Fu Yi made time to visit Qingxin Pavilion and told Bai Qingqing that the Bai family needed to find evidence in their favor as soon as possible—if they could uncover the full truth of that year, even better.
“A few of the recent leads all point against the Bai family. While none are conclusive, they’re enough to raise suspicions. And this time, things are progressing faster than in our last life. It’s as if someone is impatiently pushing from behind.”
Bai Qingqing bit her lip in frustration. “I asked my father. Many of the people involved in the rebellion back then were in the southwest. He doesn’t know much himself, and Uncle Ling’s trusted aides are also in the southwest. They’ve been out of contact for years. If we want to get to the bottom of this, someone will have to go there.”
“Then go you must,” Fu Yi said. “Do you know someone’s already gone to the Ministry of Justice, claiming to have proof your father committed treason? The evidence is flimsy, but he swears your father colluded with the enemy and then framed others to cover it up. If small fry like that Xuancheng fellow are already jumping in to muddy the waters, then the Bai family… is in serious danger.”
It wasn’t until Fu Yi personally dug into the case in this lifetime that he truly felt the weight of it. No wonder the Bai family had collapsed so suddenly in their past life, with no hope of recovery. Behind the flourishing façade of Xuancheng lay shadows so deep, even he didn’t dare imagine what lurked there.
“How could I not understand what you mean?” Bai Qingqing said softly. “Father and Big Brother expected this too, but now… they can’t leave Xuancheng.”
The Bai family’s men were not allowed to leave the city. Though no formal charges had been made, in some eyes, they were already wearing invisible shackles. To appease the court, the emperor had decreed that all Bai men remain within Xuancheng’s walls until the investigation was complete.
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Bai Jinghuai was like a trapped beast—helpless inside Xuancheng, unable to act. If false accusations could surface here, who’s to say the southwest wouldn’t see the same? Perhaps those who truly knew the truth would be silenced before they could even speak.
Fu Yi fell into serious thought for a moment. “Or… what if I go to the southwest in your place?”
“Would your father allow it?”
Fu Yi fell silent. His father—he would never agree. He didn’t even want Fu Yi involved in anything concerning the Bai family.
Bai Qingqing didn’t seem too disappointed. She rested her chin on one arm, propped against the table. “Well then, what about me? Why can’t I go to the southwest? Actually, why shouldn’t I?”
Her eyes lit up. “The Bai men aren’t allowed to leave Xuancheng, but no one ever said the women couldn’t. Yaoyao’s still young, so she’ll stay with Mother—but I can go.”
“No! It’s too dangerous!”
Bai Qingqing remained unmoved. “I’m not afraid. You should know by now, as long as it’s for the Bai family’s name to be cleared, I’m not afraid of anything.”
Fu Yi grew flustered. “But—but you still have to protect yourself! What if something happens to you? What about your family? You’re just a girl, and the southwest is thousands of miles away—how would you even…”
She cut him off. “If something happens to my family, I won’t keep living just for the sake of it. Now that we still have a sliver of hope, why wouldn’t I try? But my parents probably won’t agree so easily. You have to help me think of a way—how can I convince them?”
Fu Yi didn’t agree at all, but seeing how determined she was, he could only try to come up with ideas.
In the end, he couldn’t help but try to dissuade her one more time. “Qingqing, things haven’t come to that point yet. Maybe I can still find another way. You don’t have to go to the southwest.”
Bai Qingqing turned to him and smiled. “If we wait until that point, it’ll be too late. Fu Yi, just hearing what happened to my family in your version of the past nearly destroyed me—do you really expect me to live through it again with my own eyes?”