The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 522: plead
Chapter 522: Plea
The sound of the clappers was getting closer and closer. Bai Qingyan was afraid that the night watchman would come over, so she nervously pushed the man away. Her arms were soft and powerless. The more she pushed away, the tighter the man’s arms around her waist became, and the harder she kissed him.
Bai Qingyan couldn’t resist and kept retreating. Xiao Rongyan then let go of Bai Qingyan who was panting heavily and put his forehead against hers. His breathing was very heavy and his voice was very hoarse. “Don’t be afraid. The night watchman is not coming in this direction. I can hear it.”
As he spoke, Xiao Rongyan pecked Bai Qingyan’s rosy lips again, trying hard to control his breathing, and freed up one hand to help Bai Qingyan put on her hood. Seeing that her face was already scarlet, the color of his burning eyes became even deeper.
After a long while, the sound of the clapper passed through the alley entrance, getting farther and farther away. Xiao Rongyan then let go of Bai Qingyan and said softly, “Go back, I’m leaving…”
Bai Qingyan was still unable to calm down, his breathing was extremely rapid, he just pursed his lips and nodded.
Xiao Rongyan jumped onto the horse, looked at Bai Qingyan deeply again, and then rode away.
Bai Qingyan bit her swollen and stinging lips and watched Xiao Rongyan leave. She hesitated for a moment before mounting her horse and turning her horse’s head to take a look at the parade ground. She did not return to the Bai Mansion until the sky was completely bright and the rain was getting heavier.
Inside the Boyun Courtyard, rain hit the dense green leaves of the ancient trees, and a very slight rustling sound came from outside the window lattice.
Bai Qingyan had just changed into a tea-white dress with a diamond pattern when Chuntao came in through the curtains, holding a cup of hot soup on a black lacquered and gold-painted tray.
Bai Qingyan came back just now. His cloak was soaked and his body was cold. Chuntao brought in the radish and ginger soup that Nanny Tong had stewed on the stove earlier to help Bai Qingyan drive away the cold.
Bai Jinzhi was so careless that she didn’t even open her umbrella. She hurried into Boyun Courtyard and stood under the corridor, patting her clothes: “Why is the rain suddenly getting so heavy?”
Bai Qingyan, who was sitting on the couch by the window and drinking ginger soup with a frown on his face, turned his head and saw Chunzhi coming forward to salute and asking Bai Jinzhi to go to the warm room to clean up.
“Chun Tao, please ask the fourth lady to come in and clean up. There is no need to go to the warm room. Bring a bowl of ginger soup for the fourth lady to drive away the cold.” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, he frowned and drank up the hot ginger soup in the bowl.
Chuntao went out in response, bowed to Bai Jinzhi with a smile, invited Bai Jinzhi into the upper room, and told Chunzhi to ask the maid to bring in a hot towel with hot water for the fourth girl to clean up, and she went to the small kitchen to bring ginger soup to Bai Jinzhi.
Bai Jinzhi took off her wet coat behind the screen, packed up and came out from behind the screen, sitting opposite Bai Qingyan: “Eldest sister, are we going to Dengzhou to pick up Old Lady Dong?”
The maids came out one after another, carrying washbasins and other utensils in their hands.
“Fourth Miss, have some ginger soup…” Chuntao stepped forward and placed the soup bowl in front of Bai Jinzhi, reminding her softly.
Bai Jinzhi smiled at Chuntao, and looked eagerly at Bai Qingyan who was flipping through the ancient bamboo slips in his hand: “When are we leaving? Last time I heard my cousin Changlan talk about the scenery of Dengzhou, I have long wanted to go and see it, especially the Yunjing Mountains, which I heard are magnificent!”
“You won’t go. You stay in Shuoyang and take care of your sisters…” Bai Qingyan raised his eyelids and glanced at the enthusiastic Bai Jinzhi, then suppressed the smile on his lips and said, “Besides, you forgot what your elder sister asked you to do. How can you go to Dengzhou if you haven’t handled the matter well?”
Bai Jinzhi was stunned. This time her elder sister didn’t take her with her.
But come to think of it… her eldest sister asked her to deal with Bai Qiyun, but she hasn’t done it yet. One reason is that Bai Jinzhi really doesn’t care about this matter. She prefers to teach her two younger sisters how to ride and shoot.
Secondly, Bai Qingyan did not give a deadline, so Bai Jinzhi felt that he should delay it as much as possible, which was not something he was good at.
Chuntao brought in yogurt and snacks in silver cups and placed them in front of Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi. She waved her hand and called Chunzhi, who was standing behind the screen, to the upper room so that Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi could have a good talk.
“If I take care of Bai Qiyun’s affairs before my elder sister leaves, will she let me go with her?” Bai Jinzhi asked anxiously.
Bai Qingyan shook the bamboo slips in his hand, closed them and put them aside, scooped a spoonful of yogurt with a small silver spoon and sipped it: “Even if it is done, my elder sister can’t take you with her this time. Without my elder sister… Shuoyang needs someone to take care of it. Xiao Si… you are not a child anymore, you are Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu’s sister, you have to take good care of them and protect Shuoyang for my elder sister.”
Bai Jinzhi bit her lip. Since she was a child, she had always had an older sister, a second sister, and a third sister in front of her. She had never had to take care of her younger sisters, but she had to admit that her eldest sister was right. She was the older sister… and she had to take care of her younger sisters, just like her eldest sister took care of them.
“Xiao Si, is it possible that my elder sister feels at ease leaving Shuoyang to you?” Bai Qingyan looked up at Bai Jinzhi and asked.
Bai Jinzhi tightened her grip and nodded solemnly: “Don’t worry, elder sister, Xiao Si will definitely keep Shuoyang under close watch!”
·
On the first day of August, the prince received news that the first round of bandit suppression had achieved some success, and he was very happy.
The person sent by Bai Qingyan to report the news said that the number of bandits involved in this round of suppression was much less than what they knew. They guessed that a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and they were afraid that the bandits might have other strongholds.
When the prince saw the number of bandit heads captured during the suppression campaign, he felt that something was wrong. If there were only a few people, how could they dare to rob the convoy of him, the prince, and the princess who guards the country?
The prince briefly instructed the guards of the Bai Mansion who came to report the news, and asked someone to open the warehouse and prepare some rare things, as well as ginseng and deer antlers for Bai Qingyan to use to replenish his body, and asked the guards of the Bai family to take them back to show his closeness to Bai Qingyan.
After expressing his gratitude, the Bai family guards took the prince’s reward and headed straight out of the city back to Shuoyang.
In the past few days, the prince was actually very unhappy because he broke into Prince Liang’s mansion and caused the incident of Prince Liang refining elixirs… The emperor has been very displeased with him these days and has refused to see the prince despite his several requests to see the emperor.
It was said that Prince Liang was confined to the palace to cultivate his character, and he never left the palace… However, my father gave him many rewards, and many officials went to visit Prince Liang’s palace.
Some families in the capital city had already been on the lookout for the danger and openly invited the alchemist into their home. The refined elixir was sent to Prince Liang’s mansion. The censor reported the matter to the emperor, but the emperor had no intention of disciplining Prince Liang.
Now, seeing that alchemy was about to become a popular practice among the noble families in the capital, even the price of saltpeter in the city had increased significantly.
The prince even felt that exposing the fact that Prince Liang was refining the elixir this time was not worth the cost and he would lose the emperor’s favor… and he failed to inflict any substantial blow to Prince Liang. Instead, it allowed all officials to see the emperor’s protection of Prince Liang, and some of them had already begun to go to Prince Liang’s mansion to curry favor with him.
When Old Fang heard that Shuoyang had sent news about the suppression of bandits, he thought that this was a good opportunity for the prince to enter the palace to show his goodwill to the emperor. He should let the prince enter the palace to present the news of Shuoyang’s victory in the suppression of bandits, and then take the opportunity to confess his crime to the emperor and cry for mercy.
Second update! I continue to beg for monthly tickets… There are so few monthly tickets! I am crying…