Third Sister Jintong was no longer the little girl who couldn’t answer the teacher’s questions in school and needed Bai Qingqi to cover for her.

Perhaps his sister had always been someone with schemes in her heart, but with her brothers and elder sister protecting her at home, she was happy to be the one protected. Later, when the Bai Family encountered disaster, she had no choice but to grow up.

For some reason, Bai Qingqi looked forward to the day he would see Fourth Sister Bai Jinzhi, wondering… whether Bai Jinzhi had changed her impetuous temperament, and whether she too had grown like Bai Jintong into a daughter of the Bai Family who could assist Elder Sister.

Two days later.

Yunjing, Anshan Inn.

Xiao Ruohai came galloping on horseback. Before his horse had even stopped, he leaped down and hurried toward the inn.

The Xiliang Empress had sent people to monitor the Cui residence. For convenience, Bai Qingqi and Xiao Ruohai had moved out of the Cui residence and were temporarily staying at the inn.

Xiao Ruohai, his back and chest soaked with sweat, dared not delay and ran straight toward the courtyard where Bai Qingqi was staying.

These past two days, Chen Qingsheng had followed normal business procedures while deliberately encountering or coincidentally meeting those who managed business for the eight great families. Through subtle inquiries, he gathered useful information and sent it to Xiao Ruohai through messengers.

Xiao Ruohai then used terrain analysis, general patterns for selecting granary locations, secrecy levels, plus Chen Qingsheng’s intelligence to make judgments. Within two days, he had located all the granaries of the eight great families.

Hearing that Xiao Ruohai had returned, Bai Qingqi couldn’t sit still and went to greet him at the courtyard gate. Seeing Xiao Ruohai… Bai Qingqi had people prepare tea and refreshments for him.

“Third Young Master!” Xiao Ruohai cupped his hands toward Bai Qingqi while gasping for breath.

“You’ve worked hard. Come inside to talk!” Bai Qingqi patted Xiao Ruohai’s shoulder armor and turned to lead him into the house.

Upon entering, Xiao Ruohai immediately handed the map he had drawn to Bai Qingqi: “Third Young Master, these are the locations where the eight great families store their grain. This subordinate has positioned people at all eight locations, prepared and waiting for the right moment. With just one order from Third Young Master, they can be burned immediately.”

A Bai Family guard brought tea and handed it to Xiao Ruohai. Xiao Ruohai wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, thanked him, and drank the tea in one gulp.

After Bai Qingqi finished examining Xiao Ruohai’s detailed map, he looked up calmly and said: “Today I will enter the palace as Great Zhou’s envoy to meet the Xiliang Empress. Since the eight great families have hidden their granaries outside the city, after burning them tonight, you’ll take your men back to Qiushan Pass first.”

“Yes!” Xiao Ruohai accepted the order.

“Rest well and eat something. I’ll need to trouble you to take the Bai Family guard who retired from the Bai Family Army’s Huying Battalion to visit the Huoyun Army’s training grounds.” Bai Qingqi looked steadily at Xiao Ruohai. “Also, send people to set up an ambush on the fastest route to the Huoyun Army camp. If anyone tries to send word to the Huoyun Army camp after I enter the Xiliang imperial palace, kill them without question! Don’t let a single person through!”

Xiao Ruohai nodded: “Third Young Master, rest assured! Xiao Ruohai will not let a single person pass!”

That day, news that Great Zhou’s envoy had arrived in Yunjing truly surprised both the Xiliang Empress and the eight great families.

What Xiliang most wanted now was to sign an alliance with the Great Zhou. Li Zhijie’s side had no news yet, but Great Zhou’s envoy had arrived, inevitably causing various speculations in the Xiliang court.

This Great Zhou envoy was no ordinary person—he was a descendant of the Bai Family, the Great Zhou Empress’s cousin, the former young general of the Huying Battalion who had slain countless Xiliang warriors in the southern frontier campaign… Bai Qingqi.

The imperial physician had just taken Yun Poxing’s pulse. Yun Poxing’s cough hadn’t healed, and his old waist injury had flared up again. The imperial physician advised Yun Poxing to rest well, but then news reached the Yun residence. Yun Poxing was greatly surprised. When the Great Zhou Empress ascended the throne, the surviving young generals of the Bai Family Army had all returned to Great Zhou that day—Xiliang had only learned this a few days ago. Who would have thought that Bai Qingqi would arrive as Great Zhou’s envoy so soon after?

What was the reason?

If it were for the alliance, Xiliang had already sent Prince Yan Li Zhijie to Great Zhou.

Yun Poxing dared not delay. He pressed his hands against the edge of the soft couch to stand up, but failed on the first attempt…

The old servant saw this and quickly set down the teapot to help Yun Poxing: “General, whatever you need, just order this old servant. The physician instructed you to rest well!”

Yun Poxing, supported by the old servant’s hand, struggled to stand up: “Change my clothes. I must go to the palace!”

“General…” The old servant’s face was full of worry. “You… you haven’t taken your medicine yet. Second Master is brewing your medicine—it won’t be ready for a while. Rest a bit more. It won’t be too late to go after taking the medicine!”

“No need! Bring my official robes…” Yun Poxing said.

After changing into official robes, Yun Poxing was coughing so hard he was covered in fine sweat. The old servant offered him a walking stick: “General, using the walking stick will make it easier for you.”

Yun Poxing pressed his lips tightly together, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, unwilling to admit his age, and pushed away the walking stick the old servant offered: “I’m not old yet!”

He clenched his fists and strode quickly toward the residence gate. Just as he was about to board the carriage, Yun Poxing’s second son came chasing out with a medicine bowl, holding it high toward Yun Poxing: “Father… Father! Father… drink the medicine before you go!”

Yun Poxing, who had already stepped onto the carriage step, took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. Frowning, he handed the bowl back to his son before bending to sit inside the carriage.

Sitting in the carriage, Yun Poxing thought of his eldest grandson, who had gone alone to Great Zhou to face death. Learning that Bai Qingyan hadn’t taken his grandson’s life, Yun Poxing felt both joy and heartache…

If his grandson had died in the Great Zhou, then the Great Zhou would have completely lost any pretext for attacking Xiliang.

He could only hope that this Great Zhou envoy, Bai Qingqi, ‘s entry into Xiliang was for peace talks. Even if it cost him, Yun Poxing, his life, that would be acceptable—Xiliang truly couldn’t afford to fight anymore!

However, when Yun Poxing drove to the palace to request an audience, the chief eunuch beside the Xiliang Empress stopped him outside the hall, asking him to wait because this Great Zhou envoy wanted to see the Xiliang Empress privately.

Knowing that Yun Poxing’s old waist injury had flared up, the chief eunuch had someone bring Yun Poxing a chair to sit and wait outside.

But Yun Poxing felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

Inside the hall.

Still in mourning for his grandmother’s passing, Bai Qingqi was dressed very plainly. He knelt in the position below the Xiliang Empress, his bearing proud, his demeanor calm and steady, his features open and handsome, his face refined and striking. Even though his temples showed gray hair, it didn’t diminish his handsome appearance in the slightest.

He spoke slowly to the Xiliang Empress about Xiliang’s Huoyun Army, then paused and looked toward the Xiliang Empress.

The Xiliang Empress’s palms tightened slightly, but her bright, compelling eyes still held a smile as she looked at Bai Qingqi without revealing her thoughts: “I heard that Your Excellency only returned to Great Zhou on the day of the Great Zhou Empress’s ascension. It seems… You haven’t been in Xiliang long. How do you know about the Huoyun Army?”