Chun Tao, who had been waiting at the courtyard gate, and Bai Jintong’s maid Danzhi, seeing the two young ladies emerge, hurried to open umbrellas and quickly approached to escort them.

Bai Jintong took the umbrella from Danzhi’s hand and held it over Bai Qingyan’s head: “You two go back. Elder sister and I will take a walk…”

“Give me the lantern.” Bai Qingyan took the lantern from Chun Tao’s hand.

The two sisters walked along the snow-covered bluestone path toward Yifeng Pavilion, talking as they went.

“I heard grandmother arranged several background stories for you to choose from. Have you decided?” she asked.

“I’ve chosen. I picked the name Cui Fengnian – I thought it sounded nice. The Cui family was originally merchants who fell into decline ten years ago. The Cui family still has a grandmother who is blind and mentally unclear, so others won’t suspect my identity is false.”

She nodded: “The men Uncle Ping selects – after the matter is finished, I’m thinking of having them follow you and obey your commands.”

“Elder sister, grandmother has already given me many people!” Bai Jintong said.

She paused in her steps and turned to look intently at Bai Jintong: “Those people are grandmother’s gifts and must certainly be used. You can use them well, but for some matters… You need people who obey only you. Your subordinates cannot lack your own people!”

Bai Jintong pressed her lips together, wondering if this was elder sister subtly warning her to guard against her grandmother.

“Don’t overthink it. I just don’t want to make grandmother sad.” She took Bai Jintong’s hand and continued walking forward. “Grandmother is getting old, after all. She prefers to see the peaceful facade of the Duke’s mansion and the imperial family respecting and supporting each other. If you do things beyond grandmother’s expectations, she certainly won’t ignore them. You must remember in your heart that grandmother is our grandmother, but also Great Jin’s Grand Princess.”

“I understand, elder sister. I will certainly let grandmother see what she wants to see.” Bai Jintong said.

Lu Ping had only a few dozen trusted subordinates he could rely on completely. He carefully selected ten with the tightest lips and came with the roster to report to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan handed the roster to Bai Jintong: “Use these people in the future. Do you want to meet them?”

“I trust Uncle Ping’s selections, so I won’t go see them now. There will be time to meet later.” Bai Jintong said.

She nodded, looking up at Lu Ping with deep eyes and extremely steady speech: “Since they’re bandits, disguise them well without revealing any flaws, and there’s no need to deliberately spare Bai Qiyun’s group. After the deed, don’t return to report – split into two routes. One goes directly to Five Ridge Slope to request Master Liu Zhengyu of Liu Family Fort to come out of retirement in my father’s name. The other disguises themselves as ordinary merchant stewards and servants, entering Shouyang before the incident to purchase Shouyang white tea for young master Cui Fengnian’s overseas trading business. From then on… they all follow and obey Third Miss.”

“Yes!” Lu Ping nodded.

—

It was already the hour of the rat. Outside Changshou Courtyard, Nanny Jiang held an umbrella and listened to a woman from the outer courtyard’s report. She gave a reward pouch and hurried back into the main room, lifting her robe hem.

The gray-haired Grand Princess sat with her eyes closed, leaning against the auspicious double-flower round pillow at the head of the bed, covered with a dark purple brocade quilt decorated with wealth patterns. She fingered prayer beads in her hands. The bed curtains hadn’t been lowered yet, and half her body was hidden in shadows where candlelight couldn’t reach.

“Grand Princess…” Nanny Jiang approached the Grand Princess and said in a lowered voice, “Second Master’s concubine-born son has been settled at the estate. All the necessary words have been conveyed. Now, with the New Year season, the mother and son have nowhere else to go. Having received the Grand Princess’s promise of safety and relying on being the Duke’s mansion’s only bloodline, naturally, going to the estate first benefits him more. Once they’re settled at the estate, that woman certainly won’t come out alive.”

The Grand Princess sighed: “Don’t let A’Bao know about this!”

Hearing this, Nanny Jiang’s eyes reddened again: “Actually, elder miss never intended for that concubine-born son to die.”

Moisture seeped from the Grand Princess’s closed eyes: “I’m not taking the concubine-born son’s life to guard against A’Bao. I don’t want A’Bao’s hands stained with that filthy woman’s dirty blood! A’Bao is such a young child… she’s done too much for this family. Let this old woman, whose body is already buried in the earth, handle the sinful deeds!”

Nanny Jiang responded and knelt beside the Grand Princess’s bed, gently grasping her hand: “This old servant knew the Grand Princess still loves elder miss most!”

—

The next morning, just as Bai Qingyan predicted, Bai Qiyun left the city with four hundred fifty thousand taels in silver notes, accompanied by the men he came with, heading toward Shouyang.

Before leaving, Bai Qiyun instructed his two concubine-born cousins to visit the Duke’s mansion once more today and depart for Shouyang tomorrow.

Before noon, four imperial edicts were issued from the imperial city. Their contents made the capital’s citizens prostrate themselves and cry out that the Emperor was wise.

The first edict commanded the Minister of Justice to arrest Marquis Zhongyong Qin Dezhao and strictly investigate the Nan Jiang provisions case.

The second edict declared Liu Huanzhang guilty of treason, ordering his family’s extermination and property confiscation.

The third edict sentenced Prince Xin to one hundred beatings, demotion to commoner status, and exile to Yongzhou, never to return to court. Prince Xin’s descendants were demoted to commoners and confined within Prince Xin’s mansion.

The fourth edict posthumously elevated Duke Zhenguo to King Zhenguo and posthumously elevated the Duke’s heir to Duke Zhenguo.

The Grand Princess personally led the Bai family widows to kneel at the gate to receive the imperial edicts. The two concubine-born elders who hadn’t yet left were shocked and pale, exchanging glances with hearts full of panic.

The Emperor posthumously elevated Duke Zhenguo to king – this meant the Emperor not only held no displeasure toward the Duke’s mansion but was also showing additional favor!

Royal title! A king of a different surname! Though posthumous… it was still unreachable glory!

Kneeling before the memorial tablet, Bai Qingyan offered a stick of incense to Duke Zhenguo, solemnly kowtowed, and when she raised her head again, her eyes were blurred with tears, her heart painfully sour.

“Grandfather! Father! The traitor Liu Huanzhang’s family has been exterminated, and their property confiscated. Prince Xin has been demoted to a commoner and exiled to Yongzhou, never to return to court! Heaven has finally restored our Bai family men’s innocence. Our Bai family men… each one was an upright, loyal gentleman who stood tall and was worthy of the people! Though the Bai family’s physical bodies have died, their spirits are eternal and indestructible! All uncles and younger brothers, you may rest in peace!”

She kowtowed heavily.

The Bai family sisters knelt behind Bai Qingyan in tears, kowtowing.

The citizens outside the Duke’s mansion, hearing the words “rest in peace,” beat their chests and wailed. The enormous grief hidden in their hearts infected each other, and their cries shook the heavens.

In this life, she had finally prevented her grandfather from being buried with the humiliating burden of “stubborn military leadership” and leaving behind a lifetime of infamy.

But even so… what use was a posthumous royal title?! Could the loyal sons of her Bai family come back to life?!

She would never again entrust the Bai family’s life and death, the Bai family’s honor and disgrace, to others.

She wanted power! She wanted influence!

She wanted the Bai family to never again become fish on the chopping block.

This time, the Emperor’s punishment of Prince Xin was heavier than what he had told her in the great hall.

She dared conclude that the Emperor had made up his mind to send her to Nan Jiang, which was why… he made such gestures of goodwill, even retreat and compromise.