It was late at night during the Lantern Festival, and the lights in the General's Mansion in the capital blazed bright.
Heavy footsteps echoed back and forth in the main hall. General Bai Xun, who was always gentle and generous, had his thick eyebrows knitted into the shape of the Chinese character "川." The whip in his hand, held behind his back, was crushed by his grip.
Madam Bai leaned on the old nanny with tears in her eyes, looking out of the hall with expectation and pleading, her face pale.
General Bai turned around and saw Madam Bai's haggard appearance. Anger and distress warred within him. He swung the whip in his hand to the ground—a deafening crack echoed through the hall.
"When that bastard comes back, I will definitely whip her! No one can stop me this time!" Bai Xun gritted his teeth and swore to the heavens.
Madam Bai's eyes reddened again upon hearing this. "Master, it's already this hour and you're still saying these things! If anything happens to Xi'er and Shuo'er, I won't want to live anymore..."
General Bai, who had always loved Madam Bai dearly, lost his temper upon hearing this. He quickly dropped his whip and supported her. "Madam, what nonsense are you talking about? I've already sent the general's personal guards to look for them, and I've even asked His Majesty for permission to send the guards from the Dali Temple and the Five Cities Military Command to search the entire city. Xi'er and that bastard must be fine!" Bai Xun's eyes darkened, and all the ruthlessness and brutality he had experienced in bloody battles on the frontlines flashed through his gaze. "If anyone dares touch my daughters, I'll wipe out their entire family!"
Madam Bai felt a little more at ease upon hearing this, but tears still welled up in her eyes as she stared intently outside the hall.
Song Lin, the Dali Temple official who had come to report on the search, heard Bai Xun's gloomy roar from inside the hall and shuddered, sighing repeatedly.
What's going on? Everyone else is at home celebrating the Lantern Festival, but he couldn't find peace. The two daughters of the General's Mansion got lost at the Lantern Festival and haven't been found yet. If something really happened, his position as Dali Temple Chief Justice would be over. The only people who could make the Five Cities Military Commission and the Dali Temple run themselves ragged at the same time, apart from the princes and princesses, were the two precious daughters of General Bai Xun.
It would be fine if they were the children of ordinary nobles, but it had to be his daughters!
General Bai Xun was born in the marketplace but achieved the pinnacle of military command in the Dajing Dynasty. His life story had the flavor of a legendary drama. He was a countryman at the foot of Mount Tai, muddle-headed when young, born with supernatural strength but merely a porter making a living by selling his labor. By chance, he saved Han Wanrou, the daughter of the Yong'an Marquis Mansion, who accidentally fell into the water at the foot of Mount Tai, and fell in love with her at first sight. Bai Xun, fearless and accustomed to the countryside, had no notion of social conventions or hierarchies. He unexpectedly traveled to the capital, carrying only a bag, to propose marriage to the Yong'an Marquisate.
The Yong'an Marquisate was a noble family—even in decline, holding a royal seal of nobility and descended from a founding father of the Jing Dynasty. With Bai Xun's status, he couldn't even enter the gates. The old marquis had only Miss Han as his child. If it weren't for Bai Xun saving his daughter, he would have been driven out of the capital with clubs.
This incident caused a minor stir in the capital, but with the ignorant porter's expulsion, the nobles quickly forgot about it, not even bothering to ask the porter's name. Han Wanrou had been renowned among the noble ladies of the capital since childhood—educated and beautiful, a woman coveted by all families. Unfortunately, after falling into the water at Mount Tai, she remained bedridden. No family was willing to marry an ailing mistress, and the marriage of the eldest daughter of the Yong'an Marquisate was delayed for seven years.
Seven years later, a captain named Bai Xun emerged from nowhere in the northwest. He led a small cavalry unit to victory over the Rong Tribe outside Tongguan, ending the decade-long losing streak of the Dajing army. Encouraged by these victories, Emperor Jingkang personally led his army into battle, promoting Bai Xun to Third-Rank General of Anxi and placing him in a prominent position. Bai Xun, with his cunning tactics, orchestrated a series of alliances and ultimately defeated the Northern Rong King. In this battle, Bai Xun shielded the emperor from a stray arrow, becoming Emperor Jingkang's savior. The emperor appreciated Bai Xun's talent and his kindness. He made an exception on the battlefield and promoted Bai Xun, who was only twenty-eight years old, to the rank of First-Rank General to defend the country.
Bai Xun received the title but did not return to the capital to receive the reward. Instead, he requested orders to go to the South China Sea to quell the pirates. Dajing had not produced a great general for a long time, and since he was not obsessed with power, Emperor Jingkang naturally agreed. After another three years, the pirates in the South China Sea were eliminated. The people who had lived along the South China Sea were grateful to the court and praised the emperor. Bai Xun returned to the capital with a Wanyan umbrella presented by the people.
This was the first time Bai Xun had set foot in the capital since he became famous in the northwest and was well-known throughout Dajing.
In the Golden Throne Hall, the emperor was very pleased and recounted Bai Xun's ten years of achievements. He asked: what did Bai Xun want?
Bai Xun kowtowed and shocked the Golden Throne Hall with his words.
"I would like to marry the eldest daughter of the Yong'an Marquis's mansion with my ten years of military merit and my family honor."
Bai Xun had only one request after ten years of military merit, and the emperor had no reason to refuse. The imperial decree granting the marriage arrived at the Yong'an Marquisate that same day. The aging Yong'an Marquis, now retired, then learned that Bai Xun, the renowned First-Rank General who had defended the nation for years, was the unknown porter he had banished from the capital. Shocked and mortified, the old marquis, knowing his only daughter had waited faithfully for ten years in solitary care, was deeply relieved to see her wed.
Word of the incident spread like wildfire throughout the capital, and the story of Bai Xun's unwavering loyalty—his ten-year battle for one woman—became legendary. Bai Xun was a remarkable figure. A rising star commanding significant military force, he maintained no ties with the nobility beyond attending court and paying his respects to Emperor Jingkang at the palace. He even ignored the attempts of several of the emperor's sons to recruit him, thus antagonizing several prominent officials. However, this only intensified Emperor Jingkang's regard for him, and the year after his return, the emperor entrusted him with the security of the capital.
Thus, Bai Xun became the most powerful and influential minister in the capital. Apart from the Emperor, Bai Xun had no friends to drink and discuss matters with, but he paid no mind. He spent his days in the General's Mansion with his wife, Madam Bai, who was frail and only gave birth to twin daughters seven years after their marriage.
The eldest, Bai Xi, and the younger, Bai Shuo, were born. On the day the twins were born, Emperor Jingkang appointed Bai Xun as General of the State, and the eldest, Bai Xi, was chosen by the Emperor as Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace. For a time, the Bai family was the most favored by the emperor, unrivaled in the capital.
When his younger daughter, Bai Shuo, was three years old, Bai Xun arranged a marriage for her. This marriage was also a gesture of repaying a debt of gratitude. When Bai Xun was beaten out of the capital by the old Marquis of Yong'an, he was saved by Zhongtai, then Minister of Rites. Recognizing his deep affection and despite his difficult circumstances, Zhongtai encouraged him to join the army in the northwest and even provided him with fifty taels of silver. This was how Bai Xun became a First-Rank General over a decade later.
Now Zhongtai was the Right Prime Minister. Five years ago, Zhongtai personally went to the General's Mansion to ask for a marriage between his youngest son, Chongzhao, and Bai Shuo. Bai Xun pondered for several days and then went to the palace to recount the past events to Emperor Jingkang, begging the emperor to approve the marriage. Bai Xun had been back in the capital for seven years and had never interacted with any of the other families. He only sent three bottles of homemade osmanthus wine to the Zhong Mansion every New Year's Eve. Only then did Emperor Jingkang learn of the connection and, moved, approved the marriage.
Therefore, although the twin girls of the Bai family were only eight years old, they were both of noble status, far more than the daughters of ordinary nobles. Otherwise, how could the disappearance of two girls make him, a great judge of the Dali Temple, so uneasy that he had to run errands in and out of the city in the middle of the night?
The reputation of the two young ladies was at stake, and the search had to be secretive yet non-stop, which was extremely difficult.
Song Lin sighed and stepped into the main hall of the General's Mansion.
As soon as he appeared, Madam Bai's eyes lit up. Before she could say anything, General Bai stepped in front of Song Lin.
"Sir Song, is there any news about those two bastards of mine?"
Who would address their daughters like that? Especially when one of them was the Crown Princess chosen by the Emperor!
Song Lin was a serious scholar—his beard nearly stood on end with rage. But he knew that Bai Xun had always had such a reputation for being rough-spoken, so he didn't say much, just shook his head with embarrassment. "General Bai, I am incompetent. The two young ladies have not been found yet."
Seeing Bai Xun and Madam Bai's faces change, Song Lin hurriedly added, "I have found out that someone saw the two young ladies in South City at noon, and I have asked all the officers to search there."
After saying this, Bai Xun's face not only did not improve, but became even gloomier.
The dignitaries of the capital lived in the north, and the peddlers lived in the south. Even under the feet of the emperor, there were shady places. South City was chaotic, with thieves, beggars and the lowest classes living together. Xi'er and Shuo'er were obviously in North City to watch the lanterns—how could they have gone to South City?
Bai Xun grew up in the marketplace and knew that his two precious daughters were definitely not just lost. He immediately comforted his wife, frowned, and personally led his guards to search South City.
The sound of iron hooves clattering along the official road late at night startled half the city's citizens. Lord Song, a scholarly figure, followed General Bai's steed with a trembling gait, sighing with tears in his eyes.
After curfew, the emperor forbade galloping. If General Bai's behavior were reported by the censors at the morning court tomorrow, he would be severely punished!
"Miss Bai, where are you two? If we can't find you, the capital will be turned upside down."
Just before the Dali Temple runners arrived at the South City Gate, a foul-smelling ox cart sailed out of the city smoothly from the auxiliary gate they passed every day. The two drivers were the Qian brothers, who hauled swill from Zonglin Alley in South City. Every few days, the brothers had to carry the swill out of the city. To prevent it from stinking up the neighborhood, they would always line the swill buckets with thick layers of hay to remove the odor.
They were old neighbors, and the two had been carrying swill for five or six years. They were already very familiar with the guards at the city gate, and the soldiers didn't want to rummage through the stale swill buckets. Today, the two drove the ox cart out of the city, and the guards, like usual, just raised their eyelids, waved, and let the cart pass.
No one noticed that although the sickly and emaciated Qian brothers smiled humbly and flatteringly as usual, the veins on the hands holding the reins of the ox cart were slightly bulging, and a dark aura was lingering.
As the ox cart drove away, the old soldier standing at the foot of the city sharpening his sword began to murmur.
Was there a gurgling sound in the ox cart just now? He sharpened his sword and glanced at the ox cart a few more times. Seeing that the cart was calm, he turned his head and didn't look again.
It was just swill and hay—they had been transporting it like this for years. What could be wrong?
The oxcart drifted further and further away from the South City Gate, the sounds of people on the street gradually fading. The two Miss Bais were trapped in a bucket of stinking swill, their mouths stuffed with rags, tied up like two dumplings, staring at each other—one angry, the other sullen. Their faces and expressions were distinct, but their eyes were similar: both possessed a remarkable spirit.
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