Li Zhijie’s deep peach blossom eyes gazed at Bai Qingyan, lowering his gaze as he said: “I, Li Zhijie, swear by Xiliang’s Heaven God that I have never seen or detained the second son of the Bai family. The thumb ring sent to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion was obtained from the already dead Lu Tianzhuo! If these words are false… may my entire clan meet no good end.”
Hearing Li Zhijie’s oath, Bai Jinzhi’s pupils trembled, the hope in her heart shattered as her hand holding the long sword dropped powerlessly.
“So…” Bai Qingyan exposed the unspoken intention behind this scheme, “Prince Yan used a thumb ring to deceive me this time, making me think my second brother was in your hands, intending… to have me deliver my fourth sister, this weakness, into your hands. In the future, if Xiliang again violates the Great Jin, you, Xiliang, would hold my weakness, making me not dare to defeat Xiliang…”
After hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, the Crown Prince’s pupils trembled.
The Crown Prince had originally thought that as long as Bai Qingyan didn’t marry into another Kingdom, all would be well. Now it seemed… not only Bai Qingyan, but none of the Bai family’s legitimate daughters could marry into other nations.
Otherwise, given Bai Qingyan’s deep regard for blood relations, it would leave calamities for the future.
“Bah! I’d rather marry a pig or dog… than marry a Xiliang dog! Even if I risk violating imperial edicts and losing my head, I refuse to associate with treacherous and despicable villains like Li Zhijie!” Bai Jinzhi trembled all over with anger, pointing her sword at Li Zhijie and making a vicious declaration, “Your Highness Crown Prince, bear witness for me – if anyone wants to force me to death, they can go ahead and ask His Majesty to arrange a marriage for me. I, Bai Jinzhi, will make sure blood splatters on the spot!”
Today, Li Zhijie had been schemed against by Lu Tianzhuo – it was a case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.
He truly hadn’t expected that Bai Qingyan would let the Crown Prince and Jin’s people all know about this matter…
He had thought that Bai Qingyan, concerned for Bai Qingqiong’s life, would certainly not dare make it public and could only come quietly alone.
She had indeed come alone, but unexpectedly, Bai Qingyan had backup plans. Shortly after she arrived, the Crown Prince and Bai Jinzhi also followed.
Bai Qingyan was one move ahead in chess – he admitted defeat.
“Your Highness…” Bai Qingyan bowed solemnly to the Crown Prince, “Qingyan trusts the Crown Prince. Please, Your Highness, you must restore justice for the Bai family.”
The Crown Prince nodded to Bai Qingyan: “Rest assured!”
Having received the Crown Prince’s definitive answer, Bai Qingyan left the post house with her sister, Bai Jinzhi.
At the post house entrance, besides the common people, there was also Bai Jinxiu, who had just received the news and arrived by carriage.
Bai Jinxiu’s eyes were red with tears. Seeing Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi emerge, she quickly lifted her Moonlight dress hem and hurried up the steps, choking as she asked: “Elder sister! Is there news of the second brother?!”
Bai Qingqiong was Bai Jinxiu’s full brother from the same mother.
Bai Qingyan shook her head and handed the thumb ring to Bai Jinxiu: “Let’s talk when we get home!”
Seeing Bai Qingqiong’s thumb ring, Bai Jinxiu’s tears fell like broken strings. She extended her trembling fingers to take the thumb ring, staring wide-eyed at Bai Qingyan: “Elder sister…”
When the three sisters returned to the Bai mansion, Dong Shi and Second Madam Liu Shi were already waiting at the entrance. Especially Liu Shi, whose heart was frying like oil, having suddenly heard her son was still alive, how could Liu Shi not weep with joy?
Unable to contain herself, she had ordered a carriage prepared to go to the post house entrance to ask what was happening, but was stopped by Dong Shi. Only then did she wait at the entrance together with Dong Shi.
Seeing Bai Jinxiu’s carriage return, Liu Shi lifted her hem and descended from the high steps. Upon seeing Bai Qingyan, she immediately asked: “A’Bao! A’Qiong is still alive, isn’t he? He was captured alive by the Xiliang people, wasn’t he? What conditions do the Xiliang people plan to propose to threaten Jin?”
Looking at Liu Shi’s expectant face, Bai Qingyan was speechless for a long time. What could be more cruel than giving hope to a desperate person… then shattering it again?
“Mother… let’s go inside to talk!” Bai Jinxiu descended from the carriage and grasped Liu Shi’s hand.
Liu Shi, her eyes filled with tears, was full of expectation and anxiety, quickly nodding: “Yes, yes, yes! Let’s go inside to talk! We’ll discuss it inside!”
Bai Qingyan looked at Dong Shi, whose eyes were also filled with hope. She gently shook her head at her mother. Dong Shi’s throat moved, and tears immediately burst forth like a dam breaking.
Dong Shi wasn’t unaware of how happy her second sister-in-law had been upon receiving the news. If this joy turned out to be empty… it would be another torment for her second sister-in-law.
Bai Jinxiu tightly gripped her brother’s thumb ring in her hand. She decided to leave her mother a thread of hope, turning to look at her elder sister and nodding in indication.
Bai Qingyan nodded, understanding that Bai Jinxiu wanted her to speak more ambiguously to leave Second Aunt some hope.
Any mother would hope her child was still alive. No matter how ambiguously Bai Qingyan spoke… Liu Shi would still find traces suggesting Bai Qingqiong was alive.
So when she told Second Aunt that Bai Qingqiong’s thumb ring was given by Xiliang Prince Yan Li Zhijie’s subordinate, that the subordinate was Pang Pingguo’s adopted son who had used the thumb ring to set a trap to kill her, but was killed by her instead, Prince Yan also didn’t know where Bai Qingqiong was now.
After hearing this, Liu Shi was silent for a long while, tightly gripping the handkerchief in her hands, saying: “Perhaps… A’Qiong has already escaped, so they could only use the thumb ring to set a trap to harm A’Bao! At worst, Xiliang is unwilling to hand over A’Qiong because they want to use A’Qiong for something later. But none of that matters – as long as A’Qiong is still alive…”
Bai Jinxiu grasped her mother’s hand and nodded: “I also believe Heaven will protect brother! Brother is both wise and brave – he must have escaped… It’s just that the capital is now full of strange currents and treacherous waves. Brother must be in another place, slowly making plans. As long as brother is alive, we’ll surely reunite one day!”
“Yes! You’re right…” Second Madam Liu Shi wiped her tears with her handkerchief.
·
Inside the post house.
Li Tianfu had gone mad, smashing everything in her room. Later, when the room quieted down and Li Tianfu’s palace maid entered with food, she discovered Li Tianfu had already hanged herself. The palace maid was scared out of her wits.
Fortunately, Li Zhijie arrived in time and saved Li Tianfu, though inevitably, a red-purple mark appeared on Li Tianfu’s neck.
“After the princess awakened, she hadn’t said a word. She sits in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees, clutching the earrings Lu Tianzhuo once gave her. She can’t even cry out loud, as if she’s lost her soul. She refuses to eat or drink, seeming determined to starve herself to death… to follow Lu Tianzhuo.” Li Tianfu’s palace maid trembled all over as she knelt on the ground, reporting Li Tianfu’s condition to Li Zhijie.
Dawn was approaching, and soon it would be time for the Jin Emperor’s birthday banquet. How could Li Tianfu attend to perform her dance in this state?
Li Zhijie’s temples throbbed, and his wound seemed about to split open again. He closed his eyes and pressed his wound…
Li Zhijie’s mistake was knowing Lu Tianzhuo’s identity yet bringing him close, trusting him, and giving him power. In the end, Lu Tianzhuo had set him up like this before dying.
The Empress Dowager had long warned Li Zhijie to change his habit of judging people by appearances, but Li Zhijie always let it go in one ear and out the other. This time could be considered Lu Tianzhuo’s great wake-up call for him.