Bai Jinzhi was the first to leap down from the carriage and bow to Liu Shi: “Second Aunt!”
Bai Qingyan also alighted from the carriage. After helping Bai Jinxiu down, she too bowed to Liu Shi: “Second Aunt!”
Liu Shi’s eyes reddened when she saw that both Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi were safe: “We’ve been waiting for you three sisters to return before holding the banquet! Come quickly!”
Crossing through the drooping flower gate, Liu Shi walked while pulling Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi to examine them up and down, checking if they had any injuries.
Seeing the hideous burn scars on Bai Jinzhi’s hand, Liu Shi could no longer hold back her tears. Afraid of making the child sad for no reason, she turned her head away and dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief, gripping Bai Jinzhi’s hand tightly: “No matter what, it’s good that you’ve returned safely!”
From the moment Bai Jinzhi went to the northern frontier, Liu Shi’s heart had been suspended in worry…
Too many people from the Bai family had died – not one of these children could have anything happen to them again.
Later, when she heard that General Zhang Duanrui had died in battle, that Bai Jinzhi’s whereabouts were unknown after rescuing someone, and that Bai Qingyan had rushed to the northern frontier, heaven knew how Liu Shi had endured those days. Every night was filled with nightmares, terrified that something might happen to the two children.
Bai Jinxiu accompanied them for a simple meal before having to hurry back to the prince’s residence.
Looking at her eldest sister, who personally escorted her to the entrance of the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion, her heart was full of reluctance: “Eldest sister… can’t you stay a few more days before returning to Shouyang?”
“To avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicions, I should still enter the palace tomorrow morning to see the Emperor, then depart!” Bai Qingyan gently squeezed Bai Jinxiu’s hand. “There will be plenty of time in the future! No need to rush…”
After seeing Bai Jinxiu off, Liu Shi grasped the hands of Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi: “Good children, go get some proper sleep!”
Bai Qingyan nodded.
Bai Qingyan went to visit Shen Qingzhu and Ji Langhua. Seeing that Shen Qingzhu was getting better day by day under Ji Langhua’s care, Bai Qingyan was very grateful to Ji Langhua.
“Today, when I went to the Imperial Qing’an Monastery, I didn’t bring you along because I was worried about Qingzhu. If you miss Aunt Lu, you can stay in the Capital City for a few days… then I’ll send guards to escort you back to Shouyang.” Bai Qingyan looked at Ji Langhua, who was seeing her out of the courtyard.
Ji Langhua had once been summoned by the Emperor because of those elixirs. Staying too long in the Capital City might cause trouble, especially since Ji Langhua walked around wearing a veil, which was rather conspicuous.
“No need.” Ji Langhua smiled faintly at Bai Qingyan. “We sisters are fortunate to have the Grand Princess and Miss’s protection – we can all rest assured! Langhua will still follow Miss wherever Miss goes… Langhua will go there too!”
Bai Qingyan nodded.
Qinghui Courtyard was still the same Qinghui Courtyard, but without Nanny Tong and Chun Tao, it seemed deserted.
Bai Qingyan sat under the glazed lamp, holding bamboo scrolls and ancient texts for careful reading. A maid brought tea for Bai Qingyan, then withdrew properly behind the screen, turned around, and left the room, closing the partition doors for Bai Qingyan.
With no one else in the room, Bai Qingyan put down the bamboo scroll in her hand and took out the jade hairpin that had been hidden in her sleeve all along.
This jade hairpin was carved with wild geese. Though not exactly lifelike, one could tell that the carver had put his heart into it.
She gently brushed over the wild goose’s eye on the jade hairpin and raised her gaze toward the bright moon outside the half-open window.
Wild geese had always been birds of loyalty and faithfulness.
Born into the Bai family, a household of bells and tripods, what kind of treasures had Bai Qingyan not seen? Even though the jade quality of this hairpin was indeed rare, it was not enough to disturb Bai Qingyan’s heart. What truly disturbed Bai Qingyan’s heart… was the person who gave her the jade hairpin.
—Bai Qingyan, if you dare to bet, I, Murong Yan… will never fail you in this lifetime!
Xiao Rongyan’s mellow, low, and husky voice echoed in her mind. She suddenly gripped the jade hairpin tightly in her hand, feeling that her lips, which had been brushed by Xiao Rongyan’s burning thin lips, tingled slightly.
She untied the sachet at her waist and took out the jade cicada that had been kept in the sachet all along.
The jade cicada glowed with a warm and gentle luster under the glazed lamp. She lightly rubbed it with her thumb.
—I once swore an oath… if I ever take a wife, I will trust my wife completely and protect her throughout her life.
These were the words Xiao Rongyan had said when he gave her the jade cicada that day.
Bai Qingyan’s heart was restless. She found a cloth to wrap up the jade cicada and hairpin and put them away, then practiced with her spear in the courtyard as usual.
·
Early the next morning.
Bai Qingyan had just finished her morning practice and was about to dine when Bai Jinzhi came rushing to Qinghui Courtyard in great haste. She instructed the maids to add a bowl and chopsticks for herself, then said, “Eldest sister, news from yesterday’s palace banquet has spread! They say that when the Emperor was commending General Liu Hong, General Liu Hong said he didn’t dare claim credit. This great victory on the northern frontier was entirely due to the eldest sister’s strategies! He begged the Emperor to reward his eldest sister. Later, the Emperor said the eldest sister indeed deserved great credit, but as for what reward to give, the Emperor needed to think carefully and would reward her when the eldest sister entered the palace today. I imagine that after the morning court session… There will be palace attendants coming to issue an edict summoning the eldest sister to the palace.”
Bai Jinzhi picked up her porridge bowl, her eager gaze fixed on Bai Qingyan: “Eldest sister, do you think the Emperor, now knowing eldest sister’s capabilities, might confer upon eldest sister the title of Great General?”
Bai Qingyan didn’t think the Emperor would have such magnanimity to let a woman serve as a general, nor would he set such a precedent.
Allowing women to serve as generals would mean elevating the status of women in the Jin Kingdom. Then, how many talented and strategic women confined to their inner quarters would want to step forward into public view? The Jin Kingdom would experience earth-shaking changes.
Never mind that the Emperor wouldn’t agree – even the men of the Jin Kingdom probably couldn’t accept it.
Take Great Yan for example. Even though Empress Ji had spent ten years building the Capital City,… moving the capital to the great capital, implementing new policies that benefited the people, and transforming Great Yan from a weak Kingdom into a strong one.
But when the Emperor of Great Yan awakened from his stupor, the first thing he did was to kill Empress Ji. Throughout Great Yan, even the common people applauded, all because of the troublesome notion that men were superior to women.
Therefore, at most, the Emperor would reward Bai Qingyan with substantial gold, silver, and treasures this time. At the very most, he might grant her the title of princess, but it would be impossible for him to let her, as a woman, step even half an inch into the court.
After all, to appoint her as an official or general, the Emperor would need to contend with the noble families and men of the Jin Kingdom. Bai Qingyan didn’t believe the Emperor would be willing to expend such effort for her.
Not long after Bai Qingyan finished her morning meal, the Emperor sent someone to summon her to the palace.
Bai Qingyan changed her clothes and applied light makeup with painted eyebrows. The woman in the mirror looked wan, with pale lips, appearing even more frail than Bai Qingyan had before.
The Emperor was suspicious by nature. The worse Bai Qingyan’s health appeared, the more at ease the Emperor would be.
Bai Jinzhi changed her clothes and returned to Qinghui Courtyard. Upon entering and seeing Bai Qingyan’s poor complexion, she was startled: “Eldest sister, are you feeling unwell somewhere? Should we summon an imperial physician to take a look?”
“Eldest sister’s health was never good to begin with. This campaign in the northern frontier consumed too much energy… a poor complexion is natural. I need to return to Shouyang for proper recuperation.” Bai Qingyan squeezed Bai Jinzhi’s hand as she came to support her.
Bai Jinzhi nodded knowingly.
The Emperor, probably to put on a show for the people of the realm and silence wagging tongues, actually sent an impressively grand procession of carriages and attendants to the entrance of the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion to receive Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi.