"Enough, you don't need to remind me of these matters. I will naturally explain to His Majesty, and you are to listen to me and do as I say."
Murong Jinyun shouted angrily, her eyes filled with fierce indignation. She stood before Baili Xi with an imposing aura, her gaze sharp. This was the first time in their long acquaintance that she had used her status to forcefully suppress Baili Xi.
Baili Xi now truly understood Murong Jinyun's intentions and let out a self-mocking cold laugh. "Your Highness seems to have genuinely fallen for someone from the Eastern Chu. Are you truly disregarding the Western Liang now?"
He should have foreseen this outcome long ago. He should not have harbored the hope that Murong Jinyun would prioritize the grand cause of Western Liang. This ending was entirely due to his own poor management.
"Enough, General Baili, do not forget your station. Know what you should say and what you shouldn't."
Murong Jinyun did not wish to continue this topic and deliberately evaded it. "General Baili, if there is nothing else, you may leave. This Princess is tired!"
"Your Highness is trying to dismiss me. Do you not wish to see this humble general, or do you not wish to see His Majesty's command? Your Highness, do not forget His Majesty's trust, and do not let Western Liang's years of planning go to waste!"
Baili Xi shouted indignantly, hoping to awaken Murong Jinyun and make her consider the interests of Western Liang, lest she become a sinner for the entire kingdom.
"Your Highness, you are from Western Liang. Do you not know the suffering of the Western Liang people all these years? Now that there is finally a chance to change this situation, you are destroying it all for your own selfish desires. What face do you have to see the people of Western Liang? Do you truly wish to become a sinner for the entire Western Liang!"
"Enough, shut up! Baili Xi, these words are not for you to say. Your actions have already crossed the line!"
Murong Jinyun suddenly slammed the teacup in her hand to the ground, a gesture to remind Baili Xi to be mindful of his words.
"Who is crossing the line, or is it that Your Highness's actions are unworthy of being a princess of Western Liang, and betraying the people of Western Liang!"
"Baili Xi, I tell you, my actions are for the sake of the Western Liang people. Western Liang has fallen into its current predicament due to natural disasters causing crop failure, and due to years of continuous warfare leaving the national treasury empty, unable to produce even a single grain of food!"
"It is not something that can be solved by invading other countries and stealing their grain. If you do not change your ways, sooner or later... sooner or later, Western Liang will perish, destroyed by your hands."
Western Liang had been in constant warfare for years, its treasury long depleted. Not even relief grain could be provided. Coupled with several years of natural disasters, Western Liang was now at its last gasp.
Continuing to rely on plundering others to feed themselves, when would it ever end? Such a path could not be sustained for much longer.
"Does Your Highness mean you do not wish to continue with this matter?"
Baili Xi heard the intention behind Murong Jinyun's words, and his tone couldn't help but deepen, laced with a hint of anger.
"I simply believe that we should not continue. It is time for Western Liang to seek a new path and not to persist in this mistake."
"Your Highness, do not forget that this is His Majesty's decision. Since His Majesty has decided this, it must be the most suitable course for Western Liang. As a princess of Western Liang, enjoying the people's sustenance, you should naturally prioritize the people in all matters. His Majesty's actions are all for the sake of the Western Liang people. I implore Your Highness to also consider the welfare of the Western Liang people!"
"I am precisely considering the welfare of the Western Liang people. The Eastern Chu is powerful now. If we rashly act and kill the Eastern Chu emperor, once the Eastern Chu is provoked, they will attack Western Liang with the full might of their nation. In that case, it will only be the Western Liang people who suffer. As a princess of Western Liang, I cannot selfishly abandon my people to suffering and hardship."
Murong Jinyun rebuked him angrily. She felt that Baili Xi had reached a state of madness, becoming unscrupulous in his pursuit of his goals.
"Your Highness, your mind is made up. Do you truly intend to betray Western Liang? I wonder if you will ever have the face to set foot on Western Liang's soil again."
It had come to this point after all. Baili Xi let out a cold laugh, his gaze towards Murong Jinyun filled with hostility.
They had schemed for so long, and it could not be ruined now. How could he be reconciled to this?
"I simply believe that if it is for the sake of the Western Liang people, there are other viable methods."
"Does Your Highness mean to seek peace with the Eastern Chu?"
Murong Jinyun nodded faintly. "That is indeed my intention. Years of continuous warfare ultimately harm the innocent populace. If we continue to fight like this, even if we win, Western Liang will be severely wounded. Why can we not seek peace with the Eastern Chu?"
"Peace... Hmph..."
Baili Xi found Murong Jinyun's words to be utter fantasy. How much blood had the soldiers of Western Liang shed over the years? How many men of the Baili clan had lost their lives on the battlefield? If he did not destroy the Eastern Chu, how could he face his ancestors, or the fallen soldiers? He would absolutely not give up like this.
"My lifelong ambition is to destroy the Eastern Chu. I swore before my grandfather's deathbed that I would personally lead the troops to destroy the Eastern Chu and comfort his spirit. I will never give up like this."
For him to give up was impossible, unless he was dead.
"You are simply mad... mad! For your own selfish desires, you would risk the lives of tens of thousands of Western Liang people, plunging the entire land of Western Liang into misery and unrest. Is this what you call considering the welfare of the Western Liang people!"
"Baili Xi, ask yourself, what are you fighting for? Your own glory and profit, or the Western Liang people? It is all driven by your selfishness. Go and ask the common people, how many of them are willing to fight? Who is willing to send their husbands and sons to the battlefield!"
Murong Jinyun found Baili Xi incredibly strange at this moment, so strange that it filled her with fear.
He had now reached a state of madness for the sake of his obsession. The Baili Xi of today was no longer the Baili Xi she once knew.
Baili Xi's heart was suddenly struck, and he couldn't help but ponder Murong Jinyun's words. However, he outwardly refused to concede, stubbornly believing in his own answers. "I... I am fighting for the Western Liang people, of course. Only by completely destroying the Eastern Chu and obtaining their land can our Western Liang people live better lives. Everything I do is for the sake of millions of people."