Chapter 905 - 907 Reluctant Separation_1
That very afternoon, Ding Guangji arrived with a few men to visit, primarily seeing Bai Zepei and Bai Ruozhu, explaining the incidents, and noting that those from the Chang’an Academy did not wish to stay long, so they returned to the capital that same day. They had come to apologize for the trouble they had caused at the Beiyu Academy, but Bai Ruozhu was not one to dwell on such trivialities, and, as a result, the two parties became quite familiar with each other.
Jiang Yichun had official business to attend to and left in a hurry. Bai Ruozhu glanced at him but did not ask further, knowing that some secrets of the Imperial Court were not hers to inquire.
As night fell and Little Dengdeng had fallen asleep, Jiang Yichun returned with a solemn expression on his face.
"What’s wrong? You look upset." The competition had ended, and it should have been time for leisure and scenic tours; what else could have gone amiss?
Jiang Yichun sat down, took Bai Ruozhu’s hand, and said, "I received a secret Imperial Decree this afternoon, ordering me to depart tomorrow at dawn and rush back to Beiyu City to investigate the treasonous activities of Prince Duan in collaboration with the members of the Communications Office."
"What?" Bai Ruozhu could not help exclaiming, almost waking Dengdeng. She quickly suppressed the anxiety in her heart and whispered, "How can you cooperate with the people from the Communications Office? It’s too dangerous."
She hadn’t forgotten that Jiang Yichun had killed Wu Wanqing and rarely interacted with his master anymore. If the two sides were to work together, what if Jiang Yichun accidentally gave himself away? With Wu Yunfeng’s protective nature, it was feared he would not care for the relationship between master and student at all.
"This time it’s the Emperor’s command; they won’t dare to act recklessly," Jiang Yichun said softly, then looked at Bai Ruozhu, "The Imperial Decree cannot be disobeyed, and we must travel swiftly back. I cannot bring you and Dengdeng with me."
Bai Ruozhu also felt a deep reluctance, but she equally understood the gravity and urgency of the situation, and she wouldn’t hinder him from following the Imperial Decree. So Bai Ruozhu simply frowned, quickly accepting the reality.
"The Imperial Decree must not be disregarded. You need not worry about our mother and son; aren’t there the dark guards, also my second brother, and Tu Ying to take care of us?" Bai Ruozhu said.
Jiang Yichun gave a bitter smile, "I was afraid you’d be upset and didn’t know how to bring it up; now, it turns out you’re comforting me instead."
Bai Ruozhu smiled, "I’m not some delicate damsel. Your official matters are what’s important. Moreover, if you investigate Prince Duan, it’s better that my child and I are not in Beiyu City. Just take extra care of my family."
Jiang Yichun nodded eagerly, "Rest assured, your parents are as my own. I will protect them. Soldiers from the Xijiang Main Camp will arrive tomorrow morning to take my place, escorting you back to Beiyu City. However, those soldiers might not obey him; they might even prefer to listen to you."
As he spoke, Jiang Yichun couldn’t help but laugh, "My wife indeed has such good fortune with people."
Bai Ruozhu laughed modestly, boasting, "Of course, I am beloved by all, a sight that makes flowers bloom!"
Jiang Yichun, amused by her, felt much better and added, "I’m sending a nanny who knows some martial arts and can manage the child to come over. She’ll arrive tomorrow morning and will serve by your side hereafter."
Bai Ruozhu, never having heard of any female subordinates of his, asked with some concern, "Can we trust her?"
"Don’t worry, she has always been loyal, and besides, there’s Chenfeng and the others keeping watch," said Jiang Yichun.
Bai Ruozhu nodded, wanting to ask more but was silenced by a fervent kiss from Jiang Yichun, as if he were blaming her for delaying their romantic evening...
The next day, before dawn had even broken, Bai Ruozhu sensed the person beside her quietly getting up. She shivered and grabbed his arm, muttering somewhat groggily, "Why so early? You’re not allowed to go..."
Jiang Yichun leaned over and kissed her forehead. Though this woman verbally expressed her acceptance and even comforted him, in her heart, she really couldn’t bear his departure. With this thought, Jiang Yichun felt extremely comforted and even began to feel reluctant to leave. However, the time for his departure was set, and he couldn’t miss it, as he would be dealt with by military law.
He got up with great reluctance, kissed her face again, and then kissed his son before quickly getting dressed and stepping out into the dense night’s darkness.
The sky would grow even darker before dawn, but after the darkness would come the light of morning. When Jiang Yichun saw Nanny Zhang who had already arrived, he put on a stern face and said, "Please take good care of the madam and the young master. You must be diligent in your duties."
Nanny Zhang, flattered by the trust, replied, "This old servant will remember the master’s orders and take good care of the madam and the young master."
With that, Jiang Yichun felt at ease, gave a few instructions to Chenfeng, mounted his horse, and quickly rode off. He feared that any further delay would only make it harder for him to leave.
Bai Ruozhu had a rough night with Jiang Yichun, and it was Little Dengdeng who woke up first, crying out for a while before his mother woke up. She felt the coolness of the bed beside her and knew that he had already left, probably arising before dawn. Bai Ruozhu knew this was unavoidable, yet her heart still felt some reluctance and sadness. Her son stood up holding onto her leg, but she hadn’t yet come back to her senses.
But she quickly emerged from her sadness, reminding herself that she wasn’t a kind of vine that depended on a man to survive. Even without him by her side, she was determined to live strongly, to grow into a kapok tree that could accompany him and support each other.
With this in mind, she quickly got up, washed herself, and as Nanny Zhang brought in the water, Bai Ruozhu paused for a moment before realizing that this was the nanny assigned by Jiang Yichun. She greeted Nanny Zhang with a smile and gave her a bracelet as a welcoming gift.
Nanny Zhang found the madam to be very affable and lacking the haughty air of nobility; thus, she felt somewhat relieved and came to have a good impression of Bai Ruozhu.
Because the delegation was staying in Xuanlang City for two days, Bai Ruozhu got ready and, with Nanny Zhang, headed out to the Commerce Association. She inquired if her master had left her a message, then requested the Association’s assistance in investigating Li Jingwei, as the previous incident left her somewhat worried and she wanted to get some clarity.
Afterward, she asked the Association to help her look for a suitable shop, intending to expand her business in the Jiangnan region as well.
The Commerce Association didn’t seem to take Bai Ruozhu’s request very seriously, but they still respected her status and carried out her instructions.
Bai Ruozhu didn’t make a big deal out of it and instructed her manager, "Don’t cause conflicts with the local Commerce Association. Look for a shop on your own; once you open it, we’ll sell toothpaste and mouthwash there."
The manager, who had used toothpaste before, was curious about what mouthwash was.
Bai Ruozhu explained with a smile, "Its effect is similar to that of toothpaste, but it’s portable. If your breath is not fresh, just rinse with it, and it’s very convenient."
The manager nodded, feeling that the ladies and daughters of noble families would probably like it.
After terminating the contract with the Du Family, Bai Ruozhu had managed to set up a toothpaste processing factory in secret and had revised and improved the formula, producing three grades of toothpaste to suit different groups’ needs.
Just as she was leaving the Commerce Association with the manager and Nanny Zhang, she suddenly saw the porcelain-skinned Zhou Shibin walking in.