Chapter 1148: 1142: Taking Matters into One's Own Hands

Chapter 1148: Chapter 1142: Taking Matters into One’s Own Hands

Even if the people of Tianfeng Kingdom can control giant elephants with bone whistles, once the elephants are choked and can’t breathe, they will ignore the sound of the bone whistles, just screaming and stomping around. This… has been proven in the battle of Hanwen Mountain.

“As long as Yan Kingdom cooperates well, we can annihilate Tianfen Kingdom’s Elephant Army right here!” Bai Jinxiu held the sword at her waist, her tone solemn.

·

At this moment, Bai Qingyan had already joined up with Bai Qingqi, Bai Qingjue, and the Bai family army led by Wei Zhaonian.

Bai Qingqi and Bai Qingjue, along with Bai Qingyun and their three sisters, as well as General Wei Zhaonian, had been waiting in front of the military camp for Bai Qingyan.

Also clad in a suit of silver armor, Bai Jinhua was anxious: “Why hasn’t Eldest Young Lady arrived yet? Could something have happened on the way?”

“Pah, pah, pah!” Bai Jinzhao hurriedly said, “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Bai Jinse tucked the blanket around Bai Qingyun, who was sitting in a wooden wheelchair, and was about to ask her ninth brother if he was cold when she vaguely saw the outlines of troops, carriages, and horses in the distant winter fog.

“They’re coming! Third Brother! Seventh Brother! Ninth Brother… they’re here!” Bai Jinse pointed into the distance.

Bai Jinzhao smiled: “Brother… I’m going to meet the Eldest Young Lady!”

Having said that, Bai Jinzhao blew a whistle, and a brown steed burst out from the barracks. She grabbed the reins and leaped onto the horse, galloping towards the distance.

At the head, Shen Qingzhu first heard the jingling of horse bells from within the thick fog. As they got closer, she saw a figure galloping on horseback. Before she could identify who it was, she heard Bai Jinzhao shouting for the Eldest Young Lady.

Shen Qingzhu relaxed her grip on the hilt of her sword and turned to a Bai family guard, saying, “Go tell the eldest girl that Fifth Young Lady is coming to greet her!”

The Bai family guard responded, turned his horse, rode up to the carriage, and quietly told Bai Qingyan inside, “Eldest Young Lady, Fifth Young Lady is coming to greet you…”

Bai Qingyan, who was reclining and reading a bamboo slip, smiled, put down the bamboo slip, and said, “Let Fifth Young Lady come into the carriage.”

“Yes!”

As Bai Jinzhao approached on horseback, the first person she saw was Shen Qingzhu. Her horse swooped by, leaving behind a clear “Qingzhu sister” as she dashed towards the carriage.

Shen Qingzhu raised her hand to signal the troops to stop.

“Whoa…” As Bai Jinzhao reached the carriage, she reined in her horse and came to a halt.

Chun Zhi had already emerged from the carriage, looking at the agile and spirited Bai Jinzhao with a smile: “Fifth Young Lady!”

Bai Jinzhao smiled at Chun Zhi, tossed the whip to a guard, and climbed into the carriage: “Eldest Young Lady!”

Bai Qingyan was already sitting up. Seeing that Bai Jinzhao had grown taller, she lifted the fine velvet blanket from her legs and handed her hand warmer to Bai Jinzhao, smiling gently: “Our Little Five seems to have grown quite a bit taller!”

Bai Jinzhao took the hand warmer, careful not to let her body chill transfer to her sister, and sat by the stove, extending a hand to warm it: “It’s not just me who has grown taller, Eldest Young Lady hasn’t seen Little Seven… This little girl can endure hardships more than Little Six and me. During these few months in the southern border, she seems to change every day, now she’s even taller than me!”

Although she had gained a darker and thinner appearance from being on the frontier, Bai Jinzhao looked happier than when she was in the bustling capital and Shuoyang, her eyes twinkling brightly.

“Eldest Young Lady looks like you’ve grown quite a bit too!” Bai Qingyan reached out and pulled Bai Jinzhao closer, touching her icy little face.

Looking at the once little girl who used to wear two lucky buns, pamper her with red cheeks, and pick red plum blossoms for her, she had now grown into a tall, slender figure, clad in silver armor, with long hair tied up, exuding valiance, giving a sense of having a young woman blossoming at home.

“Fifth Young Lady, have some hot oil tea to warm you up!” Chun Zhi smiled as she brought a bowl of oil tea to Bai Jinzhao.

Bai Jinzhao smiled, took the tea, and gulped it down, feeling warmth spread through her entire body.

“Eldest Young Lady, before we reach the camp, I must secretly confide something!” Bai Jinzhao, feeling the coldness from her body fading, leaned closer to Bai Qingyan, whispering, “Eldest Young Lady, when Aunt Lu came with us to the southern border, she saved a girl who had fallen from a carriage. That girl, upon waking, remembered nothing, not even her name. Aunt Lu took her as her apprentice and named her Lu Liaochen, teaching her medicine. She’s a very smart girl, very kind-hearted, but extremely brave. And this girl… fancies Third Brother!”

Bai Jinzhao, looking gleeful, sprightly shared the secret with Bai Qingyan: “Now the entire camp knows that this Liaochen girl likes Third Brother, liking him with such intensity, even though Third Brother always gives her cold shoulders, she never backs down! Little Seven says… Liaochen’s personality is fiery and complements our Third Brother’s icy demeanor, plus, although she remembers nothing, her accessories and ingrained manners suggest she comes from no ordinary wealthy family. Little Seven thinks she’s quite remarkable! Eldest Young Lady, we’re recently trying to match this Liaochen girl with Third Brother, it would be great if you also advise Third Brother to treat the girl with some politeness!”

Hearing this, Bai Qingyan became interested. Indeed, Bai Qingqi was of marriageable age. Before she left for Dadu City, their mother had considerations of pairing him with Commandant Lu’s granddaughter. However, their fifth aunt preferred that the Bai family choose a simpler match to avoid drawing unwanted speculation from court officials.

Bai Qingyan understood that their fifth aunt was looking out for her, as being a woman on the throne of Zhou posed the risk of having someone attempting to dethrone her by supporting another member of the Bai family.

“Fiery personality, sounds indeed like a good complement to your Third Brother, but…” Bai Qingyan tapped Bai Jinzhao’s forehead, “It’s up to your Third Brother to choose his wife, so don’t start matchmaking recklessly!”

“But I think Third Brother actually likes Liaochen, he’s just stubborn, especially in front of us siblings, always putting on airs! Eldest Young Lady should really talk to Third Brother, he always listens to you!” Bai Jinzhao squeezed to the front like a child, “You’ll see when we get there if I’m just talking nonsense, you can punish me!”

Bai Qingyan’s eyes gleamed with a deeper smile: “If you’re talking nonsense, I won’t need to punish you, I’ll just send you back to your Fourth Aunt!”

As the two sisters chatted, the convoy arrived at the camp entrance, the wobbling carriage coming to a halt.