Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 1554 - 1549: Unease

While the royal kin of the Yan Kingdom were cursing and screaming as they endured the punishment at the government office, the fearful Zhu Chengru finally saw the Emperor of Zhou outside the city. He trembled as he saluted the Emperor, a noble figure he had never imagined meeting in his lifetime.

Bai Qingyan stood at the forefront of the light cavalry and saw Zhu Chengru riding forward with reins in hand. Zhu Chengru didn’t even dare to raise his head. Before he was close, he was already weak-kneed and knelt down to salute, "Commoner Zhu Chengru, pays respect to the Emperor of Zhou!"

She dismounted and walked over to Zhu Chengru to help him up.

With a stiff body, Zhu Chengru stood up, not daring to move. He blurted out the words he had rehearsed upon learning he would meet the Emperor of Zhou: "Thank you, Emperor of Zhou, for coming all the way to Liyi to save this humble commoner. The gratitude of this commoner’s heart is endless as the mountains and seas. Even death cannot repay a fraction of your kindness, yet as a person of Liyi, I truly do not wish to leave my homeland. I beg the Emperor’s pardon!"

"You have done well, accomplishing what should have been the responsibility of our Zhou Dynasty’s court! I... am very grateful to you! Upon hearing of your difficulties this time, I brought the troops here. You are the hero of Anshun City, and I couldn’t watch a hero being executed." Bai Qingyan’s voice was gentle and slow, "If you don’t wish to leave Liyi and choose to stay in Liyi City to serve the people, I won’t force you. I’ve already discussed it with your Regent Prince. Whenever you wish to come to Anshun City, its gates will always be open to you."

Zhu Chengru was just an ordinary official and never expected to meet the high and noble Emperor of Zhou, even less to be called a hero by the Emperor, and to hear... that the gates of Anshun City would always be open for him. How could this not move him to tears?

"I dare not deceive Your Majesty. It was because my father-in-law sheltered my sister, who the imperial clan wanted as a concubine, that I initially went to deliver medicine to my in-laws and family members. A hero is a title I cannot bear!" Zhu Chengru tried to kneel again, but Bai Qingyan held him by the arm.

"Regardless of the reason, I know of Doctor Zhu’s repeated efforts to deliver medicine to the people afterward! Doctor Zhu deserves the title of hero!"

In addition to the verbal promise, Bai Qingyan also had Liu Pinggao give Zhu Chengru silver coins, which Zhu Chengru refused to accept. Bai Qingyan said, "Medicinal herbs also require silver coins to purchase. It was thanks to Doctor Zhu that the herbs were brought into Anshun City, so this silver is yours to accept."

Seeing that he couldn’t decline, Zhu Chengru accepted the silver coins and bid farewell to Bai Qingyan before leaving.

This time, Xiao Rongyan did not have an opportunity to be alone with Bai Qingyan, so he asked, "How many days does Your Majesty plan to stay in Anshun City?"

"I will stay for four or five days before setting off for Shequ, and then head back to Dadu City..." Bai Qingyan did not hide this from Xiao Rongyan.

Xiao Rongyan nodded, calculated his own journey, and then stepped back to give a deep bow to Bai Qingyan, "May the Emperor of Zhou take care on the road, and perhaps... I will have the fortune to meet Your Majesty again in Shequ."

Bai Qingyan nodded. Just as she was about to turn and leave, she looked back and asked, "I wonder if the Regent Prince has received any news from the Dongyi Kingdom?"

Xiao Rongyan nodded, "The news arrived last night. Rest assured, Zhou, our Yan Kingdom will handle it properly and not implicate you!"

Xiao Rongyan once again saluted Bai Qingyan, and as he looked up, he saw Bai Qingyan leap onto her horse, turn the horse’s head, and lead the army away.

When Yue Shi arrived, he could only see Bai Qingyan’s back and didn’t have a chance to bid her farewell. He clasped his fists and said to Xiao Rongyan, "Regent Prince, among the royal kin... two couldn’t endure and have died!"

"Understood," Xiao Rongyan replied blandly, as if it didn’t concern him.

·

Dadu City.

The carriage carrying Bai Jintong slowly entered the city. Inside the carriage, Bai Jintong frowned as he carefully thought about what the wastrel from the imperial clan said while they were admiring the snow together today.

Fourteen days ago, when the royal kin accused the Regent Prince of treason by holding the Regent Prince’s personally written note as evidence at the palace gate before the Empress Dowager left the palace for the royal residence, they pleaded with the Emperor to summon back the Regent Prince for imprisonment and execution. However, the Emperor remained unmoved, and the kin knelt outside the gate for three days, fainting one after another as they were carried away.

Afterward, seeing that the Emperor would not punish the Regent Prince, the remaining royal kin also quietly returned. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

At that time, Bai Jintong was anxious that her brother-in-law’s identity would be exposed, but she also thought it would be for the best. Let these royal relatives force her brother-in-law to Zhou, which would be beneficial for Zhou!

From the time of the Young Emperor Murong Li’s ascension to the throne of Yan or rather since the fall of the former Emperor Murong Yu, it was her brother-in-law Xiao Rongyan who had been supporting Yan Kingdom.

Living in Yan Kingdom, Bai Jintong could see Xiao Rongyan’s capability and power as the Regent Prince of Yan but could also see the many restraints imposed on him as a member of the Murong Imperial Clan.

Long ago, Bai Jintong noticed that the Yan Kingdom’s court and even the imperial clan were not united. Everyone seemed to have their own plans and ambitions, working towards their own desired outcomes. For example, these royal kin, who were constantly looking for an opportunity to overturn the new policies enacted by Empress Ji and restore the old order, only in this way could these nobles obtain the greatest benefits.

If he were in Xiao Rongyan’s position, Bai Jintong believed he could not have performed better than Xiao Rongyan.

She thought, with Xiao Rongyan to assist her elder sister, it was like adding wings to a tiger.

She was so happy about this that she couldn’t sleep all night.

But later, the more Bai Jintong thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. Since the royal kin of the Yan Kingdom failed to persuade the Emperor to execute the Regent Prince, they had been unusually quiet.

So today, when the Murong Imperial Clan invited her, she went...

Feigning exploration, she said that ever since the Second Prince went to Zhou, when the Regent Prince returned... many of the low-tax policies promised by the Second Prince were no longer honored by the Regent Prince. Her treasure, Yun Jianyue, was lost in Dongyi, and she originally intended to visit the Dongyi Kingdom, but under the Regent Prince’s watch... she was bound by her previous agreement with the Second Prince and was not allowed to leave Dadu City. She complained about how absurd it all was.

Seeing Bai Jintong’s genuine distress, the wastrel divulged a little, saying she wouldn’t have to worry much about the Regent Prince for long.

Bai Jintong looked around to ensure no one was listening, then pretended to carefully ask in a low voice, "What’s going on? Have you heard any news?"

The wastrel smiled mysteriously, raised his cup, and only said, "It’s enough for you to know about it, but I can’t say more!"

Afterward, no matter how much Bai Jintong asked, the wastrel seemed fearful and refused to utter another word, a level of caution that filled Bai Jintong with unease.