Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 725 - 722: Cry and Laugh Unexpectedly_1

"General Fu, please sit down. Coming here at this hour, is there something urgent?"

Bai Qingyan’s steady and clear voice came from inside. It wasn’t as weak as Fu Ruoxi had imagined, which made Fu Ruoxi breathe a sigh of relief.

Fu Ruoxi stood up and was invited by Bai Jinxiu to sit on a round stool. He said to Bai Qingyan behind the screen: "Today, I have come for two matters to inform the Princess of Zhen. Three days ago, Quan Yu, the eunuch by the Crown Prince’s side, came to inform me to make preparations... the Crown Prince intends, after the Crown Princess Consort gives birth, to raise the matter of letting me lead the Patrol Camp while His Majesty is in a good mood."

"This is the Crown Prince bestowing a favor upon you. You should be grateful and thankful..." Bai Qingyan’s voice carried a smile.

"I naturally expressed my loyalty to Quan Yu and also praised the Crown Prince’s magnanimity and lack of past grievances. Fu Ruoxi will do his best to be loyal to the Crown Prince for the rest of his life," Fu Ruoxi said.

Fu Ruoxi was a perceptive person. Since Bai Qingyan had saved him, he had sworn loyalty to her. The Bai family held more value in loyalty and promises than the Imperial Family!

Otherwise, Madam Fu would not have sought out the Princess of Zhen in the first place.

But now, on the surface, Bai Qingyan pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince. Naturally, Fu Ruoxi had to follow suit.

In Fu Ruoxi’s eyes, the Crown Prince was just a prince who liked to hear flattery and was somewhat arrogant, which was not difficult to deal with.

"Today, after returning from the Crown Prince’s residence, I heard that the Crown Princess Consort has gone into labor. It seems that good fortune will come to you, General Fu..." Bai Qingyan said.

Fu Ruoxi maintained a calm demeanor and asked Bai Qingyan, "Does the Princess of Zhen have any arrangements for the Patrol Camp? Is it necessary to place some people inside?"

When a new official takes office, they often take bold measures. If Fu Ruoxi were to take over the Patrol Camp, he would naturally want to make some commotion. This was a good opportunity to place his own people there. Since Fu Ruoxi was now a follower of the Princess of Zhen, he naturally wanted to ask Bai Qingyan if there were any people she wanted to place inside.

Furthermore, Fu Ruoxi, having joined halfway, did this to show his loyalty to Bai Qingyan, making her feel at ease putting people by his side.

Both were smart people. How could Bai Qingyan not understand Fu Ruoxi’s intentions? She said, "General Fu, handle this matter as you see fit. You must... ensure that the Patrol Camp is under your control. The Bai family has always trusted those they use and doesn’t use those they doubt. Since General Fu is willing to join forces with the Bai family, I naturally trust General Fu."

Fu Ruoxi was slightly stunned. Emotions surged within him. In his memory, the Bai family and their army were just like this!

"Fu Ruoxi will definitely not betray the trust of the Princess of Zhen," Fu Ruoxi solemnly vowed.

"What’s the second matter?" Bai Qingyan asked.

Fu Ruoxi’s expression grew serious. He lowered his voice and said, "Today, while accompanying my wife out, on the way I saw the son of General Wang Jianghai of Nandu, who was executed for rebellion. The traitors who rebelled in Nandu have been executed, and Wang Jianghai’s son was on the list as well. So I had my wife leave first... I followed him and saw Wang Jianghai’s son sneak into the side gate of King Liang’s residence. There seemed to be someone receiving him inside."

Bai Qingyan recalled that the Hidden Guard had reported earlier that someone had infiltrated King Liang’s residence, but he had lost track of the person.

So, it was Wang Qiulu.

The Emperor had ordered King Liang to be confined in his residence. Most of the servants in King Liang’s residence were either killed or sold off. Nowadays, King Liang’s food, clothing, and supplies were even inferior to those of the Bai Mansion’s nanny. Bai Jinxiu had heard that King Liang was in a state of not starving but never fully fed, with no one to serve him. Whether these rumors were true or false was hard to judge. With the reduced staff in King Liang’s residence, it was even more difficult to infiltrate.

"Eldest Young Lady..." Bai Jinxiu looked toward the screen. If she remembered correctly, the Eldest Young Lady had once asked Li Mingrui, the son of the Left Prime Minister Li Mao, to save Wang Qiulu, the son of Wang Jianghai. How could Wang Qiulu now be involved with King Liang?

Under the flickering glass lamp on the redwood table, Bai Qingyan was silent for a moment. She responded, "Alright, I understand. General Fu, do not investigate this further to avoid arousing the Crown Prince’s suspicion. I will assign someone to conduct a detailed investigation."

"Understood!" Fu Ruoxi did not ask why. He clasped his fists and expressed his compliance.

"How is Mrs. Fu?" Bai Qingyan remembered Fu Ruoxi’s wife.

"Thank you for your concern, Princess of Zhen. My wife is fine. After hearing that the Princess of Zhen had arrived in Dadu City and coughed up blood at the Crown Prince’s residence, she wanted to visit but was worried about disturbing your rest. She plans to visit tomorrow. Is it convenient for you, Princess of Zhen?"

Fu Ruoxi did not tell the whole truth. Today, Mrs. Luo, upon hearing that the Princess of Zhen had coughed up blood, opened the storeroom and took out the only few branches of century-old wild ginseng in the house, intending to bring them over to see if they could be of use to the Princess of Zhen. Fu Ruoxi had firmly stopped her.

Fu Ruoxi told her that the Princess of Zhen would either be under the care of a doctor or resting, and going at this time would only cause more trouble. Mrs. Luo saw the sense in his words and abandoned the idea of going over. However, after less than a quarter of an hour, she asked in a low voice if Fu Ruoxi was unwilling to part with the century-old wild ginseng at home, which left Fu Ruoxi both amused and exasperated.

Mrs. Luo had always been an emotional person. Before her mother-in-law passed away, she told her to trust the Princess of Zhen, and the Princess had saved the entire Fu family. In Mrs. Luo’s heart, Bai Qingyan was a benefactor. Even a drop of kindness should be repaid in full, let alone a life-saving grace.

Mentioning his wife brought a faint smile to Fu Ruoxi’s face, warmth spreading through his heart.

"I appreciate Mrs. Fu’s kind intentions. The officials in Dadu City tend to act on the slightest hint. Tomorrow, the Princess of Zhen’s mansion will surely be bustling with visitors, so it’s best not to let Mrs. Fu join the crowd. I understand the sentiment, but... the further the distance between the Princess of Zhen’s mansion and the Fu Mansion, the more at ease the Crown Prince will be," Bai Qingyan said with a smile. She then reminded Fu Ruoxi, "If you can subtly let the Crown Prince know... that you resent me for severing your arm, the Crown Prince will value you even more."

The art of balance was the favorite study of the current emperor, and the Crown Prince naturally followed suit.

If the commander of the Patrol Camp were too closely connected with her, the Crown Prince would certainly be wary of both of them. Even if the Crown Prince was not wary, Elder Fang would incite him to be.

"I understand!" Fu Ruoxi responded, "Please take good care of your health, Princess of Zhen. I will ensure that the Patrol Camp is firmly under control as soon as possible."

Bai Qingyan nodded, "In the future, when I return to Shuoyang, if there is anything General Fu needs in Dadu City, you can find my second sister, Jinxiu. Of course... Jinxiu’s words are my words, so please follow them."

Fu Ruoxi hurriedly clasped his fists and bowed to Bai Jinxiu. Bai Jinxiu stood up and returned the gesture.