Sun Wenyao was engaged in an intense internal struggle, appearing increasingly silent.

It wasn’t until he heard Lu Ping speaking with Wei Zhong, asking Wei Zhong to report to the Empress, that Sun Wenyao came back to his senses and raised his head to look at this magnificently imposing multi-eaved palace hall.

The evening glow painted purple hues across the sky, and the remaining light on the horizon illuminated the exquisitely carved red lacquered lattice screens of the palace hall.

But Sun Wenyao’s heart was heavy with gloom.

He obediently followed behind Lu Ping as they crossed into the great hall. He kept his eyes lowered, not daring to look around, staring only at the mirror-like floor, naturally catching sight of his own ashen complexion. He thought of Bai Jinzhi…

Today, if he killed that spirited, radiant young woman’s elder sister here, he wondered how heartbroken she would be, whether she would hate him for using her.

“I greet Your Majesty!” Sun Wenyao prostrated himself.

Bai Qingyan had been observing Sun Wenyao from the moment he entered, but she did not tell him to rise: “I heard you saved Princess Gaoyi in Han City…”

“It was this general’s duty,” Sun Wenyao replied.

“You’ve lost that proud bearing you had before. I remember when we first met at the Qin residence… You grabbed hold of Xiao Si’s whip, and from your manner, if I had arrived a moment later, you probably would have fought with Xiao Si.” Bai Qingyan reached out to accept the red date tea Wei Zhong was replacing for her, holding the wide-mouthed porcelain cup in her hands, using the lid to stir the red dates in the tea intermittently, her voice cold and clear. “Now, for what purpose are you being so humble and submissive?”

Completely unprepared for Bai Qingyan to ask such a question, Sun Wenyao steadied his breathing and answered calmly: “Sun Wenyao would not dare show disrespect to Your Majesty.”

Wei Zhong, standing beside Bai Qingyan, twitched his ears, covered his lips with his hand, and whispered in Bai Qingyan’s ear: “This slave observes breathing techniques that resemble those of royal secret guards. The Jin dynasty customarily planted secret guards in the residences of court ministers.”

But the Bai family, because the Jin Emperor was wary of Bai Weiting, and because the Bai family’s guards were all retired from the Bai Family Army, had not left the Jin Emperor any openings.

Bai Qingyan calmly observed Sun Wenyao kneeling obediently on the ground and continued: “Now that the Jin Crown Prince has been sent away, do you think… that with your jumping around and scheming, you can shake Great Zhou?”

Bai Qingyan was testing Sun Wenyao. His palms suddenly clenched tightly, and even his breathing became erratic.

From Sun Wenyao saving and using Xiao Si, to later Sun Wenyao meeting with Second Miss Qin, and then the emergence of rumors… using the new law to target the various aunts of the Bai family and her mother – if there wasn’t a connecting thread behind all this, Bai Qingyan wouldn’t believe it.

Remnants of the former dynasty were common during the early establishment of a new dynasty, but she wasn’t afraid of them.

Seeing Sun Wenyao remain silent, she understood that her suspicions were probably true…

“You are a royal secret guard, loyal to the Jin dynasty – I respect that. But you shouldn’t have exploited Princess Gaoyi’s daughterly affections. Such behavior… is contemptible.”

Sun Wenyao’s spine sagged. Regarding Bai Jinzhi, his heart was filled more with guilt than anything else, but orders from above were difficult to disobey.

“Was it you who taught Second Miss Qin to use the widow remarriage law to attack the Bai family?” Bai Qingyan asked again.

Only now did Sun Wenyao realize that he had been under Bai Qingyan’s surveillance all along, though Bai Qingyan didn’t yet know all the details.

But for some reason, Sun Wenyao felt relieved. He kowtowed and said to Bai Qingyan: “I am indeed a royal secret guard of the former dynasty, placed years ago in Marquis Zhongyong’s residence. It was also I who taught Second Miss Qin to use this method to attack the Bai family. I admit to everything. Having failed to die before my master, Sun Wenyao, I have always felt guilty. Please, Your Majesty, grant me death.”

Having no opportunity to get close to Bai Qingyan, and with his identity discovered, it was normal that he hadn’t succeeded. He couldn’t be considered a traitor to his master.

“It seems you want to protect the remaining royal secret guards…” Bai Qingyan set down the porcelain tea cup in her hands on the table.

Sun Wenyao’s palms tightened: “There are no other royal secret guards, only me!”

“Then, did Second Miss Qin leave the city last night also on your instructions to bribe those remarried widows?” Bai Qingyan asked again.

Wei Zhong’s lips curved in a smile. The First Miss was testing Sun Wenyao again – last night, Second Miss Qin had stayed properly at the Qin residence and never left the city.

Sun Wenyao’s palms clenched as he wondered if his captain had bypassed him to meet with Second Miss Qin. After all, the idea of attacking the Bai family widows had come from his captain, so it would be perfectly reasonable for the captain to secretly approach Second Miss Qin behind his back.

To protect his captain, he took responsibility for everything: “Yes…”

“Sun Wenyao, do you think Second Miss Qin will protect the royal secret guards of the former dynasty the way you do? Having been at the Qin residence so long, you should know what kind of person Second Miss Qin is.” Bai Qingyan’s eyes held a smile. “I’ll give you one last chance. Tell me where the other secret guards are, and I’ll spare your lives. I’ll cripple your martial arts and send you to the Crown Prince – that can be considered fulfilling your loyalty to the Jin dynasty.”

Sun Wenyao suddenly raised his head to look at Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty… won’t kill us?”

“Whether you want to restore the Kingdom depends on whether the former Crown Prince is willing. The former Crown Prince no longer has that ambition, so no matter how hard you try, it’s all in vain…” Bai Qingyan answered candidly. “With your martial arts crippled, you’ll just be ordinary people. Living well is more important than anything.”

If these words came from someone else, Sun Wenyao wouldn’t believe them, but since Bai Qingyan came from the Bai family, he naturally believed her somewhat – the Bai family had always honored their word.

In his hesitation, Bai Qingyan chuckled softly: “This Eunuch Wei was once also a royal secret guard. He still knows the methods of the royal secret guard’s communication. If you don’t speak… Eunuch Wei can still find them, but at that time it won’t be as simple as just crippling your martial arts. Do you understand?”

Sun Wenyao kowtowed to Bai Qingyan: “Your Majesty… may this guilty one see them once to persuade them to surrender?”

“I don’t want to waste energy on this matter.” Bai Qingyan looked toward Wei Zhong as she spoke. “Eunuch Wei, you handle this matter. Take Sun Wenyao away.”

Having learned what she needed to know, Bai Qingyan saw no need to waste more time.

“Your Majesty!” Sun Wenyao quickly kowtowed. “I beg Your Majesty, considering that we were indoctrinated from childhood to be loyal to the Jin royal family and had no choice in the matter, let me see them once. Otherwise, they will certainly fight to the death. We are all secret guards… what we fear least is death, but I don’t want… any more people to die!”

Sun Wenyao was something of an anomaly among secret guards. Secret guards should have no emotions other than loyalty, and when necessary, would even kill their comrades!

But during those days in the Anping Army, seeing the bonds between soldiers and their comrades, Sun Wenyao had been quietly changed. Unknowingly, he had become more like a soldier than a secret guard, which was why he treasured comradeship so much.

“He really doesn’t seem like a royal secret guard…” Bai Qingyan said this to Wei Zhong.

Wei Zhong quickly bowed toward Bai Qingyan’s position with a smile: “Your Majesty speaks truly.”