Cooking smoke curled up from the densely packed breakfast stalls. The oilcloth tents hung with paper lanterns were filled with people cheerfully chatting and laughing while eating breakfast. The vendors’ hawking calls mixed with the people’s joyful discussions about the victory in destroying Xiliang, creating a bustling and noisy marketplace atmosphere.

Young watchdogs that had been let out early from their master’s courtyards squeezed between breakfast stalls and people’s legs, sniffing with their noses, hoping to find meat buns or other food that someone had accidentally dropped on the ground. But they were chased away by breakfast stall owners brandishing soup ladles, frightening them into fleeing with their tails between their legs. This made everyone burst into laughter, comparing Tianfeng Kingdom, which had just left the capital, to these young dogs.

The Tianfeng Kingdom ministers who remained in the capital, waiting to escort back the Grand Shaman’s disciples, were also mixed among the crowd. Hearing the Great Zhou people compare Tianfeng Kingdom to these young dogs, they immediately felt furious, but knowing this was Great Zhou territory where they couldn’t cause trouble, they forced themselves to endure it, though their faces looked quite unpleasant.

Noble families’ young masters or ladies, upon learning the day of the army’s return, were unwilling to stand on the main street crowded together with commoners. So they reserved private rooms overlooking the main street in various wine houses, inviting schoolmates or close friends to drink tea and wait in the private rooms, wanting to catch a glimpse of the remaining Bai family young masters and misses.

Dong Shi gripped Bai Qingyan’s hand as they stood atop the southern gate of the capital, gazing into the distance.

“Why aren’t they back yet? Didn’t the message say… they would arrive when the city gates opened?” Qi Shi was somewhat anxious.

“Yes…” Third Madam Li Shi also craned her neck to look into the distance. “Could they have been delayed on the road?”

“What A’Yu said was only an approximate time of return. If they walked more slowly and were delayed on the road, that’s also possible!” Though Dong Shi was anxious in her heart, she still spoke words of comfort to her sisters-in-law.

Second Madam Liu Shi felt an indescribable taste in her heart. She had come here to welcome her daughter, but she also wished she could stand here like her other sisters-in-law to welcome… her A’Qiong, her A’Yue, A’Hui, A’Feng.

Now, only their second branch had no news of any sons surviving.

Liu Shi knew she should be more patient. Perhaps her sons were just injured and couldn’t return, or maybe… like A’Yun, they had injured legs and were in some remote countryside, or in the mountains, unable to receive news of their eldest sister’s ascension to the throne. Or perhaps they had head injuries and forgotten everything.

Her husband would surely protect their sons’ safety. Their sons must be somewhere and would surely return one day.

At this moment, the sun rose in the east, dawn’s first light appeared, gradually brightening from east to west.

In the distance, where brilliant light met the horizon, a black banner with white python slowly emerged at the end of that golden light, with more banners following closely behind, fluttering and dancing in the wind within the great golden radiance.

Clad in silver armor and riding a black steed, Bai Qingyu appeared first in everyone’s sight as the leader. Bai Qingqi, Bai Jinxiu, Bai Qingjue, Bai Jinzhi, Bai Jinzhao, Bai Jinhua, Bai Jinse, and even Bai Qingyun were all in silver armor mounted on horseback. They followed beside Bai Qingyu, riding shoulder to shoulder with Bai Qingyan.

The Bai family sons and daughters, all wearing silver armor, some holding reins in one hand and grasping swords at their waists with the other, others gripping silver spears, each with upright posture and refined bearing, proud and extraordinary, moved beneath the golden light like war gods returning.

No one could have imagined that after the Southern Border battle during the Xuanjia years, they would still see the Bai family sons returning in great triumph.

Everyone in the entire capital had thought that the illustrious Bai family of the capital, prominent for a hundred years, would disappear into the long river of history and turn to dust.

Who could have imagined such a dramatic turn, with the Bai family generals ultimately leading the Bai family army… leading the Great Zhou army to destroy Xiliang and further expand Great Zhou’s territory?

Who could have imagined that the Bai family, representing loyalty, integrity, and straightforwardness, representing indomitable spirit and righteous character, would become even more glorious than before?

Who could have imagined that today they could still witness the triumphant return of the Bai family sons, still see the Bai family’s various sons whose talents once crowned the capital?

“They’re here!” Dong Shi couldn’t contain her excitement and gripped her daughter’s hand tightly. “They’re here!”

As soon as Bai family’s Fifth Madam Qi Shi saw the children appear in her field of vision, tears began flowing like broken strings. Fourth Madam Wang Shi cried out loud, while Third Madam Li Shi supported Fourth Madam Wang Shi. She had originally wanted to smile, but somehow… though this was a joyful occasion, when she opened her mouth, she cried out instead.

Conversely, the usually fierce-tempered Second Madam just stood to the side silently, shedding tears, praying to heaven to let her sons return too…

Bai Qingyan stood in the morning sun, gazing at her younger brothers and sisters in the distance, their cold silver armor painted with brilliant golden light. The corners of her lips carried a shallow smile, her eyes misty as she squinted, as if seeing the scene when grandfather had once led father and uncles in triumphant return from a campaign.

Now, she could respectfully inform grandfather, father, and uncles that this generation of their Bai family descendants, these brothers and sisters, had finally… not disgraced the Bai family name. Each of her younger brothers and sisters could now take responsibility from the previous generation and shoulder the black banner with the white python of the Bai family army.

Having experienced great upheaval and intense pain, these Bai family sons had not lost their spirit or dulled their sharp edge. They were worthy of the Bai family ancestral teachings.

Bai Qingyu, showing his true face without a mask, saw his elder sister, mother, and aunts from afar. His throat rolled, and his eyes grew red and moist.

He could see his mother and aunts covering their lips with handkerchiefs, weeping tears of joy, while his elder sister stood quietly on the city wall watching them…

His elder sister was the most solid support behind all the brothers and sisters, always standing behind them, holding up a world for these younger brothers and sisters.

Bai Qingyu knew that his elder sister… originally belonged on the battlefield, was the Bai family army’s young commander who never failed in strategy on the battlefield. He knew how brilliant his sister was on the battlefield – his sister was truly invincible in battle!

Now, his sister sat on this emperor’s throne, sat in this capital, not only because she inherited the Bai family duty to protect the country and its people, but also to… never let the Bai family tragedy repeat itself upon them.

When Bai Qingyu was young, he didn’t understand why grandfather required the secondary to protect the primary line, or why he always spoke to elder sister about the importance of the legitimate eldest.

Now watching his elder sister, he finally understood why the legitimate eldest was so important – it was to hold up heaven and earth for the family.

“Quickly! Quickly! Let’s go down to welcome the children!” Fourth Madam Wang Shi anxiously wanted to walk down from the city tower. Just as she turned around, fearing it would be improper, she hurriedly said to Dong Shi: “Elder Sister-in-law! Let’s go down to welcome the children!”

“Good! Let’s go down to welcome the children!” Dong Shi squeezed Bai Qingyan’s hand. “Let’s go welcome your younger brothers and sisters!”