Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 1582

Chapter 1582: Chapter 1577: Always Answer the Call

The Crown Prince of Xiping speculated whether the young officer he sent to request reinforcements from the King of Jiujiang had been captured. Considering the King of Jiujiang had yet to arrive, he felt his suspicions were likely correct.

With a hoarse voice, he spoke up, "Although I am the heir of Xiping Palace, I am not yet the King of Xiping. I dare not claim the words of the Emperor of Zhou are baseless. However, I truly do not know of any undocumented mines or weapon workshops. I only heard my father mention it once with the King of Jiujiang, which is why... when I sent someone to request support from him, I used this matter to threaten! But the King of Jiujiang has not shown up either. It’s possible... this matter may be false."

Bai Qingyan raised an eyebrow.

As for the person the Crown Prince of Xiping sent to Jiujiang, Bai Jinzhi was unsure if they had been allowed passage or if they had been killed on the spot.

It seemed the Crown Prince was using the mine and the weapon workshop as leverage against the King of Jiujiang. Seeing him delay in his arrival, he assumed that Zhou had captured the envoy sent to request aid, thus resorting to such explanations.

"Then, Crown Prince, tell me, where did those arrows with ink powder originate? Who was responsible for escorting and supervising their creation?" Bai Qingyan casually placed the tea cup on an ebony side table, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair, speaking lightly and easily. "You know, this matter requires only a little effort to investigate. There are always those in Xiping County who know the times and will inform me! Or... I could ask the King of Jiujiang, but by that time... this would no longer be leverage for the Crown Prince of Xiping."

The Crown Prince of Xiping looked at the bluestone floor in front of him, pondering slightly. He closed his eyes, then opened them again to stare at Bai Qingyan’s blood-stained deerskin boots. "I will tell..."

"Shen Tianzhi..." Bai Qingyan stood up. "Stay here and discuss this matter with the Crown Prince of Xiping. Then let Liu Pinggao take control of the mine and the weapon workshop! Also... make sure to take good care of the Xiping royal family and fulfill their requests as long as they aren’t excessive!"

"Yes!" Shen Tianzhi and Liu Pinggao responded in unison.

Crossing the threshold of the main hall, Bai Qingyan quietly instructed Bai Qingjue, "Have someone separately confine the three children and nurse of the King of Xiping together, just in case."

"Eldest Young Lady, rest assured!" Bai Qingjue replied.

"Have we received any news from Xiaosi?" she inquired.

"Not yet! I’ve already sent someone to ask. I expect news soon..."

She nodded. "Have Xiaosi withdraw the troops and leave a few teams watching the direction of Jiujiang."

Bai Qingjue recalled the Crown Prince of Xiping mentioned sending someone to request aid from the King of Jiujiang. He asked Bai Qingyan, "With the Pingyang Army likely arriving soon, will Eldest Young Lady wait for heavy forces from Dadu City to advance towards the Yan Kingdom’s border, then annihilate Yan in one move, or seize Jiujiang first?"

"While these vassal kings have yet to react, we should take Jiujiang! Seizing one Xiping and one Jiujiang will be enough to make them tremble!" Bai Qingyan’s lips tightened as she finished speaking, and she remarked to Wei Zhong, "Send someone to deliver the arrows from the Xiping Palace to Yan Capital. If you catch up with the Yan Regent Prince, inform him that the Emperor of Yan and the vassal kings have intertwined with the Tianfeng Kingdom. If not, deliver them to Jintong’s hands, and tell her if any vassal king turns back to enter Yan Capital, she must be cautious. The arrows from the Tianfeng Kingdom can penetrate armor."

"Yes, rest assured, Your Majesty!" Wei Zhong replied.

Bai Jinzhi was undaunted by war. When she led troops to the ambush, by chance, she encountered the team sent by the Crown Prince of Xiping to request aid from Jiujiang. Her initial thought was to kill these envoys since the Pingyang Army had yet to arrive, so she could return to support her elder sister in taking Pingyang City. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

But she refrained from acting impulsively and allowed them to pass.

Far in Nanjiang, the King of Zhennan, Shen Kunyang, received orders to immediately set out leading the Bai family army to the Yan realm to join forces with the Emperor of Zhou, Bai Qingyan.

On the day he received the orders, the King of Zhennan, Shen Kunyang, mobilized his troops for a forced march towards Yan territory.

Inside Dadu City, Bai Qingping had already delivered the first batch of repeating crossbows and arrows, forged with ink powder, and had commandeered civilian blacksmith shops within Zhou’s territory, instructing the military weaponry supervision team to work nonstop according to Bai Qingyun’s designs, to produce the second batch of weapons.

The Minister of Revenue, Wei Bugong, had also sent the first batch of collected provisions towards the Yan border in three routes and was already arranging the second batch of supplies.

The Minister of War, Zhang Duanning, announced that Bai Qingyan was attacked in Yan Kingdom and Zhou’s resolution to extinguish Yan within Zhou’s borders during conscription...

Veterans returned eagerly, declaring... when the nation is at war, the call is answered without fail!

Moreover, elderly citizens, believing recruitment was in aid of rescuing Bai Qingyan from Yan territory, personally sent their only sons to join the army.

The recruiting young officer said, "Sir, Zhou’s recruitment laws state single sons aren’t drafted."

Yet the elderly man replied, "The Emperor, to protect us, the people of Zhou, has so many times gone to the battlefield. Now that the Emperor is trapped in Yan, why shouldn’t every good son of Zhou be able to go to the battlefield?"