“Ping Shu…” Bai Qingyan looked toward Lu Ping.
“This subordinate is here!” Lu Ping responded.
“Bring that Sun Wenyao here. I want to see him,” Bai Qingyan said with a smile.
Whether this Sun Wenyao was taking orders from Second Miss of the Qin family, or Second Miss Qin was taking orders from Sun Wenyao – she guessed it was the latter.
How interesting…
Since everything had been decided, Li Mingrui and Dong Changyuan followed Lu Ping, who had received his assignment, and took their leave together.
Bai Jinzhi, holding Bai Wanqing in her arms, knelt and sat down across from Bai Qingyan: “Elder sister is making me leave after fifteen days because you want to celebrate my birthday!”
“Ever since the Bai family faced disaster, your elder sister has always had you running here and there, never properly celebrating a birthday for you. I originally wanted to keep you in the capital longer to properly celebrate your birthday and let you spend a good time with Third Aunt. I didn’t expect we’d have to use your birthday as an occasion this time…”
“Elder sister! What do you mean by ‘use’? As long as it benefits the Great Zhou! Even if it cost Xiao Si her life, Xiao Si wouldn’t hesitate!” Bai Jinzhi spoke solemnly.
“What nonsense are you talking about! With elder sister here… no one can harm you!” Bai Qingyan frowned and scolded.
The Bai family absolutely could not have another person come to harm.
“Wouldn’t hesitate even if it cost my life!” Seeing her fourth sister’s manner, Bai Wanqing also mimicked her and said to Bai Qingyan.
Bai Qingyan was amused by the sweet, childish voice of Bai Wanqing, reaching up to pinch the little girl’s chubby, fair cheek: “Do you even know what that means and you’re copying her?”
Bai Wanqing looked confused, her grape-like black eyes rolling, then she grinned and copied the last four words: “Wouldn’t hesitate!”
Bai Jinzhi was also amused, patting her fourth sister’s little head: “Our Xiao Ba has backbone! She’s a good girl of our Bai family!”
“But elder sister, what kind of celebration with the people could we organize? An autumn hunt would have been a good idea, but that’s not celebrating with the people.” Bai Jinzhi lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then looked up at Bai Qingyan. “How about organizing a kite competition in the suburbs? In my name! Elder sister can provide the prize for the winner…”
“Good, you arrange this matter. After the kite competition ends, we’ll come back in the evening and have a proper family meal together,” Bai Qingyan said with a smile.
“Alright! Elder sister, don’t worry!” Bai Jinzhi smiled and agreed.
“That Sun Wenyao will be coming shortly, so you take Xiao Ba and leave first…” Bai Qingyan said to Bai Jinzhi.
Bai Jinzhi was somewhat worried: “Elder sister…”
“It’s fine, Ping Shu is here. He can’t stir up any big waves!”
Sun Wenyao, who was drilling in the military camp, suddenly heard that His Majesty had summoned him, and his heart jumped in shock.
Thinking of how he had taken advantage of that simple, spirited girl, he immediately felt guilty, figuring that Bai Jinzhi must have told the Empress about their mutual affection, which was why the Empress wanted to see him.
The breathless Sun Wenyao quickly bowed deeply to Lu Ping: “This humble person is covered in sweat. Please allow this humble person to change clothes, so as not to be disrespectful when meeting the Empress.”
Lu Ping, gripping the sword at his waist, nodded indifferently. Watching Sun Wenyao run off, he squinted at Liu Pinggao, the general of Anping Battalion, who was drilling under the blazing sun, and quickly walked over to greet him with cupped hands and a smile: “General Liu, long time no see!”
“Commander Lu!” Liu Pinggao, dressed in military attire, wiped his sweat with a towel and casually tossed it to a subordinate soldier, cupping his hands while striding quickly toward Lu Ping.
The two had fought together on the battlefield, so naturally their friendship was extraordinary.
Especially since Lu Ping came from the Bai Family Army and had only stepped back to serve as a guard at the Bai residence due to injury, now that he had recovered, he was truly unstoppable on the battlefield.
“General Liu, Lu Ping wants to ask you about someone – do you know that Sun Wenyao?”
Liu Pinggao thought for a moment, then reacted and smiled: “I know him! That lad who saved our Princess Gaoyi! That boy is good… he has the makings of a soldier! He’s also a hot-blooded man who never abandons his comrades on the battlefield!”
Hearing “never abandons his comrades on the battlefield,” Lu Ping looked thoughtful.
Sun Wenyao wrung out a cloth to wipe the sweat from his face and neck, changed into black clothes, and touched the Life-Taking Heaven Silk at his waist…
Audiences with the Empress certainly couldn’t involve carrying weapons, but he had hidden the Heaven Silk at his waist – thin as cotton thread… no one would be able to detect it.
But… Sun Wenyao felt hesitant about his superiors’ order to kill the Empress.
He was a secret guard of the Jin royal family, originally placed in the residence of court minister Marquis Zhongyong to monitor important court officials for the Emperor. Later… after Marquis Zhongyong died, he was assigned to the Anping Battalion but given no specific tasks.
Then later, Princess Zhenguo rebelled… and became the current Great Zhou Empress.
Just when he thought the Jin royal family was finished and he was no longer a secret guard, his captain found him again, saying that if their royal secret guards didn’t die before the Jin Emperor, it would be disloyalty, a disgrace to their identity as secret guards. They hadn’t been able to protect His Majesty’s life, but now the Crown Prince was still alive…
The Crown Prince had been sent by the Great Zhou Empress to the former Great Liang, along with the young imperial grandson. Now they had no military power and could only create chaos in Great Zhou, sabotage Great Zhou’s new policies, and destabilize Great Zhou to create opportunities for the Crown Prince to reclaim the throne.
Sun Wenyao was given an especially important mission – his captain told him to approach Bai Jinzhi, gain her trust, meet the Great Zhou Empress through Bai Jinzhi, and then kill the Great Zhou Empress!
Sun Wenyao had been a royal secret guard since birth. Only by completing missions… could he avoid dishonoring the title of “secret guard.” Even death would only be meaningful if it served this purpose.
These secret guards had been educated from childhood to be loyal to the royal family, to sacrifice their lives without hesitation for the royal family. Growing up day after day in such an environment, loyalty to the royal family seemed to have seeped into their very bones, becoming their instinct.
But this time… Sun Wenyao felt somewhat shaken.
Because he had seen the Great Liang generals submit one by one, seen Jin’s people living in misery… it was the Great Zhou Empress who had changed this situation. Moreover, seeing how the Great Zhou Empress’s new policies were now bringing real benefits and advantages to the people, he felt… Bai Qingyan was a good emperor.
“Sun Wenyao, why are you still here?”
Sun Wenyao’s military companion entered carrying a washbasin, seeing Sun Wenyao dressed and standing there in a daze. He smiled and draped the cloth over his shoulder: “Commander Lu has been waiting a long time. I don’t know what he wants you for, but I think it must be something good!”
“Mm, I’ll tell you when I get back! I’m leaving now…” Sun Wenyao said as he walked out of the tent.
When Sun Wenyao followed Lu Ping to Wude Gate, dusk was already gathering.
He respectfully followed behind Lu Ping, was briefly searched, then followed Lu Ping up the steps, head lowered, eyes downcast, looking at the white marble steps under his feet that were stained tea-colored by the setting sun.