Weizhong poured hot tea for Bai Qingyan, gazing at the lively night market scene of Feng County with a beaming smile: “Whether the people of Feng County are living well or not can be seen from the street scenes after dark! In impoverished places, once night falls, everything is pitch black. Where would street vendors be setting up stalls? Even if there were vendors, the common people wouldn’t have spare money to browse around! But look now, it’s brilliantly lit like daylight. Though it can’t compare to the Capital City, it’s still quite bustling.”

She acknowledged and accepted the teacup Weizhong handed her, gripping the lid while shifting her gaze from the storybook to look at the marketplace outside. It was lively and noisy, with hawking cries and sounds of merriment rising and falling in succession, filled with the atmosphere of human life.

Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell upon a small wonton stall. Under the oiled cloth canopy, the clay stove burned vigorously with firewood, steam billowing from the chimney. A young child with his hair in topknots was tugging at his mother’s sleeve, wanting to eat wontons, reaching into the woman’s sleeve to grab copper coins, only to be grabbed by the ear and scolded thoroughly by his mother.

Bai Qingyan quite liked this kind of marketplace clamor.

A nation’s true prosperity lies in the prosperity of its common people.

She hoped all the people could live such peaceful and mundane lives. For the common people, this was true prosperity of people and strength of the nation, true peace under heaven.

After having dinner at the wine house, Weizhong’s original intention was to have Bai Qingyan stay overnight in Feng County, but Bai Qingyan said, “Let’s go. Having seen this, I’m reassured. Let’s enter Tianmen Pass first.”

According to the route back to the Capital City, she should be at Tianmen Pass by now. That day, although Xiao Rongyan was still as gentle as always, he had left in such a manner, still carrying such severe injuries.

She knew Xiao Rongyan must know she was concerned about his injuries. She feared Xiao Rongyan might have someone deliver a letter to her… sent to Tianmen Pass, where she wasn’t present.

If Xiao Rongyan sent a letter, she wanted to see it immediately.

When the carriages and horses left Feng County and reached Tianmen Pass, the city gates were already closed. Weizhong presented his token before they could enter through the gates.

However, Bai Qingyan’s arrival couldn’t be concealed from the garrison general. Upon entering the city, the garrison general invited Bai Qingyan to stay at his residence.

“Your Majesty, rest assured. Calculating the days, knowing you would come, the residence has long been cleared and tidied, just waiting for Your Majesty to move in. There absolutely won’t be any idle people disturbing Your Majesty!”

Bai Qingyan waved her hand: “Resting at the post station will suffice. I won’t trouble the general’s residence.”

After settling in, she asked the Bai family guards who had entered Tianmen Pass ahead of her: “Are there any messages sent from the front?”

Calculating the days, if Xiao Rongyan had sent her a letter, it should have arrived by now.

“Battle reports are saying Young Master and the young ladies have already taken Luquan City and are now on the way to Jingrong. Estimating the time, they should have reached Jingrong by now!” the Bai family guard said.

Bai Qingyan nodded. Now in all of Western Liang, apart from old General Cui Shanzhong, no other generals were a match for the Bai family army, let alone the Shouyang army, most skilled at siege warfare, present as well.

She asked again: “Are there any other messages sent?”

The Bai family guard thought Bai Qingyan was asking about Bai Jinzhi’s news and hastily said: “Yes, there are also messages from Fourth Miss and General Shen, saying they’ve reached Gangdi but have been delaying their attack, just to wait for Da Zhou’s main force to reach Jingrong. Fourth Miss and General Shen have now split into two routes. One route has secretly proceeded to the north of Yunjing, so that if Li Tianjiao attempts to flee, they can capture him directly.”

She looked at the Bai family guard, who felt guilty under her gaze, confused, and glanced toward Weizhong.

Weizhong asked with a smile: “What about news from Yan? Is there any?”

“Not yet. Generally speaking, news from Yan should be sent directly to the young masters and misses at the front lines. Probably the young masters and misses are worried that First Miss is with child and doesn’t want First Miss to worry, so they haven’t sent the news over,” the Bai family guard said with a smile.

“Good, I understand… go rest!” Bai Qingyan said with a smile.

“Yes!”

After the Bai family guard withdrew, Bai Qingyan sat on the soft couch in silence for a long while.

No rush. Her letter had just been sent out. Once Xiao Rongyan saw the letter, he would surely write back to her.

“Eunuch Wei, you should also go rest. Having Chun Zhi stay here to serve will suffice,” Bai Qingyan said.

“Yes!” Weizhong acknowledged and withdrew.

Chun Zhi saw that Bai Qingyan had opened the storybook again, so she replaced the lamp with a brighter one and brought over the pastries bought today, along with ginseng tea.

Seeing Bai Qingyan reading with great interest, Chun Zhi worried about making Bai Qingyan sad and said: “This servant learned to read later and also followed others in reading a few storybooks. Most of what’s inside is nonsense!”

“Mm… I know.” Bai Qingyan turned another page, instead of studying the paper used for this storybook.

Paper had always been expensive, yet this Yunshang shop gave away storybooks recorded on paper like this. It seemed Yan had found a way to reduce papermaking costs.

The storybook wasn’t thick, and Bai Qingyan finished reading it quickly. The content recorded inside roughly told of… how back when Murong Yu was still alive, he had intended to bestow the renowned first beauty of Yan, Consort Meng Zhao, to Yan’s Ninth Prince. However, this Ninth Prince had a violent temperament and had no intention of marrying at all, refusing even to meet her.

Later, Great Yan’s Ninth Prince disguised himself for travel and encountered on the main street a beggar woman holding a child who was about to be struck by a nobleman’s carriage. He had her sent to a medical hall and gave her silver. The Ninth Prince fell in love with this young lady at first sight.

After the two became acquainted, both concealed their true identities. The Ninth Prince was ruthless to others but indulgent and tolerant toward his Consort, Meng Zhao.

Afterward, when Emperor Murong Yu of Yan passed away, the Empress Dowager originally intended to fulfill the late emperor’s wishes by decreeing marriage between the Ninth Prince and Consort Meng Zhao. Consort Meng Zhao resisted unto death and was confined at home by Minister Meng, forbidden to go out.

The Ninth Prince searched everywhere but couldn’t find Consort Meng Zhao. In fury, he nearly turned the entire Yan capital upside down, even defying the imperial decree to refuse the marriage, declaring that if the Empress Dowager insisted on the marriage decree, he would pull his nephew down from the throne.

Consort Meng Zhao was confined at home for several months, while the Ninth Prince, thinking Consort Meng Zhao had abandoned him, became the feared Regent Prince of Yan, his temperament growing even more violent and terrifying due to Consort Meng Zhao’s “abandonment.”

Who would have known that by chance, he encountered Consort Meng Zhao, who had been summoned by the Empress Dowager, in the imperial garden. Only then did he realize there had been a tremendous misunderstanding—they had been betrothed all along.

Originally, the two were about to marry, but the Western Liang incident occurred. The Ninth Prince had no choice but to depart with the great army. The Empress Dowager promised the Ninth Prince that once the Western Liang matter was settled, she would decree their marriage.

The story ended here with “to be continued.”

After finishing the storybook, Bai Qingyan wiped her palms with a handkerchief and took a sip of hot tea. No wonder such a storybook would appear in Da Zhou. If it were in Yan… it would probably already be a banned book.