Zhenzhou Imperial Court.

Su Shunqing looked thoughtfully at the unexpected visit from the young girl and asked with a smile, "What instructions does Second Miss have for Su?"

Tang Xiaobai considered for a moment and asked, "Is your Princely Heir doing well in Hedong?"

Su Shunqing also considered for a moment and replied, "Quite well."

Tang Xiaobai noticed his hesitation and felt slightly reassured; it seemed Su Shunqing and Li Xingyuan were still in touch.

"Are their efforts to suppress bandits going smoothly?" Tang Xiaobai asked again.

Su Shunqing hesitated again and said, "Not particularly smoothly, but there’s no major issue. It’s confidential, so I’m afraid I cannot say more to Second Miss."

Hearing this, Tang Xiaobai let out a long sigh of relief, "Thank you, Master Su, for telling me!"

The public does not like whitewashing; they want the truth!

The more things are hidden and concealed, the more it worries people.

If nothing was wrong, why haven’t my brother and Xiao Bai written a single letter back?

They weren’t like this the last time they went to Hedong!

"If Second Miss is worried, you could write a letter," Su Shunqing suddenly said.

Tang Xiaobai was startled, shook her head: "No need, I’ve already written, but I haven’t received a reply, perhaps my brother is too busy to respond."

Su Shunqing’s eyelid twitched, and he asked with a smile, "Second Miss only wrote to her brother?"

Tang Xiaobai nodded: "I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to send a letter, so I only wrote one."

Su Shunqing coughed lightly and said, "Little General Tang is the main commander, he must be busy, but others won’t be as busy. Second Miss can write to someone else."

Just yesterday, received a secret letter from the Princely Heir.

A so-called secret letter is for conveying important news, striving to be concise and to the point.

But yesterday’s secret letter, the Princely Heir spent half of it complaining about the Crown Prince.

Said the Crown Prince asks three or four times a day if there’s a letter from the Capital City. Having not received the desired answer, he has become increasingly solemn and irritable day by day, looking at people with eyes like a ghost’s, asking him to think of a way, telling Miss Tang to write to the Crown Prince.

He was still thinking of ways, and the young lady Tang just came along.

"Really?" The young lady Tang was delighted to hear that, "Then I’ll go back and write—"

"Wait!" Su Shunqing hurriedly called her back, "Coincidentally, I’m sending a letter to the Princely Heir early tomorrow morning, why not write it now to send together tomorrow?"

Duke Yan already intercepted the letter Miss Tang wrote to Tang Ziqian; it’s more likely he wouldn’t value a letter written to the Crown Prince.

Handing it to Duke Yan, it would likely never reach the Crown Prince’s hands.

He has to personally ensure this letter!

"But I..." Tang Xiaobai was still hesitant, then saw Su Shunqing quickly have pen and ink prepared, rolling up his sleeves to grind ink for her himself.

"But I don’t know what to write at the moment..." Tang Xiaobai felt troubled.

Impromptu writing is challenging!

"Just ask about his health, whether it’s cold in Hedong, if he’s remembered to dress warmly, eating well, sleeping well, not to lose his temper easily..." Su Shunqing immediately provided a detailed outline and attentively handed her the pen.

Alright then...

Tang Xiaobai took the pen, just about to write, but suddenly looked up at him, "Don’t peek!"

Su Shunqing obediently stood up, "Then I’ll go for a walk—"

Before the words were finished, suddenly an official from the Imperial Academy rushed in, silently handing over a letter with a black lacquer seal.

Upon seeing the envelope, Su Shunqing’s expression changed—

...

When Tang Xiaobai returned home, it was already dusk.

Miss Tang’s people had been waiting at the door for a long time and immediately took her to Tang Jiaojiao’s room.

"Fetch dinner for Second Miss!" Tang Jiaojiao instructed before turning around to face her, her expression cold as usual, "Why did you spend so long at the Zhenzhou Imperial Court?"

The young girl’s gaze was vacant; she did not respond.

Tang Jiaojiao’s heart skipped a beat, pulling her in front, "What happened? Did that Su bully you?" Her voice rose angrily as she spoke the last two words.

"No, no!" Tang Xiaobai snapped back to reality and shook her head hastily.

"Then what’s going on?" Tang Jiaojiao frowned tightly.

Tang Xiaobai hesitated to speak.

Tang Jiaojiao turned away, "Someone! Go to the Zhenzhou Imperial Court—"

"I’ll say! I’ll say!" Tang Xiaobai quickly pulled her back, sighed, and said, "News just came from Zhenzhou that Prince Li’s mother, Princess Changshan, has passed away..."

After so many years, she had forgotten many details from the original book.

But she vaguely remembered that before Li Xingyuan conquered the Capital City and ascended to the throne, he had likely already inherited the title of Prince Changshan.

Li Xingyuan conquered the Capital City in the fifteenth year of Taixing, meaning by the end of the following year, this ill-fated male protagonist would be orphaned...

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but sigh again.

Looking at Miss Tang, also stunned by this news, her expression dazed, lost in thought.

"Sister..." Tang Xiaobai recalled the subtle feelings between her and Li Xingyuan and tentatively asked, "Before the city gates close today, Su Shunqing will send this news out of the city. Do you... have anything you want to say?"

Tang Jiaojiao’s face flushed red, angrily said, "What would I say? What do I have to say to him?"

She stood up and left, flicking her sleeves.

After a few steps, she ran into a servant returning with a food box, suddenly remembered this was her own room, and with a cold expression, returned to scold, "Eat your meal, don’t meddle in other people’s business!"

Tang Xiaobai responded with an "Oh," indeed not saying any more and obediently sat down to eat.

Tang Jiaojiao sat beside, occasionally looking at the sky, occasionally at her.

The time spent looking at the sky was short, looking at her was long.

Tang Xiaobai kept eating quietly, pretending not to notice, to avoid provoking Miss Tang.

Time ticked away slowly.

As the city gates were about to close in just a little over a quarter-hour, Miss Tang suddenly stood up.

"Tell that jerk!" Miss Tang said coldly, with a disdainful look, "I’m still waiting for him to return my hairpin!"

Tang Xiaobai was surprised, "Sister, you actually gave him a hairpin?" Had they developed to this point behind her back?

"As if I gave him a hairpin!" Tang Jiaojiao was both embarrassed and angry, "He tricked it from me last time, saying he wanted to give it to his new bride!"

That one...

"I thought Sister had already wanted it back..." Tang Xiaobai muttered softly.

Tang Jiaojiao was even more embarrassed and angry, "Just go as I told you! Why ask so much!"

...

"Wait for me to return?" Li Xingyuan suddenly lifted his head, eyes red, filled with mixed emotions, "Miss Tang said that?"

The messenger cautiously replied, "Yes, Miss Tang said it—"

"She really said that?" Li Xingyuan confirmed again.

"Miss Tang said exactly—"

"Alright, I know!" Li Xingyuan interrupted him, "Pass my message back, wait for me—" his voice suddenly choked, he paused, but his expression was firm, "Wait for me for three years, in three years, I’ll definitely return!" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

With that, he dashed out like the wind.

The messenger reached out in an attempt to shout, but before he could say a word, the figure was gone.

He had no choice but to pull back his hand and scratch his head.

So, did the Princely Heir actually hear the words "return back the hairpin"?