Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 759 - 756: Lingering Illness Bed_1

"大 Young Lady!" Chun Tao bit her lower lip in embarrassment, pretending to be annoyed as she picked up the black lacquer tray on the small table, and fled from the main room of Boyun Courtyard.

Returning to her room, Chun Tao took out the Jade Pendant and carefully examined it, her eyes moist and red.

In fact, Chun Tao did not really want some rare Jade Pendant. To her, a letter of peace from her cousin was more reassuring.

She knew her cousin had followed the Third Young Lady to handle important matters. She dared not hope for her cousin to return soon, only that the Third Young Lady and her cousin would be safe and smooth outside.

It was already mid-August. Bai Qingyan could not use ice in the summer. So, the fifth and sixth younger sisters often took the eighth sister, Bai Wanqing, to invite Bai Qingyan to Shaohua Court to escape the heat.

Shaohua Court had tall trees and drooping willows, fragrant famous flowers, and herbs. Years of lush branches, creating a densely shaded garden.

The entire Shaohua Hall was surrounded by deep green and light blue. The soft light penetrated through the layers of high tree branches, swaying and falling on the open window sills.

The breeze that blew through the gauze curtain brought the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers, accompanied by the light sounds of the glided copper hooks and bells hanging on the bamboo curtains under the corridor, mixed with the cicadas’ song in the high trees, making people deeply feel that midsummer had arrived.

The war reports from Daliang arrived at Bai Qingyan’s side every few days. As the war progressed... the Jin Kingdom fought increasingly difficult battles. Capturing cities was no longer as smooth as at the beginning. Every time a city was taken, it was a tragic victory, costing too much manpower, material resources, and time.

The news from Bai Jinxiu in Dadu was delivered. Bai Qingyan knew that the court officials, including the Crown Prince, had started to criticize Liu Hong and Bai Jinzhi for the slowing pace in capturing cities. The latest military report even made the Crown Prince furious, saying that the war’s cost was too high. However, to dispatch envoys to negotiate peace again would be a huge loss of face, putting the Crown Prince in a very awkward position.

Bai Qingyan leaned on the soft couch, holding a bamboo fan embroidered with butterflies, fanning herself idly. The tiny fragments of golden light penetrating through the layers of green leaves fell onto her eyelids. She lowered her eyes to see Bai Jinzhao and Bai Jinhua kneeling on the ivory mat on the soft couch, playing with the little eighth sister, Bai Wanqing, who had two little buns on top of her head.

A very slight smile appeared in Bai Qingyan’s eyes.

After entering summer, her mother had ordered white gauze curtains with the Five Blessings tassels to be hung on both sides of the corridors and long corridors to prevent mosquito bites. Fortunately, this effort was not in vain. Little Ba had not been bitten by mosquitoes all summer.

Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on the painting next to the landscape-patterned sandalwood screen hanging in Shaohua Hall. The painting of the Bai sisters had been done by a palace painter summoned by her grandmother the day before Jinxiu got married. Bai Qingyan had not been present that day, so she was not included in the painting.

Her gaze fell on Bai Jinzhi, who had his hands behind his back and a clear and clean smile on his face. She lowered her eyes and picked up the jade cup, taking a sip of the milk within, and pondered deeply...

Nowadays, the difficulty on the Daliang battlefield was mainly due to the death of the Daliang Fourth Prince, which had aroused the blood and determination of the Daliang soldiers and people.

Generally speaking, wars like this would be quite challenging, unless there was a way to deal a decisive blow to extinguish Daliang’s will to fight completely.

She needed to think of a way...

Before Bai Qingyan could delve deeper into her thoughts, Nanny Tong stepped into Shaohua Court with small steps. Maids quickly lifted the gauze curtain for her, and watched as Nanny Tong climbed the steps of the corridor before letting the curtain fall again, fearing that mosquitoes might sneak in and bite their young misses. If they accidentally got bitten on their faces, that would be really bad.

Nanny Tong lifted her skirt as she entered the room, greeted the young misses, and then spoke to Bai Qingyan: "Big Young Lady, Doctor Hong has returned. He is just outside Shaohua Court now. It seems he has something to say to you. Oh... and that young man who accompanied Doctor Hong back, the one named Yue Shi, is waiting in the front hall, saying he wants to see you."

Doctor Hong had returned, so the Emperor Yan should have improved significantly. Bai Qingyan nodded, stood up from the pale yellow embroidered Hehuan flower pillow, and Chun Tao hurried forward to help Bai Qingyan put on her shoes.

"Please trouble Nanny to invite Yue Shi to the Immortal Pavilion. I will go there immediately."

Bai Qingyan put on her shoes and stood up, looking at her three younger sisters on the ivory mat, tidying her sleeves and smiling: "Fifth and Sixth Younger Sisters, stay here and play with Eighth Younger Sister for a while. Eldest Sister will be right back."

"Rest assured, Eldest Sister, we will take good care of Eighth Younger Sister!" Bai Jinzhao smiled.

Bai Qingyan nodded slightly and stepped out of Shaohua Hall with the help of Chun Tao. She walked through the lifted white gauze curtain, towards Doctor Hong, who bowed deeply to her at the door: "Doctor Hong, you have had a hard journey."

Doctor Hong looked much thinner, likely from the exhaustion of taking care of Emperor Yan over these past days.

As he straightened up, Doctor Hong walked alongside Bai Qingyan, speaking as they went: "I am fine, but Emperor Yan’s condition is not good..."

Bai Qingyan nodded and asked: "Is Doctor Hong powerless to save him?"

Doctor Hong nodded: "Emperor Yan’s poison has reached his bones. I said from the beginning... If Emperor Yan took good care of himself, he might be able to gain ten more years. But Emperor Yan has been exerting himself recently, and this current arrow wound has caused him to lose much of his vital energy. Even if he were to lay down his duties and heal properly now, at most... he has one more year! Not to mention, even with his severe injury, Emperor Yan refuses to rest from ruling Yan."

"Emperor Yan might prefer to use his remaining strength on Yan Kingdom’s affairs rather than resting," Bai Qingyan said softly.

Emperor Yan was a good ruler. Unfortunately... the Jin Kingdom, the Bai family, and the Bai family army did not have such a ruler. Had the Bai family encountered such an emperor back then, with the united effort of ruler and ministers, it would not have been difficult to unify this world.

Doctor Hong nodded in agreement: "By the way, Yue Shi also came. He was ordered by Emperor Yan... to invite the Big Young Lady for a meeting."

Bai Qingyan paused, turning to look at Doctor Hong: "Emperor Yan came?"

"Yes, Emperor Yan is waiting in plain clothes by Ying Lake outside Shuoyang City," Doctor Hong said.

"I understand! Doctor Hong, you should rest after your long journey. Little Yingshuang had been asking about Doctor Hong a couple of days ago when she came to see me, asking why you hadn’t brought her favorite pickled plum sticks yet." Bai Qingyan mentioned Yingshuang with a voice full of tenderness.

Little Yingshuang had not only asked about Doctor Hong but also about Qingzhu.

However, now Shen Qingzhu’s master Shen Bozhong had only partially regained his memory and had not fully recalled the past. He also worried deeply about Li Mingrui. Shen Qingzhu feared his master might be used by Li Mingrui, so he had to stay in Dadu City to care for Shen Bozhong.

A smile appeared in Doctor Hong’s eyes: "That little glutton only cares about food!"

With that, Doctor Hong bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan and watched her leave before he hurried to his own courtyard.

If she were to go out of the city to see Emperor Yan, wearing women’s clothing would attract too much attention. After all, she was currently pretending to be ill... Outsiders assumed Bai Qingyan was bedridden.