Perhaps due to years of manual labor, Zeng Shanru appeared robust in build with dark skin and a very steady demeanor. Zeng Shanru properly performed the kowtow ceremony to Bai Qingyan, then stood to one side with lowered brows and eyes, not daring to look directly at Bai Qingyan.

“Having you transferred from the estate to serve at my side has been an imposition on you,” Bai Qingyan said in a gentle voice.

“Serving the County Princess is this lowly one’s duty,” Zeng Shanru replied in a steady voice.

Bai Qingyan nodded. “The Bai family is currently in troubled times, and it’s indeed a time when we need capable people. I am… also short-handed.”

Zeng Shanru clasped his hands in salute. “Whatever the County Princess commands, this lowly one will not hesitate even unto death.”

“During this period, you will accompany Nanny Tong. When we return to Shouyang… you’ll first follow alongside Steward Liu to familiarize yourself. Steward Liu is an elder I trust completely, but he’s getting on in years. Many matters will eventually need to be handed over to our people. Do you understand what I mean?”

Zeng Shanru’s heart trembled. Handed over to our people? This meant the eldest miss did not consider him an outsider.

Zeng Shanru lifted the hem of his robe and knelt to kowtow. “Since the County Princess does not consider this lowly one an outsider, this lowly one will certainly not disappoint the County Princess. This life shall be devoted to loyalty to the County Princess. Should there be any disloyalty, may I die without an intact corpse, condemned by both man and god.”

He was a perceptive person.

Bai Qingyan nodded and said, “Rise! From now on, still address me as eldest miss—I’m accustomed to it.”

“Yes, eldest miss!” Zeng Shanru readily complied.

Bai Qingyan had heard Xiao Ruohai mention Zeng Shanru once or twice. During the time when Xiao Ruohai and Xiao Ruojiang returned to the estate to recover from their injuries, they seemed to have had dealings with Zeng Shanru. They said he didn’t like to talk much, but his work was quite reliable.

Whether Zeng Shanru could replace Steward Liu in dealing with Xiao Rongyan’s people and properly manage the mines and weapon forging would have to be determined after Steward Liu had contact with him.

This concerned the survival of the Bai clan. Even though Zeng Shanru was Nanny Tong’s son, Bai Qingyan still maintained a measure of caution.

Chun Tao, who had been standing guard below the pavilion’s artificial hill, spoke a few words with a maid who had come from Qinghui Courtyard to deliver news. After seeing the maid off, she hurried up carrying her skirt hem and curtsied, saying, “Eldest miss, Miss Lu has returned to the mansion and is waiting in Qinghui Courtyard to speak with you.”

“Understood!” Bai Qingyan responded, her gaze falling on Zeng Shanru. “You go find Steward Liu. I’ve already sent someone to give him advance notice.”

“This lowly one understands.”

Bai Qingyan rose and walked toward Qinghui Courtyard, supported by Chun Tao’s hand.

Lu Ning’e sat anxiously in the side hall, drinking tea. Only when she saw Bai Qingyan enter did she steady her nerves and rise to bow. “Eldest miss.”

“Aunt…” Bai Qingyan returned the courtesy. “Aunt has just returned from the palace. Have you seen grandmother yet?”

Lu Ning’e sat down with Bai Qingyan and shook her head. “The Grand Princess said to have Ning’e discuss matters with the eldest miss.”

Bai Qingyan knew that her grandmother was letting her make use of Lu Ning’e.

Chun Tao lifted the bamboo curtain and entered, serving tea to Bai Qingyan. After bowing, she properly withdrew to stand guard outside the door.

“When Aunt entered the palace today, did His Majesty inquire in detail about the resurrection elixir?” Bai Qingyan asked, lifting her teacup.

At the mention of this, Lu Ning’e’s heart tightened. She nodded, and before she could speak, she heard Bai Qingyan continue, “Did he also ask what Miss Ji, who is currently staying at our mansion, has said and done?”

Lu Ning’e looked up at Bai Qingyan, who was gently blowing on her teacup. Her eyes were lowered, showing long eyelashes, and her expression was calm and composed, as if everything was under her control.

“Eldest miss, your guess is… almost exactly right,” Lu Ning’e said, her hands clenched on her knees.

The guess was naturally quite accurate. Bai Qingyan had some understanding of that emperor who occupied the highest position and wielded imperial power.

Everyone fears death, and Ji Langhua had grasped precisely the emperor’s fear of death. That’s why she used the currently most prominent Duke Zhenguo’s mansion in the capital as her gambit, drawing the emperor’s attention to this matter.

Lu Ning’e lowered her eyes, her hands gripping her skirt, trembling slightly. “The Grand Princess had Nanny Jiang teach Ning’e early on how to use the emperor’s temperament, so… Ning’e could see that the emperor seemed particularly stubborn this time. I didn’t dare to advise him firmly, only telling him this was nonsense, but the emperor still seemed very interested. I’m afraid that Langhua… as soon as she steps out of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, she’ll be taken into the imperial palace.”

After speaking, Lu Ning’e suddenly knelt tearfully before Bai Qingyan, sobbing as she spoke, “Eldest miss, please save Langhua. I can enter the palace instead! Langhua has suffered enough in this lifetime. She cannot be dragged into this matter. She must be allowed to live well!”

Looking at Lu Ning’e, who was restraining her tears before her, Bai Qingyan could understand her desire to protect her sister, just as she…

“Aunt…” Bai Qingyan set down her teacup and gently helped Lu Ning’e up. “The current Bai mansion doesn’t have the means to contend with the emperor. Any resistance and the emperor will uproot the entire Bai family. And you, aunt…”

Bai Qingyan pressed her lips together and said quietly, “Even if Aunt Suqiu stood before the emperor, the emperor might not give up immortality for her sake. Our Jin Kingdom’s emperor… has always cared only about himself.”

Even before Lu Ning’e appeared, when the emperor doted on Concubine Qiu to the point of obeying her every word, that was only under the premise that it didn’t involve the emperor’s interests.

Lu Ning’e bit her teeth hard. “Is there truly no way?”

“There is, but it depends on Ji Langhua…” Bai Qingyan looked solemnly at Lu Ning’e. “If Ji Langhua tells the emperor when she sees him that she obtained this elixir by bankrupting herself to buy it from others, that it wasn’t something she refined herself, and the emperor tries the elixir and finds it useless, confirming that Ji Langhua was merely deceived, then she’ll be fine! But if… Ji Langhua harbors thoughts of wanting to remain by the emperor’s side, then she’ll certainly be able to stay by the emperor’s side.”

If Ji Langhua proved to the emperor that she had refined this elixir herself, the emperor would certainly try it. If the elixir proved ineffective, she couldn’t escape the crime of deceiving the emperor—that would mean death…

But if the emperor found it effective after trying it, he would certainly regard Ji Langhua as the most important person. If Ji Langhua then wanted to leave the palace, unless… the emperor died before the elixir was completed.

Or… Ji Langhua and the emperor died together.

“Eldest miss, what if we say I gave her the elixir? I could…”

“Aunt! Concern clouds judgment!” Bai Qingyan interrupted Lu Ning’e with a serious gaze. “Rather than us exhausting our energy trying to think of solutions here, Aunt should persuade Ji Langhua to abandon any thoughts of remaining by the emperor’s side.”

Lu Ning’e’s tears nearly spilled over. She gripped the clothing at her chest tightly, biting her teeth to keep from crying aloud. She had come to find the eldest miss precisely because she knew she couldn’t persuade her…

Bai Qingyan understood deeply that Lu Ning’e was in such pain and distress because she wanted to protect Ji Langhua but felt powerless to do so.