Earlier, Bai Qingyan hadn’t had a proper chance to speak with her uncle. She didn’t know if he was in his study at this moment, and it wouldn’t be proper to rashly seek him out on her own. Just as she was about to point to a servant woman to ask if Uncle was free at the moment, she saw Little Cui Shi, who had been waiting long at the courtyard gate, approaching with a smile to bow to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan stepped out of the courtyard gate with Chun Tao’s support, looking at Little Cui Shi’s refreshed appearance and smiling as she called out, “Sister Rong…”

“Changlang asked me to wait here for Sister. Father and Changlang are waiting for Sister in the study. Fearing Sister might not know the way, he specially sent me to escort Sister there.” Little Cui Shi spoke while naturally linking arms with Bai Qingyan.

Chun Tao quickly folded her hands at her lower abdomen and stepped back two paces, following behind Bai Qingyan.

However, Nanny Wang’s niece Qiu Huan, seeing Chun Tao retreat to the back, hurriedly seized the opportunity to push past Chun Tao and step forward to support Bai Qingyan’s arm.

Bai Qingyan caught sight of the sudden additional figure beside her from the corner of her eye, turned to look, and said, “I’m not yet old enough to be seventy or eighty—no need for assistance.”

Qiu Huan’s face reddened as she quietly acknowledged and stepped back, but didn’t return to her original position. Instead, she walked shoulder to shoulder with Chun Tao, as if doing so could elevate her status to match that of Chun Tao, Bai Qingyan’s maid.

Little Cui Shi chatted with Bai Qingyan along the way as they walked slowly along the winding corridor hung with Hunan bamboo curtains, making the journey seem much shorter.

Presumably because Dong Changlang had given instructions, when Little Cui Shi and Bai Qingyan crossed the threshold of the study courtyard, they weren’t stopped by the guards stationed at the gate. Little Cui Shi turned back to instruct her nanny that she needn’t follow inside and could wait in the courtyard.

Bai Qingyan also turned back to tell Chun Tao to wait outside.

Dong Changlang, hearing the commotion in the courtyard, came out from the study to greet them, smiling as he bowed deeply. “Sister…”

Bai Qingyan returned the courtesy.

“Then, Sister can discuss important matters with Father and Changlang first. I’ll go make some of my specialty pastries for Sister—I mentioned them before… but when we were in Shuoyang, due to insufficient ingredients, I couldn’t make them personally for Sister to taste. Now that Sister has come, it’s perfect timing!” Little Cui Shi smiled as she found an excuse, simply not wanting to stand there and interfere with Bai Qingyan’s serious discussion with her father-in-law and husband.

Although women generally don’t participate in men’s external affairs, during their time in Shuoyang, Little Cui Shi had come to understand that this sister of hers was not like other virtuous women who were content to remain in the inner quarters.

After Little Cui Shi bowed and withdrew with a smile, she ordered the courtyard to be well-guarded against any outsiders entering, then went to the small kitchen to prepare pastries.

Dong Changlang personally held up the Hunan bamboo curtain for Bai Qingyan and led her into the study. “The words Sister entrusted me to convey to Father last time, I have already delivered… but all the generals are worried that rashly evacuating the people might cause panic throughout Dengzhou City.”

When Bai Qingyan entered, Dong Qingyue was sitting at his desk, holding a memorial that had been reviewed and returned by the Crown Prince, discussing something with his household advisor. His expression showed slight fatigue, and sunlight streaming through the window lattice made dust motes dance in the light, faintly revealing several silver strands in Dong Qingyue’s hair.

Seeing Bai Qingyan enter, Dong Qingyue looked up with a smile on his lips but didn’t interrupt his advisor’s words, gesturing for Bai Qingyan to take a seat to the side.

The advisor’s voice paused, and seeing that Dong Qingyue had no intention of interrupting him, he continued, “The silver that Your Lordship sent is merely a drop in the bucket. We can only first care for soldiers who were wounded defending Shuoyang over the years and can no longer work. But this matter of the Emperor constructing a traveling palace and shortchanging Dengzhou’s military provisions has already caused dissatisfaction in the army.”

Dong Qingyue frowned and nodded. “I understand… You may withdraw first.”

Only then did the advisor rise and bow to Dong Qingyue, then bow toward Dong Changlang and Bai Qingyan’s direction, having vaguely guessed something about Bai Qingyan’s identity.

Although the advisor had never met the women of the Dong family’s inner quarters, aside from Old Madam Dong and his wife, the only woman Dong Qingyue would allow into this important study would be that niece of his—Princess Zhenguo, Bai Qingyan.

Dong Changlang personally poured tea for Bai Qingyan and sat beside her. Then they heard Bai Qingyan ask directly, “Uncle, regarding what I had Changlang convey last time, what hesitation do you still have? Uncle, are you… Still holding onto a thread of hope for the court?”

Dong Qingyue sighed softly and nodded, casually handing the memorial in his hands to Bai Qingyan. “Take a look at this! This is the Crown Prince’s reply that just arrived.”

From when Dong Changlang left for Dengzhou until now, Dong Qingyue had submitted over a dozen memorials… all had sunk without a trace, but who would have thought that at noon today someone would deliver the Crown Prince’s reply.

Bai Qingyan opened it and glanced through. The Crown Prince’s meaning was simple—he said Dong Qingyue was making a mountain out of a molehill. Now that the Rong Di were in internal conflict with Nanrong and Northern Rong fighting each other, Great Yan had clearly shown they would help Northern Rong restore orthodox rule. Nanrong was too busy currying favor with Jin to have the audacity to provoke Great Jin, unless they weren’t afraid of Jin joining forces with Great Yan to attack a small Nanrong together.

As for the delayed provisions and wages, the Crown Prince didn’t mention a single word.

This result didn’t surprise Bai Qingyan—this was indeed something the Crown Prince would do.

Bai Qingyan placed the reply aside and looked at Dong Qingyue. “Now the court is full of sycophants who have all learned to act by trying to guess the Emperor’s and Crown Prince’s intentions! Otherwise, this matter of embezzling military funds to repair the Emperor’s traveling palace wouldn’t have happened! Nor would there be the matter of Uncle’s dozen memorials sinking without a trace!”

“As long as officials below see that the Emperor is displeased with Uncle’s memorials, they’ll naturally think up excuses for the Emperor—whether it’s Nanrong and Northern Rong being in internal conflict and not daring to provoke our Jin, or fearing that Jin might join Great Yan in attacking Nanrong together. Most of these should be court ministers guessing the Emperor’s intentions and finding excuses for him. They might not even present Uncle’s later memorials before the throne.”

Dong Qingyue’s memorials were indeed as Bai Qingyan said. The first time he submitted one, Gao Demao saw the Emperor glance through it roughly, then toss it aside without making any annotations, so he gestured for it to be set down. After that, Dong Qingyue’s memorials never reached the Emperor’s desk again.

Later, when the Emperor had the Crown Prince begin handling memorials, Chancellor Lu quietly and discreetly sent the memorial to the Crown Prince, hoping the Crown Prince could take the initiative to properly advise the Emperor.

Well, who would have thought that after the Crown Prince consulted with officials, he would give Dong Qingyue such a reply?

Dong Changlang frowned and nodded in agreement. “Father has already sent out scouts to investigate Nanrong’s movements. If Nanrong truly makes any moves, they’ll report immediately.”

“Uncle should still make early preparations. Even if not for anything else, just for the people of Dengzhou City, you should evacuate the civilians after the autumn harvest to prevent innocent people from losing their lives when the Rong Di attack.”