Bai Qingyan shared a carriage with Grand Princess, returning to the Bai Mansion. Inside the slightly swaying carriage, Grand Princess noticed that Bai Qingyan had grown thinner. After carefully examining her and confirming that Bai Qingyan bore no injuries, she began telling her about Bai Jinxiu’s premature birth of a son.

Grand Princess’s brow and eyes were filled with joy, and her love for the child was genuine and heartfelt. She spoke enthusiastically: “The child’s pet name is Wang Ge’er. Though he was born prematurely, Jinxiu took good care of herself during pregnancy, so he was born fair and adorable. In the first few days, he didn’t drink much milk – such a tiny little thing that worried everyone sick. But after the first month, the little one’s appetite gradually improved. Now with several wet nurses attending to him, his little face has grown round and plump from eating well. One look and you can tell he’s blessed with fortune.”

Nanny Jiang knelt to one side, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to Grand Princess: “Grand Princess, you’ve been talking for so long, please drink some tea to moisten your throat! Elder Miss has been away from home for so long and surely has much to say, too. At least give Elder Miss a chance to speak!”

Grand Princess accepted the teacup and suddenly laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepening: “Good, good, good! I won’t talk anymore… let A’Bao speak.”

Bai Qingyan smiled as she accepted a teacup from Nanny Jiang’s hands, holding it in her grasp. She looked up at Grand Princess and asked, “Grandmother, do you know why Jinxiu gave birth prematurely? In her letter, Jinxiu didn’t elaborate in detail, and later, when His Majesty met with trouble, Jinxiu’s letters stopped coming.”

Hearing this, Grand Princess recalled how her granddaughter’s life had hung by a thread, and if not for that maid with extraordinary strength, it would have nearly been the death of both mother and child. The smile on her face faded somewhat, a hint of murderous intent and anger surging in her eyes. She forcibly suppressed these turbulent emotions, then grasped Bai Qingyan’s hand, gently patting the back of it, saying softly: “Jinxiu is waiting for you at Princess Zhenguo’s mansion. She instructed her grandmother that she would tell you about this matter herself.”

Grand Princess knew that Bai Qingyan would inevitably ask about this upon her return, but she hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan to ask immediately upon arriving.

Bai Qingyan’s palm tightened slightly as she nodded. Seeing the dense silver threads at Grand Princess’s temples, she suddenly remembered what her maternal grandmother had told her… that grandmother, as Grand Princess of the Lin clan, could not watch the Lin imperial power crumble in the hands of her descendants. She gently grasped Grand Princess’s hand and nodded.

Grand Princess was stunned. Ever since the Ji Tingyu affair, their grandmother and granddaughter had grown apart, and when Bai Qingyan had kowtowed in the mourning hall and severed emotional ties with her, Grand Princess had thought that nine oxen couldn’t pull her granddaughter back. She never expected Bai Qingyan to grasp her hand.

Grand Princess’s eyes grew warm as she smiled and gently stroked Bai Qingyan’s hand, holding back tears as she said: “This escort of the Crown Prince back to the capital is a great achievement. Stay in the capital for more days – the Crown Prince certainly won’t object.”

Bai Qingyan nodded: “During this time, grandmother has worked hard.”

Grand Princess held Bai Qingyan’s hand and smiled as she shook her head.

Nanny Jiang wiped her tears with her sleeve, smiling as she pushed the pastries toward Bai Qingyan and handed her delicately carved fine silver chopsticks with both hands: “Elder Miss must be hungry after this journey home. This old servant prepared pastries for Elder Miss. Have some to tide you over before reaching home, and drink some hot tea.”

“Thank you, nanny!” Bai Qingyan accepted the silver chopsticks, tasted a small bite of the pea steamed cake, and smiled: “This is nanny’s handiwork.”

“When we received word that you were returning, Nanny Jiang specially borrowed the imperial kitchen to make pastries for you. She got up before dawn to work on them!” Grand Princess spoke with particular lightness in her voice, probably due to her granddaughter’s gesture of goodwill, gripping Bai Qingyan’s other hand tightly without letting go.

Chun Tao followed alongside the carriage, walking along the main street back toward Princess Zhenguo’s mansion. Suddenly, she saw that group of wealthy young wastrels who usually played with Lu Yuanpeng, feeling quite puzzled – hadn’t this group of wastrels from the capital all gone to join the army?

Chun Tao watched as that group of wastrels entered Yanque Tower together, but didn’t see Lu Yuanpeng, who usually frequented the Bai family. Before Chun Tao could get a closer look at which other wastrels had entered Yanque Tower, suddenly an armored soldier on horseback galloped past Chun Tao, heading toward the government offices, shouting for people to make way!

Inside the carriage, Bai Qingyan heard the sound and lifted the curtain to look outside. Chun Tao looked up while walking and glanced toward her young lady: “Does Young Lady have instructions?”

“Who is galloping through the main streets?” Bai Qingyan asked.

“Replying to Young Lady, it was an armored soldier who appeared to be heading toward the government offices,” Chun Tao replied.

Bai Qingyan nodded, lowering her eyes in thought for a moment, guessing it was probably a military report being delivered to the capital.

But the battle report didn’t go directly to the imperial palace, but to the government offices… it should be going to the Ministry of War, so it probably wasn’t urgent military intelligence.

Coming from the eastern gate of the capital, could it be a military report from the Rong Di direction?

“Tell Lu Ping to go to the Ministry of War and find out what military report this is,” Bai Qingyan said.

“Yes!” Chun Tao responded, left the carriage procession, and ran forward to relay the order to Lu Ping.

Bai Qingyan released the curtain and withdrew her hand, then heard Grand Princess say: “If it’s being sent to the Ministry of War, it’s probably not urgent military intelligence. You should rest well!”

“I’m afraid it’s military intelligence from the Rong Di. Now that half the troops from Anping Military Camp have been brought back, I fear the Rong Di might cause trouble. It’s better to know what’s happening early so we can prepare accordingly,” Bai Qingyan said.

Grand Princess looked at her granddaughter before her, who possessed that backbone of the nation – that clear, strong iron spirit – and lowered her eyes, gently stroking the back of Bai Qingyan’s hand: “You truly… are just like your grandfather, always concerned with Jin’s welfare no matter the circumstances. You are a good child of our Bai family.”

Bai Qingyan remained silent, traveling quietly with Grand Princess to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion.

In front of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion, Second Madam Liu Shi, along with Bai Jinxiu, Bai Jinse, Lu Ning’e, and Physician Hong all stood outside the gate, welcoming Grand Princess and Bai Qingyan.

Originally, after Wang Ge’er’s full month celebration, Second Madam Liu Shi should have returned to Shouyang with Third Madam Li Shi, who had come for Wang Ge’er’s full month banquet. But Dong Shi had Third Madam Li Shi bring word that since Bai Jinxiu had given birth prematurely, if Liu Shi returned to Shouyang, she wouldn’t be at ease. The Qin family had no elders to provide care, Jinxiu had her first child, so Liu Shi should stay in the capital – both to care for Jinxiu and Wang Ge’er, and also to look after Seventh Miss Bai Jinse.

Liu Shi was immensely grateful to Dong Shi and didn’t act coy, staying in the capital. She planned to return to Shouyang after Wang Ge’er turned six months old, definitely not delaying any longer.

Seeing Grand Princess’s carriage from afar, and spotting Chun Tao following alongside the carriage, Liu Shi’s face filled with joy as she lifted her skirts and hurried down the high steps: “She’s back! She’s back!”

The brilliant morning sunlight crossed over the city walls, spreading gold across the clean streets of the capital.

Bai Jinse also hurried down the high steps, her eyes bright with laughter, turning back to look at Bai Jinxiu: “Second Sister! Elder Sister has returned!”

Bai Jinxiu smiled and nodded. Becoming a mother had added several touches of gentleness to Bai Jinxiu’s words and demeanor. Perhaps due to the ordeal she’d suffered from the premature birth, she was considerably thinner than before, though her complexion was still acceptable.