After Wang Hanbing settled into the inn, he notified the envoy delegation that had accompanied him to Zhou, deciding to wait until the Ninth Prince arrived before going together to meet the Great Zhou Emperor. They would first settle down in the capital and gather information for the Ninth Prince.
Since Pingyi carried the Ninth Prince’s letter to the Great Zhou Emperor, that very night, he went to the Bai residence and had someone relay a message, saying he needed to meet the Great Zhou Emperor.
The Bai family guards had previously seen Pingyi, the personal guard who served beside Yan Kingdom’s late emperor Murong Yu, so they sent someone to the palace to inform Wei Zhong that the personal guard from beside Yan Kingdom’s late emperor had come.
Bai Qingyan, who was sitting under the lamp reviewing memorials, pressed her waist. Chun Tao quickly stepped forward to massage Bai Qingyan’s shoulders, while Chun Zhi also approached to massage Bai Qingyan’s right arm.
“Miss, perhaps you should see him tomorrow instead. You’ve been reviewing memorials all day today and should rest early…” Chun Zhi advised in a low voice.
She shook her head and had Wei Zhong quietly bring Pingyi into the palace.
If she remembered correctly, the unsmiling guard beside Murong Yu was called Pingyi—he could be considered an acquaintance. Though he hadn’t explicitly said why he came so late seeking an audience, Bai Qingyan knew… it must be that Xiao Rongyan’s letter had arrived.
Last time Wei Zhong brought back Xiao Rongyan’s letter from Yunjing, Xiao Rongyan had written very simply, mainly explaining how he would respond after returning to his country this time. He also told Bai Qingyan that he would play the role of the “abandoned husband” cast off by Bai Qingyan well, so when Bai Qingyan met with Yan Kingdom’s envoys, she need not show any consideration for Great Yan’s Ninth Prince—he understood everything.
He also said that because he hadn’t been able to have Yue Shi deliver the message in time, it had led to Bai Qingyan’s premature labor, and he hadn’t been able to accompany Bai Qingyan during childbirth, for which he felt guilty.
Now it would be even more taxing for Bai Qingyan to care for two children alone, which made him very uneasy. Therefore, he would do his best to complete the matter of determining the outcome of the two nations’ policies and their merger within five years. Once the two countries merged within five years, he would stay by Bai Qingyan and the two children’s side at all times, never to be separated again.
Bai Qingyan couldn’t keep Xiao Rongyan’s letters, but every single word from back then was as if carved into Bai Qingyan’s heart—she could recall every stroke and curve of each character.
Bai Qingyan’s face showed a rosy glow.
“Are both children asleep?” Bai Qingyan asked Chun Tao.
While massaging Bai Qingyan’s shoulders, Chun Tao replied: “Miss, Nanny Tong just came to say that both the little princess and little prince are already asleep. Please don’t worry, Miss.”
Bai Qingyan nodded. If it weren’t for her mother refusing to let Bai Qingyan bring the two children to her side while handling government affairs, Bai Qingyan would keep both children under her watchful eye.
“Send someone to tell Nanny Tong that I’ll sleep with the two children tonight,” Bai Qingyan said, then added as an afterthought, “Make sure mother doesn’t find out.”
“Yes!” Chun Tao replied with a suppressed laugh. Miss spent almost every night abandoning her sleeping quarters to squeeze together with the two children. “Nanny Tong probably already knows Miss will be coming over later and has everything prepared. Miss should first have a cup of bird’s nest stewed in milk—Nanny Tong just sent it over and has been keeping it warm over low heat.”
“Good…” Bai Qingyan nodded.
After she finished the milk and bird’s nest soup and reviewed some more memorials, Pingyi entered the palace.
As Bai Qingyan had thought, Pingyi carried Xiao Rongyan’s letter.
Originally, Pingyi had brought a different letter, but later, due to matters the Empress Dowager of Yan wanted to request, Xiao Rongyan needed to personally make a trip to Great Zhou, so he had someone catch up to Pingyi and exchange the letter.
While opening the letter, Bai Qingyan asked: “This time, your Regent will come personally?”
Pingyi nodded.
Chun Zhi, who was coming from the back hall carrying strong tea, saw Bai Qingyan holding the letter close to the lamp. She quickly brought over a brighter lamp and placed it on Bai Qingyan’s desk, immediately brightening the area.
In the letter, Xiao Rongyan wrote of his longing for Bai Qingyan and the two children, saying he had prepared gifts for Bai Qingyan and the children.
Xiao Rongyan filled two full pages, though there wasn’t any important content—it was all very explicit expressions of his love for Bai Qingyan and his longing for their family of three. For other matters, he said he would discuss them after arriving in the capital. He also said he had instructed Pingyi to deliver the letter into her hands immediately upon reaching the capital. Pingyi probably thought it was some important matter, so Bai Qingyan must not reveal anything in front of Pingyi that would make him doubt him as the Ninth Prince, lest Pingyi refuse to serve as a messenger in the future.
At the end of the letter, Xiao Rongyan again reminded her… he would play the “abandoned husband” well, and please would Bai Qingyan act as if the letter contained serious business.
The letter that was so urgently delivered to the palace by Pingyi turned out to be just an expression of his longing after all this fuss.
Bai Qingyan could guess that Xiao Rongyan must miss her and the children terribly, thinking that she surely felt the same as he did, so when the letter arrived, not a moment could be delayed—he had Pingyi deliver it immediately.
With a smile in her eyes and brows, she looked up to see Pingyi frowning deeply, looking toward her with an extremely tense expression.
She cleared her throat, folded the letter, and said to Pingyi, “Guard Pingyi has worked hard on the journey. I’ll have someone escort you back to the post house to rest.”
Pingyi bowed to Bai Qingyan and withdrew from the great hall.
Chun Zhi, who was holding a black lacquered gilt square tray, watched Pingyi formally bow and withdraw from the hall, then said quietly to Bai Qingyan: “Miss, can that guard not speak? This servant hasn’t seen that guard open his mouth once since coming in.”
“He just doesn’t like to talk much. When he paid respects to our Miss just now, his refined speech was quite proper,” Chun Tao said with a quiet laugh as she knelt by the desk helping Bai Qingyan organize the memorials. “Miss, can you rest now?”
“Mm…” Bai Qingyan nodded, folded Xiao Rongyan’s letter properly, hid it in her sleeve, and said, “I can rest now. I’ll review the remaining memorials tomorrow.”
When Bai Qingyan arrived at the children’s sleeping chamber, both children were sleeping soundly. After washing in the side chamber, she entered the main chamber to sleep, holding both children. She kissed both children’s little faces, her eyes and brows filled with sweet smiles, and said quietly: “Soon, your father will come to the capital.”
In just a few years, after the two countries merged, their family would never be separated again.
Three days later, the case of Old Madam Sima secretly harming Princess Xiangxie was settled. Old Madam Sima had forced Princess Xiangxie’s mother to death and then silenced those who knew about it. It was said… regarding the silencing matter, a house-born servant of the Sima family came forward to take the blame, claiming he had acted on his initiative in forcing Old Madam Sima to silence the witnesses, to pocket the hush money Old Madam Sima had given to those who knew.
Regardless, when all was said and done, Old Madam Sima could not escape exile.
When Bai Qingyan saw the case file, she understood in her heart… this house-born servant of the Sima family who came forward to take the blame was most likely forced to take responsibility for his masters. Such things were common occurrences in noble and distinguished families.