“Exactly! It’s about family background!” Li Shi frowned deeply, “A’Bao, what your aunt wants to say is precisely about family background. Now that you’re leading our Bai family to accomplish great things, and with great endeavors still incomplete… if Xiao Si truly has feelings for Lu Yuanpeng, as her birth mother, I would naturally want Xiao Si to have her wish fulfilled, not wanting her to suffer even the slightest grievance. But as a member of the Bai family… Third Aunt cannot let Xiao Si’s marriage drag you and the Bai family down. Do you understand? You, as a woman, have ascended to the imperial throne. If Xiao Si marries into Grand Marshal Lu’s family, there’s no guarantee that someone with ulterior motives in the Lu family won’t try to use Xiao Si as leverage! A’Bao… Third Aunt knows you cherish your sisters, but you are now the Emperor of Great Zhou, and you should prioritize… the public interest!”

Li Shi’s eyes revealed anxiety and inner conflict. She didn’t want to consider Lu Yuanpeng’s character and family background for now. Since marrying into the Bai family, Li Shi had heard countless times about the Bai family’s aspirations and grand ambitions, countless times listening to her husband speak of his innermost aspirations…

Now, with all of Great Zhou united in purpose, just about to witness the peaceful mountains and rivers that her husband once spoke of wanting, Li Shi didn’t want her daughter’s romantic stirrings to bring trouble to this cause. But as a mother… she absolutely couldn’t bear to watch her daughter miss out on happiness.

How could Bai Qingyan not know that her Third Aunt’s words came from the heart? Thinking of the unwavering support from these relatives around her, and then thinking of Xiao Rongyan…

Bai Qingyan’s eyes grew moist as she grasped Li Shi’s hand: “Aunt, it won’t come to that! I’ve always trusted those I employ without suspicion. I’ve never doubted Grand Marshal Lu or Lu Jinxian. Moreover, having reached my current position, if I can’t even protect my own sister’s happiness, what kind of emperor would I be?”

Hearing Bai Qingyan’s gentle and soothing comfort, Li Shi gradually felt at ease. She had never doubted Bai Qingyan’s ability to judge character.

Bai Qingyan gently patted Li Shi’s hand and said: “I’ve long since made up my mind… whether it’s A’Qi, A’Yu, Xiao Si, or Xiao Wu, I only wish for their lifelong happiness, loving marriages between devoted couples who genuinely care for each other. I will never use their marriages as political bargaining chips. If your aunts are worried about our family’s daughters marrying out, they have their noble titles and could marry husbands who join our household—that wouldn’t be difficult to arrange.”

Li Shi’s lips parted slightly. Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, she thought of her father-in-law and husband…

Back then, before she and Saburo were married, many daughters from prestigious families were infatuated with her husband. She was the eldest daughter of the main branch who had lost her mother. Although her father’s second wife couldn’t be said to mistreat her, she wouldn’t be wholeheartedly devoted either. Even though her father doted on her, he couldn’t always interfere in inner courtyard matters. She was terrified she wouldn’t be able to marry Saburo, having been devoted to the third young master of the Bai family since childhood.

Later, rumors spread that… the Grand Princess planned to arrange a match between the third young master of the Bai family and the legitimate daughter of Imperial Teacher Old Tan, while she was to be arranged by her stepmother to marry a collateral branch of the Cui family of Qinghe. Li Shi cried until the sky turned dark. Who would have expected such a dramatic turn of events? After his grandfather returned victorious, he went from the palace audience with the emperor straight to the Li family without even removing his armor, personally meeting with her, this junior, to discuss with her father his desire to arrange a marriage between his third son and Li Shi.

At that time, seeing Duke Zhenguo in his silver armor, imposing and tall, emanating an aura of battlefield severity, Li Shi felt afraid in her heart.

But Duke Zhenguo smiled as he handed Li Shi a jade pendant, saying in an extremely low voice that this was from Saburo for her, saying that the Bai family’s descendants sought mutual affection in marriage and would never use it as a bargaining chip for family expansion. If she was willing to marry Saburo, she should accept the jade pendant, and the rest would be left to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion to figure out.

Li Shi’s eyes grew hot, tears immediately streaming down as she accepted the jade pendant, clutching it tightly in her palm, nodding to Duke Zhenguo.

Now seeing Bai Qingyan, Li Shi seemed to glimpse her father-in-law’s likeness again. Moved by emotion, her eyes reddened: “A’Bao is becoming more and more like your grandfather!”

Li Shi took out her handkerchief to dab at the corners of her eyes: “I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting old, but lately I keep reminiscing about past events.”

Not only would Li Shi reminisce—Bai Qingyan would too, especially when seeing her aunts and younger siblings, watching them grow day by day, becoming more and more outstanding. The more she watched, the more she couldn’t help but think of grandfather, father, and uncles, and… the brothers who never made it back.

“Third Aunt, don’t worry about Xiao Si’s situation. From the letter, I can see that Xiao Si hasn’t developed feelings for Lu Yuanpeng. She simply has a boyish temperament. If there were something between them, given Jinxiu’s delicate sensibilities, she would have already sent someone back with a letter.” Bai Qingyan stood up, smiling as she spoke to Li Shi, “I won’t delay Third Aunt’s rest any longer. Tomorrow’s flower banquet will require Third Aunt’s hard work!”

“Good!” Li Shi also stood up, escorting Bai Qingyan to the door. After watching Bai Qingyan leave, Li Shi began worrying again.

If Xiao Si had developed feelings for Lu Yuanpeng, she worried that Xiao Si being with Lu Yuanpeng would bring trouble to Bai Qingyan. If she hadn’t developed feelings, she worried that her own daughter was a blockhead who would never become enlightened—how would she find her a husband’s family?

Moreover, regarding what Bai Qingyan had just mentioned about marrying husbands, Li Shi didn’t dare to easily open that precedent. Previously, when Bai Qingyan allowed women to study and permitted women to take imperial examinations and serve as officials, it had already caused tremendous upheaval in the Great Zhou. Bai Qingyan had even made a special trip to the Imperial Academy to engage in philosophical discussions with the academy students.

Now that everyone had finally temporarily accepted women taking imperial examinations and serving as officials for the grand cause of national reunification, if Xiao Si were to marry a husband, commoners always liked to emulate the imperial family. When such practices spread from top to bottom, combined with the Great Zhou already having a female emperor, those men who felt that women threatened their status might develop other thoughts, such as pulling Bai Qingyan down from the imperial throne. What would they do then?

After all, now that Bai Qingyan had given birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins and her brother had returned, Li Shi had vaguely heard from her natal family’s father that it seemed after A’Qi and the others returned during the enthronement ceremony, people in court had begun discussing how Bai Qingyan had difficulty with children and would likely need to select an heir from among her brothers in the future, requiring early alliance-building.

Therefore, Li Shi felt this precedent couldn’t be set. Even if Bai Qingyan cherished her younger siblings dearly, at this critical juncture, the precedent of marrying off in husbands couldn’t be established.

Li Shi made up her mind. After some thought, she picked up her brush to write a letter to Bai Qingyun, asking Bai Qingyun to keep an eye on Xiao Si and not let Xiao Si cause any trouble at this critical moment.

On the day the palace held the flower banquet, families with daughters of marriageable age who hadn’t yet been betrothed all put tremendous effort into dressing them up, hoping they might catch the eye of the Empress Dowager or one of the Bai family madams. Given the current emperor Bai Qingyan’s regard for her younger brothers, their entire families could have bright futures.

While daughters were dressed up like delicate flowers for the Empress Dowager and Bai family madams to observe, naturally, the unmarried young men in families also tidied themselves up immaculately, hoping to catch the eye of the unmarried Bai family young ladies. Some with greater ambitions even harbored thoughts about the position of Imperial Consort.