After finishing her words, Lady Li rose and bowed to Old Madam Sima, then withdrew from the old matriarch’s main room with a stern expression.

Lady Li had already said what needed to be said to Old Madam Sima. How to proceed now depended on the old matriarch herself.

Inside the main room, Old Madam Sima’s face was ashen. She gripped the small pillow supporting her elbow tightly. Sima Yan was her only son – how could she disregard her son for the sake of a concubine-born granddaughter?

But now, since His Majesty wanted to vindicate Sima Ruodan’s mother’s family, it meant he had already learned the whole story from Sima Ruodan. Making excuses would certainly be useless, and with so many capable people around His Majesty, he had probably already investigated everything thoroughly.

Old Madam Sima closed her eyes. Now her son had already entered the palace. Her son had always been filial and would take full responsibility for this matter. Even if he didn’t take responsibility… and chose to tell His Majesty the truth, others would only think him unfilial for letting his mother bear the blame.

What should she do? What could she do…

Old Madam Sima’s son, Sima Yan, was conceived only after she had endured great hardship, and he had been cherished like a treasure since childhood. Fortunately, this child had not been spoiled by the couple and had earned his position in the Censorate through genuine ability, even becoming Vice Censor-in-Chief.

She was already an old woman with one foot in the grave, with few days left to live, but her son Sima Yan… and her grandsons’ futures couldn’t be ruined. She had committed this deed, so she must bear the responsibility herself.

Thinking of this, Old Madam Sima hesitated no longer and ordered someone to dress her and prepare a carriage.

Sima Yan knelt in the center of the great hall, his gaze fixed on the polished azure stone floor, waiting for Bai Qingyan to summon him.

Only after Bai Qingyan had finished reviewing memorials did she hear Wei Zhong say that Sima Yan had been kneeling outside for quite some time. Originally, Wei Zhong had intended to announce him immediately, but Sima Yan had said he dared not disturb His Majesty and didn’t immediately ask Wei Zhong to announce him, only requesting that Wei Zhong announce him when Bai Qingyan had a moment.

Wei Zhong naturally knew why Sima Yan was kneeling outside the hall at this moment. He estimated it was because Sima Yan had learned of the enfeoffment edict and realized that the Sima Ruodan matter could no longer be concealed, so he had come to confess his crimes to His Majesty.

Since Bai Qingyan was reviewing memorials, Wei Zhong didn’t interrupt. It wasn’t until Bai Qingyan set down her brush, took the warm towel Chun Tao handed her to wipe her hands, rose to stretch, and was about to check on her two children that Wei Zhong mentioned Sima Yan kneeling outside.

“He came quite quickly!” Bai Qingyan rotated her wrists, straightened her sleeves, and sat back down, saying to Wei Zhong: “Have him come in!”

“Yes!” Wei Zhong acknowledged and went out to summon Sima Yan.

Shortly after, Sima Yan, covered in fine perspiration, entered from outside the hall and immediately confessed his crimes to Bai Qingyan upon entering.

Bai Qingyan’s gaze swept over Sima Yan. She lowered her eyes, picked up her hot tea, and took an unhurried sip before saying: “Minister Sima is not a confused person and has a public-minded heart. When investigating others, you show no mercy. I… find it hard to believe that Minister Sima could do something so foolish.”

Hearing Bai Qingyan say this, Sima Yan lowered his head in shame: “This subject is terrified…”

Just as Sima Yan was waiting for Bai Qingyan to pronounce his punishment, he heard her suddenly change the topic: “Sima Ping and Lu Yuanpeng both joined the Bai Family Army and are much favored by Prince Zhennan. Sima Ping is a child who values loyalty and righteousness. Lu Yuanpeng in the army is much protected by Sima Ping. Someone who values loyalty and righteousness like Sima Ping, who is wise and reserved… and far-sighted, could not have been raised by someone so shallow as to covet another’s marriage contract.”

“Your Majesty…” Hearing these words, Sima Yan’s throat tightened, and his heart inexplicably grew warm.

“Minister Sima has three sons. The Sima family’s eldest son is now in the Ministry of Works, and I hear Minister Shen praise him, saying that whatever tasks are assigned to your son, he completes them very properly! The Sima family’s second son was transferred to Han City, where I hear he also has considerable prestige in the army!” Bai Qingyan used the tea lid to idly stir the tea leaves floating in the clear tea soup. “Minister Sima plans for contingencies and has foresight. You didn’t have all your sons enter officialdom but instead put your eggs in three different baskets – keeping only one in the capital, while the other two… one sent far away, and one in the capital pretending to be a wastrel…”

Hearing Bai Qingyan’s gentle voice, Sima Yan’s back suddenly broke out in cold sweat.

What Bai Qingyan said was accurate.

When Sima Yan had arranged his three sons this way, it was precisely to avoid putting all his eggs in one basket. The capital already had one son following his path into officialdom, but if something happened here, he still had a son far away in the frontier army, giving the Sima family a thread of hope for salvation.

Arranging his youngest son, Sima Ping, to pretend to be a wastrel, mixing with other wastrels and not drawing attention, wouldn’t be seen as a threat and might even assist the family.

Sima Yan was someone who always left himself several escape routes. Since entering officialdom, he had seen too many rises and falls. When Consort Tong had harmed so many loyal officials, Sima Yan had no choice but to leave the Sima family a way out.

“Your Majesty…” Sima Yan had never had deep contact with Bai Qingyan. Even though others praised how wise, virtuous, beloved by all, and ambitious Bai Qingyan was, in his heart, Sima Yan had never truly accepted this young lady who was even younger than his second son.

In Sima Yan’s view, this talk of unifying the realm… was merely rhetoric that this young lady used to rally hearts when she first ascended the throne.

Weren’t those famous Great Liang generals like Zhao Sheng and Yang Wuce won over by this rhetoric of unifying the realm?

And those court ministers in Great Zhou’s court – even though they had once opposed each other and had conflicts, when it came to unifying the realm, it seemed everyone could set aside past grievances and work together toward this goal, making the entire Great Zhou court appear prosperous and thriving.

Later, when he willingly submitted, it was only because Bai Qingyan’s ascension was the general trend, and she hadn’t massively slaughtered the previous dynasty’s ministers – most court officials were indeed from the previous dynasty.

But on this point, Sima Yan felt Bai Qingyan was wrong. These ministers submitted to her now only because she truly held military and political power. In this world, military authority superseded everything, let alone someone like Bai Qingyan who held both military and political power in one hand.

The reason Sima Yan had never made a move or thought of using his connection with Qin Lang to climb higher was because he wasn’t optimistic about the new policies Bai Qingyan was enthusiastically implementing. He didn’t know how long this court under Bai Qingyan could persist. The higher one climbed… the more miserably one would die when the next dynastic change came.

Moreover, Bai Qingyan’s several brothers had all returned, and she had boldly distributed her military authority among her brothers. If even one of her brothers harbored disloyalty, this court would descend into chaos.