Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 447 - 444: The Capable Contend for Supremacy - 1

Chapter 447: Chapter 444: The Capable Contend for Supremacy - 1

Actually, originally when King Liang caught the person sent by Yan Kingdom to spread rumors in Yanwo, and mentioned wanting to cooperate with Yan Kingdom to meet the Ninth Prince of Yan Kingdom, Xiao Rongyan initially intended to ignore it.

However, when King Liang mentioned that Bai Qingyan was feared by other nations and would be a formidable opponent to Yan Kingdom in the future, and expressed his willingness to join hands with Yan Kingdom to eliminate Bai Qingyan, only then did Xiao Rongyan feel it was a matter worth his attention.

Later on... the disaster relief in Yanwo by King Liang led to a civil revolt. Xiao Rongyan sent his man to Dadu City to observe the situation and act accordingly. If King Liang had the means to avoid punishment by the Emperor upon being escorted back to Dadu City, Xiao Rongyan’s man would meet King Liang under the identity of the Ninth Prince of Yan Kingdom, Murong Yan, to see what King Liang had planned.

If King Liang was dealt with, they would ignore the whole affair.

Unexpectedly, King Liang did indeed manage to get lightly punished by the Emperor, who even seemed to favor him more afterward. Only then did Xiao Rongyan’s man meet King Liang.

"Thank you, Mr. Xiao, for your guidance!" Bai Qingyan straightened her back and solemnly nodded at Xiao Rongyan. "May I ask, Mr. Xiao, what is King Liang’s intention for cooperating with the Ninth Prince of Yan Kingdom?"

Xiao Rongyan looked at Bai Qingyan with a faint smile, and said calmly, "He intended to borrow troops from him. However... King Liang had nothing to offer Yan Kingdom except promises. Even if he handed leverage to Yan Kingdom himself, his life... held little value in the eyes of Yan Kingdom. The Ninth Prince of Yan Kingdom told King Liang to talk again when he had enough leverage. However, to show Yan Kingdom’s willingness to wait for King Liang’s sincerity, if King Liang had any needs, he only needed to visit Shangmo Study, and within reason, Yan Kingdom would help!"

In other words, Xiao Rongyan still looked down on this pretend-mad King Liang.

Xiao Rongyan did not station his men around King Liang but used a strategy of advancing through retreating to grasp King Liang’s movements. This was also to prevent King Liang from seeking cooperation with other countries.

In doing so, King Liang would feel that Yan Kingdom was indeed sincere.

Even so, Bai Qingyan’s heart could not rest easy.

Seeing Bai Qingyan lower her gaze in silent thought, Xiao Rongyan did not hide anything from her. He pushed the gold-trimmed plate of Haitang pastries in front of her. "I specially instructed the cook to make them light and with vegetable oil. Have a taste."

Bai Qingyan raised her eyes at the sound, meeting Xiao Rongyan’s restrained and calm black eyes, as deep as they were that night in Shuoyang.

"Were you injured in the battle at the Northern Frontier?" Xiao Rongyan’s rich, gentle voice asked.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Xiao. I was not." Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes to the chessboard on the small table, picked up the teacup, and raised it towards Xiao Rongyan with a carefree posture. "I forgot to congratulate Mr. Xiao. The current state of the world must be as you wished."

Xiao Rongyan picked up the teacup in front of him and said to Bai Qingyan, "Congratulating you too, Miss Bai. With your strategic arrangements, in a few years, Jin Kingdom will certainly be under the control of the Bai family."

Both Xiao Rongyan and Bai Qingyan had walked the tightrope of life and death, taking each careful step to survive until today. Besides the unspoken emotions buried deep within, there was also a mutual respect and admiration.

"Speaking of which, I should thank you, Miss Bai. My brother wrote to say that thanks to Doctor Hong, his health is improving day by day! Doctor Hong is already on the way back to Dadu. Judging by the time... he should arrive in three days!" Xiao Rongyan said softly, putting down his teacup.

Hearing this news, Bai Qingyan felt relieved. "If Mr. Xiao hadn’t mentioned it, I would have asked about it too."

After all, Bai Jinxiu was now heavily pregnant, and although Lu Ninghuan was present, it couldn’t ease Bai Qingyan as much as having Doctor Hong there. However, it was hard on Doctor Hong to travel back and forth despite his old age.

"Doctor Hong has prescribed medicine for my brother. As long as he follows the prescription and takes care of himself... After a few years, although he won’t be as healthy as an ordinary person, he won’t suffer from the poison anymore." Xiao Rongyan was genuinely grateful to Bai Qingyan for allowing Doctor Hong from his own household to treat his brother.

Sitting under the ancient lush tree, the wind carried the scent of osmanthus.

The sky was clear, with gentle breezes and bright sunshine; the white clouds drifted by. It was truly a rare moment of leisure and peace.

Ever since he decided to leave Yan Kingdom and serve the country, he had never felt so at ease for a single day.

Even when seemingly sitting idle with those wealthy idle people, his mind had never stopped.

As Bai Qingyan said, because the current situation of the world was as he had hoped, he could finally breathe a little easier.

But it was just a little easier.

Yan Kingdom still needed to be vigilant for its weakness and poverty, secretly striving for strength, and vigorously developing its military and agriculture for the future.

Xiao Rongyan remembered hearing from the Crown Prince’s secret messenger not long ago that when Bai Qingyan learned about the Rong rebellion, she suggested to the Crown Prince to send troops to assist Rong, which would secure Rong’s natural pastures. However, neither the Crown Prince nor the Emperor listened to her.

If Bai Qingyan had manpower and military power, with her intelligence and farsightedness, she would not only pave a stable path for the Bai family but also secure a path to rule the world in the future.

At such a young age, having such insight and strategy was truly remarkable.

As the wind blew, the branches and leaves of the old osmanthus trees rustled, and the mottled light spots left by the sunlight flickered. The osmanthus flowers fell and entangled in Bai Qingyan’s hair, resting on her shoulders, making Xiao Rongyan want to lift his hand to brush them away.

"If one day the world is at peace, being able to drink tea with Miss Bai under the osmanthus trees would be very pleasant." Xiao Rongyan said.

"It seems Mr. Xiao is quite confident about the grand enterprise." Bai Qingyan casually poured out the tea with fallen osmanthus flowers.

Xiao Rongyan chuckled and lifted the teapot with a handkerchief, pouring tea for Bai Qingyan again. "With Miss Bai’s assistance, I am naturally confident."

Bai Qingyan, knowing Xiao Rongyan’s intention of pulling her onto the same boat, brought up the matter of opening mines intentionally. "It’s not mutual assistance, just mutual benefit!"

Bai Qingyan did not respond, so Xiao Rongyan knew it was not the right time yet. He didn’t know if Bai Qingyan still looked down on the strength of Yan Kingdom, or if she intended for the imperial power of Jin Kingdom to change to her Bai family, or make the world belong to her Bai family.

Taking advantage of the rare opportunity today, Xiao Rongyan asked the question he least wanted to ask. "Does Miss Bai also wish to embrace the world? Make this world... surname Bai?"

"This world has never belonged to one family. Heroes contend for supremacy and the capable ascend to the throne. Those who benefit millions of people will endure through the ages. Those who bring slaughter and regard Bai’s surname as ants, even if they seize the world, it is but fleeting." Bai Qingyan gazed deeply at Xiao Rongyan. "Unifying the world and reaching the pinnacle is an unprecedented achievement, but the road ahead will be harder and heavier. Otherwise... why did the Qin Empire fall after only two generations despite unifying the world?"