Xiao Rongyan’s features carried a slight smile: “Moreover, we agreed that when opposing each other, personal feelings wouldn’t be allowed!”

What Bai Qingyan had been most worried about was that their relationship would interfere when they were on opposite sides.

Hearing Xiao Rongyan say this, Bai Qingyan’s eyes showed amusement as she said: “I apologized because I was so aggressive in front of the Crown Prince just now, but our Crown Prince… if I were gentle and mild rather than aggressive, he wouldn’t understand the crucial nature of this matter. It’s like when I once advised the Crown Prince to send troops to aid the Rong barbarians—my counsel was too gentle, so the Crown Prince didn’t take it to heart!”

“I understand…” Xiao Rongyan looked around, and seeing no one there, he gripped the reins tightly and moved a few steps closer to Bai Qingyan. His deep, profound eyes gazed at the fair and beautiful features of the woman before him. His dry, powerful hand grasped Bai Qingyan’s slender wrist, his thumb caressing her delicate wrist as he said in a low voice, “If A’Bao truly feels she was too harsh with me just now, could you compensate me a little?”

Xiao Rongyan’s gaze fell on Bai Qingyan’s injured ear. He pulled the unguarded Bai Qingyan, making her stumble a step forward to him. Bai Qingyan’s face flushed red, and she quickly grasped Xiao Rongyan’s supporting arm and stepped back, afraid of being seen. Her voice carried a slight warning: “Xiao Rongyan!”

“Don’t move…” Xiao Rongyan stepped closer to Bai Qingyan, using his thumb to wipe away a layer of powder that had been used to conceal the scar on Bai Qingyan’s ear. His brow furrowed slightly. He released Bai Qingyan and took out a small porcelain jar from his sleeve, scooped out a bit of ointment, and gently applied it to Bai Qingyan’s ear.

“What is this?” When the small porcelain bottle was opened, Bai Qingyan immediately smelled a rich, elegant fragrance that was very pleasant.

“This is a secret medicine from Great Yan’s imperial court, merman fat… it has miraculous effects on scars. But originally it smelled terrible, so my mother improved the merman fat to her preferred scent. She experimented hundreds of times to create merman fat that doesn’t affect its efficacy… yet has a pleasing fragrance.” Xiao Rongyan used his fingertip to warm the ointment and gently applied it to Bai Qingyan’s ear.

This was something Xiao Rongyan had specially sent someone to ride swiftly back to Great Yan to obtain from his imperial brother.

The wind passed, and the branches and leaves of tall trees extending from within the walls rustled.

“Be careful in all things from now on. When you’re injured… it pains my heart greatly.”

His mellow voice was especially moving in the sound of the wind.

Bai Qingyan’s ear grew increasingly hot, not knowing how to respond, her lips unconsciously curving into a slight smile.

Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes, and within her sight was Xiao Rongyan’s exquisitely embroidered jade belt at his waist. She quickly averted her gaze and responded: “Mm!”

After Xiao Rongyan finished applying the medicine, Bai Qingyan handed him a handkerchief. The moment their eyes met, her heartbeat suddenly quickened.

“Thank you…” Xiao Rongyan took the handkerchief, capped the small porcelain jar, and handed it to Bai Qingyan. “Apply it once in the morning and once in the evening.”

“Thank you…” Bai Qingyan took the small porcelain jar. Seeing Xiao Rongyan wipe his hands with the handkerchief, fold it neatly, and place it in his sleeve, she looked up at him.

“Consider it an apology gift for A’Bao’s aggressiveness just now.” Xiao Rongyan smiled and picked up the reins. “Let’s go!”

Looking at their elongated shadows, Xiao Rongyan said in a low voice: “Although I wasn’t able to prevent Jin’s envoys from entering Rong territory through the Crown Prince this time, there are other methods. If I succeed… A’Bao mustn’t blame me.”

Bai Qingyan nodded. Between the two of them, each would rely on their abilities.

Walking alongside Bai Qingyan, when someone occasionally rode past swiftly, Xiao Rongyan would resume his serious demeanor and ask: “Is Miss Bai accepting my grain this time truly to help me out of a difficult situation, or do you lack grain?”

“Just helping His Highness solve troubles!” Bai Qingyan smiled at Xiao Rongyan. “To prevent Master Xiao from telling the Crown Prince that all profits from this venture would go entirely to His Highness, only seeking to break even. If the Crown Prince were tempted by such petty gains, it would benefit Jin nothing.”

Bai Qingyan’s agreement to accept Xiao Rongyan’s supposedly high-priced grain served two purposes: first, it blocked Xiao Rongyan’s excuse to approach the Crown Prince again, and second, it could resolve Ji Tingyu’s urgent grain shortage, killing two birds with one stone.

Although their mutual affection was genuine, the matter of Ji Tingyu intercepting new soldiers wasn’t yet something she could openly discuss with Xiao Rongyan. Bai Qingyan distinguished clearly between personal feelings… and official business.

Xiao Rongyan smiled and nodded: “If Miss Bai had arrived a step later, the Crown Prince would certainly have agreed.”

“So, for Great Yan to swallow this world… it still lacks some fortune.” Bai Qingyan’s tone seemed playful as she walked with her hands behind her back toward the Court of Judicial Review prison with Xiao Rongyan.

In this confrontation between Xiao Rongyan and Bai Qingyan before the Crown Prince, he indeed held no advantage. Before the Crown Prince, he would always be a foreigner, and when he and Bai Qingyan spoke simultaneously with opposite views, the Crown Prince would naturally favor Bai Qingyan.

Xiao Rongyan could only hope that before Jin’s envoys arrived, Xie Xun and the Beirong generals could capture more territory, at least control most of the Rong territory. That way… most of the natural horse pastures would be in Yan’s hands.

Perhaps because of their prior agreement, even though they had just been at odds, neither harbored resentment now.

“Great Yan and Beirong are jointly attacking Nanrong. Has Xie Xun… risen from his grief to seek revenge for Princess Mingcheng?” Bai Qingyan asked.

“On the battlefield, life and death are common occurrences. Princess Mingcheng’s distant marriage alliance with Beirong naturally made Nanrong uneasy. Rather than saying Xie Xun rose from grief to seek revenge, it’s more accurate to say… Xie Xun rose from grief to mobilize troops and strengthen the nation, wanting Great Yan to become so powerful that women would never again need to marry far away for peace!” Xiao Rongyan’s words weren’t mere evasion.

Bai Qingyan hadn’t expected Xie Xun to possess such breadth of mind, and couldn’t help but sigh: “With Great Yan having a wise ruler and capable ministers, how could the nation fail to prosper?”

Hearing this, Xiao Rongyan paused mid-step and turned to look at Bai Qingyan: “If Great Yan had capable ministers like Princess Zhenguo who could govern in peace and secure the realm in war, we would be invincible.”

Bai Qingyan shook her head: “Master Xiao flatters me.”

When they reached areas with more people, Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan tacitly began discussing other topics, avoiding any mention of Great Yan.

Not far away, Liu Ruofu, who had just stepped down from her carriage, used her round fan to shield her face. She immediately noticed Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan walking side by side. Lu Baohua, who had come with Liu Ruofu to Huaying Pavilion to select jewelry, exclaimed with a laugh: “Isn’t that… Princess Zhenguo?”

Huaying Pavilion was a famous jewelry shop in the capital. Even ladies from noble families had to order from Huaying Pavilion six months in advance, or they could only buy mass-produced jewelry from the shop.

But which noble family lady would want to wear the same jewelry as others? Liu Ruofu was about to marry Prince Liang, and her grandmother was funding her… to have some dignified jewelry custom-made for future use, and also to let Liu Ruofu get out and refresh her spirits.

Hearing the words “Princess Zhenguo,” Liu Ruofu’s sharp gaze turned toward Bai Qingyan. It was because of Bai Qingyan that she had lost face, making such a fool of herself at the state banquet that she became the laughingstock of the entire capital.