After all, Bai Qiyun’s legs were already disabled.
“Each person has their fate. If he cannot become Gu Yijian’s disciple, as long as your ninth brother’s spirit remains, there’s nothing to fear!” Bai Qingyan’s brows carried a gentle smile. “Elder Sister believes that in the future, your ninth brother will make everyone look at him with new eyes.”
Those who achieved great things in ancient times not only possessed extraordinary talents but also had unwavering determination.
Bai Qingyan believed that Bai Qiyun possessed both.
“Young Commander!”
“Young Commander!”
Hearing the voices, Bai Jinzhi and Bai Qingyan turned their heads.
Looking into the distance, they saw groups of Feng County citizens coming from the city gate. Leading them was an elderly man holding a young child’s hand—the only schoolteacher in Feng County.
Seeing the two horseback riders turn around at the sound, the Feng County people were even more certain that one of them was the Young Commander.
The elderly man led his grandson and, trembling, knelt, tearfully kowtowing in Bai Qingyan’s direction.
The Feng County citizens all followed the old man in kneeling, thanking the Young Commander for living up to their expectations by reclaiming their homeland, sparing them the suffering of displacement, and for killing the Xi Liang bandits to protect the lives of frontier people who were considered as worthless as grass.
Only the Bai family generals, only the Bai family army, treated the frontier people as human beings rather than livestock that could be abandoned at any time.
Bai Qingyan dismounted, performed a deep bow toward the Feng County people in return, then leaped back onto her horse and left with Bai Jinzhi.
The old man was helped up by his grandson and watched as Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi’s figures disappeared from view. He lovingly stroked his grandson’s head: “Chun’er, you must remember that the Bai family army and all the Bai family generals are benefactors of us Feng County people.”
“Grandfather’s teachings, Chun’er remembers them all! That’s why Chun’er recognized our benefactor immediately!” the young child spoke with exceptional clarity. He looked toward where Bai Qingyan had disappeared and answered with absolute determination: “When Chun’er grows up, he wants to join the Bai family army and become a general like the Young Commander, who can protect the Kingdom and people! If fortunate enough to see the Young Commander again, Chun’er will properly kowtow to thank the Young Commander for saving our lives several times.”
“Good child! Ambitious and grateful—you are indeed a descendant of our Xu family!” the old man nodded with a smile.
·
By nightfall, the troops finally reached Weng City.
When Bai Qingyan entered the post house, she heard that Li Tianfu was throwing a tantrum, complaining that the army was marching too fast—it wasn’t as if they were rushing to be reincarnated.
Bai Jinzhi snorted coldly upon hearing this: “If Her Highness the Xi Liang Princess wants to rush to be reincarnated, just say the word—Bai Jinzhi would be happy to oblige.”
Li Tianfu, inside the room, heard this and was about to come out to settle accounts with Bai Jinzhi, but was pressed back down by Lu Tianzhuo, who shook his head to signal her not to conflict with Bai Jinzhi.
A princess from a defeated nation sent for a marriage alliance—how could she be so unlucky?
Li Tianfu clutched her handkerchief, holding back tears as she turned away, ignoring even Lu Tianzhuo.
During the evening meal, the Crown Prince specifically summoned Bai Qingyan to accompany him in a game of chess, probing to ask if she had encountered anything interesting during her visit to Feng County today.
Bai Qingyan focused on placing her pieces, lowering her eyes to conceal the smile in them: “Nothing.”
Quan Yu looked at Bai Qingyan with hesitation, then lowered his head to serve her tea.
The Crown Prince gritted his teeth. He had already given Bai Qingyan an opportunity, but she was unwilling to be honest with him.
Old Fang was right—regardless of whom Bai Qingyan wanted to use his hands to capture, once captured, he would know Bai Qingyan’s purpose. Could a dignified Crown Prince be used by Bai Qingyan?!
The Crown Prince maintained his composure and placed his piece. When the time came, he could instead use the person Bai Qingyan wanted him to capture to grasp her weakness. Compared to simply using incentives and ethereal aspirations to win over Bai Qingyan, the Crown Prince felt that incentives combined with coercion were most practical.
The return journey wasn’t a forced march like the arrival. From Weng Mountain to Yuqing Mountain, the Crown Prince took a leisurely eight full days.
The Crown Prince, who had been listless from the carriage’s jolting, immediately perked up when he heard they were about to pass Yuqing Mountain. He sat up straight and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside—it truly was… open terrain!
“Go call General Bai and General Zhang Duanrui over!” the Crown Prince told Quan Yu.
Quan Yu immediately responded and left the carriage, having the guards escort the carriage and relay the order.
Capture the leader to capture the bandits! Whatever Bai Qingyan intended to do, keeping her by his side with Zhang Duanrui also present would allow them to restrain Bai Qingyan first if anything changed.
Soon, Bai Qingyan and Zhang Duanrui rode over and entered the Crown Prince’s carriage.
The Crown Prince’s gaze swept over Bai Qingyan’s unchanged expression as he pushed the bamboo slip on the table before him toward Bai Qingyan and Zhang Duanrui: “Rongdi is in chaos. The Rongdi King was severely injured while hunting and went to the Snow Palace to recuperate, passing away half a month ago. He left an edict for his younger brother Afumu to succeed him! The Rongdi Crown Prince claims that after the Rongdi King was injured, Afumu confined him in the Snow Palace, forced him to sign this edict, and then murdered the Rongdi King! Now Afumu holds the emperor’s edict and has crowned himself king in the Snow Palace, establishing a nation… called Nandi.”
“This is following the example of Nanyan from back then!” Zhang Duanrui’s brow twitched.
After carefully reading the bamboo slip, Bai Qingyan asked the Crown Prince: “Did Rongdi send envoys to Jin for aid?”
The Crown Prince’s heart skipped a beat—he hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan to immediately hit the key point. He adjusted his sitting position and nodded: “Rongdi sent envoys with money, treasures, and jewels, requesting Jin’s assistance. I heard they first went to Great Liang, but that Afumu sent three times as much gold, silver, and treasures, requesting that Great Liang not interfere in their Rongdi internal affairs!”
“So this time, Afumu also sent three times the treasure to Jin?” Zhang Duanrui asked.
The Crown Prince nodded: “Besides that, Afumu also brought tens of thousands of horses!”
“Then we might as well be like Great Liang—accept the treasures and fine horses! Just watch the show!” Zhang Duanrui said earnestly.
The Crown Prince looked at the contemplative Bai Qingyan: “What does General Bai think?”
“If… the Bai family army were still as powerful as before the Nan Jiang battle, we could use the invitation of the Rongdi Crown Prince as a pretext to enter Rongdi directly and openly station troops there! Preparing to swallow Rongdi. But this Nan Jiang battle… although Jin won, it was a pyrrhic victory! The lands ceded by Xi Liang haven’t been properly transferred, so the Bai family army cannot move!” Bai Qingyan raised her hand to push the bamboo slip toward Zhang Duanrui. “The secret report also says that Great Liang has moved troops closer to the border with our Jin, with unclear intentions!”
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes: “In the battle to destroy Shu, our Jin charged ahead while Great Liang hid behind to pick up benefits. Their Great Liang Emperor loves taking advantage! Great Liang moving troops near our Jin border—what if they’re waiting for Jin to send troops to aid Rongdi, then catch Jin off guard? When Shu was divided, the strategic Pingguan Pass was grasped by our Jin, and Great Liang has always coveted it.”
After thinking with lowered eyes, Bai Qingyan continued: “However, if Your Highness and His Majesty dare to take the risk, I believe this could be worth attempting! Swallowing Rongdi would give our Jin the largest horse ranch. War horses… have always been Jin’s army’s greatest weakness, always constrained by Rongdi and Xi Liang.”