But when it came to seeing the bigger picture… Bai Qingyan’s perspective was broader than Old Fang’s.

Bai Qingyan could lead troops in battle and also strategize from behind the scenes, offering him counsel and plans. Such a person—he needed to use her, to win her over with emotion and righteousness!

And more… he needed to guard against her.

Thinking of this, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but feel grateful that Bai Qingyan was a woman. Otherwise, he would never be able to use Bai Qingyan with such peace of mind.

“Quan Yu, go select a few bottles of fine healing medicine for me to send to Princess Zhenguo. Say that… even drunk, I’m still thinking about the injury on Princess Zhenguo’s ear, so I had you bring medicine over. Also, assign a few people to serve and care for Princess Zhenguo well. Do you remember?” The Crown Prince turned to look at Quan Yu, who was massaging his shoulders.

Hearing that the Crown Prince was sending him to see Bai Qingyan, Quan Yu responded joyfully, went to select several bottles of fine healing medicine, and remembering that Bai Qingyan had barely touched her food during the meal, also went to the kitchen to get a plate of freshly made pastries before heading to Bai Qingyan’s quarters.

But before Quan Yu could get close, he was stopped by Lu Ping.

Lu Ping smiled and bowed to Quan Yu: “Eunuch Quan Yu, does His Highness have business summoning our eldest miss? Our eldest miss has already retired for the night…”

“Oh… if the Princess has retired, then Quan Yu won’t disturb her!” Quan Yu smiled and handed the black lacquered food box with gold decorations he was carrying to Lu Ping. “Inside are several bottles of fine healing medicine that His Highness asked this servant to deliver! Oh… and there’s also a plate of pastries. This servant noticed that Princess Zhenguo barely ate during the meal, perhaps because the food wasn’t to her taste. These are all made with clear oil, absolutely no meat or fish.”

Lu Ping received the food box and bowed to Quan Yu: “Thank you for Eunuch Quan Yu’s thoughtfulness.”

“As it should be!” After speaking, Quan Yu didn’t leave. Instead, he hesitated and touched his ear, asking: “Does the Princess’s injury truly not need to be seen?”

Seeing Quan Yu’s eyes full of concern, Lu Ping was momentarily stunned. Before he could answer, he heard Quan Yu continue: “His Highness is very concerned about the Princess’s injury!”

Lu Ping nodded: “Please have Eunuch Quan Yu assure His Highness that our eldest miss only has a superficial wound.”

“That’s good! That’s good…” Quan Yu bowed to Lu Ping. “Then this servant will first return to report to His Highness.”

“Eunuch Quan Yu, take care.” Lu Ping bowed deeply.

Only after watching Quan Yu leave with the palace maids and eunuchs walking with clasped hands and bent waists in small steps did Lu Ping breathe a slight sigh of relief.

At this time, the eldest miss was speaking with Qin Shangzhi. It was the eldest miss who had Lu Ping summon Qin Shangzhi over. Lu Ping guessed that, seeing how thin Qin Shangzhi had become in such a short time, the eldest miss had developed thoughts of recruitment.

Lu Ping originally didn’t think highly of the eldest miss’s move. He understood Qin Shangzhi’s character well—he didn’t easily choose a master, but once he chose, it would be for life.

Years ago, when Lu Ping joined the Bai family army, he had invited Qin Shangzhi to serve under Bai Qishan’s banner. But Qin Shangzhi had said… the Bai family’s achievements were too great, their family tradition too upright and clear. Bai Weiting, thinking that marrying the Grand Princess meant he could completely entrust his back to the imperial family, trusted the imperial house completely without a guard. Sooner or later, he would fall into the hands of the imperial family. Once he chose a master, he wouldn’t change again, so he was unwilling to sink with the Bai family ship.

At the time, Lu Ping hadn’t taken these words to heart. It wasn’t until later… when all the Bai family men perished in Nan Jiang and the eldest miss beat the petitioning drum to force the Emperor to restore justice, that Lu Ping realized Qin Shangzhi’s words had been true.

Qin Shangzhi was extremely stubborn, the type to walk down one path to the end. Once he made a decision, ten oxen couldn’t pull him back.

Lu Ping didn’t want Bai Qingyan to waste her effort, so he had tried to dissuade her a few times. But Bai Qingyan said… whether it succeeded depended on Qin Shangzhi, but whether to allow Qin Shangzhi to leave the Crown Prince depended on them.

It was precisely these words from Bai Qingyan that moved Lu Ping, and only then did he quietly summon Qin Shangzhi over.

The gaunt Qin Shangzhi sat before the black lacquered square table, his deep gaze looking through the flickering candlelight at Bai Qingyan sitting across from him.

Since they were claiming to the outside that Princess Zhenguo had retired, only one lamp was lit in the room. The yellow light illuminated Bai Qingyan’s exquisite, flawless features. Bai Qingyan’s eyes were restrained and calm… but somehow, this calmness made Qin Shangzhi’s heart race with fear.

If before tonight, when Bai Qingyan had Lu Ping summon him over, Qin Shangzhi’s thoughts about Bai Qingyan’s intentions were merely speculation, now it was clear—Bai Qingyan indeed harbored rebellious thoughts.

Bai Qingyan’s willingness to bow her head and correct the Crown Prince wasn’t out of submission, but rather… because she was a member of the Bai family, and she still retained goodness and righteousness in her heart. She couldn’t watch the Crown Prince use those sinister, underhanded methods to preserve his position, and she was also using the Crown Prince.

Then what about the future? When the day came that Bai Qingyan’s wings were fully grown, would she compete with the Crown Prince to see whose blade was faster, whose head would fall first, who could sit on that supreme throne?

He had been careless. He had thought Bai Qingyan was just a woman, but he had forgotten… Bai Qingyan’s breadth of mind, wisdom, and strategic vision were not those of an ordinary woman confined to the inner quarters. When she saw him off outside the capital, her grand ambition to support the common people of the Jin Kingdom had made his blood boil with excitement!

Such a woman—he couldn’t treat her as just a woman. He should have known that those with ability and ambition often harbored great aspirations as well.

Qin Shangzhi stood and bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Thank you for Miss Bai’s regard. Qin knows his abilities are limited and fears he cannot accept Miss Bai’s kind intentions.”

“Since Master Qin calls me Miss Bai, it shows you don’t place us in positions of different status and still remember some old affection.” Bai Qingyan poured out the cold tea in front of Qin Shangzhi and replaced it with hot tea, pushing the cup toward him and gesturing for him to sit. “Today, I had Lu Ping summon Master Qin over out of appreciation for talent and also remembering old affection! Master Qin has been by the Crown Prince’s side for so long—can’t you see that Master Qin is an upright gentleman? If you can’t learn to flatter and curry favor, can’t learn to be smooth in dealing with people, you’ll never have a day to get ahead.”

Qin Shangzhi clenched his fists at his sides and sat down with gritted teeth.

“If Master Qin is unwilling to leave, I’d like to ask why you’re loyal to the Crown Prince? For a legitimate bloodline? Because the Lin surname imperial power rules the Jin Kingdom? In Master Qin’s heart, legitimate, concubine-born, noble, and lowly are determined from birth… is that correct?”

The dim candlelight reflected in Bai Qingyan’s deep eyes, but couldn’t illuminate what lay at the bottom of her gaze.

“Miss, all things in this world have order and rules. Take Miss yourself… You were born the legitimate eldest granddaughter of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion. Although you’re a daughter… Miss could study under the great scholar Master Guan Yongchong, while other girls in the Bai family couldn’t study under Master Guan Yongchong. Why could Miss have been personally raised and taught by Duke Zhenguo, while Duke Zhenguo didn’t personally raise the Bai family’s concubine-born daughters? Miss… if there were no distinction between legitimate and concubine-born, noble and lowly in this world, why would the Bai family have the rule that ‘the concubine-born protect the legitimate’?”