A family council existed to discuss important clan matters and preserve peace within the family.

Whether a family council succeeded depended not only on how much the family members participated, but more crucially, on the authority of the head of the family!

The authority of the Meng Clan’s patriarch could not be questioned!

Of course, whether he could win people over completely—especially in front of two such difficult people as Jun Beiyue and Ziqing—required more than mere authority.

With Jun Beiyue’s reassurance, Ziqing relaxed considerably. The couple remained composed, quietly watching how things would unfold.

They knew that their affairs would surely be the focus of this meeting.

Yet unexpectedly, the Meng Clan Leader did neither what the Grand Elder had done with such affectation, nor what Old Meng Five had done in his haste. His first act was not to ask about the Flowing Light Dagger, nor about the Qiankun Poison Pouch. Instead, with great solemnity and formality, he introduced the family of three to everyone present.

He rose, stepped down from the dais, and walked toward Jun Beiyue.

It had to be said—given the object lessons of Old Meng Two and Old Meng Three, the poor impression left by Old Meng Five, and the Meng Clan’s longstanding alignment with the Nanzhao royal family—Jun Beiyue harbored no particular prejudice against the Meng Clan, including its patriarch, but he still kept his guard up, holding something back in his heart.

Seeing the Meng Clan Leader approach, Jun Beiyue’s heart gave a small start, and he too rose to his feet.

Who would have thought—the Meng Clan Leader took hold of Jun Beiyue’s hand and announced to everyone, “This… is Da Zhou’s Prince Yao, the War God of the Longyuan continent, its overlord! Jun Beiyue!”

The Meng Clan Leader was clearly moved and proud; it was plain to see how satisfied he was with Jun Beiyue. He paused, swept his gaze over the crowd, and continued the introduction, his voice louder than before, “He is also Meng Wanyue’s son, my own grandson, your nephew! He is the pride of our Meng Clan!”

Only a handful of elders had known Jun Beiyue’s identity beforehand. Aside from Meng Duo’er, the younger generation erupted into astonished murmurs. They had assumed this family of three had come merely to claim kinship, never imagining their standing was so immense!

The great overlord of Longyuan! Longyuan was so vast that a thousand Meng Clan archipelagos together couldn’t compare to a single Longyuan continent. One could well imagine how formidable this family’s power must be!

Amid the buzz of discussion, Old Meng Five wore a proud expression as well—he had in fact been quite satisfied with Jun Beiyue all along. Beside him, Old Meng Two and Old Meng Three were filled with regret so bitter it curdled in their guts—if only they’d known earlier, why had they acted as they did? The two of them kept their heads bowed the entire time.

The Grand Elder, meanwhile, remained expressionless, though a sharp light glinted in his eyes—like a hunter patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Watching the reactions around her, Ziqing had to admit—she felt uneasy.

Ziqing had never once pitied herself over her origins. Whether as the illegitimate daughter of the Prime Minister Han’s household, or as an orphan of the Solitary Island, she had always faced every mockery and disdain, every slight and denial, with composure—rebutting and striking back each time.

Just as she once had against people like Chu Feiyan and Situ Xin’er, against people like Imperial Physician Gu and Prince Baxian.

But in this setting, for the first time in her life, Ziqing found herself unable to stay calm and composed.

How would the Meng Clan Leader introduce her? What was there about her worth introducing?

She could hardly imagine how these people, these younger clan members, would react upon learning she was someone from the Solitary Island immune to all poisons. And how would they react upon learning that Xiong Bao had inherited the Solitary Island’s bloodline, that he possessed a Gu constitution?

Watching Xiong Bao, still beaming with pride over his father, unaware of any of this, a flicker of dread passed through Ziqing’s eyes.

Jun Beiyue took in all of this, ready at any moment to step in and smooth things over. But then, the Meng Clan Leader once again did something unexpected—he walked toward Ziqing just as he had toward Jun Beiyue.

Ziqing instinctively rose to her feet. The Meng Clan Leader looked at her with a smile, his gaze gentle and full of affection, as if telling her not to be nervous.

Almost exactly as he had done with Jun Beiyue, the Meng Clan Leader took Ziqing’s hand as well, turned to face the crowd, and announced in a loud voice, “This is Da Zhou’s Consort of Prince Yao, the Queen of Beique, who single-handedly drove back the Xiongnu’s slave army and reclaimed the northern desert lands! A true rose of iron of the Longyuan continent!”

The Meng Clan Leader smiled—it was a smile with no trace of falseness, no performance for show, no hint of playing favorites. He was just as proud of Ziqing as he had been of Jun Beiyue.

“And of course, she is also my grandson’s wife, your nephew’s wife! Ha ha!”

Compared to the Grand Elder’s cold “Miss Han,” this was worlds apart—like heaven compared to the depths below! It turned out a single sentence could carry the power to warm someone for a lifetime.

Of the matter of the Solitary Island, the Meng Clan Leader hadn’t uttered a single word. This was, without question, an elder shielding one of his own.

To be sheltered by an elder like this—so this was what it felt like. She realized, all at once, that she too had once been a child.

Even in childhood, she had never truly thought of herself as a child. And now, only now, did she suddenly understand that she had once been one.

Looking at the Meng Clan Leader’s smile, Ziqing felt a tangle of bittersweet warmth surge up in her chest, rising to her nose, welling in her eyes—yet she could not find a single word to say.

But in her heart, she silently vowed: Meng Clan Leader, I will give you my most sincere respect.

The whole hall erupted into astonished murmurs once more. If such an achievement seemed reasonable enough for a man, then for it to belong to a woman—especially one who appeared as small and slight as Ziqing—was simply unbelievable.

Even Old Meng Five found it hard to believe; he had never truly looked into who Han Ziqing was.

Having introduced Ziqing, the Meng Clan Leader’s smile grew even more doting, even more joyful. He bent down and leaned slowly toward Xiong Bao.

Xiong Bao knew it was his turn next. He leapt up from his seat at once, both nervous and delighted—he thought that with a grandfather like this around, he’d never again have to worry about that hateful Old Meng Five picking on him!

Before the Meng Clan Leader could even open his mouth, Xiong Bao eagerly introduced himself—children always loved a lively scene. “My full name is Jun Buli, my nickname is Xiong Bao! I have a daddy named Jun Beiyue, and a mommy named Han Ziqing, and a bear daddy named Big Silly Bear, and…”

Before Xiong Bao could finish, the Meng Clan Leader scooped him up into his arms, but didn’t cut him off, letting him talk to his heart’s content!

Xiong Bao, not the least bit shy, saw everyone around him looking his way, took a breath, and continued, “I also have four top-grade poison beasts, and a scholar uncle named Baili Weisheng, and an uncle named Situ Haonan, and an auntie named Yelu Qianqian, and a little follower named Baili Xiaosheng, and…”

Just as Xiong Bao was excitedly working up to say more, he suddenly realized he’d run through basically everyone worth naming. Even so, it was more than enough to leave everyone present marveling—such a young child, and already possessed of such connections!

Of course, not everyone was marveling—some were rolling their eyes outright. Baili Weisheng, for one, simply could not understand how he’d ended up listed after a bunch of beasts. And Baili Xiaosheng likewise couldn’t understand how, after all this time getting to know this little brat so well, she’d ended up listed dead last.

Having introduced Jun Beiyue’s family of three, the Meng Clan Leader then introduced the family, one by one, to the clan’s several elders and younger members.

Whether out of sincerity or mere formality, everyone was extremely courteous and polite. But just as Jun Beiyue and Ziqing began to think the Meng Clan Leader would soon press the matter of the Qiankun Poison Pouch, he unexpectedly had yet another matter to raise…