At that time, Bai Jinzhi couldn’t even think of how to respond. Hearing Sima Ping ask that, her mind buzzed, and she asked almost without thinking: “Sima Ping doesn’t like me, does he!”

As a result, Sima Ping only smiled. She stared at Sima Ping for a long while as if looking at a ghost, then turned and ran away.

When she came to her senses, she frowned deeply and deliberately put on a stern face: “Eldest sister, both Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping are good people, but I consider them brothers! Moreover… I’ve already made up my mind that I absolutely won’t marry until the realm is unified and Great Zhou enjoys favorable weather and good harvests!”

“That doesn’t sound like something you could say. Was it your Third Brother… or your Fifth Brother who taught you this excuse?” Bai Qingyan asked, wiping her mouth with her handkerchief.

“Nothing can escape eldest sister!” Bai Jinzhi smiled ingratiatingly, her tone carrying quite a bit of schadenfreude. “This is what Third Brother said to Fifth Aunt, leaving her unable to refute. But I heard from Nanny Zhai beside Fifth Aunt that she was so angry she didn’t speak to Third Brother for several days! I learned from him and said the same thing to my mother, but who knew that not only did my mother not get angry enough to ignore me, she almost twisted my ear off!”

Thinking of Third Aunt angrily pinching Xiao Si’s ear, Bai Qingyan couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“But you siblings are all grown up now. After we return to the capital this time, we should start arranging marriages for all of you! You should think it over carefully!” Seeing that Bai Jinzhi was about to say something, Bai Qingyan smiled and waved her hand to indicate she shouldn’t rush. “But eldest sister absolutely won’t force you to marry hastily. You… still have a childish nature and haven’t grown up yourself, so there’s no rush to start a family! However, if you find a man you fancy, you must not hide it from eldest sister. No matter what his status, as long as you like him… as long as he has good character and can respect you, eldest sister will help you persuade Third Aunt!”

Bai Qingyan’s words leaned toward Sima Ping…

Sima Ping’s father had resigned his position to accompany his mother into exile, and Sima Ping’s position in the army wasn’t high either. In terms of matching Bai Jinzhi’s status, his family background was indeed somewhat low. But Sima Ping valued loyalty to friends and always took care of Lu Yuanpeng and Bai Jinzhi intentionally or unintentionally – it was that kind of subtle, gentle care that Bai Qingyan had observed.

If Bai Jinzhi could be with Sima Ping, Bai Qingyan felt the two could complement each other well. But Third Aunt… might not think Sima Ping was suitable, especially since the Sima family had that scandal of stealing Princess Xiangxie’s marriage arrangement. This was a matter of family conduct, and Third Aunt’s noble nature would naturally look down on such a family.

But as long as Xiao Si liked him, looking at Sima Ping as a person alone, Bai Qingyan felt he was acceptable.

“Ah! Eldest sister… let’s talk about it when the time comes! Let’s first discuss when we’ll depart for home! Kangle and Xile are eagerly waiting day after day for their mother to return!” Bai Jinzhi thought to herself that eldest sister should stop pressing her about this. “How long will we stay in Bianliang? When I left, Sister Chun Tao desperately begged me to take her along. If I hadn’t run fast, Sister Chun Tao would have climbed onto my horse’s back with her little bundle!”

Originally, when they said it was for war, it was fine that Chun Tao couldn’t go. But later, when Chun Tao heard that her First Miss had gone to plague-stricken cities in Yan, she was scared out of her wits and knelt daily with Nanny Tong, praying to gods and buddhas to protect her First Miss’s safe return.

So when Bai Jinzhi was to come deliver medicinal herbs and provisions, Chun Tao begged her, wanting Bai Jinzhi to bring her along to find First Miss. She said as long as Bai Jinzhi agreed, she would immediately go petition Madam.

Bai Jinzhi couldn’t stand Chun Tao’s pestering and had to pretend to agree, tricking Chun Tao into petitioning Dong Shi while she quickly packed and ran away…

Hearing Bai Jinzhi mention Chun Tao, she remembered Chun Tao’s tearful appearance before departure. She picked up her chopsticks again, warmth touching her features. Calculating the time Xiao Rongyan had mentioned about possibly meeting once more in Shequ, she said: “We’ll depart tomorrow…”

Bai Qingyan already missed the two children very much. Although she wasn’t worried with mother taking care of the little ones, she still missed their tender, chubby little faces, wanting to pinch and rub them, and missed that milky fragrance on the children.

“Excellent! Then I’ll have Lord Liu and Lu Yuanpeng make arrangements!” Bai Jinzhi said with a smile.

“Eat first! You’re at the age of growing taller, so eat more…” Bai Qingyan served Bai Jinzhi another helping of vegetables. “We’ll be home soon!”

When the eldest sister wasn’t in the capital, her mother’s nagging truly gave Bai Jinzhi headaches. But as long as the eldest sister was in the capital, even when returning home, she could hide directly in the imperial palace. With this thought, Bai Jinzhi was eager to return home. There were no battles to fight in Yan either, so naturally, she felt nowhere was as good as home.

After dining with Bai Qingyan, Bai Jinzhi went to inform Liu Pinggao and Lu Yuanpeng about departing tomorrow.

Liu Pinggao was quite worried: “Just now I heard the local officials say that in past years, if Bianliang City first has sleet then snow, what follows will be heavy snow. I’m afraid that if it snows heavily tomorrow morning, we won’t be able to depart. But this isn’t a major problem – we’ll prepare to leave tomorrow, but please ask Prince Gaoyi to tell His Majesty to also prepare for the possibility of being delayed tomorrow.”

“If there’s heavy snow, we’d be delayed at least three days, at most half a month! That won’t do…” Bai Jinzhi frowned tightly. “My little nephew and niece in the capital are eagerly waiting for the eldest sister to return!”

But if Heaven wanted it to snow, no one could stop it!

Bai Jinzhi muttered “annoying” under her breath, then took a box of dates and peanuts and went to Bai Qingyan’s quarters.

Bai Jinzhi’s eagerness to return home wasn’t just because of her little nephew and niece. Actually, during this trip, she always had a bad feeling in her heart that she couldn’t quite identify. She kept thinking that only by returning quickly to the capital could she feel at ease.

The fire in the main room burned very vigorously. Red dates and peanuts were placed on the copper carved hollow cover depicting the “Three Friends of Winter,” with the charcoal fire glowing red inside. Occasionally peanut shells would fall in, creating tiny sparks.

Bai Qingyan leaned against a ginger-yellow cushion with hidden lotus patterns, holding up a book to read by lamplight. The lamp’s flame seemed frightened by the sudden gusting wind against the windows outside, swaying gently.

Bai Jinzhi sat down beside her eldest sister, acting like a hamster as she continuously peeled warm peanuts and stuffed them in her mouth. When her mouth got dry from eating… eldest sister would unobtrusively pass over the tea cup. Bai Jinzhi moistened her mouth, glanced outside the window – the snow seemed to really be getting heavier – sighed, and continued peeling peanuts.

This was the most leisurely day Bai Qingyan had had since entering Yan. Mainly because the epidemics in various prefectures were all under control now. Shen Tianzhi’s methods were decisive, and with Xue Renyi’s help, plus Great Zhou’s stable supply of medicinal materials and provisions to reassure the people, the common folk in cities under Great Zhou’s jurisdiction within Yan’s territory were living somewhat better than those in Yan proper.