NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1134: Trust
"Today is the first day of the lunar new year, let the soldiers rest for a day. The Xiliang army is surely tense and preparing for battle. When they don't see our Zhou army today, they might even think that we will wait until after the Lantern Festival to make a move..." Bai Qingyan held a porcelain spoon, stirring the steaming hot porridge in the bowl, "Tomorrow morning, we will split into two groups. You, Jinzhi, will follow General Shen Kunyang across the Danshui River, attack Quanya City unexpectedly, and make sure to capture Yunjing before the Yan Kingdom does!"
Bai Jinzhi did not forget that though the Zhou and Yan Kingdoms were allies, there was also competition between them. She nodded repeatedly, "Rest assured, Eldest Young Lady, I will definitely capture Yunjing before the Yan Kingdom!"
She nodded as she looked at her younger sister and couldn't help but softly remind her, "Mr. Cai is not by your side, so don't be reckless in anything you do. Listen to Uncle Shen and don't act childishly. Also, don't rely on your martial skills to be overly bold! What happened at the Qingxi Mountain Pass, when you circumvented the enemy from the cliffs in the rain, must not happen again! If anything happens to you, I won't be able to face Aunt Third!"
"But then it was General Liu Hong who asked me to go! And now I'm an adult..." Bai Jinzhi saw her elder sister's solemn expression and quickly smiled, patting her chest and promising, "Alright, alright! Don't worry, I'll behave! If Uncle Shen says go east, I will not go west!"
"And don't go north or south either!" Bai Qingyu added sternly.
"Fifth Brother!" Bai Jinzhi pretended to be angry.
"Fifth Brother knows you are brave, but our Bai family lost too many relatives in the Southern Front and cannot afford to lose another!"
Bai Jinzhi looked at Bai Qingyu, knowing that Fifth Brother may have witnessed their family's deaths on the southern battlefield. That's why he was so strict with her; he just didn't want her to have any accidents.
"Alright, alright..." Bai Qingyan picked up a piece of steamed cake for Bai Jinzhi, "One year has passed, and Jinzhi is a year older. Surely, she will not be as reckless as before. Eldest Young Lady believes in you!"
"Fifth Brother, don't worry. After taking Yunjing, I will surely welcome Fifth Brother in Yunjing safely! Although I can't promise not a scratch, I definitely won't allow myself to be seriously injured!" Bai Jinzhi said.
Bai Qingyu nodded, reaching out to pat Bai Jinzhi's head, "Eat now!"
"Li Tianfu asked you and Uncle Shen to go..." Bai Qingyan took a small sip of porridge, then turned to Bai Jinzhi and said, "Li Tianjiao has fled. I fear she will cause trouble back in Yunjing. If she truly has such capabilities, carry Li Tianfu, who is now on the throne in Xiliang, with you. Use it as a pretext to assist the Emperor of Xiliang, Li Tianfu, in punishing the rebellious impostor, Li Tianjiao, and fight your way forward!"
"I understand. The more justified our Zhou army's presence is, the more easily the people of Xiliang will accept us! As long as the people don't resist, the easier the battle will be." Bai Jinzhi nodded in agreement, hugging her porridge bowl.
Bai Qingyan nodded, "Exactly."
Bai Jinzhi's quick progress was greatly reassuring to Bai Qingyan.
"I have already instructed Uncle Shen. After breakfast, your Fifth Brother and I will lead the army on our original plan to the southern border. The scouts of Quanya City seeing us heading south will surely relax their vigilance. You will rest in Pingdu City, ready at all times, and at nightfall... cross the river and capture the city!" Bai Qingyan said again.
"Understood!" Bai Jinzhi dropped her gaze to Bai Qingyan's abdomen. "Eldest Young Lady is expecting, everything must be handled with care!"
"Don't worry!" Bai Qingyan responded with a smile.
After they finished breakfast, Bai Qingyan and Bai Qingyu were preparing to lead thirty thousand troops according to the original plan to the southern frontier when the wife of the Governor of Pingyang City sent her son to escort Chun Zhi to Pingdu City.
After bowing to Bai Qingyan, Chun Zhi said, "The Governor's wife said that since the Eldest Young Lady has come to Pingdu City and has no one to attend to her, she sent her son to escort me here."
Bai Qingyan noticed that Chun Zhi's expression was not quite right and asked, "Did something happen on the way?"
"Nothing much..." Chun Zhi lowered her head further and said softly, "Eldest Young Lady need not worry. I... I know my place!"
"Such an incomplete statement, what do you mean by knowing your place?" Bai Qingyan placed the teacup aside and said softly, "Tell me truthfully what happened."
The young girl was embarrassed to speak, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, and only spoke after a long pause, "It's just that the son of the Governor who escorted me said on the way... that he admires me, but I know I'm neither a great beauty nor a lady from a noble family. The only thing of note is that I've had the honor of serving the Eldest Young Lady closely. Remembering what the Governor's wife said before, I'm... I'm scared!"
Though Chun Zhi wasn't clever, she knew her position. She was just a maid who was fortunate enough to gain the Eldest Young Lady's permission to learn a few words. Regardless of her appearance or family background, none of it was exceptional. Why would the Governor's wife and son be interested in her? Surely it was because she was a personal maid to the Emperor of Zhou.
The example of Chun Xing was still vivid in her mind, reminding Chun Zhi constantly not to stray from the right path.
She hadn't told the Eldest Young Lady that Chun Xing was initially delighted, believing the son of the Chief of Staff sincerely loved her. Even when the Eldest Young Lady warned her, Chun Xing insisted on entering the Chief of Staff's house. Later, when Chun Xing went home believing she could marry in as a concubine, the Chief of Staff's family turned against her upon learning she had been expelled from the Bai Mansion.
Chun Xing's parents, being mercenary, beat and scolded her when they saw she couldn't marry into the Chief of Staff's family. Later... it was said she was sold by her unscrupulous mother to a foreign merchant as a concubine without even asking what the merchant did.
Now, appointed as the Eldest Young Lady's personal maid, and under her protection, no one dared bully Chun Zhi. The Eldest Young Lady always treated her kindly, unlike some who regarded maids as less than human. For Chun Zhi, she would rather remain unmarried all her life than be exploited!
She thought maintaining her poise would be enough, but the Governor's son who escorted her was intrusive. When she realized her handkerchief was missing, she became truly frightened—if someone tarnished her reputation, if the Eldest Young Lady no longer wanted her, what would she do?
Bai Qingyan, noticing Chun Zhi's appearance, furrowed her brow and asked, "Did the Governor's son treat you disrespectfully?"
"It's not that bad, it's just... my handkerchief is missing. But without solid evidence, it's not easy for me to directly confront the Governor's son, yet I live in constant fear that something might happen because of my lost handkerchief." Chun Zhi's eyes filled with anxiety as she spoke.