Chapter 667: Chapter 664: The Sheathed Sword_1 Chapter 667: Chapter 664: The Sheathed Sword_1 “He precisely used this point… to deceive Bai Qingyan into coming, and then had the opportunity to plead with her.

He bet on the Bai family’s high regard for trust and promise.

After a moment, Bai Qingyan asked, ‘What is your son’s name?’
Upon hearing this, Wang Jianghai knew Bai Qingyan had agreed, and he quickly kowtowed, ‘To the Princess of Zhen… my son’s name is Wang Qiulu! Qiulu… don’t you see your master! From today onwards… you are the Princess of Zhen’s person. You must be loyal to the Princess of Zhen for your entire life!’
Wang Qiulu stubbornly kept his neck straight, refusing to bow.

Seeing this, Wang Jianghai feared Bai Qingyan would go back on her word. He gritted his teeth and gave Wang Qiulu a harsh slap across the face. The force was so strong that it made him cough violently.

‘Father! Father!’ Wang Qiulu ignored his burning cheek and hurriedly supported his father, his eyes red with tears.

‘If you want your father’s soul to be restless after death, if you want your mother and grandmother… all to die without peace, then keep being stubborn! Come with us to face death!’ Wang Jianghai tightly gripped his son’s arm. By the end, his tone was almost pleading, ‘Son! It’s easy to die, but living is the hardest! Liu Ruofu doesn’t truly care about you! Are you going to ignore your parents’ hopes for her? You are the entire hope of the Wang family. You need to live well! Live… to continue the Wang family line! Only then can I die with a clear conscience, having honored your grandfather, grandmother, and mother!’
Bai Qingyan’s eyebrows raised slightly, Liu Ruofu?

Lu Ping also perceived something unusual in the situation. He turned his head to look at Bai Qingyan and said, ‘Today, the Left Prime Minister’s son, Li Mingrui, set up a plot to reveal Liu Ruofu’s hiding place in Jiuzhou Alley to both the Princess of Zhen’s residence and the Crown Prince’s residence as a gesture of loyalty to the Crown Prince. Liu Ruofu has already been captured. When we arrived… Liu Ruofu’s unborn child was lost. It’s likely that Liu Ruofu won’t escape death this time.’
Wang Jianghai and Wang Qiulu already knew Liu Ruofu had been captured and that her child hadn’t survived, so Wang Qiulu had originally resigned himself to die alongside them.

But now, his father was forcing him with these harsh words.

Bai Qingyan stood for a moment inside, but she wasn’t there to watch a show of fatherly love and filial piety.

She tightly gripped the jade pendant and said to Wang Jianghai, ‘In that case, I can’t help you.’
After speaking, she adjusted her hood and turned to Lu Ping, ‘Let’s go!’
The favor her fourth uncle once owed should probably be repaid, but… she wouldn’t force herself to repay it if others didn’t appreciate it.

Wang Jianghai coughed violently. He knelt and crawled after Bai Qingyan, kowtowing, ‘I beg the Princess of Zhen to save my son’s life! I beg the Princess of Zhen to save my son’s life!’
Wang Qiulu closed his eyes. After a moment, there was a rustling sound from his knees. He knelt properly and kowtowed tearfully to Bai Qingyan, ‘Wang Qiulu greets his master! This life… I vow to be loyal to death. If I break my vow, my parents’… souls will be unrestful, and the Wang family will end without an heir!’
Bai Qingyan’s steps paused. She looked coldly at Wang Qiulu, ‘If that’s the case, I will arrange for someone to save you from Li Mingrui, the Left Prime Minister’s son. Rest assured and go with him, but… remember who your master is! Only by remembering who your master is and who you should be loyal to… can you survive, understand?’
Wang Qiulu gritted his teeth, his expression pained, feeling utterly humiliated as he nodded, ‘Understood!’
Bai Qingyan glanced deeply at Wang Qiulu. She hoped he truly understood.

She supported Lu Ping’s arm and slowly made her way out of the prison. She heard chaotic footsteps and repeated cries of ‘Crown Prince’ at the prison entrance. Bai Qingyan paused, covered her chest with her hand, and moved slowly outside, hunched over.

The Crown Prince hurried over and saw Bai Qingyan, who was wearing a black cloak, clutching Lu Ping’s arm and gasping for breath…

Bai Jinzhi ignored propriety and rushed past the Crown Prince to support Bai Qingyan, ‘Eldest Young Lady! Eldest Young Lady?!’
Bai Qingyan looked up, her eyes red, and shook her head at the teary-eyed Bai Jinzhi, ‘Wang Jianghai said… this is the jade pendant that my fourth uncle gave him to thank him for saving his life during the Northern Frontier battle years ago. He deliberately only sent the pendant, waiting for me to arrive before he said anything, just to ask me to save his son. There is no… no news of my fourth uncle at all.’
Bai Jinzhi’s tears flowed uncontrollably.

What could be more despairing than giving someone hope only to let them down?

When Bai Jinzhi heard from Chun Tao that Bai Qingyan had gotten the jade pendant from their fourth uncle, she thought… their fourth uncle had been captured by King Xian or some general from Nandu, wanting to use him to blackmail her elder sister.

Bai Qingyan took a deep breath, looked at the Crown Prince… removed her hood, and was about to bow to him.

The Crown Prince quickly stepped forward to support Bai Qingyan, scolding her like an elder, ‘There’s no need for such courtesies between you and me. The moment Jinse found me, I rushed here! I understand that you couldn’t keep your composure after suddenly getting news about the fourth master of the Bai family, but you need to think about your health!’
After many days without seeing her, the Crown Prince hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan to have become so much thinner. Her face was pale without a trace of color. She spoke in gasps, and her hunch from the pain grew more severe, looking as if she were terminally ill.

‘Your Highness is right!’ Bai Qingyan held back her tears and lowered her eyes.

‘I’ll take you back to the mansion!’ The Crown Prince instructed Bai Jinse, ‘Support your elder sister!’
As soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking, Wang Qiulu’s hysterical shouting came from deep inside the prison…

‘Father! Father, what’s wrong?! Someone… someone help!’
Wang Jianghai’s wish was granted. With Bai Qingyan’s promise, he had nothing left to worry about. He only instructed Wang Qiulu to remember the Princess of Zhen’s words. Those words held significant meaning. He repeatedly warned Wang Qiulu not to underestimate the Princess of Zhen. She was like a sword in its sheath, hiding her brilliance. One day, she would achieve great things!

After instructing his son to survive, Wang Jianghai let go and passed away.

The Crown Prince gave only a brief glance inside and then ordered Quan Yu and Bai Jinzhi to support Bai Qingyan out of the prison. The stench and moldy smell were too much for him to bear.

After leaving the prison, the Crown Prince personally escorted Bai Qingyan back to the Bai Mansion, alarming the Eldest Princess and Mrs. Liu, the second lady of the Bai family.

The Eldest Princess personally came out to thank the Crown Prince. She had Bai Qingyan carried back to Qinghui Courtyard by shoulder carriage and instructed Mrs. Liu to send someone to fetch Doctor Hong for Bai Qingyan.

The usually tranquil Princess of Zhen’s residence suddenly became very busy.

The Crown Prince frowned as he watched Bai Qingyan being carried away in the shoulder carriage. He said to the Eldest Princess, ‘Originally, the Princess of Zhen planned to depart for Shuoyang on the twenty-fifth. I thought the princess had recovered well, but seeing her condition now… isn’t it too rushed to depart on the twenty-fifth?’