Late on the night of the Lantern Festival, the capital city’s General Bai’s residence was brightly lit.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the main hall as Bai Xun, the usually cheerful and easygoing general, paced back and forth. His thick brows furrowed tightly, forming the shape of the character “川” (resembling three vertical lines, symbolizing deep worry), and the whip he held behind his back was gripped so hard it crackled under his fingers.
Madam Bai, with tears in her eyes, leaned on the old nanny, occasionally glancing anxiously and pleadingly toward the hall entrance, her face pale.
When Bai Xun turned and saw his wife’s exhausted appearance, he felt both anger and heartache. He struck the ground with his whip, sending a thunderous sound throughout the hall.
“When that troublemaker returns, I’m going to teach her a lesson she won’t forget! No one’s stopping me this time!” Bai Xun gritted his teeth, raising his fist to the heavens as if taking an oath.
Madam Bai’s eyes reddened even more at his words. “Husband, how can you say such things at a time like this? If anything happens to Xixi or Shuo’er, I won’t want to live…”
General Bai, who had always cherished his wife deeply, was taken aback by her words. He quickly discarded the whip and supported her. “My dear, don’t speak nonsense. I’ve already sent the guards from the General’s residence to search for them. I’ve even requested imperial permission for the Ministry of Justice and the Five City Battalion Guards to conduct a full search. Xixi and that mischievous child will be safe!” Bai Xun’s eyes darkened, the fierce spirit he had on the battlefield and in the street brawls of his youth flaring up. “Anyone who dares to touch my daughter will have their entire family annihilated!”
Hearing these words brought Madam Bai some comfort, though her eyes remained full of tears, fixed unwaveringly on the hall entrance.
Outside the hall, the Minister of Justice, Song Lin, came to report on the search efforts. Hearing General Bai’s ominous threats, a chill ran down his spine, and he sighed repeatedly.
What a mess this was. While everyone else celebrated the Lantern Festival, he found no peace. The two young ladies from the General’s residence had gone missing at the festival, and they had yet to be found. If something truly happened to them, his position as Minister of Justice might very well be over. Only the children of the emperor or General Bai Xun’s precious daughters could mobilize both the Ministry of Justice and the Five City Battalion Guards in a joint search.
If it were the children of any ordinary noble family, it would have been different, but these were his daughters!
General Bai Xun’s life story was as legendary as something out of a play. Born in a humble village at the foot of Mount Tai, he had started as a simple porter, relying on his great strength for a living. Fate intervened when he saved the daughter of the Marquis of Yong’an, Han Wan Rou, after she accidentally fell into the water. Bai Xun fell in love with her at first sight. Fearless and raised without regard for social status or etiquette, he dared to take his belongings and travel to the capital to propose to the Marquis of Yong’an’s family.
The Yong’an family, though in decline, was still an established noble family with prestigious titles from the founding of the Da Jing Dynasty. With Bai Xun’s humble background, he didn’t even make it past the main gate. The old marquis, who doted on his only daughter, would have done worse to him than chasing him out of the capital with sticks if not for the fact that he had saved her life.
The incident caused a small stir in the capital, but as soon as the foolish porter was driven away, the city’s elite quickly forgot about him, not even caring to remember his name. Although Han Wan Rou was highly regarded for her elegance and beauty, after the accident, she remained frail and often bedridden, which led many families to shy away from the idea of marrying her. And so, her marriage prospects faded for seven years.
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