A few days ago, when County Magistrate Zhou sent up his letter of self-reproach, he thought he would inevitably be demoted this time! Who could have expected that he was only punished with half a year’s salary deduction…

He guessed it was probably because Bai Qingyan had spoken well of him before the Crown Prince, which is why he avoided demotion. Therefore, County Magistrate Zhou had been in very good spirits recently.

Half a year’s salary meant nothing to County Magistrate Zhou. What mattered was that Princess Zhenguo was willing to speak for him and considered him one of her people.

Seeing the convoy slowly approaching in the distance, with guards on tall horses leading the way, the Prefecture Magistrate stood up, walked out of the oiled cloth canopy, straightened his robes, and waited respectfully in place.

Bai Jinzhi, riding her horse, saw the Prefecture Magistrate and Magistrate Zhou from afar. She raised her eyebrows and bent down to speak into the carriage: “Elder sister, the Prefecture Magistrate and Magistrate Zhou are both at the city gate to welcome us again. Those two are… they never miss a single time!”

Inside the carriage, Bai Qingyan put down the ancient bamboo scroll in her hands, glanced at Dong Tingzhen, who was still sleeping, and slightly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to speak to Bai Jinzhi: “We’ll just stop briefly to greet them.”

“Understood!”

“Call Uncle Ping over!” Bai Qingyan said.

Soon, Bai Jinzhi called Lu Ping over. Lu Ping rode alongside the carriage and called out: “Miss…”

Bai Qingyan shifted her gaze from the still-sleeping Dong Tingzhen and lifted the curtain to speak to Lu Ping: “After we get back and settle in, please trouble Uncle Ping to ask Ji Tingyu if he knows what’s going on with the bandits abducting children that we heard about along the way.”

“Yes! Miss, rest assured, I will find out!” Lu Ping nodded.

Bai Qingyan was very clear in her heart about what was going on with the bandit troubles in Shouyang!

How could Ji Tingyu possibly come down the mountain to abduct children?

On the way back, at first they heard that children were mysteriously disappearing, but today as they approached Shouyang, they heard that… bandits were riding down the mountain and openly snatching children.

When the parents whose children were taken chased up the mountain, they were killed by the mountain bandits with a single blade.

After thinking it over, Bai Qingyan still felt it was best to have Lu Ping go ask about it properly.

Seeing the convoy approaching the gates of Shouyang city, Magistrate Zhou quickly turned around to receive a brocade box from a servant’s hands and hurried to follow behind the Prefecture Magistrate toward the carriage.

Seeing that Bai Jinzhi sat atop her tall horse without dismounting, both the Prefecture Magistrate and Magistrate Zhou first bowed to Bai Jinzhi.

The Prefecture Magistrate said, “We have not yet congratulated the County Princess!”

“This is a congratulatory gift that this subordinate prepared for Princess Zhenguo and County Princess Gaoyi. Though it’s not valuable, it represents this subordinate’s sincere intentions. Please accept it, County Princess!” County Magistrate Zhou stepped forward with a beaming smile, raising the brocade box in his hands.

“We appreciate Magistrate Zhou’s kind intentions, but please take the gift back!” Bai Qingyan’s voice came from inside the carriage.

The Prefecture Magistrate saw Bai Qingyan’s jade-like fingers lift the carriage curtain, revealing half her face, and quickly bowed deeply: “Greetings to Princess Zhenguo.”

“On our way back to Shouyang, passing through several counties, we heard that bandits have been rampant recently, abducting many families’ children. Has such a thing happened in our Shouyang?” Bai Qingyan asked.

County Magistrate Zhou stepped forward and quickly replied: “In response to Princess Zhenguo, aside from those bandits on the mountain who often come down to burn, kill, and plunder, no one has come to the county office to report missing children!”

The Prefecture Magistrate glanced at Magistrate Zhou and slowly spoke to Bai Qingyan: “Although Shouyang has not yet experienced missing children, there are reports that… those missing children were all taken by mountain bandits! Those bandits are becoming increasingly brazen.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, her gaze falling on County Magistrate Zhou: “Even though no reports have been made, as a local official, Magistrate Zhou should still pay more attention and properly investigate the people’s conditions!”

“Princess, rest assured, this subordinate… will go investigate the people’s conditions immediately! I absolutely will not allow a single household in our Shouyang to lose a child!” County Magistrate Zhou made a firm promise.

“Excellent!” Bai Qingyan released the curtain and said, “Thank you both for coming to welcome us. This journey has been tiring, so we’ll return to the Bai residence first. Please, gentlemen, as you wish!”

As the carriage wheels began turning, Dong Tingzhen also awoke. She rubbed her red, swollen eyes and sat up to ask Bai Qingyan: “Cousin, have we reached Shouyang?”

“Yes, we’ve reached Shouyang! Once we get home, you’ll be able to see Mother!” Bai Qingyan smiled at Dong Tingzhen. “I’ll have Chun Tao boil some eggs to roll over your eyes.”

Dong Tingzhen touched her hot, swollen eyelids, her nose tingling with guilt: “Cousin…”

“Alright, you promised me that once we reached Shouyang, you wouldn’t cry anymore. Don’t worry, my mother, hmm?” Bai Qingyan took out a handkerchief from the carriage’s small drawer and handed it to Dong Tingzhen.

Dong Tingzhen tightly grasped the handkerchief and wiped away tears that hadn’t yet fallen, solemnly saying to Bai Qingyan: “Cousin, rest assured, I definitely won’t worry aunt!”

“Good…” Bai Qingyan nodded.

Dong Shi knew that Dong Tingzhen was coming to Shouyang, but she didn’t know why Dong Tingzhen was coming. Bai Qingyan didn’t want to tell Dong Shi and cause her unnecessary worry.

Having her niece come to keep her company naturally delighted Dong Shi beyond measure. She had Nanny Qin clean up an elegant small courtyard and arranged several temporary maids and servants to attend to her.

As soon as Third Madam Li received news that Bai Qingyan’s group had entered the city, she hurriedly came to fetch Dong Shi to go out and welcome them.

When Bai Qingyan’s group’s carriage stopped in front of the Bai residence, Dong Shi, Third Madam Li, Fourth Madam Wang, and Fifth Madam Qi holding little Eighth Miss Bai Wanqing, all came to the entrance to welcome them.

“Mother! Third Aunt… Fourth Aunt! Fifth Aunt!” Bai Jinzhi leaped down from her horse, cupped her hands, and knelt to bow: “Bai Jinzhi has returned home safely!”

Chun Tao had long been standing at the bottom of the Bai residence steps. As soon as she heard Bai Qingyan’s carriage arrive, she stepped forward to help Bai Qingyan down from the carriage. Seeing Dong Tingzhen following closely behind Bai Qingyan, Chun Tao joyfully bowed and called out: “Greetings, Miss Cousin!”

Dong Tingzhen’s eyes were full of smiles. She nodded to Chun Tao, then turned to look up at the high steps of the Bai residence and curtsied: “Aunt, Third Madam, Fourth Madam, Fifth Madam!”

“Mother… Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, Fifth Aunt!” Bai Qingyan knelt and bowed: “Bai Qingyan has returned home safely!”

Dong Tingzhen quickly went to help Bai Qingyan up.

“It’s good that you’re back! It’s good that you’re back!” Dong Shi walked down the high steps, touched Bai Qingyan’s face, then took Dong Tingzhen’s hand: “Why are your eyes so red?”

“Mother, on the road I was telling Tingzhen about military affairs, and Tingzhen cried…” Bai Qingyan smiled.

“That’s right! Cousin is made of water!” Bai Jinzhi chimed in.

“What happened to your hand?” Dong Shi grabbed Bai Jinzhi’s hand to look.

“It’s nothing, Aunt!” Bai Jinzhi quickly pulled her hand back, but before she could fully withdraw it, Li Shi had already grabbed Bai Jinzhi’s hand, and tears immediately began falling.

“It’s nothing, Mother! Just a minor injury!” Bai Jinzhi, who was used to being scolded by her mother, felt somewhat uncomfortable suddenly seeing her mother cry like this.