“Mm!” Bai Qingyan lifted her foot to escort Dong Tingshen back, “Grandmother misses Xiao Si, so she wants Xiao Si to return to the capital for a visit.”
Dong Tingshen nodded and asked no more questions.
That night, because of Bai Qingyan’s words about blood ties being the deepest bonds in the world, Dong Tingshen tossed and turned, unable to sleep through the night. Such a simple truth… she had forgotten it.
Dong Tingshen quietly wiped away tears with her thin quilt embroidered with entwined lotus patterns, feeling too ashamed to return and face her father, mother, and siblings.
·
The night was deep.
As usual, Bai Qingyan finished practicing with her silver spear, and after bathing, she leaned against the hidden pouch, holding an ancient bamboo scroll in her hands to read carefully.
Chun Tao dried Bai Qingyan’s hair, then went to the small kitchen to fetch a bowl of easily digestible milk. She walked around the screen, lifted the water-green ramie flower gauze curtains, and entered, placing the white-glazed green-painted fine porcelain bowl beside Bai Qingyan’s hand, softly advising: “Miss, please drink the milk and rest early!”
Bai Qingyan responded with a sound but didn’t move.
Chun Tao sighed and had to trim the wicks of the lamps on several redwood high tables higher, then cover them again with glass shades. The room immediately became much brighter.
“Chun Tao, go rest. You don’t need to keep watch tonight.” Bai Qingyan picked up the milk and took a sip.
Nanny Tong had specifically instructed the small kitchen staff to sprinkle the milk with preserved osmanthus flowers without adding sugar, not sweet at all, perfectly suiting Bai Qingyan’s taste.
“This servant will accompany Miss!” Chun Tao took the sewing basket and sat down at the small table, picking up her embroidery hoop.
Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on the embroidery hoop in Chun Tao’s hands, seeing mandarin ducks embroidered on it, and she chuckled softly: “Is this for Chen Qingsheng? Missing your cousin?”
“Miss…” Chun Tao blushed deeply, “I’m embroidering a pillow!”
Bai Qingyan didn’t expose Chun Tao’s pretense, just smiled without speaking.
Bai Jintong had been away for half a year, sending news only once, then never again. She wondered if he was safe.
It was natural for Chun Tao to worry after not receiving news from Chen Qingsheng for so long.
She could only hope that Bai Jintong would return safely with his loyal servants.
Bai Qingyan closed the bamboo scroll in her hands and turned her head to gaze through the half-open window lattice at the towering ancient tree in the courtyard. The half-lowered Xiang imperial bamboo curtains and thin gauze bed curtains enveloped the covered walkway, blocking out flying insects. The golden bronze hooks’ bells chimed softly.
She wondered how far Bai Jinzhi had traveled, and whether she could arrive at the capital in time before the Emperor issued his decree.
·
On the twentieth day of the seventh month, at the end of the You Hour(17.00-18.00), Bai Jinzhi rode into the capital from outside and galloped to the Crown Prince’s mansion.
It was midsummer, and even after sunset, the wind remained hot.
The Crown Prince had his robes open and was lounging in a pavilion with ice placed at its four corners, watching his concubines dance. When he heard Quan Yu kneeling outside the bamboo curtains announcing that Princess Gaoyi was outside the Crown Prince’s mansion with urgent business to see the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince hurriedly stood up, fastened his inner garment, and called for Quan Yu to come in and help him dress.
Just last night, the Crown Prince had received Bai Qingyan’s letter, in which she wrote… that Prince Liang had partnered with the Wang family of Nine Curves Lane, sending people disguised as bandits to abduct children for alchemy.
When Old Fang read the letter, he felt… if what Bai Qingyan wrote in her letter was true, and Prince Liang had truly done such unconscionable things, this strike would not only prevent Prince Liang from marrying Prince Xian’s only daughter Liu Ruofu, but would also leave Prince Liang powerless to compete with the Crown Prince for the heir apparent position.
Today, Bai Jinzhi suddenly returned to the capital from Shouyang. The Crown Prince guessed it must be that Bai Qingyan had extremely important matters and had sent Bai Jinzhi to report to him, so he dared not delay.
“Send someone to have Old Fang go ahead and welcome Princess Gaoyi into the mansion!” the Crown Prince called out loudly.
Quan Yu responded and dispatched a nimble young eunuch to fetch Old Fang.
Ever since receiving Bai Qingyan’s letter last night, Old Fang had been preoccupied with Prince Liang’s alchemy matter. When he heard that Bai Jinzhi had appeared travel-worn at the Crown Prince’s mansion gate and the Crown Prince had ordered him to go welcome her, he guessed that perhaps Bai Jinzhi had returned from Shouyang for this very matter.
Old Fang lifted the hem of his straight robe and hurried from the nine-curved corridor toward the main gate. Before even approaching the main hall, Old Fang saw Bai Jinzhi standing in front of the shadows cast by the main courtyard wall, with a bloodied man kneeling beside her, held by the Bai family guards.
Bai Jinzhi held a black gold horse whip in her hand, standing with her hands behind her back. Seeing Old Fang hurrying over, she waved and said: “Old Fang, over here!”
Old Fang ran until he was covered in sweat. He walked out of the corridor, wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, straightened his robe, and only after ensuring he wouldn’t be improper did he step forward to bow deeply to Bai Jinzhi: “Princess…”
“Old Fang is too polite!” Bai Jinzhi cupped her hands toward Old Fang, using her horse whip to point at the man kneeling on the ground and trembling: “This is one of the fake bandits who posed as robbers in Shouyang, abducting children to send to the capital for Prince Liang’s alchemy! My elder sister had me ride at full speed to deliver him to His Highness the Crown Prince and Old Fang, to see if we could assist His Highness and Old Fang!”
Speaking thus, Bai Jinzhi took from her sleeve a signed confession obtained after interrogation and handed it to Old Fang: “He’s a spineless coward – didn’t take much effort. With just a little torture, he confessed everything!”
Before coming, Bai Qingyan had instructed… for Bai Jinzhi to be close to this Old Fang but not deliberately try to please him. Bai Jinzhi carefully maintained the balance in her heart, appearing to trust Old Fang greatly, showing no airs before him and seeming very casual and guileless.
Old Fang took the signed confession and glanced at it, his eyes brightening.
“How annoying! Old Fang, tell me… he’s already signed the confession, yet my elder sister still made me bring the person along. If it weren’t for this burden slowing me down on the road, I would have arrived much earlier!” Bai Jinzhi said, placing her hands behind her back with an irritated expression as she glared at the bandit.
Old Fang smiled as he held the signed confession, saying: “Duke Zhenguo is being cautious, which is also for the sake of being thorough, not giving Prince Liang any excuse to say we’re slandering him! Princess Gaoyi has worked hard!”
Bai Jinzhi kept her hands behind her back, looking rather disapproving: “Speaking of caution, I think my elder sister is too cautious! Previously, the elder sister originally wanted to suggest to the cousin, the Crown Prince, that the newly recruited soldiers be sent to Nan Jiang, letting the Bai family army help train the new troops! This would certainly train a batch of useful elite soldiers for our Jin nation! And sending Jin troops to Xiliang… could also serve to deter Xiliang from acting rashly. But her elder sister worried that others would say she had ulterior motives, and stubbornly refused to suggest it to the cousin Crown Prince! Simply being overly cautious! What kind of person is your elder sister? How could the Crown Prince not know? As long as it benefits the nation and people… even if someone questioned her elder sister, cousin Crown Prince would certainly protect her!”
The Crown Prince hurried over just as he heard Bai Jinzhi’s complaints, and couldn’t help but laugh: “Do you dare say such things in front of Duke Zhenguo?”
Hearing this, Bai Jinzhi turned around and quickly bowed deeply to the Crown Prince, saying with a grin: “Elder sister isn’t here, I’m just complaining to Old Fang! Cousin Crown Prince, please don’t tell elder sister!”
Seeing the Crown Prince only smile without speaking, reaching out to take the confession Old Fang handed him, Bai Jinzhi pointed at the bandit again, still indignant: “If I hadn’t brought this person and only brought the signed confession, I would have arrived this morning!”