The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 582: play first
Chapter 582: Go first and play later
“It’s not that serious. It’s just to reduce unnecessary trouble.” Bai Qingyan looked at the prince again. “Now, how to ensure that the prince returns to the capital safely is the top priority! If Your Highness is worried… you can first order Fu Ruoxi to personally lead half of the troops in Anping Camp, and the generals under his command to return to the capital with Your Highness, and hand over Anping Camp to the Dengzhou Governor Dong Qingyue.”
Bai Qingyan thought of Lupin and continued, “Lucin brought 3,000 Dengzhou troops with him. They can stay in Anping Camp for a while… and wait for my uncle to take over. The army has always followed the rules, and there won’t be any chaos without a commander for a day or two. And with my uncle Dong Qingyue taking over the Dengzhou Army and Anping Camp, if the Rongdi really come back, our Jin border will be safe!”
There is one thing Bai Qingyan cannot say directly, which is… never underestimate the bloodiness of soldiers and the friendship between comrades who have fought in blood together.
Otherwise, why would the Bai family be able to command the support of the Bai family army? Why would the Bai family army risk their lives to protect the generals and sons of the Bai family?
Fu Ruoxi has been in control of the Anping camp for many years. He was able to hold the position of commander-in-chief because, in addition to being a good fighter, he also ate and slept with the soldiers, truly treating them as his own family. If Fu Ruoxi’s life was taken now, there would always be someone in the army willing to avenge him. It would be extremely difficult for the prince to reach the capital safely.
Why bother…to cause trouble for the travelers returning to the capital.
The prince nodded: “Princess Zhenguo is right.”
After saying this, the prince took off the sword from his waist and handed it to Bai Qingyan: “This is my sword. On the way back to the capital, I will leave all matters to the Princess Zhenguo. The Princess Zhenguo can act first and report to me later.”
Old Fang looked at the prince, then at Bai Qingyan, tightly gripping the reins and frowning.
Bai Qingyan took the sword and said, “Yan, escort His Highness back to the capital safely.”
Soon, more than 200 Anping camp soldiers led by Fu Ruoxi came riding at full speed. Before the horses had completely stopped, Fu Ruoxi and his men had already dismounted, clasped their fists and knelt on one knee to salute the crown prince: “General Fu Ruoxi, I greet your highness the crown prince, the princess who guards the country!”
The prince glanced at Bai Qingyan and saw Bai Qingyan nod to him. He endured the discomfort from the long journey and forced his legs not to tremble. He dismounted and personally helped Fu Ruoxi up: “General Fu, my father fell off his horse and fainted. I am afraid that there will be chaos in Dadu, so I came to Anping Camp and asked General Fu to lead the troops to escort me back to the capital.”
Bai Qingyan followed the prince off the horse and stood beside him, looking at Fu Ruoxi calmly.
“Anping Camp has always been a place where we are not allowed to leave without the Emperor’s order! But… Your Majesty is unconscious, and the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, is acting on the Emperor’s orders. Fu Ruoxi will follow Your Majesty’s orders!” Fu Ruoxi said to show his loyalty, “Before I leave the camp, I have ordered the drums to be sounded and the troops to be assembled. You can set off with Your Majesty immediately!”
Upon hearing this, Bai Qingyan raised his eyes to look at Fu Ruoxi, with a cold look in his dark eyes. Had he ordered people to beat drums and call for troops before leaving the camp?
Fu Ruoxi has already received news from Dadu. It is impossible for the emperor to deliver the message while he is in a coma. In his time of crisis, the emperor entrusted Dadu to Imperial Tutor Tan and his grandmother, the Grand Princess. Neither of them would spread the news that the emperor was seriously injured and in a coma. They would definitely keep the news secret until the prince returned to the capital to take charge of the situation.
The Fu family had already been marginalized in the capital city. It was impossible for them to send such important news to Fu Ruoxi at this time, and there was no need to send news to Fu Ruoxi!
Well… Fu Ruoxi’s source of information could only be thought of from Queen Bai Qingyan.
If that was the case, Bai Qingyan was afraid that he would not be able to let Fu Ruoxi… return to the capital city with them in a dignified manner.
“Okay!” The prince nodded and shook Fu Ruoxi’s hand vigorously. “I will leave all matters concerning the return to the capital to General Fu and Princess Zhenguo. I have been riding all night and am extremely tired. I need to rest for a while. I have given Princess Zhenguo my personal sword and granted her the right to act first and report later. Whatever Princess Zhenguo says is my order.”
The prince knew that Bai Qingyan had also ridden a horse all night, but the prince did not trust Fu Ruoxi. Right now, the person the prince trusted the most was Bai Qingyan. Only when Bai Qingyan followed Fu Ruoxi could he feel at ease.
Bai Qingyan clasped his fists and said yes.
Fu Ruoxi glanced at Bai Qingyan and pursed her lips. She originally wanted Bai Qingyan to rest for a while, but she was afraid that the prince would think too much, so she also responded with yes.
Instead, Fu Ruoxi’s deputy general quietly stepped forward and stood behind Fu Ruoxi. Seeing the prince being helped onto the horse, he whispered, “Your Highness the Crown Prince said that what the Zhenguo Princess said was your Highness’s order. What does this mean?”
Fu Ruoxi didn’t say anything. Seeing Bai Qingyan climbing onto his horse and looking down at him, he frowned and avoided Bai Qingyan’s gaze. He also quickly mounted his horse and escorted the prince to the Anping camp.
There were rumors that Bai Qingyan had become the prince’s disciple. Fu Ruoxi was skeptical. After all, he had fought with Bai Qingyan in the Northern Frontier and knew that Bai Qingyan was a man of unparalleled wisdom and resourcefulness and an arrogant character. Such a person should not be involved in party struggles.
But now, the prince actually said that what Bai Qingyan said was the prince’s order. If the prince did not completely believe in Bai Qingyan, how could he give such an order?
Bai Qingyan followed beside the prince and turned his head to order the Dengzhou soldiers brought from Dengzhou to enter the military camp together and to protect the prince every step of the way.
Fu Ruoxi welcomed the prince back to the camp and asked him to go to the general’s tent to rest first. After the soldiers in the Anping camp were assembled, he would go to the reviewing platform with Bai Qingyan.
The prince nodded, glanced at Bai Qingyan and said, “However, not all of the Anping camp can follow me back to the capital. Half of them should be left to guard against the Rongdi! So… the Anping camp will be temporarily handed over to the governor of Dengzhou, Dong Qingyue, until I return safely to the capital and General Fu returns to the Anping camp!”
Fu Ruoxi was stunned for a moment, then clasped her fists towards the prince: “But Lord Dong is far away in Dengzhou now, and it will take at least a day to get here! Your Highness the Prince should return to the capital as soon as possible to prevent any changes in Dadu. Do you want Your Highness the Prince to stay in Anping Camp for another day?”
“There are so many soldiers in Anping Camp, why bother Lord Dong!” The soldiers under Fu Ruoxi also clasped their fists and said, “I am of low rank and position, and although I am not as powerful as Lord Dong, I have followed General Fu in Anping Camp for many years. When General Fu led his troops to the northern border, I was in charge of Anping Camp, and there was no trouble. This time… I am confident that I can do it!”
Military power is the lifeblood of a general. Who would be willing to let others hold their lifeblood in their hands? This was also within Bai Qingyan’s expectations.
But this time, since Bai Qingyan has come, he must not come in vain.
Bai Qingyan grasped the hilt of the sword given by the prince, and rubbed it silently with her fingers. To put it bluntly… today she came to seize the military power of Anping Camp.
Originally, Bai Qingyan wanted to spare Fu Ruoxi’s life, after all, they had fought together in battle.
But Fu Ruoxi wants to hold on to the military power and may have joined forces with the Queen…
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