“Old Fang has always been devoted to me, how could I not know! Old Fang may speak freely to me…” the Crown Prince said.
“Although His Majesty has now established Your Highness as Crown Prince, the current Emperor is both suspicious and changeable. Your Highness, as son and as minister, being loyal to His Majesty is not wrong! But Your Highness is also the heir apparent… the future Emperor of Great Jin. Therefore, you cannot be blindly loyal. While being loyal to His Majesty, you must keep something in reserve for yourself! Now that General Bai has entrusted the entire Bai Family Army to Your Highness, as long as Your Highness keeps the Bai Family Army firmly in hand… even if His Majesty develops other thoughts about the succession in the future, His Majesty will have to weigh his options!” Old Fang said in a lowered voice to the Crown Prince.
These words could truly be called treasonous, yet coming from Old Fang, whom the Crown Prince trusted completely, the Crown Prince showed no sign of blame.
Everyone has selfish desires. The Crown Prince honestly couldn’t achieve what the Bai family did—having only the Kingdom and family in their hearts… carving the concepts of integrity and moral backbone into their ancestral teachings and family rules.
Especially when facing that supreme position, which prince wouldn’t desire it?
Old Fang’s words struck right at the Crown Prince’s heart. Until the Crown Prince sat on that throne, his position as heir apparent still had variables, especially since Father Emperor was currently in his prime. Not only might there be more princes born… though the other princes were all young, who could guarantee that Father Emperor wouldn’t live until the younger sons grew up and then develop thoughts of establishing other princes?
He… still needed to leave himself room to maneuver!
The Crown Prince nodded: “It seems now that the Huying Battalion doesn’t need to be annihilated as Father Emperor suggested!”
Why discard capable and fierce generals who were readily available and could be used immediately, only to spend effort and energy cultivating a new batch? Wouldn’t that be foolish!
“Exactly!” Old Fang nodded. “However, Your Highness should just keep this matter to yourself. If His Majesty learned of it, he would inevitably think Your Highness harbored disloyal intentions, which would be disadvantageous to Your Highness!”
Seeing the Crown Prince nod, Old Fang stopped discussing this matter and smoothly changed the topic: “Now that major affairs are settled, Your Highness should send Ren Shijie ahead to prepare the heaven-sent auspicious signs.”
That day, the Crown Prince wrote a memorial requesting merit for Bai Qingyan and had it sent swiftly back to the capital. He thought that when Bai Qingyan returned to the capital and learned that he, the Crown Prince, had early on memorialized requesting merit for her, she would surely be grateful and from then on submit to him completely.
The Crown Prince, in good spirits, had some simple chicken soup and millet porridge before sleeping soundly until the sun was nearly setting. When he awoke, he heard Shen Liangyu report that nothing unusual had been found on those Jin-dressed death warriors—they all appeared to be Jin people, but why they were with Western Liang remained unknown.
The Crown Prince remained silent for a long time, then ordered Shen Liangyu to dispose of the corpses and said no more.
Shen Liangyu received the order and withdrew.
Although the Dong family death warriors weren’t Huying Battalion elite soldiers, to Shen Liangyu, having shared blood and life-and-death struggles, they were brothers!
Bai Qingyan, along with Bai Jinzhi and the generals of the Bai Family Army, buried the corpses of the Huying Battalion elite soldiers and Dong family death warriors beside the Jing River.
The setting sun’s afterglow illuminated the vast and magnificent landscape, with the majestic rolling sea of clouds all tinged with magnificent sunset colors.
Bai Qingyan led Bai Jinzhi in kneeling and kowtowing three times, offering wine to honor these heroic spirits, thanking them for their fearless courage, sacrificing their lives, and forgetting death to rescue Little Nine from the tiger’s mouth.
“Shen Liangyu, light a fire and burn some dead branches and wood. When we return, report to the Crown Prince… that we burned those Jin-dressed death warriors,” Bai Qingyan said.
“Yes!” Shen Liangyu stood up and led people to gather dead branches.
All being military men, they moved swiftly and efficiently. With several people working together, the dead branches were soon piled up like a small mountain.
Shen Liangyu specifically selected some damp branches, as such branches would produce thick smoke when burned, which would be best visible from Youhua Road, thus fulfilling their duty.
After lighting the fire, Bai Qingyan led her horse to stand beside the fire pile, watching the flames and black smoke dancing wildly in the wind, and spoke to Shen Liangyu beside her: “Today I told the Crown Prince that you are proud and arrogant, and in matters of training troops, you certainly won’t allow others to interfere… letting the Crown Prince listen to your words, but in other matters, let his direct subordinates outrank you, so he can keep you in check.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Liangyu immediately understood Bai Qingyan’s meaning. Only by speaking this way would Bai Qingyan make the Crown Prince believe she was truly planning for him, and the Crown Prince would follow Bai Qingyan’s advice, not allowing others to interfere in training matters.
Shen Liangyu nodded: “This subordinate understands—you must give something to gain something! Let the Crown Prince’s direct subordinates suppress me in other matters, so the Crown Prince’s people can’t interfere in training.”
Bai Qingyan turned to look at Shen Liangyu, smiling in her eyes: “Then I’ll have to trouble you to act rebellious and unruly convincingly, don’t let them see through it…”
“This subordinate understands!” Shen Liangyu nodded.
Now that the Bai Family Army was in a difficult situation, the ten thousand remaining Bai Family Army soldiers were the seed of the Bai Family Army! So Bai Qingyan had done her best to make the optimal arrangements. These old veterans of the Bai Family Army had to help Young Marshal Bai and not cause trouble.
Therefore, since Young Marshal Bai said today that he was rebellious and unruly, even if he were a timid and cowardly person, he would have to put on a rebellious and unruly appearance for the Crown Prince to see.
When the bonfire burned out, night had fallen, and the bright moon hung suspended over the Jing River.
Bai Qingyan mounted her horse.
Tomorrow, Bai Qingyan would accompany the Crown Prince back to the capital city. With all affairs properly arranged, Bai Qingyan had nothing left to worry about.
“Miss Bai! Miss Bai!”
Bai Qingyan, already mounted, turned back and looked toward the source of the voice…
In the moonlight, Xiao Rongyan’s guard came galloping on a fine horse.
Only when the guard approached did Bai Qingyan see clearly that Xiao Rongyan’s guard was also leading a completely black steed.
Xiao Rongyan’s guard reined in his horse and dismounted, clasping his fists in salute to Bai Qingyan: “Miss Bai, by my master’s command… I’ve come to deliver a letter and a horse to Miss Bai!”
After speaking, Yue Shi reached into his chest and produced a letter, raising it respectfully above his head with both hands to present to Bai Qingyan.
When Yue Shi was ordered to deliver the horse and letter, the Great Yan army led by Xie Xun was about to capture the Nanyan capital.
The master said it was Miss Bai’s words that made him understand the vastness of popular sentiment, and it was also because of Miss Bai’s words… that this time, Great Yan could recover Nanyan with such speed. Moreover, fighting under the banner of restoring Great Yan’s legitimate rule, they won the hearts of the people completely, and other nations couldn’t act rashly, only watching helplessly as Great Yan recovered its former territory.
Yue Shi’s admiration for Miss Bai was beyond expression, making him even more respectful.
Bai Qingyan looked at the letter Yue Shi presented for a long moment without moving. Bai Jinzhi gently nudged her horse’s belly and moved forward, tugging at Bai Qingyan’s sleeve: “Elder Sister! Mr. Xiao’s letter!”
Bai Qingyan took the letter and opened it…
The letter didn’t contain anything particularly special, just telling Bai Qingyan that this fine horse was presented to her by a horse trainer from Kuntian City. He felt that although this horse wasn’t as spirited as the previous one, it was still a rare good steed. He specially sent it to Bai Qingyan, hoping this horse could assist her on the battlefield, and asked her to accept it with a smile.