Nanny Tong curtsied and led the maids and servants out of the main hall to stand guard at the entrance.

“Prefect Shen, please rise and speak.” Bai Qingyan rested one hand on the small table, supporting herself as she leaned against the soft couch.

Prefect Shen stood up at her command and sat in the seat below Bai Qingyan’s position, facing her as he slowly began: “That Princess Zhenguo would have Bai Qingping investigate me was within my expectations, though it happened unexpectedly quickly. This humble official admires Princess Zhenguo’s extraordinary insight.”

“My health has not yet recovered. Prefect Shen should focus on the important matters. After I finish listening… I need to rest and recover from my injuries.” Bai Qingyan was impatient with such flattering words.

Prefect Shen smiled and looked at Bai Qingyan as he spoke: “This humble official is the backup plan that the former heir of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion – that is, Princess Zhenguo’s father, Bai Qishan – left in Shouyang… as a retreat for the Bai family.”

Bai Qingyan’s palm tightened, gripping the tassel of her cushion firmly, though her expression remained calm without showing the slightest ripple: “I don’t understand what Prefect Shen means. My Bai family has always been loyal to the Great Jin without showing any retreat. When Grandfather brought all the Bai family men to the Nan Jiang battlefield, he was not leaving any retreat for the Bai family but was cultivating future military talents for the Jin Kingdom. How could my father go against Grandfather’s wishes… and leave a prefect in Shouyang as the Bai family’s retreat? Wouldn’t that be ridiculous?”

“Moreover…” Bai Qingyan smiled leisurely, “Even if my father wanted to leave a retreat for the Bai family, he should have sought help from the Bai clan members who share the same ancestry and bloodline. My grandfather and father always trusted the clan greatly. How could they not seek aid from the clan… but turn to an outsider like you?”

“What kind of character the Bai clan has, Princess Zhenguo should know better than someone like me.” When Prefect Shen said this, his expression was full of disdain for the Bai clan. “Duke Zhenguo did trust the Bai clan, true, but that doesn’t mean the heir felt the same way. Princess Zhenguo is the heir’s biological daughter and should understand this better than anyone.”

Bai Qingyan smiled slightly: “Unfortunately, I don’t understand. What I’ve seen and known… is all about Grandfather and Father’s trust in the clan members.”

Prefect Shen wasn’t surprised by Bai Qingyan’s response. He understood that Bai Qingyan had walked on thin ice all this way. If she hadn’t been extremely careful and cautious, how could she have kept everyone in the Bai family alive until today? He never expected to gain Bai Qingyan’s trust in one meeting.

However, time would reveal a person’s true character. Prefect Shen was confident that someday Bai Qingyan would believe him.

“The heir left this humble official no tokens or evidence, so I can only speak without proof. It’s reasonable that Princess Zhenguo doesn’t believe me.” Prefect Shen lowered his eyes and said unhurriedly, “Back then, I lost an archery contest to the heir, so I agreed to stay in Shouyang as the Bai family’s retreat. The heir also left me two shadow guards, but unfortunately, one of these shadow guards died of illness later, and the other died protecting Yancong. This is precisely why I sent my youngest son, Yancong, to join the military camp to serve Princess Zhenguo.”

Prefect Shen’s words weren’t false. He had remained in Shouyang all these years because of a wager with Bai Qishan, so much so that there was a saying in Shouyang’s official circles: “Iron-clad prefects, flowing magistrates.”

Shouyang had many magistrates over the years, all eventually transferred to other places, either promoted or serving as prefects in other parts of Jin Kingdom. Only he had remained in this position in Shouyang for so many years.

He was simply… keeping a promise.

For the commitment he once made to Bai Qishan that if the day came when he was no longer there… if the Bai family faced disaster and the Bai family members were fortunate enough to retreat to Shouyang, he must find a way to protect them within Shouyang’s territory.

Bai Qishan had long seen that he was not someone willing to serve the Jin royal court loyally, which was why he dared to make that wager with him, why he dared to tell him after he lost the bet… to have him become the Bai family’s retreat in Shouyang.

Honestly, Prefect Shen initially stayed only because he kept his word, thinking that if the Bai family survivors didn’t return to Shouyang and died in the capital, it would have nothing to do with him. If they were smart enough to retreat to Shouyang, then he would make arrangements.

Naturally, if the capital Bai family couldn’t handle the Bai clan… that wasn’t part of his wager with Bai Qishan either. He was only responsible for the safety of the Bai family members and would never reveal himself before the Bai family in this lifetime.

But he truly hadn’t expected that Bai Qishan’s daughter would be so formidable.

From the time the Bai family sons died in Nan Jiang, Prefect Shen had been following news of the capital Bai family. Starting from when Bai Qingyan borrowed coffins from the world, this woman who had been insignificant in Prefect Shen’s mind had been doing things that shocked his heart, step by step fighting her way to the position of Princess Zhenguo, becoming the Crown Prince’s confidant, training troops under the pretext of suppressing bandits, benefiting the people of Shouyang and many neighboring counties.

Honestly, Prefect Shen looked down on the Jin royal family, but he was completely willing to serve Bai Qingyan. He was entirely convinced by this young woman’s intelligence and spirit.

Bai Qingyan looked at Prefect Shen with some scrutiny, her fingers subtly rubbing together. Thinking of how the Shen family guards’ training in Shouyang had some resemblance to the Bai family army, this… did make some sense.

Prefect Shen sat there openly, allowing Bai Qingyan to examine him, like an upright gentleman with an honest gaze.

“When I first met the heir in Shouyang, I was planning to resign from office and travel through various countries to spend my remaining years. The heir invited me to join the Bai family army, but I was unwilling to join the Bai family army and be subordinate to others, having to be constrained by military regulations. Comparatively speaking… I preferred being an official in Shouyang’s territory.”

Bai Qingyan pursed her lips and remained silent, quietly listening to Prefect Shen speak.

“Later, when Princess Zhenguo single-handedly shouldered the Bai family, campaigning north and south with great victories, training troops in Shouyang and working for the people’s benefit, I was filled with admiration and several times wanted to serve under Princess Zhenguo. But Princess Zhenguo was extremely guarded, so I could only first send my son with subordinates trained by the two shadow guards the heir had given me to join the military camp, thinking that if Princess Zhenguo noticed anything suspicious, she would surely send people to investigate.”

Prefect Shen explained the causes and consequences very clearly.

But in this world where propriety and music had collapsed… if someone claimed they would willingly stay in a place like Shouyang for so long because of a wager, without being able to produce any evidence, it probably couldn’t be completely believed.

So when Prefect Shen came to explain his situation to Bai Qingyan, his heart also held some apprehension and unease.

He could see that… this Princess Zhenguo was different from the former heir of Duke Zhenguo, Bai Qishan.

Princess Zhenguo had experienced the Nan Jiang battle, where her grandfather was betrayed by a deputy general, and had experienced various things in the treacherous capital. Compared to Bai Qishan, Princess Zhenguo’s heart would surely have less trust in others and more suspicion, which was perfectly reasonable.