Bai Qingyan had already guessed that Xiao Rongyan's so-called offering tribute was merely a way for the court officials of Dongyi Kingdom to better accept the stationing of Yan Kingdom's troops, which wasn't surprising.
If Bai Qingyan is correct, after Yan Kingdom stations troops in Dongyi Kingdom, the expenses of the Yan Army in Dongyi will also be borne by Dongyi Kingdom, emulating Zhou.
This essentially means using Dongyi Kingdom's silver to prevent Zhou from instructing Dongyi Kingdom to cause trouble for Yan Kingdom, ensuring Yan Kingdom's national security without affecting the current wager between nations.
If Bai Qingyan were in Xiao Rongyan's position, the next step would be to find out the truth about Dongyi Kingdom's seventh prince by befriending Dongyi Kingdom's Empress and gaining her cooperation.
However, Bai Qingyan noticed Xiao Rongyan's eyes scrutinizing Tuoba Yao several times and wondered whether Tuoba Yao's behavior had dispelled Xiao Rongyan's suspicions.
