Jin Shuwei sized up Bai Sheng, his expression a little awkward. "Your subordinate greets Your Highness the Princess! Could Your Highness please remove your veil so that your subordinate may verify your identity?" It was rumored that the princess bore a striking resemblance to the Empress. He had seen the Empress's portrait and should be able to recognize her.
Before Bai Sheng could answer, Granny Wu immediately said, "Captain Jin, due to the schemes of the Grand Princess of Great Xia and Concubine Meng, Princess Xuesheng suffered a backlash, and her appearance was ruined. Therefore, she cannot remove her veil for the time being."
A flicker of doubt crossed Jin Shuwei's eyes. After a moment's thought, he cupped his hands and said, "If that is the case, then your subordinate can only offend you. Princess, Master Guoshi, the situation between Great Xia and Qinghuang is tense, and spies from Northern Qi are everywhere. We cannot afford the slightest risk. Therefore, please allow the Princess and Master Guoshi to wait here for a day or two. Your subordinate will report to the higher authorities, who will then bring people to conduct a second verification of both your identities!"
Bai Sheng looked back at her family, then said to Jin Shuwei, "Captain Jin's diligence is commendable, and this princess is very pleased. However, at this moment, my family and I are still treading on Great Xia's soil. Great Xia could dispatch troops at any moment. After all, the new Emperor of Great Xia has placed a bounty of one thousand taels of gold on this princess's head, and five hundred taels of gold on Master Guoshi's head. For safety's sake, could Captain Jin allow us to enter Qinghuang's territory and wait inside?"
"Such a thing has happened?" Jin Shuwei exclaimed in shock.
"It is absolutely true!" Bai Sheng said gravely.
Granny Wu also nodded emphatically, "Indeed it is."
Jin Shuwei frowned and pondered. "You may, but all of you must be surrounded and guarded by our Qinghuang army. No one is allowed to move freely."
"Good!" said Granny Wu.
"No problem!" Bai Sheng agreed.
Thus, everyone hurried their carriages through the pass and entered Qinghuang's borders. Near the pass was a small military camp with only a few hundred soldiers. Zuo Ye and Prince Yu had everyone gather the carriages into four columns, leaving a passage in the middle for easy entry and exit. They would be spending the next couple of days in the carriages. The Qinghuang army immediately formed a circle, enclosing Bai Sheng and her entourage. As the distances were short, once they settled down, they began to size each other up.
Bai Sheng noticed that the soldiers facing them were quite young, around sixteen or seventeen years old. Perhaps due to the harsh living conditions, the soldiers appeared very thin, with prominent cheekbones, sunken eyes, and rough, dark skin, looking as if they were suffering from hunger and hardship. Seeing them, Bai Sheng felt a pang of sadness. They should be in their prime, full of youthful vigor, yet here they were, having to fight on the battlefield, lacking sufficient food and clothing, living such a difficult life.
Seeing that the lips of the closest young soldier were cracked and stained with blood, Granny Zhong immediately stood up and handed him a waterskin. "Child, have some water."
The young soldier's eyes immediately reddened. Since his country was destroyed and his parents killed, no one had called him "child" in many years. He looked at Granny Zhong with gratitude, then glanced at the other soldiers. After a moment's hesitation, he still accepted the waterskin and drank heartily. The border was close to the desert of Great Xia, and water was scarce, making drinking difficult for them.
"Thank you, Grandma. This water is truly delicious," the young soldier said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He found it a little strange, as after drinking the water, he felt invigorated and refreshed.
"Child, you're welcome. You are all warriors of our Princess Consort, all good children to us," Granny Zhong said affectionately, smiling as she returned to her carriage.
Seeing that the other soldiers' lips were also parched and peeling, Bai Sheng got up and secretly placed a bucket of spiritual spring water in the carriage, letting Yang Ming carry it over for the soldiers to drink. At first, the soldiers were hesitant, likely fearing poison. Yang Ming scooped up a ladleful and drank it down in front of them. Only then did the soldiers begin to drink the water one after another. After drinking, everyone felt a surge of strength, and their fatigue vanished.
Zuo Ye and Bai Sheng sat at the front of the carriage, with the four little ones nestled beside them, their large, watery eyes gazing at the soldiers opposite. The soldiers' gazes were also drawn to the four little ones. These four children were simply too beautiful, each fair and rosy, with jet-black hair, exceptionally delicate features, and eyes as pure as a clear spring. Even the babes in the New Year's paintings were not as cute. The soldiers were mesmerized.
The second eldest, Ye Ye, tilted his small face and asked Bai Sheng, "Mother, you are a princess of Qinghuang, with noble status. Why are they blocking us and not allowing us to return to Qinghuang?"
Bai Sheng pinched his little nose and chuckled softly. "Ye Ye, on the surface, their actions seem a bit unfeeling, but they are doing the right thing. This is the border of Qinghuang, and the border guards' caution and vigilance are a display of their duty. If Mother said she was the Princess of Qinghuang, and they immediately believed us and let us in, it would be terrifying. What if we were spies from Great Xia and Northern Qi? Letting us in would be like inviting wolves into the fold!"
Ye Ye frowned slightly and said in a milky voice, "Mmm, Mother, I understand." Hearing the mother and son chatting, the expressions of the young soldiers became somewhat uneasy, feeling as though they were judging honorable people with a mean-spirited perspective.
Qinghuang's temporary capital was established in Hecheng, not too far from the southern military camp, about a day's ride away by fast horse. After Captain Jin ordered the soldiers to report the Princess and Master Guoshi's return to the Deputy General Li, the commander of the southern army, Deputy General Li immediately dispatched several soldiers to Hecheng to fetch the Protector General. It was said that the Protector General had maintained secret contact with the Master Guoshi over the years and was very familiar with Princess Xuesheng, making him the best person to verify their identities.
Deputy General Li did not go to the border camp, only a few miles away, to visit the Master Guoshi and the Princess. Their identities were still unconfirmed, making it awkward to interact. If he showed excessive deference and enthusiasm, and they turned out to be enemy spies impersonating the princess, it would be a colossal embarrassment. However, if he appeared too indifferent, and they were indeed the princess and the Master Guoshi, wouldn't that be a grave offense? Therefore, Deputy General Li decided to wait for the Protector General to arrive, and then he would go to the border camp with him. With the Protector General to lead the way, he would have nothing to fear.
The soldiers sent to Hecheng did not arrive until the following morning. They went directly to the Protector General's mansion, but the servants there informed them that the Protector General was on patrol on the western front and would not return for several days. The other three deputy generals were also absent. The soldiers decided to split into two groups: two would go to the western front to report to the Protector General, and the other two would go to the imperial palace to report to the Saintess. After all, the Saintess was the princess's own cousin and had also met the Master Guoshi, so she should know them better. Moreover, the Saintess would surely be overjoyed to hear that her family members were still alive.