Chapter 1490: Chapter 1485: Skill
âWhere is my son?â The Empress of Dongyi Kingdom clenched her fists, suppressing the tremors in her body, and asked in a low voice, âWhat have you done to my son?â
Bai Qingyan smiled, gesturing for the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom to look at Tuoba Yao, who wore a mask and stood beside Bai Jinzhi: âIsnât this the Seventh Prince?â
Tuoba Yao bowed to the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom.
But the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom did not even glance at Tuoba Yao and simply said, âI am not stupid enough to not recognize my own son!â
Bai Jinzhi raised her eyebrows, glanced at the person standing beside her, and felt uncertain in her heart. Could it be that the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom was confused? If this wasnât Dongyiâs Seventh Prince, who could it be?
Bai Qingyan, stroking the sword hilt, remained unangered: âThe Empress of Dongyi Kingdom is unexpectedly shrewd, having successfully instigated the Vice Minister of Revenue and set up a trap⊠providing false information to our Zhou envoy, claiming the Second Prince was plotting rebellion and intending to kill our Zhou envoy, forcing our Zhou envoy to flee!â
She slowly descended from the high steps: âForging an Imperial Edict, even including the command for your suicide, to substantiate the edictâs credibility. Then, informing Dongyi Kingdomâs Second Prince⊠that the Seventh Prince was taken away by the Zhou envoy, prompting this mad Second Prince to hunt down the Zhou envoy, giving your son the chance to escape! Perhaps⊠you didnât anticipate that our Zhouâs naval fleet escorting fishermen would encounter the naval warships sent by the Second Prince pursuing our Zhou envoy. You couldnât have expected Du Yulang would dare to confront Zhou, nor anticipated the King of Hancheng and our Zhouâs elite soldiers dying in battle, nor did you foresee Zhou would choose to strike at this moment, thinking Zhou would surely endure quietly before the outcome of the betting kingdom.â
The Empress of Dongyi Kingdom trembled with pursed lips, clutching tightly at the fabric beside her. Even the personal maid kneeling beside the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom was quivering, terrified that the Emperor of Zhou had understood her Empressâs thoughts so thoroughly.
âOnce the outcome of the betting kingdom is decided, if Zhou wins and wants to strike Dongyi, you trust that Nanny Xiong and Jiangkou will find Zhou with your son, using the Seventh Princeâs identity to negotiate terms, asking Zhou to win lands for your son! But if Zhou loses the bet, Yan Kingdom supporting the Second Prince ascends to power will naturally not pull him down. Then, you would have them protect your son, living as a commoner, peacefully living out his life⊠right?â
As Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she was already standing in front of the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom, forcing the Empress to take a step back.
âAs a mother, you can calculate so much for your childâyou indeed are a good mother!â Bai Qingyanâs smile carried deep meaning, âHowever, our Zhou is not a pawn for you to manipulate! Now⊠Iâve already arranged an Emperor for Dongyi KingdomâŠâ
The Empress stayed composed, bowing to Bai Qingyan, then solemnly asked again: âMay I ask the Emperor of Zhou, where is my son?â
Bai Qingyan replied leisurely, âWhether the Seventh Prince is well in Zhou depends entirely on the well-being of Dongyi Kingdomâs Emperor!â
The Empress of Dongyi Kingdom clenched her fists tightly, looking at the masked fake Seventh Prince, her pupils tremblingâŠ
Bai Jinzhiâs hand resting behind her back suddenly tightened as she finally realized⊠perhaps the person beside her was Bai Yusheng that little seven had brought back!
It turns out, Eldest Young Lady was letting Bai Yusheng become the Emperor of Dongyi Kingdom, hence Bai Yushengâs words about a life-and-death struggle with Yan Kingdom!
Bai Jinzhi cursed Bai Jinse, that troublesome girl, several times in her mind. That darn girl⊠even kept it from her! But what was the point of keeping it from her! Didnât Eldest Young Lady end up not hiding it from her!
How infuriating!
Bai Jinzhi resolved to give Bai Jinse a good lesson when she returned.
âI advise the Empress not to play any tricks. When I say well⊠itâs not the kind of well-being you thought would come from sending messages!â Bai Qingyanâs soft smile lingered at the corner of her eyes, âDoes the Empress know about our Zhouâs Luopan Mountain Sihai Pavilion? My Seventh Brother is the direct disciple of Gu Yijian from Sihai Pavilionâs Sword Pavilion at Luopan Mountain! My Ninth Brother⊠despite having lost his legs, he climbed Luopan Mountain Sihai Pavilion and learned many skills!â
Luopan Mountain Sihai Pavilion is a legendary place, said to teach students the Qimen Dunjia, and the students emerging from there have become contemporary celebrities. For instance, Gongsun Gong from Yan Kingdom, known for his talent in physiognomy, and the renowned swordsman⊠Gu Yijian, who never failed in taking lives with a single strike, along with countless prominent figures who were students of Sihai Pavilion.
âIn Sihai Pavilion, there is a type of Gu called Child-Mother Gu. Itâs said that when the child suffers, the mother feels pain tooâsurely, the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom is well aware of this feeling! This Child-Mother Gu⊠when the child Gu gets injured, the mother Gu suffers more; if the child Guâs life is in danger, the mother Gu will sacrifice herself⊠to protect the child Gu!â Bai Qingyanâs face spread into an elegant smile, her beauty seemingly more terrifying than the bloodthirsty demons to the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom, âJust this precious Child-Mother GuâDongyi Kingdomâs Emperor took the child Gu, the mother Gu⊠I donât need to say on whom.â
Outside, tales of Sihai Pavilion were mythical. Bai Qingyan now took full advantage, deceiving the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom to caution her from risking her sonâs safety while ensuring Tuoba Yaoâs protection. She felt it was worthwhile.
The Empress widened her scared eyes, just about to speak, when Bai Qingyan continued: âIf the Empress does not believe, you may tryâŠâ
Tuoba Yao knew Bai Qingyan was deceiving the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom for his safety, so upon hearing Bai Qingyanâs words, he immediately drew the sword from Bai Jinzhiâs waist to stab his own abdomen.
âNo!â The Empress cried out in terror, lunging towards Tuoba Yao, grabbing the sword blade with her bare hands, thus stopping the longsword from plunging into Tuoba Yaoâs body.
Bai Jinzhiâs mind was preoccupied with how she would deal with Bai Jinse when she returned, caught off guard and frightened.
Thankfully, Bai Jinzhi had not expected Tuoba Yao to draw the sword and thus was too late to stop him. Later, she realized the gravity of the situation and pretended not to care, appearing disdainfully aloof as she gazed down at the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom clutching the sword blade.
âEmpress Dowager! Empress Dowager!â The Empressâs maid was also startled, quickly crawling forward, seeing blood continually streaming down from her mistressâs palm and the blade, crying in panic, âMistress, are you okay?â
Bai Qingyan deeply regarded Tuoba Yao, the masked figure. She knew this child was bent on revenge and could be ruthless, yet she hadnât anticipated his severity.
However, this was favorable⊠Tuoba Yaoâs fearless display was as if expecting another life, convincing the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom.
After all, the Empress of Dongyi Kingdom had only one sonâs life to gamble as a mother.