Soon, the lantern festival food was served... Bai Qingyan looked at the plump white lantern festival balls in the bowl, held Shen Qingzhu’s hand, stood up, and smiled while speaking to the soldiers: "Today is the Lantern Festival; we celebrate while away from home. The entire army together eats lantern festival food, and once we’re done, we’ll visit the lantern displays. Naturally... the temporary lanterns made at Yecheng Pass cannot compare to those meticulously prepared for over a month within various cities of our Zhou. However... when peace reigns in the world, we will certainly see the most beautiful lanterns every fifteenth of the month. I deeply believe... with our Zhou soldiers risking their lives for the peace of the common folk, securing the land for the people! That day will not be far off! Bai Qingyan expresses his gratitude on behalf of the Zhou populace to all of you!" After speaking, Bai Qingyan bowed to the soldiers in the wounded camp. Read complete versıon only at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩 The soldiers straightened their backs and bowed towards Bai Qingyan. Xiao Rongyan watched the injured in the Zhou’s wounded camp, his eyes turned red, and he couldn’t help but once again admire Bai Qingyan’s ability to inspire. After Bai Qingyan sat down, the soldiers began eating the lantern festival food. The big tent was bustling with activity; soldiers who could usually eat a whole lantern festival ball in one bite were using spoons to scoop them up, taking small bites. Everyone hoped they would be the one to find the single lantern festival ball in the entire camp that contained the copper coin. Xiao Rongyan also received a bowl of lantern festival food but hadn’t moved his spoon. Bai Jinzhao stared intently at Xiao Rongyan, curious about how the masked Ninth Prince of Yan would eat... Unexpectedly, when Xiao Rongyan noticed Bai Jinzhao’s gaze, he looked back at Bai Jinzhao. Seeing her bright black eyes fixed on the lantern festival food before him, he thought of Bai Jinzhi, and smilingly instructed someone to bring his bowl over to Bai Jinzhao, claiming he didn’t like sweets. Bai Jinzhao realized that perhaps her staring made the Ninth Prince misunderstood, thinking she was coveting his lantern festival food. Now that it was sent to her, it would be embarrassing not to eat. She scooped one with the spoon and put it in her mouth, biting down... "Hmm?!" Bai Jinzhao spat out the copper coin from the lantern festival ball, her eyes widening, rushing to show it to Bai Jinhua, "Copper coin! I found the copper coin!" "Ah! Fifth Sister found the copper coin, looks like she’ll be the luckiest among the Bai family soldiers this year!" Bai Jinhua smiled broadly. Excitedly, Bai Jinzhao suddenly looked at the Ninth Prince of Yan; the bowl was sent to her by the Ninth Prince. So... is this her fortune, or the Ninth Prince of Yan’s fortune? "This bowl of lantern festival food was given to me by the Ninth Prince of Yan; this luck... should belong to the Ninth Prince!" Bai Jinzhao stood up, went before Xiao Rongyan, and handed the copper coin to him, "Ninth Prince, it’s yours!" "Since it’s the Fifth Lady who found it, naturally it’s her fortune!" Xiao Rongyan glanced at Bai Qingyan and then said, "I am already the luckiest person under heaven; let this luck stay with the Fifth Lady, hoping for safety on the battlefield..." With Bai Qingyan, they also had a child, and their ambition to unite the world was step by step advancing; wasn’t he the luckiest person in the world? Bai Qingyan understood, lowering her eyes with a slight smile. Bai Jinzhao felt that the Ninth Prince of Yan was quite amiable, not as rumored, and happily accepted the copper coin, giving Xiao Rongyan a hand salute, "Then... Bai Jinzhao hereby thanks the Ninth Prince!" After speaking, Bai Jinzhao returned to her seat cheerfully with the copper coin, handing it to Bai Jinse, "Little Seven, this year’s luck, Fifth Sister gives it to you! Wear it well... this copper coin can protect you on the battlefield!" Bai Jinse accepted the copper coin, smiling and bowing to Bai Jinzhao, "Little Seven thanks Fifth Sister." When the soldiers saw the copper coin was ultimately given to the Bai family’s youngest junior general, they offered congratulations, saying Bai Jinse would surely earn merits and kill several enemy soldiers on the battlefield this time. After the lively festivities and eating, Bai Qingyan led the Bai family and the Zhou generals to distribute lantern festival food to the people of Yecheng Pass. The people of Yecheng Pass were afraid that Zhou would massacre them like the Xiliang army did when they invaded Zhou’s cities, having hidden in cellars at home for several days. Suddenly hearing outside that the Emperor of Zhou and the generals were distributing lantern festival food at Yecheng Pass to the citizens and had no intent of massacre... Some already famished citizens watched their children starving beyond endurance, instructing their wives to watch over the kids while they went outside to test if Zhou indeed wouldn’t kill but provided food. They would then return to call their spouses and children. If they never came back, they warned them not to leave the cellar. Amid the children’s subdued crying, the man exited the cellar, seeing neighbors pulling their kids along, bowls in hand, running towards the city walls, saying Zhou truly offered food without killing. The man hurriedly returned, calling out his wife and child, grabbing bowls, and running towards the city walls. From afar, Xiliang citizens saw Bai Qingyan, draped in a fox fur, standing under the colorful swaying lanterns on the city walls, with a gentle smile, serving lantern festival food to the queuing Xiliang people. Xiao Rongyan stood atop the city wall, observing Bai Qingyan, whose delicate beauty was extraordinary; she was the most striking in the enthusiastic thanking and children’s cries yet remained serene and transcendent. Clearly renowned as a battle deity, yet she restrained her imposing aura, bending to caress the children’s heads, with a smile that softened her features, radiating exquisite beauty under the lantern lights. Warm lantern festival food was continuously being delivered, watching as many Xiliang citizens arrived, carrying steaming bowls, eating next to them, and then queueing again for more. Bai Qingyan handed the spoon for serving lantern festival food to Bai Qingqi, lifting her attire skirt hem, and walked towards the city walls. The Xiliang citizens’ eyes followed the Emperor of Zhou, watching the Emperor ascend the city walls, their expressions tense; some feared the lantern festival food was their last meal, believing the Emperor of Zhou might order their slaughter upon climbing the walls, while some were irresistibly drawn by Bai Qingyan’s breathtaking appearance, involuntarily raising their heads to observe. She stood atop the city wall, looking at the Xiliang citizens gazing up at her, and spoke: "Everyone, I am the Emperor of Zhou, Bai Qingyan. I know you have many doubts, and even more citizens have not come for fear that Zhou soldiers may deceive you here for slaughter..." "Though Zhou and Xiliang are mortal foes, when Xiliang soldiers once invaded Zhou... massacring our Zhou citizens, but... it has nothing to do with our two countries’ citizens! The unarmed citizens are indeed the most suffering in this world; whether thriving or dying... it’s the citizens who suffer! Therefore, our Bai family ancestors often pondered how to ensure this land has no more wars, no more families torn apart, ten homes left empty!"