How could the Crown Prince not know about this matter? All the reports sent up from below had been suppressed by the Crown Prince.

Bai Jinzhi had already noticed the Crown Prince’s evasive expression, but she pretended not to understand his look and spoke with righteous indignation: “Those soldiers defend the frontier for our Kingdom. If they can’t even fill their stomachs, how can they fight?! I was furious when I heard about it. Thinking that the Crown Prince’s cousin would not tolerate anyone tampering with the soldiers’ rations, I hurried here to request this assignment from the Crown Prince’s cousin. While I’m still in the capital, let me investigate this matter for the Crown Prince’s cousin!”

Bai Jinzhi raised her hand and patted her chest: “Crown Prince cousin, rest assured, I will investigate this matter thoroughly! I’ll also show my elder sister that it’s not only my elder sister who can serve the Crown Prince’s cousin effectively—I can too! This way… elder sister can worry less and recover from her injuries properly!”

Hearing this, the Crown Prince looked up and asked Bai Jinzhi: “You’re saying Princess Zhenguo also knows about this?”

“Yes! When I returned home, I told my elder sister about it. Elder sister said this matter needed careful investigation and should be reported to the Crown Prince’s cousin. But I don’t want my elder sister to be overworked, so I came to find the Crown Prince’s cousin first, volunteering myself. Please, Crown Prince cousin, entrust this matter to me! I want to show my elder sister my capabilities!” Bai Jinzhi looked at the Crown Prince with pure, clear eyes, innocent like a pool of clear water, clean and transparent to the bottom.

“County Princess Gaoyi, this matter… I know about it!” The Crown Prince had no choice but to speak honestly with Bai Jinzhi. After all, by any account, Bai Jinzhi was one of his people. “Moreover, Princess Zhenguo has already recommended you to go to Anping Military Camp. Prepare yourself well to go to Anping Military Camp next month… help me control Anping Military Camp!”

“Then… what about the military rations matter? We’re just not investigating it? What if I go to Anping Military Camp and eat military rations full of sand? Crown Prince’s cousin, I think this matter needs a strict investigation!” Bai Jinzhi spoke with righteous conviction.

The Crown Prince was still patient with Bai Jinzhi, smiling as he said: “Don’t worry about the military rations matter… I will never let you eat rations with sand!”

If Bai Jinzhi went to Anping Military Camp, the Anping army would be the Crown Prince’s troops. How could the Crown Prince let his soldiers eat food with sand?

If Bai Jinzhi had only been suspicious before, now she could be certain that the Crown Prince had known about the sand mixed in military rations for a long time but had suppressed the matter without handling it.

She guessed that either… the Crown Prince was profiting from this affair, or the Crown Prince was protecting someone.

Bai Jinzhi’s fists tightened at her sides as she argued with reason: “But Crown Prince cousin, I think this matter still needs to be investigated clearly. Crown Prince’s cousin, think about it! The soldiers guarding the borders… they’re defending the Jin Kingdom’s territory for Uncle Emperor and the Crown Prince’s cousin! If they can’t eat good food, what if enemy countries invade…”

“Enough, enough!” The Crown Prince raised his hand to interrupt Bai Jinzhi’s words. “I understand what you mean. I know what I’m doing about this matter. You don’t need to worry anymore. I will handle it properly! I guarantee the border-guarding soldiers won’t eat such food again. Are you satisfied now?”

Seeing that the Crown Prince had no intention of properly handling the matter, Bai Jinzhi had no choice but to rise and take her leave.

As soon as Bai Jinzhi left, the Crown Prince had someone summon Old Fang to discuss the military rations matter…

“This matter is difficult to handle! The Crown Princess is currently pregnant. If this gets to Father Emperor… and Father Emperor punishes the Crown Princess’s brother, what if it harms the child in the Crown Princess’s womb? But Bai Jinzhi has such a fiery temperament—believe it or not… the moment she leaves here, she’ll go investigate this matter!” The Crown Prince was confident he understood Bai Jinzhi well enough, since she was someone whose thoughts were completely transparent.

Old Fang frowned and spoke: “Then it depends on whether Your Highness trusts County Princess Gaoyi. If you trust County Princess Gaoyi, why not… speak frankly to County Princess Gaoyi? If County Princess Gaoyi is truly loyal to Your Highness, she will surely consider Your Highness and the child in the Crown Princess’s womb, and let the matter rest! But if County Princess Gaoyi still wants to make a big issue of this and requests Your Highness to severely punish the Crown Princess’s brother, then…”

Old Fang looked up, his slightly clouded eyes gazing at the Crown Prince, gently shaking his head: “Your Highness should carefully consider whether such a person—who appears to be loyal to Your Highness on the surface but doesn’t follow Your Highness’s commands and doesn’t consider Your Highness’s difficulties—can be placed in the military camp to control Anping Military Camp for Your Highness!”

The Crown Prince nodded upon hearing this. Indeed, that was the case…

If Bai Jinzhi didn’t listen to his orders, no matter how loyal she was, she couldn’t be sent to Anping Military Camp. Otherwise, in the future… if Bai Jinzhi’s thoughts conflicted with his commands and she didn’t follow orders, what would he do?

The Crown Prince turned to look at Quan Yu, who had been standing to the side: “Quan Yu, send someone to bring County Princess Gaoyi back.”

“Yes!” Quan Yu responded and went out to instruct the guards to bring County Princess Gaoyi back.

Quan Yu stood at the doorway and quietly glanced into the study, seeing Old Fang discussing the selection of the Minister of Rites with the Crown Prince again. Old Fang’s meaning was… that this position in the Ministry of Rites should be filled with their person.

The Crown Prince worried that placing their person would make the Emperor unhappy if he found out.

But Old Fang persuaded: “Your Highness, now that His Majesty has entrusted all government affairs to Your Highness, it shows His Majesty’s trust in Your Highness and allows Your Highness to act freely! Your Highness must not forget… besides Your Highness, His Majesty is not without other princes. It’s just that those princes are still minors and currently pose no threat. But what if His Majesty truly lives until those princes come of age? Your Highness, think about it… If another prince develops thoughts like Prince Xin and Prince Liang, does Your Highness want to experience another Wude Gate incident?”

The Crown Prince’s scalp tightened at the thought of the Wude Gate incident, and he unconsciously shook his head.

“Furthermore, the Empress position in the rear palace is currently vacant. His Majesty has Consort Yu managing the rear palace, but hasn’t allowed her to advance further. Instead, he elevated Concubine Qiu to Consort Qiu. Speaking presumptuously… His Majesty’s favor toward Consort Yu is far less than his favor toward Consort Qiu. Moreover… Consort Qiu is young and fresh. Since entering the rear palace, she has enjoyed great favor. Who knows if she might bear His Majesty a prince in the future, or whether she might bewitch His Majesty…”

The Crown Prince’s palms tightened.

“Therefore, placing our people in the Ministry of Rites is extremely important! In a few years… we can use ritual protocols to petition His Majesty to crown Consort Yu as Empress, and we can also prevent Concubine Qiu from climbing to higher positions!” Old Fang said in a low voice.

The Crown Prince was still contemplating with lowered eyes, but Quan Yu had already started walking toward the front courtyard.

Quan Yu felt that Bai Jinzhi had a simple and impulsive personality, with quite a bit of fearless chivalrous spirit. If she knew this matter was related to the Crown Princess’s brother, she might very well request that His Highness severely punish the Crown Princess’s brother to seek justice for the soldiers guarding the frontier.

At that time, if this alarmed the fetus in the Crown Princess’s womb, the Crown Prince would probably blame the County Princess Gaoyi.