With so many eyes watching at Prince Liang’s mansion gates, this matter had no room for recovery.

It was said that when the Crown Prince discovered Prince Liang using children to refine elixirs, he was so heartbroken that he fainted and had to be carried out of Prince Liang’s mansion by the Crown Prince’s guards.

The woman cried even more desperately, not knowing where to find her children.

That night, the capital was in heated discussion over Prince Liang’s use of children to refine elixirs. Who would have thought that after Prince Xin, the imperial family would produce another prince worse than pigs and dogs?

Bai Jinxiu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the children had been rescued.

Those who came from Shouyang’s Fen Alley to the capital also quietly entered the capital that night and slipped into the Left Chancellor’s residence.

Bai Jinzhi carried Lu Ninghuan’s letter to Bai Qingyan in her bosom, racing on horseback the entire way, still changing horses without resting, finally returning to Shouyang’s Bai mansion on the evening of the twenty-third.

As soon as she crossed the Bai mansion’s threshold, she hurried to find Bai Qingyan and handed the letter to her.

Seeing the travel-worn Bai Jinzhi pick up cold tea and gulp it down, with rumbling sounds coming from her stomach, Bai Qingyan didn’t have time to read the letter and instructed Chun Tao: “Have someone bring a basin of water for Fourth Miss to wash her face! Also bring Fourth Miss a bowl of goat’s milk and some pastries! Tell the small kitchen to quickly make a bowl of thin noodles, cut some pickled vegetables, poach two eggs, and steam a dish of cloud ham for Fourth Miss—sprinkle plenty of honey on it.”

“Elder Sister still loves me most!” Bai Jinzhi grinned broadly.

Bai Qingyan sat under the glass lamp and tore open the letter to read it, quite surprised.

She never expected the Empress to have such magnanimity, actually intending to unite with General Fu to force the palace and support Prince Xin’s ascension.

Bai Qingyan had experienced battlefields together with General Fu and could see that Fu Ruoxi was not someone who couldn’t distinguish right from wrong. Moreover, Lu Ninghuan’s letter also said… General Fu had not agreed to the Empress’s request.

Fu Ruoxi wasn’t foolish. Forcing the palace to seize the throne—success would mean merit from following the dragon, but failure… the entire clan’s heads would be lost!

Although Fu Ruoxi was now far away at Anping military camp, there weren’t many military generals available in the court. This time in the northern frontier war, Fu Ruoxi had again achieved merit. In the future, whenever there were wars, Fu Ruoxi would certainly be heavily relied upon. Since she wasn’t at a dead end, why risk the entire clan?

What Bai Qingyan was curious about was why the Empress sought out General Fu Ruoxi. What transaction or relationship existed between the Empress and General Fu Ruoxi that the Empress dared to speak directly of forcing the palace before Fu Ruoxi?

Bai Qingyan lit the letter on fire. When it had burned almost completely, she placed it in the brush washer. Looking up, she saw Bai Jinzhi, who had been sitting on the soft couch, now lying on the small table fast asleep.

Chun Tao came in carrying a black lacquered square tray around the screen and was about to speak when she saw Bai Qingyan make a “shush” gesture. She stood up and walked to Bai Jinzhi’s side, lifted her hand to tuck the loose hair by her temples behind her ears, and said in a lowered voice: “Tell Nanny Tong to inform Third Aunt that Xiao Si rushed back on horseback and is extremely tired—she’s sleeping here! Also, tell the small kitchen to stew bird’s nest porridge on low heat for when Fourth Miss wakes up.”

“Yes!” Chun Tao responded, helped Bai Qingyan move the small table from the soft couch, and carefully laid Bai Jinzhi down, then brought a pillow and a thin blanket.

Bai Qingyan took off Bai Jinzhi’s shoes, settled her properly, and sat beside the soft couch gazing at Bai Jinzhi’s sleeping face, pulling the blanket up for her.

Calculating the time, Xiao Si must have traveled without stopping both going and returning—indeed exhausting. No wonder she was this tired.

After several days of continuous travel, Xiao Si hadn’t left her horse’s back. Her thighs were already chafed and bleeding faintly through her clothes. Bai Qingyan sat under the lamp, cleaning Bai Jinzhi’s wounds.

The glass lamp made subtle sounds of candle flame sparking and popping, and the firelight flickered twice. Bai Qingyan cleaned her hands, stood up, and extinguished the glass lamp on the high table so Bai Jinzhi could sleep better.

Cui Shi heard that Bai Jinzhi had returned and gone straight to Bai Qingyan. Estimating that urgent matters had been discussed, she came to Boyun Courtyard with her maid and a meeting gift for Bai Jinzhi.

Who knew, Bai Qingyan welcomed her into the warm pavilion, and only upon asking did she learn that Bai Jinzhi was sleeping at Bai Qingyan’s place. Bai Qingyan was afraid their conversation inside would disturb Bai Jinzhi.

Upon hearing this, Cui Shi was silent for a moment, truly envying the deep sisterly affection in the Bai family.

Only after Chun Tao served Cui Shi tea and withdrew did Cui Shi smile and speak to Bai Qingyan: “Don’t laugh at me, Cousin Sister, but I truly envy how united the Bai family is from top to bottom. Speaking of which… our Cui family could also be considered harmonious. At least my mother knows that, regardless of whether legitimate or concubine-born, a family of brothers and sisters should stick together and jointly bring glory to the family name! But my father’s concubines and concubine-born brothers only know how to make trouble in the back courtyard, scheming like flies and dogs over trivial matters! Forget having my concubine-born sisters sleep in my room—even having them stay a bit longer in the courtyard makes me afraid something unclean is waiting for me.”

Cui Shi spoke these words somewhat sorrowfully. After finishing, she suddenly came to her senses and looked back at Bai Qingyan, concealing the redness in her eyes with a low laugh: “Look at me—I originally admired Cousin Sister’s sisterly harmony, but how did I get to talking about this!”

Cui Shi, sitting by the glass lamp wearing lotus-pink everyday clothes with only pearl hair ornaments, looked gentle and serene.

Bai Qingyan knew that this time Cui Shi came to Shouyang with Dong Changlan, besides coming for her mother’s birthday to deliver gifts on behalf of grandmother and uncle, she also wanted to have Physician Hong help examine why she still hadn’t conceived after more than a year of marriage.

Cui Shi was the niece of Bai Qingyan’s second aunt’s natal family. She grew up as childhood sweethearts with Dong Changlan, and Second Aunt also treated Cui Shi like her own daughter, never sending women to Dong Changlan’s room. Even now, she hadn’t taken concubines for Dong Changlan, yet she still had no pregnancy.

Precisely because of this, Cui Shi felt increasingly uneasy. Six months ago, she began secretly seeking medical treatment behind the family elders’ backs. Later, when she heard the Bai family had a Physician Hong who was the senior brother of Imperial Physician Huang from the Imperial Medical Academy, she wanted to try.

Unfortunately… because of the Bai family’s Second Miss Bai Jinxiu’s pregnancy, the Bai family had kept Physician Hong in the capital to care for Bai Jinxiu.

Bai Qingyan set down the sweet porcelain teacup in her hand, rested her elbow on the small table, and without concealment, spoke frankly: “The Bai mansion has a Miss Ji who, though young, has excellent medical skills. If you’re willing… You could have her examine your pulse.”

Cui Shi was stunned. After arriving, she heard Physician Hong was in the capital and hadn’t mentioned this matter, nor had Dong Shi ever brought it up. How did Bai Qingyan know?

Suddenly having her inner thoughts exposed, Cui Shi’s face grew hot, her ears reddening as well. She gripped her handkerchief tightly, and beyond surprise, showed some of a young woman’s bashful manner, biting her lip: “Was I… that obvious?”

Bai Qingyan smiled: “Not really, otherwise Mother would have asked. But I do think you’re too anxious. You and Changlan have only been married for a little over a year. I imagine Grandmother and Aunt wouldn’t pressure you…”