Xiao Rongyan valued loyalty and righteousness, especially toward his elder brother… one could say his elder brother was like a father to him, so he held great respect for this sister-in-law as well.

Yunjing…

Bai Qingyan’s hand holding the porridge spoon tightened slightly.

Perhaps… Yunjing could be used to pave a path for the merger of the two nations, but the prerequisite was that Da Zhou must capture Yunjing.

While Bai Qingyan was lost in thought, Weizhong saw a guard enter the small courtyard, speaking with the guards stationed outside the door. He went out to inquire, then looked back at Bai Qingyan. Remembering the storybook Bai Qingyan had read last night, he hesitated for a moment before entering and speaking to Bai Qingyan in a low voice: “Your Majesty, there’s a young lady outside claiming to be Consort Meng Zhao, requesting an audience with Your Majesty. This young lady knows Your Majesty’s identity.”

Recalling what Bai Jintong had written in her letter, Bai Qingyan didn’t even lift her head, chuckling softly: “Is this worth reporting to me? She’s a young lady from another nation’s minister’s household. Even in Yan, meeting their emperor wouldn’t be so easy, yet she comes requesting to meet a foreign emperor. How does she think I would see her? Dismiss her.”

“The guard said that the young lady claims to be requesting an audience in her capacity as Yan’s Ninth Prince’s prospective princess consort,” Weizhong said quietly.

“Just because she says she’s Yan’s Ninth Prince’s prospective princess consort makes it so? Go check if she has travel documents, whether she entered the city using Consort Meng Zhao’s identity. If not… tell the Tianmen Pass garrison commander to treat her as a spy,” Bai Qingyan said, lowering her eyes to drink porridge, showing no intention of meeting this Consort Meng Zhao. “Pack up. After breakfast, we’ll set off for the capital. There are still several cities I want to see along the way.”

Presumably when she was in Yan, Consort Meng Zhao was Minister Meng’s daughter with the status of Yan’s first beauty, plus Murong Yu had previously intended to bestow Consort Meng Zhao upon Murong Yan, so she had been elevated somewhat.

She probably thought that since entering Yan’s imperial palace was relatively easy for her, she would be equally well-received in Da Zhou.

Even with the same status as the first beauty, Liu Ruofu would probably be much more sensible than Consort Meng Zhao.

“Yes!” Weizhong responded.

Outside the door, Consort Meng Zhao stood alone, still waiting for Bai Qingyan to see her. Who knew that instead of Bai Qingyan, she waited for patrolling soldiers demanding to see her documents.

Consort Meng Zhao handed over the documents Cui Fengnian had prepared for her. The soldiers read while examining them: “Feng County resident, named Jiang Pan’er?”

The Bai family guard outside called out loudly: “That’s not right! Didn’t you say you were Great Yan’s Ninth Prince’s prospective princess consort, requesting to see our First Miss?”

Consort Meng Zhao’s face changed. Before she could speak, the patrolling soldiers closed the documents: “From Yan! Then we’re sorry… Miss, you’ll have to come with us! Take her away!”

Consort Meng Zhao, veiled and a refined young lady from a noble family, a minister’s daughter, couldn’t endure such humiliation. She cried out: “How dare you! I am Yan’s Ninth Prince’s prospective princess consort, waiting for your Da Zhou Emperor to summon me. You dare arrest me!”

The Bai family guard quickly said, “Miss, you mustn’t speak carelessly! You came to request an audience with our First Miss… our First Miss’s surname is Bai, that’s correct, but she wouldn’t dare falsely claim to be the current Emperor!”

Already seized by the patrolling soldiers, Consort Meng Zhao was furious: “You…”

“Besides, looking at your dress, you’re still an unmarried young lady. How can you speak so shamelessly, shouting everywhere that you’re Yan’s Ninth Prince’s prospective princess consort? I think you’ve lost your mind!” The Bai family guard looked Consort Meng Zhao up and down.

“Let me go! I am Consort Meng Zhao, daughter of Yan’s Minister Meng!”

“See that? She admits it… she’s from Yan, forging her identity to enter our Da Zhou. How suspicious!” The Bai family guard pointed at Consort Meng Zhao, shouting.

“Suspicious behavior, take her away!” the lead patrolling soldier ordered.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

Just as Consort Meng Zhao was shouting, she saw a spacious, luxurious carriage slowly stop in front of the gate. Looking inside, she saw Bai Qingyan walking unhurriedly toward the entrance, surrounded by Weizhong, Chun Zhi, and guards.

Chun Zhi saw Consort Meng Zhao and was startled, whispering in Bai Qingyan’s ear: “First Miss, it’s that young lady from the Yan clothing shop yesterday!”

Consort Meng Zhao was already being dragged away by the patrolling soldiers. She turned her head, craning her neck to shout: “Da Zhou Emperor, I am the daughter of Yan’s Minister Meng, Great Yan’s Ninth Prince’s fiancée!”

Bai Qingyan, supported by Chun Zhi’s hand, stepped out of the post station and methodically got into the carriage, completely ignoring Consort Meng Zhao.

Seeing Bai Qingyan board the carriage and the Bai family guards mount their horses and slowly depart, Consort Meng Zhao’s heart kept sinking. Thinking she was being arrested as a Yan spy, her scalp tingled with panic as she cried out: “Is there a Cui Trading Company in this city? Your Da Zhou, wealthy merchant Cui Gonghang… Cui Fengnian’s shop! Please send word to Cui Trading Company – they can verify my identity!”

The patrolling soldiers didn’t care about such details. They had orders from above and were simply following commands, arresting people according to regulations.

Bai Qingyan sat in the carriage, unmoved by Consort Meng Zhao’s shouts. Chun Zhi angrily lifted the carriage curtain to look outside, feeling extremely satisfied: “Are all daughters of noble families in Yan so shameless? What does ‘prospective princess consort’ mean? Without even being betrothed, she’s shouting about being someone’s prospective princess consort. Does she have any sense of shame?”

Bai Qingyan’s eyes were indifferent and calm. So when Jintong helped send Consort Meng Zhao to Feng County, she probably already had a vague feeling that Consort Meng Zhao’s words contained deception. But being a woman herself and feeling that women had difficult lives in this world, she helped while also putting herself under surveillance.

However, Jintong might have underestimated this noble young lady… otherwise, how did this Consort Meng Zhao escape Jintong’s people and dare to come to Tianmen Pass to see her?

Recalling how at the clothing shop in Feng County, when Consort Meng Zhao asked the shop assistant to give her a book, he immediately agreed…

It seemed that the storybook was also this Consort Meng Zhao’s handiwork!

What a performance of mutual affection and crossed destinies.

Bai Qingyan’s lips curved slightly. She had Chun Zhi find that storybook, lifted the carriage curtain and called out: “Weizhong…”

Hearing Bai Qingyan call him, Weizhong quickly pulled on the reins to slow down a few steps, riding alongside the carriage respectfully: “This old servant is here!”

“Send someone to relay a message to Great Yan’s Ninth Prince. Tell the Ninth Prince about our encounter with Consort Meng Zhao in Feng County and her coming to Tianmen Pass to request an audience with me. Explain everything clearly and in detail,” Bai Qingyan said, her voice neither cold nor warm, handing the storybook to Weizhong. “And about this storybook as well.”

“Yes! First Miss, rest assured. This old servant will have someone explain this matter clearly!” Weizhong quickly received the storybook with both hands.