Five carriages with imperial guard escorts – what magnificent and imposing grandeur… the specifications even exceeded those of her grandmother, the Grand Princess.

“His Majesty specially dispatched this old servant to come and receive the Duke of Zhenguo and the High Righteousness County Princess into the palace!” Gao Demao stepped forward with a beaming smile, holding his whisk and bowing.

“Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Gao!” Bai Qingyan nodded to Gao Demao.

Bai Jinzhi followed closely behind Bai Qingyan. Only after boarding the carriage did she lower her voice and say to Bai Qingyan: “The Emperor sent Eunuch Gao to receive us!”

Bai Qingyan smiled without making a sound.

Through the carriage curtain blown by the wind, she saw the guards blocking the commoners on both sides of the road to allow the carriages to pass.

The more thoroughly the Emperor performed these surface courtesies, the fewer substantial rewards he would give her and Bai Jinzhi later.

“When we see the Emperor later, we should still ask for more practical things!” Bai Qingyan instructed Bai Jinzhi. “The more gold and silver we get, the more soldiers we’ll have for suppressing bandits in the future.”

Bai Jinzhi nodded: “I understand! Decline honorific titles… accept gold, silver, and jewels! I’m young and ignorant… throwing tantrums and rolling around to ask the Emperor for more is only appropriate!”

The smile in Bai Qingyan’s eyes grew deeper as she nodded.

The carriage procession receiving the Duke of Zhenguo and High Righteousness County Princess made a grand show into the palace. The Emperor, accompanied by the Crown Prince, summoned Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi to his study.

The Emperor looked to be in excellent health, as if he had grown several years younger. Whether this was due to the Emperor’s great joy from the northern frontier victory or… due to the elixirs, was unclear.

Bai Qingyan led Bai Jinzhi in respectfully bowing to the Emperor. The Emperor granted them seats, and when the two rose, Bai Jinzhi quickly stepped forward to help Bai Qingyan up.

Only then did the Emperor see that Bai Qingyan’s complexion was extremely poor. She was naturally very pale, but now, upon closer inspection, even her lips were bloodless.

The Crown Prince was also greatly alarmed: “Yesterday, when I saw the County Princess, I thought her complexion was still acceptable. How did she suddenly fall ill? Why don’t we summon Imperial Physician Huang to take a look!”

“Thank you, Your Highness! It’s not anything serious! Yan’s health was never good to begin with. During this northern frontier campaign… I pushed myself with sheer willpower. After the great victory, Yan felt my strength failing. It wasn’t until yesterday, when I returned to the capital and relaxed, that I unexpectedly developed a high fever yesterday afternoon! But Your Highness needn’t worry… Aunt Lu has already examined me. It’s nothing serious!” Bai Qingyan’s voice was slow and revealed a few traces of weakness.

“Cousin Crown Prince! You must lecture eldest sister properly! Eldest sister only listens to Cousin Crown Prince! Aunt Lu said… eldest sister has old ailments, and this time she exhausted herself too much, becoming ill from overwork. If this continues…” Bai Jinzhi looked as if she was choking up and couldn’t continue.

The Crown Prince was in an excellent mood because of Bai Jinzhi’s words that “eldest sister only listens to Cousin Crown Prince,” but he couldn’t show it on his face. He said with concern, “This time, I also heard from General Liu Hong. Thank you for your hard work, Duke of Zhenguo!”

Bai Qingyan rose in trepidation and bowed: “As a subject of Jin and as the Duke of Zhenguo of Jin Kingdom, serving Jin Kingdom is Yan’s duty. I dare not accept Your Highness’s words of gratitude! The Bai family has shed blood and sacrificed lives for the Jin Kingdom for generations. As a descendant of the Bai family… I should naturally inherit my ancestors’ noble character. It’s just that my frail body burdens others, and I cannot guard the frontiers for the Jin Kingdom, which truly brings me shame.”

The Emperor looked at Bai Qingyan kneeling with her head bowed. Her poor health made the Emperor feel much more at ease…

“Gao Demao, help the Duke of Zhenguo up!” The Emperor turned his head and instructed.

Gao Demao quickly shuffled forward and helped Bai Qingyan up: “County Princess, please sit!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty…” Bai Qingyan bowed before sitting down.

At this time, both the Emperor and Crown Prince still needed Bai Qingyan, whose reputation could intimidate the various nations, to remain alive and well!

“In this northern frontier campaign, the great victory over the Liang Kingdom, the Duke of Zhenguo deserves the greatest credit!” The Emperor’s gaze fixed on the pale-faced Bai Qingyan, his fingers rubbing the round cushion as he spoke slowly and methodically. “The Crown Prince has petitioned me to enfeoff the Duke of Zhenguo as a princess and the High Righteousness County Princess as a county princess. I also find this very appropriate…”

The Emperor could see that Bai Qingyan seemed to genuinely submit to the Crown Prince, and he was happy to grant this favor to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince understood and smiled: “Father Emperor knows that the Shouyang clan previously emptied the Bai family. This time there are some things that are privately rewarded to the County Princess!”

Gao Demao quickly shuffled forward and presented the list of the Emperor’s private rewards to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan quickly rose to express her gratitude, then said: “Yan and Fourth Sister serving the Kingdom loyally is only proper. What Your Majesty has bestowed… Yan will certainly use it entirely for suppressing bandits in Shouyang, clearing bandit troubles for Your Majesty and His Highness, to repay Your Majesty and His Highness’s great kindness.”

“Uncle Emperor!” Bai Jinzhi suddenly spoke.

The Emperor’s hand rubbing the round cushion paused, his gaze turning to Bai Jinzhi, who was looking at him with round eyes, seemingly somewhat surprised by Bai Jinzhi’s address of “Uncle Emperor.”

But if one really calculated relationships, the Grand Princess was her aunt, Bai Jinzhi’s father would be the Emperor’s cousin, so Bai Jinzhi indeed should call him uncle.

Seeing the Emperor look toward her, Bai Jinzhi lifted her skirts and ran to the center, kneeling and kowtowing: “Jinzhi has an unreasonable request. Uncle Emperor, please don’t enfeoff Jinzhi as any county princess. County princess or county princess are all the same to Jinzhi! Rather than becoming a county princess… Jinzhi would prefer to pacify the bandit troubles. Now… our dynasty has just pacified the southern and northern frontiers, but Xi Liang and Great Liang still harbor wild ambitions, like hungry wolves lying beside our Jin Kingdom’s bed, constantly watching and waiting. Great Jin has no choice but to station heavy troops for defense.”

“This year, Jin Kingdom has suffered continuous natural disasters and man-made calamities! The court cannot spare the manpower to deal with bandit troubles. Bai Jinzhi, like her eldest sister, wishes to share Uncle Emperor and Cousin Crown Prince’s burdens. Jinzhi doesn’t want the honored position of county princess. I shamelessly request that Uncle Emperor bestow more gold, silver, and other worldly goods, so that Jinzhi can have the money to properly recruit more people in Shouyang to suppress bandits! Otherwise, those poor common people’s families… can’t even eat their fill, so they definitely won’t be willing to risk their lives following Jinzhi to suppress bandits!”

Bai Jinzhi’s gaze was clear and clean, with a childish appearance that was charming and endearing.

The Emperor chuckled softly and looked toward the Crown Prince: “Here comes one asking me for silver!”

Bai Jinzhi grinned.

“I think this High Righteousness County Princess asking for silver to recruit people to suppress bandits is false, but asking for silver to recruit people to accompany her in play is true!” The Crown Prince couldn’t help but laugh either. “However, with the Duke of Zhenguo there, she will certainly be able to…”

The Crown Prince had originally wanted to say she would certainly be able to quickly resolve the bandit troubles, but seeing Bai Qingyan’s pale and frail appearance, he changed his words: “…certainly be able to watch over High Righteousness County Princess.”

Bai Jinzhi quickly kowtowed: “Uncle Emperor and Cousin Crown Prince can rest assured. Bai Jinzhi will write down every single expenditure of the silver, and every month will send someone by fast horse to deliver the records to Uncle Emperor and Cousin Crown Prince for review!”

The Emperor straightened up and asked with a half-smile: “It seems that this matter of suppressing bandits… the Duke of Zhenguo is entrusting it to High Righteousness County Princess?”

Bai Qingyan straightened up and cupped her hands toward the Emperor, glancing at Bai Jinzhi as if annoyed with her. Bai Jinzhi quickly shrank her neck.