Spring arrives and the land smiles

Outside the Jingxin Hall, a few paulownia trees, still swaying with a hint of green in the warm winter air, looked up and suddenly recalled the line, "Paulownia leaves fall, rain patters on banana leaves." These lines perfectly described her current mood. She sighed softly and walked towards Yonghe Palace.

Yonghe Palace was Empress Shangguan's residence. In Qingyan's childhood memories, Yonghe Palace was always filled with anticipation, anticipation for that supreme person. Sometimes it was tears, sometimes ecstatic joy. All joys and sorrows arose from that person and ended because of that person. Having seen so many women who stood on tiptoe like penguins, it's no wonder that Empress Shangguan could not enjoy the same favor as the Ice Beauty Consort Luo.

The palace had been under curfew for some time, with only occasional squads of guards patrolling the area. Qingyan's presence in the palace immediately drew the attention of the imperial guards. Seeing the kneeling guards before her, Qingyan waved them away and instructed the commander on duty not to disturb her further. She then dismissed her attendants and went alone to the gates of Yonghe Palace.

After the curfew, the Yonghe Palace was closed. The eunuchs on duty immediately knelt and bowed when they saw Qingyan.

After explaining her purpose, the eunuch led Qingyan inside without announcing her arrival. Qingyan realized that this was clearly at the behest of Empress Shangguan.

The reunion of mother and daughter was naturally a touching scene. Empress Shangguan, still on her sickbed, looked at her daughter carefully with teary eyes, and was relieved to see that she was completely healed.

Qingyan relayed Emperor Longqing's words to Empress Shangguan, who was naturally overjoyed. The mother and daughter exchanged pleasantries for a while before Qingyan left Yonghe Palace.

The moonlight was still hazy. After glancing at the sky, Qingyan quickened her pace and walked towards Minglan Palace.

According to ancestral rules, princes and princesses would move out of the palace after reaching adulthood. Except for the crown prince, no one was allowed to live in the palace unless there were special circumstances. However, the eldest prince, Shen Qinghuan, who was born blind, was the exception.

"Brother, I'm back!" Qingyan was still as unrestrained as ever in front of him, skipping the formalities of announcing her return and completely disregarding all manners.

"Little sister!" Shen Qinghuan happily reached out and grasped Qingyan's hand, then hugged her tightly in his arms. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

After a long while, Qingyan shifted her body and said, "Brother, I can't breathe."

Realizing he had lost his composure, Qing Huan slowly released her, but still held her hand as if afraid she would disappear if he let go.

"Brother, I'm fine, I'm not missing any arms or legs." Qingyan tilted her head easily, her smile as bright as a flower.

"But you've been wronged." Qing Huan gently stroked her hair again, full of pity.

"Brother, you know everything." Qingyan glanced at him guiltily, then lowered her eyes timidly.

"Siyou and Siwu failed to help you escape danger and have already gone to the punishment hall to receive their punishment." Qinghuan seemed to have noticed her unease and uttered a few words indifferently, but they were enough to stir up a storm.

"Brother, this has nothing to do with them. I let them leave on their own. How can you punish them!" Qingyan was anxious and subconsciously defended them, forgetting in her impulsiveness that they were the secret guards of Lingfeng Pavilion.

“This is the rule,” Qing Huan said sternly, a rare occurrence. “Until the secret guards change hands, they can only obey their master’s orders.”

"I..." Qingyan was speechless for a moment. She knew the rules, and her elder brother's strict rule was beyond question, so she lowered her head and said no more.

"Little sister." Seeing this, Qing Huan softened her voice.

“Brother, I know.” Qingyan interrupted him with a faint smile, as a response to his usual doting affection. “Princess Pingqiu is the Crown Princess of Daqi, and I must live up to this title.”

This was a response and attitude that differed from his usual one, which made Qing Huan sigh helplessly. "I'm sorry to have troubled you. Well, let's go back. You've had a long journey. Get some rest. We'll talk again another day."

"Mm." Qingyan got up and left.

Because the main person had not yet returned, Xuanhua Palace was still brightly lit. Even though everyone was extremely tired, they still did not go to sleep, not because they were afraid of being punished, but because they were genuinely worried.

"How is it?" Ning Yuan and Yun Xuan were both waiting for Qing Yan in the outer chamber of Caiyi Palace, and even their questions were asked in unison.

"What do you mean, how?" Qingyan glanced at the two of them, waved away the servants, leaving only Zhuier to serve her, and dragged her wearily toward the inner chamber. The two of them got up and followed.

"Has His Majesty said when the wedding will take place?" Yunxuan asked anxiously.

"Father didn't say anything, he just asked me if I was alright?" Zhui'er straightened Qingyan's outer clothes and let her lean against the bed with them on.

"The Emperor summoned you back to the palace in such a hurry just to say hello?" Ning Yuan asked, puzzled.

"My father was quite strange today. Apart from casual conversation about the marriage alliance, he didn't mention a single word about it," Qingyan replied with her eyes half-closed.

Seeing how exhausted she was, the two of them didn't ask any more questions. They instructed Zhui'er to take good care of her and then returned to their respective palaces.

The next day, after paying her respects to Empress Shangguan, Qingyan stopped standing there and getting in the way. It was the Emperor and Empress's wedding anniversary, and since Emperor Longqing hadn't made a big fuss about it, he naturally didn't want her to bother him. Apart from giving her a unique gift, all Qingyan had to do was dismiss herself and the extra people in Yonghe Palace.

Having escaped another day, Qingyan was secretly delighted, hoping that the palace would be filled with good things that would attract her father's attention every day, leaving him no time to worry about that sea chart.

Just as she was feeling happy, a message came from outside the bedchamber that Ambassador Qiu Rong was requesting an audience. Sure enough, disaster was unavoidable, so let the storm rage on! Qing Yan accepted the invitation with a look of resignation, and after thinking for a moment, decided to summon Hai Tu the next day.

"He still couldn't hold back." Yunxuan pinched the visiting card, looked at it, and then threw it back onto the table.

“Princess, I am as beautiful as a flower, of course he couldn’t hold back.” Qingyan smiled mysteriously and handed a note to Yunxuan. Yunxuan glanced at it and then handed it back to her in confusion.

Where did it come from? Is it credible?

“The intelligence from Listening Wind Pavilion has never been unreliable.” Qing Yan waved the note in her hand and then tossed it into the stove where she was warming herself. This note fully demonstrated that her decision to risk sending Si You and Si Wu to investigate was correct.

"Listening Wind Pavilion!" Yun Xuan's voice was filled with excitement. Listening Wind Pavilion always operated with great secrecy. Even with the Fu family's power, they could only find out that it was related to the imperial court. As for whether it was friend or foe, it was quite unclear. But now it seems...

"As you said yourself, we're in the same boat."

Qingyan winked at him playfully.

"Yan'er, thank you." Yunxuan stepped forward and hugged her, a feeling of joy welling up inside him.

Yunxuan, from this moment on, our lives will be intertwined. Are you ready?

The day of the audience arrived as scheduled. When Hai Tu came to see Qing Yan as the envoy of Qiu Rong, Qing Yan was sitting in Zhi Meng Garden, lost in thought.

"Tell him to wait in the main hall," Qingyan instructed the eunuch who came to report. Her voice sounded somewhat gritted, which frightened the eunuch so much that he broke out in a cold sweat and went to report back.

"Zhui'er, tell Yunxuan and Ningyuan to come to the main hall and wait to watch the show." After saying that, she walked towards the main hall of Xuanhua Palace with her head held high.

"Your Highness, how have you been?" Qingyan, having shrunk back to the main seat in the main hall, greeted him with a smile, skipping some of the formalities. "Your Highness has come as an envoy to request an audience. May I ask what brings you here?"

"I'm here to ask for your hand in marriage for myself." Although he said he was asking, Haitu's tone was as if it were a matter of course. "The princess swore an oath with her hand and left me a letter. Are you going to go back on your word?"

“Since we have agreed to the marriage alliance with the Crown Prince, there is naturally no reason for us to go back on our word,” Qingyan paused, “However, I would like to ask one more question: how is Princess Ina doing these days?”

With a composed expression, Qingyan took a sip of the tea beside her. The refreshing taste of the new tea made Qingyan squint her eyes slightly. She secretly glanced at the person sitting down and was satisfied to see Haitu's expression change again and again. A sense of vengeful pleasure rose in Qingyan's heart.

Although a warm, cozy underground dragon had risen in the main hall, Qingyan's body temperature unconsciously dropped to freezing point due to Hai Tu's glacial expression.

What a troublesome fellow. Qingyan thought to herself, and unconsciously turned her furtive glances into a direct look.

"Years have passed since we parted, and Princess Ina must have grown even more beautiful. Since ancient times, heroes and beauties have been intertwined, so it's no wonder that His Highness the Crown Prince is so eager to marry her. However, it seems that the King of Kucha is not very satisfied with you as his son-in-law!" Qingyan looked at the sea chart casually, not expecting that this brute was also a romantic, actually coming up with such a plan for Ina.

Kucha was a devout Buddhist kingdom in the Western Regions, with its rulers considering themselves attendants of the Supreme Lord. They were naturally very supportive of the Empress of Great Qi, and Qiu Rong, who repeatedly invaded Great Qi, was unwelcome. Unless Qiu Rong gained Great Qi's approval, it was simply a pipe dream for Hai Tu, in his current status, to marry Yina. However, to convince Qing Yan of his sincerity, Hai Tu actually put on a melodramatic love act in front of everyone—quite a feat for him. After being exposed, Qing Yan, seeing Hai Tu's awkward expression, almost burst out laughing.

Hai Tu was probably surprised that Qing Yan knew so much about this matter. It seemed that she even knew that Ina was pregnant and that there was no time to lose. He suddenly felt uneasy. If Qing Yan told the King of Kucha about this, then he and Ina would probably never see each other again. He thought that he would be invincible with the trump card of General Ning Di in his hand, but now it seemed that he could only make an exchange.

After calming himself down, Haitu realized that further regret was pointless; seeking cooperation was the only right path. Therefore—

"How about we make a deal?" Hai Tu and Qing Yan looked at each other.

Finally, they got down to business. Qingyan put down her teacup, straightened up, and waited for him to continue.

"General Ning is currently in my army. If the princess agrees to this marriage, I will send him back to Daqi within ten days." Hai Tu's fists were clenched tightly at his sides. At this moment, even this trump card made him uncertain.

The long-held suspicions were confirmed by the nautical chart's words, and Qingyan seemed to feel a great weight lifted from her heart. Ningyuan, who had been following Qingyan's instructions and hiding behind a screen in the side hall to watch the show, was shocked, overjoyed, bewildered, and incredulous.

“This is indeed a good deal, but,” Qingyan picked up her teacup again, took a sip, and put it down. When she looked up at Haitu again, her eyes had become sharp, “Given the current situation, Prince Haitu, do you still think you have the upper hand?”

Qingyan's words startled Haitu. Could it be that even this trump card wasn't enough to secure an equal dialogue? Did this woman have other intentions?

"What do you want?" Haitu asked angrily in a low voice.

"If Your Highness agrees to two things, then I will grant your wish. Not only that, but I will also lend you, Qiu Rong, a vast grassland south of Xiguan Mountain to Mohe for fifty years, and open the trading ports of the Western Regions, allowing free trade between the countries and Qiu Rong. Furthermore, I promise that your country will station foreign affairs officials in the four countries of Wusun, Yutian, Loulan, and Shule." Qing Yan paused for a moment, his sharp gaze falling on the pupils of the sea chart that were gradually enlarging.

"State your conditions." Haitu did not agree immediately. At this moment, if he could get a more generous promise than before, the conditions would naturally be very harsh. Haitu was not stupid. He just underestimated women and was tricked by Qingyan, this difficult little woman.

It seems this nautical chart isn't just a reckless fool. Qingyan smiled and said, "First, send General Ning to the border of our Great Qi within five days."

"General Ning is currently with our army and will arrive at the border in five days." Hai Tu readily agreed to this condition.

"And the second one..." Qingyan paused deliberately, stealing a glance at Haitu. Seeing the cold sweat on his forehead, she chuckled inwardly and slowly uttered two words: "Submit as a vassal."

"No way!" Haitu immediately jumped up from the carved chair made of Phoebe zhennan wood and rejected Qingyan's second condition without even thinking.

"Calm down." Qingyan walked up to him and gently gestured for him to sit down. "Making a decision without thinking it through is too hasty."

"Although my Qiu Rong people live by nomadic herding in fertile lands, we serve the Khan as our master. If we serve another master, I fear I will not be able to face our ancestors after death!" Hai Tu turned his face away from Qing Yan, refusing her firmly and sternly, seemingly leaving no room for negotiation.

"Does allowing Qiu Rong to suffer such devastation really give the young master a good explanation in the afterlife?" Qingyan asked casually, unperturbed.

"Devastation?" Haitu scoffed contemptuously. "The iron cavalry warriors of Qiu Rong are waiting."

Indeed, with the current military strength of the Great Qi, it is not impossible to destroy the Qiu Rong. However, there is the Southern Xia in the south, and the Sichuan and Shu in the southwest and the Northern Yan in the northeast are also eyeing the situation covetously. If the battle with the Qiu Rong ends in mutual destruction, wouldn't others reap the benefits? The risk is too great, and Qing Yan is certainly aware of this. However, if this balance is broken by some inconspicuous forces, the outcome may be different.

"If I were to inform the King of Kucha about the Crown Prince and Princess Ina, I wonder what his reaction would be?" Qingyan raised her eyebrows, feigning thought. "Oh, right, if I remember correctly, the King of Kucha's younger sister is the First Queen of Shule, and Shule's little princess will soon be married to the Crown Prince of Yutian. This seems to put Qiu Rong at a disadvantage. Moreover, if Qiu Rong were to have any conflict with the Western Regions, I think the tens of thousands of elite troops of the Great Qi's Vanguard and Ruifeng Battalions stationed between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River would not stand idly by. And of course, there's His Highness Prince Zhao as well." Qingyan deliberately stroked her lower abdomen.

Fortunately, Ningyuan went missing on the way back to the capital, and her father had left 100,000 troops on the border as a precaution; otherwise, they would have lacked the leverage to threaten Hai Tu. Furthermore, Hai Tu believed the child in her womb was Lan Zhen's. Lan Zhen and Li Muqing had been stationed on the border of the three kingdoms of Nanxia, ​​Daqi, and Qiurong for five years, and Hai Tu had likely clashed with them. For the sake of Qingyan's unborn child, even if Lan Zhen didn't openly help, he would definitely cause trouble for Qiurong behind the scenes. With these advantages, Qingyan felt more confident.

Threat, this is a naked threat!

At this moment, Haitu's eyes were filled with rage, and he wished he could tear the pretty face in front of him to shreds. However, now was not the time to act rashly. He suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth, saying, "This matter is of great importance. I need to report to Father Khan for a decision."

"Very well, if Khan Ruotat grants your request, I will immediately implore my father to bestow upon Ina the title of Princess Jingguo." Qingyan's face was beaming with joy. Although only the legitimate daughters born to the Empress could be granted the title of Princess Jingguo, Emperor Longqing was naturally overjoyed to exchange a prestigious title for the long-term stability of Qiu Rong, and there was no reason for him to refuse. Moreover, such an honor was a windfall for Kucha. Even in this era, when the Great Qi's rule over the Western Regions was quite loose, this title would still elevate Kucha's status among the Western Regions.

"Furthermore, I can also grant the Crown Prince's request," Qingyan offered as a final olive branch, "that the day Qiu Rong submits to the Crown Prince will be the day of his wedding to Princess Ina."

Seeing that Haitu was moved by her last words, Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Haitu was a romantic; otherwise, if he had gone for a fight to the death, it would have been quite troublesome.

"Alright, don't forget your promise." Haitu stood up, turned and left without even a bow.

“There’s no rush to leave. Princess Ina has been invited to attend the Buddhist ceremony at Haihui Temple and will arrive in the capital in a couple of days. Why not meet her before you go? What do you think, Your Highness?” This was the last strong dose of medicine.

"You!" Hai Tu rushed up to Qing Yan, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white, showing that he was beyond furious.

Looking at Haitu's furious expression, Qingyan regretted her provocative actions. What if Haitu lost his temper and punched her? Would she be disfigured?

Seeing this, Ning Yuan, who was behind the screen, also tried to rush out, but Yun Xuan held him back tightly.

"If Ina suffers even the slightest injury, I will make you pay with your life!" With that vicious remark, Haitu stormed off.

Qingyan only breathed a heavy sigh of relief after Haitu's figure disappeared from sight.

"Yan'er." As soon as Hai Tu left, the two came out from behind the screen.

"I'm fine." Qingyan waved her hand wearily. As soon as the tense nerves relaxed, her whole body went limp.

Ning Yuan caught her quickly and carried her to Xuanhua Palace. Yun Xuan sent a eunuch to fetch the imperial physician and hurriedly followed.