armies have been redeployed to the northern front! Your Da Zhou can barely protect itself as it is!”
“Rather see your nation destroyed than cooperate with Da Zhou?” Ziqing gently pushed the Emperor of Xijing back and rose to her feet. “They say that being born into the imperial family means one is never master of one’s own fate. They say that to ascend the throne is to sacrifice the small family for the greater good. Emperor of Xijing, it seems I overestimated you.”
Having said this, Ziqing gave a light smile—one laced with the sharpest mockery imaginable!
These words struck directly at the Emperor of Xijing’s dignity as a ruler. He lunged forward and seized Ziqing by the collar, looking as though he might strangle her on the spot.
Situ Haonan was about to step forward, but Ziqing raised a hand to stop him.
“Han Ziqing, once I find that wretched girl Qianqian and send her to Xiliang, I believe Wanyan Lie will find far greater satisfaction in waging war against Da Zhou, personally killing Situ Haonan and Jun Beiyue with his own hands, than in continuing to fight Xijing! His humiliation wasn’t caused by Xijing—it was caused by the two of you!” the Emperor of Xijing said coldly, tightening his grip on Ziqing’s collar.
Ziqing only smiled. “Emperor of Xijing, you would rather sacrifice your most beloved daughter, sending her off to grovel and apologize to Xijing’s enemy, than see her fulfilled and see Xijing made friends with Da Zhou?”
This, precisely, was the crux of the matter!
And it was precisely why Ziqing had dared to walk into this place alongside Situ Haonan, with nothing but the two of them, unarmed and unsupported!
Born into the imperial family, who among them didn’t carry some national grudge, some family enmity?
Xijing and Xiliang had every bit as long-standing a feud as any other. She was gambling—gambling that, given only these two choices, the Emperor of Xijing was not a man who would act rashly out of wounded pride.
The Emperor of Xijing froze. Though he still gripped Ziqing’s collar tightly, he didn’t immediately argue back.
Seeing this, Situ Haonan immediately dropped to his knees with a thud, holding up in both hands the wolf-fang pendant Qianqian had given him. “Emperor of Xijing, if you’re willing to forgive Qianqian and me, I, Situ Haonan, am willing to personally lead the army into battle, to do everything in my power to repel Xiliang’s forces, and to protect and defend Qianqian’s homeland for the rest of my life!”