Shen Qingzhu straightened up and hurriedly emerged from the side room, covering her arm as she bowed to Bai Qingyan, who had rushed back with a grim expression: “Eldest Miss!”
“Your arm is injured?” Bai Qingyan turned to ask the mansion physician, “Is it serious?”
The mansion physician, following behind Shen Qingzhu, quickly replied: “Reporting to Eldest Miss, it’s a surface wound, not serious.”
“Eldest Miss, I have urgent matters to report.” Shen Qingzhu said solemnly.
“First, let’s go inside…”
Just as Bai Qingyan helped Shen Qingzhu step into the main room, she heard Shen Qingzhu say, “I saw Master! Master… seems to no longer recognize me. If I hadn’t recognized Master, I would probably be dead by now! Master, he…”
There was a slight tremor in Shen Qingzhu’s voice.
All these years, everyone thought Master was dead, but unexpectedly, Master was still alive… and in the capital.
All these years Shen Qingzhu had blamed Master’s death on Xiao Ruohai, never expecting that Master was actually still alive.
During the fierce battle just now, if she hadn’t been shocked and then called out “Master” after recognizing him, causing the old master to stop his attack… that arm would probably already be gone.
But Master looked at Shen Qingzhu with very confused eyes, yet he vaguely seemed to recognize her. He dropped his sword, clutched his head in unbearable pain, and fled. Shen Qingzhu couldn’t catch up to Master and only brought back Master’s short sword.
“Are you certain you didn’t mistake him? Is it Master Shen Baizhong?” Bai Qingyan helped Shen Qingzhu sit down and asked while removing her cloak.
Shen Qingzhu took out Master’s short sword from behind her: “Eldest Miss, look, this is Master’s short sword!”
Bai Qingyan took the short sword and walked to the window, holding it up to the light streaming into the room. In her dark eyes, that short sword was completely black, and the patterns on the blade were indeed those of Shen Baizhong’s sword.
Shen Qingzhu walked behind Bai Qingyan: “The Master’s identity was secret. In the Bai family, aside from the Heir and Eldest Miss, no one else knew. If Master has been in the capital all these years without being discovered, it’s not impossible! But… what puzzles me is who could command, or rather control, Master to kill me! Besides the Li family, I can’t think of anyone else.”
Setting aside Master for now, Shen Qingzhu had just encountered Li Mingrui plotting against Eldest Miss in the prison, and immediately afterward, someone came to assassinate her. Who was behind this was clear at a glance.
Shen Qingzhu even suspected that Master had received Li Mingrui’s orders to kill her. With Master’s skills, hiding in the prison undetected would be effortless. For Master to arrive so quickly, this order must have been issued directly by Li Mingrui.
“Eldest Miss, Master should currently be controlled by Li Mingrui, and Master is in the Court of Justice prison. Otherwise, Master wouldn’t have arrived so quickly!” Shen Qingzhu clenched her fists, her face full of murderous intent. “I don’t know what the Li family has done to Master!”
“Rest assured, if it’s truly Master Shen Baizhong, I will bring him back.” Bai Qingyan patted Shen Qingzhu’s shoulder in assurance. “Someone come, prepare the carriage… we’re going to the Left Chancellor’s mansion.”
Bai Jinxiu had just entered the main gate of Qinghui Courtyard with Wang Ge’er when she heard Bai Qingyan was going to the Left Chancellor’s mansion. She quickly turned and waved for Cuibi to take Wang Ge’er to their mother Liu Shi’s courtyard.
“Second Miss…” Zhen Ming stepped forward and bowed to Bai Jinxiu.
Bai Jinxiu nodded, lifted her skirt hem, and stepped up the corridor steps. Zhen Ming quickly held up the door curtain for Bai Jinxiu.
“Elder Sister…” Bai Jinxiu entered and removed her cape, asking, “Elder Sister is going to the Left Chancellor’s mansion?”
Bai Qingyan nodded while putting her cloak back on: “Shen Qingzhu’s master Shen Baizhong may be in Li Mao’s hands. I must bring him back!”
“Shen Baizhong? The master of Elder Sister’s milk brother Xiao Ruohai and Miss Shen?” Bai Jinxiu looked toward Shen Qingzhu.
Shen Qingzhu nodded.
“I’ll accompany Elder Sister!” Bai Jinxiu said.
Bai Qingyan shook her head: “Some things are better for you to pretend not to know. Having Qingzhu accompany me is sufficient.”
Shen Qingzhu nodded and said to Bai Jinxiu: “Second Miss, rest assured, I will take good care of Eldest Miss.”
Bai Qingyan fastened her fox fur and said to Bai Jinxiu: “Take enough guards and go with Xiao Qi to the Crown Prince’s mansion to visit the Crown Princess. Remember to bring generous gifts.”
At the Li Mansion.
Li Mao had just returned from the imperial palace, where he had received assurance from the Emperor, telling him to rest easy—they wouldn’t take Li Mingrui’s life, nor did they care whether Li Mingrui had framed Princess Zhenguo. The Emperor, to protect Prince Liang, had already had the Crown Prince handle this matter quietly.
This meant Li Mingrui would be released in a few days.
When Li Mao emerged from the palace, his legs were weak, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, Li Mao also felt more acutely what kind of existence imperial power was. A certain desire that had once secretly grown in his heart and been suppressed by him surged up again.
Even if they had truly supported the Second Prince to ascend the throne back then, he would still be a minister… Whether he could become a powerful minister was another matter entirely. The power of life and death still lay in the Emperor’s single thought.
He had always wanted, very much wanted to sit in that position, to taste what it felt like to be above all others, even if just for one day.
What a pity!
Sometimes he greatly envied Bai Weiting for having the valiant and battle-tested Bai family army in his hands, yet he also thought Bai Weiting was stupidly infuriating—holding heavy military power yet not rebelling, willingly submitting under such a foolish ruler as the Lin family. It was truly a waste of heaven’s gifts.
Li Mao’s carriage had just stopped in front of the Li mansion when he heard the steward report that Princess Zhenguo had personally arrived.
Li Mao shuddered. Bai Qingyan’s visit certainly boded no good. Li Mao dared not delay, lifting his robe hem and entering the Li mansion, heading toward the main hall.
With his weakness grasped in someone’s palm, how could Li Mao not treat Bai Qingyan cautiously?
Seeing Bai Qingyan drinking tea in the main hall, with a woman in neat attire holding a sword and looking sharp and spirited standing behind her, Li Mao removed his cape and handed it to the steward. He smiled and approached Bai Qingyan, saying: “I wonder what instruction Princess Zhenguo has in suddenly gracing us with your presence.”
Bai Qingyan set down her teacup, her profound and calm gaze looking toward Li Mao: “Today, I sent someone close to me to visit the Left Chancellor’s eldest son in prison. Unexpectedly, not long after leaving the Court of Justice prison, that person nearly lost their life…”
As she spoke, Bai Qingyan glanced meaningfully at Shen Qingzhu.
Shen Qingzhu kept a cold expression, showing no fear of Li Mao as she raised her eyes to look at him.
“Princess Zhenguo comes to our door—are you suspecting our Li mansion did this?” Li Mao’s expression darkened. “Princess Zhenguo, you cannot make wild accusations.”
“I am severely injured and don’t wish to waste words with the Left Chancellor here. If I don’t see that old man before sunset today, the Left Chancellor can take his entire family to explain to His Highness the Crown Prince what this means… ‘His Majesty fails to recognize that the Second Prince is truly a hidden dragon, doesn’t know how to yield to the true dragon, and mistakes our Jin Kingdom’s future. This minister requests the Second Prince to consider Jin Kingdom’s interests, to consider the Consort’s maternal clan, and ask His Majesty to abdicate and yield to the worthy!”
Li Mao’s hand suddenly gripped the armrest of his chair tightly. He exerted all his strength to prevent his shocked expression from showing. These were the exact words he had written to the Second Prince back then, not a single character different!