The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 999: just pay tribute
Chapter 999: Just Tribute
The Queen of Xiliang suddenly came to the posthouse in casual clothes. As soon as she dismounted from her horse and had not yet stepped into the main gate of the posthouse, the commander of the imperial guards came on a fast horse to report that Prince Yan Li Zhijie had sent back new news from the capital.
Upon hearing this, Li Tianjiao paused, stood in front of the posthouse, and took the wax-sealed letter containing the secret letter from the commander of the imperial guards.
She opened the mailbox and poured out two thin sheets of parchment from it. She threw the mailbox to the commander of the imperial guards and stood in front of the inn door to read it carefully.
After reading the letter, Li Tianjiao was still in shock for a long while. The commander of the imperial guards looked at the empress and asked cautiously, “Your Majesty…did something happen to King Yan?”
She closed her eyes, folded the letter again, clenched it tightly in her palm, put the letter against her heart, and without answering, turned around and walked into the inn.
Li Tianjiao was dressed in a plain robe with narrow sleeves, a white jade crown on his head, and walked with his hands behind his back. Even though he was dressed like a handsome young man from an ordinary family, he still couldn’t hide his imposing aura.
When she arrived outside the main hall, Bai Qingqi and Bai Jintong were already waiting at the door. Although Bai Qingqi had gray hair on his temples, it did not conceal his outstanding appearance at all. His brows were cold and his temperament was indescribably elegant and profound.
Li Tianjiao saw Bai Jintong standing one step behind Bai Qingqi. When he saw her, he hurriedly took the lead in bowing and saluting: “Greetings, Your Majesty!”
She paused, glanced at Bai Jintong, and then her eyes fell on Bai Qingqi. She wondered in her heart whether Bai Qingqi already knew that Cui Fengnian was a woman.
Bai Qingqi straightened his sleeves before bowing to Li Tianjiao: “I didn’t know your majesty was coming, I’m sorry for not welcoming you… I hope your majesty will forgive me.”
Li Tianjiao pursed his lips, stepped onto the high steps, and walked straight into the hall.
Bai Qingqi then stood up, exchanged a glance with Bai Jintong, and followed the Queen of Xiliang into the main hall.
Li Tianjiao sat down quickly and decisively: “Sit down!”
Bai Qingqi and Bai Jintong responded and sat down below Li Tianjiao.
Li Tianjiao looked back and forth between Bai Jintong and Bai Qingqi, and spoke after a while: “Today, I came here alone, and I have something I want to ask clearly…”
“Your Majesty, please feel free to ask.” Bai Qingqi nodded indifferently.
“Gongxing, we are acquainted, and we can be called friends. Today I want to ask you a question, are you a spy sent by the State of Jin…” Li Tianjiao lowered his eyes with a smile, lifted the hem of his long gown, crossed his legs, and rested his elbows on the armrests of the chair. He raised his eyes and looked at Bai Jintong again with murderous intent, “Or are you a spy sent by the Queen of the Great Zhou in advance?”
Li Tianjiao used “I” instead of “I”.
Bai Jintong stood up and bowed to Li Tianjiao: “Your Majesty, Cui is just a businessman!”
Li Tianjiao looked at Bai Jintong and smiled without saying anything. After a while, he asked Bai Qingqi, “Does Envoy Zhou know that Cui Fengnian is a woman?”
Bai Qingqi nodded slightly: “Last night, Gongxing told the outside minister the truth. After all, the world is unfair to women. It is understandable that women have many inconveniences when traveling outside.”
“Yes, I forgot…” Li Tianjiao chuckled, “The Bai family, a family of generals for hundreds of years, never look down on women. Otherwise… how could they produce a figure like the Empress of the Great Zhou, who is always victorious in battle and has perfect strategies on the battlefield.”
As a woman, Li Tianjiao knew about the Bai family’s affairs in Jin State, so… she admired Bai Qingyan very much, who had pushed the Bai family from a precarious position to its current position.
But when it comes to implementing new policies, there is indeed less resistance in the Great Zhou than in Western Liang.
“I would also like to ask Envoy Zhou, does your Excellency know about the fire in the granary of the eight major families?” Li Tianjiao asked again.
Bai Qingqi nodded: “I found out last night when Gongxing’s subordinates reported it, but I only knew that the Yun family and the Zhai family’s granaries were on fire. That’s why… I left Gongxing at the posthouse.”
“So, the fire… was really set by Cui Fengnian?” Li Tianjiao looked at Bai Jintong.
“Your Majesty…” Bai Jintong bowed to Li Tianjiao again. “I am your humble subordinate. I have dealt with the Yun and Zhai families frequently, so I know the location of their granaries and have helped transport grain. Yesterday, because the Yun family was short of manpower, my subordinates helped transport the grain over and stayed there to drink some wine with the servants guarding the granary. I didn’t expect that the Yun family’s granary would catch fire when they were about to leave. They were too short of manpower… and the granary was doused with flaming oil. They had no choice but to ask for help from the nearby Zhai family’s granary. Unexpectedly, the Zhai family’s granary also caught fire. They noticed something was wrong and immediately came to report…”
Bai Qingqi nodded and said, “We were having a banquet at that time, and there were several nobles from Yunjing. Your Majesty can ask them. Later, the news that the granaries of the eight major families were on fire entered the city. Gongxing was afraid of being implicated and was very anxious. I thought… No matter what, Gongxing is now a citizen of the Great Zhou. As an envoy of the Great Zhou, I can’t just watch an honest businessman from the Great Zhou get involved and decide to keep Gongxing.”
Li Tianjiao narrowed his eyes, and his smile became even more sinister: “So, Envoy Zhou wants to protect Cui Fengnian?”
“Of course!” Bai Qingqi said without any hesitation, indifferent and resolute, “If Your Majesty knew about the Bai family and the Bai family army, you should understand… Our Great Zhou Empress overthrew the Jin Dynasty and ascended the throne in order to protect our Great Zhou people, and the Bai family army fought all over the world to protect the people! Therefore… none of the people of the Great Zhou… can be bullied by other countries.”
There was a hint of threat in Bai Qingqi’s words. If Xiliang really dared to do anything to Cui Fengnian, the Great Zhou would never let it go.
Li Tianjiao chuckled, “Good…very good! Cui Fengnian can be taken away from the Great Zhou. Can the alliance between the Great Zhou and Xiliang be signed?”
Li Tianjiao meant that if the situation could not be resolved and the Great Zhou insisted on going to war, then Cui Fengnian and Bai Qingqi would have no chance of leaving.
Now that Xiliang is in danger, Li Tianjiao just wants to make one last fight, even if he loses… he will accept it.
“As the Queen of the Great Zhou, what she wants is naturally to form an alliance. It all depends on how sincere Xiliang is…” Bai Qingqi said indifferently.
“Twenty-five cities…”
“Your Majesty, I think it would be most appropriate for Xiliang to submit to the Great Zhou and pay tribute. After all, the Rongdi are eyeing us covetously now. Dayan will pounce as soon as the three-year period with the Rongdi is up. With Xiliang…can it resist? It will surely be doomed to be divided and eaten.” Bai Qingqi said.
Li Tianjiao’s palms suddenly tightened, and anger rushed to her head. She forced herself to suppress the anger in her heart, unable to control her expression: “What’s the difference between this and destroying Xiliang?”
“The difference is that Xiliang is still governed by you, Your Majesty, and you are just paying tribute! This way, the people can be spared from the flames of war…”
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