Shen Baizhong studied Bai Qingyan carefully, feeling that she was very similar to the figure of the woman called Bai Suqiu in his memory, yet he couldn’t recall that woman’s facial features at all.

Bai Qingyan explained: “Bai Suqiu is my aunt. I am the daughter of Bai Qishan, Bai Qingyan.”

Hearing the name Bai Qishan, Shen Baizhong became somewhat distracted, raising his hand to press his head… He remembered there seemed to be something extremely important he needed to tell this person called Bai Qishan!

But… what message was it?!

“Where is Bai Qishan?” Shen Baizhong asked. Perhaps meeting this person would help him remember.

Being suddenly asked about her father, although Bai Qingyan still felt bitterness in her heart after the great sorrow, she was no longer as emotionally unstable as before. Her heart was very calm. She pressed her lips together and said: “My father is no longer here.”

Shen Baizhong appeared somewhat stunned.

Bai Qingyan nodded to Shen Baizhong, then turned and left the side room with Zhenming, instructing the steward to settle Shen Baizhong well before returning to Qinghui Courtyard.

Although she was also eager to learn about past events from Shen Baizhong, the past didn’t hold that much significance for her. She wasn’t troubled by layers of doubt. What Bai Qingyan wanted to do now… was look forward.

·

The next day, before dawn had fully broken, Bai Qingyan was already preparing to depart for Shuoyang.

The Crown Prince had morning court and personally sent Quan Yu to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion to escort Bai Qingyan.

After helping Bai Qingyan into the carriage, Quan Yu bowed deeply to her: “This servant knows of Princess Zhenguo’s loyalty to His Highness the Crown Prince. Princess Zhenguo can rest assured, regarding His Highness the Crown Prince… Quan Yu will not let others sow discord between His Highness and Princess Zhenguo!”

Bai Qingyan’s jade-white fingers lifted the curtain as she looked at Quan Yu’s delicate features and clear gaze, smiling and nodding to him: “Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Quan Yu.”

“This is what this servant should do!” Quan Yu stepped back and bowed again. “Respectfully sending off Princess Zhenguo!”

In Quan Yu’s heart, Bai Qingyan was a hero, and a true hero who surpassed many men in the world. He didn’t want to see such a hero harmed by treacherous people and lose the Crown Prince’s trust.

“Elder sister, be careful on the road!” Bai Jinxiu’s eyes reddened.

“Elder sister, rest assured, I will take good care of grandmother!” Bai Jinse also said.

Bai Qingyan nodded and lowered the curtain.

“Depart…”

The leading Bai family guard shouted, and the convoy slowly began moving, with the accompanying guards marching in orderly fashion.

On February 18th, the slowly traveling convoy finally reached the vicinity of Kongtong Mountain. Bai Qingyan had someone send a letter back to Shuoyang, informing her mother that she would arrive in Shuoyang City around noon tomorrow and would rest at Kongtong Mountain tonight.

After nightfall, the post station became silent and still, with only a bright moon in the night sky spreading silver frost all over the ground.

Bai Qingyan sat under the lamp, carefully studying the map of Great Liang, guessing where Bai Jinzhi and Liu Hong had led their troops by now, when she suddenly heard extremely faint sounds of footsteps on the roof tiles above.

Bai Qingyan looked up toward the roof, her gaze following the sound.

“Cuckoo… cuckoo…”

The Bai family’s hidden guards surrounding the area signaled that visitors had arrived.

Bai Qingyan quickly rolled up the map and extinguished the candle inside the lampshade. Extinguishing the light was a signal to tell the hidden guards she understood.

She also drew the short-handled knife hidden in her boot, quietly concealing herself behind the window lattice. Her eyes calm, she used the sharp tip of the short knife to slowly push open a gap in the window lattice, quietly watching the wooden plank corridor outside brightened by the clear moonlight.

The visitors seemed to be two or three people. Moving nimbly, they hooked onto the eaves and leaped down onto the corridor. Their footsteps grew closer, the wooden floorboards making extremely faint creaking sounds. Bai Qingyan pressed her back against the wall, gripping the short knife tightly.

The Bai family’s hidden guards and escorts weren’t unaware of the intruders, but following old practice, after notifying everyone, they waited to catch them like fish in a barrel, to capture them alive so they could interrogate who had sent them… and what these people were sent to do.

The Bai family guards who had just lain down were already up, quietly grabbing their swords and lurking at various escape routes.

Only three visitors came, being extremely careful as they crouched down. Two hid beneath the window lattice, one concealed behind a vermilion lacquered red pillar in the corridor. Bai Qingyan watched the elongated shadows on the wooden corridor, with the leader making hand gestures.

Three people – Bai Qingyan didn’t take them seriously, and sheathed her dagger.

Hearing the sound, the assassin under the window immediately tensed up, quickly raising his hand to signal, holding his breath and listening to the movement inside the room. Sensing that the person inside seemed about to come out and had already walked to the door…

The three assassins placed their hands on the swords at their waists, their hawk-like gazes fixed tightly on the nearby door.

The carved wooden door was pulled open. Bai Qingyan, dressed in frost-colored fitted clothing, stepped out of the room and turned to look at the assassins hiding under the window and behind the vermilion lacquered red pillar, her gaze dark and coldly stern.

The assassin hiding behind the vermilion lacquered red pillar reacted extremely quickly. Seeing Bai Qingyan emerge, without a word, he drew his sword and charged toward her.

The sharp blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight was as fast as lightning in the night, but before it could get close to Bai Qingyan, it was intercepted by an even faster sword.

That hidden guard, prepared to die, flicked his sleeve… a dark weapon glowing green flew rapidly toward Bai Qingyan, while his own heart was pierced through by a Bai family guard’s sword.

But what the assassin never expected was that Bai Qingyan, who seemed frail and was rumored to be barely alive, moved her feet and easily dodged his dark weapon with a sidestep.

The other two assassins saw this and drew their swords, attacking the suddenly appearing Bai family’s hidden guards. But immediately, the sounds of killing shook the heavens as Bai family guards poured out from all directions, some even wearing only undergarments, all sworn to protect Bai Qingyan to the death.

Before the assassin, pierced by the sword, could react, cold light swept across his neck, and blood immediately sprayed out.

His eyes stared deadly at Bai Qingyan, his dying features contorted. Until death, he couldn’t understand how Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan, rumored to be frail and liable to die at any moment, could dodge his dark weapon?!

Could there be a traitor among their three?! Had Princess Zhenguo been prepared in advance…

Before the assassin could figure it out, he had already expired.

The Bai family guards all protected Bai Qingyan, surrounding her in the center and retreating several steps.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes were calm, her expression showing no emotion.

Four Bai family hidden guards clashed with the two assassins, silver light crisscrossing, metal clashing against metal. Every move was fierce and deadly. Those two assassins seemed to be fighting desperately, never intending to leave alive.

Bai Qingyan stood calmly to one side, observing the footwork and techniques of the two assassins. She already had a vague idea in her heart… knowing these three assassins were probably death warriors raised by the idle Prince of Nandu. However, now that the idle Prince of Nandu and Liu Ruofu were dead, whose orders were they following to kill her?

Suddenly, Bai Qingyan’s ear twitched. She turned her head toward the beast-carved green tile roof opposite, where, under the huge bright moon, the silhouette of a tall, upright man stood on the roof ridge. He had drawn his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed at this position, and had already released the arrow…