Rebirth: Marry a General instead of a Prince

Bai Tingxuan and Bai Qiuze walked out of the palace together. It was already noon outside.

The midday sun in winter makes the remaining snow on the ground sparkle.

Bai Tingxuan saw from afar that Xie Yunsong also walked out of the hall. The two of them made eye contact and nodded slightly.

Afterwards, Bai Tingxuan left the palace and took a carriage with Bai Qiuze towards the Bai Mansion.

Along the way, Bai Qiuze wanted to ask something several times, but seeing Bai Tingxuan's tired look, he said nothing in the end.

The father and son walked in silence all the way, and soon the carriage stopped in front of the Bai Mansion.

Bai Tingxuan got off the carriage and walked quickly towards the mansion, followed closely by Bai Qiuze.

As soon as Bai Tingxuan entered the mansion, Princess Duanhui rushed over and cried, "Master, what happened? Are you okay?"

Bai Tingxuan had no choice but to appease Princess Duanhui first, and ordered Bai Zhiyuan and Bai Qiuze to wait for him in the study.

Soon, Bai Tingxuan strode into the study.

Bai Zhiyuan drank tea without saying a word. Bai Tingxuan looked at his daughter quietly for a while, and then he asked in confusion: "Ayuan, yesterday's incident happened suddenly, and father didn't notice it for a while. How did you know that those letters were hidden in the secret compartment of my study?"

Bai Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Father finally remembered to ask me." She paused and said slowly, "Actually, it was like this. When I was learning martial arts in Zhongnan Mountain, I accidentally discovered the affair between Prince Yan and Jiang Muyun, and I wanted to cancel the engagement at that time. But it is not so easy to cancel the engagement. Later, after returning to Beijing, I sent people to keep an eye on Prince Yan's Mansion and Jiang's Mansion. I wanted to find the right opportunity to cancel the engagement with Prince Yan. After that, I went to Liuzhou with General Yunhui and my brother, and the matter was delayed."

Bai Zhiyuan took a sip of tea and continued, "After returning from Liuzhou, my father and Jiang Shuyan also returned to Beijing. But my daughter's marriage was not cancelled, so the people who were watching the Prince of Yan's Mansion and the Jiang Mansion had not withdrawn. Until a few days ago, I found that Jiang Shuyan was disguised and went to meet someone in person."

Hearing this, Bai Tingxuan asked in confusion, "Who needs him to disguise himself and meet?"

Bai Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Father was also confused, and so was I. So I asked someone to follow him from a distance. Who knew that the person he met was an ordinary scholar. To say ordinary is not ordinary, but this scholar is famous for imitating other people's handwriting. Do you understand what I said, father?"

Bai Tingxuan suddenly realized, "He asked this scholar to imitate my handwriting and forge a treasonous letter?"

Bai Zhiyuan nodded gently and said, "That's right. My daughter knew about this and was alert. She went to find the scholar in person, and the scholar said that Jiang Shuyan threatened him with his old mother and imitated his father's handwriting to write the letter of treason. My daughter secretly sent someone to send the scholar and her mother away from the capital. Jiang Shuyan got the letter and didn't care about the scholar anymore. The scholar was able to escape unscathed. Before he left, I was cautious and asked him to imitate Jiang Shuyan's handwriting and write the letters that the emperor found today. Father should know everything that happened later."

Bai Qiuze was shocked when he heard this. His sister had done so many things without his knowledge.

Bai Tingxuan thought thoughtfully, "Even so, how could Ah Yuan put the letter into the Jiang Mansion? Yesterday you only told me to ask the Emperor to search the Jiang Mansion as well. I didn't know that you had already hidden the letter in the Jiang Mansion."

Bai Zhiyuan said calmly: "Father, do you remember that on your way back to Beijing, Jiang Shuyan saved a woman named Yan Hong. I arranged for her to get close to Jiang Shuyan. Naturally, I was the one who gave her the letter and put it in Jiang Shuyan's study."

Bai Tingxuan was stunned, remembering that day on the way back to Beijing, Yan Hong was chased by a group of bandits and fell directly at Jiang Shuyan's feet. Jiang Shuyan drew his sword to help. Yan Hong burst into tears and told Jiang Shuyan that her parents were killed by the bandits and she was now alone, and begged Jiang Shuyan to take her in.

Jiang Shuyan has always loved beauties, and Yan Hong is pretty, gentle, and plays the zither well. She followed them back to Beijing, and Jiang Shuyan took her as his concubine. Bai Tingxuan was shocked, not knowing that his daughter had started planning since then.

After a long while, he slowly said, "Ayuan, have you been preparing to deal with Jiang Shuyan since then?"

Bai Zhiyuan knew that it was difficult for her father to accept her like this. Her father had lived an upright life and hated intrigue and deception. However, she had the experience of her previous life, so it was difficult for her to be as innocent as an unsophisticated woman. Since her rebirth, the demise of the Bai family had been a thorn in her throat. She had started planning early on. Finding Yan Hong and letting her get close to Jiang Shuyan was just one part of her plan. Everything that happened today was within her expectations and her plan.

Thinking of this, Bai Zhiyuan said in a hoarse voice: "Father, do you think I am too cruel? If I had not caught Jiang Shuyan today, you would be the one who suffered this imprisonment today, and my Bai family would be executed. Father, do you still want to be soft-hearted?"

Bai Tingxuan asked after a moment, "Ayuan, that's not what father meant. I was just wondering, when did my Ayuan grow up and be able to take charge of things on his own? What have you been through during all these years when father left you alone in Shangjing? Was it wrong for father to let you stay away from the battlefield and live a comfortable life in Shangjing?"

Bai Zhiyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Father is right, but Shangjing is not as peaceful as he thought. Now that the emperor has not appointed a crown prince, there are actually undercurrents in Shangjing."

"Father," Bai Zhiyuan raised his eyes and said seriously, "It's not just the battlefield with real swords and guns that is a battlefield. Shangjing City is full of hidden arrows, and every arrow goes straight to the heart."

Bai Tingxuan took two steps back, then looked up at his daughter's clear eyes, and was speechless for a moment.

At this time, Bai Qiuze said anxiously: "Father, since Shangjing is so turbulent now, why not let my sister go to the southern border with us in the spring, so that our family can be reunited."

When Bai Zhiyuan heard this, his eyes lit up and he looked at Bai Tingxuan hopefully, but Bai Tingxuan did not say anything. There was only a long silence, and the light in Bai Zhiyuan's eyes finally dimmed.

After a long while, Bai Tingxuan spoke up: "Now the emperor has ordered the execution of all members of the Jiang family except Jiang Muyun. Then what about Yan Hong? She is Jiang Shuyan's concubine now, how can she escape?"

Bai Zhiyuan replied, "After I asked her to put the letter in Jiang Shuyan's study, I gave her some money and asked her to leave Shangjing. By now, I'm afraid she has left Shangjing for a long time. I think a concubine escaping will not attract attention."

Bai Tingxuan stared at Bai Zhiyuan for a long time. She even thought of such details. Bai Tingxuan felt mixed emotions and was shocked by his daughter's calmness and her understanding of people's hearts. For the first time, Bai Tingxuan doubted himself whether it was right to leave his daughter in Shangjing for so many years.

Bai Zhiyuan's eyes were open and she allowed Bai Tingxuan to examine her. She thought: If my father knew that I was soft-hearted in my previous life, and ended up having my eyes gouged out and my legs chopped off, living like a puppet, what would he think? After experiencing the betrayal and cruelty of the succession struggle in my previous life, the woman standing in front of her now was no longer the woman who didn't care about the world.

Bai Qiuze spoke at the right time: "Father, I think my sister did the right thing. If my sister hadn't acted decisively today, it would be our Bai family that would be executed. You, me, mother and sister would all die. I know father has always been kind, but Jiang Shuyan is really treacherous, and this time he has brought it upon himself."

Bai Tingxuan didn't say anything for a long time. He sighed for a long time and said, "Father is too soft-hearted. Qiu'er, you see things more clearly than father. Ah Yuan, father doesn't mean to blame you, it's just that it happened suddenly and father can't accept it for a while. But father is not a person who can't figure it out. Since it has happened, father will be more vigilant in the future."

Bai Zhiyuan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. She was also afraid that her father would think she was scheming. She smiled and said, "Father, there is one more thing. Now that Jiang Shuyan has fallen, who do you think can take his place?"

Bai Tingxuan thought for a moment and said, "Of course it's Qiu'er. Qiu'er and I have been on the battlefield for many years. Even though he is still young, he already has a wealth of battlefield experience..."

"No," Bai Zhiyuan interrupted, "If the emperor asks, father must not recommend my brother."

Bai Tingxuan asked in confusion: "Why?"

Bai Zhiyuan said seriously: "What Jiang Shuyan said at the morning court today might have planted seeds of suspicion in the emperor's heart. The royal family has always been suspicious. My father holds a large number of troops, which has already made the emperor wary. If he nominates my brother again this time, it will really add fuel to the fire."

In his previous life, how could Bai Tingxuan be executed without the emperor's instigation? For those who threaten the country, no matter how great their contributions are, they will be eliminated decisively. This is the royal family.

Bai Tingxuan asked back: "According to Ayuan's opinion, who should I recommend?"

Bai Zhiyuan seemed to have thought it through before and said, "I remember that Jiang Jinnan, the only son of the Minister of War Jiang Yueling, joined my father's army last year. He has a pure heart, is very skilled, and is well-versed in military tactics. I think he is someone you can use."

In his previous life, after his father's death, Jiang Jinnan became a general under Jiang Shuyan. He won every battle he fought. Although he was the only son of the Minister of War, he was determined to recover the northern and southern borders. The Minister of War, Jiang Yueling, had no choice but to send him to join the army. Who knew that after he joined the army, he was brave and good at fighting, and won many victories, and was repeatedly commended by the emperor.

Unfortunately, after his father's death, Jiang Shuyan completely turned against Prince Yan. In the fight for the throne, such a man who was dedicated to the country and the people, because he was dissatisfied with Jiang Shuyan's wholeheartedly planning for Prince Yan, he clashed with Jiang Shuyan many times. Finally, Jiang Shuyan assassinated him in a rage.

If he could be recruited into my father's army in this life, he and his brother, both great generals, would surely help my father recover the southern border as soon as possible.

Bai Tingxuan nodded in approval, "Ayuan is still thoughtful."

The father and his two sons smiled at each other and all felt relieved.