Lu Ping’s expression changed drastically: “What kind of person?!”

What kind of person could bypass Duke’s mansion’s guard corps and deliver a message to the inner quarters to the Miss?

“I didn’t see the person, and I didn’t make a fuss about it!”

Lu Ping lowered his eyes to stare at his shoe tips, thinking carefully, his palms already covered with a layer of sweat.

If this message was sent in by an outsider, then their guard corps truly deserved death ten thousand times over…

“I’ve thought it over and still have doubts. Why would news from Nanjiang be sent to me for no reason, instead of to the elders in the family? And why choose specifically the day Second Miss leaves for her wedding?”

Bai Qingyan paused in her steps and stared steadily at Lu Ping, her face grave as water: “So, tomorrow I’d like to ask you to go sit at Zui’an Workshop for me and pay attention to any suspicious-looking people…”

Bai Qingyan wanted Lu Ping to personally go to Chang’an Street to clarify the details of Prince Liang’s assassination attempt, ideally to find out what kind of people the assassins were. If Bai Jinxiu failed to avoid Prince Liang’s assassination, having Lu Ping there would at least prevent Bai Jinxiu from losing her life.

Unable to tell Lu Ping directly that Prince Liang would be assassinated, Bai Qingyan had devised this explanation.

“Lu Ping accepts the order.” Lu Ping said solemnly.

“Uncle Ping, be careful in all things. When you see suspicious people, just note them down for later investigation. Don’t let the entire Duke’s mansion fall into someone else’s trap.” Bai Qingyan instructed.

“Miss, rest assured. Lu Ping knows the gravity of the situation.”

Lu Ping handed the umbrella to Chun Tao, bowed to Bai Qingyan, and hurried away.

Seeing Bai Qingyan staring at Lu Ping’s retreating figure in a daze, Chun Tao quietly reminded her: “Miss, let’s return to your room and change into brighter colored clothes! We’ll be having portraits painted later, and brighter colored clothes will look better in the painting.”

She withdrew her gaze, her voice light and shallow due to prolonged illness and fatigue: “I’m tired. I won’t join in that excitement… let’s go back.”

When Bai Qingyan returned to Qinghui Courtyard, Shen Qingzhu had already been waiting in the corridor for a while.

Looking at the young and vibrant Shen Qingzhu before her, her eyes grew sore.

Shen Qingzhu had grown up alongside Bai Qingyan since childhood. Though they were master and servant, they were more like sisters.

When she was ten years old, with a youthful spirit, she begged her grandfather to take her to battle. Her grandfather gave her two years, saying that if she could train a female guard corps within two years, he would allow her to follow him to battle. Shen Qingzhu was chosen by Bai Qingyan at that time.

Later, this female guard corps protected her thoroughly on the battlefield multiple times. At sixteen, when she followed her grandfather to battle disguised as a man for the second time, she was pierced through the abdomen by an enemy spear and fell into turbulent waters in the bitter cold of winter. The guard corps was almost annihilated while rescuing her from the river.

The military physician said it was already a miracle that Bai Qingyan survived, but bearing children was destined to be impossible. Shen Qingzhu blamed herself for not protecting Bai Qingyan well and requested to train in the military after returning. She was valued by Deputy General Shen and taken as his adopted daughter, but after completing her training, she still resolutely returned to the Bai mansion, devoted heart and soul to protecting Bai Qingyan.

“Come in!” Bai Qingyan said.

Chun Tao personally lifted the curtain for Shen Qingzhu: “Miss Shen, please.”

Shen Qingzhu, dressed in neat attire, followed Bai Qingyan into the room and clasped her fists in salute: “Miss, what are your orders?”

Seeing Bai Qingyan untie her cloak and hand it to Chun Tao, put down her hand warmer, and sit at the writing desk to pen a letter, Shen Qingzhu didn’t get too close for fear of bringing cold air to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan wrote quickly. After putting down her wolf hair brush, she instructed Chun Tao: “Chun Tao, you guard outside and don’t let anyone approach.”

“Yes.” Chun Tao lifted the curtain and went out.

Bai Qingyan sealed the letter and walked to Shen Qingzhu, holding it: “Qingzhu, take a few trustworthy people and immediately rush to Nanjiang. Travel as fast as possible on the road! Deliver this letter to my Bai family! The matter is urgent – apart from you, I trust no one else!”

“Yes!” Shen Qingzhu didn’t ask many questions and received the letter with both hands. Just as she was about to leave, Bai Qingyan grasped her wrist.

“Miss, do you have other instructions?”

Bai Qingyan’s grip was extremely strong, and her reddened eyes held towering hatred: “If… if all my Bai family members are gone, you must obtain the military records and battle situation records kept by the Bai family army’s accompanying historian! Give this letter to your adoptive father, General Shen, find my grandfather’s deputy general Liu Huanzhang… and kill him.”

Shen Qingzhu looked at Bai Qingyan in shock. What did she mean by “all the Bai family members are gone”?!

Bai Qingyan’s expression was grave. Shen Qingzhu knew the matter was of great importance and nodded solemnly: “Qingzhu accepts the order!”

Seeing Shen Qingzhu come out from the room with a pale face, Chun Tao hurried to lift the curtain and enter, worry between her brows: “Miss…”

Bai Qingyan stood by the brazier, looking down at the flickering charcoal fire, the surging emotions in her heart gradually calming.

Do one’s utmost… and leave the rest to Heaven’s will!

“Chun Tao, I’m tired.” Bai Qingyan’s expression was somewhat dazed.

“This servant will attend to Miss to rest for a while.”

Chun Tao helped Bai Qingyan remove the pearl hairpins from her head, changed her into loose clothing, and she lay on the couch for a short nap of several quarters of an hour before being awakened by Nanny Qin from her mother Dong Shi’s side to drink a bowl of bitter medicine.

Seeing Bai Qingyan’s uncomfortable expression with furrowed brows after drinking the bitter medicine, Nanny Qin also felt distressed and quickly brought hot water for Bai Qingyan to rinse her mouth: “Miss, please endure a bit longer. Physician Hong said that after drinking this medicine for another month or so, Miss’s cold illness will improve!”

Bai Qingyan pressed her lips with a handkerchief and picked a preserved plum from the food box Chun Yan was holding, putting it in her mouth to feel better.

“Tomorrow, Second Sister leaves for her wedding, and Mother has many things to busy herself with. Nanny Qin, you are Mother’s capable assistant. Mother cannot do without you there. You don’t need to come to my place four or five times a day. Please tell Mother for me not to worry about me.”

Nanny Qin nodded: “Alright, Miss, rest assured. This old servant will relay the message.”

Seeing that Bai Qingyan had already picked up the military treatise on the kang table, Chun Tao very perceptively put down the food box and smiled: “Nanny, Chun Tao will see you out.”

Nanny Qin bowed to Bai Qingyan and instructed Chun Tao as they walked out: “Tomorrow, the mansion will have festivities. Tonight, the maids and women will inevitably be focused on the excitement and become careless in their duties. The steward nanny at Miss’s side won’t return to the mansion until tomorrow. Remember to remind the women tending the underfloor heating to add charcoal, and keep the braziers in this room burning brightly! Miss fears cold, so the night watch maids must stay alert!”

“Nanny Qin, rest assured!” Chun Tao smiled as she lifted the curtain for Nanny Qin. “Chun Tao will personally supervise.”

Just after seeing off Nanny Qin, Chun Tao was still standing in the corridor and hadn’t had time to enter the room when she saw Chun Yan, covered in snow, come through the gate and run quickly into the corridor. She patted the snow off herself and asked Chun Tao, “Is Miss awake?”

“She’s awake. She just took her medicine and is reading now.” Chun Tao brushed the snow from Chun Yan’s hair. “Where did you go to get yourself so cold? Aren’t you afraid of passing it to Miss?”

Chun Yan smiled mysteriously: “Good news! I’ll go report to Miss first. Miss will surely be cheered up!”

With that, Chun Yan rashly lifted the curtain and entered the room before Chun Tao could stop her.

“Miss!” Chun Yan saw Bai Qingyan leaning against a large pillow embroidered with golden auspicious clouds while reading. After bowing, she smiled: “Miss, Prince Liang heard early this morning about Physician Hong entering the mansion. Worried about Miss’s health, he quietly came to our mansion’s back corner gate. This servant got word and went over. Prince Liang hesitantly said he came to retrieve military treatises annotated by Duke…”

Upon hearing the words “Prince Liang,” Bai Qingyan’s entire body stiffened, and she nearly lost her composure. Her hand resting on the kang table, clenched tightly, her nails almost embedding themselves into the chicken wing wood. In her previous life, she had personally delivered her grandfather’s annotated military treatises into Prince Liang’s hands just like this.