“Don’t mind looking undignified lying in the carriage—this is all on Elder Sister’s orders. When we reach the coast, there might be a hard battle to fight, so it’s better to heal your wounds quickly. Don’t stubbornly insist on riding horses, and take your medicine properly!” Bai Qingyu added.

Cheng Yuanzhi’s eyes turned red, and he nodded vigorously: “Please, Deputy Commander, help Old Cheng tell Xiao Bai Commander that if there is a fight, Old Cheng will kill several more enemies to make amends to Xiao Bai Commander!”

Bai Qingyu, standing with his hands behind his back, nodded: “Good…”

Time could not be delayed any longer. Cheng Yuanzhi and Shen Liangyu were helped into the carriage.

Sima Ping also looked toward Bai Jinzhi, who was mounted on horseback: “Prince Gaoyi, go back. The army needs to depart! During this time when Yuanpeng and I are away with no one to keep you company and cause mischief, you must conduct yourself like a proper prince. Don’t go making trouble for those dandies in the capital, lest His Majesty punish you again.”

“I know, I know!” Bai Jinzhi scratched his head with his riding whip. “You make it sound like I’m always causing trouble for people! You two, remember to apply your medicine!”

After speaking, Bai Jinzhi pulled the reins and moved forward, bidding farewell to Lu Fenglang as well.

Sima Ping watched Bai Jinzhi sitting on horseback, bending down to speak with Lu Fenglang inside the carriage, and said with a smile to Lu Yuanpeng lying beside him: “I never expected your sister Fenglang, being the kind of person she is, could get along so well with the Bai family’s Fourth Young Master.”

“My sister just has a good upbringing and is polite to everyone!” Though Lu Yuanpeng refused to admit it verbally, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn up.

Liu Rushi sat inside the carriage, listening to the sounds of farewell outside, feeling that the burden on his shoulders for this diplomatic mission to Dongyi was quite heavy.

Last night, Bai Qingyan had secretly visited the Liu residence in civilian clothes and talked with Liu Rushi by candlelight through the night, privately giving Liu Rushi a task that only he among the entire diplomatic mission knew about.

He closed his eyes, remembering last night under the wavering candlelight bright as woven silk, how Bai Qingyan, who should have had a temperament as clear as a gentle breeze and bright moon, had leaned slightly closer to him. The flickering candlelight reflected in her distinct black and white eyes, making them appear deep and solemn, and her voice carried the sharp cold of winter and an aura of death as she informed Liu Rushi about the Dongyi spies and the fact that Yan’s young emperor was sending envoys to Dongyi.

“Now the Yan emperor wants to turn Dongyi into their blade to stab us Great Zhou, in the back while our two nations gamble their countries. Tianfeng is also unable to restrain itself and wants to strike at our Great Zhou, attempting to have Dongyi tie up our Great Zhou’s hands and feet so they can break free from the defensive line we’ve locked them behind!”

Though Liu Rushi was a civil official, with Bai Qingyan explaining the reasoning so clearly, he understood it in his heart!

For Yan, the gamble between two nations—winner takes all as ruler of the realm, loser becomes a stray dog—they must maintain the alliance and gamble openly on the surface, but this didn’t prevent them from stabbing in the back secretly.

For Tianfeng and Dongyi, they were both weak nations. Since ancient times, diplomatic relations between nations had always been—the weak form alliances to resist the strong. It was only natural for Yan, Dongyi, and Tianfeng to band together and scheme against the Great Zhou behind the scenes.

“Now Dongyi’s ruler is in his twilight years, and recently he’s been bedridden due to the crown prince’s death, unable even to rise. The matter of establishing an heir is imminent. The second prince is privately a person of sinister and cruel nature… and doesn’t know his limitations. Yan and Tianfeng now share the same goal—they both want to push this second prince to the throne so Dongyi can trip up our Great Zhou!” Bai Qingyan’s expression was heavy. “Our Great Zhou isn’t afraid of fighting a small nation like Dongyi, but after all, the national gamble is Great Zhou’s primary concern right now. If we can avoid fighting, we should.”

She tapped her slender fingers on the table, lowering her voice further as she spoke to Liu Rushi: “Dongyi’s first prince has a gentle temperament and is not a warmonger, and he holds reverence for Great Zhou. Minister Liu, your most important task on this trip… is to help this first prince ascend to the throne!”

When Liu Rushi first heard these words, his face was full of shock. He was a court minister of the Great Zhou, and Bai Qingyan’s meaning… was for him to go to Dongyi and interfere in Dongyi’s succession affairs. This was no joke.

Seeing Liu Rushi’s shocked expression, Bai Qingyan continued: “I know this matter puts Minister Liu in a difficult position. Minister Liu possesses brilliant talents and is a person of upright character, an honorable gentleman. Involving yourself in another nation’s court succession affairs will inevitably require engaging in conspiracies and schemes. Having a person of such noble character and pure conduct as Minister Liu mediate among snakes and demons is indeed difficult, but for the sake of Great Zhou, it must be done.”

Liu Rushi looked earnestly at Bai Qingyan, whose eyes reflected layers of light and shadow from the flickering candlelight, and solemnly kowtowed to accept the command: “This minister, being a minister of Great Zhou, should naturally spare no effort for Great Zhou.”

Afterward, Bai Qingyan had Wei Zhong bring several boxes of records about Dongyi court officials’ family backgrounds, experiences, temperaments, and so forth to place before him.

Now, both the carriage Liu Rushi sat in and the boxes behind the carriage were filled with these records. He had to finish reading them all before reaching Dongyi and commit them firmly to memory.

The former Liu Rushi had been taught by his father and mother that to serve as an official, one should be a pure minister and never engage in factional struggles. Therefore, Liu Rushi had never learned those schemes and machinations—not because he couldn’t, but because… he preferred to act according to his conscience.

Now, His Majesty was asking him to interfere in Dongyi’s succession struggle for the sake of the Great Zhou. Even if it went against his heart, he was a Great Zhou court minister and must spare no effort for the Great Zhou. This was the duty that should be fulfilled as a person of the Great Zhou, as a minister of the Great Zhou!

Liu Rushi opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the case table with its three-legged auspicious beast incense burner, picked up a bamboo scroll, unrolled it, and began reading and memorizing.

After watching the army depart into the distance, Bai Jinzhi finally headed back with Bai Qingyu…

“Elder Sister said that after you send off General Cheng and the others, you should quickly go find her!” Bai Qingyu said as he rode alongside Bai Jinzhi back to the city.

“Elder Sister specifically wants to see me?” Bai Jinzhi thought about it and felt like he hadn’t caused any trouble since returning recently. “Fifth Brother… I didn’t cause some kind of trouble, did I?”

Seeing Bai Jinzhi, who was divinely brave and invincible on the battlefield, now being so cautious and afraid of being scolded by Elder Sister, Bai Qingyu’s lips rarely showed a hint of a smile: “If you had caused trouble, wouldn’t it be more convenient for Third Brother to discipline you at the Bai residence!”

“That’s true! Then I’m going, Fifth Brother!” Saying this, Bai Jinzhi spurred his horse and charged away.

Bai Qingyu rode his horse, leisurely heading into the city, not concealing the burn scars on his face at all.

Many women, upon seeing Bai Qingyu’s half-face that was gentle and handsome, were eager to approach, but when they saw the other half of his face, they were frightened pale and fled in panic.

Recently, Mother had also been busy looking for suitable families for Bai Qingyu. Bai Qingyu had once made Mother sad and hadn’t been by Mother’s side to fulfill his filial duties for a long time. He didn’t want to make Mother sad, but from the bottom of his heart… he didn’t want to burden other families’ daughters.