Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 1600 - 322: The Grand Finale (Part 2)

No one understands the situation in the Yan Kingdom better than Xiao Rongyan and Murong Li, and Shen Tianzhi has spent some time in the Yan Kingdom as well. All the vassal kings and their families have already returned to Dadu City with Bai Qingyan.

With no vassal kings within the Yan Kingdom to hinder them, Bai Qingyan wanted to leave the implementation of the Zhou’s new laws to Xiao Rongyan, Murong Li, and Shen Tianzhi.

This time, Xiao Ruojiang did not return with Bai Qingyan. He planned to personally traverse the Yan territory and make corrections and refinements to the most detailed current map of the Yan Kingdom, and Bai Qingyan approved.

Upon entering the Zhou territory, when they reached Baoan, Bai Qingyan met with the sun-tanned Zeng Shanru.

After Bai Qingyan settled in Baoan City, Zeng Shanru hurriedly came to request an audience.

Bai Jinzhi, seeing the charcoal-like Zeng Shanru, immediately felt delighted and said to Sima Ping, "So I’m not the only one who gets sunburned! When Zeng Shanru left Dadu City, he was fair-skinned, and now he’s turned into a black charcoal."

Sima Ping, seeing Bai Jinzhi gloating, folded his arms across his chest with a faint smile at the corner of his lips. "Is Prince Gaoyi now giving up comparing skin color with women and starting to compare with men instead? Such a broad mind!"

A suddenly unhappy Bai Jinzhi glared at the fair-skinned Sima Ping and walked away.

Sima Ping watched Bai Jinzhi leave in anger, a smile on his face, but thoughts of Lu Yuanpeng quickly erased it.

Lu Yuanpeng had been sent back to Dadu City earlier; Bai Jinzhi thought he returned to Dadu City to recuperate, still unaware that Lu Yuanpeng had already...

If Bai Jinzhi knew that Lu Yuanpeng didn’t make it, this matter... might become something Bai Jinzhi could never get over in his heart!

Sima Ping’s smile gradually faded, as if a haze had covered his eyes. He knew well that Lu Yuanpeng’s words were just in anger, yet he took it seriously... and did not accompany Lu Yuanpeng to the Yan Kingdom. Had he come, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

He had never thought to compete with Lu Yuanpeng for Bai Jinzhi; Lu Yuanpeng was his only unreserved friend in this world. If possible... he wished to protect their happiness and joy for a lifetime.

·

Zeng Shanru held a red wooden box engraved with a spring scene, standing respectfully with his head bowed under the partially raised bamboo curtain in the corridor, until Wei Zhong relayed the message and came out to lift the curtain for him. Only then did Zeng Shanru pick up the hem of his jacket and step inside, climbing the wooden stairs to the second floor.

The pavilion here, on the second floor, was supported by eight red lacquer columns, with eaves covered in blue tiles. The four-sided ventilation and half-draped curtains made of Xiangfei bamboo provided a cool and refreshing atmosphere, reminiscent of the Shaohua Court in the Bai Mansion at Shuoyang, reflecting the builder’s sense of design and foundation.

Zeng Shanru reached the second floor and was startled to see Xiao Rongyan sitting beside their eldest lady, frowning at a memorial. Wasn’t Xiao Rongyan, the husband of their eldest lady, already...

He recalled that the Zhou’s royal husband, Xiao Rongyan, was the rumored Ninth Prince of the Yan Kingdom. Though surprised, he understood... the eldest lady didn’t conceal letting him meet because he was considered one of their own.

Zeng Shanru placed the red wooden box beside him and formally saluted, "Zeng Shanru, pays respect to the eldest lady! Pays respect to the eldest son-in-law..."

Upon hearing this address, Xiao Rongyan looked up at Zeng Shanru, not remembering having met him before. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Didn’t I say we don’t stand on ceremony here? Get up! You’ve gotten quite tanned; if Nanny Tong saw you, she’d surely feel sorry." Bai Qingyan’s voice carried a smile, and she dipped her brush in ink, noting Zeng Shanru’s high spirits with a laugh, "You left Dadu City last June, saying you wanted to tend to the rice fields. Later, I saw a report from the Ministry of Revenue mentioning that the September rice harvest was indeed not abundant, but the late rice harvest improved."

Zeng Shanru smiled even more at this, with unconcealed joy in his eyes, and nodded, "Precisely because of this, as planting season approaches, with Master Wei’s help, previous effective methods are being promoted to the people for planting. Hopefully, when harvest time comes, we will have a good yield!"

"So why have you come to Baoan?" Bai Qingyan asked with a smile.

"It’s almost time to harvest the wheat. Master Wei appointed Baoan as a place for Shanru to test whether the wheat yield can be increased!" Zeng Shanru said with a smile.

Seeing Zeng Shanru’s confident demeanor, she asked, "Do you have an idea?"