“I understand, Uncle Hao. Don’t worry!” Bai Qingyan said with a smile. “I’ll be going now…”

“Ah! Miss, please take care…” Steward Hao stood at the doorway, watching Bai Qingyan board the carriage. Only after even the dust kicked up by the carriage wheels had disappeared did he turn and return to the Bai residence, summoning his energy to prepare for renovating the Bai residence to welcome the return of Young Masters Bai Qingyu, Bai Qingqi, Bai Qingjue, and Bai Qingyun.

·

Inside the carriage, Chun Tao gently fanned Bai Qingyan with a round fan, saying in a low voice: “Seeing that General Gao seems much better, Miss can finally put her mind at ease.”

“Mm…” Bai Qingyan smiled in response. “When Jinxiu returns and sees General Gao, she’ll surely be delighted!”

“It’s just a pity that Second Master can never return.” Chun Zhi said this in a heavy voice, then realized she might make Bai Qingyan sad. She turned to lift the carriage window’s light gauze and look outside. “Miss, look… even in such hot weather, our capital is still so bustling with people coming and going. This is all due to Miss’s excellent governance.”

“Our Chun Zhi has learned to flatter, too!” Though Bai Qingyan said this, her gaze inevitably followed through the narrow window gap that Chun Zhi had opened to look at the bustling crowds on the street.

Suddenly, a man with a Great Zhou male topknot and wearing a jade hairpin walked past the carriage. Bai Qingyan’s eyes immediately tightened…

Sa’er Khan?!

“Stop the carriage!” The smile on Bai Qingyan’s face instantly disappeared. “Wei Zhong!”

Wei Zhong responded, quickly ordering the coachman to rein in the horses and leaping down from the carriage. He walked to the carriage window: “Miss…”

Bai Qingyan’s fingers, delicate and white as jade tubes, lifted the window curtain. She spoke a few words in a low voice to Wei Zhong, who immediately responded: “Yes! Miss, please rest assured!”

Bai Qingyan lowered the carriage window. After Wei Zhong respectfully saw the carriage off, he too departed.

“Miss… what’s wrong?” Chun Tao noticed something was amiss with her young lady’s expression – her eyes were filled with murderous intent.

She truly hadn’t expected that Sa’er Khan had already infiltrated the capital…

With A’Qi, A’Yu, and Jinxiu in Nan Jiang, it would be impossible for Sa’er Khan to pass through there. So… Sa’er Khan must have discovered that the river Jintong had found and taken a detour through there.

Bai Qingyan’s fingers tapped intermittently on the small table inside the carriage as she told the coachman outside: “Drive the carriage into the back alley.”

Soon, the coachman drove into the back alley.

“Where are the Bai family’s shadow guards?” Bai Qingyan called out.

Quickly, the carriage curtains swayed, and several figures were already kneeling outside the carriage: “Miss, please give your orders!”

“Xingchen went to Nan Jiang. Who leads the team now?” Bai Qingyan raised her hand to lift the carriage curtain slightly.

“This subordinate, Wei Su!”

Bai Qingyan looked at Wei Su: “Take half the men to catch up with Eunuch Wei. If the person Eunuch Wei is apprehended and resists, there’s no need to spare his life – kill him on the spot! The other half should go check the Imperial Consort’s mausoleum for any abnormalities.”

“Yes!”

“Also, send one person immediately to Prince Han’s mansion. Tell Prince Han to depart immediately… to defend the coastal region. Tell him he must guard not only against Dongyi but also against Tianfeng entering through the coast!”

Bai Qingyan lowered the carriage curtain, then told the coachman: “Return to the palace!”

The carriage began moving again. Chun Tao and Chun Zhi sat obediently beside Bai Qingyan in silence, not disturbing her contemplation.

To arrive in the capital so quietly – this was truly… remarkably capable.

Bai Qingyan’s palm tightened. With the Great Zhou and Yan about to engage in their fateful battle, the ruler of Tianfeng had appeared in the Great Zhou’s capital. What did Sa’er Khan intend to do?

After returning to the palace, Bai Qingyan first sent someone to deliver a letter by fast horse to Qin Lang, who was far away in Han City. She also gave Qin Lang the map that Bai Jintong had previously sent back, telling him to be prepared. She then wrote a letter to her younger siblings in Nan Jiang, informing them of Sa’er Khan’s arrival in the capital so they could be prepared as well.

While Bai Qingyan was reviewing memorials, Wei Zhong had already dealt with Sa’er Khan’s matter and returned to the palace to report: “Including Sa’er Khan, all thirteen people in the group have been thrown into the great prison without exception. However, seeing that Sa’er Khan showed no signs of resistance, I’m afraid it won’t be long before he voluntarily reveals his identity and requests an audience with Your Majesty.”

As soon as Wei Zhong finished speaking, a young eunuch came to report that the Magistrate of Jingzhao requested an audience.

The corners of Bai Qingyan’s lips curved in a light smile: “Hasn’t he already eagerly revealed his identity?”

Wei Zhong nodded: “Does Your Majesty wish to grant the audience?”

“Grant it!” Bai Qingyan closed the memorial, signaling for Chun Tao to bring another memorial.

The kneeling Chun Tao beside Bai Qingyan quickly unfolded the memorial and presented it before Bai Qingyan, then knelt properly to one side in silence.

As soon as the Magistrate of Jingzhao entered, he performed the grand ceremony and said: “Your Majesty, the person this subject arrested and imprisoned today on Eunuch Wei’s orders claims to be the ruler of Tianfeng and says he’s an old acquaintance of Your Majesty. He handed this object to the subject, saying Your Majesty would understand upon seeing it. Only then did this subject dare to boldly enter the palace to meet Your Majesty!”

Speaking thus, the Magistrate of Jingzhao held the jade cicada above his head.

Wei Zhong glanced at Bai Qingyan, who was still looking down at the memorial, then lifted his robe hem and walked before the Magistrate of Jingzhao. He took the jade cicada and presented it before Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty…”

Bai Qingyan finished writing the last character, casually set the memorial aside, and let her gaze fall on the jade cicada in Wei Zhong’s hand. Only then did she also set down her jade brush on the inkstone. She took the jade cicada and examined it carefully in her hand, asking Wei Zhong: “Wei Zhong, were you seen when you arrested him?”

“This old servant did not show himself and is certain no one saw.” Wei Zhong quickly replied.

Bai Qingyan brought the jade cicada close to the glazed lamp on the table, leaning in to carefully examine the patterns within the jade cicada. But this jade cicada was as transparent as the one Xiao Rongyan had given her – completely transparent without a trace of impurity.

Seeing this jade cicada, Chun Tao’s eyes widened…

Wasn’t this jade cicada the young master’s? How could it be in the hands of this Tianfeng ruler, Sa’er Khan?

Their young master was Prince Nine of Yan, wasn’t he? How did a Tianfeng ruler suddenly appear?

Chun Tao was full of confusion, but seeing Bai Qingyan’s serious expression as she examined the jade cicada, she didn’t dare ask.

After confirming this was indeed the jade cicada that had been in Sa’er Khan’s possession, Bai Qingyan asked: “Besides telling you to present this object to me, what else did the person who gave you this jade cicada say?”

The Magistrate of Jingzhao was also clever. Hearing Bai Qingyan ask this, he confirmed that the visitor was indeed the ruler of Tianfeng and quickly said: “In reply to Your Majesty, the ruler of Tianfeng said he wished to request an audience with Your Majesty!”

She stared at the jade cicada in her hand and told Wei Zhong, “Wei Zhong, accompany the Magistrate of Jingzhao personally to the great prison. Escort this Tianfeng ruler out and have him stay in the official guesthouse first. Let him wait there for a while… Just say to assign people to supervise their group well, and report any unusual movements.”