In a courtyard in Lingzhou, Gu Qingyan was drawing on a map.
"Your Highness, there are two bandit groups in Lingzhou. The two groups often clash, so the people of Lingzhou consciously avoid these dangers."
Gu Qingyan laughed upon hearing this, "Then let's deal with both of these bandit groups."
"Your Highness..." Qin Wei's expression was somewhat conflicted, "But we didn't bring any men with us."
"This is why the Prime Minister summoned me."
Gu Qingyan chuckled and patted Qin Wei on the shoulder. "If it were so easy, would that old fox Zhuo Yi have let me get away with this?"
"But this is within the territory of Daqing. Should we send a letter to inform the Lord and his wife?"
"Shh-"
Gu Qingyan gestured to Qin Wei, "Although I didn't bring any men with me, I brought you."
Qin Wei was stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips.
"I will certainly live up to Your Highness's expectations."
Meanwhile, in Daqing, the capital city, the Bai family...
“Axi”.
General Bai paced back and forth in Bai Qian's courtyard with some concern, "Qian, are you up?"
After a long while, no one answered from inside.
"General, Miss has been listless lately and doesn't leave her room all day." The maid also looked worried. "General, this can't go on."
“I remember, Miss started doing this after she returned from the Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence.”
General Bai paused for a moment, then roughly understood the reason.
"Bai Qian!"
General Bai suddenly roared, hands on his hips, "I've trained you to be proficient in all eighteen martial arts, just so you wouldn't be able to lift a sword because of a man?"
"What's so good about Jiang He? She's an orphan, always risking her life in battles. She may seem to hold a high position, but I think she'd be better off marrying an honest and reliable man and living a peaceful life."
Seeing that Bai Qian still didn't speak, General Bai took a deep breath, focused his energy in his dantian, and used his final move.
"Men, take all of the young lady's weapons away. I'll take them for myself!"
"father!"
Bai Qian ran to the door with red eyes, "You can say whatever you want, but why take away my weapon?"
Upon seeing Bai Qian, General Bai's heart melted.
"Axi, why are your eyes red?"
My eyes aren't red.
"Alright, alright, no redness." General Bai handed Bai Qian a handkerchief. "Quickly wipe away your tears, Father will take you to have a meal."
Bai Qian was amused by General Bai's appearance. "Father is right. It's his loss that he doesn't want me!"
“This is my daughter.”
The father and daughter enjoyed their meal together happily, with a table full of Bai Qian's favorite foods. "Dad, I'm sorry to have worried you these past few days."
“Your mother passed away early, and the entire Bai family is just the two of us, father and daughter, relying on each other. If I don’t worry about you, who else can I worry about?” General Bai personally served Bai Qian a bowl of soup. “Eat more.”
After finishing her meal, Bai Qian changed her clothes and left the Bai residence.
Father is right. She can't let Jiang He's rejection throw her off balance and ruin her life.
Bai Qian had just stepped out of the Bai residence when she was stopped by someone.
"Excuse me, are you Ms. Bai Qian?"
Bai Qian took a step back warily. "I am. Who are you?"
"My name is Kui Ruo."
Wei Ruo stood in front of Bai Qian. Because of Bai Qian and Jiang Yu's relationship, Wei Ruo had a smile on her face, and her eyes shone like stars when she smiled.
......
In a private room on the second floor of the teahouse, Bai Qian and Wei Ruo sat facing each other.
“I’ve never heard of you.” Bai Qian spoke first. The man in front of her looked extremely harmless, but Bai Qian was unusually cautious. “He doesn’t look familiar either. There’s no prominent family with the surname Kui in the capital.”
Do I look like a rich young master?
Kui Ruo took a sip of tea. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Kui Ruo. My godfather is Lord Zhong Wuyi. I came in first place in the autumn imperial examination."
"You're the scholar who was exceptionally summoned to the palace by the Emperor?"
Bai Qian swallowed almost imperceptibly. From childhood, her greatest fear was... scholars...
"It is I."
"What do you want with me?" Seeing that Bai Qian was obviously bluffing, Wei Ruo laughed out loud, "I've been staking out the Bai residence for quite a while now, and I almost thought that Miss Bai was never going to leave the residence."
Bai Qian's patience gradually wore thin, and she had already finished a cup of tea.
"I came to see Miss Bai because I wanted to ask her to inquire with Her Majesty the Empress if there was anything she could do to help me," Wei Ruo said, her tone becoming somewhat cautious as she spoke of Jiang Yu.
"The methods devised by the court officials to bring back Prince Yan have all been rejected by Da Ning. I think the Empress must desperately want Prince Yan to return to the capital, so..."
Why are you so determined to help the Empress?
Mentioning Jiang Yu, Bai Qian's expression became more serious, and she looked at Wei Ruo with a tangible gaze.
“Her Majesty the Empress once saved my life, so I must help her.” Wei Ruo refilled Bai Qian’s teacup. “Her Majesty should remember my name. If Miss Bai doesn’t believe me, she can go and ask Her Majesty.”
Bai Qian smiled wryly upon hearing this, "I will go to the palace tomorrow to ask Her Majesty."
Thank you.
Kui Ruo visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and Bai Qian couldn't help but laugh at Kui Ruo's expression.
"Look how nervous you were just now. As long as you wholeheartedly help Her Majesty the Empress, then you and I are friends." Bai Qian reached over the table and patted Wei Ruo's shoulder. "I just didn't expect that Her Majesty would save the life of a genius like you."
"I am not a genius."
Wei Ruo emphasized that he was not a genius. Although he seemed to obtain these things easily, he had almost lost half his life in the process.
"I've never liked reading since I was a child."
Perhaps because she was heartbroken by Jiang He and then encountered someone from the same "camp" as Wei Ruo, Bai Qian couldn't help but start to confide in him.
“My father hired many tutors for me, but I drove them all away in frustration,” Bai Qian said with a laugh. “That’s why I admire people like you who can study so well.”
When Wei Ruo didn't mention Jiang Yu, he would become quieter and would just listen to Bai Qian talk.
"Tea isn't enough, bring some wine."
Bai Qian was clearly very familiar with the teahouse owner, and soon the waiter brought up a pot of wine.
"Miss Bai, I don't drink alcohol."
"Then watch me drink."
Bai Qian deftly poured herself a drink and drank it one glass after another.
"Tell me, are some people just born... born heartless, blind to the efforts of others, and always finding various reasons to refuse?" Bai Qian said, drinking and cursing. "Tell me, am I right?"
"Also, they always think they're good to me, but they're not good to me at all."
"Miss Bai, you're drunk."
Seeing Bai Qian slumped on the table, Wei Ruo frowned helplessly. Looking around, she realized that Bai Qian had left the mansion without anyone by her side.
At the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, Jiang He was playing chess with Gu Lin.
"My lord."
"Miss Bai left the manor today and then had drinks with Young Master Wei at a teahouse. Just now, Young Master Wei escorted Miss Bai back to the Bai manor."
Splash—
Whether it was Jiang He or Gu Lin who exerted force, the chessboard fell to the ground.
Both of them looked extremely pale.
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