Chapter 1000: Chapter 995: Just Tribute
The Empress of Xiliang suddenly arrives in casual attire at the posthouse. She dismounts and hasn’t yet stepped through the main entrance when the head of the Imperial Guards hastily reports that King Yan, Li Zhijie, has sent back new information from Dadu City.
Li Tianjiao halts her steps at the words and stands at the posthouse entrance, reaching out to receive the wax-sealed message tube from the head of the Imperial Guards.
She opens the tube, tips out two thin pieces of parchment, tosses the tube back to the head of the Imperial Guards, and stands at the posthouse entrance to read intently.
After reading the message, Li Tianjiao takes a long time to regain her composure. The head of the Imperial Guards, observing the Empress’s expression, cautiously asks, "Your Majesty... has something happened to King Yan?"
She shuts her eyes momentarily, refolds the message carefully, clenches it firmly in her hand, places it at her heart, doesn’t respond, and turns to step into the posthouse.
Li Tianjiao is dressed in a simple outfit with narrow sleeves, wearing a white jade crown, and walks with her hands behind her back. Even dressed like a handsome young man from an ordinary family, she cannot hide her overwhelming aura.
As she arrives outside the main hall, Bai Qingqi and Bai Jintong are already standing at the door to greet her. Although Bai Qingqi’s temples are graying, it does not detract from his striking appearance. His eyebrows are serene, his demeanor indescribably graceful and profound.
Upon seeing Bai Jintong standing one step behind Bai Qingqi, she quickly bends in a long bow and greets, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
She pauses her steps, glances at Bai Jintong, and then at Bai Qingqi, wondering whether Bai Qingqi already knows that Cui Fengnian is a woman.
Bai Qingqi adjusts his sleeve and then greets Li Tianjiao, "I apologize for failing to welcome Your Majesty properly... Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Li Tianjiao presses her lips together tightly, steps onto the higher ground, and strides straight into the hall.
Only then does Bai Qingqi stand upright, exchange a glance with Bai Jintong, and follow the Empress of Xiliang into the main hall.
Li Tianjiao sits down swiftly and decisively, "Sit down!"
Bai Qingqi and Bai Jintong respond and sit down after her.
Li Tianjiao’s gaze shifts between Bai Jintong and Bai Qingqi. After a while, she speaks, "Today, I came alone to ask a question..."
"Your Majesty may ask freely." Bai Qingqi nods with calmness.
"Gongxing, you and I can call each other friends. Today, I want to ask you whether you’re a spy sent by the Jin Kingdom..." Li Tianjiao smiles slightly, her eyes cast down, lifting her robe’s hem and crossing her legs elegantly. Her elbow rests on the chair’s armrest as she raises her eyes to Bai Jintong with a hidden intent to kill, "Or are you a spy sent in advance by the Empress of Zhou?"
Li Tianjiao uses "I" instead of "We."
Bai Jintong rises and bows to Li Tianjiao, "Your Majesty, Cui is merely a merchant!"
Li Tianjiao looks at Bai Jintong, smiling without saying a word, then asks Bai Qingqi, "Does the envoy from Zhou know Cui Fengnian is a woman?"
Bai Qingqi nods slightly, "Last night, Gongxing personally informed me. After all, the world is unfair to women; it’s inconvenient for women to travel outside, which is understandable."
"Indeed, I forgot..." Li Tianjiao chuckled softly, "A hundred years of the Bai family’s generals have never underestimated women. Otherwise... how could the Empress of Zhou, such a figure, emerge, undefeated and unfazed on the battlefield?"
As a fellow woman, Li Tianjiao knows about Bai family affairs in the Jin Kingdom; therefore, she greatly admires Bai Qingyan, who pushed the Bai family from the brink to its current position.
When it comes to implementing new policies, resistance in Zhou is indeed less than in Xiliang.
"I also want to ask the envoy from Zhou if he knows about the fire at the Eight Great Families’ granaries?" Li Tianjiao asks again.
Bai Qingqi nods, "Last night, my subordinate reported it. What I know is that only the Yun family and Zhai family’s granaries caught fire, which is why I kept Gongxing at the posthouse."
"So, was the fire really set by Cui Fengnian?" Li Tianjiao looks at Bai Jintong.
"Your Majesty..." Bai Jintong bows again to Li Tianjiao, "My subordinate has been dealing mostly with the Yun family and Zhai family, so he knows the granary locations. Having helped transport grain before, yesterday they assisted because the Yun family was short-handed, and stayed to have a drink with the servants guarding the granary. Just when they were leaving, the Yun family’s granary caught fire. They had insufficient manpower... The granary was doused with strong flammable oil, so they sought help from the nearby Zhai family’s granary. Who knew that their granary was also ablaze? Sensing something wrong, they reported immediately."
Bai Qingqi nods along, "We were feasting then, with a few nobles from Yunjing present. Your Majesty can inquire. Later, news of the Eight Great Families’ granaries catching fire spread into the city. Gongxing feared being implicated, feeling anxious. Considering he is now one of Zhou’s citizens, as Zhou’s envoy, I can’t just watch a diligent businessman from Zhou get implicated, so I decided to keep Gongxing here."
Li Tianjiao’s eyes narrow, her smile growing colder, "So, the envoy from Zhou intends to protect Cui Fengnian?"
"That’s natural!" Bai Qingqi’s voice is unwavering, detached yet resolute, "If Your Majesty knows about the Bai family and Bai Family Army, you should understand... Our Empress of Zhou overthrew the Jin Dynasty and ascended the throne to protect the people of Zhou. Bai Family Army fought far and wide to shield the citizens! Therefore... not one citizen of Zhou should suffer foreign oppression."
Bai Qingqi’s words carry a hint of threat; if Xiliang dares harm Cui Fengnian, Zhou will not let it slide.
Li Tianjiao chuckled softly, "Good... very well! Cui Fengnian can be taken away by Zhou. Can the alliance between Zhou and Xiliang be established?"
Li Tianjiao implies that if the alliance cannot be formed and Zhou insists on war, neither Cui Fengnian nor Bai Qingqi will be able to leave.
Now, facing imminent danger, Li Tianjiao is ready to make her final move, even if it ends in defeat... she’ll accept it.
"The Empress of Zhou also intends to forge an alliance, depending on what sincerity Xiliang offers..." Bai Qingqi’s voice remains indifferent.
"Twenty-five cities..."
"Your Majesty, I believe it would be most prudent for Xiliang to submit and pay tribute to Zhou. After all, with the Rong eyeing closely, Yan is waiting for the three-year period with Rong to end, then will pounce. Can Xiliang resist? Inevitably, it’s bound to be divided and consumed," Bai Qingqi states.
Li Tianjiao’s palm clenches tightly, her fury surging to her crown. She forcibly suppresses her anger, unable to control her expression, "How is that different from destroying Xiliang?"
"The difference is that Xiliang can still be governed by Your Majesty. It’s merely submitting and paying tribute, and thus sparing the citizens from warfare..."