The banquet today did not explicitly segregate men and women, so their conversation in the flower hall's corridor was unobjectionable.
When Bai Siruo entered the main hall, her expression was pleasant. Seeing this, everyone knew that things were likely to go well.
The First Madam, Lady Lin, and Princess Fulin were also getting along splendidly. Both were keen on arranging this match, so they did not intentionally make things difficult.
The Prince of Kang's manor had done a good job as a matchmaker, securing a fine brother-in-law for themselves, much to the satisfaction of the old princess and the princess.
Thus, the marriage was smoothly settled. Lady Lin's intention was also agreed upon by Princess Fulin. After confirming the wishes of the two individuals, a matchmaker was sent on the seventh day after the banquet.
This matchmaker was accustomed to arranging unions for noble families and brought sincere gifts.
Therefore, both sides followed the customary rituals, but the engagement date was set very early, just fifteen days later.
It was somewhat rushed, but both sides had dedicated individuals to handle the arrangements, so many gifts were exchanged.
However, with the ongoing war on the front lines, it was not appropriate to be extravagant or ostentatious, which was a slight hardship for Bai Sihan.
But Lady Lin compensated for this hardship with an additional thirty percent in dowry.
Bai Sihan was touched, but Lady Lin had another matter to worry about.
That was the issue of Bai Sanlang's attendance.
Given the short notice, sending a message would be timely, but it would be troublesome for him to travel all the way from Qiongzhou.
"What shall we do? If Third Uncle cannot make it, won't that be..."
Lady Lin did not finish her sentence, but everyone understood her meaning.
Since Madam Shen was no longer connected to the Bai family, if Bai Sanlang also did not attend, wouldn't that mean neither parent would be present?
Although the other party's parents were also gone, there was still a difference.
As Lady Lin was fretting, Prime Minister Bai suddenly spoke.
"It matters not. I will attend to pay my respects. Send a letter to Third Son, telling him to come for the wedding."
This would save him the trouble of traveling back and forth.
With the clear instructions from her father-in-law, Lady Lin was much more at ease in handling matters.
Not long after, she received a reply from Bai Sanlang, stating that everything was to be decided by Prime Minister Bai.
However, they had already prepared Bai Sihan's dowry, which would be brought along then.
Only then did Lady Lin feel that her father-in-law had shown some conscience.
When Bai Sihan heard this, she was silent for a moment.
Lady Lin knew that this had stirred up her longing for Madam Shen again. However, Madam Shen's fate was sealed, and they could do nothing to change it.
She could only say to Bai Sihan:
"Rest assured, I have already asked Eldest Master to find someone to send the news to your mother. She cannot come, but at least she can depart with peace of mind."
Upon hearing this, Bai Sihan could not hold back, and tears welled up.
"Eldest Aunt, may I see my mother? She gave birth to me and raised me. At such a time, if I cannot speak to her personally, I will feel deeply distressed."
"This matter was personally decided by Father-in-law. Moreover, she is not at home. Even if I agreed, I could not make it happen."
After hearing this, Bai Sihan's body went weak.
She could only weep silently, wishing that time could turn back, so that she could have advised her mother against doing such a thing.
There was no way to ease her heartache; everything was already set in stone.
The engagement was a simple affair, with only a few close families invited.
Bai Siruo and Feng Jinyao felt quite emotional about it. When Bai Sihan first arrived, they had been at odds with each other for a long time.
They had never imagined that one day, her marriage would be something they helped to arrange.
"You, you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart."
Feng Jinyao said with a smile, and Bai Siruo did not deny it. Xu Mingyue also joined in the teasing.
"However, it's good that it's settled early. I heard that the Crown Prince's manor has already begun selecting daughters from various households."
"So soon?"
Bai Siruo was now a daughter-in-law of the royal family, so her news was naturally more well-informed.
"Yes. To enter the Crown Prince's manor now means becoming a consort in the future. Which family wouldn't want to forge such a connection?"
"So, you mean that if Sihan hadn't been engaged, she would have had to enter the Crown Prince's manor?"
Bai Siruo nodded and lowered her voice, saying:
"It is said that her name has already been put on the list."
"Eldest Aunt is truly formidable! Rushing to finalize the marriage was the right decision, otherwise, who knows what would have happened!"
Although Bai Sihan was a legitimate daughter born to a concubine, if she were to enter the Crown Prince's manor and later the palace, she would represent the Bai family. Any slight misstep could lead to ruin.
The few of them couldn't help but look at Bai Sihan, who was currently chatting.
If it were in the past, she would likely have been overjoyed. But now, she would prefer to marry a simple husband and live a quiet life.
"I wonder how the Prince is doing at the front lines?"
"Yes, we only received his letter three days ago, stating that all was well, but he didn't say much else."
"Don't worry, the Prince is the God of War of our Great Jin. With him there, the southwest will not be breached!"
Bai Siruo's words of comfort were indeed concise!
The few of them laughed again. All would be well, and they just had to wait for his safe return.
In the southwest, the war was currently at a tense and critical point.
One night, a small contingent of the allied forces of Nanyue and Jiaoren launched a surprise attack, attempting to infiltrate and steal the provisions of the Ding Wang army. However, they were ambushed and captured by Xu Lin and his men.
Their heads were severed and strung together, then cast into the water to float back.
When the allied forces saw this scene, their commanding general turned pale with rage.
The leaders were the Third Prince of Jiaoren and the King Consort of Nanyue. The two of them were now in league, their aims aligning.
Both were waiting to cross the Xishui River and divide and devour Great Jin.
"They are quite vigilant. It seems the sneak attack has failed."
"I thought that without Prince Ding, the Ding Wang army was merely putting on a show. I didn't expect their defenses to be so strict!"
The Third Prince of Jiaoren had been to the Eastern Capital and had seen Prince Ding twice at banquets.
Each time, he appeared extremely frail, which made the Third Prince even more confident in allying with Nanyue.
Over the years, they had engaged in many overt and covert conflicts. However, to have two countries set aside their past grievances to fight a common enemy, one could imagine the importance of the Ding Wang army.
"In that case, let us capture the leader first. Without a commander, how can they continue their operations!"
"What about the person you arranged to be by General Yang's side?"
"Rest assured, everything is ready! We are just waiting for his good news, and then we will cross the river and march north!"
It must be said that the Third Prince of Jiaoren had waited for this day for far too long. He had long coveted Great Jin.
Having finally found this opportunity, how could he easily let it go?
Those sent to burn the provisions were merely a probe.
Whether they lived or died was of little consequence.
Their performance also caused several generals to be angry but unable to speak.
Their subordinates had died tragically, yet there was no reaction from the commanders, who were concerned about other matters. This was quite disheartening to the generals present.
However, the arrow was already on the string and had to be shot.
They had already amassed their troops here; how could they retreat now?