When Xiao Rongyan learned that Bai Qingyan was doing this to make his sister-in-law, the Empress Dowager of Yan, believe that Bai Qingyan had broken with Xiao Rongyan for the sake of her younger brother, thereby not making things difficult for Xiao Rongyan anymore, and even trusting Xiao Rongyan to pave the way for the future merger of the two countries, he was overwhelmed with complex emotions for a moment.

His sister-in-law had originally been the person Xiao Rongyan trusted most. Now… she was even having his wife act with him to deceive the people his sister-in-law had sent to monitor him.

She told Xiao Rongyan that he too must take good care of himself for her and their child’s sake, not letting himself get hurt, and to do his best to act before the Empress Dowager of Yan as an abandoned husband filled with anger and estranged from Bai Qingyan.

Seeing these words, Xiao Rongyan couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

At the end of the letter, Bai Qingyan also mentioned Yue Shi, saying that this time she had wronged Yue Shi. However, although Yue Shi was highly skilled in martial arts, he was someone with a pure heart who showed everything on his face, so she had kept this matter from him without telling him. Later, she would also need to instruct Yue Shi to be sure to hide his thoughts well.

He held Bai Qingyan’s letter and read it over and over many times. The heavy stone pressing on his heart was finally lifted, and he felt comforted that Bai Qingyan trusted he could rescue Bai Qingyu.

“Master… what does the eldest miss say?” Yue Shi asked in a low voice.

Although Xiao Rongyan was reluctant, this letter could not be kept. He carefully caressed Bai Qingyan’s handwritten letter, then personally lit it on fire, saying to Yue Shi, “Just pretend we never received this letter. Do whatever you’re supposed to do! Don’t let anyone see through anything.”

Yue Shi nodded: “Master, rest assured. The Bai family guards have already instructed me!”

As the two were talking, the secret guard that Xiao Rongyan had sent out on the night Bai Qingyu was captured to search for the entrance to Yun Jing City along the river and gather information within Yun Jing City had returned.

“Master!” The secret guard, completely soaked through and wearing a cloak given by his comrades, still dripping water, knelt outside Xiao Rongyan’s main tent.

Seeing this, Xiao Rongyan quickly stood up and instructed Yue Shi: “Go get a brazier and clean clothes!”

The secret guard stood up and entered the tent, about to bow again when Xiao Rongyan stopped him: “No need for formalities, speak of urgent matters!”

There was no brazier in Xiao Rongyan’s main tent, and it would take some time to bring one. He poured a cup of hot tea for the secret guard.

“Master, our people are now in Yun Jing City and have found where the captured Bai family army is being held. They’ve locked all the captured Bai family soldiers in the main prison. Daily, they give them enough water but only a small amount of food,” the secret guard stammered, his tongue stiff from cold. “They won’t let them starve to death, but they don’t have the strength to escape! So the guards are relatively more relaxed.”

Soon, Yue Shi had someone bring in the brazier and went to fetch clean clothes for the secret guard.

“Go inside first to change clothes, then continue speaking after you’ve changed!” Xiao Rongyan pointed behind the screen at the secret guard.

The secret guard extended his blue-tinged hands to take the clothes, went behind the screen to change, then came out to sit by the brazier and continued speaking to Xiao Rongyan: “This subordinate has already mobilized the secret network master placed in Xi Liang. When going to bribe the prison officials, I encountered the wet nurse brother of the Great Zhou Emperor! I had seen him before!”

Xiao Rongyan nodded. He had heard from Yue Shi that Xiao Ruohai was also by Bai Qingyu’s side.

“But without the master’s orders, we didn’t make contact with the Great Zhou Emperor’s milk brother without permission, and discovered that Great Zhou had also mobilized some merchant shops!”

“What about Bai Qingyu and the Bai family’s seventh miss? Did you find out anything? How are they?” Xiao Rongyan asked.

“General Bai has already been taken into the imperial palace. Our agent buried in the palace says that both the Xi Liang Emperor and Cui Shanzhong value General Bai greatly. Imperial physicians are practically stationed in the side hall of that palace, but… the Bai family’s seventh miss is indeed not in the palace, nor the prison!” the secret guard said.

Xiao Rongyan’s palm tightened. If the Bai family’s seventh miss wasn’t there, where could she have gone?

Since the Bai family’s seventh miss hadn’t been captured, she couldn’t possibly be in Yun Jing. With Yun Jing’s current strict control, she should still be outside. Had she encountered danger? Or… had she fallen from her horse and been injured, temporarily unable to return to the Great Zhou military camp?

Xiao Rongyan had already sent large numbers of troops to search for Bai Jinse. He pondered briefly… remembering that on the day he and Bai Qingyu jointly set their ambush, there were hungry refugees from Great Yan wanting to come to Yun Jing, but upon discovering the battle at Yun Jing, they had detoured south.

Xiao Rongyan immediately instructed Yue Shi to dispatch people to search for the Bai family’s seventh miss in the direction these refugees had departed, then had the secret guard continue speaking.

“Our people have already arranged to enter the palace and can rescue General Bai at any time! This subordinate originally returned to request orders, asking the master whether to act now and snatch the Bai family army out, but when exiting through the city’s drainage pipes along the moat… I encountered the Great Zhou Emperor’s milk brother again! We ran right into each other!” Xiao Rongyan’s secret guard seemed guilty. “This subordinate followed the entire way without realizing it. Later, Mr. Xiao told this subordinate that General Bai plans to set fire to Xi Liang’s granaries and armories tomorrow at the hour of mao, rescue the Bai family army brothers, then set off fireworks to open the city gates!”

“And General Bai plans to remain in the imperial palace. That Mr. Xiao said… General Bai staying in the palace is to make the Xi Liang Emperor and old General Cui Shanzhong think they still hold a trump card, that they haven’t reached the end of their rope! To make them feel that if the Bai family army wanted to escape, they would go to the palace first to rescue General Bai, causing them to hesitate and buying time for the Great Zhou and Yan armies!”

When the secret guard heard Xiao Ruohai explain Bai Qingyu’s plan, he felt both admiration and shock.

He hadn’t expected that Bai Qingyu, alone in the imperial palace, would still think to use his own status to buy time for the Great Zhou and Yan armies, preventing the Xi Liang army from fighting to the death.

What shocked him was that Bai Qingyu would dare to do this alone!

Xiao Rongyan clenched his fists tightly. This Bai Qingyu… was truly bold!

“Master, then… when do we go rescue General Bai?” the secret guard asked worriedly. “If… if, according to General Bai’s plan, tomorrow, when our Yan country and Great Zhou attack Yun Jing and storm the imperial palace, I fear General Bai will also be in danger. Even if General Bai is brave and skilled, he’s still just one person. I fear…”

The secret guard still remembered Great Zhou’s kindness. Great Zhou knew that Yan lacked grain and weapons, and during the great war with Tianfeng, they always contributed more effort… and gave Yan a larger share of the spoils of war to alleviate Yan’s difficulties.

This time it was their Yan country that produced a traitor, causing Bai Qingyu to fall into danger. As allies… their Yan country was greatly at fault.

Xiao Rongyan supported his elbow on his knee with one hand, staring intently at the charcoal fire in the brazier, contemplating what Bai Qingyan would do if she were here!

After a long while, Xiao Rongyan spoke: “Tomorrow, the Bai family army in the city will coordinate with the siege. Our people… will focus entirely on saving lives!”

“Yes!” The secret guard set down his cup, stood up, and went back to relay the orders.