Chapter 34 The relationship between the two seems somewhat different…

“Of course there is no problem, the lady’s safety is the most important thing.” At this moment, Yu Kai stepped forward and said gently.

"Besides, with the Zhenbei Army protecting us, we feel more at ease. Why not?"

Princess Yucheng's expression shifted slightly, and she echoed the sentiment.

Her first thought upon hearing Wei Yi speak was that he wanted to use this opportunity to kill her. But she quickly realized that it was completely unnecessary—

Ultimately, it's because of the fear in one's heart.

For the royal family, the Zhenbei Army was like a sword hanging over their necks, ready to fall at any moment, and she had unknowingly become a frightened bird.

Now that she has calmed down, Princess Yucheng looked back on her thoughts and felt ashamed and annoyed, as well as finding them quite ridiculous.

A descendant of the royal family, reduced to such a state.

Bai Xuerou was speechless, never expecting that her casual remark would have such a reaction.

It was precisely because of this that she was able to clearly realize the current status of the Zhenbei Army.

"No need, no need, I appreciate your kindness. I was just saying it casually, and it makes me feel bad for troubling everyone. Please don't say any more." Bai Xuerou firmly declined.

"Thank you, Princess, and Mr. Yu," she said, then looked at Wei Yi, "and General Wei for your kindness."

Princess Yucheng was initially relieved, but upon realizing what was happening, her feelings became increasingly complicated.

She was actually wary of the Ling family to this extent.

The initial joy that arose from Bai Xuerou's rejection vanished before it could even take hold.

They even became increasingly dissatisfied.

The Ling family's arrogance has reached this point, trampling on the dignity of her, the eldest princess, all because of a single sentence from Bai Xuerou.

He was the one who started it all.

Seeing that Bai Xuerou really disagreed, Wei Yi didn't bring it up again.

He just didn't want Bai Xuerou to compromise herself for the sake of others. In this world, it might be fine elsewhere, but in Chang'an, with him around, no one could make her feel wronged.

Even now, Bai Xuerou seems to still be the same Bai Xuerou as before.

Nothing has changed.

After calming everyone down, Bai Xuerou said she was going for a walk and invited Wei Yi to leave with her.

Yu Kai watched the figure disappear into the distance, feeling a slight sense of loss.

He considered himself quite outstanding and had always attracted the attention of women in the past, but when he met Bai Xue Rou several times, she never gave him a second glance.

Is he not outstanding enough?

He used to ignore those stares and even get a little impatient with them, but now he's finally experiencing the taste of disappointment.

"Young Master Yu, what are you looking at?" Princess Yucheng still remembered her earlier embarrassment and anger, so she couldn't help but pay more attention to the expressions of the people around her. In this glance, she saw Yu Kai's expression, his delicate eyebrows slightly raised, and there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Look what she discovered!

Yu Kai looked back, and by the time he turned around, everything had returned to calm.

“Looking at General Wei, I’ve heard of his reputation back home, and now, after seeing him in action, I can confirm it’s well-deserved. No, he’s become even more imposing.” He paused slightly, then added one last sentence.

It wasn't that she was domineering; she forced both Yu Sanlang to bow their heads with just one sentence. But in truth, she was the one who lost face more, while Yu Sanlang was just a junior.

Princess Yucheng concealed her displeasure with a flicker of her eyes.

"Young Master Yu's praise should not have been given to me, but to General Wei. What a pity," she said with a smile.

What's the point of saying all this now? If you're so capable, say it when Wei Yi is here. Princess Yucheng dislikes the Zhenbei Army, but she dislikes even more these aristocratic families who always try to influence the royal family.

Yu Sanlang was still young, and his elders, even if they didn't care about the royal family, wouldn't show it on their faces.

But he was also clever. He sensed the displeasure in Princess Yucheng's words and knew that his tone had been inappropriate. However, he did not regret it or anything. The current royal family of the Great Qi was not enough to make him feel awe.

Therefore, he simply smiled and said goodbye, then turned and left.

Princess Yucheng watched Yu Sanlang's retreating figure, her expression slightly indifferent.

She hated the arrogance of these aristocratic families.

However, Yu Jiazi and Bai Xuerou...

interesting.

Princess Yucheng put the matter aside, and as soon as she turned around, she saw that many of the young men seemed absent-minded, always looking in the direction Bai Xuerou had left.

She was puzzled at first, but quickly realized what was going on.

Yu Kai wasn't the only one attracted to the stunning beauty.

Bai Qingrong was also deeply moved by this.

The feeling of being away for so long returned after many years. At first, he was a little unaccustomed to it, but he quickly calmed down.

He and Bai Xuerou were three years apart in age. When Bai Xuerou was in her teens, he was eleven or twelve. Countless young men tried every means to win Bai Xuerou's favor through him.

Back then, my sister was engaged, and even the young master of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion couldn't stop those swarms of suitors. Now, she's a widow and single. My sister must be lonely all by herself; it would be good if she could find someone she truly likes.

Ling Zheng is not worthy of his sister remaining a widow for him.

However, these people are just ordinary and don't seem to deserve it.

After looking it over and over, Bai Qingrong finally decided to give up.

Never mind, he wants to take a closer look.

The literary gathering was held on a high platform with strangely shaped pine trees. After leaving the platform, Bai Xuerou and Wei Yi went up the stone steps. Luoxian Temple was built against the mountain, and one could take in all the pavilions and towers in a short distance.

The pavilions and towers, shrouded in mist and wisps of incense smoke, exude an otherworldly charm, truly deserving of its name as a place of celestial beings.

"Madam, I apologize for my rash words just now," Wei Yi said first.

He sensed Bai Xuerou's subtle dissatisfaction.

Bai Xuerou felt helpless. She really didn't like making a big fuss over trivial matters. Although Wei Yi was protecting her, she still felt that he was being somewhat presumptuous.

“I know what the general means, but I don’t feel wronged,” she said, lifting the hem of her skirt carefully so as not to step on it, the jewels on her cloud-patterned shoes peeking out from under the hem.

"General, I'm not a teenage girl anymore," she said with a laugh, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

She was initially a little unhappy, but after thinking about it, she understood why. When she was young, Wei Yi had always protected her like this, always worried that she would be wronged.

Many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and she has grown up, but in Wei Yi's eyes, everything seems to remain as it was before.

Upon thinking of this, Bai Xuerou's anger immediately dissipated.

Wei Yi fell silent again. He always wanted everything to be the same as before, but Bai Xuerou told him again and again that things were different.

"I'm sorry, Madam." He was lost in thought, but in the end, he remained silent.

He didn't want to trouble Bai Xuerou.

He knew she didn't like these trivial things.

“General, please don’t say that. I don’t blame you. You’re doing this for my own good, I know,” Bai Xuerou said immediately.

Wei Yi's heart softened, and he hummed in agreement. He reached out and brushed aside the drooping branches. Bai Xuerou lowered her raised hand and thanked him.

"The way that Yu family member looked at you was strange," he brought up another matter.

"Something's not right?" Bai Xuerou didn't notice.

Wei Yi knew that Bai Xue Rou rarely cared about irrelevant people, but he was different. He would pay special attention to certain thoughts that he couldn't tell others.

Whether it was her admirers in her youth or now.

“He likes you,” Wei Yi said.

Bai Xuerou was first surprised, then burst into laughter.

“He doesn’t understand me. His so-called liking for me is probably just based on my appearance. It’s not worth mentioning,” she said.

She had no doubt about Wei Yi's words. She had always been like that when she was young; whatever he said was never wrong.

However, even Yu Kai would do this, it seems that no one is an exception when it comes to liking beautiful women.

Once he gets to know you, he will only love you more.

Wei Yi thought to himself.

Isn't that exactly who he is? Who wouldn't like Bai Xuerou?

Bai Xuerou wandered around the mountain, had a vegetarian lunch at the temple, and spent half the afternoon playing. She had originally planned to climb this famous mountain, but after walking a short distance, her back and legs were already sore and weak. Looking up at the summit, which still seemed so close through the trees, she sighed:

"Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death; the ancients were right."

Then he readily gave up and turned to slowly walk down the mountain.

It was clearly the same gentle breeze, but because it was autumn, it inexplicably carried a sense of desolation.

Looking around, Bai Xuerou saw yellow and red hues faintly appearing amidst the lush greenery of the mountains. She followed the winding path back to Luoxian Temple. Perhaps because many people walked this path, it was relatively flat.

As you get closer to Luoxian Temple, the space becomes more spacious.

The literary gathering at Luoxian Temple continued. These talented scholars from all over the country rarely gathered together, and it seemed that they had endless things to say and endless debates to discuss. Their exchanges were very exciting.

Unfortunately, Bai Xuerou was a good-for-nothing. She had no interest in studying in both her previous and current lives, and her greatest ambition was to live a long and healthy life without lacking food and clothing.

This ambition was relatively simple in the previous life, but it became much more difficult in ancient times.

Bai Xuerou had never known that simply surviving could be so difficult. Whenever she thought about it, she felt a deep sense of gratitude towards the Chairman and the Party.

In short, she felt dizzy and sleepy after listening for a while, and then gave up.

But since we're going back, we still need to go and take a look.

As they walked up the stone steps on the mountain, just as they reached the high platform, a guard hurried over, then knelt on one knee and shouted, "Reporting to the Madam, a great victory has been reported from the front! The Prince has captured Guanhou City!"

"Okay, okay." Bai Xuerou was overjoyed.

She was indeed ignorant of warfare and strategic maneuvers, but she knew one thing: Xue Wenxian was stationed at Guanhou City to confront the Zhenbei Army in this battle.

Now that Guanhou City has been captured, Xue Wenxian's side has undoubtedly suffered a major defeat.

Those on stage immediately offered their congratulations, each with their own thoughts.

From the beginning of this battle, many people were watching and wanted to see what Ling Xun was capable of. Although there had been several good news reports before, they were all good news and not bad news. Everyone was well-informed and naturally knew that their side had also suffered defeats.

But this time, Guanhou City is different.

The fall of Guanhou City, without mentioning Xue Wenxian, suggests he escaped. However, the very fact that Ling Xun was able to capture the city itself proves his strength.

He is no ordinary person.

Could it be that this once-promising son of the Ling family is actually a military genius capable of commanding the three armies?

Although he had won many battles before, there is a difference between a general and a commander. Generals are easy to find, but commanders are one in a million.

Some hoped that Ling Xun could take down Xue Wenxian in one fell swoop, while others had other ideas and hoped that both sides would suffer heavy losses.

Regardless, this unexpected news from the literary gathering has added a layer of complexity and indescribable feelings to the event.

While Bai Xuerou was happy, she was also somewhat worried.

The guards came to deliver a message, only saying that there had been a great victory, but not mentioning Ling Xun's condition. With so many outsiders around, it wasn't appropriate for her to ask.

Is he injured?

At this moment, Wei Yi was also found. Bai Xuerou smiled as soon as she saw him, feeling that he was the only one present who could share in the joy. She couldn't help but say, "General Wei, the Prince has captured Guanhou City, a great victory."

"Congratulations, Madam," Wei Yi immediately offered his congratulations.

Bai Xuerou couldn't stop smiling, and others immediately chimed in with congratulatory remarks.

After a lively scene, the two finally managed to escape. Bai Xuerou wanted to return to the city, and Wei Yi went with her.

One person was in a carriage, and the other was on horseback.

With guards escorting her from the front and back, and no outsiders around, Bai Xuerou finally voiced her concerns, asking, "I wonder how Your Highness is? Is he injured?"

Wei Yi rode his horse beside Bai Xuerou's carriage and said, "Madam, there is no need to worry. Since the guard who delivered the order did not say anything, then nothing will happen."

"I'm just worried that Your Highness will only report good news and not bad," Bai Xuerou sighed softly. "In war, how can you not get injured?"

“Your Highness is exceptionally talented; he is the most gifted person I have ever seen. Madam, please rest assured,” Wei Yi added.

Upon hearing this praise, Bai Xuerou's heart stirred, and she couldn't help but ask, "Oh? Really?"

“Of course.” Speaking of this, Wei Yi couldn’t help but feel a little emotional as he slowly recounted the story.

Although Bai Xuerou had mentioned Ling Xun to Wei Yi a few times before, the two of them still had to hide the fact that they knew each other, and they would only exchange a few pleasantries before stopping. It wasn't until now that she had truly heard about Ling Xun from Wei Yi.

That kid is indeed a genius.

"What a genius! I'm so envious," Bai Xuerou sighed.

Wei Yi thought the same way. Looking at the young Ling Xun, he felt this way more than once, but he was also filled with pride.

"Isn't your wife proud?" he joked.

Bai Xuerou couldn't help but laugh and said, "Of course I'm proud."

The child she raised, who took care of her food and clothing, has grown from a little boy who was shorter than her to someone taller than her now. His clothes get bigger every year, and he eats more every year. How could she not be proud?

Wei Yi smiled, "The prince treats you with respect, and your good days are yet to come, Madam."

Bai Xuerou smiled and said, "Yes."

"And there's no need for the future, I'm already doing very well now." She looked at the sky and earth, at her personal guards and servants, "Carefree and everything goes smoothly, how many people can live as well as I do?"

Only after losing a man do women realize that most of their troubles stem from men, and they are most relaxed and carefree when they are alone.

Wei Yi's expression softened. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't speak and just listened quietly.

Even so, those serving Bai Xuerou sensed an unusual closeness between the two and secretly took it to heart.

Those who serve their masters are not fools; they spend most of their time trying to understand their masters' intentions.

Noticing that Wei Yi had stopped speaking, Bai Xuerou seemed to sense something, smiled slightly, and sat back down.

She also found that she was becoming more and more unrestrained, unlike before when she was careful and always had concerns. She didn't know if this was a good thing, but since there were no problems now, she indulged herself.

Upon returning home, Bai Xuerou immediately summoned the guard who had delivered the message.

The letter was sent directly back to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion. The man was extremely tired, so Bai Xuerou's personal guards went to Luoxian Temple in the end. Now that they had rested for a while, they had regained their strength and immediately reported back upon hearing Bai Xuerou's words.

"His Highness has been holding the fort in the rear and is safe and sound. Before returning, he specifically instructed me to tell Madam that she should rest assured that he will be alright."

When Bai Xuerou was young, she didn't understand why her parents were unmoved when she said she was at ease. Now she understands. They said they were at ease, but what remained in their hearts was an increasing sense of unease.

Those worries cannot be soothed by simply saying "don't worry".

She repeatedly questioned her personal guards, to prevent Ling Xun from being the commander-in-chief of an army and not needing to fight on the front lines, unless someone could bypass the Zhenbei Army—

That's impossible. The Zhenbei Army has hundreds of thousands of troops. Even if they are divided into three routes, he still has more than 100,000 troops by his side.

If that day ever comes, it will be the day when the Zhenbei Army becomes a thing of the past.

Or perhaps he could infiltrate Ling Xun's inner circle.

This is more difficult.

Finally, Ling Xun lost his mind and insisted on going to the battlefield to lead the charge.

Who knows what will happen in the future? Ling Xun hasn't reached that point yet.

In short, Ling Xun is safe.

After clarifying these matters, Bai Xuerou finally felt relieved and let him go to rest.

After much deliberation, she wrote a letter to Ling Xun and had it delivered to him.

I also need winter clothes, but I won't send them with the letter. Sending a heart requires a light and simple entourage, and clothes would slow down the journey. Bai Xuerou will arrange a special caravan to deliver them.

Such meticulous arrangements took place from after dinner until bedtime.

Since Guanhou City, reports of victory have been pouring in one after another. Just by looking at the news, it's clear that Ling Xun has been steadily advancing and taking over Xue Wenxian's territory, while Xue Wenxian has been retreating again and again, suffering a complete rout.

Bai Xuerou's life gradually returned to normal; she attended banquets, went out for fun, and relaxed at home.

The vast estate of the Prince of Zhenbei was entirely in her hands. She arranged for several people to manage it carefully, while also having people secretly investigate to prevent being fooled. This combination of overt and covert measures was extremely effective, and it made her life much easier.

All the news from Chang'an was gathered to her, and she then passed it on to Ling Xun.

She knew Ling Xun had his own plans, but this was her intention. Besides, Bai Xue Rou had also considered that if any of Ling Xun's men had overlooked something, this would also be helpful to him.

These busy yet relaxed days seem to have flown by, and winter is here in the blink of an eye.

This year there has been a lot of rain, and the winter seems particularly cold; it snowed right at the beginning of winter.

Fortunately, cotton cultivation has been improving in recent years, so there's no fear of the soldiers getting cold. Bai Xuerou once thought of distributing cotton seeds throughout the land so that ordinary people could grow them and afford cotton clothing.

When Ling Zheng was there, he directly refused. He knew Bai Xuerou was kind-hearted, and only asked her if she knew that this would result in even greater casualties for the Zhenbei Army.

He comforted Bai Xuerou, saying that once he gained control of the country, he would ensure that everyone could afford to wear cotton-padded clothes.

Bai Xuerou was also tormented. She hoped that the people's lives would be better, but people are different. She could not enjoy the protection of the Zhenbei Army, yet she did such a thing.

However, Ling Xun gave a different answer to the same question—

There's only so much land; if you plant cotton, you can't grow grain. These days, war rages everywhere, and those forces aren't like the Zhenbei Army, which has decades of territory managed by the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, ensuring a stable supply of grain and cotton. They rely more on levying exorbitant taxes, on robbery, and on plunder.

If grain is grown but doesn't even reach the people's stomachs, many will starve to death. So what about cotton? Even if it is grown, will it actually reach the people's hands?

Bai Xuerou fell silent in the end.

She always hoped the world would get better, but then someone told her that the war would never end and things would never get better.