Chapter 818: 815: Heart Flutters and Mind Wavers

Chapter 818: Chapter 815: Heart Flutters and Mind Wavers

King of Xihuai privately believed that as long as Xiao Rongyan was willing to work for his motherland and move the Princess of Zhen with emotions, this matter could definitely be accomplished.

Hearing the repeated calls of “Mr. Xiao” outside the door, King of Xihuai couldn’t contain his impatience. He got up and pulled open the carved flower partition on the second floor, looking towards the courtyard gate below. He saw Xiao Rongyan lifting the hem of his long robe as he entered from outside the courtyard and hurriedly called out, “Rong Yan!”

Although the back of this inn was reserved for wealthy guests who could afford the silver coin, Xiao Rongyan still ordered Yue Shi to book the entire inn and expel all the idle people to prevent assassins sent to kill the King of Xihuai from mixing in.

The outer three layers of the inn were guarded by Xiao Rongyan’s guards, and the inner three layers were protected by the King of Xihuai’s death warriors, making the defense very tight.

Despite this, the guards at the King of Xihuai’s door were still very worried and tried to stop the King from rushing out: “Prince… it is better to be cautious! Last time, it was also in an inn; if it weren’t for Mr. Xiao…”

Hearing this, the King of Xihuai stood irritably by the door, eagerly looking at Xiao Rongyan who was coming upstairs, saying, “Hurry up!”

Seeing Xiao Rongyan, as gentle and warm as ever, walk to the guest room door with a smile, the King of Xihuai was about to bow deeply to him when he grabbed Xiao Rongyan’s wrist: “There is no need for such formalities between us!”

Pulling him into the guest room, King of Xihuai couldn’t wait to ask, “When did you and the Princess of Zhen get engaged? Such a big matter, you never told me!”

Sitting down at the round table made of huanghuali wood, the King of Xihuai looked at the opposite Xiao Rongyan, and there was joy between his brows: “If I had known earlier that you and the Princess of Zhen from the Jin Kingdom were engaged, why would I still seek the ghost-faced prince from the Rong? I would have just asked my sister-in-law to pressure Yan Kingdom via the Crown Prince of Jin Kingdom to save the nation!”

The King of Xihuai spoke with a flushed face, as if he had found a good strategy to save his country, his eyes shining as he looked at the calm Xiao Rongyan sitting by the round table, just waiting for Xiao Rongyan to nod.

Xiao Rongyan, still with his gentle and warm demeanor, picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for the King of Xihuai, pushed it in front of him, and said, “Prince, do you truly believe that the Princess of Zhen, who could easily burn ten thousand captives alive, would speak of sentimentality?”

King of Xihuai was stunned by Xiao Rongyan’s words: “But aren’t you…”

Xiao Rongyan also poured a cup of tea for himself, put the teapot back, sat upright, and said to King of Xihuai: “I am a Wei person, Prince, do you truly believe… I have never pleaded with the Princess of Zhen? But this time, the Jin Kingdom precisely wants to annihilate the Liang while attacking Wei with the Yan!”

King of Xihuai looked confused at Xiao Rongyan: “Rong Yan, you know I only eat, drink, and play. Say something I can understand!”

Using his finger to dip into the water in the teacup, Xiao Rongyan drew a map of the nations on the round table made of huanghuali wood and pointed at the Jin Kingdom at the center: “Look, Prince… The Jin Kingdom is surrounded by other countries on all sides. If Jin wants to unify the world, it has to either annihilate Liang, the Rong, or Yan, to avoid the dilemma of being besieged from both sides.”

“Then Jin can attack Yan!” the King of Xihuai looked up at Xiao Rongyan.

Xiao Rongyan shook his head: “Jin initially attacked Liang because Liang refused to hand over the promised lands and cities from the last peace talks. Jin attacking Liang made sense according to the principle of justified warfare. Then, Jin offered the prescription to treat the plague to Liang, yet Emperor of Liang, eager to avenge his son, refused to surrender and insisted on fighting to the death! Thus, the annihilation of Liang also made sense! Even the other nations cannot find fault with Jin. However, whether Jin crushes Yan or the Rong, it wouldn’t be justified, and it might end up being the target of many arrows. Jin wouldn’t give up this prime opportunity to destroy Liang just for the Wei Kingdom.”

The King of Xihuai, his mind a mess, felt that Xiao Rongyan’s words made sense. He got up, anxiously pacing around the room: “Then what do we do? Only seek help from the ghost-faced prince of the Rong? We don’t even know if the Empress Dowager can hold out until then. How about we send gifts to the Jin Kingdom… give our all to send substantial gifts?!”

Just as the King of Xihuai finished speaking, Yue Shi’s low voice came from outside the door: “Master, the eldest young lady is here. She is almost in the courtyard, bringing troops!”

The already anxious King of Xihuai, hearing the word “troops,” looked at Xiao Rongyan in fright. Seeing the unhurried Xiao Rongyan stand up, he quickly asked, “Who? Who has brought troops?”

“The Princess of Zhen…” Xiao Rongyan explained.

Before Xiao Rongyan could get up to greet her, King of Xihuai opened the carved flower partition first, ignoring the guards trying to stop him, intending to go downstairs to welcome her. He had just reached the stairway when he saw a woman with long hair tied on top of her head, dressed in silver armor, exuding a heroic and gallant presence, holding a sword at her waist, stepping into the courtyard gate. The King of Xihuai gripped the red wood carved handrail tightly, his heart pounding.

The setting sun slanted, the orange-red light reflected off Bai Qingyan’s armor…

The sight before him was clearly a stunningly beautiful woman with porcelain-like skin. If it weren’t for her deep eyes and the overwhelming aura of authority and deadly intent, the King of Xihuai would have found it hard to connect this goddess-like woman with the Jin Kingdom’s God of Slaughter.

The King of Xihuai had never seen Bai Qingyan before, only heard of her exceptional beauty. Once, at a banquet in the Jin Kingdom, she was mistakenly thought to be the most beautiful woman in Jin by the Fourth Prince of Liang, Wei Qiheng. The King of Xihuai, who owned a portrait of Liu Ruofu, had always wondered what kind of beauty Bai Qingyan was to surpass Liu, who was as beautiful as a lotus emerging from water.

Today, seeing her in person, she was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.

If not for the solemn and almost sacred aura she exuded, matching that of her brother’s, and the repressed yet arrogant presence that surrounded her, the King of Xihuai would indeed find it difficult not to be disrespectful.

Xiao Rongyan stepped out of the guest room and saw Bai Qingyan looking up at him. His brows slightly furrowed; he had clearly instructed her to rest well, but she still came, showing no regard for her health.

On second thought, Xiao Rongyan understood that perhaps Bai Qingyan came for the Bai family member associated with the ghost-faced prince.

“This way, Princess of Zhen!” The guard beside the King of Xihuai, seeing their master’s eagerness to meet the Princess of Zhen, quickly stepped forward and made a gesture to invite Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan’s gaze left Xiao Rongyan and fell on the tall yet thin and pale man in white, embroidered with golden cloud patterns, with a jade belt at his waist.

She guessed that the man must be the King of Xihuai.

Bai Qingyan handed her sword to the guard of the King of Xihuai as per the rules, gestured for her soldiers to wait outside, and then made her way upstairs.

The King of Xihuai’s lips moved slightly. In a position of weakness and with something to beg for, he made his stance very humble as he bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Greetings, Princess of Zhen.”

Bai Qingyan looked down as she ascended the steps: “No need for such formalities, King of Xihuai.”