Chapter 949 - 945: Assassination
Bai Qingyan, being a woman who ascended the throne and introducing new policies domestically, most feared instability in the royal court.
Yun Tianao observed Bai Qingyan remaining unmoved by the offer of cities, his hands constantly trembling. He closed his eyes, recalling the Bai family’s seventeenth son, who was only ten years old when he died. That child sang the Bai family army song even in such a dire situation. How could he lose to a ten-year-old child?!
Yun Tianao took a deep breath and stood up...
"Sit down! How dare you be so presumptuous in the presence of the Empress of Zhou!" Li Zhijie’s face changed dramatically, and he pressed Yun Tianao’s shoulder, forcing him back down.
Yun Tianao looked up at Li Zhijie, who averted his gaze, still smiling as he looked at Bai Qingyan and released Yun Tianao’s shoulder, saying to Bai Qingyan, "On the battlefield, swords and knives have no eyes. General Yun’s actions were indeed excessive, but in the war between two countries, the outcome is judged, not the means. Your Majesty, as a general who fought and killed in wars, should understand this principle."
"Nonsense!" Bai Jinzhao said coldly, "Our Bai family, even if deceit in warfare is acceptable, never uses such outrageous means. Every enemy general and opponent is respected by our Bai family! Yun Poxing’s actions... don’t even count as human, let alone a general? It’s an insult to the word ’general.’"
Bai Qingyan raised a hand to signal Bai Jinzhao to calm down, just as Liu Rushi stood up holding the state letter with a smile, saying, "If it’s for an apology, Your Majesty... I believe our Zhou could accept these eighteen cities! As for alliances... it depends on Xiliang’s sincerity."
Liu Rushi held up the Xiliang state letter with one hand, smiling at Li Zhijie: "I’ve heard the Rong seem to intend to attack Xiliang and have already signed an alliance with the Yan Kingdom, with Yan staying out of the Xiliang-Rong war and merely observing! When Xiliang presented eighteen cities upon my king’s ascendance, they understood the alliance between Rong and Yan was set, and an attack on Xiliang was inevitable! Coincidentally, my king’s three-year agreement with Yun Poxing has expired, and Xiliang fears being attacked on two fronts when the war with Rong begins, thus offering eighteen cities to dismiss Zhou. Is it not so?"
Li Zhijie turned to face Liu Rushi, nodding slightly in greeting.
Li Zhijie loathed Liu Rushi to the core, increasingly finding that Liu Rushi was not as graceful as he first appeared, but rather became detestably ugly.