“Oh?” The Crown Prince’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Your health has improved considerably? But… did you use some miraculous elixir?”

Bai Qingyan shook her head. “There was no miraculous elixir. Physician Hong said… it should be thanks to the journey on foot during the campaign to Nan Jiang with Your Highness, which had the effect of strengthening the body. That’s why my health is much better than before!”

As she walked alongside the Crown Prince, she continued, “Moreover, during this period, I haven’t dared to neglect my training. I only pray that Heaven will grant me a few more years so I can follow Your Highness for a few more years, so I can… properly teach my younger sisters. If one day I am no longer here and there are no successors to serve Your Highness as generals, they can at least fill the gap for a while.”

Bai Qingyan didn’t hide from him the fact that her health had improved, and she even said… she wanted to live a few more years to teach her sisters well for his use. The Crown Prince suddenly felt that he and Old Fang had perhaps been overly suspicious before.

“I still hope you can stay well… and accompany me to go even further!” The Crown Prince showed Bai Qingyan a gentle smile, his tone sincere. “I… still hope to see you marry and have children!”

Bai Qingyan only smiled without speaking.

Liu Hong paced back and forth on the city wall, extremely anxious. Below the wall, the surrendered soldiers who didn’t know whether they would live or die were also waiting restlessly.

Among the prisoners, some clever ones had already gathered together to discuss countermeasures. They believed that rather than waiting here for Princess Zhenguo to come save them, it would be better to find their way out.

Using human bodies to ram the gate was obviously like throwing eggs at a rock. Forming a human wall to climb up the city wall was feasible, but… the rain was too heavy and slippery. Who would be willing to stand at the bottom?!

But aside from climbing up, they couldn’t think of any better solution.

The heavy rain gradually lessened. Liu Hong noticed that the surrendered soldiers below were staring at the city wall and discussing among themselves, seeming to show signs of unrest.

Liu Hong’s subordinates also sensed something was wrong. Just as they were about to implore Liu Hong not to wait any longer to prevent trouble, they saw the Crown Prince arrive together with Bai Qingyan.

Liu Hong was overjoyed at the sight, understanding that with the Crown Prince’s arrival, Princess Zhenguo must have persuaded His Majesty. “The eighteen thousand surrendered soldiers inside Yongding Gate have a hope of survival!”

He said this excitedly, then hurried forward to greet them, kneeling on one knee. “Liu Hong pays respects to Your Highness, the Crown Prince and Princess Zhenguo!”

The Crown Prince nodded to Liu Hong, walked to the front of the city wall, looked down at the more than ten thousand surrendered soldiers who were looking up at him, and spoke: “You have betrayed your lord and rebelled against the Kingdom, and should rightfully face death! But… I believe that even if the soldiers of our Jin Kingdom must die, they should die with dignity, dying on the battlefield in service to the Kingdom, not under the arrows of their people!”

The Crown Prince’s voice was powerful and resonant, passionate and stirring: “Therefore, I give you this opportunity to go to Nan Jiang… to protect the homeland and defend the Kingdom, to guard the borders and territories of our Jin Kingdom, to achieve merit and establish careers. Are you willing?!”

When the surrendered soldiers below the city wall heard that the Crown Prince would spare their lives and let them go to Nan Jiang to guard the borders, how could they be unwilling?!

The quick-witted surrendered soldiers shouted in the rain: “I am willing!”

As he spoke, that soldier knelt in the bloody water, shouting: “Your Highness, the Crown Prince! I am willing!”

“We are willing! We kowtow in gratitude for Your Highness’s heavenly grace!”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s forgiveness!”

More surrendered soldiers knelt before the Crown Prince, shouting their willingness, shouting their thanks for the Crown Prince’s heavenly grace.

Liu Hong watched the surrendered soldiers kneeling and shouting one after another in the rain, his emotions surging. He turned to look at Bai Qingyan’s upright yet slender figure. She stood with her hands behind her back, her expression calm and composed, her eyes deep and peaceful, showing no sign of joy or anger.

Liu Hong hadn’t expected that Bai Qingyan could persuade the Emperor. He knew clearly in his heart that the Crown Prince’s words… were probably what Bai Qingyan had used to persuade the Emperor, yet Bai Qingyan didn’t mind at all that the Crown Prince was using these words to curry favor with the soldiers below.

Seeing all the surrendered soldiers inside Yongding Gate submit, kneeling and shouting their gratitude, the Crown Prince felt a surge of triumphant satisfaction in his heart.

Many people bowed and kowtowed to the Crown Prince daily, but this was the first time in the Crown Prince’s life that he had this feeling of looking down from above… commanding众人. The sensation was extremely wonderful.

No wonder so many people wanted to climb to the supreme position and receive the reverence of the world.

The Crown Prince clenched his hands tightly behind his back.

“General Liu, I will instruct the Minister of War to assist and arrange for these soldiers to go to Nan Jiang as soon as possible. During this period… these surrendered soldiers will be under General Liu’s responsibility.” The Crown Prince turned to Liu Hong.

“Your Highness, rest assured!” Liu Hong cupped his hands and accepted the order.

The Crown Prince turned back to look at the surrendered soldiers kneeling and bowing to him below the city wall. A sense of generous passion arose in his heart, and he said with feigned composure: “I still have matters to attend to. I’ll leave this place to General Liu. Princess Zhenguo… let’s go! Come with me out of the palace.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, stepped aside to make way, letting the Crown Prince go first. She looked back at Liu Hong, saw him nod to indicate she could rest assured, then followed the Crown Prince and left.

As the Crown Prince walked alongside Bai Qingyan, he said: “It just so happens that the Minister of War should have arrived at the Crown Prince’s mansion by now. I’ll have them arrange as quickly as possible to send these people to Nan Jiang!”

“Your Highness could send someone to give General Shen Kunyang advance notice, so he knows… these soldiers are troops that Your Highness has subjugated and can be put to use, so he can train them well for Your Highness,” Bai Qingyan added.

Hearing Bai Qingyan say that the eighteen thousand soldiers were troops he had subjugated, the Crown Prince’s smile deepened, and he felt somewhat smugly pleased.

“I will have someone send a letter to General Shen Kunyang, don’t worry…” The Crown Prince said, his gaze falling again on Bai Qingyan’s arm hanging at her side, unable to be lifted. “Recently, you shouldn’t worry about these matters anymore. Rest well and recover from your injuries! Come, ride in my carriage! I’ll send you back to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion!”

Without waiting for Bai Qingyan to speak, the Crown Prince said with a serious expression: “With such heavy rain, you cannot be polite and decline with me.”

Bai Qingyan had intended to do so anyway, and nodded with a smile: “Then I’ll trouble Your Highness!”

“You and I are cousins to begin with, why be so formal!” The Crown Prince was in excellent spirits, smiling as he ordered someone to hold an umbrella for Bai Qingyan, then strode confidently toward the high wall below.

Bai Qingyan was helped onto the luxurious Crown Prince’s carriage. Quan Yu also followed, kneeling in the carriage to brew tea for Bai Qingyan and the Crown Prince.

Because Wude Gate had just experienced a bloody battle and Yongding Gate was tightly closed, the Crown Prince’s carriage had to exit through Rui’an Gate, requiring them to circle most of the imperial palace to reach Princess Zhenguo’s mansion.

On the way, the Crown Prince spoke with Bai Qingyan about Prince Liang, gritting his teeth: “Prince Liang is accustomed to that crying and wailing act. You’ll see… this time, Father Emperor will probably still spare Prince Liang. At most, he’ll be demoted to commoner status!”

“Regardless, Prince Liang will never again have the possibility of reaching the top. Your Highness and Prince Liang are as different as clouds and mud, so you needn’t waste much effort on him. If Your Highness is truly concerned, you could entrust Prince Liang to Old Fang for secret supervision… Old Fang is mature and prudent and acts cautiously. He certainly won’t make any mistakes,” Bai Qingyan said.