Capítulo 1149: Chapter 1143: Onto the Battlefield Bai Jinzhao got out of the carriage first, turned around, and extended her hand to Bai Qingyan: “Eldest Sister, let me help you down!” Chun Zhi hastily draped a fox fur cloak over Bai Qingyan’s shoulders and handed her a hand warmer with freshly replaced coals, then raised the curtain for Bai Qingyan… Bai Qingyan bent down to exit the carriage and saw Bai Qingqi, Bai Qingjue, Bai Qingmo, Bai Jinhua, and Bai Jinse gathering around, all calling her Eldest Sister. Wei Zhaonian, wearing a black eyepatch, stepped forward to greet her: “Young General Bai!” “General Wei!” Bai Qingyan responded with a smile. Supported by Bai Jinzhao’s hand, Bai Qingyan dismounted from the carriage, then touched Bai Jinse’s head: “Our Little Seven has indeed grown taller! Look at how Little Five has tanned while Little Six hasn’t tanned much…” “Little Six and Little Five are twins. Initially, the soldiers in the camp had some difficulty telling them apart. Now it’s clear… the darker one is Little Five, the paler one must be Little Six!” Bai Qingyun, seated crookedly in a wheelchair, joked with a smile. “Ninth Brother!” Bai Jinzhao stomped her feet in mock indignation. “Let’s not stand in this cold, snowy land, Eldest Sister… We should return to the main tent!” Bai Qingqi said with a faint smile in his eyes. “Eldest Sister, was your journey smooth?” Bai Qingjue asked while pushing Bai Qingyun to walk beside their Eldest Sister, smiling. “It went fairly well, though we stopped in several cities along the way to inquire about the current views of Xiliang’s citizens towards Tianfeng Kingdom and the Xiliang Imperial Court, which slowed us down a bit.” Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on Bai Qingyun. “I heard that A Yun has improved the crossbow, turning it into a repeating crossbow…” Bai Qingyun nodded with a smile: “Though I can’t join my brothers and sisters on the battlefield, I can at least contribute more to these matters. But alas, A Yun’s abilities are limited; I am not as enlightened as Third Brother, Seventh Brother, and Fifth Brother. I didn’t learn much at Sihai Pavilion. If Seventh Brother had gone with Gu Yijian to Sihai Pavilion, I imagine he could do much more for the Bai family army now!” “It seems like A Yun is hinting for me to go to Sihai Pavilion to find a mentor and leave the battlefield to you,” Bai Qingjue joked, reaching out to pat Bai Qingyun’s head, but Bai Qingyun nimbly dodged. “Even though it’s inconvenient for me to move around sitting in this wheelchair, Sihai Pavilion wasn’t fruitless for me. Though I didn’t apprentice under Mr. Gu, he imparted skills to me that even Seventh Brother hasn’t learned—skills that Seventh Brother might covet but can’t execute against me!” Bai Qingyun said with a laugh. Hearing her brothers laugh and joke , Bai Qingyan remembered the scenes when her grandfather and father were still around—those were truly lively times. Now… that lively spirit has returned. Wei Zhaonian walked with hands behind his back, watching these young generals of the Bai family, feeling both comforted and reminded of times past when he joined expeditions with the Bai family generals. At that time… the Bai family generals also gathered around the Commander and Vice Commander, laughing and chatting. The Commander, Vice Commander, along with Second Master, Third Master, Fourth Master, and Fifth Master are gone, but their children have grown up, capable of bearing the flag of the Bai family army. As long as the Bai family’s legacy persists, the Bai family… and the Bai family army will never perish. Lu Ninghuan led a young girl in dark form-fitting attire, adding coals to several braziers inside the camp tent. Upon hearing laughter outside the tent, the young girl turned her head, excitedly shouting to Lu Ninghuan: “Master! Surely His Majesty has arrived!” Lu Ninghuan nodded with a smile, covering a carved plum fire stove with a lid and wiping her hands with a cloth, then admonishing Lu Liaochen: “Your lively nature and excessive chatter, you must restrain yourself in front of His Majesty later! Remember?” “Rest assured, Master, you’ve repeated that a hundred times! Ever since knowing His Majesty was coming, you’ve been reminding me over and over—I have ears full of calluses from it! I surely remember it! Please be assured!” Seeing Lu Liaochen assuring her trepidation, Lu Ninghuan led Lu Liaochen to walk outside the tent. From afar, she saw Bai Qingyan, and Lu Ninghuan approached with Lu Liaochen to greet her: “Miss Bai!” “Aunt Lu!” Bai Qingyan nodded toward Lu Ninghuan. “Miss Ji also returned with Jinxiu from Hancheng this time, but due to Jinxiu and A Yu having tough battles ahead, Miss Ji stays with Jinxiu… I couldn’t bring her here to visit you, though the day of reunion won’t be far off.” “Thank you, Miss Bai, for keeping her in mind! As long as she is alive and well, that’s good enough for me! Seeing her or not—all’s well!” Lu Ninghuan replied with gentle warmth in her expression. Lu Liaochen stared at Bai Qingyan in fascination until Bai Jinzhao’s laughter shook her out of her daze, quickly greeting Bai Qingyan: “Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty… Long live!” Lu Liaochen knelt properly and performed a kowtow. Bai Qingyan watched the girl’s fluent and precise movement, comparable to the proper etiquette she’d seen amongst young ladies in Dadu City, every gesture impeccably measured—something no ordinary family girl could achieve. Glancing at Bai Qingqi’s cool, unperturbed demeanor, Bai Qingyan said with a smile: “Rise, are you Aunt Lu’s newly accepted little apprentice…” Lu Liaochen looked up at Bai Qingyan with bright, unrestrained eyes, saying straightforwardly: “Yes, Your Majesty! I finally meet Your Majesty! Along the way, I’ve heard plenty about Your Majesty from my master, and numerous soldiers and border citizens too, admiration brewing strong in my heart. Especially after hearing Kang Na’s ‘General Bai’s Expedition Song,’ I wish to join Your Majesty in battle! Today’s sighting of Your Majesty is Liaochen’s luck; Liaochen… Liaochen is very pleased!” With quick speech, clearly enunciating words, and a clear, crisp voice like an oriole, Lu Liaochen’s appearance was adorable with bright and pure eyes and a pair of small tiger teeth—utterly charming. As Bai Jinzhao mentioned, this girl’s personality… was like a blazing flame, showing zestful vitality unlike ordinary noble young ladies. Though if Third Brother truly likes her, just as Little Five said… she would certainly bring more cheer and entertainment to A Qi’s days. “Liaochen!” Lu Ninghuan reprimanded Lu Liaochen, whose lively nature gave Lu Ninghuan quite a headache. Bai Qingyan nodded with a smile: “No need to kneel, rise!” This update is available on novel{f}ire.net “Ah!” Liaochen responded and stood up, dusting off her clothes, continuing, “Your Majesty, Master says Your Majesty fears the cold, so Master took me to ensure all the braziers in the main tent are lit—quite warm inside now! Master even made special snacks for Your Majesty, which I’ve secretly tasted—truly delicious!” Bai Qingyan observed Lu Liaochen’s earnest demeanor, returning her smile with a nod: “Good, I will certainly try!”