“Second Aunt, rest assured. With Aunt Lu taking care of Third Sister, Third Sister is fine. It’s just that she must recuperate quietly in the mountains and cannot come down…” Bai Jinse covered for Bai Jintong.

“Every time I go, I can’t see Jintong, and Jintong won’t come back either. This isn’t proper!” Liu Shi frowned tightly.

“Second Aunt, don’t you trust Grandmother? It’s Grandmother who won’t let Third Sister come down the mountain, won’t let Third Sister see people…” Bai Jinse stepped forward and lowered her voice to speak with Second Madam Liu Shi. “Grandmother originally didn’t want this said, but because Third Sister is a young lady and was injured on her face, it’s not that she truly contracted some terrible disease. Young ladies care about their appearance, and being injured on the face… naturally, she needs to avoid people and heal properly, lest others see. Second Aunt must also be understanding of Third Sister!”

How precious is a daughter’s face!

No wonder Jintong always avoided meeting people.

Liu Shi patted her hand with her handkerchief: “I was just wondering why every time I went, Jintong wouldn’t even see me, her second aunt! So it turns out she was injured on the face! Is it serious?”

Bai Jinse didn’t know when Bai Jintong could return, so she came up with this explanation. Otherwise… if the Bai family’s third miss was always hiding in the mountains, not even returning when her eldest sister was in trouble, others might suspect something strange was going on!

Bai Jinse had no other abilities, but this small matter, she could still help resolve for the Bai family.

She looked at Second Madam Liu Shi, sighed, and shook her head: “It’s not light… but Second Aunt needn’t worry excessively! Eldest Sister already knows about this matter and is searching for good medicine for Third Sister. You can be at ease! But next time you come to see Grandmother, don’t mention wanting to see Third Sister again – it would only add to Third Sister’s pressure! Just act as if… You know nothing!”

Liu Shi nodded with a worried heart: “You can rest assured, Second Aunt knows proper boundaries!”

Liu Shi looked at the young Bai Jinse, raising her hand to tidy the loose hair at Bai Jinse’s temples: “You must console your Third Sister well. Second Aunt will also find ways to search for good medicine for your Third Sister! Do you understand?!”

“Mm!” Bai Jinse nodded.

Grand Princess’s carriage had already stopped in front of the Bai mansion. Nanny Jiang and Wei Zhong helped Grand Princess board the carriage. Bai Jinse also bowed to Liu Shi before supporting Nanny Jiang’s arm to board the carriage.

“Second Madam, please go back! The wind is strong!” Nanny Jiang smiled.

Liu Shi stood under the still-lit lanterns in front of the Bai mansion gate, saying to Nanny Jiang: “I’ll trouble Nanny Jiang to take care of Mother!”

“Second Madam, rest assured!”

After watching Grand Princess’s carriage depart, Liu Shi felt that… this home had suddenly become desolate. She sighed, and only after her personal maid Qing Shu urged her to return did she turn to walk into the house.

Inside Bai Qingyan’s carriage, Chun Tao had laid thick cushions, wanting to make Bai Qingyan lie more comfortably.

Hearing Bai Qingyan ask for books, Chun Tao first added another small cushion behind Bai Qingyan’s back, then took a book to hand to Bai Qingyan. She busied herself lighting incense… brewing tea, and then busily took out pastries that Second Madam Liu Shi had sent people to prepare early from the carriage’s small box, placing them on the small table for Bai Qingyan’s use.

“Eldest Miss…” Lu Ping spurred his horse to turn back from ahead, riding alongside Bai Qingyan’s carriage at a slow pace, following the carriage. “I’ve already sent someone to deliver a message to Miss Shen. Our convoy will travel slowly and should reach the vicinity of Kongtong Mountain around the day after tomorrow. I’ve asked Miss Shen to meet us at the Kongtong Mountain courier station!”

Bai Qingyan raised her hand to lift the curtain, looking at Lu Ping and asking again: “The people the Crown Prince sent out… did they catch up to Great Yan’s Prince Murong Li last night?”

Lu Ping shook his head: “They did not. It seems they couldn’t catch up. Should this subordinate send people to investigate?”

Yes, if they couldn’t catch up last night, it seemed they really couldn’t catch up.

“No need!” Bai Qingyan thought for a moment and instructed Lu Ping: “On the first of November, Jinzhi will go to Anping Military Camp. After Uncle Ping returns to Shouyang, select some guards and secret guards with good martial skills to give to Xiao Si.”

“Eldest Miss, rest assured. This subordinate will carefully select the people around Fourth Miss, then present them for Eldest Miss’s review.”

Bai Qingyan thought of Bai Jinzhi, who had become much steadier now, and after a moment of silence, said: “After selecting the people, let Xiao Si look at them herself… If there’s anything she finds unsatisfactory, let her have her way! I won’t review them – just one thing… they must have good martial skills and be sufficiently loyal!”

“Eldest Miss, rest assured!” After Lu Ping finished speaking, he glanced toward the city gate direction and lowered his voice: “It seems people from the Crown Prince’s mansion are waiting outside the city gate to see you off. This subordinate has already sent someone ahead to investigate who is seeing you off…”

“The Crown Prince is probably too tied up with government affairs to get away. It should be…” Bai Qingyan raised her eyes, thinking of that fair-featured young eunuch, “It should be Quan Yu, the Crown Prince’s eunuch!”

Before long, the guard Lu Ping had sent to investigate at the city gate returned to report. Indeed, it was Quan Yu waiting outside the city gate.

“Eunuch Quan Yu!” Bai Jinzhi, grateful for Quan Yu’s guidance at the Crown Prince’s mansion, reined in her horse and smiled as she greeted Quan Yu.

Quan Yu hurriedly bowed: “This servant greets Princess Gaoyi!”

“Did the Crown Prince send you to see off my eldest sister?” Bai Jinzhi held her horse whip, displaying heroic bearing.

Quan Yu looked up and smiled at Bai Jinzhi: “Precisely so. This servant presumes to have prepared some pastries for Princess Zhenguo and Princess Gaoyi. If the Princess and Princess don’t disdain them, you may use them on the road.”

“Eunuch Quan Yu is so thoughtful!” Bai Jinzhi cupped her hands toward Quan Yu.

Seeing Princess Zhenguo’s carriage approaching, Quan Yu, carrying a black lacquered gold-decorated food box, bowed to Bai Jinzhi before taking small steps to the carriage. After respectfully bowing, he approached the carriage and said: “Princess Zhenguo, His Highness the Crown Prince knows that Princess Zhenguo returns to Shouyang today, and has specially sent this servant with the Crown Prince’s mansion’s guards to see you off! The Crown Prince has ordered the personal guards to escort Princess Zhenguo safely back to Shouyang. This servant has prepared some pastries here, hoping Princess Zhenguo won’t disdain them and can use some on the road!”

Chun Tao looked at Bai Qingyan, and seeing Bai Qingyan nod, she hurriedly got down from the carriage to receive the food box.

Bai Qingyan lifted the curtain, looking at Quan Yu.

She hadn’t forgotten that Bai Jinzhi had told her Quan Yu had given guidance to Bai Jinzhi at the Crown Prince’s mansion, and she smiled faintly at Quan Yu: “Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch. However, I won’t bring His Highness’s guards. Having just experienced the chaos at Wude Gate, while the capital appears calm on the surface, it’s still not stable. The Crown Prince’s mansion’s guards should be protecting His Highness the Crown Prince! Please convey my thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince for his kind intentions, but if you want me to be at ease… it would be better to take the personal guards back!”

With the Crown Prince’s mansion’s guards following, Bai Qingyan would have to act with restraint.

Moreover, Shen Qingzhu still needed to meet up with them, which would be inconvenient with the Crown Prince’s mansion’s guards present.

Before Quan Yu could speak, Bai Qingyan continued: “Last time when Xiao Si went to the Crown Prince’s mansion to deliver a message, thank you, Eunuch Quan Yu, for taking care of her. Bai Qingyan remembers this in her heart.”

Quan Yu looked terrified: “Princess Zhenguo speaks too seriously! Quan Yu… Quan Yu doesn’t deserve such praise!”

“Eunuch Quan Yu does deserve it! Bai Qingyan truly feels grateful to Eunuch Quan Yu from the heart! If in the future there’s anything the Bai family can do to help Eunuch Quan Yu, please don’t be courteous with the Bai family.”