Nanny Tong lifted the curtain and entered with small steps, bowing respectfully: “First Miss, Xiao Ruohai has arrived and requests an audience.”

“Please show him in…”

She removed the archer’s ring and placed it back in the wooden chest, having Chun Tao store the chest properly—this was what she would take to Nanjiang.

As soon as Xiao Ruohai entered the room, after paying his respects, he informed Bai Qingyan about the Emperor’s edict conferring upon Bai Jinxiu the title of super first-rank imperial mandate lady.

“I don’t know who first mentioned the Crown Prince’s benevolence, but now all the common people praise the Crown Prince’s righteousness and His Majesty’s great virtue, saying the Crown Prince does not fail loyal ministers and is willing to treat the widows of loyal ministers well!”

She raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise: “To borrow the Bai family’s name to gain a reputation for benevolence—this doesn’t seem like the Crown Prince’s usual schemes! The Crown Prince… must have gained capable advisers.”

She had just borrowed the Crown Prince’s authority to secure some benefits for her second sister, and the Crown Prince immediately used her Bai family to boost his reputation, not suffering any loss at all.

For the Emperor, this edict was originally something she had requested anyway. Issuing it a bit earlier, before the expedition, could still earn favor with both her and the common people—fame and benefit combined, why wouldn’t the Emperor be happy to do it?

It could be considered… mutually beneficial.

Xiao Ruohai nodded in agreement: “The subordinates I sent to follow report that the Crown Prince, who has not yet moved out of Prince Qi’s mansion, returned to the mansion and within the time of a cup of tea, hurriedly left for the palace, and only then did the edict come down!”

Indeed, someone had advised Prince Qi. The timing of this edict was truly excellent.

Xiao Ruohai continued: “Prince Qi’s mansion is now filled with joy. I heard that after the Crown Prince returned to the mansion, he heavily rewarded Master Qin. This Master Qin must have advised the Crown Prince. Now, Master Qin has become an honored guest of the Crown Prince’s mansion. After careful inquiry about his name, we learned that this Master Qin is called Qin Shangzhi.”

Qin Shangzhi…

No wonder.

She pressed her lips together. She hadn’t expected that in this lifetime, Qin Shangzhi would still end up by the Crown Prince’s side, becoming the Crown Prince’s advisor.

Qin Shangzhi was greatly talented. She only hoped that in this life, the Crown Prince would not fail Qin Shangzhi!

She also hoped that one day they would not stand in opposition to each other. It wasn’t that she feared being enemies with Qin Shangzhi, but rather that she pitied him.

Du Zhiwei was deeply scheming with sinister and vicious methods—a true villain, impossible to guard against. Qin Shangzhi was different from Du Zhiwei. Though Qin Shangzhi had intelligence and means, his nature was kind—he was a true gentleman.

“If this Master Qin truly gains the Crown Prince’s favor, we will surely encounter him during this Nanjiang expedition. Just be careful!” She looked at Xiao Ruohai and said, “But, foster brother, time is tight for this Nanjiang expedition. Is everything prepared?”

“First Miss, rest assured. Our people have been dispatched in several groups, following behind the army along the route without attracting attention.”

Xiao Ruohai didn’t voice his remaining concerns—there were too few experts… This Nanjiang expedition still carried too high a risk for First Miss.

Chun Xing lifted the curtain and entered, bowing: “First Miss, Madam is coming to Qinghui Courtyard.”

She nodded and said to Xiao Ruohai: “Thank you for your hard work, foster brother!”

Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, Xiao Ruohai quickly claimed he didn’t dare accept such thanks and hurriedly withdrew.

After sending off Xiao Ruohai, fearing her mother would discover the sandbags she wore daily on her legs and arms, she had Chun Tao untie and hide them, then personally went out to welcome her mother, Dong Shi, inside.

Upon entering, Dong Shi grasped Bai Qingyan’s hand and dismissed everyone else. With reddened eyes, she pulled her daughter to the inner room, her slender fingers forcefully poking her daughter’s forehead: “You bold girl!”

She knew her mother was referring to the Nanjiang matter. She took Dong Shi’s arm and helped her sit on the bedside, asking in a low voice: “After Jinxiu left today, Mother also had the carriage prepared to go out. Did you go to Uncle’s house to borrow people?”

What else could Dong Shi do?!

When the Crown Prince came to mention the Nanjiang expedition, it was clear that her daughter’s Nanjiang journey was already set in stone. Since it couldn’t be changed, all Dong Shi could do was protect her daughter’s safety to the greatest extent possible. So after seeing off Bai Jinxiu, Dong Shi immediately had the carriage prepared and went out to borrow death warriors from the Dong family to accompany her daughter to Nanjiang—at least they could protect her life.

However, the matter of A’Bao and Dong Changyuan that Dong Shi had previously discussed and decided with Old Madam Dong would have to be postponed.

“A child of a thousand gold does not sit beneath a dangerous hall, a child of a hundred gold does not ride across perilous paths. All the Bai family men are buried in Nanjiang, and you know you are the legitimate eldest of the family! You swore before your grandfather’s spirit to uphold the Bai family’s reputation! How dare you court danger and seek fortune through risk?!” As Dong Shi spoke, tears streamed down her reddened eyes, showing both anger and heartache.

Looking at her mother, her own eyes stung terribly. She firmly grasped her mother’s arm. Mother only quoted classical texts when she was extremely angry…

Mother was learned, and Father was often left speechless by Mother’s arguments, repeatedly apologizing.

She suddenly remembered from her childhood, under the shade of the cherry blossom tree, Father’s face flushed red from Mother’s scolding before he stormed off, only to return within moments carrying a tea cup to apologize to Mother, smiling and saying softly: “My lady, your husband was wrong.”

She rested her chin on Mother’s shoulder, restraining the mixed emotions in her heart, and imitated Father’s tone, saying softly: “Mother, A’Bao was wrong!”

Dong Shi glared at her, but as she glared, she could no longer hold back her sobs and pulled her into her arms, holding her tightly.

“Mother, I must go to Nanjiang. To protect the Bai family… relying on popular support alone is not enough! Only by grasping military power can we truly make the imperial family wary and fearful, and truly protect the Bai family.”

She spoke frankly to her mother, holding nothing back: “I slept for two days and dreamed of Father, dreamed of A’Yu… I don’t want any other member of the Bai family to meet the same fate as Father and A’Yu! On a smaller scale… I want to protect Mother, Aunt, and my sisters! On a larger scale… I wish to inherit Grandfather’s legacy!”

“Mother, a person lives only a few short decades, but the reason noble families can endure in this world… without being obliterated in the vast flow of time, is not only the continuation of family bloodlines, but also the inheritance of character and beliefs! We Bai family descendants… only by bearing the Bai family’s will and character can the Bai family truly be passed down through generations! If the family’s aspirations don’t exist, sooner or later it will be devoured by time and forgotten by history.”

Listening to her daughter’s soft, gentle words, Dong Shi’s anger dissipated, leaving only worry and sorrow. This should have been a pampered daughter of heaven, yet she had to shoulder the responsibilities of the family’s men.

Her daughter had great ambitions—could she, as a mother, still desperately obstruct her?

Dong Shi bit her lower lip hard, gripping her daughter’s hand tightly and holding her close: “This time, the hundred death warriors your uncle brought from the Dong family will all accompany you to Nanjiang, obeying only your commands! Your uncle has already sent swift horses back to Dengzhou. The remaining troops will catch up with you and find ways to contact you…”

Noble families raising death warriors was nothing new. The more prominent the great family, the more death warriors they had. Only noble families could afford to support such death warriors—essentially, death warriors were the private armies of aristocratic families.

Uncle was placing the Dong family’s private army in her hands.

“Mother, I will not disappoint Grandmother and Uncle’s trust!”

“Your grandmother, uncle, and Mother all hope only that you can return safely!” Dong Shi’s throat choked with emotion, rarely showing such vulnerability before her daughter. “Mother has already lost your father and A’Yu. Mother cannot lose you, too, do you understand?”