Today was the first meeting between Xie Xun and Bai Qingyu, so it wasn’t convenient for him to ask about Bai Qingyu’s past whereabouts…

Regardless, the fact that Bai Qingyu had saved his life this time was real and substantial. Xie Xun was deeply grateful in his heart. He bowed deeply to Bai Qingyu once more before mounting his horse and following Murong Yan and Murong Li as they led the Yan army away.

After seeing off the Yan Kingdom Emperor and Regent Prince, when Bai Qingyu and Bai Jinzhi returned, they heard that Bai Qingyan had already gone to inspect the camps. Bai Qingyu was startled… then remembered his father Bai Qishan’s habit when he was alive. No matter how exhausted he was after a battle, Father would always inspect the wounded soldiers’ camp before he could rest peacefully. Now elder sister was the same.

“Xiao Si, you go back and rest!” Bai Qingyu turned to Bai Jinzhi. “We march the day after tomorrow, Fifth Brother is counting on you!”

Hearing this, Bai Jinzhi’s brows showed a smile, and she nodded vigorously: “Fifth Brother, rest assured, Xiao Si will do her utmost!”

“Go on!” Bai Qingyu nodded to Bai Jinzhi.

·

The snow fell heavier and heavier, completely covering the blood-stained earth and snow outside Pingyang City, preventing people from seeing the blood and severed limbs beneath the silver-wrapped landscape, presenting a scene of peaceful mountains and rivers.

Inside the city, soldiers busied themselves bandaging and applying medicine to their comrades’ wounds, while civilians helped transport stones and timber to repair the city gate damaged by the giant elephants…

In last night’s great battle, many Great Zhou soldiers had died, and even more were wounded. After all, being stepped on by those giant elephants was no joke.

Lu Yuanpeng’s horse had been kicked away by a fleeing giant elephant stimulated by the chili smoke. Lu Yuanpeng had immediately vomited blood and fainted. If Sima Ping hadn’t risked his life to drag the unconscious Lu Yuanpeng from under the elephant’s hooves, Lu Yuanpeng would probably be a meat patty by now.

But Sima Ping had also taken a blade to his back from an Xiliang soldier. He was now lying face down in the barracks, enduring the pain as the military physician helped apply medicine.

“How is Lu Yuanpeng?” Sima Ping glanced at Lu Yuanpeng, who had not yet awakened, asking with worry.

“General Ma, don’t worry, General Lu is fine… Last night, His Majesty had Physician Hong come personally to examine him. Physician Hong said his ribs were injured, but it’s not serious – no internal injuries.” The military physician covered Sima Ping with a blanket and stood by the wash basin, cleaning his hands. “General Ma, you’ll probably have to sleep on your stomach until your injury heals.”

Sima Ping used the alias Ma San as a military advisor, so everyone in the army called him General Ma.

Sima Ping looked again at Lu Yuanpeng with his eyes tightly closed, unable to help worrying: “Then why hasn’t he woken up yet?”

“General Lu is sleeping…” The military physician wiped his hands with a cloth while packing up his medicine box with a smile. “When His Majesty came to inspect the camp, General Lu woke up once.”

Sima Ping: “…”

Just as they were talking, Lu Yuanpeng, lying on the bed, suddenly murmured and stretched out both hands from under the blanket, preparing to stretch lazily, but pulled at his wound and immediately grimaced in pain.

Wei Zhong lifted the curtain and entered, just in time to see Lu Yuanpeng grimacing in pain, and said with a smile: “Has General Lu awakened?”

The military physician hurriedly bowed to Wei Zhong.

Seeing Wei Zhong enter, Lu Yuanpeng quickly scrambled up from the bed. Wearing only his undergarments, he nimbly bowed to Wei Zhong: “Eunuch Wei, did the Bai family sis… did His Majesty send you?”

Heh…

Sima Ping looked at Lu Yuanpeng and smiled coldly without a sound, turning his head to continue lying down. He had worried about Lu Yuanpeng for nothing. This fellow recovered as well as an unkillable cockroach – why should he worry?

“Indeed, His Majesty sent this old slave to invite General Lu and General Ma, saying… if both generals can get up, please come for an audience.” Wei Zhong said with a smile.

“Can! Can! Of course I can get up!” Lu Yuanpeng reached out and tugged at Sima Ping’s blanket. “Get up quickly! His Majesty wants to see us!”

Sima Ping: “…”

Lu Yuanpeng grabbed his clothes and started putting them on. Sima Ping, who had never suffered such a serious injury in his life, slowly climbed out of bed, and was still criticized by Lu Yuanpeng for being slow. Who knew for whose sake Sima Ping had received this injury!

After both men dressed, they followed Wei Zhong to the back courtyard to see Bai Qingyan.

In the study, Bai Qingyan was discussing methods to counter the elephant army with Bai Qingyu, Bai Jinzhi, Shen Kunyang, Cheng Yuanzhi, and Wang Qiulu. Wei Zhong brought the two men directly inside.

Just as they were about to bow, they heard Bai Qingyan say: “You both have injuries, no need for formalities!”

Hearing this, Lu Yuanpeng covered the area of his ribs and responded cheerfully: “Alright!”

But Sima Ping endured the pain in his back and knelt, then pulled Lu Yuanpeng down to kneel as well, properly paying respects to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Jinzhi, who had just returned from inspecting outside the city and hadn’t yet put down the black gold horsewhip in her hand, pointed at Sima Ping with the whip and laughed: “Is this still the Sima Ping I know? It hasn’t been that long since we last met, and you’ve become a different person!”

Sima Ping still kept his respectful gaze lowered: “The past was the past, but now I’m having an audience with His Majesty. The proper etiquette must still be observed!”

In the past, no matter how close Lu Yuanpeng’s relationship with Bai Qingyan was, at that time Bai Qingyan was only the legitimate eldest daughter of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion… only a princess or county princess with an honorary title. But now Bai Qingyan was the exalted Great Zhou Emperor.

Throughout history, there had been too many rough emperors who, before ascending the throne, promised to be brothers for life with their generals, but after ascending the throne… those brothers who had once been close to the emperor, truly believing they could continue to interact with the emperor as brothers like before, not understanding what constituted proper sovereign-subject etiquette, not understanding the distinction between superior and inferior, not understanding measured advance and retreat, only considering personal feelings – what happened to them? How many of those who relied on personal feelings ended up intact? Most ended up with their families destroyed and people killed.

Now that Lu Yuanpeng’s grandfather was already Grand Commandant in court, second only to one and above all others, Lu Yuanpeng should especially understand the distinction between superior and inferior, the etiquette between sovereign and subject. Otherwise, when the emperor was pleased, he might think Lu Yuanpeng was straightforward and frank, but when displeased… Lu Yuanpeng would be seen as relying on his family background without regard for hierarchy, showing impropriety before the sovereign.

Hearing this, Lu Yuanpeng looked at Sima Ping and then secretly glanced at Bai Qingyan.

Bai Jinzhi was amused by Sima Ping’s serious appearance: “Enough, Sima Ping, what kind of character were you in the capital, who among us doesn’t know…”

Before Bai Jinzhi could finish speaking, she was stopped by her fifth brother’s gaze. Bai Jinzhi pressed her lips together and shrank her neck.

Seeing old friends, Bai Qingyan was in quite a good mood, especially since… whether it was Lu Yuanpeng or Sima Ping, though they were called wastrels, they had pure hearts. Later, they were able to persist in the Bai family army, which was indeed rare for pampered young masters who had grown up in luxury.

“Both of you, rise!” Bai Qingyan nodded to Wei Zhong.

Wei Zhong smiled and walked to the side, taking Bai Qingyan’s silver spear…

Seeing that red-tasseled silver spear, Lu Yuanpeng’s back suddenly straightened, his fists at his sides clenched tight, his eyes showing wild joy.

He knew… that was the red-tasseled spear of the Bai family elder sister.