“I indeed cannot produce any evidence to prove… that I lost a wager with the Young Master, which is why I willingly remained in Shouyang. However, after losing that wager, I forcibly gave my Shen family’s ancestral jade pendant to the Young Master as a kind of promise to him. But now that the Young Master is gone… I don’t know if the jade pendant is still with the Bai family. If it’s not, I truly cannot prove myself.”

At that time, Bai Qishan had said he trusted Prefect Shen’s character and hadn’t established any contract. Yet Prefect Shen had stubbornly pressed his family’s ancestral jade pendant into Bai Qishan’s hands, swallowing his pride and walking away without looking back.

“Princess Zhenguo should have investigated my background… All of Shen’s personal history and origins are true. What needed to be said, Shen has already explained clearly. Now Shen indeed wishes to follow because I can see that Princess Zhenguo has great aspirations. It doesn’t matter if Princess Zhenguo doesn’t trust Shen, but Shen will certainly honor the promise made to the Young Master—to protect the Bai family’s wellbeing.”

After Prefect Shen finished speaking, he bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan: “Shen has finished speaking. If Princess Zhenguo has no other instructions, Shen will take his leave first.”

Bai Qingyan looked at Prefect Shen. He was quite straightforward… leaving after speaking, or was this a strategic retreat to advance?

“Very well… you may go first!” Bai Qingyan smiled as she spoke to Prefect Shen. “If I have any instructions, I’ll have Shen Yancong relay them to you.”

Regardless, Shen Yancong was indeed useful to Bai Qingyan.

Whether this Prefect Shen was as he claimed—staying in Shouyang as the Bai family’s backup plan because he lost a wager to her father, or whether he was finding an excuse to pledge allegiance, or had some other purpose in wanting to approach her, Bai Qingyan didn’t mind. After all, she wasn’t without people to use at present.

Prefect Shen bowed deeply again, raised his eyes to look once more at the pale-faced young lady with stunning features and incredibly resolute, composed gaze, then spoke: “Shen’s given name is Tianzhi… courtesy name Jiuru.”

Bai Qingyan’s pupils showed slight fluctuation. Jiuru…

This was also her father’s courtesy name, though very few people knew it.

Her father’s courtesy name was taken from “Tianbao.” Bai Qingyan had once heard her grandmother say that within her father’s courtesy name… lay her grandfather’s deepest love for her father.

Bai Qingyan’s lips moved slightly: “Like mountains and hills, like ridges and peaks, like rivers flowing ever onward, with nothing that does not increase. Like the constant moon, like the rising sun, like the longevity of the Southern Mountain, neither diminishing nor collapsing, like the flourishing of pine and cypress, with nothing that you do not inherit. It seems… the person who gave Prefect Shen the courtesy name Jiuru must have been someone who loved Prefect Shen most dearly.”

“The Young Master said the same thing.” After Prefect Shen finished this last sentence, he bowed formally to Bai Qingyan in farewell and withdrew from the main hall.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes reddened with moisture. She closed her eyes…

In the end, her father had not achieved the longevity of the Southern Mountain.

When Nanny Tong saw that Prefect Shen had left and entered to find Bai Qingyan’s eyes red with moisture, she was startled and quickly asked: “Eldest Miss, are you feeling unwell somewhere…”

“It’s nothing, I just thought of Father.” Bai Qingyan’s throat constricted as she struggled to steady her emotions, then asked, “Has Bai Qingping arrived?”

“She’s already here, waiting outside. If Eldest Miss isn’t feeling well, perhaps we could meet another day?” Nanny Tong consulted with Bai Qingyan in a low voice.

“Bring her in!” Bai Qingyan’s voice carried a hint of weariness.

“Then I’ll have Chun Tao bring Eldest Miss a cup of hot tea.” Nanny Tong’s heart ached.

Bai Qingyan nodded.

Soon, Chun Tao brought Bai Qingyan hot tea and also heated a hand warmer, insisting on placing it in Bai Qingyan’s hands.

Before long, Bai Qingping entered the main hall with Cai Ziyuan.

Today, Cai Ziyuan wore a water-colored straight robe, making him appear even more scholarly and refined. Perhaps because his days teaching in Shouyang had been comfortable, Cai Ziyuan looked considerably more rounded.

Cai Ziyuan entered the main hall following Bai Qingping with his head lowered, performed a kowtow to Bai Qingyan, and only raised his head to look at Bai Qingyan after she told both of them to sit.

Upon raising his head, Cai Ziyuan was stunned.

He hadn’t expected that in just two months, Bai Qingyan would have become so gaunt. Her complexion was even paler than before, her lips nearly colorless. Though her stunning beauty still couldn’t be concealed, her entire person appeared frail and sickly, as if she might shatter at a touch.

“Please rise, Master Cai…” Bai Qingyan repeated.

Only then did Cai Ziyuan come to his senses, quickly responding and sitting down beside Bai Qingping.

“I’ve summoned Master Cai today because there’s something I don’t understand, and I hope Master Cai can enlighten Qingyan.” Bai Qingyan spoke gently with a smile in her eyes.

Cai Ziyuan wasn’t foolish. Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan was exceptionally intelligent, with many capable people under her command. What she needed explained by him—a teacher who had been trapped in Shouyang for months—could only concern Left Chancellor Li Mao.

Now under someone else’s roof, how could Cai Ziyuan dare to refuse? He could only say: “Please speak, Princess Zhenguo. Cai Ziyuan will certainly answer everything I know.”

“Excellent…” Bai Qingyan slightly adjusted her sitting position, leaning fully against the cushions, her profound gaze fixed on Cai Ziyuan. “Under whom did Left Chancellor Li Mao’s son Li Mingrui study?”

Cai Ziyuan’s fingers, resting on his knees, moved slightly.

Bai Qingyan caught this from the corner of her eye but remained composed as she watched Cai Ziyuan, waiting for his answer.

After a long while, Cai Ziyuan raised his head to look at Bai Qingyan: “Since Princess Zhenguo has already investigated, Cai Ziyuan won’t keep you in suspense. Left Chancellor Li Mao’s son… studied under a strategist who once served the Second Prince, though this strategist is now dead.”

“Du Zhiwei…”

Hearing this name, Cai Ziyuan couldn’t help but clench his palms. He hadn’t expected Princess Zhenguo to have investigated even this matter so thoroughly. He nodded: “Exactly!”

“Later, this Master Du Zhiwei became a strategist under Prince Liang.”

Cai Ziyuan shook his head: “Rather than saying he joined Prince Liang, it’s more accurate to say Prince Liang took him in. Prince Liang greatly respected the Second Prince back then.”

Seeing that Master Cai wasn’t concealing anything and was telling the truth, Bai Qingyan nodded and asked with a smile: “Master Cai seems to have been living quite well these past days teaching in Shouyang.”

“Thanks to Princess Zhenguo’s kindness, eating and sleeping well, teaching knowledge daily—Ziyuan… finds joy in it.” Cai Ziyuan smiled as he thanked Bai Qingyan. “Thank you for your care, Princess Zhenguo.”

“I wonder, would Master Cai be willing to serve under the Bai mansion?” Bai Qingyan asked directly.

This Master Cai was indeed talented. Having him only teach in the new army camp was rather wasteful…

Cai Ziyuan raised his head, looking at Bai Qingyan with complete bewilderment. After a moment, he glanced at Bai Qingping, thinking that perhaps Bai Qingyan wanted him to join the Bai clan school to teach the Bai family descendants. This would also count as serving the Bai family. He was overthinking it… With so many capable people under Princess Zhenguo’s command, how could she truly make a strategist who came from Left Chancellor Li Mao’s mansion into a real strategist for the Bai mansion?