The news that Murong Chui had been granted dominion over the West of the Passes rivaled, and even far surpassed, the series of momentous events in Wei State. Yan State possessed strong imperial authority, yet under such circumstances, it had actually agreed to partition its territory and grant a prince his own kingdom. Such generosity had rarely been seen even during the Zhou State period, let alone now.
Murong Chui's attack on Guanzhong should have been the pivotal event that tore Yan State apart, perhaps even igniting a civil war. Why, then, had Yan State brought everything to such a peaceful conclusion?
By now, all that stood between Yan State and the unification of the North in the Narrow Sense-the lands north of the Yellow River-was half of Jizhou and the Four Hexi Commanderies of Liangzhou. A colossal behemoth stretched across the land like a canopy over the heavens, exerting boundless pressure on everyone.
What exactly had happened in Yan State's Ji City?
What could have made the emperor concede so much?
Yan State's ministers wanted to know, Murong Chui wanted to know, Han State wanted to know, Liang State wanted to know-everyone under heaven wanted to know!
No wall under heaven could keep out the wind, especially when the major event involved someone as unexceptional as the Yan State Empress Dowager.
Jianye.
Xiao Yan and Luo Xianzhi sat facing each other. Even Luo Xianzhi looked somewhat bewildered. Even he could not quite understand how the situation had developed. After turning everything over in his mind once more, he shook his head again and said incredulously, "No, the Yan State Empress Dowager and the emperor could not possibly pay such a price. Even Murong Ke offering himself as a hostage could not make those two drop their guard against