Physician Hong was not a slave or servant of the Bai family. To the young masters and misses of the Bai family, he was like an elder. Bai Qingjue had no other option but to wait for his elder sister to arrive and have her persuade Physician Hong to return.

Seeing horses galloping out from the capital in the distance, Bai Qingjue immediately went forward to meet them.

He saw Bai Qingyan riding in front, wearing black clothing with silver-trimmed narrow sleeves, rapidly reining in her horse. She pulled the reins and was quite surprised to see Bai Qingjue and Bai Jinzhi had brought out so many guards.

“Elder Sister!” Bai Jinzhi called out cheerfully, quickly coming forward to personally hold the reins for her elder sister. “Elder Sister, we’re all ready!”

“Elder Sister…” Bai Qingjue stepped forward and bowed to Bai Qingyan.

Xiao Ruojiang, Xiao Ruohai, Chen Qingsheng, Lu Ping, and Physician Hong also came forward: “Young Lady…”

“Physician Hong, foster brother… Uncle Ping!” Bai Qingyan dismounted. “And Chen Qingsheng, how did you all come?”

“Young Lady is going to exterminate Dongyi state, so we two brothers naturally must follow!” Xiao Ruohai’s expression was full of gentle smiles.

“This humble one once followed merchant caravans to those waters and has been to Dongyi state. I’m quite familiar with the situation and can speak some Dongyi language. I should contribute my efforts to the Young Lady! Moreover, if this humble one follows Young Lady… Chun Tao can also feel more at ease!” Chen Qingsheng said with a beaming smile. “Otherwise… with Young Lady gone like this, Chun Tao will inevitably spend all day wiping tears, saying Young Lady wouldn’t let her follow and has no one to care for her by her side! This humble one fears being drowned by Chun Tao’s tears.”

Shen Qingzhu, standing behind Bai Qingyan, couldn’t help but smile at these words despite his usually stern expression. Chun Tao’s tears were indeed unbearable. When they left earlier, she had hugged a small bundle, saying she wanted to go with Young Lady to care for her daily needs. If not for the Young Lady asking Chun Tao to help care for the two children, Chun Tao would probably have followed even if she had to throw a tantrum.

Physician Hong still had that smiling expression, saying to Bai Qingyan: “Young Lady, going to destroy Dongyi is a major matter. This old one followed the old Prince Zhenguo for many years. When destroying the Shu state, this old one was there! When destroying Xiliang, this old one was there! Now that the Young Lady is going to destroy Dongyi, this old one cannot be absent. Otherwise… when I go down below in the future and Prince Zhenguo asks this old one how Young Lady fought the battle to destroy Dongyi, if this old one knows nothing when asked, that would be too shameful!”

Physician Hong wanted to follow because he was worried about Bai Qingyan. Bai Qingyan understood this. Looking at Physician Hong’s head full of silver hair, even his eyebrows having turned white, she handed her riding whip to Wei Zhong and bowed deeply to Physician Hong.

Lu Ping gripped the sword at his waist, smiling: “Since Physician Hong is following, naturally I cannot be left out! Young Lady… one more person isn’t much. With me by the Young Lady’s side, the madams and young masters and misses can all feel more at ease!”

Xie Yuchang had also fought battles with Bai Qingyan, but this was the first time he had seen the Bai family members insisting on following Bai Qingyan to the battlefield together. He never knew… that the hearts of everyone in the Bai mansion were so united!

It was also the first time he saw this emperor who had ascended to the supreme position, not putting on airs…

The loyal servants from her days as a princess still called the emperor “Young Lady.”

“Elder Sister, just let Physician Hong and the others follow! Otherwise, staying in the capital, they won’t feel at ease either!” Bai Qingjue couldn’t help but speak for Physician Hong. “With them following, Great Aunt and the others can also feel much more at ease!”

“This old one knows that Young Lady, like the old Prince Zhenguo, didn’t bring troops because you want to reach the coast quickly. Bringing this old one would inevitably slow down the pace!” Physician Hong pointed to the two guards behind him. “These are our Bai family guards. They’ll follow me slowly behind! Young Lady, just proceed rapidly without caring for us. I’ll catch up quickly! I absolutely won’t delay Young Lady’s speed.”

“Elder Sister…” Bai Jinzhi also looked at Bai Qingyan.

With Physician Hong saying this, how could Bai Qingyan still stop him…

She looked at Lu Ping and Chen Qingsheng, instructing: “Uncle Ping, Chen Qingsheng… you two bring a team of guards and escort Physician Hong slowly. No need to hurry!”

“No, no!” Physician Hong quickly declined. “I’m just a physician, yet I need Lu Ping and Chen Qingsheng to bring a team to escort me – what would that look like! Lu Ping has good martial skills to protect the Young Lady, and Chen Qingsheng is familiar with those waters and the Dongyi state – he might be able to help as soon as we arrive!”

“Then, Uncle Ping will bring a team to escort Physician Hong slowly! If Physician Hong declines again… I can only have someone send Physician Hong back to Prince Zhenguo’s mansion!” Bai Qingyan deliberately put on a stern face.

Only then did Physician Hong nod: “Alright…”

Bai Qingyan glanced at the accompanying guards and shadow guards. After bidding farewell to Physician Hong, she leaped onto her horse: “Depart!”

Bai Qingjue, Bai Jinzhi, and the others also mounted their horses, riding fast to follow Bai Qingyan toward the coast.

Physician Hong was also helped onto a carriage by Lu Ping, traveling toward the coast.

Lu Ping mounted his horse and had just led the team out for a short while when he heard intense hoofbeats from outside the north gate of the capital. Turning around, he saw fifty people dressed in black cloth and brown tight-fitting martial attire riding fast horses, passing by them.

Lu Ping recognized the leader as a Dong family death warrior.

He withdrew his thoughts. It seemed Minister Dong understood their Young Lady’s determination to destroy Dongyi state, and being worried about Young Lady going to the coast, had sent death warriors to follow and secretly protect her!

These death warriors didn’t follow too closely after Young Lady departed, probably wanting to stay hidden to protect Young Lady, but unfortunately, they were spotted by him, someone escorting Physician Hong slowly.

Lu Ping’s expression showed a smile. This was good… with these exceptionally skilled Dong family death warriors following, Lu Ping could feel more at ease.

·

Ever since Cheng Yuanzhi was sent back by Prince Hancheng’s men, he felt completely dazed and confused.

Previously, Cheng Yuanzhi admitted that deep down, he looked down on Prince Hancheng, thinking that the chubby fellow who had opened the palace gates to surrender to Prince Gaoyi back then must have been afraid of death.

But he never expected that at sea… when he was vomiting so much he couldn’t even crawl, this fat man was not only more hardworking and enduring than him, but at the crucial moment, had someone knock him unconscious and take him away, while staying himself in that naval battle with clearly no chance of victory, dying gloriously for his country.

This wasn’t right!

When Cheng Yuanzhi boarded the warship together with Prince Hancheng, he thought that if they had to fight, it would depend on him. Prince Hancheng would be scared witless, and he would have to knock out that fat man and have someone take him away so he wouldn’t be an eyesore.

Why… did it end up being that fat man who died for his country?

And those naval officers and soldiers, during those days on the warship, mixing with the naval officers and soldiers, he had developed some feelings for them. But in the end, except for the two who escorted him back, not a single one came back alive!