Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 1502

Chapter 1502: Chapter 1497: Negotiating with a Tiger for Its Skin

"Even if the court officials cannot distinguish whether the Seventh Prince is real or fake, surely this palace, as his biological mother, must be able to tell whether my own son is genuine or not?" The Empress raised her teacup, smiling slightly, "And yet, Regent Prince... you have long hidden behind a mask, never showing your true face. Even today, to display your sincerity, you reveal yourself. Whether you are indeed the Regent Prince of Yan, I truly cannot discern!"

"Whether I am the Regent Prince of Yan or not does not matter; as long as the Yan Imperial Court recognizes the regent seal at my waist, that is enough!" Xiao Rongyan also raised his teacup, "Just as, whether the officials can recognize the Seventh Prince or not does not matter; if you, Empress, say the one in the Dongyi Imperial Palace now is the Seventh Prince, then he is. If you say he is not, then he is not!"

The Empress pretended to lower her head and take a sip of tea, carefully pondering over Xiao Rongyan’s words, speculating... could Xiao Rongyan be suggesting that she imitate Zhou’s actions, and after Zhou leaves, perform a switcheroo as well? The Empress’s mind immediately became active.

Yes... if she says that now he is the Seventh Prince, then he is the Seventh Prince; if she says he is not, naturally, he is not!

Once the Emperor of Zhou departs, she could have that child abducted... keep him carefully contained, not letting him harm himself. No matter who wears the crown, it’s all the same.

Only, the Emperor of Zhou will surely place people around that child. Handling it then could be a thorny issue.

The Empress glanced at Xiao Rongyan, contemplating the possibility of using Yan. After setting down her teacup, she asked, "So, Regent Prince, you have come today to forge an alliance with our Dongyi Kingdom?"

"Indeed!" Xiao Rongyan used the lid of the teacup to press down the floating leaves in the tea, ceasing his coyness, "Yan has already dispatched people to Zhou to rescue the Seventh Prince. If successful, the Empress need not be constrained by Zhou. Then... if the Empress requires, Yan’s military presence in Dongyi can also be at the Empress’s disposal, offering assistance!"

This means getting Dongyi to trouble Zhou; the Empress inwardly chuckled. Zhou wants Dongyi to target Yan, while Yan wants Dongyi to target Zhou. Ultimately, it’s all about wagering national interests, and this... is truly Dongyi’s only bargaining chip now, the sole reliance of Dongyi Kingdom.

"So, how many troops will Yan leave behind?" The Empress asked.

"On the surface, naturally the three thousand men I brought, plus another five thousand men can serve as the Empress’s backup."

"Naturally, but... when Dongyi follows Zhou’s arrangements to trouble Yan, I ask the Empress to notify us in advance, along with Yan’s efforts to rescue the Seventh Prince not being in vain." Xiao Rongyan picked up the mask by the teacup and toyed with it as he stood, "Does the Empress have any other requests? If not, I’ll take my leave now." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The Empress first seeks the mother-child Gu, administers it to someone around her, then finds a way to unravel it. If feasible, she would dare use it on her son.

The Empress’s mind was clear; regardless of whether Zhou wins the wager or Yan does, the mother-child Gu on her son is a menace that must be removed. However, if Yan and Zhou become one nation, for controlling Dongyi, even if her son returns, as long as they keep that counterfeit with the child Gu, they essentially hold her son’s life.

In this world, nothing matters more than her son’s safety, including Dongyi.

Xiao Rongyan was initially taken aback by her words, then said, "Mother-child Gu? Never heard of it, Empress... have you tried?"

The Empress raised her bandaged hands: "Otherwise, Regent Prince, how do you think the injuries on this palace’s hands came about? How could Zhou confidently place a young child in Dongyi as its ruler? Therefore... Regent Prince, if the mother-child Gu isn’t resolved, this palace’s actions are often beyond my control! Before unraveling the mother-child Gu... I ask Regent Prince to see clearly, this palace is not unwilling to collaborate with Yan, but controlled by Zhou. Even such a decision as whether Yan can station troops in Dongyi needs Zhou’s consent, yet this palace will strive to negotiate for Yan! But where efforts fall short, I hope Regent Prince can understand this palace’s predicament."