Ji Langhua spoke with genuine emotion, her eyes growing moist.

“Let Chun Tao escort you back to rest…”

“No need, eldest miss!” Ji Langhua shouldered her small medicine box. “I still know the roads in the Bai mansion. Let Miss Chun Tao serve the eldest miss and get some rest quickly!”

Bai Qingyan saw Ji Langhua to the door, watched her leave, and was about to return to the main room when from the corner of her eye she spotted Chun Zhi sitting in the corner of the corridor under a lamp behind hanging gauze curtains, holding a book in one hand and reading.

Seeing Bai Qingyan looking in Chun Zhi’s direction, Chun Tao smiled and said, “These past few days, Chun Zhi has somehow started reading books. She’s quite diligent, and even knows to ask for help with characters she doesn’t recognize.”

Bai Qingyan nodded: “Being literate has its benefits.”

Seeing Chun Zhi reading reminded her of the recruits in the military camp. Most of those new soldiers were illiterate—in ordinary villages, having one or two households with someone who could read was already considered good.

Although soldiers could serve without being literate, this first batch of recruited new soldiers… whether from the training grounds that Bai Qingping and Shen Yancong were responsible for, or the “mountain bandits” under Ji Tingyu’s charge, should at least be able to serve as squad leaders or section leaders in the future. It wouldn’t do if they couldn’t read at all.

“Go tell Chun Zhi to speak with Steward Hao about finding several elderly, literate, loyal servants in the mansion to go to the training ground and teach the recruits to read,” Bai Qingyan said as she lifted the curtain and stepped into the main room.

“Yes!” Chun Tao responded and hurried off to find Chun Zhi.

Bai Qingyan sat under the lamp and picked up a book, then thought that most of those who could sign up for bandit suppression at the training ground were brave men. Having them learn characters like children probably wouldn’t hold their attention. She’d likely need reward and punishment measures—for instance, the top three performers in daily literacy, just like the top three in daily training, could all receive meat to take home.

This way, she might be able to select those capable in both civil and military matters for focused cultivation, who could be entrusted with important responsibilities in the future.

It would be more reliable to have Uncle Ping handle Ji Tingyu’s side.

·

Xiao Residence.

Xiao Rongyan sat under a twisting copper lamp with thirty-six heads, leaning against a hidden pillow, reading letters sent from Great Yan.

Autumn was approaching, and Great Yan’s army among the Rong Di would face the crisis of grain shortages in winter. Now that Great Yan had reclaimed the fertile lands of Southern Yan, food wasn’t a concern, but the difficulty lay in transporting it to the Northern Rong. After all, there was Jin between the Rong Di and Great Yan, so this matter still required Xiao Rongyan to handle.

Xiao Rongyan’s merchant caravans had already entered Western Liang, spreading the word extensively that Jin intended to station troops at Western Liang’s borders, just waiting for Western Liang and Great Yan to become entangled in conflict before seizing Western Liang’s cities.

Once Jin’s army set out, news would surely reach Western Liang and Great Wei at the fastest speed, and Western Liang’s envoys would likely enter Jin as well. But Jin would not sit by and watch Western Liang seize Southern Yan’s territory and strengthen its national power.

So Xiao Rongyan could temporarily set this matter aside and begin calculating the transport of grain to the Rong Di. This matter would require finding Jin’s Crown Prince to openly transport the grain, sharing some profits with the Crown Prince.

Moreover, with the Rong Di having grain, they wouldn’t raid Jin as in previous years—the Crown Prince would certainly be pleased.

On this journey, Xiao Rongyan would go with grain and return with horses, selling half at high prices to Jin and bringing half back to Yan.

After reading the letter, Xiao Rongyan burned it and then opened the secret message sent from the capital.

The secret message stated that the Emperor had already approved sending the newly recruited soldiers to the Western Liang border, and would also draw ten thousand troops from the new soldiers stationed at the Great Liang border to send to the Western Liang border as well. He had not ordered the Jin army returning victorious from the northern frontier to go to the southern frontier.

Recruits?

Xiao Rongyan held the letter and read for a moment, his brow furrowing.

After a while, Xiao Rongyan suddenly understood and chuckled softly… This should be Bai Qingyan’s handiwork.

The tens of thousands of recruits the Jin Emperor was sending to the southern frontier border—Bai Qingyan would likely accept them without ceremony.

Bai Qingyan always managed to seize opportunities and steer situations in directions favorable to her. Beyond admiration, Xiao Rongyan felt a sense of shared pride.

Remembering that at the feast in Shaohua Courtyard that day, Dong Changlan had said he came to Shouyang to deliver birthday gifts for Bai Qingyan’s mother, Dong Shi, Xiao Rongyan felt he should also prepare.

Although the Bai family wasn’t holding a banquet this time, the family would still gather together to celebrate Bai Qingyan’s mother’s birthday.

·

July 26th was Dong Shi’s birthday—the weather was excellent.

Because the Bai family was in mourning, they didn’t hold a banquet. Following Dong Shi’s instructions, they gave the servants some reward money, and the family simply gathered for a meal together.

Dong Shi had just awakened when Nanny Qin came forward with a smile, using copper hooks to draw the bed curtains to both sides: “Madam has awakened.”

“What’s happening outside?” Dong Shi had thought of her husband and son last night, silently weeping in bed, and hadn’t slept well. She looked somewhat spiritless, pressing her swollen temples with her fingers.

Seeing Dong Shi’s swollen eyes, Nanny Qin didn’t expose her but smiled and said: “Eldest miss and Fourth miss are leading Fifth miss and Sixth miss in bustling about in the small kitchen, saying they want to personally make a bowl of hot longevity noodles for Madam. Later, the young cousin-in-law also went, but it seems what they made didn’t taste good, so the eldest miss invited Miss Ji over. Right now they’re all gathered in the small kitchen.”

Nanny Qin knew that Bai Qingyan was afraid that on a day like this, Dong Shi would think of A’Yu and become sad, so she had brought her sisters over early in the morning to create a lively atmosphere, not wanting Dong Shi to dwell on sad thoughts. Nanny Qin therefore indulged the children’s frolicking in the kitchen.

Beyond surprise, Dong Shi felt some warmth in her heart. She looked out through the window lattice, then rose and sat before the carved copper mirror, picking up a jade comb to brush her hair: “Prepare a cold compress for me to soothe my eyes.”

Just as Dong Shi finished tidying up, Bai Qingyan arrived with Cui Shi and her three sisters to set up breakfast in the outer room.

As soon as Bai Jinzhi saw Dong Shi emerge from behind the twelve-panel rosewood screen, she smiled and curtsied: “Eldest aunt, Little Four wishes you happiness like the Eastern Sea and longevity like the Southern Mountains.”

“Eldest aunt, Little Five wishes you brightness like the sun and moon, and longevity like pines and cranes.”

“Eldest aunt, Little Six wishes you good health and peace!”

Cui Shi also smiled and stepped forward, curtsying respectfully: “Then I wish aunt good fortune and eternal spring radiance!”

“Mother, please have a bowl of longevity noodles!” Bai Qingyan stood beside the red wood round table, holding chopsticks and offering them to Dong Shi. “We sisters made the noodles together with one heart—one long strand…”

“You’re all so thoughtful!” Dong Shi smiled and had Nanny Qin give each child a red envelope, then sat down to eat the longevity noodles. “Please sit, all of you. You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Let’s eat together.”

Although refined families usually observed the rule of not speaking during meals, today was Dong Shi’s birthday, and they were all family. With Bai Jinzhi being so lively, the meal was extremely cheerful.

Cui Shi watched this scene of laughter and conversation with great envy.

The Bai family could truly be called a model among prestigious families, with deep foundations. Such a family… stood as an example wherever they went. Even if they spoke during meals, who could say… the Bai family was improper?