Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Stubborn Use of the Military_1

Xiao Rongyan’s hand, which was stroking the jade cicada, paused. He turned his head, his deep-set eyes showing a trace of imperceptible surprise, and asked, “You mean… Miss Bai?”

“Exactly! Initially, I wanted to obtain Miss Bai’s handwriting for comparison. But the servants at the Bai Mansion are not easy to bribe, nor is it easy to infiltrate.” Xiao Rongyan’s subordinate kneeled on one knee. “Please forgive me, master.”

Outside, the hanging lantern depicting plum blossoms swayed in the cold winter wind and snow. Xiao Rongyan, dressed in a sky-blue long robe, stood at the window with an indifferent expression, holding the jade cicada tightly. His inscrutable gaze nearly vanished in the shadows beneath the lamp.

He closed his eyes, recalling the palace banquet on the eve of the new year. When he had followed the palace maid to change clothes, Miss Bai’s sudden gaze met his. Her pupils had contracted, and when he returned, her slightly relaxed posture betrayed her tension.

Did this Miss Bai know his identity?

“Master, whether or not the note was given by Miss Bai, your identity is at risk of being exposed. I boldly suggest you leave Dadu City as a precaution.”

The cold air mixed with snowflakes rushed in from outside the window. Xiao Rongyan turned, his gaze falling on the red lanterns lining the long street. “If the person who delivered the note wanted to harm me, why go through the trouble of sending the note to the steward? Let’s wait and see.”

·

In the biting wind of midwinter, the Eldest Princess and the Bai family had been standing for an hour. The hand warmers had been changed, and the hot soup and meat pies had been distributed to the people waiting at the Duke of Zhen’s Mansion gate.

The Eldest Princess, leaning on her tiger head cane, was on the verge of collapsing. Bai Qingyan supported her and instructed someone to bring a chair for the Eldest Princess.

The Eldest Princess shook her head, held Bai Qingyan’s hand tighter, and adjusted her fur coat, asking, “Kid, you’re weak. Can you hold on?”

Bai Qingyan, who had been training for some time now, could already stand solidly with sandbags tied to her legs for an hour daily. Standing here posed no real challenge for her.

She shook her head. “Grandmother, rest assured, Kid is fine.”

The people sipping hot soup, surrounded by the fragrant steam of mutton broth, saw a speeding horse approaching from afar. They immediately put down their bowls and pointed. “It’s coming! It’s coming! This time it really looks like someone from the palace!”

The Eldest Princess stiffened involuntarily, straightening her back. The Bai family hurried forward a few steps, craning their necks to look down the long street at the end of the line of red lanterns.

The eunuch, galloping towards them, saw the people holding lanterns outside the Duke’s Mansion in the distance. His heart sank when he got closer and found the Eldest Princess with the Bai women waiting outside the Duke of Zhen’s Mansion gate.

The eunuch did not dare delay. He dismounted quickly, rushed up the steps, and kneeled heavily before the Eldest Princess. “Eldest Princess, news from the southern army says that the Duke’s arbitrary use of the military led to our army’s disastrous defeat. The Duke of Zhen, the Crown Prince, and all the men of the Bai family have perished on the battlefield! Five days later, King Xin will bring back their coffins…”

Bai Qingyan’s head jerked up, fury and murderous intent surging within her. The Duke’s arbitrary use of the military?!

The shocking news caused the Eldest Princess to wobble. She almost fell but was steadied by Bai Qingyan and Nanny Jiang.

Dong Qingping and Dong Qingyue felt a chill down their spines. They had considered the possibility of someone from the Bai family dying in battle but never imagined it would be all of them…