After Lu Ping returned, he changed his clothes and hurried to Qinghui Courtyard. He stood under the eaves pacing back and forth, his slightly hurried breathing all turning to white mist, his complexion also not looking good. As soon as he saw Bai Qingyan enter the courtyard gate surrounded by maids, he hurried forward, clasping his hands in salute: “Eldest Miss…”

Bai Qingyan glanced sideways at Chun Tao, who understood and handed the umbrella to Lu Ping, standing in place with the other maids without moving.

Lu Ping held the umbrella to shelter Bai Qingyan as they walked to the ginkgo tree in the courtyard, then folded the umbrella. Only then did Bai Qingyan turn to face Lu Ping: “Uncle Ping, please speak.”

Lu Ping’s throat moved, and after exhaling a puff of white mist, he knelt on one knee: “Eldest Miss… please forgive this servant’s transgression!”

Her hand gripping the hand warmer suddenly tightened as she forced herself to remain calm: “Uncle Ping, rise first and speak.”

Lu Ping stood up, looking at Bai Qingyan with guilt: “Today at the entrance of Zui’an Workshop, Prince Liang encountered an assassination and was stabbed multiple times… his injuries are extremely severe! Before the Magistrate of Jingzhao sealed the roads, I was about to return, but I unexpectedly encountered a blood-covered old friend! Only after bringing him back to the mansion did I discover he was one of the assassins! Lu Ping begs for punishment!”

As Lu Ping spoke, he knelt again.

Bai Qingyan’s fingers gently caressed the hand warmer, her blood boiling with the words “extremely severe injuries.” If Prince Liang died this time, it would indeed spare many future troubles.

Her heart raced as she bent down to help Lu Ping up: “Where has Uncle Ping currently placed this person?”

“The woodshed in the back courtyard.” Lu Ping was deeply ashamed for bringing trouble to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, his face extremely grim. “Now that the Magistrate of Jingzhao has sealed the city, Lu Ping dares not rashly send the person out of the mansion. Lu Ping was careless – I beg Eldest Miss to punish me!”

As Lu Ping spoke, he was about to kneel again, but Bai Qingyan stopped him.

“Since the person has already been brought back, begging for punishment is useless. We must think of how to handle the aftermath.” Bai Qingyan’s eyes were deep and unfathomable.

Bai Qingyan stood under the tree for a moment, then said: “Uncle Ping, take me to have a look.”

She wanted to understand why Prince Liang had been assassinated. If she could grasp any evidence unfavorable to Prince Liang, it would be good to set an obstacle on his path to the throne.

Moreover, only by seeing the person who assassinated Prince Liang could Bai Qingyan judge whether this person could be kept.

Bai Qingyan took only Chun Tao and went with Lu Ping through the snow to the back courtyard woodshed, but inside the woodshed there was no one except for a pool of blood.

Gazing at the drag marks on the muddy ground, Bai Qingyan’s gaze turned toward the pile of bundled firewood: “Since this hero has received shelter from my Bai family, why do you avoid showing yourself?”

Chun Tao’s heart jumped, and she instinctively stepped forward, raising her arm to shield Bai Qingyan behind her, full of wariness.

Bai Qingyan patted Chun Tao’s hand to signal her to lower it. The man hiding behind the woodpile, having been discovered, didn’t continue hiding and pushed away the firewood in front of him.

The man leaning against the pile had half his face covered in congealed blood, making his complexion appear even more deathly pale. He wore black robes, was severely wounded and weak, yet his entire being emanated a fierce and ruthless aura.

Bai Qingyan remained expressionless on the surface, but her hands gripped the hand warmer tightly.

The assassin Lu Ping had rescued was Qin Shangzhi, who would become a strategist for the Crown Prince in the future. However, in the previous life, Qin Shangzhi had failed to gain the Crown Prince’s trust. Despite his great talents, he had no opportunity to display them and died in depression!

Qin Shangzhi looked Bai Qingyan up and down, then sneered coldly: “How does Eldest Miss plan to deal with me, this assassin? Seek merit from Prince Liang?”

“Qin Shangzhi!” Lu Ping scolded.

She raised her hand to signal to Lu Ping not to be angry: “How does this hero know I am the Bai family’s eldest daughter?”

Qin Shangzhi chuckled lowly, revealing bloodstained white teeth, leaning back casually: “Anyone who can make Lu Ping respectfully deferential must be a master of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion. The daughters of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion all have martial arts backgrounds with good physical foundations, able to withstand the cold winter months with just thin cotton robes. Someone like Miss, draped in a superior fox fur cloak… I’m afraid that could only be the eldest daughter who was wounded on the battlefield with Duke Zhenguo in earlier years!”

“Can this hero tell me why you assassinated Prince Liang?” Bai Qingyan asked.

“Doesn’t Prince Liang deserve to die?!” Qin Shangzhi’s pitch-black eyes burned with towering hatred, like a campfire on the grassland before dawn that could set everything ablaze. “Putting on an act of being submissive and trembling with fear, while secretly forming cliques for personal gain, dereliction of duty, and corruption, treating human lives like grass! To force us to serve him, he killed our wives and children! Cough, cough, cough, cough…”

Qin Shangzhi became so agitated that he coughed up fresh blood. He clutched his chest tightly, looking up at Bai Qingyan with a chilling cold smile: “Pitiful that your Bai family is full of loyal bones, loyal like Great Jin’s guard dogs. Before long, I’m afraid you’ll also end up with families destroyed and people dead like me!”

“How dare you!” Chun Tao was furious. “Eldest Miss, don’t listen to his mad ravings. Better have Guard Lu Ping send him to the authorities!”

“I await Eldest Miss’s instructions!” Though Lu Ping felt some reluctance, he couldn’t truly implicate Duke Zhenguo’s mansion.

Listening to Qin Shangzhi’s words, Bai Qingyan’s heart was shocked like raging waves. So… could Qin Shangzhi already foresee the Bai family’s fate at this time?

Thinking of the previous life and Great Yan’s Regent Xiao Rongyan’s evaluation of Qin Shangzhi, Bai Qingyan made her decision in a flash of inspiration.

She handed the hand warmer in her hands to Chun Tao and took two steps toward Qin Shangzhi.

“Eldest Miss!” Chun Tao was worried.

Unexpectedly, Bai Qingyan performed a respectful kowtow to Qin Shangzhi. Qin Shangzhi also seemed startled, not understanding what Bai Qingyan was trying to do, his hands clutching tightly at his clothes.

“El… Eldest Miss!” Lu Ping was at a loss.

“Since Master knows my Bai family’s loyal bones and foresees my Bai family’s difficulties, I dare ask Master to teach me – how can the Bai family save itself?”

Bai Qingyan’s expression was open and frank. She wasn’t angry because of Qin Shangzhi’s words, but was unusually calm, as if she had known about what Qin Shangzhi spoke of all along.

Since he had been saved by the Bai family, not repaying this kindness wouldn’t be Qin Shangzhi’s style. He pursed his lips: “Seeing Eldest Miss’s reaction, you should already have some foresight about this matter, so there’s no need for me to elaborate! I only have one sentence… if you want to preserve the Bai family, Duke Zhenguo must retire.”

“The myth of the Bai family army’s invincibility has already earned His Majesty’s displeasure! Duke Zhenguo’s style is too upright and loyal, and he has long accumulated resentment with the sycophants in court! When everyone speaks against someone, even metal can be melted; accumulated slander can destroy bones! His Majesty can no longer tolerate Duke Zhenguo, whose achievements overshadow his master. If this time… Duke Zhenguo doesn’t retire, the Bai family’s seventeen sons will likely all perish in the southern frontier.”

Qin Shangzhi spoke word by word, exactly confirming the fate of the Bai family’s seventeen sons dying on the southern frontier in the previous life.

Bai Qingyan looked up at Qin Shangzhi and shivered. His Majesty?!

In the previous life, Bai Qingyan had never thought that His Majesty would dislike the Bai family. The Bai family had been loyal for generations, with an upright style, standing tall and proud with noble righteousness!

Just as Qin Shangzhi said, the Bai family was full of loyal bones, loyal like Great Jin’s guard dogs!

When everyone speaks against someone, even metal can be melted; accumulated slander can destroy bones?!

Her palms tightened as she suddenly grasped the flash of insight in her mind.

“Thank you for teaching me, Master!” Bai Qingyan bowed again.

Chun Tao hurried forward to help Bai Qingyan up, hearing her say, “Uncle Ping, take good care of Master Qin.”

Lu Ping gratefully responded: “Lu Ping receives the order!”