Chapter 407: Chapter 404: Pingan_1 Chapter 407: Chapter 404: Pingan_1 The steward of the King of Xihuai’s mansion smiled and said to Yue Shi, “Mr. Xiao has used five-stone powder. He needs to disperse it well. Take good care of Mr. Xiao.”
Yue Shi clenched his fists at his side, still maintaining a cold expression as he cupped his hands. “Thank you for informing .”
As soon as he got into the carriage, the drunken Xiao Rongyan closed his eyes. His expression no longer showed the intoxication from drinking too much. The carriage swayed as it left the palace, and only then did Yue Shi leap onto Xiao Rongyan’s carriage and whispered, “Master, we’ve left the palace!”
Xiao Rongyan opened his eyes, pulled out a wooden bucket from the carriage, and pressed his abdon to induce vomiting.
Yue Shi handed a cup of tea to Xiao Rongyan, eyes full of anger.
Every ti the master ca to Wei Kingdom, he was tornted half to death. In recent years, the nobles of Wei, led by the King of Xihuai, had taken to using five-stone powder.
After consuming this substance, one felt an extraordinary sense of detachnt, as if ascending to immortality. It beca extrely popular among the Wei nobles, but it was undoubtedly harmful to the body, and many had died because of it.
However, in Wei Kingdom… everyone who had dealings with the King of Xihuai used this substance. Every ti, the master only consud it at the last mont and induced vomiting as soon as he left.
Sotis, if vomiting was not induced in ti, he would need cold water to sober up after returning to the mansion, enduring great tornt.
This was why Yue Shi disliked coming to Wei Kingdom; he felt the master suffered too much from the five-stone powder.
After vomiting, Xiao Rongyan rinsed his mouth with tea and, while he was still clear-headed, instructed Yue Shi. “The Pri Minister of Wei has already sent people to investigate whether Yan Mountain harbors hidden soldiers. Send soone to deliver a ssage back as soon as possible. Have people buy iron ore at high prices from rchants in the Yan realm. Make sure… that the Pri Minister’s people find out quickly! We must also stabilize the people on Yan’s border!”
What the King of Xihuai said earlier about smoke rising from the Yan mountainsides at midnight was a deliberate ruse by Xiao Rongyan.
Now, they could only buy ti. With Wei Kingdom deliberately spreading news about their imminent attack on Yan, as long as the people at Yan’s border remained calm, Wei would not easily attack Yan.
As long as they could delay until Xie Xun returned from Rong, everything would be manageable.
Xiao Rongyan suddenly rembered the news he had received yesterday, saying that Bai Qingyan had already started recruiting people in Shuoyang to train troops and suppress bandits.
He closed his eyes, able to guess that Bai Qingyan was preparing for future plans by training civilians as soldiers.
Truly… far-sighted.
This gave him another plan. If they turned the border civilians of Yan into soldiers, making soldiers of the people and people of the soldiers, then Yan’s border would not fear any invading country.
This matter required a letter to his elder brother to expedite the process.
·
The ninth of May.
Early in the morning, Bai Qingyan received another battle report from Chunmu Mountain, indicating that Xun Tianzhang’s tactics were as she expected—ruthless with his troops’ lives. He deliberately lured General Zhang Duanrui into a trap, sacrificing five thousand of Zhang’s soldiers along with two thousand of their own at the mountain pass.
As a result, General Zhang Duanrui lost too many soldiers in that battle, deciding to defend the city and refusing to engage, which greatly frustrated Xun Tianzhang.
Bai Qingyan burned the battle report in her hand.
General Zhang Duanrui was always steady. The standoff between the two armies was not necessarily a bad thing. But if General Zhang Duanrui could send troops to raid the Liang camp at night, using Xun Tianzhang’s own tactics against him, they could force the Liang army out of Chunmu Mountain.
However… from what Bai Qingyan knew of General Zhang Duanrui’s cautious military style, he would not make a move without absolute certainty, to avoid more Jin soldiers’ deaths.
After bathing, Bai Qingyan had just finished breakfast when Nanny Tong hurried into the main house, saluted, and said, “Eldest Young Lady, soone from the palace is here! They want our Fourth Young Lady to receive the decree imdiately.”
People from the palace at this hour, to have Fourth Young Lady receive a decree?
Bai Qingyan, who was reading, looked up, her eyes darkening. She put down her book and led the way to the front yard.
Bai Jinzhi, excited about starting military training the next day, was in her room choosing handy weapons and clothes, preparing to showcase her skills at the training ground tomorrow and train the civilians to be as brave as the Bai family troops.
Who knew, before she finished selecting her clothes, a ssage ca from the front yard saying the Emperor’s decree had arrived, and she should go imdiately to receive it.
Holding a coarse cloth practice uniform, Bai Jinzhi thought she had heard wrong and asked again, “You want to receive the decree? Not Eldest Young Lady?”
Even Bai Jinzhi could guess the decree was related to the battle at Chunmu Mountain, but the Emperor should send Eldest Young Lady to the battlefield if the situation was dire there, shouldn’t he?
“Yes, Fourth Young Lady, for sure!” Lingzhi, who was beside Bai Jinzhi, confird. “The ssage from the front yard was clear. Even I asked several tis because I thought I heard wrong. You must hurry! The palace eunuch is waiting outside!”
Bai Jinzhi nodded and rushed to the front yard.
Receiving an Imperial Edict was a serious affair. Mrs. Dong, along with the other ladies of the Bai family, awaited respectfully at the Bai Mansion’s main entrance to listen to the decree.
Third Madam, Mrs. Li, felt her heart pounding, unsure of what the Emperor was up to, suddenly issuing an edict for Bai Jinzhi alone.
Upon hearing the Emperor order Bai Jinzhi to imdiately head to Chunmu Mountain to assist General Zhang Duanrui in repelling Daliang, Third Madam, Mrs. Li, nearly fainted.
Bai Qingyan looked up at the eunuch who delivered the decree, her hands clenched at her side.
Sending Bai Jinzhi to Chunmu Mountain to help General Zhang Duanrui repel Daliang? Did the Imperial Court really have no one else to use?
Bai Qingyan could vaguely guess the Emperor’s intention of sending her fourth sister to Chunmu Mountain. The Emperor likely hoped she could find a way to defeat the Liang troops at Chunmu Mountain but did not want her to gain more military rits, hence sending her fourth sister instead.
Her fourth sister was her sibling; if she wanted her safe, she would undoubtedly provide strategies for her.
Third Madam, Mrs. Li, seeing Bai Jinzhi incredulously holding the decree, couldn’t help herself and asked, “Eunuch, is there a mistake in the Imperial Edict? Just the Lord of Gaoyi alone? The Lord of Gaoyi is still a child!”
Mrs. Dong held Mrs. Li’s hand, signaling her to calm down. She smiled and had Nanny Qin give the eunuch so silver taels.
The eunuch, delighted with the thick pouch, smiled and said, “The servant wouldn’t dare to falsify the Imperial Edict. Lord of Gaoyi is the granddaughter of the King of Zhen. His Majesty must value her deeply to issue this decree. The County Lord should not disappoint His Majesty’s expectations!”
Sending off the eunuch who delivered the decree, Bai Jinzhi returned with the decree in hand and saw Bai Qingyan’s stern face. She cautiously called out, “Eldest Young Lady!”
“We’ll talk inside.” Bai Qingyan said to Bai Jinzhi.
Inside the Bai Mansion’s main hall, Mrs. Li could no longer sit still, raising her voice. “What on earth has gotten into the Emperor? Fourth Sister is just a child, and he’s sending her to Chunmu Mountain, alone, imdiately!”
“The Emperor emphasized ‘alone’ to prevent from going with her.” Bai Qingyan said calmly.
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