"Hmm..." Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on the silver armor in Mrs. Dong’s hand. She sat down beside Mrs. Dong and lifted her hand to hold Mrs. Dong’s arm. "Mother, don’t worry. I will be very careful on this trip to Daliang! Kid promises, it won’t be long... I will definitely bring A Yu back to your side with honor!"
Hearing A Yu’s name, Mrs. Dong couldn’t hold back her tears. She forced herself to endure and patted her daughter’s hand that was holding her arm. "Mother knows, you and A Yu are both ambitious people. Don’t worry... Mother will guard the rear for you. Confidently go to Daliang! Grip the military power firmly in your hands! As long as you hold the military power, the people in Dadu City will naturally be intimidated!"
Mrs. Dong raised her hand and hugged her daughter in her arms. "What you want to achieve is the make-or-break of kings. If you succeed... the Bai family will be remembered for generations. If you fail... the reputation the Bai family has accumulated for generations will be completely gone. If you don’t have complete certainty, never act recklessly because of anything that happens in Shuoyang, understand?"
Mrs. Dong thought more long-term. She feared that if her daughter showed too much brilliance on the battlefield again, the Emperor and the Crown Prince would become suspicious of the Bai family and try to grasp Bai Qingyan’s weakness to force her to submit!
If that day did come, Mrs. Dong hoped her daughter would never stop moving forward or even submit and be captured because of them.
How could Bai Qingyan not understand Mrs. Dong’s meaning? She hugged Mrs. Dong’s arm tightly and smiled, "That day will never come. I won’t give them the chance!"
In Dadu City, Fu Ruoxi was her person... There were also her people in the imperial guard!
Since the Bai family suffered a great disaster, Bai Qingyan had always acted cautiously, never daring to be the slightest bit negligent or take any chances. Now, everything was roughly in place.
"Mother is not by your side, but your father will definitely protect you from the heavens, just like protecting A Yu..." Mrs. Dong gently patted her daughter’s back, more like comforting herself. "But you need to take care of yourself. Don’t think you are still the same as before!"
"Kid knows! Mother, rest assured..."
That night, Mrs. Dong stayed at Boyun Courtyard, accompanying her daughter to sleep, fanning her with a round fan to make her sleep more comfortably.
Watching her daughter sleep soundly, Mrs. Dong secretly wiped away her tears, almost staying up all night.
At dawn the next day, Mrs. Dong only fell asleep in a daze. Bai Qingyan didn’t want to disturb her, so she quietly got up, covered Mrs. Dong with a thin blanket, tiptoed out of the inner room, and went to the warm chamber to pack.
Chun Tao, with red eyes, helped Bai Qingyan tie her long hair up high and put on her armor. She wanted to ask the young lady to take her to the battlefield, but she knew that in such a place, she could only hold the young lady back, so she swallowed her words.
Nanny Tong fastened a red cloak over Bai Qingyan’s armor and said, "Last night, the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Ladies stayed up all night to make this new cloak, with peace blessings sewn into the four corners inside. They hope the young lady can return safely."
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and touched the finely stitched cloak. She said to Nanny Tong, "Thank the three aunts for me."
Chun Tao knelt to straighten the cloak for Bai Qingyan. When she stood up, she couldn’t stop her tears from falling. Bai Qingyan, seeing Chun Tao’s eyes swollen like walnuts, bent her index finger to wipe away the tears hanging on Chun Tao’s face. "While I’m not home, take good care of Mother and guard this Boyun Courtyard."
Chun Tao choked back her words and used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears, nodding.
In front of the Bai Mansion’s main hall, twenty Bai family guards were dressed in armor, swords ready, waiting to depart. Cai Ziyuan, wearing a green robe and carrying a small baggage, saw the disciplined Bai family guards and instinctively straightened his clothes.
Shortly after, Lu Ping suddenly shouted for the young lady.
Cai Ziyuan looked up and saw a woman in silver armor, her hand holding a silver spear, walking steadily with a killing aura. Her cloak billowed behind her, exuding a commanding presence rarely seen even in men. Such sharp and solemn killing intent could only come from someone who had been through countless battles.
Cai Ziyuan stared at Bai Qingyan’s slender but upright figure. His palm subtly clenched tighter. The Bai Qingyan before him... composed and noble, where had the usual frail posture gone?
"Young lady, outside the gate and along the long street... many civilians have already gathered. It seems they all want to see you off!" Lu Ping stepped forward and whispered to Bai Qingyan.
"Didn’t disturb Mr. Min Qianqiu, did we?" Bai Qingyan asked.
"Mr. Min Qianqiu hasn’t come out, but his disciples have. They are mingling with the civilians. Young lady should be cautious!" Lu Ping said, taking the silver spear from Bai Qingyan’s hand and quickly following her.
Mr. Min Qianqiu wrote a chronicle for the Bai family, emphasizing factuality. Lu Ping reminded Bai Qingyan to still feign physical weakness in public.
Bai Qingyan adjusted her wrist guard. "There’s no need. Mr. Min has seen my frail appearance and will undoubtedly think... I am forcing myself to seem fine to boost morale."
Lu Ping nodded without further comment, mentioning the clan members who had worked through the night to prepare medicated towels for the soldiers. This rare unity among the clan members resulted in five thousand towels being ready overnight, with some left over.
"Thank the Clan Leader and everyone who contributed for me. Tell them Bai Qingyan will remember their efforts," Bai Qingyan said.
Bai Qingyan looked back and saw Doctor Hong hurrying over with a baggage. Bai Qingyan was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t informed Doctor Hong about traveling together. Doctor Hong was quite old; even her grandfather didn’t want to take him on expeditions anymore. When she went south, it was only because of her health concerns that she brought Doctor Hong to avoid worrying the entire Bai family. This time... she couldn’t take Doctor Hong along.
"Doctor Hong..." Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on the sword in Doctor Hong’s hand. "You won’t follow this time. Stay home and take care of Mother and the aunts."
"Young lady, do you think this old bone can’t handle it?" Doctor Hong feigned anger, "I am still sturdy! Your grandfather was older than me, and I had to obey him. If you don’t allow me, I will ride behind the main force as support!"
Bai Qingyan, moved, could only bow deeply and allow Doctor Hong.
Chun Tao, teary-eyed, stepped forward. "Young lady, I..."
"Good girl, don’t get involved! The first method works; the rest won’t!" Doctor Hong joked with Chun Tao.
Chun Tao swallowed her words and tearfully looked at Bai Qingyan.
"Stay home and be good!" Bai Qingyan said, then walked down the steps. Seeing Bai Qingyan approach, Cai Ziyuan respectfully saluted.