Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 898 - 895: Our Own

"Yes!" The messenger soldier exited the tent to relay the orders.

Shortly after, a eunuch with an elegant appearance and red lips entered, followed by a person wrapped tightly in a black cloak. Only from his gait and figure could it be judged he was approximately a middle-aged man.

Bai Qingyan looked at the slightly swaggering eunuch, smiling calmly, sitting with poise. She had thought the Emperor would send the old eunuch Gao Demao, close to him.

"Princess of Zhen, I am here under the orders of His Majesty to deliver an invitation. The Eldest Princess is hosting a banquet tonight in Luohong City and invites the Princess of Zhen..." The eunuch stepped forward to place the letter on Bai Qingyan’s desk and then retreated, smiling as if unafraid, directly staring at Bai Qingyan, "His Majesty genuinely did not expect that the Princess of Zhen, who has always been loyal to the Crown Prince, would betray His Majesty and the Crown Prince! His Majesty is very disappointed, but... remembering the Princess of Zhen once saved the Crown Prince’s life, if the Princess of Zhen would surrender and admit fault now, His Majesty, being magnanimous, would surely show leniency because of the bond between the Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

"What has the Jin Dynasty Emperor consumed to speak with such grandeur..." Lin Kangle was unflinching, his voice cold and firm, "Already like a trapped beast, yet dares to speak so arrogantly with our Majesty."

"Although the Princess of Zhen crowned herself in Dadu City, it is still not legitimate, and how many can truly accept it?" The eunuch smiled at Bai Qingyan, "His Majesty also said that after ascending the Nine-Tiered Platform, he would abdicate... passing the throne to the Crown Prince. If the Princess of Zhen still cares for the Eldest Princess and harbors some loyalty to the Crown Prince, it would be best to surrender."

As the eunuch’s words fell, the man removed his cloak and hood, revealing himself to be Shen Tianzhi, whom Bai Qingyan had appointed Governor of Yanwo.

Shen Tianzhi stood behind the eunuch, saluting Bai Qingyan: "I am ordered by the Eldest Princess to invite the Princess of Zhen..."

"Even considering you’re an old acquaintance, why come under orders... in such secrecy? It’s unclear yet it seems as though the Emperor came himself." Bai Qingyan’s eyes, clear and bright, bore a faint smile.

"Currently, I am leading troops to resist enemy forces, but my three sons serve under the Princess of Zhen. If I boldly enter the enemy camp... witnessed by the soldiers, it might shake their morale. Hence, the secrecy; I ask the Princess of Zhen to forgive this." Shen Tianzhi made a deep bow to Bai Qingyan.

Lin Kangle’s eyes glared at Shen Tianzhi like cowbells, sneering, "Governor Shen fears disrupting military morale? If I were to chop off Governor Shen’s head and hang it on a flagpole... wouldn’t it better unsettle your troops!"

"If the General were to do so, it would indeed be beneficial!" Shen Tianzhi, not at all angry, smiled at Lin Kangle, "Thus proving my innocence, I have indeed not betrayed His Majesty despite my sons’ loyalty to the Princess of Zhen, thus upholding His Majesty and the Crown Prince’s trust in me."

Bai Qingyan, with clear eyes, looked at Shen Tianzhi and understood... Shen Tianzhi had been specifically sent by the Emperor, doubted because his three sons are under Bai Qingyan’s command.

After reading her grandmother’s letter, Bai Qingyan placed it on the table before her, tapping her fingers, smiling: "Grandmother has already sent me a handwritten letter; why then also send Governor Shen over?"

In the letter... Grandmother expressed, if Bai Qingyan was willing to surrender, she and the Crown Prince would persuade the Emperor to appoint Bai Qingyan as Regent Prince to assist the Crown Prince, inviting Bai Qingyan into the city for detailed discussions.

"The Eldest Princess and His Majesty feared the Princess of Zhen might hesitate after reading the letter, given the war between the two armies. To invite the Princess of Zhen into the city for a gathering, they worried the Princess might be overly concerned. So Governor Shen, previously the Shuoyang Governor, also being familiar to the Princess of Zhen, was sent to persuade her!"

Bai Qingyan paused her tapping on the letter, raising her gaze to look at Shen Tianzhi, who nodded gently at her.

There was more to Shen Tianzhi’s words.

The Eldest Princess and His Majesty feared the Princess of Zhen might hesitate after reading the letter...

To invite the Princess into the city for a gathering? Who’s inviting?

Shen Tianzhi was telling her that entering the city for a gathering... is a trap.

"Understood, please convey my message to Grandmother that tonight... I will definitely attend." Bai Qingyan said.

Bai Jinxiu’s hands clenched tight, raising her gaze to look toward Bai Qingyan; even Bai Jinxiu knew it was clearly a trap, so why did the Eldest Young Lady agree?

"In that case, I am relieved!" Shen Tianzhi made a deep bow to Bai Qingyan, then put on his hood and left with the eunuch sent by King Liang.

"Your Majesty! You cannot go!" Lin Kangle urged.

Bai Jinxiu also nodded in agreement: "Eldest Young Lady, this is clearly a trap!"

Bai Qingyan lowered her gaze to her grandmother’s handwritten letter, sure that indeed it was her grandmother’s writing. Grandmother... should also know that Shen Tianzhi is her man.

Therefore, Grandmother devised for King Liang to send Shen Tianzhi over.

Grandmother at this moment acted possibly because she got wind of Bai Qingyan’s intent to claim emperorship, wishing to do her last bit for the Imperial Family of Jin Dynasty while unable to let go of the familial bond, thus sending Shen Tianzhi to meet Bai Qingyan. Regardless of whether Shen Tianzhi had someone trailing him... as long as the two met, there was an opportunity to exchange messages, letting her know that tonight’s invitation was a trap.

If Bai Qingyan chose to prioritize the familial bond and decided to surrender, henceforth she would submit to the Lin family’s imperial power and enter the city for discussions with the Eldest Princess, who would guarantee Bai Qingyan becoming a powerful minister of the era.

If Bai Qingyan truly desired the throne, her grandmother, the Eldest Princess, would inevitably be used by the Emperor of Jin as leverage against Bai Qingyan, hoping that at that moment... Bai Qingyan wouldn’t hesitate.

To become the Empress of Zhou, one must learn to balance benefits and sacrifices for familial ties. Now, standing opposite her is her grandmother, no longer kin but an enemy.

The struggle for imperial power... leaves no room for familial affection. Historically, imperial power has been bloody; the throne... built upon the bones of countless soldiers, the path leading to imperial power and the throne, reddened by the blood of countless enemies and kin.

This... was the lesson the Eldest Princess wished Bai Qingyan to understand.

Living to the Eldest Princess’s age, she no longer feared life and death.

She only hoped her death, whether for the Jin Kingdom she promised her father to guard... or for her granddaughter’s path to imperial power, could exert some effort.

"I must give Grandmother an explanation; going is inevitable!" Bai Qingyan said to Bai Jinxiu and Lin Kangle, who intended to persuade her further, "You need not worry too much. That Governor Shen... is one of ours! He came precisely to inform me that tonight is a trap; I have also conveyed to him that I will definitely go tonight; he will certainly be prepared."

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