But Bai Qingyan was still not satisfied. Even when she practiced until her entire body was soaked and trembling, she would only rest briefly before rallying to continue. She did this every day without interruption.

When the horizon began to brighten, Bai Qingyan’s clothes were completely soaked with sweat, and her cheeks flushed red. She instructed Xiao Ruohai to put away the bow and arrows, saying: “Please trouble milk brother to increase the weight of the iron sand bags I bind to my arms daily, and from now on, increase the weight every two days.”

She needed to proceed steadily and methodically now, not too hastily lest she overexert her body. She must gradually increase the amount bit by bit every day without interruption, otherwise she would certainly drag down her body prematurely, like in her previous life, making it not worth the loss.

Bai Qingyan returned to wash and change clothes. As she was wrapping the newly weighted iron sandbags around her arms, she saw through the window that Zhao Ran, whom Xiao Ruohai had sent to fetch Bai Jinzhi, had returned and was standing under the eaves, talking to Xiao Ruohai, with injuries on his face.

Hearing the sound of Bai Qingyan opening the door as she came out, Xiao Ruohai waved his hand to dismiss Zhao Ran.

She called out to stop him: “Zhao Ran, come here. Where is Fourth Young Master?”

Zhao Ran quickly walked to Bai Qingyan, his face full of guilt as he bowed and said: “This subordinate is incompetent and was unable to bring Fourth Young Master back. Please punish me, Young Master.”

“Young Master, Fourth Young Master seems to have misunderstood, thinking that Zhao Ran and the others were there to capture her and take her back to the capital, so she fought with Zhao Ran and the others. During her escape, Fourth Young Master encountered the wealthy Wei merchant Xiao Rongyan and sought his help. That Mr. Xiao ordered his people to protect the Fourth Young Master and block our people. Fourth Young Master also claimed not to recognize Zhao Ran and the others, so… that Mr. Xiao refused to hand over Fourth Young Master.”

Xiao Rongyan?

Xiao Rongyan had mentioned that he would leave the capital and return to his hometown at fifteen. She hadn’t expected such a coincidence that he would run into Xiao Si.

“Go tend to your wounds first,” Bai Qingyan said to Zhao Ran.

“Yes, this subordinate takes his leave.”

After Zhao Ran left, she asked Xiao Ruohai: “Is there any news from the capital?”

“Liu Huanzhang’s treason charge definitely cannot be overturned, but because Liu Huanzhang is dead, the Nan Jiang grain supply case has become quite difficult for Minister Lu of the Court of Judicial Review to investigate. Tian Weijun’s testimony cannot prove that Prince Liang was not acting on Prince Xin’s orders. Prince Liang still refuses to admit anything even unto death, Gao Sheng has endured all kinds of torture without saying a word, and the servant boy Tong Ji claims to know nothing when questioned. This case is truly difficult for Minister Lu of the Court of Judicial Review,” Xiao Ruohai said.

Du Zhiwei was dead, and Liu Huanzhang was also dead. In the previous life, Prince Liang’s strategist and general were both gone…

In this life, the Bai family army would not be taken over by Prince Liang. Without Du Zhiwei, she wanted to see how Prince Liang would turn things around.

“Has there been no movement from Left Chancellor Li Mao’s side?” she asked again.

In the previous life, Prince Liang and Left Chancellor Li Mao had colluded to accuse her grandfather of treason. In this life, Prince Liang was already in prison, but Li Mao sat quite securely.

Li Mao was cunning. She guessed… in the previous life, Li Mao must have seen through that Prince Liang only appeared to follow Prince Xin on the surface, but was just using Prince Xin. Fearing that when Prince Qi and Prince Xin both suffered losses, Prince Liang would have a greater chance of ascending to power, he had secretly sided with Prince Liang.

But in the previous life, Li Mao had abandoned his identity as a loyal minister at the crucial moment when Prince Qi was about to be made Crown Prince, joining with Prince Liang to accuse her grandfather and thus declare his stance…

Du Zhiwei was someone who always left himself escape routes. Since he could make Li Mao join hands with Prince Liang to accuse her grandfather of treason in the previous life, either Li Mao’s weaknesses were in Prince Liang and Du Zhiwei’s hands, forcing Li Mao to have no choice but to declare his position! Or… Li Mao was determined to follow Prince Liang for the merit of supporting the dragon.

If it was the former, Li Mao was probably now anxious to clean up his vulnerabilities. If it were the latter, Li Mao should try to rescue Prince Liang.

Given Li Mao’s usual nature of wanting to please all sides, she was certain it was the first option.

Xiao Ruohai shook his head: “No one has reported anything, but before leaving, according to Young Master’s instructions, we’ve already sent experts to watch Left Chancellor’s mansion closely. If there’s any unusual movement, our people will notice. Also, one of the young men sent to watch Left Chancellor’s mansion happened to encounter an opportunity to infiltrate the mansion, but he just entered the mansion… it will take time for him to be useful.”

She stretched and moved her hands, which were still unconsciously trembling, and nodded: “From now on, report any movements of Li Mao’s mansion to Second Miss, telling her these were my instructions before leaving. In case I’m too far away in Nan Jiang to react, let her adapt to circumstances and be wary of Li Mao!”

“Yes,” Xiao Ruohai responded.

“Milk brother, go personally to bring Xiao Si back. Tell her I won’t send her back to the capital! Remember not to have direct conflict with Xiao Rongyan’s people. After getting Xiao Si, catch up with the army’s pace as quickly as possible.”

Xiao Ruohai cupped his fists: “This subordinate will go immediately!”

Before the Crown Prince’s departure, the Emperor had repeatedly emphasized the importance of achieving a great victory in this battle. The Crown Prince kept this engraved in his heart and never forgot. Although he had been jolted about terribly in the carriage yesterday, he still forced himself to get up this morning and ordered the army to depart on schedule.

As the Crown Prince was being helped onto his carriage before departure, he saw Bai Qingyan in neat men’s clothing without a cloak, and noticed that Bai Qingyan’s non-slip shoes were suitable for walking. Quite surprised, he asked: “White… Young Master, are you planning to walk?”

“The carriage is bumpy, walking is also good,” Bai Qingyan said.

She didn’t have that much time to slowly train and recover her stamina, so she bound her entire body with weighted iron sandbags, using walking as training. Now was the time for rapid marching. In order not to slow down the army’s speed, she must keep up, which is also a kind of self-motivation.

She only hoped that by the time they reached Nan Jiang, she could at least pick up the Sun-Shooting Bow again.

Having been cooped up in the carriage all day yesterday with his bones nearly jolted apart, the Crown Prince heard these words and ordered someone to bring him shoes suitable for walking: “After sitting in the carriage all day yesterday, my bones are stiff. I’ll also walk.”

“Your Highness, we’re on a rapid march. Your Highness is different from Young Master Bai—you haven’t often been in the military. Walking might delay our time,” Qin Shangzhi advised.

The Crown Prince waved his hand and simply said, “If Young Master Bai can walk, so can I.”

Having spoken, the army departed.

However, after walking less than two kilometers, the Crown Prince could no longer keep up with the pace. At three kilometers… to avoid delaying the army’s marching speed, the Crown Prince was helped onto his carriage.

After marching ten li, Bai Qingyan’s hair was slightly disheveled by the cold wind, her face and nose tip were red, sweat dripped down from her jaw drop by drop, her legs bound with iron sand bags felt heavy as lead and so numb and sore she could barely lift them. The carriage was right beside her—she could get on the carriage anytime like the Crown Prince and travel comfortably sitting in the carriage.

But whenever she thought of her grandfather, father, uncles, and younger brother’s deaths, her heart felt like it was being fried in oil and burned by fire. She took a deep breath into her abdomen and gritted her teeth to continue forward.

The fastest route to Nan Jiang would take a month and a half to reach. Yun Poxing, who had beheaded little Seventeen and disemboweled him, was in Nan Jiang.

Could she drag along a body that couldn’t carry burdens on her shoulders or lift things with her hands to compete with Yun Poxing?!

Her weakness over these years was not due to a serious illness or a cold. Rather, she had agreed with the physicians’ words… and considered herself weak and sickly, not diligently practicing. She took medicinal meals in summer… tonics in winter, lying in bed all day for recuperation, making herself weaker and weaker.