Chapter 826
He lifted his gaze and surveyed the room: “This matter… I think I’ll save it for a conversation with the true Ghost-faced Prince.”
After speaking, Xiao Rongyan nodded in farewell to the astonished Ghost-faced Prince and pulled open the carved flower partition of the private room…
The bustling and noisy merriment and zither sounds from the brothel immediately poured in, jolting the Ghost-faced Prince back to his senses, his face paling as he instinctively looked at the wall next door.
Yue Shi, who had been watching the commotion inside the brothel, heard the door open and hurriedly came forward: “Master, are you leaving?”
“Did anyone leave from the next room just now?” Xiao Rongyan asked.
“No!” Yue Shi shook his head.
But Xiao Rongyan distinctly heard someone leave the neighboring room when he opened the partition of his private room earlier.
“Is the master suspicious?” Yue Shi immediately grew cautious.
Thinking about the layout of the Happy Building, Xiao Rongyan quickly deduced that the Ghost-faced Prince must have left through the window. Without another word, he pushed open the partition next door. Sure enough… the window was wide open.
Seeing his master leap forward in three swift steps and jump out the window, Yue Shi quickly followed… he saw his master nimbly land on the roof of a carriage, and Yue Shi also used one hand to support himself on the window as he chased after.
Bai Qingyu, sitting inside the carriage, calmly drew his sword and thrust it upwards to the roof, while Xiao Rongyan flipped and landed in front of the carriage, causing the coachman to quickly rein in the horse.
Xiao Rongyan chuckled and shook the intertwined jade tassels at his waist, speaking to the carriage: “I ask the Ghost-faced Prince to be sincere, otherwise… the news that the Ghost-faced Prince is from Jin and a member of the Bai family of the Jin Kingdom will be sent back to Rong, and the King of Rong will reconsider whether to bestow such trust and power upon the Ghost-faced Prince, whether to entrust state affairs to the Ghost-faced Prince.”
With leverage in hand, if one wants to negotiate… one must first show their sword, so the Ghost-faced Prince cannot disdain, thus lowering his guard for a proper conversation.
The sheepskin lanterns hanging at the four corners of the carriage swayed incessantly due to the sudden halt, casting a cold and deep reflection on Bai Qingyu’s eyes as he looked up.
The coachman, who had been driving, stood to the side, gripping the sword at his waist tightly. He guarded at Xiao Rongyan’s side, holding his longsword, just waiting for his master’s command to draw the sword and charge at Xiao Rongyan.
“Apulu, stand back.”
Bai Qingyu’s voice came from inside the carriage, prompting Apulu to step back two paces, still alert.
“Prince, how about stepping out of the carriage for a conversation…” Xiao Rongyan said warmly.
Bai Qingyu used his longsword to lift the curtain of the carriage, looking at Xiao Rongyan standing in front of the carriage.
The bright moonlight bathed the ground in a clear glow, accentuating the outlines of Xiao Rongyan’s features.
“Does the Ninth Prince really think fabricating a rumor will make me believe it?” Bai Qingyu’s hoarse, unpleasant voice sounded as if it belonged to an old man weathered by time. “Especially… posing as a wealthy Wei merchant, Xiao Rongyan, spying in various kingdoms, the Ninth Prince of Yan Kingdom.”
This was not Bai Qingyu trying to deceive Xiao Rongyan.
Xiao Rongyan came seeking him in the identity of Yan Kingdom’s Ninth Prince, but this Ninth Prince of Yan Kingdom inadvertently exhibited Wei people’s lazy demeanor…
Yan Kingdom is a martial state, but it couldn’t raise such a prince.
Bai Qingyu then thought of Mr. Xiao beside King of Xihuai, the wealthy Wei merchant who could control the king’s itinerary, connecting the two wasn’t difficult.
Either this Ninth Prince is a wealthy Wei merchant impersonating Xiao Rongyan, or… the Ninth Prince is posing as Xiao Rongyan, the wealthy Wei merchant, traveling in various countries.
Bai Qingyu tended towards the latter.
Xiao Rongyan’s hands, behind his back, tightened slightly as he stared at Bai Qingyu hidden in the darkness: “Right now, Yan Kingdom is destroying Wei. Does the Prince mixing me with Wei people… seem believable?”
“Then Ninth Prince, does mixing me with Jin people seem credible? Jin people, Rong people… Could it be that I can’t distinguish?” Bai Qingyu’s hoarse voice carried a sarcastic smile.
“If so, I shall send the Bai family descendants I rescued at Mengcheng Market and the Bai family army found in Yan Country these two years to the King of Rong. I wonder, could the Prince bear to harm the Bai family army?” Xiao Rongyan’s voice was slow.
Bai Qingyu said indifferently, “I never make assumptions. I can only guarantee… from this day forth, Yan emissaries will no longer see me. And let it be clearly stated… as long as Yan does not stop attacking Wei for a single day, they will not receive the captured Wei armies from Rong. Yan can forget their past comrades in blood, do as they please.”
“And if Yan insists?” Xiao Rongyan’s gaze fell upon the guard named Apulu standing there. “Why don’t you, Prince, dismiss your entourage, and we can talk in detail? Yue Shi…”
Yue Shi nodded and shouted at Apulu: “You, we’ll wait at the alley entrance.”
Apulu stood still by the carriage until Bai Qingyu inside told him to wait at the alley entrance. He finally respectfully nodded to the carriage, glanced coldly at Yue Shi, and walked toward the alley without acknowledging Yue Shi.
“Regardless of whether the Ghost-faced Prince admits to being a Bai family descendant or not, the Yan soldiers detained in Rong, I must retrieve them.” Xiao Rongyan quietly gazed in the direction of the carriage, deciding to frankly discuss with Bai Qingyu, “Let’s be frank, I don’t want to use any means on you, not because I’m afraid of you!”
“It’s because you’re a Bai family descendant; you’re Kid’s brother! However… I made an agreement with Kid; if faced with major issues, private matters don’t matter! You can propose the terms for releasing the Yan soldiers, we might as well fulfill each other; if you really refuse to speak, I have no choice but to let Kid be heartbroken.”
On the way escorting King Xihuai to meet this Ghost-faced Prince, Xiao Rongyan couldn’t stop thinking about how Bai Qingyan had broken through his emotional restraint upon learning about this Ghost-faced Prince from Xiao Rongyan in Dengzhou.
Therefore, Xiao Rongyan restrained his urge to use devious tactics on the Ghost-faced Prince and chose to negotiate instead.
Otherwise, in the past, Xiao Rongyan would have abandoned the captured Yan soldiers in Rong without compromising the larger scheme!
Never would he waste time on long journeys to find the Ghost-faced Prince and negotiate for less than ten thousand Yan soldiers.
But since Xiao Rongyan conquered Nanyan, he used Bai Qingyan’s method, reducing casualties of soldiers, saving many troubles.
Since witnessing how Bai Qingyan garnered hearts in Dadu City, how Bai Qingyan led troops, knowing the Bai family army’s ethics soldiers often recounted, saying they never abandoned any fellow warriors…
Xiao Rongyan then chose to abandon what he considered the shortcut, using a relatively peaceful and ethical approach.
Perhaps the difference in Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan’s approaches arose from their different upbringing and education.