“Why don’t I see Changlan and Changmao? Are the two children… still finishing up?” Madam Cui suddenly asked.

Regarding Dong Changlan’s “death in battle,” Old Madam Dong knew the true circumstances, but Dong Qingyue had not told Madam Cui about this matter. When stationed outside… Dong Qingyue told others that he feared Old Madam Dong couldn’t bear knowing her legitimate eldest grandson had died in battle, making everyone keep it secret from the Dong family.

Dong Tingyun and Dong Tingzhi had heard some rumors. These past days, they dared not speak loudly, especially Dong Tingyun, who no longer dared approach Old Madam Dong, fearing she couldn’t help but tell grandmother about her legitimate elder brother’s death in battle. What if grandmother had some mishap then!

Moreover, she was a concubine-born daughter. If something happened to grandmother because of her… father might directly send her to a nunnery, never to set foot in the Dong family again.

Old Madam Dong also knew this wasn’t the place to talk. She looked back at Madam Cui and Young Madam Cui, who still knew nothing and was confused, saying: “Men have their proper business. Don’t ask so many questions!”

After speaking, Old Madam Dong gave Dong Qingyue a meaningful look, indicating he should at least go back and give Madam Cui some hint. Madam Cui wasn’t someone who could endure such strain. If she thought her son was truly gone and cried herself sick, Changlan wouldn’t know how to blame himself in the future.

Dong Qingyue nodded to Old Madam Dong.

After escorting Old Madam Dong back to her courtyard, Dong Qingyue still had many things to do.

He needed to send a memorial to the court, petitioning that Dengzhou had suffered heavy losses in this great battle, requesting the court reduce taxes for the people and allocate grain for disaster relief.

In reality, half of Dengzhou’s grain had already been taken away by Dong Changlan, and this time, they had deliberately left some in the city for Bai Qingyu to seize. Although Dengzhou still had surplus grain, since they could use this opportunity to ask the court for aid, why not ask the court for aid?

Besides this, Dong Qingyue also requested merit for Bai Qingyan in his memorial. He stated… if not for Bai Qingyan’s proper planning this time, they might not have been able to retake Dengzhou temporarily. If so, the people of Dengzhou would lose their homeland and could only become refugees, going to other cities and counties, causing trouble for law and order everywhere.

That night, Dong Changmao, who had led three thousand light cavalry to pursue the Nanrong’s routed soldiers, pretended to return to the city severely wounded, claiming that the three thousand light cavalry had all been killed by Nanrong ambush troops. To protect his escape, not one of the three thousand light cavalry survived, when in reality, Dong Changmao had delivered these three thousand light cavalry intact to Dong Changlan.

Dong Changmao, covered in blood, was carried into the Dong mansion under the gaze of Dengzhou officials and civilians, with word spread to call physicians for treatment.

To make the act more convincing, Dong Changmao had been truly ruthless with himself, inflicting many wounds on his own body, fortunately none affecting vital areas.

Dong Qingyue submitted another memorial overnight. In the memorial, he ostensibly criticized but actually praised the Nanrong Ghost-faced General for his divine military tactics, different from previous Nanrong generals, seeming to be well-versed in military strategy, making the Dengzhou army no match.

Young Madam Cui saw Dong Changmao return to the mansion severely wounded, but didn’t see Dong Changlan. Unable to sit still, she came to Madam Cui’s place, wanting to inquire about news with Madam Cui, but was stopped outside the door by Madam Cui’s nanny, who said Dong Qingyue was inside discussing matters with Madam Cui.

Upon hearing this, Young Madam Cui’s face turned deathly pale, and she couldn’t stand steady. Fortunately, her maid beside her supported her: “Young madam!”

Dong Changmao returned to the mansion severely wounded, and the father-in-law came to find the mother-in-law to discuss matters… and sent away the maids in the room. Could it be that… something happened to Changlan?

“Sister Rong…”

Young Madam Cui suddenly heard Bai Qingyan calling her. She turned toward Bai Qingyan, hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects to Bai Qingyan, then said with a trembling voice: “Cousin… Changmao returned to the mansion severely wounded, and father went to find mother to discuss matters. Did something happen to Changlan? Cousin… if something happened to Changlan, you absolutely cannot hide it from me!”

It wasn’t that Young Madam Cui was overly worried, but she understood Dong Changlan too well. If Dong Changlan and Dong Changmao were attacked together, Dong Changlan would fight to the death to protect his younger brother Dong Changmao, leaving a chance of survival to Dong Changmao.

Simply because… he was the legitimate eldest!

Bai Qingyan gently grasped Young Madam Cui’s ice-cold, trembling hand, saying: “I came precisely to tell you about this matter. Come with me…”

Upon hearing this, Young Madam Cui felt as if the sky was falling. Her small face turned deathly pale as she gripped Bai Qingyan’s hand, her feet seeming nailed to the ground, unable to move an inch: “Changlan… did something happen to Changlan?”

Seeing Young Madam Cui in this state, Bai Qingyan turned her head to dismiss Chun Tao and Young Madam Cui’s maid, then said in a low voice to Young Madam Cui: “Changlan is perfectly fine. Even the wounds on Changmao’s body were inflicted by himself for the act!”

Young Madam Cui looked at Bai Qingyan in confusion.

Bai Qingyan smiled at Young Madam Cui and led her by the hand to the corridor, helping her sit down: “You also know about the court’s delay in paying the Dengzhou army’s grain and wages this time. If this continues… the Dong family will sooner or later meet the same fate as the Bai family! So, Uncle needs Changlan to do some things. These things cannot be known by outsiders, and cannot be done using Changlan’s identity. To prevent others from discovering any clues, so… uncle had Changlan fake his death and had Changmao pretend to be severely wounded!”

Originally, Bai Qingyan did not approve of telling Young Madam Cui about this matter. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her, but she felt the fewer people who knew about this, the safer Dong Changlan would be.

However, grandmother said that Young Madam Cui could be trusted and must be told, because Young Madam Cui was already pregnant, having just recently conceived. If they didn’t tell her and something happened to the child, what would they do?

Although Bai Qingyan didn’t understand Young Madam Cui well enough, she trusted her grandmother enough. So today, as soon as she heard Young Madam Cui had come to find Madam Dong, she followed over to personally clear up Young Madam Cui’s confusion.

“Fake death?!” Young Madam Cui’s eyes widened. She stood up excitedly, seeming not to believe it, thinking Bai Qingyan was deceiving her, tears flowing like broken strings.

“Sister Rong, I, Bai Qingyan, swear by the heroic spirits of my Bai family that Changlan is safe and sound! If even half a word of what I told you today is false, may Bai Qingyan not die a good death!” Bai Qingyan grasped Young Madam Cui’s hand and helped her sit down again. “Trust me!”

With Bai Qingyan making such a solemn oath, how could Young Madam Cui not believe? She hurriedly used her handkerchief to wipe away her tears in panic, gripping Bai Qingyan’s hand tightly as she cried aloud: “No, cousin, it’s not that I don’t trust you! I’m just afraid…”

Speaking thus, Young Madam Cui carefully looked down at her belly, biting her lip tightly. She looked up at Bai Qingyan standing under the corridor lamp, choking as she said: “I know that father, Changlan, and cousin are all people who do great things. I’m just a woman from the inner quarters. It’s reasonable that cousin and Changlan won’t tell me clearly what they’re going to do. I’m not unreasonable, but Changlan should have told me personally! We are husband and wife… doesn’t he even trust me?”

Seeing Young Madam Cui’s handkerchief about to be torn apart, Bai Qingyan handed her handkerchief to Young Madam Cui.