Rebirth: Marry a General instead of a Prince

Bai Zhiyuan felt the Queen Mother's scrutinizing gaze, but he seemed not to notice it and remained calm, just quietly drinking the tea in front of him.

After a moment, the Queen Mother's stern voice sounded: "Rong An, why did you go to the northern border without permission?"

Bai Zhiyuan lowered her eyes slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I have already apologized to the Emperor at the court meeting. It was because I was playful and yearned for the battlefield that I disguised myself as a man and went to the northern border."

The Queen Mother smiled coldly and said, "Is that all? Isn't it for Xie Yunsong?"

Bai Zhiyuan raised her eyes, met the Queen Mother's scrutinizing gaze, and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "General Xie is indeed excellent, but I am also the Princess of Rong'an County appointed by the Emperor himself. I can marry any man I want, so why should I abandon my family for General Xie?"

This was said sincerely, and the Queen Mother's expression eased a little.

The Queen Mother paused for a moment and then asked, "Is Song'er doing well in the North?"

Bai Zhiyuan replied: "Thank you, General, everything is fine."

The Queen Mother continued to stare at her, trying to find some flaws in her face, but Bai Zhiyuan's expression remained indifferent from beginning to end.

The empress dowager, who had seen countless people, was a little unsure of what Bai Zhiyuan meant at this moment.

She spoke again, "Song'er is a miserable man. He was neglected by his father and mother since he was young. I brought him into the palace and taught him how to write and read. In a blink of an eye, he has grown up to this age."

Bai Zhiyuan didn't understand what the Queen Mother meant by saying this to her, but she didn't say anything. She just listened quietly.

"Song'er loved eating sweet-scented osmanthus cakes when he was little. Now he has grown up and gone to the northern border. I haven't seen him for several years."

"I once thought that he would never meet a girl he liked in his life, but I didn't expect that he would meet you. I know that he likes you."

Bai Zhiyuan still didn't respond.

The Queen Mother continued, "But I have already told him that you two are not destined to be together."

Bai Zhiyuan then said, "Your Highness does not understand what the Queen Mother means."

The Queen Mother sneered and said, "You don't have to pretend. I know everything you and Xie Yunsong did in the northern border."

After hearing what the Queen Mother said, Bai Zhiyuan silently examined the people around Xie Yunsong in his heart, wondering who was the Queen Mother's spy.

The Queen Mother seemed to see through her thoughts and said with a curled lip, "You don't need to know who it is. Anyway, nothing you do in the North can escape my eyes."

Bai Zhiyuan then said, "Since the Queen Mother knows everything, why bother asking me?"

The Queen Mother did not even raise her eyelids, still looking superior, and said: "I am just telling you that Xie Yunsong is not someone you can covet."

Bai Zhiyuan curled his lips and said sarcastically, "He is not someone I can desire? Did the Queen Mother agree to grant him and Shen Yinu a marriage just to stop me from thinking about him, or is it that even Shen Yinu is not worthy of the Queen Mother's eyes?"

The Queen Mother then gently lifted her eyelids, glanced at Bai Zhiyuan indifferently, and then slowly said: "I naturally look down on Shen Zhiyi, but fortunately she is infatuated with Song'er, and her family background is not bad, so she can barely be worthy of Song'er."

Bai Zhiyuan said sarcastically: "The person the Queen Mother really likes is probably Princess Changle, but it's a pity that she has already become a useless person."

"How dare you!" The Queen Mother finally couldn't help but get angry: "If it weren't for you, how could Changle be like this?"

The Queen Mother raised her scallion-like fingers, pointed her long armor at Bai Zhiyuan, and said angrily, "You still have the guts to mention Changle?"

Bai Zhiyuan was unmoved: "What the Queen Mother said is incomprehensible. Isn't it because of Prince Kangding that Princess Changle has become what she is now? The Emperor has already made a conclusion on this matter. Why does the Queen Mother say that it is because of me?"

"You..." The Queen Mother was so angry that she was shaking. Changle was her beloved granddaughter, and she had always wanted to marry Changle to Xie Yunsong. Unfortunately, it was all thanks to the man in front of her.

Bai Zhiyuan silently put down the teacup and said calmly, "Queen Dowager, calm down and take care of yourself."

The empress dowager half-closed her eyes and stared at Bai Zhiyuan. For some reason, she seemed to see the shadow of Xie Yunsong in Bai Zhiyuan.

In this world, even the emperor would not dare to speak to her like this, but the girl in front of him was exactly the same as Xie Yunsong.

It has to be said that if Bai Zhiyuan's identity is put aside, she is a very good match for Xie Yunsong, both in temperament and appearance. It's just a pity that she is Bai Tingxuan's daughter, and she can't hand over all the military power of Dali to outsiders.

The Queen Mother thought about this, calmed down a little, and asked, "Are you not afraid of me?"

Bai Zhiyuan did not answer but asked: "The Queen Mother is the most noble woman in Dali, Rong An naturally respects her, but why should he be afraid? The Queen Mother is just a woman."

The Queen Mother was startled, as if she had not expected such an answer.

After a while, the Queen Mother chuckled and said, "You are indeed interesting. No wonder even Song'er is attracted to you."

Bai Zhiyuan's lips curled slightly, as if she was disdainful of everything. The aura she exuded, which kept people at a distance, was very similar to Xie Yunsong.

After a long while, Bai Zhiyuan nodded and said, "Queen Mother, now that I have returned to the capital, you can rest assured. Shen Zhiyi is still in the northern border. She lives with Xie Yunsong day and night, and I have already left. What else do you have to worry about?"

The Queen Mother said, "I'm not worried about you, it's Song'er. He is the child I raised, no one knows his character better than me, and it's hard for others to change the people and things he has decided on."

Bai Zhiyuan: "The Queen Mother called me here today. What do you want me to do?"

The Queen Mother gently twisted the Buddhist beads in her hand and said, "I want you to quickly get engaged. The news will be passed back to the North. By then, Song'er will know that you and him are no longer destined to be together. Only then can he marry Shen Zhiyi with peace of mind and truly give up on you."

Bai Zhiyuan sneered, and the Queen Mother continued, "There are a lot of people who want to marry you in the capital now. You can choose any young talent you want. I will tell the Emperor to personally grant you a marriage, give you dignity, and let you marry with honor."

Bai Zhiyuan raised his eyes and said word by word: "What if I don't want to?"

After hearing this, the Queen Mother was stunned for a moment, then her face gradually grew angry, and she said, "I have discussed this with you now. If you don't want to, I will issue an imperial decree, and you will have no say over who you marry."

Bai Zhiyuan lowered her eyes and said after a moment, "In that case, Queen Mother, please allow me to think about it carefully."

Seeing that she was softening, the Queen Mother softened her tone and said, "Okay, go back and think about it carefully. If you have someone you want to marry, I will arrange the marriage for you."

Bai Zhiyuan said calmly: "In that case, I would like to thank the Queen Mother."

After saying this, he stood up and took his leave to the Queen Mother.

But after she took a few steps, she couldn't help herself and turned back again and said, "If the Queen Mother really loves Xie Yunsong, she must know what is most important to him. Does the Queen Mother want to watch the things he cares about drift away from him little by little?"

The Queen Mother paused for a moment, but before she could react, Bai Zhiyuan had already left without looking back.

When she walked out of the palace gate, Ling Xiao and Xia Qing had been waiting for a long time. When they saw her come out, they surrounded her. Bai Zhiyuan waved her hand, and Ling Xiao helped her into the carriage.

The carriage was moving slowly on the official road, and Bai Zhiyuan felt mixed emotions. She was not stupid, on the contrary, she was very smart. The Queen Mother's words today made her understand instantly that the Queen Mother must have threatened her, so Xie Yunsong used this method to force her to leave.

Bai Zhiyuan sighed in her heart, wondering what she should do to protect herself and not put Xie Yunsong in a difficult position.

Her heart was more confused than ever before.