The Crown Prince walked with his hands clasped behind his back along the riverbank, thinking for a while before slowly stopping.

Bai Qingyan, following behind the Crown Prince, also stopped. She saw the Crown Prince glance back at the guards who were still some distance away from him and Bai Qingyan before speaking: “Before coming to the southern frontier, Father Emperor gave me a secret order – once the southern frontier campaign ends, Miss Bai need not return to the capital with us. Do you understand what this means?”

“You want my life?”

Bai Qingyan spoke so frankly and openly that it made the Crown Prince feel quite guilty. His hands clasped behind his back tightened, wondering whether the advice Old Fang and the others had given would work.

“But I want to protect you!” the Crown Prince said.

The sound of the turbulent Jing River was so loud it nearly drowned out the Crown Prince’s words.

Yet Bai Qingyan clasped her fists toward the Crown Prince: “Your Highness has shown me kindness, and I cannot put Your Highness in a difficult position! But when a ruler demands a minister’s death, the minister has no choice but to die. However, I beg Your Highness to spare my life until the war is completely settled! Even dying on the battlefield would not dishonor the Bai family name.”

Hearing the word “kindness,” the Crown Prince’s ears twitched, inevitably thinking of the Bai family’s generations of loyal hearts devoted to Kingdom and people. He shook his head: “Though I lack talent, I know that our Jin currently has no military genius more outstanding than Miss Bai! Miss Bai cannot die. Even if I risk my life, I will ensure your complete safety.”

The Crown Prince’s words were three parts truth, seven parts falsehood… his emotional control was quite measured. If it were someone else, they would probably believe him.

But thinking of how her grandfather had once been deceived in this same way by the current Emperor, offering all his loyalty to His Majesty, only to receive in return death in the southern frontier with no surviving sons or grandsons.

How similar today’s Crown Prince was to yesterday’s Emperor!

Bai Qingyan couldn’t manage to look moved to tears, so she could only kneel on one knee with clasped fists and ask the Crown Prince: “But how can I put Your Highness in such a difficult position?”

The Crown Prince helped Bai Qingyan up with a gesture: “No matter how difficult, I will certainly protect Miss Bai, for no other reason… than for the border people of Great Jin! Will Miss Bai follow me?”

“Your Highness…” Bai Qingyan pressed her lips together and spoke: “May I ask Your Highness, what are Your Highness’s aspirations in this life?”

The Crown Prince’s palms tightened, remembering what Qin Shangzhi had instructed him earlier…

Qin Shangzhi had said that this eldest miss of the Bai family’s character and integrity had completely inherited the Bai family’s style. The six words “live for the people, die for the Kingdom” were the Bai family’s ancestral mission. If the Crown Prince wanted to win Bai Qingyan’s allegiance, he needed to let Bai Qingyan see his aspirations!

Qin Shangzhi had also reminded His Highness the Crown Prince not to forget the memorial essay Bai Qingyan had read at the Bai family funeral. Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting’s courtesy name was “Buyu” (Unwavering), willing… to restore peace to the people, establish tranquility in the world, unwavering in determination until death.

The Crown Prince silently recited this phrase in his heart, looking into Bai Qingyan’s clear, calm eyes, and spoke: “My aspiration is for all people to live in a peaceful, prosperous age.”

She silently looked at the Crown Prince, wondering whether, when the Emperor had spoken those words to her grandfather, he had also appeared as sincere and unreserved as today’s Crown Prince?

“Does Your Highness know why my grandfather brought all the Bai family men to the southern frontier battlefield?”

Unexpectedly, Bai Qingyan did not pledge loyalty to him, but instead spoke of something seemingly unrelated. The Crown Prince was caught off guard and, without thinking, replied: “I don’t know…”

“Back then, His Majesty told my grandfather that his ambition lay in conquering the world. Since my grandfather was loyal to His Majesty and served as his minister, naturally, he had to plan and prepare for His Majesty’s ambitions. If His Majesty wanted this world, then… Jin could not lack fierce generals skilled in warfare! Other nobles were unwilling to send their heirs to the battlefield! So Grandfather had all Bai family men, regardless of legitimate or illegitimate birth, come out to gain experience, preparing for His Majesty’s future conquest of all nations!”

The Crown Prince’s heart shook. He truly hadn’t expected… that Bai Weiting’s bringing all the Bai family men to the battlefield was for this purpose!

“So today, since Bai Qingyan wishes to pledge loyalty to Your Highness, I need to ask clearly about Your Highness’s aspirations. Please speak honestly with me, otherwise… if it’s like my grandfather and His Majesty, where my grandfather didn’t understand His Majesty’s thoughts… being single-minded and burying his head in work displeased His Majesty, creating suspicion between ruler and minister.”

The Crown Prince looked earnestly at Bai Qingyan. Her words could be called extremely bold. If she weren’t truly wanting to serve him, how would she dare speak such bold words that were tantamount to criticizing the current Emperor?!

Throughout history, anyone with talent choosing a master probably feared ending up like Bai Weiting!

Bai Qingyan had no children. If she served him… never marrying in this life, she would certainly be loyal and devoted.

Old Fang had also suggested that the Crown Prince take Bai Qingyan as a consort and bring her into his mansion, but though Bai Qingyan was beautiful, when the Crown Prince saw her upright and noble bearing, he felt she was sacred and inviolable, unable to generate feelings of intimacy. After much consideration, he abandoned this notion.

At this moment, the Crown Prince’s heart was pounding, wondering whether to honestly tell Bai Qingyan he only wanted to preserve Great Jin’s prosperity, or as Qin Shangzhi had said… show Bai Qingyan his “great ambitions.”

The Crown Prince didn’t rush to answer, so Bai Qingyan quietly listened to the sound of the Jing River’s flowing water, standing there motionless.

After a long while, the Crown Prince finally looked up at Bai Qingyan: “Father Emperor… wrongly suspected Duke Zhenguo. I will not wrongly suspect General Bai! Since ancient times, wise rulers and worthy ministers have been celebrated in tales. I also hope that a hundred years hence, historians will record… that you and I, General Bai, can also achieve an exemplary tale of ruler and minister.”

General Bai?

The Crown Prince had changed his form of address, telling her that he didn’t see her as a young lady, but as a minister he could rely on to achieve an exemplary tale of ruler and minister.

After a long moment, Bai Qingyan solemnly knelt before the Crown Prince and kowtowed once: “Bai Qingyan is willing to give her life for Your Highness’s aspirations, not retreating even through mountains of knives and seas of fire.”

Thus, Bai Qingyan formally entered the Crown Prince’s service.

The Crown Prince was quite excited. He bent down to help Bai Qingyan up again: “However, achieving peace in the world cannot be rushed – it must be pursued gradually, stabilizing Great Jin first!”

Bai Qingyan didn’t truly believe the Crown Prince’s ambition lay in conquering the world.

Today’s journey along the Jing River with the Crown Prince was merely a performance he staged for her, and she for him.

The Crown Prince’s goal was merely to preserve the Great Jin’s current position as hegemon. Different paths meant they couldn’t work together, but they could still use each other temporarily.

Thinking this, she suddenly froze…

When the Emperor had spoken those words to her grandfather, had he also harbored such calculating thoughts as she did now?

After experiencing so much, she had indeed changed. She had failed her grandfather’s teachings, failed the Bai family’s ancestral precepts, becoming a thorough scoundrel!

But she had no regrets.

The path ahead was treacherous. As long as she could preserve the Bai family, preserve the Bai family army, and fulfill the aspirations of generations of the Bai family, she would be an upright and honorable scoundrel.

Seeing Bai Qingyan remain silent for a long time, the Crown Prince’s palms tightened as he asked: “Does General Bai find my words inappropriate?”