Moreover, compared to suspecting Princess Zhenguo of rebellion, Liu Hong privately preferred to believe that Princess Zhenguo had been moved by the Crown Prince’s aspirations and was loyal to the Crown Prince, using her wisdom and strategies to plan for the Crown Prince’s future.
For the greater good, Liu Hong deeply felt that at this moment… he could only suppress this matter and not mention it, waiting until the Great Liang campaign ended and they returned to court before seeking confirmation from the Crown Prince.
“Since Princess Zhenguo has spoken thus, I will not mention Princess Zhenguo’s assistance in my memorial. When we return to court in the future and can restore this battle’s credit to Princess Zhenguo, Liu Hong will certainly not covet credit and will report truthfully!” Liu Hong cupped his hands toward Bai Qingyan and spoke solemnly.
Bai Qingyan straightened her back and returned the courtesy: “Bai Qingyan does not care about credit. General Liu need not dwell on this matter. When we fight and kill… as long as we can achieve victory, whose credit it is doesn’t matter—the ultimate goal is for the nation’s benefit.”
“This humble person admires Princess Zhenguo’s magnanimity!” Liu Hong said.
·
When Bai Qingyan emerged from Liu Hong’s command tent, Zhao Ran, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward. After saluting Bai Qingyan, he said with indignation and dissatisfaction: “Eldest Miss, following your instructions, we prepared the plague medicine and delivered it to the Liang soldiers, but some Liang prisoners knocked over the medicine, saying they would rather die for their Kingdom than accept charity from an enemy nation. They’re simply ungrateful! This subordinate has come to request orders… how should we deal with these prisoners?”
Zhao Ran harbored tremendous anger in his heart. If they wanted to die, why didn’t they just bash their heads against a wall or slit their throats—why put on airs as righteous patriots! How precious plague medicine was now—even in the Jin Kingdom, herb prices had multiplied several times over. Not even the Great Liang Emperor was as generous as their Eldest Miss in giving them medicine, yet they dared to knock it over. If not for the Eldest Miss’s orders… Zhao Ran would have wanted to slaughter those ungrateful bastards.
Bai Qingyan thought for a moment and said, “Go and request General Zhao Sheng of Zhao’s army. I want to see him!”
Zhao Ran nodded and cupped his fists: “Yes!”
When Bai Qingyan returned to Bai Jinzhi’s tent, she heard Ji Langhua say that she had already cleaned and bandaged Bai Jinzhi’s wounds. She stood by the bed, leaning down to gently touch Bai Jinzhi’s forehead, then tucked in the corners of her blanket. All the words of reproach she had harbored about Bai Jinzhi’s reckless audacity seemed to quietly dissipate without a trace upon seeing Bai Jinzhi’s weary sleeping face.
She unfastened the cloak from her shoulders, which had already dried, and prepared to change into clean clothes.
Ji Langhua carried the medical tray used for cleaning wounds and stepped forward. Seeing Bai Qingyan’s exhausted face as she let out a long sigh and was about to remove her boots, she quickly set the tray aside and knelt on one knee to help: “Let me help Eldest Miss…”
Ji Langhua removed Bai Qingyan’s boots. The boots had been warmed dry by Bai Qingyan’s body heat, with only a bit of residual dampness remaining. Seeing Bai Qingyan’s feet that were swollen and pale from soaking, Ji Langhua felt distressed. After helping Bai Qingyan dry her feet and put on clean socks, she said softly: “Eldest Miss rushed here at great speed, and last night fought fiercely through the night. Please rest for a while!”
Bai Qingyan picked up the clean boots beside her and put them on, then rose to take clean clothes. As she unfastened her armor and walked toward the screen to change, she said, “You should rest. I still have matters to attend to.”
Ji Langhua wanted to speak but stopped herself. Seeing Bai Qingyan emerge from the tent again after changing clothes, Ji Langhua took a couple of steps in pursuit, standing in front of the tent watching Bai Qingyan walk away with her heart clenched. She thought of Bai Jinzhi, who had collapsed into sleep from exhaustion upon returning, then thought of Bai Qingyan, who had led troops in a rescue march… experienced last night’s great battle and still hadn’t eaten until now.
Ji Langhua rubbed her palms on her clothes, turned back to see Bai Jinzhi sleeping soundly, lowered the tent curtain, instructed the guards not to let anyone disturb Bai Jinzhi, then ran off to find familiar army cooks to borrow equipment to make hot noodle soup for Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi.
·
Zhao Sheng and several Great Liang generals were imprisoned in the dungeons of Qingxi Mountain Pass. After a day and night of heavy rain, the dungeons were completely flooded with water that had poured in.
The Great Liang generals imprisoned in these dungeons had their feet soaking in water with nowhere to sit.
A disgruntled Great Liang general kicked hard at the cell door, shouting: “Damn it! Can’t you give us a table? A stool?! Our feet are rotting from soaking!”
The Jin soldiers assigned to guard the prison turned a deaf ear, standing upright on the high steps of the dungeon.
The general kicking the cell door shook it vigorously. The sound of clashing iron chains, the splashing of people walking through water in the cells, mixed with continuous cursing, constantly echoed from the dungeons.
The dungeons of Qingxi Mountain Pass were deep and long. Torches on the walls flickered and swayed, reflecting off the dirty water surface in a yellowish glow. If not for feet still soaking in the ice-cold water, it would certainly create an illusion of warmth.
Some generals who had given up on themselves sat down directly in the water. Though their physical fatigue was slightly relieved, the cold sensation crept up again—it was truly torturous.
Zhao Sheng, who had been stripped of armor and weapons, was imprisoned alone in the deepest part of the dungeon, sitting cross-legged in the water with his eyes closed, his heart full of despair.
A person’s courage for suicide comes only in moments. After being saved by Princess Zhenguo, he no longer dared to end his own life. But being captured a second time… even if he could return to Great Liang, death would still await him.
Just as Zhao Sheng was still pondering whether he should end his own life or wait for this great war to end and return to Great Liang… to die in Han City, several sword-bearing Jin soldiers came straight down into the dungeons, showed their tokens, and said they had come to fetch someone on Princess Zhenguo’s orders.
A hot-tempered Great Liang general heard this and quickly walked to his cell door, shouting at the Jin soldiers who had come to fetch someone: “Hey! Damn it… If you’re going to kill us, give us a clean blade and be done with it. If you’re not going to kill us, at least give us a clean place!”
Zhao Ran, who was leading the group at the front, put his token back at his waist. As he led his soldiers toward the innermost dungeon, his bone-chillingly cold gaze swept over the several shouting Great Liang generals, his steps never pausing for those generals: “Defeated prisoners, if you want to die, suit yourselves!”
“You!” The Great Liang general was immediately at a loss for words.
Defeated prisoners—what utter shame and humiliation…
Zhao Ran led his men to the cell door where Zhao Sheng was imprisoned. His gaze swept over the black lacquered square tray floating on the water surface with flatbread inside, knowing that Zhao Sheng had not eaten. He didn’t care much and simply said: “Zhao Sheng, my Princess Zhenguo wants to see you!”
The cell door was opened. Zhao Sheng slowly raised his head to look at the upright young man, supporting himself against the wall with one hand to stand up. Dirty water cascaded down his thin clothing with a splashing sound.
“Are you… from the Bai family army?” Zhao Sheng asked.
“Indeed!”
Once a member of the Bai family army, forever a member of the Bai family army.
Although Zhao Ran had returned to the Bai mansion as a guard after being injured, he later went to Niujiao Mountain with Ji Tingyu to train recruits and was called a Niujiao Mountain soldier. In his heart, the soldiers of Niujiao Mountain were the Bai family army!
Zhao Sheng nodded…