“Good, then I won’t disturb you further. Farewell!” Lu Ping rose and walked toward the courtyard entrance.

Li Mingrui remained seated in place. Only after Lu Ping left the courtyard and the old man guarding the courtyard went out to look around and reported to Li Mingrui that Lu Ping had gone far away did Li Mingrui say: “Come out!”

The door of the inner tile-roofed room was pulled open, and a white-robed strategist from the Li mansion emerged.

Li Mingrui picked up his teacup and took a sip, asking: “What do you think?”

“Since Princess Zhenguo has given orders, Young Master might as well follow Princess Zhenguo’s words and properly arrange for this Wang Qiulu. Young Master could also support Wang Qiulu, arrange a marriage for him and have him father children, as preparation for the day Princess Zhenguo brings out those letters…”

Li Mingrui looked up at the white-robed strategist whose eyebrows carried a faint smile, and his mind suddenly became clear.

Arranging a marriage for Wang Qiulu and having him father children, keeping his wife in hand—in the future… if Princess Zhenguo produced the personal letters from his father and the Second Prince, he could have this Wang Qiulu turn around and bite Princess Zhenguo, saying that Princess Zhenguo was deliberately framing their Li family because he had discovered that Princess Zhenguo had rescued the treasonous rebel Wang Qiulu.

“But Imperial Teacher Old Tan and Lord Shoushan are both masters with extremely high calligraphy skills. As long as they examine and authenticate the letters, they would know they’re not forgeries.” Li Mingrui’s brow furrowed slightly.

“In that case, we need to arrange for our calligraphy masters. If in the future… Princess Zhenguo truly produces the letters; it would be best to have our people testify that the letters are fake!” The white-robed strategist smiled and continued: “Moreover, as long as Young Master keeps his composure and maintains a submissive and obedient attitude toward Princess Zhenguo for these few years, why would Princess Zhenguo waste her useful chess piece?”

The white-robed strategist picked up the teacup in front of him that Lu Ping hadn’t touched earlier, poured out the water, and held the teacup in his hands to examine and play with: “Lord Shoushan and Imperial Teacher Old Tan are both quite elderly. How many years can they endure? Before long, they’ll probably be people entering their ancestral graves. What does Young Master have to fear?”

Li Mingrui chuckled softly and nodded: “If that’s the case, then I’ll trouble you, sir, to plan and arrange everything!”

“Young Master can rest assured. I will carefully select the people to rescue Wang Qiulu. No matter what, they will be connected to Princess Zhenguo, leaving traces of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion!” the white-robed strategist said with a smile.

“It’s still better to be careful and cautious!” Li Mingrui looked at the white-robed strategist. “This is the first matter after surrendering to Princess Zhenguo. If Princess Zhenguo discovers any suspicious details and we’re instead accused of trying to frame Princess Zhenguo, that would be troublesome.”

“Young Master can rest assured, I will act carefully!” the white-robed strategist said.

Lu Ping’s group hadn’t been traveling down the main street for long when Bai family guards quickly caught up with Lu Ping on horseback, riding beside him and saying: “There was another person in that house. Right after you left, that person came out, but as for what they said… we really couldn’t hear because we were too far away.”

Lu Ping nodded and instructed: “These next few days, keep a close watch on this Li Mingrui and that person who came out of the house. Find out who that person is!”

“Yes!”

After Lu Ping returned to report to Bai Qingyan, Bai Qingyan suddenly looked up at Lu Ping behind the gauze screen: “You said… Li Mingrui had a maple tree from Qiu Mountain in his courtyard?”

“That’s right!” Lu Ping heard something amiss in Bai Qingyan’s tone and asked: “What about the maple tree from Qiu Mountain?”

“Qiu Mountain maple tree, greenwood incense…” Bai Qingyan narrowed her eyes.

Lu Ping remembered Li Mingrui’s action of leaning toward the incense burner to smell the fragrance and nodded: “That incense did seem to be greenwood incense. I don’t understand much about fragrances.”

Bai Qingyan leaned against the hidden compartment, placing the book in her hands on the passion flower satin brocade quilt covering her legs: “Chun Tao, send someone to summon Wei Zhong from grandmother’s side!”

For investigating past matters, Wei Zhong was more capable than Lu Ping.

Chun Tao responded affirmatively and sent someone to summon Wei Zhong. Lu Ping frowned and asked: “Is there something inappropriate, Eldest Miss?”

It wasn’t that there was anything inappropriate, just that Qiu Mountain red leaves and greenwood incense had always been things Du Zhiwei liked.

Lu Ping said that dilapidated lanterns hanging at the entrance of that residence bore the character “Du,” and it was such a coincidence that the courtyard had a maple tree transplanted from Qiu Mountain and burned greenwood incense—this seemed like Du Zhiwei’s style.

Li Mingrui… Du Zhiwei. Bai Qingyan wanted to investigate what relationship Li Mingrui had with Du Zhiwei.

Originally, Du Zhiwei had been the Second Prince’s strategist. Li Mao had surrendered to the Second Prince—could it be that Li Mao’s eldest son had studied under Du Zhiwei?

“Uncle Ping needn’t worry about it. I’m just curious about one matter and want Wei Zhong to investigate!” Bai Qingyan’s voice was frank. “These next few days, Xiao Si needs to investigate the matter of sand and stones mixed into the northern frontier military rations. If there are matters to handle… I hope Uncle Ping will assist.”

“Eldest Miss can rest assured!” Lu Ping cupped his hands toward Bai Qingyan.

Lu Ping knew that Bai Qingyan intended to train Bai Jinzhi, so he would naturally do his utmost to assist Bai Jinzhi.

At this moment, Bai Jinzhi was lying against the railing of the pavilion on the artificial mountain in the courtyard, staring absent-mindedly at a tree in the yard that had dropped ginkgo leaves all over the ground.

Bai Jinse, who had just come out of Miss Lu’s courtyard, saw her fourth sister looking worried, and not knowing what she was thinking so intently. She said something to the maid beside her, then lifted her skirt and walked toward the pavilion on the artificial mountain.

Bai Jinzhi was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice anyone approaching until Bai Jinse raised her hand and patted Bai Jinzhi’s shoulder, causing Bai Jinzhi to come back to her senses.

“Is Fourth Sister here, admiring the autumn scenery?” Bai Jinse deliberately teased Bai Jinzhi, looking in the direction Bai Jinzhi had been gazing. She saw the hundred-year-old ginkgo tree in the Bai mansion covered the ground with brilliant golden colors, very beautiful. She smiled and said, “It’s just that today isn’t a bright sunny day. If bright sunlight were shining down, it would truly be a golden expanse, extremely beautiful.”

In the past, when her brothers were all here, they most enjoyed practicing sword work under that ginkgo tree. Fifth Uncle had always loved ginkgo trees, so he would feel heartbroken and chase all the brothers away, sitting under the ginkgo tree all day playing chess, guarding the ginkgo tree and not letting the brothers practice swords there, afraid of damaging the ginkgo.

“I don’t have the mood to appreciate any ginkgo!” Bai Jinzhi turned around dejectedly, leaning her spine against the red lacquered railing like she had no bones, casually playing with the gauze curtain hooked beside the pillar with a twisting copper hook. “Elder Sister asked me to investigate the matter of sand and stones mixed into the northern frontier military rations. She gave me silver… and said the people in our mansion could be used by me, but I just don’t know where to start!”

Bai Jinse saw Bai Jinzhi’s irritated appearance and was about to speak, but thinking that this was Elder Sister’s test for Fourth Sister, she pressed her lips together and smiled lightly: “Fourth Sister… you’re a county princess now. If you went to the Ministry of Revenue to inquire, surely the Ministry of Revenue wouldn’t dare to hide anything.”

Bai Jinzhi looked up at Bai Jinse: “I thought of that, but I don’t have a proper official title to investigate at the Ministry of Revenue. Instead, I’d be alerting the enemy!”

“Fourth Sister knows to worry about alerting the enemy!” Bai Jinse couldn’t help but laugh.