Chapter 13 About to head to the battlefield, on the brink of life and death...
Bai Xuerou suddenly realized, and her smile widened, "Now that you mention it, it's true."
The maids then chatted amongst themselves about the little things that happened between the two of them, and only stopped talking when Ling Zheng returned.
Ling Zheng asked casually, and Bai Xuerou said that her sixth brother was much closer to her.
“You treat him so well, it’s only right.” Ling Zheng said, a hint of jealousy in his voice. “You have to be involved in everything he does. If he doesn’t cherish such a good sister-in-law, wouldn’t he be too insensible?”
Bai Xuerou immediately comforted him, preventing Ling Zheng from becoming jealous.
On New Year's Eve, the entire Wangfu family held a lively banquet. Everyone was quite drunk, but out of consideration for the Prince of Zhenbei, no one dared to lose their composure. They stayed up late into the night before dispersing.
This was Bai Xuerou's first New Year spent at the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.
If nothing unexpected had happened, this year's New Year should have been quite lively and festive, but an unexpected incident occurred.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the healthy Prince of Zhenbei suddenly fell ill. The doctor diagnosed that he had drunk some wine the night before and caught a cold from the wind.
He spent the entire Spring Festival recuperating, so his household was not lively.
Coincidentally, both Wei Yi and Bai Xuerou, who knew a certain secret, thought of Aunt Ge.
A beautiful woman's favor is profound, but it's not something easily enjoyed.
Although this sudden illness was not serious, it seemed to have triggered the Prince of Zhenbei's old ailment, causing him to fall seriously ill, and it was only with great difficulty that he recovered.
But in the end, he recovered, which relieved everyone in the manor. However, he was still weakened, and the Prince of Zhenbei's health was visibly not as robust as before.
Whether out of necessity or by choice, the Prince of Zhenbei began to groom his sons.
Instead of only doting on Ling Zheng as before.
In this atmosphere, the young men of the Prince's Mansion were all somewhat restless.
Ling Zheng was initially a little anxious, but he managed to stay calm and performed the best among his brothers, earning the recognition of many of the Prince of Zhenbei's followers.
If the Prince of Zhenbei were to fall ill, those who would be most concerned would not only be the people in the Prince's residence, but also these followers.
Long before they swept across the land together with the Prince of Zhenbei and became the rulers of the north, their honor, disgrace, and even their lives were already intertwined with the Ling family.
If something happens to the Prince of Zhenbei, the north will inevitably be in chaos, and their fate may not be good either.
The carefree atmosphere of the Prince's Mansion is gone forever, replaced by undercurrents of turmoil.
Ling Zheng was busy, and Bai Xue Rou was not spared either. She had to face many schemes and attacks from time to time, and the concubines who could barely maintain a calm facade were now in danger one by one.
It's easy to dodge a knife in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark; she was inevitably finding it difficult to cope.
The usually busy and demanding tasks of raising and educating Ling Xun turned out to be a rare moment of relaxation and joy.
Who doesn't like a smart and good-looking child?
Ling Xun spends his days studying literature and martial arts, while Bai Xue Rou handles all the trivial matters. Although he doesn't know exactly what his life is like in the novel, he is living a very carefree and relaxed life now.
Year after year, it seems to have passed by without us even realizing it.
Time flies, and it seems like only a short time has passed since Bai Xuerou married into the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.
She was nineteen years old that year.
In the same year, the Prince of Zhenbei, citing the pretext of purging the court of corrupt officials, punishing treacherous ministers, and restoring order to the state, launched a military campaign southward, directly threatening Chang'an.
After the uprising, the Qi royal family declined rapidly, and the hearts of the imperial relatives and officials were restless. In just over ten years, the throne changed hands three times.
Last year, the late emperor passed away. Just as the court was about to support a new emperor, the emperor's uncle, Chen Bing, led a large army into Chang'an with the late emperor's edict. Under the pretext of suppressing the rebels, he eliminated a group of officials who were said to have assassinated the late emperor. Later, he supported his younger sister's six-year-old son as emperor and seized control of the government. This was somewhat like using the emperor to command the princes.
Unfortunately, this was not the Han Dynasty. Although the imperial family had declined, the various military commanders still maintained their respect for the imperial family. This period of history was modeled after the late Tang Dynasty, when the regional warlords were in power and each did their own thing, and they had long lost their awe of the imperial family.
Chen Guojiu wanted to emulate Dong Zhuo, but he also had to see if anyone would listen to him.
Clearly, neither the Prince of Zhenbei nor the others took him seriously; in fact, they found him somewhat of an eyesore and were prepared to eliminate him first.
In some ways, Chen Guojiu's actions actually gave various forces an excuse to take action.
Although no one really took the royal family seriously, they didn't want to give others a reason to criticize them and be labeled as traitors. So they kept waiting, firstly to conserve their strength, and secondly to wait for an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and act openly and legitimately.
Right now.
Approaching Chang'an under the pretext of punishing traitors sounds much better than coveting the throne.
Of course, everyone knows the truth.
After speaking with his subordinates, the Prince of Zhenbei gave a special reminder to the women in his household when he paid his respects the next morning.
Since his serious illness three years ago, the Prince of Zhenbei's health has been intermittently poor. He no longer looks as tall and heroic as before, and has become much thinner, but his aura is still strong and domineering. Even though the tiger is sick, its power remains.
Lady Wu looked reluctant to part, but she didn't say anything to spoil the mood. She only reminded the Prince of Zhenbei to be careful.
Even the mighty Prince Zhenbei showed tenderness when he looked at her, and spoke a few gentle words.
After breakfast, everyone dispersed.
Ling Zheng left with the Prince of Zhenbei, and Bai Xuerou took Ling Xun back to Zhiwei Academy. This time, Ling Zheng would go to the battlefield with the Prince of Zhenbei. Although the Prince of Zhenbei had begun to cultivate his sons in recent years, he still valued Ling Zheng the most.
This time, the Prince of Zhenbei will take all his sons with him, including Ling Xun, who will soon set off with the army.
In Zhiwei Academy, Bai Xuerou looked at the upright young man before her, her eyes filled with emotion.
Before anyone knew it, Ling Xun was already fourteen, taller than her, and her features had matured. Although she was still somewhat immature, her rich and beautiful features were already evident, making it hard to look away.
Those large eyes, nestled in slightly deep sockets, always held a serene quality, like flowers blooming in the night, alluring and mysterious, making one yearn to explore them.
He now bears a five-tenths resemblance to Aunt Ge, only his features are more defined because he is a man, but it is enough to glimpse Aunt Ge's charm in her youth.
In the past two years, when the Prince of Zhenbei looked at him, he would occasionally lose his composure, presumably because he was thinking of the past.
“When I read history books and heard about masked music and dance, I couldn’t imagine it, but now that I’ve met my sixth brother, I understand,” she said with a smile.
Ling Xun thought she would give him some instructions, but he didn't expect her to bring this up.
The so-called masked dance is an anecdote. It is said that Prince Lanling, Gao Changgong, was so beautiful that he looked like a woman and felt that he could not intimidate the enemy, so he carved a ferocious mask and wore it when he went to war.
Bai Xuerou's words were clearly a joke.
Even though he knew it, Ling Xun's ears still burned when he heard the praise in Bai Xuerou's tone.
"So, sister-in-law, are you going to prepare a mask for me?" He coughed lightly, as if his throat was a little itchy, and asked.
Bai Xuerou opened her eyes slightly, not expecting him to tease her back, and then burst out laughing.
“That’s easy, I’ll have someone prepare it right away,” she said.
Ling Xun sat calmly, looking pleased with the outcome.
"Never mind." Bai Xuerou realized that he had turned the tables on her and said helplessly, "The mask obstructs our vision too much. We can't be careless on the battlefield. Let's just forget about it."
"We could make it thinner and lighter," Ling Xun suggested.
Bai Xuerou looked at him and realized that the boy was serious. After thinking for a moment, she said, "You want a gift."
Ling Xun suddenly felt his cheeks getting hot.
He didn't say anything.
He was about to head to the battlefield, facing life and death, and he... did indeed want Bai Xuerou's gift.
I just want some peace of mind.
No matter how calm and collected he was, Ling Xun was only fourteen. Although he couldn't tell anything from his face, he was still a little uneasy inside.
He hadn't thought much of it before, but the thought of Bai Xuerou giving him a gift suddenly made him feel more at ease.
Bai Xuerou looked at him quietly, sensed something, then smiled and said, "It was my oversight. Forget about the mask, your sister-in-law will prepare another one for you, okay?"
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Ling Xun didn't stand on ceremony and smiled, his face flushed.
Bai Xuerou smiled too. She raised her hand slightly, and Ling Xun lowered his head, ready to let her touch him. But when she saw her lower her hand again, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Since the year before last, my sister-in-law has rarely touched him.
He missed it a little.
Bai Xuerou put her hand back and looked at Ling Xun in front of her.
He has grown up and is now a teenager.
A brief silence followed, which inexplicably made Ling Xun feel a little flustered.
"...Doesn't your sister-in-law have anything to tell me?" He coughed lightly, trying to change the subject.
Bai Xuerou didn't think much of it, she just sighed a little, and then said with a smile, "Your master is there to deal with things on the battlefield, he will naturally give you instructions. I don't know much about it, so I won't say more."
"Just one sentence: to live." Her expression turned serious as she said this.
Ling Xun also became serious and said, "I know."
"You are intelligent and quick-witted. With more experience, you will surely become famous. I am only afraid that you will lack experience at the beginning and be too rash. You may be taken advantage of if you are careless. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. One carelessness may be irreparable. As long as you are alive, there will always be opportunities to make achievements. But if you die, everything will be in vain, and you will have nothing left."
Despite saying she wouldn't say much, Bai Xuerou started talking and couldn't help but ramble on, going on and on about a whole bunch of things.
Ling Xun looked at her calmly, showing no impatience whatsoever. His eyes even softened, and he solemnly said, "Sister-in-law is right. I will be careful."
Bai Xuerou also felt that she had said too much. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "Your master is a formidable person. If you have any questions, remember to ask him."
"Yes," Ling Xun replied again, then added, "Actually, sister-in-law, you don't need to worry too much. With all the generals there, I'm just going to broaden my horizons. The chances of me going to the battlefield are slim."
"Sister-in-law, the Prince's mansion is not necessarily safe either. There are spies from all sides, and the concubines and sisters-in-law are probably not content to remain silent. They may kill without leaving a trace, so you must be careful."
"Don't worry, I will."
The uncle and aunt gave each other some advice, then smiled at each other and started talking about their studies.
Since he was going to the battlefield, he could not go to the Bai family academy for the time being. Ling Xun took his leave and went to the Bai family to resign to Bai Hanwen.
Bai Xuerou had someone pack some gifts, nothing valuable, just snacks prepared by the small kitchen, and asked him to take them back for the elders in the mansion to try.
Ling Xun went to the Bai family to explain the matter. Bai Hanwen was in no hurry and gave him a final half-day lesson. After giving him some instructions, he told him to leave.
“You’re a smart kid, you know what to do,” Bai Hanwen said.
He was a smart man by nature, and his dislike of scheming didn't mean he was naive; it simply meant he was proud and disdained such things. From their first meeting, he knew his second son was no ordinary person, possessing extraordinary intelligence far surpassing that of his son-in-law, Ling Zheng.
Bai Hanwen hesitated at the time, but in the end he did not tell Ling Zheng, and instead focused on raising Ling Xun.
Bai Xuerou only became aware of the crisis at the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion through the plot of the novel, but Bai Hanwen had discovered it much earlier.
However, the Bai family was weak, so even if they knew, they were powerless to do anything about it.
It wasn't until he met Ling Xun that he glimpsed a possibility of breaking the deadlock.
Ling Xun straightened his expression and thanked him earnestly.
No one knew how much Bai Hanwen had helped him. To outsiders, Bai Hanwen was just teaching him classical texts, but only he knew what was hidden within them.
It is the method of governing the world and the art of emperors.
When Ling Xun realized it, he was also shocked by Bai Hanwen's thoughts, but in the end, both of them kept their tacit understanding and neither of them said anything or asked anything.
"Don't worry, I will take good care of my sister-in-law no matter when or what the circumstances," he assured her.
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