The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 490: too cautious
Chapter 490 Too Cautious
“Yes!” Bai Qingyan walked Dong Tingzhen back, “Grandmother missed Xiao Si and asked Xiao Si to go back to the capital.”
Dong Tingzhen nodded and didn’t ask any more questions.
That night, Dong Tingzhen tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night because of Bai Qingyan’s words that blood ties are the deepest bonds in the world. She actually forgot such a simple truth.
Dong Tingzhen quietly wiped away her tears with a thin quilt with lotus pattern. She felt ashamed to go back to see her father, mother and brothers and sisters.
·
It’s late at night.
Bai Qingyan finished practicing with the silver spear as usual, took a bath, leaned against the hidden bag, and read the ancient bamboo slips in his hand carefully.
Chun Tao wrung Bai Qingyan’s hair dry, and then went to the small kitchen to get a bowl of milk that was easily digested. She walked around the screen, lifted the aqua-green ramie curtain and came in. She placed the white-glazed green porcelain bowl next to Bai Qingyan and whispered, “Miss, drink the milk and go to bed early!”
Bai Qingyan responded but did not move.
Chuntao sighed and had to raise the wicks of the lamps on the mahogany high tables and then cover them with the glass covers again. The room suddenly became much brighter.
“Chun Tao, go and have a rest. You don’t have to keep watch tonight.” Bai Qingyan picked up the milk and took a sip.
Nanny Tong specifically instructed the people in the small kitchen to sprinkle the milk with pickled osmanthus flowers but not add sugar. It was not sweet and was very much to Bai Qingyan’s liking.
“Let me accompany the eldest lady!” Chuntao took the winnowing basket, sat down at the small table, picked up the embroidery tent and said.
Bai Qingyan’s eyes fell on the embroidery frame in Chuntao’s hand. Seeing that it was embroidered with mandarin ducks, he chuckled and said, “Is this made for Chen Qingsheng? Are you missing your cousin?”
“Girl…” Chuntao blushed, “I’m embroidering a pillow!”
Bai Qingyan did not expose Chuntao, but just smiled and said nothing.
Bai Jintong has been away for half a year. He only sent a letter once and never sent any news back since then. No one knows whether he is safe or not.
Chuntao hasn’t heard from Chen Qingsheng for such a long time, so it’s natural for her to be worried.
I just hope Bai Jintong can return safely with his loyal servant.
Bai Qingyan closed the bamboo slips in his hand, turned his head and gazed at the towering ancient trees in the courtyard through the half-open window. The half-dropped Xiangfei bamboo curtains and gauze draperies caged the corridors to keep out flying insects, and the bells on the gilded bronze hooks rang slightly.
I don’t know where Bai Jinzhi has gone, and whether he can arrive in the capital city before the emperor issues an edict.
·
On July 20th, at the end of the You hour, Bai Jinzhi rode in from outside the capital city and galloped all the way to the Prince’s Mansion.
It was midsummer and the wind was still hot after the sun went down.
The prince was lying in a pavilion with ice on the four corners, with his clothes open, watching his concubines dancing. He heard Quanyu kneeling outside the bamboo curtain saying that Princess Gaoyi was outside the prince’s mansion and wanted to see the prince for an important matter. The prince hurriedly stood up, fastened his inner garment, and called Quanyu in to help him change his clothes.
Last night, the prince just received a letter from Bai Qingyan, in which she said… The Liang Wang faction cooperated with the Wang family of Jiuqu Lane and sent people to pretend to be robbers and kidnap children for alchemy.
When Mr. Fang read the letter, he felt that… If what Bai Qing wrote in the letter was true, and Prince Liang really did such a cruel thing, this attack would not only prevent Prince Liang from marrying Prince Xian’s only daughter Liu Ruofu, but also make Prince Liang no longer able to compete with the crown prince for the throne.
Today, Bai Jinzhi suddenly rushed back to Dadu from Shuoyang. The prince guessed that Bai Qingyan must have something extremely important to report to him, so he did not dare to delay.
“Send someone to ask Mr. Fang to welcome Princess Gaoyi into the mansion first!” the prince said loudly.
Quan Yu responded and sent a nimble eunuch to invite Mr. Fang.
Ever since Mr. Fang received Bai Qingyan’s letter last night, he has been thinking about Prince Liang’s alchemy. When he heard that Bai Jinzhi appeared in front of the Prince’s Mansion in a dusty manner and the Prince ordered him to go and greet him, he guessed that Bai Jinzhi might have returned from Shuoyang for this matter.
Old Fang lifted the hem of his robe and walked quickly from the winding corridor toward the main entrance. Before he approached the main hall, he saw Bai Jinzhi standing in front of the shadow on the wall of the main courtyard. Beside her was kneeling a man with blood on his body who was being escorted by the Bai family guards.
Bai Jinzhi held the black gold whip in his hand and stood with his hands behind his back. Seeing Elder Fang coming hurriedly, he waved his hand and said, “Elder Fang, here!”
Mr. Fang was sweating profusely from running. He walked out of the corridor, wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, and straightened his robe. Feeling that he would not be impolite, he stepped forward and bowed to Bai Jinzhi: “Princess…”
“Mr. Fang, you’re too polite!” Bai Jinzhi bowed to Mr. Fang and pointed his whip at the trembling man kneeling on the ground. “This is one of the fake bandits who pretended to be a bandit in Shuoyang, kidnapped the child and sent him to Dadu City to make elixirs for King Liang! My eldest sister asked me to rush to send him to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Mr. Fang to see if I can help them!”
As he spoke, Bai Jinzhi took out the confession signed after the interrogation from his sleeve and handed it to Mr. Fang: “He is a spineless man. It didn’t take much effort. He confessed everything after a little torture!”
Before Bai Jinzhi came, Bai Qingyan instructed… Bai Jinzhi to be closer to Mr. Fang but not to try to please him. Bai Jinzhi carefully measured the distance in his heart, acting as if he trusted Mr. Fang very much and was casual and unpretentious in front of him.
Mr. Fang took the signed confession and took a look at it, his eyes shining.
“It’s so annoying! Mr. Fang, please tell me… We’ve already signed the contract, but my eldest sister still asked me to send the person over. If it weren’t for carrying such a burden on the road, I would have arrived long ago!” Bai Jinzhi said, with his hands behind his back, glaring at the bandit with an annoyed look on his face.
Old Fang took the signed confession in his hand with a smile and said, “Princess Zhenguo is being cautious. This is also for safety reasons, so that Prince Liang will not have an excuse to accuse us of slandering him! Princess Gaoyi has worked hard!”
Bai Jinzhi put his hands behind his back and said disapprovingly, “Speaking of being cautious, I just think that my elder sister is too cautious! Before…my elder sister originally wanted to propose to my cousin the prince to send the recruits to southern Xinjiang and let the Bai family army help train the recruits! This will surely train a group of useful elite soldiers for my Jin State! Moreover, if Jin State sends troops to Xiliang…it will also have the effect of deterring Xiliang from making any rash moves. But my elder sister is worried that others will say that she has ulterior motives, so she is unwilling to propose it to my cousin the prince! She is simply too cautious! How could my cousin the prince not know who my elder sister is? As long as it is beneficial to the country and the people…even if someone questions my elder sister, my cousin the prince will definitely protect her!”
The prince hurried over and heard Bai Jinzhi’s complaints. He couldn’t help laughing and said, “How dare you say that in front of the Princess Zhenguo?”
Bai Jinzhi turned around upon hearing this, and hurriedly bowed to the prince, saying with a smile: “My elder sister is not here, I was just complaining to Mr. Fang! Cousin prince, please don’t tell my elder sister!”
Seeing that the prince only smiled and said nothing, and took the confession handed over by Mr. Fang, Bai Jinzhi pointed at the robber again and said angrily: “If you didn’t bring this man, but only brought the signed confession, I would have been here this morning!”
Third update! Keep rolling around and asking for monthly tickets…