Bai Qingyan spoke: “I have come to disturb Your Highness at this time because I need to return to Shouyang ahead of schedule. However, I am concerned that Great Liang might start a war with our Jin Kingdom at any moment, so I’ve specifically come to ask Your Highness if there are any latest military reports regarding Great Liang’s troop movements?”
Old Fang kept his eyes lowered as he drank tea, maintaining his composure. How could the Crown Prince not know about the commotion the Bai clan from Shouyang had caused in the capital? And how could Old Fang not know about it either?
The Crown Prince thought for a moment, assuming that Bai Qingyan had been forced to admit defeat by the clan leader and various elders, and wanted to return to Shouyang first to rescue her clan brothers. If that were the case… the Crown Prince could do Bai Qingyan a favor by sending someone to have a word with the local officials.
“Great Liang has stationed troops at Hong Queshan, but they’ve remained inactive recently. There haven’t been any major developments, so you can go without worry!” After the Crown Prince finished speaking, he looked at Bai Qingyan and asked, “However, didn’t you just return from Shouyang? Why do you need to go again? It’s almost the first day of the fifth month – why not wait until then?”
Bai Qingyan pressed her lips together, sighed slightly, and frowned with a troubled expression: “Although family scandals shouldn’t be made public, I dare not deceive Your Highness. The Shouyang Bai clan… has encountered trouble!”
The Crown Prince made a show of listening carefully, waiting for Bai Qingyan to continue.
“The last time I returned to Shouyang was because I heard that the clan’s descendants were using the capital Bai family’s influence to run rampant in Shouyang, committing evil deeds and forcing people to their deaths. I had no choice but to return to handle this matter. Who would have known that upon my return, I discovered that the Shouyang Bai clan descendants were using Your Highness’s name to justify their oppression of the local people! In broad daylight, when forcibly seizing others’ shops, they dared to lie, claiming that I had a private relationship with Your Highness and was to be the future… Empress. If the shop owners dared not comply, they would threaten the lives of the shop owners’ young children.”
Bai Qingyan bit her teeth, putting on an expression of heartbroken pain: “I have already carried the reputation of a killing god and have long sworn never to marry in this lifetime. I fear no gossip or slander, but Your Highness is the foundation of our nation, the future ruler of the Jin Kingdom – your noble reputation cannot be tainted! So I steeled myself and asked the local county magistrate to severely punish and arrest those Bai clan descendants who were harming the community, imprisoning them for strict punishment!”
Seeing Bai Qingyan’s solemn expression, the Crown Prince’s throat tightened, and his heart couldn’t help but be moved.
“Later, the clan leader brought various elders to the capital to cause trouble, forcing me to use my authority as a Princess to pressure the county magistrate into releasing them. But if I agreed to pressure the local magistrate into releasing them, the common people would think that Your Highness was indulging the Bai clan. How could I agree? It was precisely because of this… that the clan leader brought the elders to cause trouble at the entrance of the Duke of Zhenguo’s Princess’s residence. Grandmother invited the clan leader and elders into the residence, patiently explaining why clan descendants couldn’t be leniently pardoned, but was forced by the clan leader and elders to vomit blood and faint.”
Bai Qingyan’s voice paused, and she looked up solemnly at the Crown Prince: “Later, when the guard troops were escorting supplies back to Shouyang, they learned that some clan descendants had caused drunken trouble, and to force local officials to release prisoners, they had claimed new lives! Now, everyone under heaven knows that I am under Your Highness’s command. I dare not hope to achieve new merits for Your Highness, but I absolutely cannot become a burden to Your Highness, making the common people think that Your Highness condones and shelters the Bai clan.”
Hearing Bai Qingyan speak this way, the Crown Prince inevitably thought of how he had once suspected her… yet when he followed her to Feng County, unexpectedly Bai Qingyan was actually planning the divine deer matter for him there.
The Bai family valued reputation and honor, and Bai Qingyan was indeed wholeheartedly considering him as the future ruler.
Various complex emotions surged in the Crown Prince’s heart. He nodded, his voice becoming imperceptibly gentler: “Then this time, how does the Princess plan to handle this matter when you return?”
Bai Qingyan clenched her fists, her eyes reddening with moisture. Like someone who had made a firm decision, her words were resolute and forceful: “I will expel all the Bai clan descendants who caused trouble from the clan and ask the local officials to punish them severely without mercy! The clan leader cannot teach clan members to do good deeds – dismiss him and replace him with a new clan leader! If the clan refuses to comply… Bai Qingyan will take the capital Bai family and apologize to our ancestors before leaving the clan, having no further connection with the Shouyang Bai clan from then on! Only this way… when Bai clan members commit murder or evil deeds in the future, the common people won’t blame the Bai family or resent Your Highness for sheltering the Bai clan!”
Seeing Bai Qingyan’s appearance of suppressing her heartache, the Crown Prince was about to speak when Old Fang cut in: “That the Princess considers Your Highness so thoroughly, this old man deeply admires!”
As Old Fang spoke, he looked toward the Crown Prince and almost inaudibly shook his head at him. The Crown Prince clenched his fists, controlled himself, and nodded: “Indeed! I am also deeply grateful!”
Bai Qingyan put on a slightly surprised expression: “Your Highness and Old Fang speak this way, but I do not agree! This matter is the Bai family dragging down Your Highness’s reputation. That Your Highness doesn’t blame me is already extremely fortunate – how dare I accept Your Highness’s gratitude, how dare I accept Old Fang’s admiration? If Your Highness and Old Fang speak this way, how can Bai Qingyan face herself?”
Seeing that Bai Qingyan didn’t seem to be pretending, Old Fang smiled and nodded.
“I know that what the Bai clan has done cannot be undone. Even if I apologize to our ancestors and leave the clan, I cannot make up for the Bai clan’s actions that have tarnished Your Highness’s reputation! After settling this clan matter, if there is an opportunity in the future, I… will find ways to win back the people’s hearts in Shouyang for Your Highness.” Bai Qingyan’s calm and profound eyes looked at the Crown Prince, full of determination.
The Crown Prince nodded, his gratitude overflowing in his expression, and he felt somewhat proud in his heart. In the end, he had still won over a military talent like Bai Qingyan.
Bai Qingyan stood up to take leave of the Crown Prince: “Since there are no unusual movements at Great Liang’s borders now, I can return to Shouyang with peace of mind to handle this matter, and will rush back immediately after it’s resolved! If Great Liang changes during this period, Your Highness can send someone to inform Bai Qingyan urgently – I will die ten thousand deaths without regret!”
“When does the Princess plan to depart?” Old Fang asked.
Bai Qingyan replied very politely to Old Fang: “I originally wanted to depart today, but handling clan matters is of great importance. I need to gather complete evidence of all the wrongdoings committed by these clan descendants over the years. What I have here is only a small part. Only by gathering everything can the expulsion of these descendants from the clan stand firm. I have already sent people ahead to Shouyang to collect evidence. I will depart early the morning after tomorrow, and upon return, will immediately convene the ancestral hall.”
“The Princess’s considerations are thorough. If you need my assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask!” the Crown Prince said.
Bai Qingyan shook her head: “I cannot share Your Highness’s burdens, and instead have let the clan implicate Your Highness. I am already full of guilt and dare not trouble Your Highness further! I take my leave now…”
Old Fang’s heart settled considerably. If Bai Qingyan had just agreed to the Crown Prince’s offer and asked for his assistance, Old Fang would have suspected Bai Qingyan’s true purpose in coming to see the Crown Prince. Her refusal of the Crown Prince’s goodwill made Old Fang believe that Bai Qingyan might truly be considering the Crown Prince’s interests.
The Crown Prince personally escorted Bai Qingyan outside the residence. After seeing Bai Qingyan and Lu Ping ride away on horseback, he turned and returned to the residence.
Old Fang, walking beside the Crown Prince, slowly spoke: “Your Highness, this old man believes that if this matter proves to be truly as the Duke of Zhenguo’s Princess described after investigation, Your Highness might as well… send a trusted aide from your side along with a team of Crown Prince residence guards to accompany the Duke of Zhenguo’s Princess.”