Chapter 701: 698: Burden_1

Chapter 701: Chapter 698: Burden_1

The lamps under the corridor were lit, casting yellowish light on the bluestone floor and softly warming the moss climbing on the corners of the walls.

Chun Tao held an empty medicine bowl. Pushing aside the bamboo green curtain embroidered with thin cotton clouds, she saw Bai Jinzhi standing alone at the door, kicking the cobblestones with her toes.

“Fourth Young Lady!” Chun Tao handed the black lacquer tray with the empty medicine bowl to the maid guarding the door. She walked over to Bai Jinzhi and curtsied. “Why aren’t you going in?”

“Eldest Young Lady… hasn’t gone to bed yet?” Bai Jinzhi glanced inside Boyun Courtyard.

“No, she hasn’t! The Eldest Young Lady said the Fourth Young Lady might come, so she’s waiting for you!” Chun Tao smiled and made an inviting gesture to Bai Jinzhi. “Please, Fourth Young Lady…”

“Eldest Young Lady already guessed I would come!” Bai Jinzhi smiled awkwardly and followed Chun Tao into Boyun Courtyard.

Bai Qingyan heard Bai Jinzhi’s footsteps and lifted her gaze from the ancient texts. She looked at Bai Jinzhi. “Sit down! Shall I have Chun Tao prepare a bowl of emulsified milk for you?”

“Yes!” Bai Jinzhi nodded, unexpectedly silent as she sat down next to Bai Qingyan.

“I’ll go prepare it…” Chun Tao bowed and retreated.

The large room was left with just the two sisters. Bai Qingyan put down the ancient texts, the sound of the bamboo slip rolling up echoed in Bai Jinzhi’s ears. She turned her head to look at Bai Qingyan. “Eldest Young Lady… I’m leaving tomorrow!”

“Yes, Eldest Young Lady has something very important to give you!” Bai Qingyan sat upright, her calm gaze fixed on Bai Jinzhi as she placed the bamboo slip to the side.

Bai Jinzhi rarely saw her sister so solemn. Her heart leapt to her throat. “Eldest Young Lady, please tell me…”

“This time, when you go to Anping Camp, you must always pay attention to the situation in Yan. If Yan’s war against the Wei Kingdom aims to destroy Wei, then whether through incitement or if the war between Jin Kingdom and Daliang has started, you must seize this opportunity and destroy Liang in one fell swoop!”

Bai Jinzhi blinked a few times after hearing this. “Eldest Young Lady, do we really have to destroy Liang?”

“If Yan destroys Wei, our Jin Kingdom must destroy Liang. We cannot afford any hesitation, or else in the future, our Jin Kingdom will lose the advantage of contending for supremacy with Yan!” Bai Qingyan spoke to Bai Jinzhi in very plain terms.

Bai Jinzhi clenched her fists tightly. “Eldest Young Lady, rest assured, I understand. If this time, Daliang wages war against our Jin Kingdom, I will ask the Crown Prince to let me provide assistance. I will strive to take down the Liang Kingdom as quickly as possible! If we are not at war, I will find a way to make the Crown Prince believe that Liang has other intentions. In any case, I will do my best to fight Liang.”

Bai Qingyan nodded. “The Eldest Young Lady entrusts this matter entirely to you and believes that you will do well. Even if something goes wrong, try to cover it up. If you are really unsure, you can send someone back with news!”

Bai Jinzhi nodded. “I understand, Eldest Young Lady!”

Suddenly, Bai Qingyan placed a burden on Bai Jinzhi’s shoulders, but Bai Jinzhi’s heart calmed inexplicably.

“You’ve grown up, and now you’ve become the big girl the Eldest Young Lady can rely on! Third Uncle would be pleased if he knew!” Bai Qingyan smiled at Bai Jinzhi and handed her a mahogany box. “Inside is the sword tassel that Third Uncle gave me. The jade on it was bestowed by Grandfather when Third Uncle earned his first merit on the battlefield. Now I entrust this sword tassel to you, hoping you won’t let down your father or the Eldest Young Lady’s expectations.”

Mentioning her father, Bai Jinzhi’s eyes reddened again. She took the mahogany box with both hands, opened it for a glance, and then closed it. “Rest assured, Eldest Young Lady! I will not let you down!”

Bai Qingyan nodded. “You can be at ease with the matters at home. Third Aunt and Mother are taken care of by me, so you don’t have to worry.”

Bai Jinzhi nodded and looked at Bai Qingyan. “Eldest Young Lady, while I’m not here, please take good care of yourself. Our Bai family cannot go without you!”

Hearing this, Bai Qingyan smiled and nodded. “Yes, rest assured, I will take good care of myself. I still need to see you, our little four, get married!”

“Eldest Young Lady!” Bai Jinzhi’s ears turned red. “Why are you saying such things? I don’t want to get married! I want to be a daughter of the Bai family for the rest of my life! Unless you don’t want me!”

“You’re still young and haven’t met someone you fancy. In the future, you won’t think this way!”

As soon as Bai Qingyan finished speaking, Chun Tao came in with a small silver cup filled with emulsified milk. So, Bai Jinzhi changed the subject and, after finishing the milk, bid farewell with the small mahogany box Bai Qingyan gave her.

Originally, Bai Jinzhi intended to return to her own courtyard but changed her mind and went to her mother’s courtyard instead. She wanted to sleep with her mother, Mrs. Li, that night.

That night, Dong Tingzhen also stayed with Mrs. Dong. Bai Jinzhi planned to go to Anping Camp the next day and would first visit the Crown Prince in Dadu City. Having lived in Shuoyang as guests for so many days, Dong Tingzhen and Mrs. Dong missed home and wanted to return to Dadu with Bai Jinzhi the next day.

Dong Tingzhen chatted with Mrs. Dong until dawn before resting in Mrs. Dong’s warm room.

The next morning, the Bai family got up early. Bai Jinzhi’s maids, Lingzhi and Lingcui, cried uncontrollably, kneeling and begging her to take at least one of them along. But Bai Jinzhi refused, instructing them to take good care of Mother and the Eldest Young Lady in her absence.

Bai Jinzhi knew the hardships of military life. Taking two frail maids along would be out of the question, and what if something happened to them? She couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to bring them back.

Lingcui and Lingzhi grew up with Bai Jinzhi, and she could never let anything happen to them.

Moreover, as a Commander going to Anping Camp, she should share in the soldiers’ hardships. What kind of leader would she be if she took maids to serve her?

In the military, it was already hard for a woman to establish authority. Bringing maids would only make people look down on her, thinking the Commandery Princess couldn’t endure hardships.

Clad in armor, Bai Jinzhi and Dong Tingzhen first went to Boyun Courtyard to bid farewell to the Eldest Young Lady, and then to the front hall to bid farewell to Mother, Mrs. Li, and their aunts. Afterward, with the Bai family watching, Bai Jinzhi leaped onto Pingan’s back.

With red eyes, Dong Tingzhen bowed to Mrs. Dong and the ladies of the Bai family.

“Tingzhen, when you reach Dadu City, send word back!” Mrs. Dong held Tingzhen’s hand and reminded her.

“I will, Aunt!” Dong Tingzhen gripped Mrs. Dong’s hand tightly. “Cousin is seriously injured and unwell. Aunt, you must take good care of her!”

“Go on!” Mrs. Dong patted Dong Tingzhen’s hand.

Dong Tingzhen bowed again before turning, assisted by Nanny Qin, to board the carriage. Once inside, she pulled back the curtain and waved to the Bai family.