Chapter 236 - 236 224 Utter Disrespect_1

Chapter 236: Chapter 224: Utter Disrespect_1 Chapter 236: Chapter 224: Utter Disrespect_1 Li Zhijie’s eyes moved back and forth between the Crown Prince and Bai Qingyan. He saw that the two were almost standing side by side, their gazes on him nearly identical, as if they shared a common enemy!

Miscalculating the Crown Prince of Jin’s trust in Bai Qingyan, he admitted defeat… He accepted his loss.

Bai Qingyan held her sword, turned to avoid Li Zhijie’s gaze, and leaned in to speak softly to the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, if we can keep the bodies of those Jin soldiers, the Huying Camp has some methods. We might be able to find clues from their corpses to figure out Xiliang’s exact intentions and take precautions!”

Seeing Old Fang behind the Crown Prince look at her, Bai Qingyan clasped her hands in salute to Old Fang, “What does Elder Fang think?”

Elder Fang, seeing Bai Qingyan so respectful, felt elated. He stroked his goat’s beard and nodded, stepping forward and lowering his voice behind the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, what General Bai says is very true. Xiliang’s various purposes are all our speculations! Just now, your words clearly intimidated King Yan of Xiliang. They probably won’t dare to cause more trouble.”

The Crown Prince nodded.

Qin Shangzhi’s brows twitched as he glanced at Bai Qingyan…

Bai Qingyan’s low posture wanting those Jin soldiers’ corpses, was it really just to understand Xiliang’s purpose?

Qin Shangzhi didn’t think so. He even felt that those Jin soldiers might not be unrelated to Bai Qingyan.

Qin Shangzhi’s temples suddenly throbbed twice, and like a sudden revelation, his mind became clear. He widened his eyes to look at Bai Qingyan, just in time to meet Bai Qingyan’s gaze.

Seeing the clarity and depth in Bai Qingyan’s eyes, Qin Shangzhi’s hand tightened at his side, and his throat lightly rolled.

The matter of Qiushan Pass, they had all heard from Bai Qingyan and Shen Liangyu, not witnessed firsthand. What if Bai Qingyan and Shen Liangyu had hidden some truths or mixed truths with falsehoods?!

Bai Qingyan was someone who valued emotions and loyalty. If those Jin soldiers were her people, she couldn’t bear to see their corpses desecrated.

But why would Bai Qingyan lead people to raid Qiushan Pass at night?

“King Yan, if there’s nothing else, leave these corpses and you can go!” the Crown Prince said.

Cheng Yuanzhi, Shen Kunyang, Shen Liangyu, and Gu Wenchang all had their hands on their waist knives. It looked like if Li Zhijie didn’t leave the bodies, he wouldn’t be able to leave today.

At this point, Li Zhijie could only temporarily endure this humiliation.

There was still a long way to go, and the journey to the Jin Kingdom… He would find a way.

“Thank you… for your magnanimity, Crown Prince!” Li Zhijie gritted his teeth, knelt, and bowed to the Crown Prince.

“I hope King Yan lives up to my magnanimity.” The Crown Prince’s voice was slow.

After bowing, Li Zhijie was helped to the carriage by Lu Tianzhuo, and they left in defeat.

“Your Highness, don’t be too angry. There is still time! Today’s humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold by the Jin Kingdom in the future!” Lu Tianzhuo consoled Li Zhijie.

Li Zhijie narrowed his peach-blossom eyes, and the corners of his pale lips lifted into a smile, “Yes! There is still time… I’m not in a hurry.”

“Shen Liangyu, have the bodies of our Huying Camp brothers carried back for a proper burial! The bodies of these dead Jin soldiers will be handed over to Huying Camp. You must find something, don’t let the Crown Prince down!” Bai Qingyan turned and instructed Shen Liangyu.

Shen Liangyu nodded, clenching his teeth, “Young General Bai, rest assured!”

“Your Highness has worked hard all night, please return to your tent and rest well. I will handle the rest with General Zhang,” Bai Qingyan clasped her hands and said.

The Crown Prince looked at Bai Qingyan’s pale and exhausted face, nodded, and reminded, “General Bai, you haven’t slept all night either! Your health has always been poor, you should rest well. Leave things to General Zhang Duanrui.”

Zhang Duanrui clasped his hands and expressed his agreement, feeling deeply moved in his heart. Even a frail daughter of the Bai family could be so dedicated to the country, it was truly admirable!

“General Bai fought fiercely yesterday, then went to visit the wounded soldiers and hasn’t rested all night. You should sleep for a while!” Zhang Duanrui said.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. My time in the military is limited, so I want to do as much as I can for Your Highness while I can. There won’t be such opportunities once we return to Shuoyang.” Bai Qingyan gestured towards the Crown Prince, “Allow me to escort Your Highness back to the tent, I have some matters to discuss!”

The Crown Prince nodded and walked with Bai Qingyan towards the main tent.

“Earlier, when General Shen Kunyang and the others arrived, they knew Your Highness had worked hard all night and just fell asleep, so they didn’t disturb you. I’ve met them and discussed Your Highness’s grand ambitions. They all swore to follow Your Highness’s arrangements in the future!” Bai Qingyan spoke slowly, “General Cheng is a straightforward person, sometimes his words may be inappropriate. I ask for Your Highness’s kindness! But rest assured… General Cheng’s loyalty to the Jin is evident to the heavens!”

“I understand! Every member of the Bai family army is loyal and patriotic!” The Crown Prince walked back with Bai Qingyan in the morning light, and listening to Bai Qingyan’s requests and arrangements felt like last wishes, which left him feeling a sense of melancholy.

If Bai Qingyan were not a woman, if she were healthy, perhaps… after he ascended to the throne, he could let her continue to lead the Bai family army. After all, such a loyal and capable general was rare!

“And Shen Liangyu, Huying Camp holds a privileged position within the Bai family army. It is the direct line led by my Fifth Uncle. Though Shen Liangyu’s loyalty is unquestionable, he is inevitably proud. When it comes to training troops, he won’t accept interference! After my Fifth Uncle’s departure, no one else could train such a formidable force in Huying Camp besides Shen Liangyu. Your Highness should heed his advice on training soldiers, but in other matters, let Your Highness’s trusted generals keep him in check. Otherwise, it will feed Shen Liangyu’s arrogance, leading him to disobey orders and act independently on the battlefield.”

The Crown Prince turned his head to look at the softly speaking Bai Qingyan. He felt more and more comforted… Bai Qingyan truly thought of everything for him.

Qin Shangzhi’s words were true, the Bai family aimed high. Only by letting Bai Qingyan know he was also a ruler with the world in his heart could Bai Qingyan be loyal to him.

The Crown Prince returned to the main tent, no longer sleepy, and started to drink tea with Elder Fang.

“I see General Bai’s arrangements for Shen Liangyu of Huying Camp truly consider Your Highness! Your Highness should trust those who are loyal and not doubt them. Instead, I’ve been excessively cautious and suspicious!” Elder Fang laughed, putting all the blame on himself while praising the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, in high spirits, smiled and said, “Elder Fang is also for my sake, I understand! Before my departure… Father Emperor instructed to find out Huying Camp’s training methods and then…”

The Crown Prince made a cutting gesture.

“Your Highness…” Elder Fang suddenly thought of something, put down his teacup, and addressed the Crown Prince, “Although the following words are disloyal, as Your Highness’s counselor, there are some things I must say. If I offend, I ask Your Highness for forgiveness.”