Third Madam Li wiped her tears with a handkerchief: “Yes! This is a joyous occasion. Sister-in-law… don’t cry anymore! Let’s go home and talk!”

Seeing that Bai Jinzhao and Shen Kunyang had also dismounted, Fifth Madam Qi chuckled softly and said, “Quick, don’t let the child keep kneeling! Xiao Wu, hurry and help your mother and Seventh Brother up!”

Shen Kunyang cupped his hands: “Shen Kunyang greets all the madams of the Bai family!”

“General Shen has worked hard. Let’s go home first! We’ll talk at home!” Dong Shi wiped away her tears and said with a smile.

Shen Kunyang smiled and nodded. For the generals of the Bai family army, returning to the Bai Mansion… was returning home.

“Mother, let’s go back and talk!” Bai Jinzhao went to help Wang Shi, but couldn’t lift her. Dong Shi hurriedly lifted her skirts and came down to lend a hand.

After helping Wang Shi up, Dong Shi went to help Bai Qingjue who was still kneeling.

However, Bai Qingjue grasped Dong Shi’s wrist and didn’t get up. He only raised his head with reddened eyes to look at Dong Shi, his eyes full of guilt: “Eldest Aunt, A’Jue has wronged Eldest Aunt, failing to… protect Fifth Brother.”

Hearing Bai Qingjue mention A’Yu, Dong Shi’s eyes reddened again, her nose tingling as tears nearly couldn’t be held back. She gazed at Bai Qingjue with tender eyes, gently patted his hand, helped Bai Qingjue up, and said to him: “That you can return is already… Heaven’s greatest blessing to our Bai family!”

“Seventh Brother shouldn’t say such things. Eldest Sister has already ordered proclamations to the four seas, requesting all surviving Bai family descendants and Bai family army members from the Southern Border battle during the Xuanjia years to return and witness the coronation ceremony together. I believe… as long as there are people from our Bai family and Bai family army still alive like Seventh Brother, they will return upon hearing Eldest Sister’s edict!” Bai Jinzhao said.

Standing beside Dong Shi, Bai Qingjue nodded: “They definitely will!”

Over these years, Bai Qingjue had found quite a few scattered Bai family army members from back then.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, look, A’Jue has grown taller again…” Li walked to Wang Shi’s side, supporting her with a smile as she spoke to Bai Qingjue, “Your eldest sister sent word that you were coming back. Your mother took out all the clothes she made for you and Xiao…”

The words “Seventeen” stuck in Li’s throat. Li smiled, her voice dropping considerably as she continued: “The clothes she made for you these past two years. I originally thought they would still fit, but now it seems… they probably won’t!”

Bai Qingjue stood there in full armor, his tall and straight figure very striking. Unlike Shen Kunyang, who had become dark and thin from years of marching, Bai Qingjue was still the same as when he left the capital… that Seventh Young Master Bai who made young ladies’ hearts flutter, brilliant and dazzling, with a proud and noble bearing. Only compared to his former high spirits, Bai Qingjue appeared even more reserved and steady.

Even after experiencing life and death and great upheavals, Bai Qingjue’s noble character remained unbroken, his spirit undimmed, having grown into a resolute and strong young man capable of supporting the Bai family’s honor.

“Let’s go home!” Wang Shi grasped her son’s hand, holding it tightly in her sweaty palm, as if afraid her son might disappear. “We’re going home!”

“Let’s go home!” Dong Shi nodded with a smile.

·

On the twenty-first day of the fifth month in the first year of Yuanhe, Prince Liang fled into Luohong City with the deposed Crown Prince of Jin and the Grand Princess of Jin Dynasty as hostages. Bai Jinxiu and Ji Tingyu led the Bai family army to besiege Luohong City. Prince Liang threatened Qin Shangzhi, the official in charge of constructing the Grand River Canal, with the deposed Crown Prince, gathering the soldiers of Luohong City and the common people working on the canal to resist the Bai family army.

On the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month in the first year of Yuanhe, the Empress of Great Zhou decided to personally go to Luohong City before the coronation ceremony to rescue her grandmother, the Grand Princess of the Jin Dynasty.

On the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month in the first year of Yuanhe, Ninth Prince Murong Yan of Yan and Prince Murong Ping of Yan arrived at the Yan capital.

Because the Yan Emperor’s dying words ordered his death be kept secret, the Yan Emperor’s body had been secretly escorted back to the Yan capital by the old eunuch Feng Yao and placed in the palace long ago. To the outside world, it was claimed he was ill and avoiding visitors, with all political orders transmitted through Prince Li.

The Yan Empress kept vigil day and night in the Yan Emperor’s bedchamber, personally attending to the Yan Emperor. No one except the Yan Emperor’s trusted confidants was allowed near the bedchamber.

Feng Yao was an old servant on Empress Ji’s side who had also served the Yan Emperor since childhood. Having seen much of court and palace affairs, his thoughts ran deeper.

After escorting the Yan Emperor’s body back to the Yan capital, Feng Yao did not tell the Yan Empress and Prince Li about the Yan Emperor’s edict passing the throne to Murong Yan. He only told the Yan Empress and Prince Li that the Yan Emperor’s order was to keep his death secret, wait until Great Wei stabilized before announcing the funeral, and during this period, all political affairs would be presided over by Ninth Prince Murong Yan. The Yan Emperor’s succession edict was now in the Ninth Prince’s hands, and the Ninth Prince would personally deliver it to the Yan Empress after returning to the Yan capital.

However, the Yan Empress was naturally gentle and weak. Upon learning of the Yan Emperor’s death, she fainted on the spot.

Feng Yao placed the Yan Empress in the Yan Emperor’s bedchamber. After the Yan Empress regained consciousness, she instructed Feng Yao… the news of the Yan Emperor’s death must not be let known to the eldest prince. The eldest prince was mediocre and easily influenced, so there was no guarantee he wouldn’t leak the information.

Fortunately, the Yan Emperor had always favored Prince Li. She instructed Feng Yao to claim externally that the Yan Emperor was seriously ill, that she was caring for him in his bedchamber, and all political orders would be transmitted through Prince Li. Only this way could they stabilize Yan’s court situation and wait for the Ninth Prince to return.

The Yan Empress understood clearly in her heart that the Yan Emperor must have ultimately passed the throne to Ninth Brother Murong Yan. The Yan Emperor had already discussed this matter with the Yan Empress when Yan decided to destroy Wei.

The Yan Emperor had said that Yan would unite the world in the future, and rule such a nation… A’Li was still too young; his shoulders couldn’t bear such a Kingdom. Only by entrusting this nation to Ninth Brother Murong Yan could he feel at ease.

The Yan Emperor also told the Yan Empress that he was discussing this matter with her, not deciding it unilaterally, because the unity of the imperial family was too important. If the Yan Empress harbored resentment when he passed the throne to A’Yan despite having sons in the future, those in the Yan court with ulterior motives would inevitably use this as an opportunity to cause trouble.

The harm of imperial family internal strife and self-injury was more fatal than foreign threats to Yan, and in severe cases could even cause Yan’s steps toward unifying the world to stagnate, or even give other countries opportunities to exploit, leaving Yan without the strength to unify the world.

The Yan Empress understood the Yan Emperor’s grand ambitions, also understood what Ninth Brother Murong Yan had sacrificed for this Kingdom and this family over the years, and understood even more… that Murong Yan, like her husband, had grown up beside Empress Ji, learned the art of imperial rule, and aspired to unify the world!

Whether in age, experience, or capability, Murong Yan was indeed more suitable than the Yan Emperor’s children.

So the Yan Empress agreed to the Yan Emperor’s decision.

Therefore, as soon as Murong Yan arrived at the Yan capital, he was summoned by the Yan Empress to the Yan Emperor’s bedchamber.

In just over a month, the Yan Empress had become emaciated from excessive grief over her husband’s passing.

The weakened Yan Empress was helped up by Feng Yao to lean against the head of the bed, having grown gray hair. She looked at Xiao Rongyan, who, after bowing to her and rising, wore frost-colored robes with a dark jade belt and ceremonial ornaments. She could vaguely see in Murong Yan some resemblance to the Yan Emperor Murong Yu.

However, Murong Yu looked extremely similar to Empress Ji, so his appearance was exquisitely flawless and stunningly beautiful, earning him the title of the world’s most handsome man.