Chapter 1001: Chapter 996: Going Home
Seeing the Empress of Xiliang with a grim expression, Bai Qingqi pursed his lips and said, “If that’s the case, then the people of Xiliang are also my Zhou people, and Zhou can endure the past actions against my Bai family children and my seventeenth brother by Yun Poxing.”
Li Tianjiao clenched the armrest tightly, slowly stood up, and glanced coldly at Bai Qingqi: “Fool’s dream…”
“If Your Majesty says so, then… this envoy will have to pack up and return to Zhou.” Bai Qingqi also stood up.
“Do you think… you can leave?” Li Tianjiao’s eyes were dark.
Upon hearing this, a faint smile played at the corners of Bai Qingqi’s otherwise apathetic face: “If this envoy cannot leave, I’m afraid King Yan of Xiliang can’t return from Zhou either. Oh… the Empress can also send someone to Tonggu Mountain to probe the movements of the Zhou army, to see if they are already pressing towards the border.”
Li Tianjiao instantly exuded a murderous aura, turning to look at Bai Qingqi.
“Will Rong move upon seeing Zhou’s move?” Bai Qingqi analyzed candidly to Li Tianjiao, “Your Majesty, this envoy believes… Xiliang currently has no choice, surrounded by enemies! After losing all its elite troops in the Southern border battlefield, how can sparsely populated Xiliang rally a force that can both attack victoriously and defend staunchly? The Huoyun Army is brave, but after all, it is trained in imitation of the Bai family’s Huying Camp. Coming face to face with the soldiers of the Huying Camp, they are utterly vulnerable!”
Bai Qingqi moved, walking to the Empress of Xiliang: “And previously, the Eight Great Families suffered heavy losses on the Southern border battlefield. If there is war, they would definitely discuss going to war while preserving their own strength. Can your Xiliang army really join forces to fight? And after Zhou swallowed up Daliang, its military strength grew strong, and with the Empress of Zhou who came from a military family as the emperor, the new laws pushed forward are naturally beneficial to the soldiers. Now the people are eagerly enlisting, and the soldiers are eager to fight, aiming to earn military merits and ranks. Your Majesty… does Xiliang dare to fight?”
Li Tianjiao ground his molars hard.
Bai Qingqi hit the nail on the head with every word, and previously Li Tianjiao had received the new laws sent back by Zhou via fast horse by a secret agent. At that time, Li Tianjiao sighed… Bai Qingyan truly lived up to being from a military family and a master at fighting, for the new laws she pushed indeed motivated the soldiers to fight bravely for merit.
Bai Qingqi made a deep bow to Li Tianjiao: “This envoy does not intend to criticize Xiliang here, but Your Majesty should think carefully; Xiliang now is the coveted prey of Yan, Rong, and Zhou. Even if Your Majesty has outstanding abilities, the Eight Great Families are like the sore in the bone of Xiliang, and Xiliang is already in dire straits. Your Majesty, saving it is easier said than done.”
Li Tianjiao’s eyes trembled slightly, knowing full well that the pressure had been so great she could not sleep day or night.
Xiliang absolutely cannot submit and pay tribute, and now neither Zhou’s envoy nor Cui Fengnian can be detained.
“If Xiliang doesn’t submit and pay tribute, will Zhou attack Xiliang?” Li Tianjiao asked.
“To not deceive Your Majesty, if they do not submit and pay tribute, even if Zhou takes the cities and alliances are signed, once Rong disperses Xiliang’s forces, and when Yan Kingdom attacks Xiliang, Zhou will surely not stand by and watch. At that time… even if Xiliang wants to submit, it will be too late.” Bai Qingqi said.
“Rong… and Zhou, aren’t they all one family! That masked Prince, isn’t he a Bai family member?” Li Tianjiao laughed coldly.
Bai Jintong was stunned, and Bai Qingqi was also caught off guard, quite surprised…
Li Tianjiao noticed that Bai Qingqi’s expression did not seem to know, and doubts grew in her heart regarding the news sent back by Li Zhijie. In the letter… Li Zhijie said that Yan’s Ninth Prince had told him the masked Prince of Rong was a Bai family member, but this Zhou envoy Bai Qingqi was also a Bai family member, and he seemed to be hearing this for the first time.
When a person first hears a piece of news, their expression and gaze for that moment cannot lie.
Bai Qingqi thought of the day his eldest sister ascended the throne; he expressed regret to his sister for not protecting A Yu, but his sister said A Yu was still alive, just not able to return yet.
At the time, Bai Qingqi had not seriously paid attention to that masked Prince, but now recalling it, there seemed to be a slight resemblance.
But, since his eldest sister said… A Yu could not return right now, it mattered not whether the masked Prince was him, Bai Qingqi could not admit it.
“This envoy also hopes this masked Prince is a Bai family member! More than Your Majesty does!” Bai Qingqi raised his eyes and looked steadily at Li Tianjiao.
“But this is pure nonsense. Now the masked Prince controls all of Rong! Rong’s custom… has always been that the strong are respected. By rights, this masked Prince can easily replace King of Rong! If this masked Prince is a Bai family member, he should assume kingship and bring Rong in line with Zhou. Even if he does not align with Zhou… assuming kingship himself setting a foundation for future return to Zhou would not be bad, wouldn’t it?” Bai Qingqi knitted his brow, “No one hopes more than Bai family members for more of Bai family children to return. When Bai family members see the decrees proclaiming across the lands as Zhou’s Empress ascended the throne, who can hold back from returning to Dadu City…”
After finishing his words, Bai Qingqi added: “This envoy will remain in Yunjing for one more day. If the Empress is willing to submit and pay tribute, then all will be joyful; if not… this envoy will relay the Empress’s intentions to our emperor after returning to Zhou.”
Li Tianjiao gave Bai Qingqi a deep glance, then stepped towards the exit of the hall, voice firm: “Honored envoy need not wait, Xiliang will absolutely not pay tribute or submit.”
The sun was dazzling, but Li Tianjiao’s complexion looked very poor.
The conditions offered by Yan also involved paying tribute and submission, and Zhou’s terms were likewise paying tribute and submission. Xiliang could choose either to submit to Zhou or Xiliang, as if there was no path but submission left for Xiliang?
Watching Li Tianjiao leave, Bai Jintong grabbed Bai Qingqi’s sleeve: “Third Brother, is it true?! The masked Prince of Rong… is a Bai family member? Who is it?!”
Bai Qingqi dared not be sure at the moment, then said: “Perhaps… it’s A Yu. Eldest Young Lady said A Yu is still alive, just currently unable to return. The Empress of Xiliang must have received some kind of news, she would never strike blindly.”
He turned his head to look at Bai Jintong, could not help grasping his side garment tightly: “If the masked Prince is indeed a Bai family child, it should be A Yu!”
Bai Jintong bit her lip tightly, wanting to smile but her expression looked worse than crying, Fifth Brother is still alive… that’s wonderful!
Such surprises, Bai Jintong did not mind at all, she even hoped all Bai family members could return!
“Pack up!!” Bai Qingqi, watching Bai Jintong’s difficult-to-contain emotions, raised his hand to stroke her hair top, smiled and said, “Let’s go home…”
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Bai Qingyan wanted to establish schools, and Dadu City, as the capital, first set up a women’s school.