The Prince of Beiyan has left, and the Prince of Qi is escorting the Prince of Xiang back to his fiefdom. However, the capital has not calmed down. Firstly, the autumn imperial examinations are approaching, and many young masters from noble families who have been studying away from home are returning to prepare for the exams. Secondly, news has spread that Miss Yu and the Second Young Master Wei were having an affair at the Prince of Qi's residence, becoming a new topic of conversation among the common people. There are even rumors that the Second Young Master Wei has broken his leg, and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is searching for a renowned doctor...
Inside the Liuli Courtyard, Bai Chuxiao had just changed into a fitted outfit.
Qing Shuang entered and bowed, reporting, "Miss, I heard that the eldest young master is arriving in the capital tomorrow."
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. "Bai Haoyun? Why is he also going to try his luck?"
With the flourishing of literary circles in Jiangnan, prominent families in the capital would typically send their youngest sons to study at Bailu Academy, and they generally wouldn't return to the capital except for the end of the year and some major holidays.
Qing Shuang nodded, "Master and Aunt Xie have been busy with this matter lately."
Those with good academic records can take the exam directly in Jiangnan, but with so many students there, it's difficult to achieve a good ranking. Bai Haoyun is young, and probably doesn't have the confidence to stand out in Jiangnan. Bai Chuxiao isn't very interested in this younger brother she's never met; as long as he returns and behaves himself, she's unlikely to cause him any trouble.
"I'm going away for a few days. If anyone in the manor asks, just say that I, the princess, went to the Prince of Yan's villa outside the city. As for Bai Haoyun, just keep a close eye on him when he returns. With the autumn imperial examinations approaching, I don't think he'll have time to cause trouble."
"yes"
After leaving Qiuyuefang, Bai Chuxiao, now dressed as a man, went to Zhaoyun Peak. Looking down at the soldiers below the cliff, whose spirits remained high and whose morale was even better than before, Bai Chuxiao nodded in satisfaction.
Cui Hao stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "Young Master"
"Line up!" Bai Chuxiao called out loudly.
The elite group quickly lined up in formation. Looking at their instructors, whom they hadn't seen for almost half a month, their faces showed a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and fear.
"Commander Cui has reported to me on your training progress. No one has fallen behind, and I am very satisfied! Tomorrow you will face your final assessment. Next, I will explain the assessment objectives to you so that you can be mentally prepared. The assessment location is the dense forest behind you. Your task is to survive in it for ten days with only one day's rations, defeat the three hundred Flying Cloud Cavalry stationed in the shadows, seize their supplies, and successfully reach the mountaintop. Along the way, two hundred Black Wing Guards will ambush you. Anyone caught will be eliminated. Anyone who fails to reach the mountaintop within ten days will be eliminated. Do you understand?"
The soldiers' initially excited faces instantly fell. It meant that five hundred of them had to deal with six hundred, and most importantly, they were in the open while the Flying Cloud Cavalry and Black Wing Guards were in the shadows...
Seeing the soldiers' sour faces, Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Everyone, I'll be waiting for you at the top of the mountain. Good luck!"
In the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Wei Baifeng, who had been carried back from the Prince of Qi's residence, lay on the bed with empty, lifeless eyes. His legs were crippled... From now on, he couldn't compete with his elder brother for anything, and he couldn't even be a playboy anymore. What use was a person with crippled legs?
Aunt Shen kept wiping away her tears, saying, "Bai Feng, you must pull yourself together. Your father has already sought out renowned doctors for you. Your leg will definitely be healed."
Wei Baifeng murmured, "It can't be cured."
Even the most skilled physician in the palace, Imperial Physician Zhang, said his leg was beyond saving, even by a miracle. Who else could he rely on? After returning to the Wei family, even his father, who had always doted on him, only comforted him once and never visited again. His wife and elder brother came every day, but they were only there to laugh at him.
Aunt Shen gently comforted him, "You are the son of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, even if... you will enjoy endless wealth and honor for the rest of your life. Bai Feng, don't worry, your mother from the Yu family will definitely let you marry into the family... You must get better soon."
Upon hearing the name "Yu family," Wei Baifeng's eyes slowly brightened. "Even though I'm crippled, would the Yu family still marry their young lady to me?"
A venomous glint flashed in Aunt Shen's eyes. She hated Prince Yan and Bai Chuxiao, but given her status, she couldn't do anything to them. She also hated the culprit, Yu Aiwei. What a load of rubbish about a noble family! She had already persuaded Wei Junyan that Yu Aiwei had to marry into the family. She would make Yu Aiwei suffer twice as much as Bai Feng did.
"Bai Feng, you just wait until we get married..."
Driven by various forces, the affair between the Yu and Wei families became a major scandal. Under pressure from the Prince Qi's mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo, the Yu family had no choice but to marry off their daughter.
In the courtyard of the Yu family home, Yu Aiwei smashed the furnishings in the room to pieces.
"I don't want to marry Wei Baifeng, that cripple."
"Miss..." The maid in the room wanted to step forward but dared not.
"Yu Aiwei, what are you doing?" Yu Fengyang strode in.
A flash of resentment crossed Yu Aiwei's eyes. "Are you happy now that I've done this?"
Yu Fengyang, without changing his expression, said, "You can choose between marrying him or going to Wanfa Temple."
Yu Aiwei yelled, "Yu Fengyang, you're helping that bitch Bai Chuxiao to deal with your own sister! You don't deserve to be the heir of the Yu family; you're nothing but a lackey of the Prince of Yan..."
Yu Fengyang stepped forward and grabbed her chin, stopping her from continuing. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he coldly said, "You fool who's being used as a pawn, what makes you think you can outmaneuver Princess Changning?"
"Guards! Before the Fourth Miss marries into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, she is not allowed to step out of this room."
"yes"
After giving his cold instructions, Yu Fengyang left without looking back.
A string of curses came from behind, "Yu Fengyang, you'll die a horrible death!"
That night, Bai Chuxiao didn't rest. Instead, she led Cui Hao into the dense forest behind the mountain. The forest was teeming with venomous snakes and insects at night, making it fraught with danger.
However, Bai Chuxiao moved with ease, always managing to spot and eliminate threats lurking in the shadows before Cui Hao could react, which left him feeling somewhat frustrated.
After starting a fire in a relatively open area, Bai Chuxiao casually sat cross-legged on the ground.
Cui Hao wasn't surprised by her unpretentious behavior and sat down as well.
"Princess, are you going back to the capital? I'll keep an eye on things here." The princess was indeed very capable, but it was still somewhat inconvenient for a woman to stay in these deep mountains and dense forests for ten days. If the prince found out... He couldn't help but shudder.
Bai Chuxiao smiled and shook her head. "I'm the instructor. I want to see them graduate in these ten days. Don't say a word to the Prince of Yan!"
Cui Hao lowered his head and agreed, then looked up after a moment and asked, "Princess, isn't this assessment too harsh?"
Although the five hundred soldiers had learned wilderness survival skills, ten days was simply too long, given the scarcity of supplies and the threat of six hundred allied troops.
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "What's this? I said that a true elite force can fight one against a hundred. Five hundred against six hundred is already very merciful. Cui Hao, how many people do you think will pass the test this time?"
After a moment's thought, Cui Hao slowly replied, "Half of them, perhaps."
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