“What are you getting up for! Lie back down quickly!” Liu Shi hurried over to help Bai Qingyan.
She used a handkerchief to wipe away the ghastly pale color from her lips, smiling as she said to Liu Shi: “It was just an act for others to see! Second Aunt, please don’t worry.”
Liu Shi had nearly been frightened to tears just now. She took the handkerchief from Bai Qingyan’s hand and rubbed the white substance on it with her fingers, only then realizing that Bai Qingyan had applied something to her lips: “You… you nearly scared Second Aunt to death!”
Liu Shi chided Bai Qingyan with a complaint, but she also knew that unless necessary, Bai Qingyan would never resort to such methods…
“Why didn’t you send someone ahead to give notice? Then I could have made preparations in advance! You’re naturally sensitive to cold—if you had sent word earlier, I certainly would have had someone stoke the underfloor heating nice and warm!” Liu Shi said while tucking the quilt corners around Bai Qingyan.
“It happened suddenly, please forgive me, Second Aunt. Next time when A’Bao returns… I’ll send word ahead to notify Second Aunt.” Bai Qingyan smiled as she spoke to Liu Shi, then added, “In front of others, I’ll need Second Aunt to bear with me and play along!”
“Second Aunt understands! Second Aunt understands!” Liu Shi patted Bai Qingyan’s hand. “You just rest at home and recuperate. Those who remain in Qinghui Courtyard are all loyal servants—this matter will not spread outside.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Second Aunt!” Bai Qingyan said to Liu Shi.
“What kind of talk is that? Second Aunt is just doing her small part… Our entire Bai family’s burden rests on your shoulders! You must take good care of your health!” Liu Shi squeezed Bai Qingyan’s hand firmly.
·
At the Qin residence, Bai Jinxiu, who had received news that Bai Qingyan had coughed up blood at the Crown Prince’s residence, guessed it was most likely her eldest sister’s scheme. Still unable to contain her anxiety, she thrust Wang Ge’er into the arms of Qin Lang, who was to take the spring imperial examinations the day after tomorrow and was currently studying with intense dedication, and immediately ordered a carriage to return to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion.
Qin Lang was also deeply worried. Holding Wang Ge’er, he escorted Bai Jinxiu to the door and instructed: “If your eldest sister’s condition is not good, you don’t need to return tonight. I’ll take good care of Wang Ge’er!”
Wang Ge’er sensed his mother was leaving and stretched out his small chubby hands adorned with longevity bracelets toward Bai Jinxiu. Seeing his mother hold Cuibi’s hand as she climbed into the carriage without taking him, little Wang Ge’er pursed his small mouth and wailed loudly.
Bai Jinxiu lifted her hand to pull back the carriage curtain, looking at Wang Ge’er writhing, struggling, and crying in Qin Lang’s arms. Her eyes moistened as she said: “Wang Ge’er, be good. Mother will be back very soon…”
Having said this, Bai Jinxiu couldn’t bear to watch Wang Ge’er cry anymore. She released the curtain and told the driver to hurry.
As soon as Bai Jinxiu arrived at the entrance of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion, she saw Nanny Luo, Second Madam Liu Shi’s attendant, waiting for her at the gate.
“Second Madam guessed that Second Miss would come back!” Nanny Luo stepped forward to greet her. Not seeing Wang Ge’er, she asked, “Why didn’t Miss bring Wang Ge’er back with her?”
Bai Jinxiu lifted her skirts and stepped into the Duke’s mansion: “Wang Ge’er is fine with Qin Lang watching him. What’s the situation with the eldest sister?”
“Miss, don’t panic. Go to Qinghui Courtyard and see for yourself,” Nanny Luo said in a low voice while helping Bai Jinxiu cross the main entrance.
Bai Jinxiu walked quickly, entering through the main door of the principal room in Qinghui Courtyard. She immediately spotted her eldest sister sitting beside a small table near the bed, drinking fermented milk. Bai Jinxiu breathed a sigh of relief, untied her cloak, warmed herself by the brazier, then passed through the hanging curtains: “Eldest sister…”
“Sit down!” Bai Qingyan dabbed the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief. “I knew you’d come back upon hearing the news. Did you bring Wang Ge’er?”
Seeing her eldest sister’s smiling appearance, Bai Jinxiu understood that her eldest sister had indeed deliberately coughed up blood at the Crown Prince’s residence.
“I left Wang Ge’er with Qin Lang.” Bai Jinxiu rested her elbow on the small table and leaned close to Bai Qingyan, asking in a low voice, “Was eldest sister rushing back to the capital because of the Crown Prince’s plan to massacre the plague victims in two cities?”
Bai Qingyan nodded: “Besides that matter, it was also to let the Crown Prince know that after being pierced through the chest by an arrow to save him, I truly don’t have long to live, so he needn’t be excessively vigilant.”
“Jinxiu understands!” Bai Jinxiu nodded, then lowered her voice further to say to Bai Qingyan, “Regarding the people on the list eldest sister gave to Fan Yuhuai, I made careful inquiries. Fan Yuhuai arranged two of them in relatively important positions, while the rest were placed in insignificant positions. Conversely, of the remaining six people on the list, four were promoted to important positions based on their merits. So whether this Fan Yuhuai is completely loyal to the Crown Prince but cautious by nature, or has other plans, is hard to say right now.”
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and smiled faintly: “Fan Yuhuai is indeed clever. By placing two in crucial positions, even if I were to ask about it, he could say… It’s not easy to arrange everyone properly all at once, and it needs to be done gradually.”
“Does eldest sister mean that Fan Yuhuai might not be truly loyal to the Crown Prince?” Bai Jinxiu’s reaction was quick.
“Having just experienced the palace coup not long ago, many positions in the Imperial Guards are vacant. This is a perfect opportunity for various factions to place their people. I recommended Fan Yuhuai as Commander of the Imperial Guards and gave him a list of seven people… he only arranged two! Instead, four of the six people I didn’t give a list to were promoted. Isn’t the meaning obvious enough?”
Bai Qingyan slowly leaned against the cushion, her fingers playing with the tassels as she smiled: “If my guess is correct, many high-ranking officials in the court, like our family, want to place their people in the Imperial Guards. Fan Yuhuai doesn’t want to offend anyone, so he judiciously promotes one or two from each faction! As for our six people placed in secret positions… Fan Yuhuai promoted four of them at once, which should be Fan Yuhuai’s attempt to cultivate his people.”
“Now that Fan Yuhuai is already Commander of the Imperial Guards, cultivating his people is reasonable.” Bai Jinxiu looked at Bai Qingyan. “Fortunately eldest sister had the foresight to only have Uncle Ping send a list of seven people.”
“By the way, when the eldest sister was pierced through the chest by an arrow while saving the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince said he would find the culprit. In the end, they captured the group of assassins who were escorting Liu Ruofu. That group of assassins refused to admit they had attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince, but later the matter was dropped and the blame was still placed on Liu Ruofu.” Bai Jinxiu continued.
Bai Qingyan picked up the hot tea beside her and gently blew on the steam in the teacup: “When Prince Xian joined forces with Prince Liang to force the palace in rebellion, as Prince Xian’s former subordinates, they most wanted the Crown Prince dead. The Crown Prince has already decided in his heart that it was the Liu family’s doing. What the investigation reveals doesn’t matter to the Crown Prince. Having someone to pin the blame on and close the case quickly… to win the Emperor’s favor is more important to the Crown Prince than the truth.”
“The Crown Prince…” Bai Jinxiu pursed her lips, finding it somewhat difficult to speak. “Ever since the Emperor focused on recuperating and handed state affairs to the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince has been diligent. However, someone saw the Crown Prince visiting pleasure quarters at night, and just yesterday… a sedan chair entered the Crown Prince’s residence from those pleasure quarters. It’s said that the Crown Princess was so angry about this that she nearly miscarried.”