The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 245: magnanimous
Chapter 245: Frank
As soon as the prince got off the carriage, he saw Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi returning to the team after paying homage to their father. After nodding to Bai Qingyan from a distance, he smiled and invited King Yan and Princess of Xiliang into the post station.
Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi handed the horses to the groom at the post station. Just as they were about to enter the post station, they saw Liu Rushi and Zhang Duanrui saluting and walking into the post station with their heads held high. Bai Qingyan raised his hand to stop Bai Jinzhi and let Liu Rushi take a step.
Upon seeing this, Liu Rushi not only did not thank him, but instead snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves and walked into the inn with his hands behind his back, again showing the attitude of someone who was unwilling to be associated with Bai Qingyan.
Zhang Duanrui was stunned. He originally thought that Liu Rushi and Bai Qingyan were in unison in the peace negotiation tent, and Liu Rushi must have let go of his prejudices. He didn’t expect that he still had that sour Confucian spirit.
Bai Jinzhi was very angry with Liu Rushi: “You…”
Before Bai Jinzhi could finish, Bai Qingyan had already pressed down Bai Jinzhi’s hand that was pointing at Liu Rushi, and asked Bai Jinzhi to look inside the inn…
Inside the inn, the injured Li Zhijie was standing upstairs, looking towards the door with a smile on his face, his peach blossom eyes sparkling with no emotion to be seen.
Even if there is discord within Jin, it cannot allow outsiders from Xiliang to make a fool of themselves. Bai Jinzhi naturally understands this.
“General Bai!” Zhang Duanrui stepped forward and bowed to Bai Qingyan with a smile, “Lord Liu was famous for his bad temper when he was in the capital. Lord Bai, please forgive me!”
“He’s just a sour scholar, why is he so arrogant! If it weren’t for the victory of my elder sister and the generals, he wouldn’t have the turn to show off here. He really doesn’t know what’s good for him!” Bai Jinzhi lowered his voice and complained to Zhang Duanrui towards Liu Rushi’s back.
“Most scholars are like that! Please forgive me, Fourth Miss!” Zhang Duanrui interrupted with a smile, “General Bai, Fourth Miss, please go first…”
Although Bai Jinzhi was unhappy, he suppressed his anger for the time being when he thought about meeting his ninth brother in Feng County tomorrow.
While the prince was still resting, Bai Qingyan told him that he wanted to go to Feng County to pay respect to Bai Qingming tomorrow morning. The prince nodded in agreement and told Bai Qingyan to catch up with the team as soon as possible after the worship: “With you here, I feel at ease.”
She walked out of the prince’s room, only to see Qin Shangzhi standing not far away, with his hands behind his back, looking at her.
The last time she asked Li Zhijie about the matter of the Dong family’s assassins, although the prince and Old Fang didn’t find anything, Bai Qingyan knew… With Qin Shangzhi’s intelligence, he might have discovered some clues.
Although Qin Shangzhi had sent her a letter, he was the prince’s adviser after all. How could he not work for the prince but only for her?
Bai Qingyan and Qin Shangzhi stood on the hillside behind the post station. Qin Shangzhi turned his head to look at Bai Qingyan and said, “I carefully sent people to check the fire beside the Jing River. There were no burnt bones inside. So Miss Bai… those assassins brought by Xiliang Yan Wang Li Zhijie are Miss Bai’s men, right?”
Although Qin Shangzhi had only known Bai Qingyan for a short time, he knew that Bai Qingyan was a man of unparalleled wisdom and strategy, and he was loyal and righteous.
Seeing that Bai Qingyan did not answer, Qin Shangzhi said, “I was once saved by Miss Bai, so this time I am only trying to borrow her strength to protect her life! But… I am the counselor of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and I cannot watch Miss Bai fool His Royal Highness!”
After saying this, Qin Shangzhi bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan, turned around and left, intending to find the prince to explain the matter.
“Mr. Qin…” Bai Qingyan called Qin Shangzhi slowly, “Those assassins are indeed my people.”
Qin Shangzhi turned his head and looked at Bai Qingyan, his eyes full of anger: “Why?! You didn’t hesitate to sacrifice the lives of the death soldiers and the sharp soldiers of the Tiger Eagle Camp to assassinate the King Yan of Xiliang, just to disrupt the peace talks between Xiliang and Dajin? To support the army by fighting?! I thought Miss Bai was a person who cared about the world and was as loyal as the King Zhenguo. Do you really want the people of the world to be caught in the flames of war to fight for power and profit!”
“My ninth brother is in Qiushan Pass.” Bai Qingyan said slowly.
Qin Shangzhi’s anger seemed to have touched ice and suddenly shrank back. After a moment of silence, his arrogance subsided: “Ninth brother? A son of the Bai family?”
Under the shining stars, the night wind blew the red cloth that tied Bai Qingyan’s hair.
She lowered her voice very low: “My ninth brother is the assassin who assassinated the Xiliang Emperor. He was captured alive by Li Zhijie and secretly brought to Qiushan Pass! I have been waiting for Li Zhijie to use my ninth brother as a bargaining chip during the peace talks, but Xiliang ceded land and paid compensation. No matter what incredible conditions Jin offered, it never put my ninth brother’s matter on the table for peace talks. Mr. Qin said… Am I going to watch my own brother being tortured by the Xiliang people?”
The Bai family actually still has a son alive. Qin Shangzhi asked in a low voice: “Then… the Ninth Young Master, is he still alive?”
She nodded slightly.
Qin Shangzhi clenched his fists at his side: “But His Majesty must not know about this. The reason why His Majesty allowed the Bai family to survive is because no matter how powerful you are, you are still a woman. If His Majesty knew that the Bai family still has a son alive who can inherit the Bai family title, I’m afraid…”
“Mr. Qin understands the truth, so does Yan.” She looked at Qin Shangzhi, “So, Mr. Qin, please keep silent about this matter for the sake of the Bai family’s help in the past.”
“I am the prince’s…adviser.” Qin Shangzhi said the last two words very lightly, “Besides, even if I don’t say it, Mr. Fang and Ren Shijie beside the prince are not simple people. Although they haven’t figured it out yet, it’s only a matter of time before they figure it out, especially Ren Shijie… I heard that he stopped by Jinghe on his way to prepare gifts for His Majesty.”
“Yan just asked you to keep the fact of my ninth brother’s survival a secret. You are now the prince’s counselor and you should work for him. Yan knows this in her heart! You can go tell the prince now that those black-clad warriors are my men. You can also tell Your Highness that I buried them by the Jing River instead of burning them!” She bowed to Qin Shangzhi, “Yan, thank you for sending the letter and for letting my ninth brother live.”
It’s not that she hasn’t thought about asking Qin Shangzhi to join hands with her, but she hasn’t yet occupied a high position in the temple, so how dare she invite him rashly?
Something flashed through Qin Shangzhi’s mind, and he looked at Bai Qingyan: “Why do you want me to tell His Highness?”
With Bai Qingyan’s intelligence, he must be fearless if he dares to tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince… or even if there is something waiting behind him.
“For the prince’s trust!” Bai Qingyan said frankly.
“Since you want the prince’s trust, why don’t you tell him directly?” Qin Shangzhi just said this and pursed his lips again. If he told the prince that the ninth son of the Bai family was still alive in Qiushan Pass, then even His Majesty would know about it.
During the days he followed the prince, he could see that the prince… was very afraid of the current emperor, so he was a good son.
Please give me a monthly ticket, my dear ancestors.