Chapter 189 Please, Princess, Enter the City to Meet…

Chapter 189: Requesting the Princess to Come into the City...

Tuo Baxiao’s expression stiffened briefly.

Jiang Congyan said, "I don’t want an all-out war with Southern Liang. If possible, I’d like to persuade them to surrender."

"You already sent people to persuade them, but they wouldn’t yield," Tuo Baxiao replied stiffly, clearly thinking Southern Liang was being ungrateful.

Jiang Congyan knew he was frustrated. Since heading south, his battles had been cautious—nothing like his ruthless approach against the barbarians. There had been no major slaughter, just surprise attacks to seize key cities and encircle Jiankang. Even now, he hadn’t launched a full-scale assault.

"Before, they weren’t cornered, so of course they wouldn’t surrender. But now it’s different." She tilted her head, bracing on his shoulder, and rubbed her face against his cheek. "We’re expecting a child—our heir, who carries three-quarters Han bloodline and royal lineage. They might find it easier to accept now. If I mediate carefully, there should still be room for negotiation."

In a sense, this child was barely tied to the barbarians anymore.

Tuo Baxiao adored her rare display of initiative. He pulled her close, pressing his face to her neck, breathing in the faint fragrance of her skin. It soothed him at once.

"Then I’ll do my best to make them surrender," he said. But then he held her shoulders and eased her back slightly, lowering his head to look sternly at her weary face. "But your most important task now is to recover. You come first—don’t worry about these matters for now."

His tone was firm, but Jiang Congyan smiled softly. "Alright."

She cherished this child deeply and wouldn’t dare act recklessly.

Her gaze was soft as she looked at him, her expression sweet and docile. Unable to hold back, Tuo Baxiao kissed her.

He kissed her forehead, eyes, cheeks, and captured her lips, devouring her sweetness greedily.

Jiang Congyan missed him too. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes.

Just as their breaths mingled and they lost themselves in the moment, he suddenly pushed her away.

Tuo Baxiao turned his head aside, panting heavily, his face tense with restraint.

Her hazy eyes fluttered open, and she quickly understood. They hadn’t been together in over two months, but in her current state...

After a pause, she slowly reached out, her fingers brushing his belt, giving it a light tug.

"Is it really not possible?"

But before she could finish, he realized what she meant.

She wasn’t in peak condition, and he hadn’t planned to tire her out. But if she was willing, Tuo Baxiao found it nearly impossible to resist the temptation.

He allowed her to loosen his belt. The moment her soft palm touched him, he shuddered and crushed his lips to hers again, kissing her desperately.

......

The scent of meat now turned her stomach, even disliking it altogether. To accommodate her, Tuo Baxiao ordered the kitchen to prepare only dishes to her taste, skipping his usual meat dishes.

She told him not to bother, but he stubbornly ate vegetarian alongside her.

That night, after washing up and preparing for bed, Tuo Baxiao hesitated for a long time by the bedside.

Jiang Congyan had already settled on the inner side, turning to look at him. "Something wrong?"

The man shook his head.

"Then why aren’t you sleeping?"

"I’m worried I’ll toss in my sleep and hurt your belly," Tuo Baxiao admitted.

Jiang Congyan went quiet for a beat upon hearing this. "In that case, then go find somewhere else to sleep yourself." Then she turned to face the inner side of the bed.

Not a single word of comfort for him? Tuo Baxiao glared at the back of her head, annoyed.

Jiang Congyan tugged the thin blanket over herself and closed her eyes without another word.

The next moment, the mattress sank a little as the man’s warm chest pressed against her back.

"On second thought, my sleeping habits aren’t that bad. At worst, I’ll stay alert at night—I definitely won’t hurt you," he said, half explaining, half promising.

Jiang Congyan opened her eyes, her face saying 'I knew it.'

She had known all along that the man was just talking. Like he’d actually sleep somewhere else.

"Alright, whatever. Let’s just sleep."

Truthfully, after sharing a bed for so long, except for sometimes squeezing her a little too hard, he had never once squashed her so bad she couldn’t breathe. And now, Jiang Congyan wasn’t that concerned.

As expected, Tuo Baxiao had a rough night’s sleep, waking up several times. Each time he awoke, he stared at her slender form nestled in his arms under the dim lamplight, unable to look away from her peaceful sleeping face.

The excitement and joy that had settled during the day surged back in the quiet of the night—this happiness was ten, a hundred times more intense than any victory in battle, rocking him to his core.

Tuo Baxiao watched her for a long time before carefully pressing a kiss to the top of her head and dozing off.

---

After seven or eight days of rest, Jiang Congyan was looking much better.

Zhang Fu came daily to check her pulse, showing both her and the baby were getting stronger.

Turns out it was just the exhaustion from the trip.

Having a kid was never just one person’s job—the father’s vitality was just as crucial for a healthy child.

Given how much they had jostled on the road without any harm coming to the little one, it was clear this child was a tough little thing.

Once her health improved, Jiang Congyan had to ask about the war again.

The current situation was that Tuo Baxiao had complete control over the defense line from the Huai River to the Yangtze, with Jingzhou also in his hands. Though Xie Shao had rushed back in time to reinforce, with such limited troops and the loss of key natural barriers, Jiankang was truly on the brink. Unless a miracle occurred, holding the city was impossible.

Over the next month or so, Tuo Baxiao continuously adjusted his forces. Aside from maintaining a standoff across the river from Jiankang, he ordered the navy to secure Jingzhou and sent part of his army to land on the southern bank, cutting Jiankang off completely.

Though Southern Liang still had a hundred thousand troops, they were now trapped in a corner with no strategic depth. Tuo Baxiao’s forces matched or exceeded theirs in number, and his soldiers’ equipment and combat skills far surpassed those of the Liang army. No way they could turn this around.

Southern Liang was on its last legs.

Jiang Congyan thought it was time.

She summoned Zhou Hong and assigned him a task.

After listening, Zhou Hong looked troubled and knelt to beg forgiveness. "It is an honor that Her Highness would entrust such an important matter to me, but I am not great at talking. I fear I am not up to the task."

It wasn’t that he feared death, but as a military man, being asked to perform a civil official’s duty was beyond his capabilities.

Seeing his grave expression, Jiang Congyan smiled and quickly urged him to rise. "Don’t overthink it. I’m not placing this heavy responsibility entirely on your shoulders."

"Confined to the south, they remain unaware of the situation in the north. They likely believe my past words were mere deception. I’m sending you simply to share your own experiences—how I have treated the Han people, whether the Xianbei have oppressed Han civilians. Just tell them what you’ve seen, straight up. Whether they surrender or not can be decided later."

Diplomatic tactics and skill were important, but sometimes, genuine emotion and sincerity could surpass all else.

Zhou Hong came from the Zhou clan. Though the imperial court hadn’t valued him in recent years, the Zhou family’s honor still stood firm, especially since Zhou Ji had died resisting the Xiongnu. Everyone believed they would rather fight to the last man than surrender to the barbarians just to stay alive. Under such circumstances, sending Zhou Hong would clearly carry more persuasive weight.

It was only then that Zhou Hong understood her plan and reluctantly agreed.

——

Jiankang had descended into chaos, particularly among the aristocratic clans who had fled south and survived the Xiongnu’s pursuit. They were paralyzed with fear, fearing a repeat of past tragedies.

"What are we supposed to do now? What can we do? The Xianbei Army has already crossed the river, and Tuo Baxiao is right outside our walls!"

"Xie Shao, weren’t you commanding a hundred thousand troops? How did you let Tuo Baxiao slip through? Were you truly doing your best, or have you already planned to surrender and just pretended to lose?"

Some directed their accusations at Xie Shao.

"Exactly! He was quite formidable against the Xiongnu—why is he suddenly helpless against Tuo Baxiao?"

"I never trusted him. We shouldn’t have relied on him from the start."

They tore into Xie Shao, though it was their own insistence on recalling him for reinforcements that had led to this dire situation. Instead of reflecting on their mistakes, they sought only to pin the blame on someone.

Xie Shao remained silent, offering no defense.

Huan Jun watched coldly, smirking in disgust. With the crisis at its peak, they were too busy squabbling rather than seeking solutions.

As the court continued its endless disputes, a patrol guard from the riverbank reported that Zhou Hong had arrived and was asking to come in.

Zhou Hong?

They knew the name—some even cursed his name, accusing him of serving the barbarians and dragging the Zhou clan’s name through the mud.

"How many men did he bring?" Huan Jun asked.

"Only himself."

"Let him in."

Zhou Hong was quickly escorted into the city.

"I come under Princess You'an’s orders to persuade your surrender," he blurted out.

The room exploded.

"I refuse!"

"No way!"

"How could we bow to barbarians?"

"You snake! Since you’ve walked right into our hands, we’ll kill you here and now!"

...

They rejected the idea without hesitation.

Zhou Hong wasn’t exactly a smooth talker, but he remembered Jiang Congyan’s instructions—simply to tell them what he’d seen over the years.

As he spoke, a few started to soften.

"Tuo Baxiao really is pushing for Han writing? And hires Han men for office?"

"That’s right," Zhou Hong confirmed.

Everyone knew Zhou Hong well—his blunt nature meant he wouldn’t lie.

Tuo Baxiao was open to appointing Han Chinese to office…

The Xianbei were powerful, and given the current situation, Jiankang was on the brink of collapse. Continuing to resist would only lead to death. If they surrendered as Zhou Hong suggested, not only could they save their lives but also retain their official positions—perhaps it was a way out.

Many were tempted.

"Maybe… we should surrender?" someone whispered.

"No."

"Why not? We have no other options left."

Once someone spoke up, those who had hesitated before began to voice their support. The court exploded into heated arguments over whether to surrender or not.

The argument dragged on for days without resolution.

There were many reasons to surrender: they couldn’t defeat Tuo Baxiao, Jiankang would fall sooner or later, and continuing the fight would only sacrifice more lives needlessly—both soldiers and civilians.

Those unwilling to surrender accused the others of cowardice, swearing to fight for Liang to the death.

Amid their endless quarrels, a crushing blow struck—

"His Majesty has passed away."

The blood drained from their faces.

Last year, the fifth prince had been enthroned, but he was too young and had grown deathly ill during their retreat.

Huan Jun had taken him in and ordered physicians to treat him, but his condition never improved. As a result, power rested with Huan Jun and the aristocratic clans from the north and south, leaving the young emperor as just a puppet.

But even a puppet had his uses—at least he could unite the people and legitimize their rule in the south.

Now, the young emperor was dead.

All else was forgotten. They rushed to the emperor’s bedchamber, where servants wept on their knees.

"How could His Majesty pass so suddenly?"

The physician responsible for the emperor’s care had already been seized, but no matter how they interrogated him, his answer remained the same:

"His Majesty’s illness never improved. Over the last month or two, it worsened. I could not reverse Heaven’s will."

The emperor’s death cast the realm into grief.

Jiang Huai sat in the courtyard, listening to the deep tolling of the bell from the distant palace, counting in his head.

When the ninth chime faded, he opened his eyes and looked up at the clear blue northern sky.

With the young emperor’s death, the final thread holding Southern Liang together snapped.

The young emperor had never married, so there was no empress to oversee the funeral. Huan Jun took charge instead. Officials wore undyed hemp mourning garments, removed their caps, and tied white mourning bands around their heads to grieve for the emperor.

But the biggest concern was not the funeral. The earlier debate now required a decisive answer.

Huan Jun stood before the assembled officials. "Now that His Majesty has passed without an heir, and Princess You'an is the sole surviving heir of the Founding Emperor and Crown Prince Zhaowen, I suggest we submit under her authority. What is your counsel?"

"I wish to surrender to the princess," said Cui Wang.

Though elderly, he no longer handled court affairs after arriving in Jiankang. But his high standing still kept many loyal to him. Now that he had taken the initiative to surrender, the others had little reason to hesitate.

"We too surrender to the princess."

With unanimous agreement, Huan Jun immediately penned a letter and sent a messenger with it.

In the letter, he expressed their willingness to surrender but included one condition—the princess must come into the city to meet them.