In Ganzhou City, the Ninth Prince and his soldiers, having enjoyed a night of revelry, rested comfortably. Upon waking, they received news from the Northwest Governor reporting a great victory in Liangzhou.
He was quite pleased with the achievements of Xiao Ji and his nephew.
"Excellent, excellent! They are truly the vanguards under my command, possessing the might to hold a pass against ten thousand foes! Immediately issue an order for the central army to prepare and reach Liangzhou by day's end to reinforce General Xiao!"
Thinking of reinforcement now, it was merely a pretext to snatch credit.
Sha Yan understood this perfectly, but alas, fate was not on his side; he could not go even if he wished.
"Your Highness, please remain calm. The Kongshi Bridge connecting Ganzhou and Liangzhou was destroyed yesterday. A small portion of the Jizhou army that had not yet crossed the Lanshui River has returned. It is said that three thousand men perished in the fire and treacherous currents, while the remaining forces were led to Liangzhou by Commander Cheng."
"What?!"
"Are there no other ways to cross? Not even by boat?"
Sha Yan shook his head. The Ninth Prince lacked understanding of the situation, assuming the stone bridge was just an ordinary one. Thus, he explained again.
"The Lanshui River is dozens of zhang wide, with powerful undercurrents. Even those most skilled in swimming could not guarantee a safe crossing. Moreover, Ganzhou does not possess ships large enough to ferry a hundred and fifty thousand soldiers across."
The Ninth Prince grew displeased, showing no pity for the three thousand fallen soldiers. Instead, he felt that this turn of events meant he would miss out on immense credit.
Upon realizing this victory in Liangzhou would have no connection to him, his mood became unpredictable.
"Repair the bridge! Pave the road! Fill it with mud and sand! I don't care what method you use, but the army must cross the Lanshui River before the Northern Di army is defeated, or your head will be forfeit."
These words made Sha Yan's mouth feel bitter and dry.
Repairing a stone bridge was no easy feat. Even if the Lanshui River was not in flood season during this period, constructing a wooden bridge capable of carrying people would take many days.
Now, he could only hope that the Northern Di fought slower and that Liangzhou could hold out longer. Otherwise, before he could finish repairing the bridge, the battle would be over, and he would likely meet his end in the Lanshui River.
For a moment, he wondered why he had been kept here. It would have been better to let him go to Liangzhou with Xiao Muqian earlier.
After all, if the bridge was destroyed, it had nothing to do with him.
Though he wanted to weep, he could only pledge his utmost effort to repair the bridge between the two places.
Thus, though only a hundred li apart, while Liangzhou was engulfed in smoke and fire, Ganzhou was filled with nightly revelry.
After all, the natural barrier stood in their way, and their inability to cross was an "unavoidable circumstance."
Several generals accompanying the Ninth Prince even declared that Heaven was protecting His Highness, causing the stone bridge to be destroyed and safeguarding his safety, completely disregarding whether the city of Liangzhou would be lost in the northwest corner because of it.
The situation in the northwest was uncertain, but the imperial examinations in the capital city of Dongdu, thousands of li away, had concluded several days prior.
Typically, after the spring imperial examination, results were not released until the end of the month. Therefore, these days were a time for Feng Er and others to relax.
Throughout Dongdu City, candidates were drinking and celebrating. The wealthy feasted lavishly in wine houses, while the poor exchanged their calligraphy and paintings for a pot of wine and a few flatbreads.
With spring in full bloom, everyone awaited the arrival of a new chapter.
Meanwhile, Madam Feng was considering a pilgrimage to Fahua Temple.
"I had promised long ago that if everything in the family improved, I would go to Fahua Temple to fulfill my vow."
Now that her son's examination was over, she needed to pray to the true deities for Feng Er's success. Then, her husband and eldest son's "illnesses" were gradually improving, with hopes of returning to court around April.
For the Feng family, this difficult period seemed to be over.
"Your sister-in-law is pregnant and it's inconvenient for her to climb mountain paths. Have you asked Si Ru about her injuries?"
Feng Jin Yao smiled, "Cousin Si Ru's injuries have long since allowed her to walk. A few days ago, she was clamoring to go to Mingchi."
"That's good. After all that happened, I was afraid she wouldn't recover. Now that she's back to her playful self, it's a good thing. Then we'll take her with us when we go. Getting out more will do her spirits good."
"Mother is right!"
Feng Jin Yao didn't need to think to know her cousin would be overjoyed.
As expected, when the news reached the Bai family, Bai Si Ru was delighted for a long while.
The scandal of her elopement had been somewhat overshadowed by the spring examinations and the northwest campaign. It was time for her to venture out.
Although she was sure to hear unpleasant remarks, she had to accept the mistakes she had made. Otherwise, hiding at home forever would have been worse than being beaten to death back then.
The words Xiao Mu Qian had spoken to her before leaving were like a miraculous elixir that rekindled her hope.
For the sake of his friendship, she had to pull herself together and not disappoint him.
Her courtyard was now bathed in sunshine after the rain, but the third branch's courtyard was shrouded in thick clouds.
Ever since Wen Meng Sheng had unequivocally rejected her at the entrance of the Gongyuan that day, Bai Si Han had lost her appetite and sleep.
She spent her days weeping.
Coupled with being confined to her home by her uncle and aunt, she was now like a defeated chicken, wallowing in self-pity.
Even Shen Shi's constant comfort did not help. For the first time, she doubted if she had done the right thing.
She desired wealth and status, and to soar to the heavens, to show off her prowess before the Bai family.
But if her daughter continued like this, her reputation in Dongdu City would only worsen. If it somehow reached Qiongzhou, they would lose their last retreat.
Thinking of this, she felt a pang of worry and said to Bai Si Han,
"Han'er, if it really doesn't work out, let's return to Qiongzhou. Your father wrote again a couple of days ago, saying he has found several respectable and ambitious young men for you. Let's not chase the wealth of Dongdu City and return to choose a good husband."
Hearing this, Bai Si Han cried even more sorrowfully.
After this ordeal, she had transformed from a proud daughter of heaven into someone everyone could scorn. In just three to four months, her most cherished self-esteem had been worn away to nothing.
Returning now would be like fleeing in defeat.
But staying here offered no way out.
The Bai family had clearly abandoned her. Moreover, given the Bai family's current reputation, respectable families would likely not consider them.
If she delayed further, as she grew older, her future would only become more difficult.
Yet, the spark of ambition that had recently ignited in her heart burned painfully when she thought of returning.
"Mother, am I truly so worthless? The clan looks down on me, the powerful do not acknowledge me, and even the young master Wen, whom I longed for, treats me this way. Do people in this world only look at one's background and not their abilities?"
Mentioning abilities, Shen Shi also felt a surge of anger.