Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Capítulo 1295: Chapter 1290: Target of Public Criticism

“Sister-in-law…” Xiao Rongyan lifted his head. Although his expression was calm, there was inevitably a hint of sadness in his dark eyes. “My alliance with the Emperor of Zhou was wrong from the beginning, and now let this mistake end completely. The father of those two children is the world’s richest merchant, Xiao Rongyan, and has nothing to do with me as the Regent Prince of Yan. If sister-in-law wishes well for me, let’s not bring up this matter again in the future.”

“Alright, alright! Sister-in-law won’t mention it, won’t mention it anymore!” The Empress Dowager Yan replied repeatedly, “A Yan doesn’t want it, and if you don’t like Meng Zhaorong, later on… sister-in-law will definitely find you a quiet princess.”

“This matter shall be discussed later!” Xiao Rongyan said.

Hearing Xiao Rongyan speak this way, the Empress Dowager Yan felt somewhat relieved yet couldn’t help but worry about Murong Li. She frowned tightly, clutching her handkerchief, and after a while said to Xiao Rongyan, “Ah Li did make a terrible mistake this time, but today, after careful consideration, it seems… there’s no better solution to our Yan Kingdom’s predicament! A Yan, do you agree?”

Xiao Rongyan turned to look at the Empress Dowager Yan: “Sister-in-law, does this mean… Ah Li has convinced you?”

The Empress Dowager Yan tightly clutched her handkerchief, pretending to be at ease, and wiped the sweat from her palms with it: “It wasn’t Ah Li who convinced me, but I simply couldn’t think of a better way! Yan’s main force is now blocked in Yunjing by Zhou, and the Zhou army is at my Yan Kingdom’s border, ready to march into Yan’s capital anytime!”

This thought terrified her deeply, and unable to resist, she dabbed her tears with her handkerchief, then looked at Xiao Rongyan: “By then, if Xie Xun’s main force can’t return, and the Zhou army approaches Yan’s capital, A Yan… I don’t want to face your brother after my death and admit I couldn’t protect his empire! As long as the Emperor of Zhou agrees to Ah Li’s plan, it might not only give our Yan Kingdom a chance at survival but also possibly fulfill the wishes of your mother and brother for a unified world!”

“Sister-in-law…” Xiao Rongyan frowned tightly, clearly disagreeing, “Since Zhou won both Daliang and Rong, their soldiers have become much stronger, well-armed and well-trained! Zhou’s… Emperor, is ambitious and aims to unify the world. Even if they agree to Ah Li’s plan, our Yan Kingdom has only recently regained Nanyan and is weak in foundation; whether in three or five years… it’s uncertain if we can match Zhou.”

“A Yan, don’t you have confidence in the political strategies left by your mother?” The Empress Dowager Yan asked Xiao Rongyan as taught by her brother Zhong Xingxiao, “Do you believe our Yan Kingdom’s national policies are bound to lose to Zhou’s?”

Sure enough, seeing Xiao Rongyan stunned at her words, she hurriedly continued: “I’ve roughly reviewed Zhou’s new policies, and many were once tested by our mother in Yan but couldn’t be implemented, all of which failed. I believe Zhou won’t be an exception; even our great mother couldn’t succeed in those endeavors, so I don’t believe the Emperor of Zhou could either!”

Xiao Rongyan lowered his gaze, lifting his garment hem as he crossed his legs, tapping the armrest of the chair slowly, likely indicating his sister-in-law’s brother had taught him.

Seeing Xiao Rongyan silent, seemingly contemplative, the Empress Dowager Yan adjusted her posture to face Xiao Rongyan, gazing at his sharply defined side profile, choking back a low voice: “Ah Li’s plan, sister-in-law knows, is meant to protect me as a mother! Sister-in-law also feared, that after defeating Xiliang, Zhou would turn to attack our Yan Kingdom, with Zhou’s numerous soldiers and generals, sister-in-law hoped to grasp the Emperor of Zhou’s weak spot, at least to protect our Yan Kingdom. Unexpectedly… it led to disaster, delivering a leverage directly into Zhou’s hands, allowing Zhou to deploy troops rightfully, it’s sister-in-law’s fault to Yan Kingdom.”

Xiao Rongyan did not lift his head, listening to the gradually intensifying patter of rain outside, lowered his gaze and took out the white jade swan hairpin from his sleeve to play with, realizing his sister-in-law still didn’t understand her true mistake.

“Sister-in-law… your mistake was in brandishing a weapon against Zhou first when our Yan Kingdom’s alliance with Zhou had not yet dissolved!” He remained unmoving but spoke in a calm voice, “Once Xiliang is defeated, Zhou and Yan will be two confronting nations, and being ally nations, whoever raises a weapon first will become the target of all!”

“Not to mention… the Bai family’s sons are of a disposition to prefer suicide over becoming a burden to their family or country!” Xiao Rongyan sighed subtly, “Sister-in-law must have forgotten your awe when you heard Vice Commander Bai Qishan of the Bai family shot the fifth son, and when you heard the Bai family’s seventeenth son shouted to kill him before his death, unwilling to be a burden, singing the Bai family’s military anthem as he met his end, marveled at the ten-year-old’s courage, truly making the Bai family army invincible!” The source of thɪs content is novel※fire.net

“So, even if sister-in-law captured the Emperor of Zhou’s siblings, all you’d have is a corpse, unable to leverage any restraint from the Emperor, but rather trigger a fierce retaliation!” His voice paused, his throat tight before speaking hoarsely, “The Emperor of Zhou, she… abandoned her newly born child for her siblings, sister-in-law should understand… if you truly obtained the Bai family’s corpse, Zhou would spare no effort to annihilate Yan Kingdom.”

The Empress Dowager Yan tightened her grip on the handkerchief.

He turned towards the tearful Empress Dowager Yan: “Actually, A Yan knows sister-in-law did this not only to restrain the Emperor of Zhou but more importantly… wishing to see A Yan break with the Emperor of Zhou, sister-in-law still doesn’t trust A Yan.”

The Empress Dowager Yan’s expression changed abruptly, not expecting her thoughts to be so easily seen through by Xiao Rongyan.

Her eyes darted around, itching to deny it anxiously, but she swallowed the lie back down, lowering her gaze to her handkerchief, tears streaming down as she spoke softly: “Yes, sister-in-law indeed harbored such thoughts! Yet A Yan… in all fairness, you were willing to abandon Yunjing to go to Jiangzi City to save her, wouldn’t you forsake Yan Kingdom someday? After your brother passed, sister-in-law and Ah Li only have you to rely on, essentially… sister-in-law and Ah Li entrusted the entire Yan Kingdom to you, truly fearing you’d be overwhelmed by emotions, handing our Yan Kingdom over to Bai Qingyan!”

Silence enveloped the main hall.

A gust of wind bearing the moisture of rain surged in from beyond the open carved flower partition, causing the silk drapes in the main hall to sway, the candlelight dimmed before brightening once more.