Bai Qingyan became emotional, and as she spoke, she began coughing heart-wrenchingly again.

The Crown Prince was at a loss, hurriedly calling to Quan Yu: “Quan Yu, hot tea!”

Quan Yu brought hot tea to Bai Qingyan, but she waved her hand and after thanking Quan Yu, turned to gaze intently at the Crown Prince, continuing to speak to him: “If Your Highness massacres the people of the two cities today, when someone uses this matter against you in the future, Your Highness, as the Crown Prince governing the realm, having massacred the plague-stricken people of two cities—this sin… even if Your Highness achieves great accomplishments in the future, it can never be erased.”

Speaking to this point, Bai Qingyan’s face showed grief: “Just… just like how Bai Qingyan, to defeat Western Liang, had no choice but to burn and kill surrendered captives in Weng Mountain Canyon. This matter has become an indelible stain on Bai Qingyan! What Bai Qingyan killed were still enemy troops, but what Your Highness wants to massacre… are the people of our Jin. This matter will surely be a heavier sin than Bai Qingyan’s massacre of surrendered captives!”

The Crown Prince’s breathing became slightly labored. He truly hadn’t thought the consequences of this matter would be so severe.

He had originally only felt that this plague had consumed too much manpower, material resources, and financial resources without being curable, instead growing worse and worse. The investment of silver and grain was like a bottomless pit. The number of Jin’s plague-stricken people increased daily, and with the war against Great Liang… plus building the Nine-Tiered Platform for Father Emperor, the national treasury really couldn’t support it. Jin’s people could no longer afford such consumption, so after discussing with Old Fang, they had thought of this strategy.

“Princess Zhenguo worries too much. When the time comes, the Crown Prince will naturally deal with the generals guarding the two cities, and they will naturally take responsibility for the Crown Prince! The common people are mostly ignorant… after dealing with the generals, they’ll be too grateful to His Highness the Crown Prince to think of it. How could they pin infamy on the Crown Prince’s head?” Old Fang looked at Bai Qingyan and spoke while suppressing his inner dissatisfaction.

“Old Fang’s words are greatly mistaken!” Bai Qingyan’s eyes showed deadly intent. Guessing that this plan to massacre the plague victims of the two cities was mostly Old Fang’s idea, she said, “No matter how ignorant the people are, seeing that all the people of the two cities were massacred, won’t they guess this was ordered from above? Won’t they guess… that dealing with the generals is just finding scapegoats! Moreover, those willing to stand up and take responsibility for His Highness are mostly those utterly loyal to His Highness. Having such people pushed out as scapegoats will only make all the court officials who follow the Crown Prince, who are loyal to the Crown Prince, feel insecure! Who else would dare to serve the Crown Prince with complete loyalty?”

Being pointed out by Bai Qingyan like this, the Crown Prince truly broke out in a cold sweat.

Old Fang was also speechless and could only ask: “This old man is very curious to know how Princess Zhenguo learned of His Highness the Crown Prince’s secret order to deal with the plague victims of the two cities?”

Bai Qingyan frowned: “It was someone His Highness sent to Shouyang to inform me. What does Old Fang mean by this question?”

Old Fang stared at Bai Qingyan and raised his hand toward the Crown Prince’s direction: “His Highness the Crown Prince never sent anyone to Shouyang…”

Bai Qingyan looked toward the Crown Prince, also with a puzzled expression.

Seeing Bai Qingyan’s appearance, the Crown Prince nodded: “I… indeed never sent anyone to Shouyang, but I didn’t intentionally hide it from you. It’s just… your health is poor, and I didn’t want you to worry and exhaust yourself over these matters.”

Bai Qingyan’s expression became even more puzzled as she stared at the Crown Prince and asked: “But the person who came indeed claimed to be from the Crown Prince’s mansion, and this matter is confidential, surely not known to everyone. If it wasn’t someone Your Highness sent to Shouyang, who would impersonate the Crown Prince to deliver orders to me?”

Old Fang suddenly thought of Qin Shangzhi…

When Old Fang had discussed this with the Crown Prince initially, Qin Shangzhi had strongly opposed it, saying the Crown Prince’s actions were unconscionable, which angered the Crown Prince so much he stormed out.

The Crown Prince frowned deeply, first thinking of those two generals who had reluctantly accepted the orders. Could it be that they didn’t want to execute the command, so they sent someone to inform Bai Qingyan of this matter in his name?

Quan Yu also thought of Qin Shangzhi. Eager to clear Bai Qingyan of suspicion of planting people around the Crown Prince, he looked at the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, that day when Your Highness discussed with Old Fang and others… wanting to kill all plague victims to eliminate the possibility of other people contracting the plague, Mr. Qin Shangzhi opposed it throughout. Could it be that Mr. Qin, seeing he couldn’t stop Your Highness, borrowed Your Highness’s name to inform Princess Zhenguo, hoping Princess Zhenguo could persuade Your Highness?”

Old Fang frowned deeply. If Qin Shangzhi had indeed sent someone to impersonate the Crown Prince’s orders and inform Princess Zhenguo of this matter, had Princess Zhenguo come to stop the Crown Prince from killing those plague victims, and now Princess Zhenguo had persuaded the Crown Prince, wouldn’t this prove he was wrong?

But… on second thought, Old Fang felt that if Qin Shangzhi had sent someone to notify Princess Zhenguo, then he could make an issue of who Qin Shangzhi was truly loyal to, and might even be able to get Qin Shangzhi removed from the Crown Prince’s mansion.

Thinking of this, Old Fang bowed to the Crown Prince and asked: “Your Highness, shall we summon Mr. Qin Shangzhi?”

Bai Qingyan turned to look at Quan Yu: “Among the guards who came with me from Shouyang, some have seen that person who claimed to be ordered by His Highness the Crown Prince to go to Shouyang to deliver the message. Please trouble Eunuch Quan Yu to send someone to summon the Bai family guards who have seen that person.”

Quan Yu looked toward the Crown Prince, and seeing the Crown Prince nod, he responded and went out to send someone to summon them.

“Your Highness… Bai Qingyan hurried here this time also because of Western Liang sending troops to attack Nanrong. I had Lu Ping come to deliver the message. I wonder if Your Highness has seen Lu Ping?” Bai Qingyan asked.

“Rest assured, Lu Ping has already delivered the message. Western Liang sent troops against Nanrong but remains inactive, intending to spy on our Jin. I have already ordered Dengzhou Governor Dong Qingyue to take the Anping Grand Camp garrison troops and Dengzhou forces to defend, deploying troops at the Western Liang border to deter Western Liang…” the Crown Prince said.

“Speaking of this… this old man has another matter he doesn’t understand. How did Princess Zhenguo know that Western Liang sent troops against Nanrong?” Old Fang stared at Bai Qingyan.

“What does Old Fang mean by this?” Bai Qingyan frowned.

Old Fang smiled, his eyes full of wariness: “Surely it wasn’t the Crown Prince’s mansion that sent someone to Shouyang to inform Princess Zhenguo again?”

“Is Old Fang baselessly speculating that I have planted spies around His Highness, or are you criticizing me for paying attention to Western Liang’s military movements?” Bai Qingyan’s eyes were frank and clear.

“Old Fang!” The Crown Prince turned to frown and scold Old Fang.

Old Fang quickly bowed deeply to His Highness the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, please calm your anger. This old man only feels that Princess Zhenguo’s information is perhaps too well-informed, wondering if there’s some connection with the Bai family army in the southern border.”

Speaking thus, Old Fang also looked toward Bai Qingyan, whose face was pale and whose gaze was restrained and profound: “Moreover, Princess Zhenguo was severely injured saving Your Highness and should properly rest and recover.”

“Old Fang, I know you are narrow-minded, but I also respect that your step-by-step calculations are also step-by-step planning for the Crown Prince. Bai Qingyan knows my life won’t be long, and only hopes to make His Highness the Crown Prince’s path more stable. I have no intention of competing with Old Fang for position before His Highness. His Highness the Crown Prince’s future path still depends on Old Fang. Old Fang doesn’t need to be so paranoid.”

“Old Fang doesn’t mean that!” The Crown Prince quickly tried to smooth things over.