Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 703 - 700: Questioning_1

Nanny Tong bowed and paid her respects, then led the maids and servants out of the main hall, standing guard at the door.

"Governor Shen, you may rise and speak," Bai Qingyan said, resting one hand on the small table as she leaned against the pillow.

Governor Shen responded and stood up, taking a seat below Bai Qingyan, facing her, and began slowly, "I expected the Princess of Zhen might send Bai Qingping to investigate me, but I didn’t expect it so quickly. I admire your extraordinary insight, Princess of Zhen."

"My health hasn’t fully recovered. Governor Shen, please get to the important points, so I can rest and recuperate after hearing," Bai Qingyan impatiently dismissed the flattery.

Governor Shen smiled, looking at Bai Qingyan, and said, "I was once the Princely Heir of the Duke of Zhen’s household, who is your father, Bai Qishan. He left me in Shuoyang to prepare a backup plan for the Bai family."

Bai Qingyan’s palms tightened, clutching the tassels of the pillow, but her face remained calm and expressionless. "I don’t understand what you’re saying. My Bai family has always been loyal to the Jin, leaving no backup plan. My grandfather led all the men of the Bai family to the southern frontier battlefield to train future warriors for the Jin Kingdom. How could my father, opposing my grandfather, leave a governor in Shuoyang as a backup plan? Isn’t that laughable?"

"Besides," Bai Qingyan smiled leisurely, "even if my father wanted to leave a backup plan, he should have sought help from the Bai Clan, blood relatives of the same lineage. My grandfather and father always trusted the clan greatly. How could they not seek assistance from the clan and instead seek you, an outsider?"

"Princess of Zhen, as you should be more aware than I am, the Bai Clan’s character is well-known," Governor Shen said, his expression filled with disdain for the Bai Clan. "Back then, the Duke of Zhen trusted the Bai Clan, but the Crown Prince did not necessarily think the same. As the Crown Prince’s biological daughter, you should understand this better than anyone."

Bai Qingyan curled her lips into a smile, "Unfortunately, I don’t understand. What I see and know is my grandfather and the Crown Prince’s trust in the clanspeople."

Governor Shen was not surprised by Bai Qingyan’s words. He already knew that Bai Qingyan had walked this path on thin ice; without extreme caution, she would not have survived with the Bai family until today. He did not expect to gain Bai Qingyan’s trust this time.

However, over time, one reveals their true character. Governor Shen was confident that one day Bai Qingyan would believe him.

"Back then, the Crown Prince left me no tokens or evidence, so my words are without proof. It is only natural that the Princess of Zhen does not believe me," Governor Shen said slowly, lowering his gaze. "I lost an archery bet to the Crown Prince, so I promised him to stay in Shuoyang as a backup plan for the Bai family. The Crown Prince also left me two Hidden Guards. Unfortunately, one later died of illness and the other died protecting my son, Yancong. This is why I let my youngest son, Yancong, join the army to serve the Princess of Zhen."

Governor Shen’s words were not a fabrication. He remained in Shuoyang all these years because of a bet with Bai Qishan. This was why the Shuoyang bureaucracy had a saying: ’An iron-clad governor with flowing county magistrates.’

Shuoyang had many county magistrates who were eventually transferred elsewhere, either promoted or serving as governors in other parts of the Jin Kingdom. Only he remained in Shuoyang for so many years.

He did it for a promise.

For the promise made to Bai Qishan that if someday he was gone and should the Bai family face difficulties, he would ensure the safety of the Bai family in Shuoyang.

Bai Qishan had long seen that he was not a person willing to pledge allegiance to the Jin Imperial Court. Thus, he dared to make the bet and, upon losing, informed him to stay in Shuoyang as a backup for the Bai family.

In truth, in the beginning, Governor Shen stayed because of his sense of duty. He thought if the Bai family’s orphans didn’t return to Shuoyang and died in Dadu, it had nothing to do with him. If they were smart enough to retreat to Shuoyang, he would then make arrangements.

Of course, if the Bai family in Dadu couldn’t handle the Bai Clan, that wasn’t part of his and Bai Qishan’s bet. He was only responsible for the Bai family’s safety and would never show off in front of the Bai family.

However, he indeed did not expect that Bai Qishan’s daughter would be so formidable.

Since the Bai family’s men perished in the southern frontier, Governor Shen had been monitoring the happenings of the Bai family in Dadu. From the moment Bai Qingyan borrowed coffins from all over the world, this woman, who he had initially deemed insignificant, kept astonishing him with her actions, step by step, until she became the Princess of Zhen and a confidante to the Crown Prince, using the pretext of eradicating bandits to train soldiers, benefiting Shuoyang and many neighboring counties.

Truth be told, Governor Shen did not think highly of the Jin Imperial Family. However, he was more than willing to pledge allegiance to Bai Qingyan. He was completely won over by the young woman’s intelligence and courage before him.

Bai Qingyan looked at Governor Shen with some scrutiny, her fingers slightly rubbing as she recalled the Shen family’s guards trained in Shuoyang bearing some resemblance to the Bai family army. This...at least somewhat made sense now.

Governor Shen sat there openly, allowing Bai Qingyan to assess him. He sat upright, like an upright gentleman, with a straightforward gaze.

"When I met the Crown Prince in Shuoyang, I intended to retire and travel the world to live out my remaining years. The Crown Prince invited me to join the Bai family army. However, I didn’t want to serve under someone and be constrained by military regulations. Comparatively, I preferred being an official in Shuoyang."

Bai Qingyan pressed her lips together in silence, quietly listening to Governor Shen.

"Later, when you, the Princess of Zhen, took charge of the Bai family, achieving great victories, training soldiers in Shuoyang, and benefiting the people, I admired you deeply. Many times, I wanted to join your service. But the Princess of Zhen is very cautious, so I first let my son, along with those taught by the two Hidden Guards given to me by the Crown Prince, join the army, thinking that if the Princess of Zhen sensed anything, she would investigate."

Governor Shen clearly explained the sequence of events.

In such morally corrupted times, it was hard to believe someone would stay in Shuoyang for so long just because of a bet with no proof.

Therefore, Governor Shen’s nervousness and unease when presenting his case to Bai Qingyan were understandable.

He could see that this Princess of Zhen was different from the previous Bai Qishan.

Having experienced the betrayal of her grandfather by his deputy in the southern frontier, and many trials and tribulations in the politically treacherous Dadu City, the Princess of Zhen undoubtedly trusted others less and was warier than Bai Qishan, which was only natural.