Shen Baizhong had not fully recovered his memories.

He had gone with Shen Qingzhu to visit the old Shen family residence, and had also paid his respects at his beloved wife’s grave. As his memories slowly returned, his guilt toward his beloved wife grew deeper and deeper, and his feelings for that disciple in his memories also deepened. Perhaps because he still could not see his disciple at present, Shen Baizhong’s years of treating Li Mingrui like a disciple had not diminished.

This time… he had originally intended to return to bid farewell to Li Mingrui, then go guard his beloved wife’s grave for the remainder of his life. But seeing that Li Mingrui still intended to get entangled with Prince Liang, he was compelled to reveal himself to stop it.

“Prince Liang is as venomous as a viper and excels at disguise, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood in his words. For you to associate with such a person is no different from conspiring with tigers – I earnestly hope you will be cautious!” Shen Baizhong said.

Li Mingrui was surprised to discover that the old man could use idioms now…

“It seems the old man’s memory is truly recovering!” While Li Mingrui felt happy for the old man in his heart, he also suddenly felt melancholy. Before, when the old man had no memories… Li Mingrui was the only person in the old man’s life. But if the old man recovered his memories and found his former life and old friends, then he wouldn’t be alone anymore.

Li Mingrui’s mood was like that of a child about to have his father taken away by others – there was inevitably some sadness in his heart.

“Young Master!” Shen Baizhong’s voice grew heavier.

“Old man, I am the legitimate eldest son of the Li family. For the Li family’s full glory… and for planning the survival of the Li clan!” Li Mingrui smiled at Shen Baizhong. “Old man, everyone has burdens on their shoulders. I know that cooperating with Prince Liang is conspiring with tigers, but now I have no other choice! And I also believe… I will succeed! The old man should trust me!”

As Li Mingrui spoke, he drew a token from his robes and handed it to Shen Baizhong: “At the third quarter of the Hai hour, the city gates will change guard. If the old man cannot get out in time, you can use this token!”

Shen Baizhong knew that Li Mingrui had always been firm in his resolve, and further persuasion would likely be meaningless. He accepted the token, nodded, and cupped his hands toward Li Mingrui: “Young Master, be careful!”

“Old man, take care!” Li Mingrui bowed deeply to Shen Baizhong, pulled up the hood of his black cloak, turned and walked out from behind the tree, then knocked on the back corner gate of Prince Liang’s mansion.

Shen Baizhong stood behind the tree, watching as the back corner gate opened a crack. After Li Mingrui slipped inside sideways, the back corner gate was quickly closed again.

Shen Baizhong repeatedly pondered Li Mingrui’s earlier words about the capital being about to fall into chaos. After a moment of contemplation, he moved along the wall to avoid the hidden guards monitoring around Prince Liang’s mansion, quietly left, and headed straight for the Qin mansion.

Previously, Bai Qingyan had sent a letter back asking Bai Jinxiu to take Wang Ge’er… and go with Qin Lang to take up his new post. But how clever was Bai Jinxiu – how could she not see through her eldest sister’s intentions?

If she left, she would indeed be safe, but how would her eldest sister receive news from the capital? Handing over all the personnel to Fu Ruoxi… Bai Jinxiu felt it was somewhat risky. Moreover, Fu Ruoxi was a military general whose thoughts were not as delicate as hers. She often could not grasp the key points in intelligence and react in time, missing good opportunities.

Therefore, when Qin Lang left the capital to take up his new post, Bai Jinxiu did not accompany him but stayed behind instead.

Although Shen Baizhong had not fully recalled past events, he knew he had once been closely connected to the Bai family. His disciple, one was the milk brother of the Bai family’s eldest daughter, and the other was the captain of the Bai family’s eldest daughter’s guard unit. He must be someone with deep ties to the Bai family.

Since he knew the capital was about to fall into chaos, Shen Baizhong could not fail to notify Bai Jinxiu, so she could be prepared.

Less than a tea’s time before Shen Baizhong went to the Qin mansion to seek an audience with Bai Jinxiu, the hidden guard that Bai Jinxiu had sent to watch the Fan mansion returned to report. They said that servants from the Li mansion had ridden horses straight to the Fan mansion, after which Fan Yuhuai had left in disguise for Prince Liang’s mansion. Moreover, the hidden guards that the Crown Prince’s mansion had sent to monitor Prince Liang’s mansion had all been eliminated.

The people Bai Jinxiu had sent, to avoid detection by the Crown Prince’s people and arousing the Crown Prince’s suspicions about the Bai family, had been monitoring Prince Liang’s mansion from a very great distance, so they had not been implicated this time.

The hidden guard who came to report to Bai Jinxiu said that those who had eliminated the Crown Prince’s mansion’s hidden guards were extremely skilled… they didn’t seem like ordinary hidden guards, but rather like top-tier assassins.

After hearing this, all the doubts that had been stored in Bai Jinxiu’s heart suddenly connected.

So Fan Yuhuai’s previous restless little movements in contacting old subordinates from the patrol battalion were not because he felt that Commander of the Imperial Guards was the highest position he could achieve, but because he had pledged himself to Prince Liang, preparing for… another Wude Gate rebellion!

In the main hall of the Qin mansion, Bai Jinxiu sat under the lamplight with a face as dark as water, her fingers gripping tightly to the armrests of her chair as she integrated and organized all the intelligence from recent months.

Li Mingrui pledged himself to Prince Liang – Bai Jinxiu could understand this. Prince Liang’s deep hatred for the Bai family stemmed from the Second Prince, who had once attempted rebellion!

If Prince Liang could successfully force the palace and ascend the throne as Emperor of Jin, he would certainly rehabilitate the Second Prince, who had rebelled in the past. Thus, if even the Second Prince was cleared, the evidence the Bai family held regarding the Li family’s instigation of the Second Prince’s rebellion would become false evidence. Moreover, the Li family could even claim credit for supporting the dragon.

Their choice to act at this time was related to the continuous reports of victory from the Jin army fighting in Great Liang.

The eldest sister had captured several cities in Great Liang… and was approaching Great Liang’s capital. Once the army conquered Liang and pacified Great Liang, or if Liang surrendered, the army would return to the capital.

Currently, most of Jin’s military forces were in Liang, and her eldest sister, who had previously quelled the Wude Gate rebellion, was also in Liang – too far away to help. With Prince Liang having gained Commander of Imperial Guards Fan Yuhuai’s loyalty, plus Fan Yuhuai having already made sufficient contact with old patrol battalion subordinates, Prince Liang and Li Mingrui would feel their preparations were adequate.

Otherwise, once the army pacified Great Liang and returned to the capital, relying on the Jin army under Fan Yuhuai’s command and a small portion of the patrol battalion would certainly not succeed.

Therefore, for Prince Liang, forcing the palace and raising rebellion was already urgent and could not be delayed.

By then, once the capital’s great affairs were settled, he would certainly follow the previous Wude Gate rebellion narrative, claiming externally that the Crown Prince had imprisoned the Emperor and controlled the court. Now he had become even more audacious and desperate, killing His Majesty prematurely in an attempt to ascend the throne early. He, Prince Liang, as both a hero who quelled the rebellion and a prince, would naturally and logically ascend to the imperial throne.

Once Prince Liang ascended the throne, the overall situation would be set, and no one could say anything about it.

Eldest sister’s worries were indeed correct – the capital was about to fall into chaos…

But no matter what, Bai Jinxiu could not allow Prince Liang to ascend the imperial throne openly and legitimately. Otherwise… the entire Bai family would be in mortal danger.

Outside, the wind suddenly rose with the sound of rustling leaves, causing the two lanterns hanging in front of the main hall to sway wildly, their firelight flickering.

Bai Jinxiu rose and bowed to Shen Baizhong: “Thank you, Master Shen, for coming to inform me of this matter. Jinxiu has one more request… please, Master Shen, reluctantly lend me your assistance!”

Shen Baizhong stood up: “Please speak, Madam Qin.”

“If I send someone to take my son to Baiwo City to find my husband at this time, I fear it will alert Prince Liang.”