Although Sima Ruodan had been somewhat fierce in the past, she was a simple and kind-hearted girl who had no guard against people, especially relatives. She had never even met Xue Renyi, so if the marriage contract was stolen, so be it – she didn’t care that much. But they forced her mother to death, this… Sima Ruodan could never forgive!

Sima Ruodan was already sobbing uncontrollably, looking up at Bai Qingyan with eyes full of grief and despair: “I can do without everything else, but I cannot do without my mother! My mother was completely deceived by them!”

She clutched tightly at her dress hem, crying uncontrollably: “My mother… committed suicide! She thought with all her heart that if she killed herself, the Sima family would let me become a true Sima family young lady! They deceived my mother! They killed my mother! I no longer have a mother… They killed my mother! They forced my mother to her death! I must make the entire Sima family pay blood for blood!”

Hearing Sima Ruodan’s hysterical shouting, Lu Ning’e’s eyes turned red. She naturally knew where the daughters of criminal ministers would be sent.

Sima Ruodan’s emotional state made everyone in the room fall silent.

In this room, except for Bai Qingqi who had already thoroughly investigated Sima Ruodan, everyone else was hearing for the first time that Sima Ruodan carried such hatred behind her.

After hearing Sima Ruodan’s story, Bai Jinzhao was furious. She stood up and helped Sima Ruodan to her feet, her eyes red as she said: “Sister Liaichen, whether you’re Sister Liaichen or Sister Sima, in any case… you’re a friend that I, Bai Jinzhao, recognize. When we return to the capital, I’ll seek justice for you and your mother! And that Xue Renyi too – I’ll take you to find that Xue Renyi and tell him that you are his real fiancée!”

Bai Jinzhao and Bai Jinzhi had the most similar temperaments, both considering themselves heroic women who loved to fight injustice. Hearing such a tragic story… she could no longer contain herself and wanted to storm the Sima family gates right now!

How could people be like this? It was the Sima family who wanted someone as an adopted son, and it was also the Sima family who didn’t want him. In the end, not only did they steal the daughter’s marriage prospects, but they also wanted to marry her off to an old widower. What kind of demons and monsters were these – they were no different from those people in their Shuoyang Bai clan.

Sima Ruodan looked at Bai Jinzhao through her tears. Having spent time with Bai Jinzhao, she knew she was a very chivalrous person. She shook her head tearfully: “It doesn’t matter. I’ll take my revenge! Besides… I don’t care about this marriage contract either. It was all for my father and mother. Now that both my father and mother are gone, this marriage contract isn’t important to me anymore.”

Initially, Sima Ruodan truly remembered nothing, but after half a month, she gradually remembered quite a bit. But she still pretended to have amnesia and stayed in the Bai family army, unwilling to leave. She was afraid that if others knew she had recovered her memory, they would drive her away. She admitted she was afraid of revealing flaws, so she continued to act as silly as when she hadn’t remembered her past.

She also admitted that for some time she had harbored improper thoughts… Because these were the current emperor’s brothers and sisters, if she could marry the Great Zhou’s emperor’s brother and return to the capital in glory, she would be able to make the Sima family pay the price!

But… she wasn’t entirely without genuine feelings. She truly liked these generals and young ladies of the Bai family, and truly… liked Bai Qingqi, liked this man who had risked his life to save her in a moment between life and death, liked his clear and bright character, his magnanimous nature.

She had no hopes of becoming Bai Qingqi’s principal wife – even being a concubine would be fine. She just wanted to stay by his side.

But this kind of thinking became fainter the longer she spent time with the sons and daughters of the Bai family. She wanted more to be like the Bai family’s sons and daughters, achieving merit and establishing a career…

“I want revenge, so I stayed in the Bai family army! I admit my initial thoughts were based… wanting to marry His Majesty’s brother! To become a high and mighty imperial daughter-in-law! Every day, I fantasized about the scene of Sima family members prostrating at my feet, begging for mercy when I returned to the capital in the future!” Sima Ruodan had never been so honest with anyone before. “But watching Fifth Miss, Sixth Miss, and Seventh Miss, then seeing Your Majesty, I came to my senses. Perhaps in the past, when women wanted revenge, they needed to depend on men, but now, Your Majesty is in power! I have many more paths I can take… I can achieve merit on the battlefield like Your Majesty! I can also take the imperial examinations, not wasting my father and mother’s teachings!”

The character “dan” in her name that her father chose… came from “danqing bu yu” (cinnabar and blue-green pigments never fade), hoping she would forever remain pure like the colors of danqing. She couldn’t disappoint her father.

Sima Ruodan knelt and kowtowed to Bai Qingyan again, also kowtowing to the other Bai family members and Lu Ning’e. She looked at Bai Qingqi, deciding to bury this love deep in her heart, and solemnly kowtowed to Bai Qingqi: “Sima Ruodan confesses to Your Majesty and all the Bai family generals. These days… for all the trouble I’ve caused everyone, Sima Ruodan kowtows here to apologize. Master… and all the Bai family generals’ life-saving grace, Sima Ruodan will never forget as long as she lives and will surely repay it! Today… I bid farewell to all my benefactors and master!”

Sima Ruodan straightened her spine and kowtowed again through her tears.

Bai Qingyan looked at Sima Ruodan, able to empathize with her hatred. When she had returned carrying the Bai family’s deep blood feud, the hatred at that time… was equally overwhelming.

She stood up with Chun Zhi’s support, walked to Sima Ruodan’s side, bent down, and lifted her with both hands: “Since you’ve already thought clearly and don’t wish to depend on men, wanting to establish a career… then there’s no need to leave the Bai family army. Moreover, Aunt Lu is already your master, so by extension, you’re also one of the Bai family army’s people.”

“Your Majesty…” Sima Ruodan’s voice choked.

“Right now, there’s something that needs you to do, concerning taking Yecheng Pass. I wonder if you’re willing?” Bai Qingyan asked with a smile.

Hearing this, Sima Ruodan nodded vigorously: “Sima Ruodan will not refuse even unto death!”

“Good… sit down first! We’ll eat and talk…” Bai Qingyan handed her handkerchief to Sima Ruodan and patted her hand.

How Sima Ruodan’s revenge against the Sima family should be carried out was Sima Ruodan’s own business. Bai Qingyan only hoped this child wouldn’t be too blinded by hatred, and wouldn’t let filth stain her heart and character while seeking revenge.

Xiao Ruohai told Sima Ruodan about impersonating Ye Yingwan’s daughter and infiltrating Yecheng Pass.

Sima Ruodan nodded: “I can do this! But… I need to meet this young lady and the madam. Also, if I could know what long-standing daily habits this madam has, as well as her food preferences, that would be best! In case after infiltrating, that personal attendant tests me.”