Chapter 825
Having long been aware of the Wei spy lurking by Bai Qingyu’s side, he had allowed the man to remain in order to relay information to the King of Xihuai, hoping to lure the king to a meeting. But who could have foreseen… that it would attract not the King of Xihuai but the Ninth Prince of Yan.
Wang Dong, an officer in the Bai family’s army who had posed as Bai Qingyu’s guard, limped into the room with a salute. “Master, the Ninth Prince of Yan has arrived.”
“Hmm…” Bai Qingyu turned around, his fingers softly stroking the ring on his right thumb.
He walked to the side of the soft couch, lifted his robe as he sat down leisurely, and asked, “Did you get anything out of him?”
“In response, Master, the man claims… he only reports your whereabouts to the King of Xihuai and has no dealings with the Yan people! He also mentioned that the King of Xihuai is presently on his way to Xiangliang, pursued by Wei Kingdom’s assassins in Yinshan, which caused some delay. The person with whom the King kept in touch came by yesterday to instruct him… under any circumstance, to keep you in Xiangliang for a few more days. The King of Xihuai should arrive within a day or two,” Wang Dong said in a low voice. “From my judgment, he’s not lying and currently, the Yan Kingdom is in a deadly feud with Wei…”
“Human nature is unpredictable; Liu Huanzhang was from Jin, yet he harmed Jin, leading to the destruction of the Zhen Duke’s entire family,” Bai Qingyu’s voice was cold as he poured himself a cup of tea. “Send someone to investigate the King of Xihuai! Furthermore… the methods General Zhao of the Zhao family used to interrogate spies in the past could prove useful. We should be able to uncover something interesting!”
Bai Qingyu had been taught from an early age to protect the country and its people. Such teachings… led Bai Qingyu mistakenly to believe that all Jin people were like the Bai family and would never betray their homeland.
Liu Huanzhang had taught Bai Qingyu a lesson, but… the cost was too great, nearly wiping out the entire Bai Clan.
“Yes!” Wang Dong saluted, and just as he was about to leave, Bai Qingyu called him back.
“Wait a moment…”
“Anything else, Master?” Wang Dong asked.
Bai Qingyu gazed intently at the clear tea in his cup and spoke slowly, “In a moment, ask this Ninth Prince of Yan what his relationship is with Xiao Rongyan.”
Wang Dong was taken aback, nodded in acknowledgment, and then shut the door tightly behind him on his way out.
This time, Bai Qingyu did not plan to meet the Ninth Prince of Yan in person. Instead, he sent one of his men wearing a mask to meet the prince in the room next door.
Since Murong Yan, the Ninth Prince of Yan, had requested the meeting, Bai Qingyu had been pondering how the prince knew his whereabouts…
At first, he suspected the Wei spy had defected to Yan.
But if the man truly wasn’t a Yan spy, then it meant there was a Yan spy in the King of Xihuai’s entourage.
He had heard that the King of Xihuai was saved by a wealthy merchant from Wei named Xiao Rongyan, who arranged all subsequent travels. Moreover, the King of Xihuai trusted Xiao Rongyan completely.
Judging by the timing, the King of Xihuai should have already arrived at Xiangliang, but instead, the Yan people had arrived first.
As for the story about being pursued by Wei assassins, Bai Qingyu didn’t believe a word of it.
Had the assassins been so omnipotent as to know the King of Xihuai’s location, they would have assassinated him long ago. Why wait until Yinshan to make their move?
Thus, the only one who could control the King of Xihuai’s itinerary and arrange for the Ninth Prince of Yan to meet him first had to be… the wealthy merchant from Wei, Xiao Rongyan.
As for whether Xiao Rongyan’s affiliation with Yan was a matter of interest exchange or if his identity as a Wei national was a facade, that remained to be determined.
Bai Qingyu rhythmically tapped the small table beside the soft couch. Hearing three short knocks at the door, he rose and walked to a painting of a beautiful woman by the water. He took down the painting to reveal a small hole in the wall, perfectly positioned for him to watch the adjacent room.
In the brightly lit, luxuriously decorated neighboring room, a person with a build similar to Bai Qingyu’s, wearing a half-mask, sat at a round table made of yellow rosewood and motioned for Xiao Rongyan to sit.
Xiao Rongyan studied the masked man before him, then unfastened his cloak with a half-smile and said, “I apologize for keeping Your Highness waiting…”
“Not at all. I presume the Ninth Prince wishes to discuss the captured Yan soldiers?” the masked man asked.
Xiao Rongyan nodded, handed his cloak to Yue Shi, signaled for him to leave, then sat down at the round table with a smile. “What price does Your Highness expect Yan to pay to have its soldiers returned?”
The masked man tapped his fingers lightly on the yellow rosewood table, his demeanor modeled after Bai Qingyu’s stately and commanding presence. He looked at Xiao Rongyan with calm indifference and said, “Yan will cease its attacks on Wei, cede land to Wei, sue for peace, and pay tribute… to preserve Wei.”
Through the small hole, Bai Qingyu closely observed Xiao Rongyan’s reaction.
His demand was not made with the expectation that Yan would agree but to gauge Yan’s resolve to eliminate Wei…
If Yan was determined to annihilate Wei completely, then it harbored ambitions of dominating the Central Plains.
If that were the case, Bai Qingyu would need to hinder Yan, leave room for his eldest sister to destroy Liang, and then turn to eliminate Xiliang or attack Yan…
Bai Qingyu favored restraining Yan first and then dealing with Xiliang. Only by curbing Yan could his eldest sister have the freedom to eliminate Xiliang, ensuring that when Yan sought to challenge Jin, they wouldn’t be able to match her strength.
“In that case, I must ask, what benefit is there for Rong in this?” Xiao Rongyan said with a smile. “Your Highness hasn’t even met the King of Xihuai, yet you go to such lengths for Wei, leaving me rather puzzled.”
The man posing as the masked prince chuckled softly, meeting Xiao Rongyan’s gaze unflinchingly. “How we deal with the King of Xihuai is our own affair, but if Yan wants its captured soldiers back… it must pay a price. Or does the Ninth Prince intend to eliminate Wei at all costs, regardless of the Yan soldiers detained by Rong?”
“If Your Highness wants to know whether Yan is determined to destroy Wei, why not just ask directly instead of going through all this?” Xiao Rongyan replied with a knowing smile and a deep, solemn gaze. “Indeed… Yan is resolute in its determination to destroy Wei, without mercy! Yan will retrieve its captured soldiers, and Your Highness can state the terms.”
Bai Qingyu’s hand, tucked behind his back, clenched slightly into a fist. If that were the case… he would first find a way to restrain Yan.
“In that case, allow me some time to consider. After meeting the King of Xihuai, I will discuss the matter further with the Ninth Prince.” The man posing as the masked prince raised his teacup in a gesture of departure.
“Murong Yan will await good news from Your Highness,” Xiao Rongyan nodded.
As Murong Yan stood, the man posing as the masked prince suddenly covered the teacup’s lid and asked, “I wonder… what is the Ninth Prince’s relationship with the wealthy merchant from Wei, Xiao Rongyan?”
Xiao Rongyan’s pupils contracted slightly but quickly, he smiled, his demeanor calm and unperturbed.