Meanwhile, Bai Su, returning to the Marquis' Mansion, was in a rare state of joy. He hadn't felt this relaxed for a long time since his grandfather's passing.

Fortunately, today's Autumn Banquet ended late, and Bai Heguang, having been forced to drink too much by his colleagues, was already drunk. Otherwise, when he returned home and saw Bai Feizhang's state, and Liu Shi whispered in his ear, he would definitely come to cause trouble for him.

Bai Su had never been attached to power and status. If it weren't for his grandfather's instructions, he sometimes really wanted to leave home completely, go to the countryside to farm, go to the border to be with his comrades, and do what he could.

He slowly moved towards his yard, but no matter how hard he tried to correct it, he couldn't change the unevenness of his shoulders, and his lame right foot was ultimately a burden.

After returning to the room and drinking some warm tea, Bai Su enjoyed the rare peace and quiet.

He probably thought there would be more trouble tomorrow, but he was used to it and would just fight it out.

Thinking of this, Bai Su changed his clothes and bathed before lying comfortably on the bed, intending to rest and recuperate. However, for some reason, as soon as he closed his eyes, the smiling face of King Ning flashed through his mind.

He frowned and opened his eyes, his eyes dimming slightly as he thought about how much he owed Prince Ning. If he had the chance, he would definitely repay this favor.

Trying hard to suppress the secret joy in his heart, Bai Su calmed down and after a long while, he finally fell into a peaceful sleep. However, whether his dream would be as peaceful as his sleeping posture was unknown.

The next day, Bai Su woke up early as usual. He felt as if he had dreamed something last night, but it wasn't clear, so he didn't take it seriously.

After shaking his head and washing with the water prepared by the servants, Bai Su took out a long sword and started practicing in the yard.

Although his right hand and right foot were disabled after his recovery, he never gave up. Whenever he had free time, he would practice swordsmanship with his left hand in his own yard away from outsiders.

Bai and Guang had never liked him since childhood, and ever since the death of Marquis Bai, the entire mansion had been controlled by the Liu family. With someone backing them, Liu and Bai Feizhang, mother and son, immediately revealed their ugly faces.

Bai Su knew that his fall from the horse was definitely not an accident. However, he had never expected that even with all his caution, he would still fall into the opponent's trap.

But even so, he was not going to accept his fate.

Retraining to wield the sword with his left hand wasn't easy, but fortunately, he had the foundation and was diligent. Now, even with his left hand, he could wield the heavy sword with great vigor.

The courtyard was filled with his trusted aides, all of whom were left to him by the old Marquis Bai. Many of them were even retired from the battlefield and were quite skilled in fighting.

Having a special person to keep a close watch on his yard made Bai Su feel a lot more relaxed.

He tried to recover himself while hiding from others, not wanting Liu and Bai Feizhang to know about it and become wary, thus trying to harm him. Even though he knew of their evil intentions, they never stopped.

Although Lord Bai has been loyal to the court all his life, Bai Su is different. All he cares about are his comrades who fought on the battlefield with him and the safety of the people.

The court had become increasingly disappointing recently, and Bai Su's desire to withdraw had only grown stronger. But for some reason, meeting Prince Ning yesterday had rekindled a bit of his former passion.

Bai Su was a little annoyed at constantly thinking about Chen Tian. He put down his knife and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing that it was almost time, he returned to his room, changed his clothes, and prepared to have breakfast.

Just when they were halfway through breakfast, a messenger arrived. Bai Su instructed them to let the person in.

The nanny immediately walked up to Bai Su and said with a smile, "My Lord, the Marquis invites you to the main hall."

Bai Su raised his eyelids when he heard this, glanced at the person in front of him, and recognized that it was someone around Liu.

Knowing that this trip would definitely not end well, and that he might even be punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall, he slowly ate the bun in his hand and drank a mouthful of white porridge, looking neither hurried nor slow.

Nanny Wang's eyelids twitched at the sight of this. She felt a pang of disdain for such a cripple, and a hint of disrespect on her face as she said, "My Lord, the Marquis is waiting for you in the main hall. Do you think you should..."

Who knew that before she could finish her words, she was given a casual glance by the other party. Just one glance made the old woman break out in a cold sweat, as if she was walking on the edge of a knife.

The bloody smell at that moment was not something an ordinary person like her could withstand. The long scar on her jaw made her look even more ferocious.

Nanny Wang then remembered that this prince was a man who had truly lived through hardships. No matter how poor he was, he was not someone a servant like her could humiliate.

He quickly lowered his head and kept quiet, and could only worry in his heart that this gentleman would be quick and not let the lady vent her anger on him.

So, amid the anxiety of the people outside, Bai Su ate an extra bun, a sesame cake, and half a bowl of porridge. He then wiped his mouth, tucked the remaining sesame cakes on the table into his arms, and strolled leisurely towards the main hall.

Bai Heguang didn't like the wife Li chosen for him by the old marquis. Although Li was well-educated and gave birth to a legitimate son for him, he felt that the woman was too boring and was also tired of Bai Su.

After Li's death, he ignored Bai Su even more and left him to be looked after by the servants. Later, the old marquis could no longer bear it and took him in to raise him.

In recent years, Bai Heguang has been too mediocre and is always compared with the old Marquis Bai.

Before Bai Su got into trouble, some people even lamented that it was thanks to his legitimate son Bai Su's talent in both civil and military affairs that he was able to carry forward the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's Mansion, which made him dislike Bai Su even more.

Bai Heguang just thought that since he was still alive as a father, how could he let his son climb over his head? This Bai Su was born to be his enemy, and he didn't feel any respect or fatherly authority from him, but he didn't think about how he treated Bai Su since he was a child.

Before entering the hall, Bai Su heard the Marquis's verbal abuse and Liu's hypocritical words that seemed to comfort him but actually added fuel to the fire.

What a mess, Bai Su thought to himself.

As he walked into the room, a teacup fell at his feet.

Bai Heguang pointed at Bai Su with an angry look on his face and scolded, "Unfilial son, you unfilial son! Kneel down and admit your mistake!"

Hearing this, Bai Su's heart and expression remained calm. He just said calmly, "I don't know where I went wrong."

He heard the same indifferent tone again. He thought about how he had lost face in front of Prince Ning because of Bai Su at the Autumn Banquet yesterday. Waking up this morning to hear Liu's sobbing and seeing his youngest son being beaten into a pig's head, he nearly vomited blood in anger.

Liu exaggerated the situation, blaming Bai Feizhang's injury entirely on Bai Su. It was as if Bai Su had instigated Prince Ning to vent his anger on Bai Feizhang, leading to his child's miserable state.

"You dare to talk back!"

Bai Heguang raised his hand in anger to hit Bai Su, but Bai Su grabbed his hand instead.

The young man's left hand was stuck on the man's wrist like an iron clamp. His face was twisted in pain, and he even had the illusion that his wrist would be broken in the other person's hand in the next second.

Fortunately, Bai Su remembered that they were father and son after all, and he didn't want to make things too awkward, so he quickly let go of his hand.

Bai Su was not one to sit back and wait for death, and he would definitely not accept such unreasonable beatings and scolding. However, he also knew that even if Bai Heguang couldn't beat him, he would not accept it.

As expected, Bai Heguang's hands were shaking as he tried to maintain his dignity as a marquis. He snorted at Bai Su, "Get out of here and kneel in the ancestral hall. You're not allowed to get up until you've knelt for three days! Since the prince is so powerful, I guess going without food and water for three days is no problem!"

After saying that, Bai Heguang left with Liu and others. Bai Feizhang gave him a smug look before leaving, but Bai Su didn't bother to pay attention.

Asking him, a general who fights enemies in battle, to engage in family strife? He really has no interest in it.

Why don't you take the time to read some military books and think about matters such as defense deployment and food supplies instead of confining your mind to this small part of the inner house?

He couldn't figure it out, nor did he want to think about it. After all, he was his biological father, and most of the time he just didn't bother to care.

However, he was under the pressure of filial piety. Even if there was no reason, he had to go to the ancestral hall based on Marquis Zhongyong's words.

Once you enter the ancestral hall, there will naturally be servants of the Marquis guarding outside.

They also knew that this prince was not someone to be trifled with, so they didn't bother approaching him to cause trouble. They simply closed the door and left him alone. However, for the next three days, no one would bring in water or food.

Bai Su wouldn't be so stupid as to kneel for three days.

He first piously burned incense and kowtowed to his ancestors, especially carefully wiping his grandfather's tablet before sitting down on the ground.

He touched the sesame cakes in his arms. They were enough to sustain him for three days, but they certainly wouldn't fill him up. But it was definitely better than eating grass roots when he was ambushed on the mountain and was starving while fighting outside.

I just don’t know how the brothers in the border town are doing. They certainly can’t eat such fine sesame cakes. They are lucky to have black steamed buns to fill their stomachs. It makes me sad just thinking about it.

A while ago, he secretly had all the money his grandfather had left him from the shop, which wasn't on the books, sent to the frontier. It should be enough for everyone to have a meal and maybe even buy some cotton clothes. It would be cold in a few months, and life in the barracks would probably be even harder.

Bai Su was lost in thought until noon, when he felt hungry again. He took a sesame cake and took a bite. It was crispy and fragrant with a hint of saltiness, and the fallen sesame seeds and crumbs landed on the back of his hand.

Bai Su was used to being rough in the military camp and was thrifty with his food. Since there was no one around him, he went up to him and ate the crumbs without thinking.

Suddenly, the door was opened with a bang.

Bai Su continued eating sesame seeds and looked up to see Prince Ning rushing in with anxious and angry eyes.

The two people looked at each other and were both stunned.

The author has something to say:

Chen Tian/Bai Su: I'm most afraid of the sudden silence...