The old nanny began to cry as she spoke.
If what this old nanny said was true, then it meant the Nanrong people had been waiting in ambush early on, just waiting for the Great Yan marriage escort to arrive before surrounding them like wrapping dumplings.
“What official position does General Peng from Great Yan’s marriage escort hold in Great Yan?” Bai Qingyan asked.
“In reply to Princess Zhenguo, General Peng once saved His Majesty’s life and was enfeoffed by His Majesty as Middle Army Marshal. Having General Peng lead the personal troops to escort the marriage was giving our princess great honor,” the nanny added.
Bai Qingyan’s fingers rubbed against the chair’s armrest. Knowing that this nanny’s knowledge was probably limited, rather than trying to learn from her why Yan Kingdom had made this detour for the marriage escort, Bai Qingyan thought it would be better to ask Xiao Rongyan.
Since Xiao Rongyan had just happened to appear in Nanrong territory, he must have received some information that prompted him to rush there.
She raised her eyes to look at the nanny and palace maid kneeling on the ground, trembling and pale-faced. She didn’t think these two had any need to lie, but they simply knew too little. She stood up, preparing to leave.
“Princess Zhenguo!” The nanny boldly crawled forward on her knees, crying as she kowtowed to Bai Qingyan. “Princess Zhenguo, please let Xique and me go serve our Princess!”
“Wait. Once everything is clarified, you’ll naturally be allowed to serve your mistress,” Bai Qingyan said. Then she and Lu Ping stepped out of the barracks, turning a deaf ear to the crying and pleading from within.
The bright moon shone clearly, its radiance covering the ground, illuminating Bai Qingyan’s blood-stained but fair features.
Bai Qingyan walked down from the steps, her eyes colder than the moonlight.
She couldn’t help but recall that Ghost-Faced General mounted on the black horse…
“Miss, rather than interrogating these people here, Lu Ping thinks… Miss might as well interrogate Master Xiao!” Lu Ping’s expression was cold and stern. “That Master Xiao appearing at the border between Nanrong and Jin Kingdom is quite suspicious indeed! Although this Master Xiao is a benefactor to our Bai family, he is, after all, a Wei Kingdom person… we must be on guard!”
Bai Qingyan turned to look at Lu Ping: “Today, did Uncle Ping see that general wearing the ghost mask from Nanrong?”
Lu Ping was startled. He gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist, frowned in thought, then shook his head: “Lu Ping didn’t pay attention. Is there something wrong?”
Bai Qingyan shook her head: “I don’t know why, but I always feel… that the general wearing the ghost mask seemed very familiar, yet also… very strange.”
Lu Ping clasped his hands: “Lu Ping will investigate the origins of that Nanrong general for Miss. Please rest assured!”
Bai Qingyan nodded. She estimated that waiting for her uncle to finish his interrogation would take several more hours. Rather than waste time waiting here, it would be better to ask Xiao Rongyan why Nanrong had intercepted the Great Yan marriage princess. Then she could compare notes with what her uncle had interrogated to determine the truth.
“Let’s go back and question Xiao Rongyan!” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she left the military camp, leaped onto her horse, and headed straight for the Dong mansion with Lu Ping.
Two large lanterns hung high in front of the Dong mansion’s gate, swaying in all directions with the wind. The yellow light was encased in sheepskin, clearly illuminating the Dong mansion’s vermillion-painted red pillars.
Old Lady Dong stood at the gate with her whole family, looking toward the city gate. While watching, she couldn’t help but turn back to scold her grandson: “How could you let your cousin cover the rear? If your cousin gets even slightly injured, you’ll kneel in the ancestral hall for me. You can come out only when A’Bao’s injuries heal!”
Dong Changlan knew his grandmother was angry and quickly put on a smiling face: “Grandmother, your grandson knows he was wrong! There definitely won’t be a next time! Grandmother, please don’t be angry. Cousin has already returned safely and is interrogating Yan Kingdom’s marriage escort with Father. She’ll be back soon!”
“That’s right, Grandmother! Cousin has superior martial arts and is protected by Bai family guards—nothing will happen to her! Why don’t you go back and wait inside? Mother will wait here with Changlan and me. As soon as your cousin returns, we’ll immediately notify you. Wouldn’t that work?” Little Madam Cui softly persuaded Old Lady Dong.
But Old Lady Dong couldn’t rest easy. With a stern face, she glared at her grandson again and craned her neck to look down the long street.
Hearing hoofbeats, Dong Changlan walked down a couple of steps and said with a smile: “It’s cousin and Guard Lu returning!”
Old Lady Dong hurriedly walked down the high steps. Seeing Bai Qingyan dismount, she took two steps at once to approach her. The fresh blood on the silver armor made Old Lady Dong’s heart tremble with fear: “Where are you injured?”
“Cousin has finally returned! If cousin hadn’t come back soon, I would have been punished to kneel in the ancestral hall by Grandmother!” Dong Changlan said with a beaming smile.
“Grandmother, this is other people’s blood. I am uninjured!” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she asked Dong Changlan, “How is that Yan Kingdom princess?”
Mentioning this Great Yan princess, Dong Changlan pressed his lips together: “We’ve sent for all the famous physicians in Dengzhou City. The bleeding has stopped, but whether the Great Yan princess can wake up depends on heaven’s will! The Yan soldiers who came to Dengzhou seeking aid earlier have already rushed back to the Yan Kingdom to report.”
If this Great Yan marriage princess could survive, then Yan Kingdom and Northern Rong would owe Jin Kingdom a favor. If she couldn’t survive, then that would be hard to say.
While Dong Changlan’s mind was still turning over these thoughts, Bai Qingyan had already been pulled by Old Lady Dong to be examined from top to bottom. Only after confirming that Bai Qingyan had no injuries did Old Lady Dong pull her inside to bathe and change clothes.
Before entering the door, Bai Qingyan instructed Dong Changlan: “Changlan, when Uncle returns, send someone to tell me.”
“Cousin, rest assured!” Dong Changlan said.
Bai Qingyan had just finished bathing and wringing out her hair, and before she could go find Xiao Rongyan, a servant woman came to report that Dong Qingyue had returned.
Old Lady Dong was right there in Bai Qingyan’s room, insisting that Bai Qingyan finish a bowl of bird’s nest porridge before letting her go find Dong Qingyue.
Watching Bai Qingyan hurry out of the courtyard gate, Old Lady Dong leaned on her ebony walking stick and sighed, feeling that her granddaughter was working too hard. If her grandson A’Yu were still alive… There would be no need for her granddaughter to work so hard.
Thinking of A’Yu, Old Lady Dong felt a stabbing pain in her heart, and her eyes immediately moistened.
When people get old, they cannot think about white-haired people sending off black-haired ones. Thinking about it brings the pain of a dull knife grinding at the heart, keeping one awake at night.
When Bai Qingyan arrived at Dong Qingyue’s study, both Dong Changlan and Dong Qingyue’s advisors were present.
Bai Qingyan briefly shared what she had learned from interrogating Princess Mingcheng’s nanny and maidservant, comparing notes with Dong Qingyue.
They were almost identical.
The only regret was that General Peng had died under the Nanrong Ghost-Faced General’s sword while protecting Princess Mingcheng.
Bai Qingyan clenched her palms: “Uncle, do you know anything about this Ghost-Faced General from Nanrong?”
Dong Qingyue shook his head, his fingers tapping the desk intermittently: “I’ve only heard that this Ghost-Faced General employs troops like a god. After all, our Jin Kingdom hasn’t directly confronted Nanrong, so we don’t understand much! But I’ve heard he’s crossed swords several times with Great Yan’s fierce general Xie Xun, and Xie Xun has never gained any advantage from this Ghost-Faced General.”