Chapter 1488: 1483: Deepest Gratitude

Chapter 1488: Chapter 1483: Deepest Gratitude

The Empress of Dongyi Kingdom was seeing the Emperor of Zhou for the first time. Due to the glaring sunlight and the distance, she could only vaguely see the silhouette of the woman riding a white horse bathed in gold. Yet even that mere silhouette made the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom anxious. She turned to command, “Have Minister Liu and the other envoys from Zhou been brought here?”

“Rest assured, Empress Dowager, the envoys have been taken care of, washed and fed. Due to their weak condition, I took the liberty to arrange for them to rest under the cool canopies,” replied the personal maid of the Dongyi Empress.

“You’ve done well!” The Empress of Dongyi nodded approvingly, glancing at the carriage following behind Bai Qingyan, and hurriedly instructed, “Quickly, have them invited over!”

“Yes!” The personal maid replied promptly, hurriedly sending someone to invite Liu Rushi and others over.

Soon, Bai Qingyan raised her hand, signaling the army to halt.

In perfect obedience, tens of thousands of soldiers stopped simultaneously, their movements uniform. If not for the black sail and white python flag fluttering in the breeze and the soldiers’ light veils swaying with the wind, the orderly halt of the troops might have seemed like a still painting—a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Liu Rushi and the envoys from Zhou, extremely weak, were helped out from the crowd. Upon seeing their own Emperor leading the troops, seeing their Bai family army soldiers, seeing their Emperor on horseback in silver armor, they couldn’t hold back their tearful eyes.

“The envoys of Zhou have been wronged! Now the rebellious second prince is dead, the Emperor of Zhou has returned our seventh Prince… Our Dongyi, from top to bottom, is immensely grateful to the Emperor of Zhou. I am not skilled in the noble dialect of Zhou, so I ask the envoys of Zhou to convey my words!” the Empress said with a smile to Liu Rushi.

Liu Rushi sneered at the Dongyi Empress, thinking of how she initially used Zhou’s envoy Pingan to send the seventh Prince to Zhou for escape, causing Hancheng Wang to die in battle. Now, with Zhou defeating Dongyi, the Empress seizes the chance to kill the usurping second prince, hoping Zhou will elevate her son to power—her calculations are precise indeed.

Seeing Liu Rushi silent, the Dongyi Empress wasn’t afraid. Given the situation and with the Regent Prince of Yan Kingdom soon to arrive at the Dongyi capital, the Emperor of Zhou, having dealt with the trouble caused by Yan towards Zhou previously, won’t allow Yan to take advantage by dividing Dongyi with Yan, otherwise, Zhou fought the battle, but Yan reaps benefits—a point hard to justify.

Thus, her son’s ascension is the only option.

The Dongyi Empress didn’t argue with Liu Rushi, instead noting Bai Qingyan dismounting with her armored generals, bringing along Dongyi officials with Liu Rushi to meet them.

Bai Qingyan stood with hands behind her back, waiting in place for them to approach. The Dongyi Empress advanced, adopting a humble posture, “Greetings to the Emperor of Zhou…”

An official fluent in the noble dialect stood beside the Dongyi Empress, offering greetings and stating, “Greetings to the Emperor of Zhou, our Empress Dowager’s noble dialect is poor…”

“No matter, I understand a bit of Dongyi language…” Bai Qingyan smiled, speaking in Dongyi language before the official could finish.

The Dongyi Empress was astounded, looking at the striking and elegant woman before her, shocked at how fluent the Emperor of Zhou’s Dongyi language was.

The Dongyi official was equally startled, quickly bowing respectfully and stepping back to stand behind the Empress.

“Minister, pay respects to the Emperor!” Liu Rushi stepped forward, supported, leading the envoys from Zhou to kneel.

Bai Qingyan quickly reached out to support Liu Rushi, “Minister Liu and esteemed officials have suffered!”

Liu Rushi worried that Bai Qingyan might be deceived by the Dongyi Empress. With their army stationed in Lincheng, there was nothing to fear, so he said, “Emperor… this time Dongyi pursued our Zhou envoy’s ship, leading to the death of Hancheng Wang, the reason…”

“I understand, no need to worry!” Bai Qingyan signaled her soldiers to help Liu Rushi down to rest.

Yet Liu Rushi resisted, standing supported behind Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan looked at the Dongyi Empress, speaking leisurely in Dongyi language, “The Dongyi Empress executed the rebellious usurping second prince, a vengeance for Hancheng Wang and our Zhou navy soldiers, and also… for the seventh prince!”

The Empress initially smiled hearing Bai Qingyan mention revenge for Hancheng Wang and Zhou soldiers, but her expression changed drastically upon hearing revenge for her own son. Her gaze fixed on a distant carriage as she steadied herself, “Is my son… my son in good health?”

“The Empress knows that it was no easy task for our Zhou envoys to escape with the seventh prince. To protect the seventh prince, our Zhou Hancheng Wang died in battle, his Zhou navy soldiers all perished. Although they safeguarded the seventh prince, Du Yulang, on orders from the second prince, was determined to kill the seventh prince, starting a fire…” Bai Qingyan spoke calmly yet with sorrow, “He later sent assassins to Jinguan City. The seventh prince’s nanny Xiong, the guards at Jiangkou, and fourteen other guards all died. Though the seventh prince’s life is spared, the injuries… Our famed Zhou physicians healed the prince’s body, but his burnt face may never fully recover.”

Bai Jinzhi was surprised, wondering when Dongyi’s second prince suffered a burnt face, unaware of such an event.

Hearing this, the Dongyi Empress widened her eyes. Her son was clearly sent away by her, how could it be said he was taken by Zhou’s envoys?

Momentarily stunned, the Dongyi Empress suddenly stared wide-eyed at Bai Qingyan, her solemn and deeply cold expression reminding her of the talisman holding her son’s longevity lock brought by the Vice Minister of Revenue’s wife, awakening a sense of horror.

Perhaps, it wasn’t the guards who decided the time was right to contact the Emperor of Zhou, but rather the Emperor of Zhou capturing her son. Moreover, the Vice Minister of Revenue might have betrayed her, or perhaps the Vice Minister of Revenue was also used by the Emperor of Zhou.

The Emperor of Zhou claimed her son’s face was burned, possibly intending to place a someone flawed in her son’s place as the Dongyi Emperor!

The Emperor of Zhou might use her son as leverage: If she disagrees with the person impersonating her son ascending the throne, then… her son would surely be killed.

The Dongyi Empress suddenly clutched her skirt tightly, turning pale and nearly collapsing. Her maid’s eyes trembled, understanding that her Empress’s plans were likely seen through by the Emperor of Zhou. The Emperor of Zhou might make his own person the Dongyi Emperor to control Dongyi.

The Empress steadied herself, refusing to panic, knowing the Regent Prince of Yan Kingdom was arriving too, providing room for her maneuvering amidst the conflict.

The Empress forced a smile and bowed to Bai Qingyan, “Thank you, Emperor of Zhou, for caring about my son, Dongyi Kingdom is eternally grateful.”