Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 714 - 711: Great Joy_1

Bai Qihe’s gaze grew increasingly somber, "If anyone is ungrateful and oversteps their bounds, wait and see where you’ll put your face after being expelled from the clan!"

Having said that, Bai Qihe stood up and left, brushing his sleeves.

Bai Qingping also followed behind Bai Qihe and left.

Several of the Bai Clan members who followed Bai Qingping in the military camp also stood up one after another and left.

The remaining Bai family members in the ancestral hall sighed among themselves. They recalled how that very morning former Clan Leader Bai Weimei had sent people to force Clan Leader Bai Qihe to honor filial piety through the elders. Who would dare mention it now?

Bai Qihe even had his own father under house arrest. Let alone these people. If Bai Qihe really wanted to expel them from the clan, according to the clan rules, the Clan Leader indeed had that power.

In the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, on the sixteenth day of the first month, an epidemic broke out in Qinhuai, Jin Kingdom. Many people fled to Shuoyang.

In the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, on the twentieth day of the first month, Liu Hong and Commandery Princess Gaoyi led troops to attack Yaoyang City in Daliang but were unable to capture it after a prolonged siege. The army halted at Yaoyang. At the same time, Yan Kingdom captured three more Wei Kingdom cities with unstoppable momentum.

In the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, on the twenty-fifth day of the first month, taking advantage of the ongoing conflict between Jin Kingdom and Daliang, Nanrong suddenly attacked Beirong. Beirong sought aid from Yan Kingdom but Yan Kingdom was focused on attacking Wei Kingdom and couldn’t spare forces. Beirong also sought aid from Jin Kingdom and Liang Kingdom but to no avail. They could only send envoys to seek help from Xiliang.

In the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, on the twenty-ninth day of the first month, Xiliang sent troops to attack Nanrong.

Bai Qingyan received the news late at night on the thirteenth day of the second month.

Someone sent by Mrs. Dong to deliver New Year gifts in Dengzhou heard about Xiliang’s military mobilization and hurried back without resting. Since the steward couldn’t enter the inner courtyard, he conveyed the message through Lu Ping, who was familiar with Bai Qingyan.

Because Lu Ping knew the ghost-faced general in Nanrong was Bai Qingyu, he was extremely anxious, fearing Bai Qingyu might face enemies on both fronts.

Bai Qingyan had Chun Tao light a lamp to read the letter, then burned it and pondered for a moment. She instructed Chun Tao to fetch the writing materials and added, "Bring Uncle Ping in."

Chun Tao prepared the writing materials and called Lu Ping into the main room. Through the screen, Lu Ping heard Bai Qingyan’s calm and steady voice, "Uncle Ping, you must personally go to Dadu City to meet the Crown Prince. Tell him Xiliang’s attack on Nanrong is a ruse; their real intention is to spy on our Jin Kingdom. We must not be careless! Deploy the Anping Camp forces and the Dengzhou Army to guard against Xiliang. Order the Bai family’s army stationed on the Xiliang border of Jin Kingdom to be ready to move."

As long as the Crown Prince issued this command, if a sudden battle broke out, the deployment would be handled by her uncle.

"Yes!" Lu Ping responded and was about to leave but was stopped by Bai Qingyan.

"Uncle Ping, wait a moment." Bai Qingyan, sitting under the lamp, set down her pen. She folded two letters and handed them to Chun Tao. "Uncle Ping, have someone trustworthy personally deliver these two letters to my uncle and General Shen Kunyang."

The letters contained only seven words: Prevent Xiliang from attacking Nanrong.

"Rest assured, Eldest Young Lady. I will make sure it’s done!" Lu Ping bowed and quickly took the letters before leaving hurriedly.

The safety of Second Young Master was at stake in Nanrong. Lu Ping dared not delay even a moment.

After seeing Lu Ping off, Chun Tao returned to warm herself by the fire basin. Then she lifted the curtain and came in, seeing Bai Qingyan still sitting by the small table with the lamp, tidying up the writing materials. Chun Tao urged, "Eldest Young Lady, please rest!"

Woken up in the middle of the night, Bai Qingyan lost her sleepiness, "What time is it?"

"Miss, it’s the hour of the tiger," Chun Tao replied, holding the writing brush, ink, and paper. She frowned, knowing that since the Eldest Young Lady’s injury had improved somewhat, she woke up daily at the hour of the hare to practice with the spear without fail. Despite knowing it was almost dawn, Chun Tao didn’t mention it as she felt sorry for her. "Eldest Young Lady, please sleep a little longer, and I’ll wake you at the hour of the hare."

"It’s no use, already lost my sleep. Fetch my iron sandbag, I’ll practice," Bai Qingyan stood up.

Chun Tao wanted to speak but held back. She fetched Bai Qingyan’s iron sandbag and helped her secure it, accompanying her to the training room in Boyun Courtyard to practice with the spear.

These days, Mrs. Dong arranged loyal and honest servants to serve in Boyun Courtyard. No information about Bai Qingyan could be leaked out.

The people of Shuoyang believed Bai Qingyan, injured while saving the Crown Prince, gravely suffered and had twice nearly passed away since the onset of winter.

Seeing Bai Qingyan drenched in sweat, her clothes soaked, Chun Tao quietly instructed the small kitchen to send hot water to the main room.

When Nanny Tong tested the water temperature and came to call Bai Qingyan in the training room, she saw Bai Qingyan putting down her silver spear and taking a handkerchief from Chun Tao to wipe her sweat.

Nanny Tong carried a tray of hot tea into the training room, smiling, "Eldest Young Lady, the water is ready!"

Panting heavily, Bai Qingyan took a cup of tea from the black lacquered tray held by Nanny Tong and sipped it. "Nanny, no need to keep the Earth Dragon and fire basin so hot from today. My health improves daily, and I find the heat too much."

Nanny Tong nodded with a smile, "Don’t worry, Eldest Young Lady. I understand. It’s just that I instructed to heat them more, thinking you’d be bathing later."

Now Bai Qingyan took the secret medicine sent by Xiao Rongyan every few days and also took the medicine Doctor Hong brought back from the extreme cold of Yan Kingdom. Her cold symptoms had almost completely healed.

Bai Qingyan had been training day and night without delay. Her complexion visibly improved. How could Nanny Tong not be pleased?

After bathing, Bai Qingyan sat at her desk, spreading out the map of Daliang and the local chronicles for detailed reading. She marked on the map, noting the weather divisions and potential disasters of each month in fine print.

Chun Tao, standing behind Bai Qingyan to towel her hair, glanced at the map and asked, "Is Eldest Young Lady preparing this map for Fourth Young Lady?"

"Perhaps Little Fourth will find it useful," Bai Qingyan replied, eyes downcast as she examined the map.

When Bai Jinzhi left, Bai Qingyan packed the local chronicles and the map for her. But if Bai Qingyan was right, that little girl wouldn’t read them. So, Bai Qingyan had to work harder, just a bit more.

Once she added the final touches, the map would be ready.

After carefully reviewing it, Bai Qingyan put down the pen and said to Chun Tao, "Have Chun Zhi call Uncle Liu. We’ll need someone to deliver this map to Little Fourth."

"Yes!" Chun Tao replied with a smile and went out to send Chun Zhi to fetch Steward Liu.

Just after folding the map, Bai Qingyan heard Nanny Tong’s cheerful voice from outside, "Eldest Young Lady! Eldest Young Lady, good news!"

She looked up, gazing through the jade screen to see Nanny Tong lifting the cotton curtain, stepping in with her skirt in hand, and quickly bowing to Bai Qingyan. "Eldest Young Lady! Good news! Doctor Hong has developed a cure for the epidemic. He’s gone to freshen up and sent Little Yingshuang to inform you!"

Indeed, it was good news. Bai Qingyan’s eyes gleamed with joy. "So Doctor Hong’s method worked? The patients who took the medicine are healed?"