After hearing the Grand Princess’s words, Wei Zhong slightly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the embroidered shoes at Bai Qingyan’s feet. Turning toward Bai Qingyan’s direction, he solemnly kowtowed: “Wei Zhong greets his master!”

When Wei Zhong had entered earlier, Bai Qingyan had carefully observed his breathing and gait – he should be quite a formidable practitioner.

Wei Zhong was already over forty years old, missing a finger on his right hand, but he looked very spirited and robust. His voice was somewhat thinner than ordinary men, and he had no beard.

She roughly guessed in her heart that Wei Zhong was probably a eunuch who had entered the Bai family with grandmother in his early years, which meant he wasn’t the leader of the shadow guard team, only responsible for communication.

“On the fifteenth of the first month, grandmother will go to the imperial nunnery. I trouble Uncle Wei Zhong to arrange for me to meet with the shadow guard team leader,” Bai Qingyan said.

Since Wei Zhong had already acknowledged his master, he naturally only listened to Bai Qingyan’s instructions. After kowtowing, he said: “I dare not accept the master’s words of troubling me. Master, rest assured, Wei Zhong will arrange everything properly without letting anyone notice.”

After Wei Zhong left, the Grand Princess looked at Bai Qingyan, who hadn’t come to her side, her eyes reddening: “When you go to Nanjiang, be careful in everything!”

Bai Qingyan rose and bowed: “Grandmother, rest assured. If there’s nothing else, Qingyan will take her leave first.”

The Grand Princess pursed her lips, her expression sorrowful. After a long while, she nodded: “During this period, the one who worked hardest was A’Bao. A’Bao, go rest!”

Seeing Bai Qingyan properly bow and withdraw from the main room, the Grand Princess’s lips trembled, and tears finally slid down from the corners of her eyes.

“Grand Princess…” Nanny Jiang, carrying a bowl of goat milk and red date tea, walked with small steps around the screen, lifted her hand to part the pearl curtain, and entered. Seeing the Grand Princess crying, she stepped forward and gently consoled: “Since Second Miss’s marriage began, Eldest Miss has worked tirelessly every day. Now that the major affairs are finished, Eldest Miss must be mentally and physically exhausted.”

Not hearing the Grand Princess respond, Nanny Jiang’s eyes grew redder. She forced herself to gather her spirits and smile: “Grand Princess doesn’t want dinner, but this old servant noticed there were still red dates from what Eldest Miss sent last time, so I had someone cook a bowl of goat milk and red date tea for Grand Princess. Would Grand Princess like to try some? Today’s steamed cakes are also quite good – how about I bring you a plate?”

After a long while, the Grand Princess shook her head: “Send it to A’Bao!”

·

After checking on Ji Tingyu, Bai Qingyan walked toward Qinghui Courtyard accompanied by Xiao Ruohai, who had already bandaged his wounds.

“Xiao Ruojiang has already led people to depart for Nanjiang first. Along the way, he’ll continuously send people on fast horses back to report to Miss on the situation, striving to fully grasp Nanjiang’s conditions before Miss arrives.” Xiao Ruohai followed half a step behind Bai Qingyan, slightly nodding and bowing respectfully. “Additionally, the matter Miss instructed has been investigated clearly. That advisor, called Du Zhiwei, in Prince Liang’s mansion blocked a blade for Prince Liang on Second Miss’s wedding day and died from his injuries.”

Her steps halted. Dead?!

The white silk and plain cloth in the corridor swayed before her eyes as she recalled Prince Liang’s personally written letter.

Finally, she understood why Prince Liang had made such an error.

Prince Liang was someone who could act roles convincingly and had deep schemes, but ultimately he wasn’t like Du Zhiwei… who had the ability to control the overall situation and set up schemes and plans.

She truly felt Du Zhiwei’s death was regrettable. It seemed Prince Liang’s life was indeed not meant to end – in her previous life, her second sister, Bai Jinxiu, blocked the blade for him, and in this life, Du Zhiwei sacrificed his life. The one who always survived was Prince Liang.

If Prince Liang had no Du Zhiwei by his side, this person… she needn’t keep him so much in mind.

She turned back to look at Xiao Ruohai, who had changed into clean clothes: “Thank you for your hard work, both foster brothers!”

“Serving Miss is what we should do!” Xiao Ruohai hesitated for a moment, then still lifted his robe hem and knelt to kowtow: “Today, when fighting with Prince Liang’s guard Gao Sheng, this subordinate intended to recruit him for Miss and held back, not expecting to implicate three brothers who died in vain. Please forgive this subordinate’s crime.”

Bai Qingyan had never blamed Xiao Ruohai.

She helped Xiao Ruohai up and said: “Foster brother has long guessed that the Emperor intends my life on this Nanjiang journey, so… you want more capable people by my side for protection. Foster brother’s eagerness to recruit talent… is simply to bring me back without a hair harmed, to be worthy of father. I understand.”

Xiao Ruohai maintained his bowed posture respectfully. Hearing Bai Qingyan mention her father, he bowed even lower, his reddened eyes downcast without speaking.

“Foster brother, go back and rest. After seeing grandmother off to the imperial nunnery on the fifteenth, we’ll need to prepare for Nanjiang,” she said softly.

“After escorting Miss back to Qinghui Courtyard, this subordinate will return,” Xiao Ruohai insisted.

She didn’t stop him and nodded.

Xiao Ruohai stood not far from Qinghui Courtyard, watching Bai Qingyan enter before turning to leave.

When Bai Qingyan entered the door, Chun Tao helped her remove her cloak and said softly: “The Grand Princess just sent Nanny Jiang over, saying Miss didn’t eat well tonight. The Grand Princess was concerned and had someone send goat milk and red date tea along with pastries for Miss.”

Standing by the fire stove, she stretched out her hands to warm them by the fire. Her peripheral vision swept over the goat milk and red date tea and the delicately fragrant plum blossom steamed cakes on the small table. After a moment of silence, she still had them removed.

The Wei Zhong she’d just met was grandmother’s person – Bai Qingyan didn’t plan to use him.

Lu Ping was someone highly respected in the Bai family guard team and should be left to his mother.

As for that shadow guard team…

Third sister Bai Jintong would soon be traveling far, and though people had been assigned to her, when out and about, the more skilled martial arts masters by one’s side, the better one could ensure complete safety.

Chun Xing lifted the thick felt curtain and entered, bowing before asking: “Miss, shall I prepare bath water?”

After being busy these past days with the Bai family members’ burials and Prince Liang already imprisoned… once she released that driving force in her heart, she felt utterly exhausted.

“Prepare the water.”

Chun Xing received her orders, bowed, and left to arrange for the maids and women to prepare the bath water.

That night, Bai Qingyan slept very restlessly…

She dreamed of the Nanjiang battlefield, of her grandfather, father, uncles, and brothers.

She dreamed of blood flowing like rivers, severed limbs and broken bodies everywhere, the roars of bloody combat and killing everywhere. Sparks from clashing weapons flew past her pupils, but she dared not blink.

She stared unblinkingly toward the distant sky where a dark mass – tens of thousands of sharp arrows like overwhelming locusts – came swiftly with the whooshing sound of breaking wind. She stepped through muddy water mixed with blood and earth, rushing toward that figure continuously slaying enemies atop the mountain of corpses: “Father! Father, run quickly!”

She had just climbed to father’s side and hadn’t yet touched father’s armor when she heard “swish swish” sounds pass by her ears. Father suddenly turned and used his body to shield her in his embrace, pressing her down. In her ears was the sound of sharp arrows piercing through armor into flesh.

She opened her eyes wide in terror, looking at her father, whose face was iron-gray and teeth clenched tight, gripping her father’s chest guard tightly as tears poured forth: “Father! Father!”

“A’Bao, father once thought… when the world was at peace, he would take you and mother and A’Yu to tour mountains and waters, write poetry and prose, and live the most ordinary life of common people! But father must break faith with your mother, and can no longer protect you.”