Early the next morning, when Bai Mengmeng regained consciousness, she found herself already back in her own tent, surrounded by a crowd of people.
Besides the Three Great Tiger Armies, there were quite a few other officers present as well.
Clever as she was, she understood immediately that this scene was no simple matter.
Everyone stood, while Jun Beiyue alone sat off to the side at a distance, arms crossed over his chest, one leg propped over the other, coldly sizing her up.
A flicker of cunning delight passed through Bai Mengmeng’s eyes. In truth, there had been no need for her to injure herself this badly — she’d simply chosen to.
If she hadn’t hurt herself so severely, how could she justify being bedridden? How could she justify needing time to recover? How could she get Jun Beiyue to come to her tent?
She still had internal injuries, after all — injuries that needed his personal care.
In front of everyone, Bai Mengmeng naturally had to keep up the act. She looked around at the assembled crowd, her gaze finally landing on General White Tiger, and she immediately threw herself at him, sobbing.
After she’d passed out, she had no idea what had happened afterward.
Nor did she know what performance Jun Beiyue was currently putting on, with so many people gathered in her tent.
But one thing she was certain of — this man trusted her, or else she would never still be lying here.
Of course, she hadn’t lied to him either, had she?
“Waaah, Father! It was so terrifying!”
“Waaah, Father, it was so awful!”
…
Bai Mengmeng knew nothing at all, yet she could still perform this so effortlessly, crying so pitifully that she nearly broke General White Tiger’s heart in two.
She didn’t even need to ask — General White Tiger spoke first. “Mengmeng, tell me quickly — that day, in the grain store, who exactly did you see? Why didn’t you say anything? What exactly is going on? What are you so afraid of?”
How could General White Tiger not be anxious?
If Bai Mengmeng had seen someone set the fire and concealed it without reporting it, that crime would be severe indeed!
By military law, that was an offense punishable by beheading!
Even he himself could be implicated — this was no small matter.
The moment General White Tiger said this, Bai Mengmeng immediately understood what was going on. Opening her eyes to see so many officers present, she knew at once it must be about the grain store fire.
Jun Beiyue was, as ever, Jun Beiyue — was he testing her, or was he actually looking out for her?
Through her blurred, tearful eyes, she cast a casual glance at the silent Jun Beiyue off to the side, then looked around at everyone else with a pitiful expression, before finally turning to truly face Jun Beiyue — and suddenly slid off the bed platform, dropping to her knees before General White Tiger could even catch her.
“Prince Yao, forgive me! That assassin said he wanted to kill Mengmeng, and said he wanted to kill Father too — that’s why Mengmeng didn’t dare say anything. Mengmeng was standing guard outside your door, just about to tell you, when that person suddenly appeared!”
“Prince Yao, please spare Father this once. All of this is Mengmeng’s fault — Mengmeng is willing to accept any punishment!”
Bai Mengmeng wept and kowtowed at the same time, putting on a full display of pitiful suffering. Seeing her covered in wounds, and so filial toward him, General White Tiger’s features twisted with heartbroken distress, and he too dropped to his knees. “My lord, it was this subordinate’s failure to properly instruct her, raising such a foolish girl. I beg my lord, given her young age and that she is but a girl, to spare her this once — this subordinate is willing to take the punishment in her place.”
Jun Beiyue eyed Bai Mengmeng coldly, feeling, in truth, a certain grudging admiration. This girl, wild and reckless as she was, certainly had a quick mind.
With just one line from General White Tiger, she’d been able to pick up the thread of his lie and weave it in seamlessly, without the slightest gap.
In his eyes, when it came to genuine ability, there was truly no distinction between men and women. He needed capable people like this at his side — if Bai Mengmeng’s loyalty could be secured, then keeping her around might even help lighten Ziqing’s burdens.
After all, a capable aide and a wife were two entirely different things. Ziqing, too, was his capable aide, and yet he was always reluctant to actually put her to use.
Watching father and daughter beg so pitifully, the other two Tiger Generals and several other officers were also moved, and one by one they began pleading on their behalf.
“Prince Yao, seeing Bai Mengmeng already so grievously wounded — please spare her this once.”
“Yes, yes, Prince Yao, as long as the truth comes to light eventually, that’s enough. Why not let General White Tiger atone through future service?”
“My lord, General White Tiger has only this one adopted daughter, and the losses at the grain store weren’t severe. Given this is a first offense, why not let it go?”
…
Swayed by the pleas of the crowd, Jun Beiyue finally nodded. “General White Tiger, this matter ends here. The grain store is now under your management. If anything like this happens again, both offenses will be punished together! This prince will show no leniency!”
General White Tiger was overjoyed, kowtowing again and again in gratitude, while Bai Mengmeng, bowing along with him, let a flicker of a smile pass through her eyes — Jun Beiyue truly was the most ruthless one here.
But that was exactly what she loved about him.
Jun Beiyue was the first to leave, and everyone else soon dispersed as well.
General White Tiger, heartbroken with worry, summoned the army physician and ordered a great deal of nourishing medicine before finally taking his leave — after all, he had plenty of urgent matters to attend to.
The moment General White Tiger left, Jun Beiyue appeared again almost immediately.
Bai Mengmeng had already expected he would come, and wasn’t surprised at all. She lounged lazily on the platform bed and said with a smile, “Prince Yao, might you step out for a moment?”
“Why?” Jun Beiyue asked flatly.
“It’s a bad habit of mine — I need a cup of green tea first thing in the morning, or I feel restless all over. I’d like to have a servant bring one over,” Bai Mengmeng said. At this point, even moving around was inconvenient for her.
Green tea — she did genuinely have this habit, secretly picked up from watching him. Years ago, he had once stayed at the northern frontier camp for a time, and every morning his adoptive father had personally brewed tea for him.
The corner of Jun Beiyue’s eye twitched slightly, mild surprise crossing his face. He didn’t step out — instead, he personally went and brewed a cup of green tea, and handed it to her himself.
Bai Mengmeng was overjoyed, yet still managed to say with composed ease, “How could I possibly let Prince Yao serve me personally — this would surely take years off this servant’s life.”
No sooner had she said this than Jun Beiyue simply dumped the tea out. “Then perhaps you’d best not drink it. Let’s discuss business.”
Watching the tea she’d been so close to tasting get poured away, Bai Mengmeng couldn’t help feeling a flash of anger. She frowned at Jun Beiyue — how could this man be like this?
“If I don’t drink it, I won’t feel right at all, and I won’t be able to discuss anything!” Bai Mengmeng had a temper of her own too, and said this with displeasure.
“Then we’ll talk once you’re feeling better,” Jun Beiyue said, and without so much as a word of negotiation, turned and walked straight out.
The Empress of Eastern Qin had given Bai Mengmeng five days. He was curious to see whether she would claim to be “not feeling right” every single day, unable to discuss business at all.
Bai Mengmeng tried to stop him, but there was nothing she could do.
She only had five days. Though she’d already worked out exactly how to deceive the Empress of Eastern Qin and lure her out, only three days remained — if she didn’t act soon, it would be too late.
Bai Mengmeng had assumed Jun Beiyue would come again, but evening arrived and still there was no sign of him.
Left with no choice, she had to drag her injured body out to find him herself.
But when she arrived at his tent, she found Jun Beiyue staring blankly at a letter — the paper it was written on was unusual, seemingly reserved for some special, dedicated correspondence.
“Hey, aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt myself to death and miss this perfect chance to crush the Empress of Eastern Qin in one stroke?” Bai Mengmeng said with displeasure, walking over. Her eyes caught the date on the envelope on the table — this wasn’t a newly arrived letter at all. It was a month old, and unsigned.
Was it from Han Ziqing?
The thought immediately surfaced in Bai Mengmeng’s mind. Just then, Jun Beiyue slowly put the letter away, leaning back against the chair, and said flatly, “What, do you have the strength to discuss business now?”