Chapter 278: Chapter 276: Sacrifice for the Country_1 Chapter 278: Chapter 276: Sacrifice for the Country_1 Lu Tianzhuo’s body trembled. He didn’t dare to raise his head. Although Li Zhijie appeared nonchalant and lenient, he was known to be resolute. There was no room for negotiation in this matter.

“Don’t you want revenge? If the Princess stays in the Jin Kingdom for a marriage alliance, you’ll have more opportunities to avenge.” Li Zhijie’s lips curled into a cool, thin smile. “Consider it a way to honor your adoptive father and fulfill our master-servant relationship.”

Lu Tianzhuo knew that Li Zhijie sparing his life was already a monumental act of leniency.

“Thank you… Prince.” Lu Tianzhuo bowed his head.

“Prince!” A Xiliang guard of Li Zhijie hurriedly rushed in. After a moment of slight surprise at seeing Lu Tianzhuo kneeling on the ground, he addressed Li Zhijie, “General Bai from the Jin Kingdom has arrived. Alone…”

“Quicker than expected!” Li Zhijie raised his hand, touching the wound near his heart. He lowered his eyes to gaze at the kneeling Lu Tianzhuo. “So, is the second son of the Bai family, Bai Qingqiong, alive or dead?”

Lu Tianzhuo’s voice was calm and gentle: “He was beheaded before my adoptive father’s grave…”

Li Zhijie looked down at Lu Tianzhuo. “Why are you still kneeling here? If you want to sow discord within the Jin court, shouldn’t you find a way to inform the Crown Prince of Jin that Bai Qingyan secretly sought out this king?”

“Yes!” Lu Tianzhuo promptly rose and respectfully withdrew.

Li Zhijie saw Bai Qingyan in a sharp riding outfit, a quiver of arrows at her waist, and holding a Sun-shooting Bow. He chuckled lightly, “Princess of Zhen…”

“My second brother is in King Yan’s hands?” Bai Qingyan stood a few yards away from Li Zhijie.

“When the Xiliang soldiers were cleaning the battlefield, they found a ring that was not an ordinary item. They handed it over to me. Someone recognized it as belonging to the second son of the Bai family, so it was delivered to the Princess of Zhen’s residence.” Li Zhijie smiled faintly.

Bai Qingyan swiftly drew an arrow, her face steady, and aimed a fully drawn bow at Li Zhijie: “So, King Yan used my brother’s ring to lure me here, intending to set a trap to kill me? Or perhaps… incite suspicion between the Jin court officials, hoping the Emperor would abandon me! King Yan’s scheme is truly shallow!”

“Shallow doesn’t matter as long as it’s effective.” A smile tugged at Li Zhijie’s lips. “Of course, if the Princess of Zhen kills me here, and should the Princess of Zhen die today, Jin could not wage war against Xiliang. They lack the ability. I, a mere Prince, exchange my life for a great general of Jin Kingdom. Worth it.”

Though Li Zhijie’s demeanor was frivolous, when necessary, he possessed the spirit of sacrificing for his country. But not today.

Bai Qingyan pulled the Sun-shooting Bow even tighter. “I’ll give you one more chance. Is my second brother in your hands?”

Li Zhijie took an iron-bone folding fan from his waist and tapped it on his palm. Archers hidden in the dark all emerged, arrows aimed at Bai Qingyan.

Li Zhijie laughed, “Miss Bai, aren’t you afraid that if you kill me, your second brother won’t survive?”

Bai Qingyan’s face remained composed: “So, does King Yan simply want to kill and frame me, or does he want to use my second brother to negotiate terms with me?”

“Princess of Zhen, straightforward indeed. This king heard that Emperor Yan wishes to arrange a marriage for his brother, the Ninth Prince of Yan, to the Lord of Gaoyi. Coincidentally, this king has developed feelings for the Lord of Gaoyi while traveling together. Tomorrow, at the Emperor’s birthday banquet, I intend to propose this matter. I hope the Princess of Zhen will help me achieve this wish. If so, I will naturally return the second son of the Bai family unharmed.” Li Zhijie’s eyes sparkled with a brilliant smile.

Bai Qingyan’s lips curved upward.

Li Zhijie wanted the Emperor and the Crown Prince to believe she had a close private relationship with him and had even reached an agreement to marry her sister to King Yan to solidify it.

This way, Li Zhijie could always threaten her by marrying the Fourth Sister, and the Emperor and Crown Prince would doubt her. His plan was indeed well-calculated.

Unexpectedly, Li Zhijie heard the sound of an arrow breaking through the air. His eyes widened as he took two steps back and opened his iron-bone folding fan to block. But his speed couldn’t match the swift arrow. Not only did he fail to stop the fierce arrow, but it also pierced through his barely healed wound, grazing his shoulder blade and nailing him to the tree behind him. The arrow feathers still quivered.

“Prince!”

“Who dares to move!”

When everyone reacted, Bai Qingyan, gripping the arrow, had already stepped on Li Zhijie’s chest, her bow fully drawn, aiming at his face. If she let go, Li Zhijie would die instantly.

“Don’t move!” Li Zhijie gritted his teeth, signaling the archers to stay put. Covering his wound, he smiled faintly at Bai Qingyan. “The Princess of Zhen kills King Yan of Xiliang in the Jin Kingdom. It seems the Princess of Zhen not only doesn’t want your second brother back but is eager for the two countries to continue their war!”

“If my second brother is already dead, and I fall for your trick, it’s equivalent to handing over my Fourth Sister as a weakness into your hands.” Bai Qingyan coldly looked at Li Zhijie. “If my second brother is alive and knows I exchanged my Fourth Sister for him, he would refuse to live! You should not use my second brother to trade for my Fourth Sister. You lost because you don’t understand the Bai family’s ways.”

Li Zhijie’s eyes narrowed.

“King Yan, let me tell you. The gift you sent to my residence has already reached the Crown Prince! My Fourth Sister should have made it known to everyone that you hold my second brother! During the peace talks, you didn’t mention my second brother was in your hands. After the peace treaty was signed, you used my second brother to secretly meet me. Do you think… if I kill you today, who in the Jin Kingdom would blame me? Xiliang may even owe the Jin Kingdom an explanation!”

Li Zhijie’s face slightly changed, forcing a smile. “You claim the gift was sent by me. What if… it was Miss Bai who harbored a grudge against me for setting up the conflict with the Crown Prince and intended to frame me for your vengeance?”

Bai Qingyan’s lips curled in a deadly smile, “Then let’s see if the Crown Prince believes you, an enemy Prince, or me, the loyal Princess of Zhen!”

Seeing Bai Qingyan’s hand about to release the bowstring, Li Zhijie’s pupils trembled. “Don’t you care about your second brother’s life?”

“Swear by the God of Xiliang that my second brother is in your hands and still alive!” Bai Qingyan’s murderous aura was terrifying.

Upon hearing the word “God,” the Xiliang archers slightly lowered their heads, then glared angrily at Bai Qingyan.

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Li Zhijie gritted his teeth, glaring at Bai Qingyan.

Xiliang people worshiped the God deeply. That reverence and worship were ingrained in every Xiliang person’s bones. To lie and swear falsely by the God was blasphemy. Xiliang people would rather die than blaspheme the God.

On Youhua Road, he couldn’t swear. Now, he still couldn’t swear.

“Indeed…” Despite the unbearable pain in her heart, Bai Qingyan’s eyes remained as calm as water.

“Make that bastard King Yan Li Zhijie hand over my second brother!”