With these words, the Crown Prince patted Xiao Rongyan’s shoulder.

Bai Qingyan also returned the long sword in her hand to Murong Li: “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Murong Li’s ears turned red as he took the precious sword and sheathed it, pressing the hilt firmly. This was a sword that had been used by the Bai Family Army’s Xiao Bai Commander… his future aunt!

“The County Princess is too polite.” Murong Li smiled as he looked at Bai Qingyan, saying, “Being able to witness the bearing and grace of the Bai Family Army’s Xiao Bai Commander is truly fortunate!”

The incident of Western Liang Princess Li Tianfu attempting to kill the County Princess at the wedding banquet spread throughout the entire capital like it had grown wings, reaching every corner within half an hour.

Bai Jinxiu, who hadn’t gone to the Crown Prince’s residence today, couldn’t sit still upon hearing this news. She immediately had someone prepare a carriage and returned to the County Princess’s residence with Yinshuang.

When Bai Jinxiu arrived, Bai Qingyan was still bathing.

Hearing the servants of the Bai residence say that Bai Qingyan had returned covered in blood, Bai Jinxiu’s heart leaped to her throat.

It wasn’t until Bai Qingyan finished bathing and came out that Bai Jinxiu pulled her elder sister to examine her repeatedly, confirming that there were no injuries on her body, before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

By the time Bai Jinxiu arrived, the Emperor had already issued an edict… ordering Prince Yan of Western Liang to take their princess back to Western Liang tomorrow, and they must give the Jin Kingdom a proper explanation.

“Just now, when I returned, Grandmother, Mother, and the aunts also pulled me around to examine me just like this. Are you still not reassured?” Bai Qingyan had Bai Jinxiu sit down.

“Second Miss, drink a cup of red date tea to calm your nerves!” Chun Tao served Bai Jinxiu a cup of tea.

The red tint in Bai Jinxiu’s eyes had not yet faded as she accepted the teacup Chun Tao brought and took a sip: “Why did elder sister go to the Crown Prince’s residence?”

“I received news that Li Tianfu was going to assassinate the Crown Prince, so I went over to inform the Crown Prince.” Bai Qingyan didn’t take this matter to heart at all, signaling to Chun Tao, “Go bring that thing over.”

Chun Tao nodded, took a black wooden box from Bai Qingyan’s bookshelf, placed it on the small rosewood table, then withdrew with the serving maids, personally standing guard at the door.

“What is this?” Bai Jinxiu put down her teacup and opened the black box, seeing that it contained letters. She took them out for a look.

“This… is Li Mao’s leverage!” Bai Qingyan picked up her teacup and gently blew into it. “We’ll be returning to Shouyang at the beginning of next month. This thing is more useful in your hands than in mine.”

Bai Jinxiu glanced through roughly, her pupils dilating as she quickly skimmed several letters: “This is Li Mao’s handwriting?”

“If Grandmother says it is, then it certainly is.” Bai Qingyan turned to look at Bai Jinxiu. “The leverage in Wen Zhenkang’s wife’s hands is probably one of the missing letters from here, and it has likely already been delivered to Li Mao’s hands, using it to threaten Li Mao into saving Wen Zhenkang’s life! We don’t need to interfere in this matter. You have people keep a close watch on the Left Chancellor’s residence. As long as Li Mao makes a move to save Wen Zhenkang, he’ll expose his flaws and weaknesses, which will be another piece of leverage!”

“Elder sister means to let Li Mao remain in the Left Chancellor’s position?” Bai Jinxiu asked.

What elder sister spoke of was leverage, not using this to pull Li Mao down from his position.

Currently, we have no one of our own in the court. Rather than letting others rise to power, it’s better to let Li Mao, whose leverage we hold in our hands, sit in that position.” She stared at the tea leaves floating up and down in her teacup, the corners of her lips curving slightly. “When we have someone suitable for cooperation, we can pull Li Mao down and make room. You must carefully watch for this person.”

She pressed her hand on the black box and smiled at Bai Jinxiu: “What you hold in your hands now… is the Left Chancellor’s position.”

Bai Jinxiu nodded: “I understand.”

Chun Tao was outside talking with Yinshuang, who untied the pouch from her waist and handed it to Chun Tao. It was filled with pine nut candy.

Chun Tao picked one piece and put it in her mouth, then retied the pouch around Yinshuang’s waist: “Sister will eat one piece. Keep the rest well, and don’t stuff them in your bosom anymore—if they melt, they’ll stain your clothes!”

Yinshuang smiled innocently and nodded, saying like Chun Tao: “Second Miss is good, gives Yinshuang candy to eat!”

Chun Tao patted Yinshuang’s head: “Why do you love eating candy so much? Aren’t you afraid of ruining your teeth?”

“Not afraid!” Yinshuang smiled so her eyes curved into crescents. “Mother said, when missing Father and Mother, eat candy! When I went with Sister Qingzhu… Mother gave me candy to eat!”

Hearing these words, Chun Tao felt an inexplicable sourness in her nose.

She had thought Yinshuang was greedy, which was why she liked eating candy…

It turned out Yinshuang missed her family.

Chun Tao remembered that Yinshuang had been brought into the residence by Miss Shen Qingzhu, who said this child ate a lot and was strong, but her family couldn’t afford to raise her so they sold her to Shen Qingzhu.

Fortunately, Yinshuang had encountered Miss Shen Qingzhu; otherwise, who knows what state she’d be in now.

“Little Yinshuang has returned!”

As soon as Nanny Tong and Nanny Qin entered, they saw Yinshuang, their faces full of loving smiles.

“Nanny Qin, Nanny Tong!” Chun Tao smiled and curtsied.

“Godmother!” Yinshuang stood up, pulling off the pouch that Chun Tao had just tied around her waist. “Eat candy!”

Nanny Tong tapped Yinshuang’s head with her finger: “Godmother will make you something delicious later. You and Sister Chun Tao wait here!”

With that, Nanny Tong announced herself outside the door, and after receiving Bai Qingyan’s permission to enter, she lifted the curtain and entered with Nanny Qin.

Nanny Qin smiled as she addressed Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinxiu: “Eldest Miss, Second Miss… people from the Shouyang clan have come.”

“They’ve come again?!” Bai Jinxiu frowned.

“This time, the clan leader came personally, carrying the deed to our ancestral home, saying he had come to return the deed. Also, the Fifth Master has already moved out of the ancestral home.” Nanny Qin’s face was full of joy.

This was expected, so Bai Qingyan wasn’t particularly surprised: “Do they want me to go see them?”

“Exactly. The clan leader says he wants to personally place the deed in the County Princess’s hands.” Nanny Qin covered her lips with her handkerchief and laughed. “It’s clear that our Eldest Miss gave the clan leader quite a fright this time when she returned.”

She smiled and put down her teacup, rising and smoothing her dress: “Nanny Tong, help me arrange my hair and change clothes to meet the clan leader.”

Nanny Tong arranged Bai Qingyan’s hair in a somewhat loose chignon and selected clothing that was very plain yet elegant. After changing and grooming, she headed to the front hall.

On the way, she heard from Nanny Qin that quite a few people from the clan had come this time—besides the clan leader, there were several highly respected elders.

She estimated that the clan leader probably wanted to join forces with the clan elders to pressure her into rescuing those Bai family descendants who had been arrested in Shouyang for their misdeeds.

From what she gathered from Nanny Qin’s words, the clan leader probably hadn’t yet mentioned to Mother about the clan members being arrested, only saying he wanted to personally deliver the deed into her hands to resolve the misunderstanding.

When Bai Qingyan arrived at the front hall, the clan leader had indeed learned to be clever this time, rising to bow to Bai Qingyan: “County Princess.”

Bai Qingyan maintained her dignity as she walked to sit beside Dong Shi, only then smiling and saying: “All of you are elders, please sit.”

The clan leader hurriedly produced the property deed: “This visit is to deliver the ancestral home’s deed to the County Princess. Last time in Shouyang, the County Princess perhaps had urgent matters and left before finishing the conversation with this old one, so this old one made a special trip to deliver it!”