Tears slid down from the corners of the Grand Princess’s eyes.

“My father, born as heir apparent, whenever news of war came, would always charge ahead! My mother often worried and couldn’t sleep at night, repeatedly advising him. My father would say… When the nation faces war, when the people face calamity, the sons and daughters of the Bai family have an inescapable duty – all must charge ahead and sacrifice themselves to protect the people. This is the Bai family’s integrity and backbone, like the Bai army’s black banner with white python flag – it must never fall, to inspire the troops and destroy those bandits who dare invade our Jin people.”

“I was born the legitimate eldest, with seventeen sons all as my younger brothers. Though the sons were born at different times with distinctions of age, their aspirations were identical without distinction of superior or inferior. If asked what they sought in life, they would surely answer… rivers and seas calm, all under heaven at peace! My brothers all inherited the Bai family’s backbone – loyal, upright, honest, standing tall between heaven and earth, with no shame before heaven above or people below, repaying with their flesh the Great Jin people’s devotion, using their lives to protect border inhabitants and give them a chance at survival.”

Outside the gates, the Bai surname people, nobles and military generals all had tears in their eyes – some wept aloud, some wiped tears with their sleeves, others stood upright with misty eyes.

The Bai family’s loyalty and righteousness resided in people’s hearts.

Bai Qingyan finished reading the funeral oration with a hoarse voice, knelt tearfully before the fire basin, and cast the oration into the flames.

The Grand Princess turned her head and whispered instructions: “Nanny Jiang… bring him up!”

Someone had to break the mourning pot, and after breaking the mourning pot… the Grand Princess would hand that bastard over to Bai Qingyan – whether to kill or dismember would be up to her.

Nanny Jiang nodded in acknowledgment and called out toward the mourning hall: “Bring him in!”

Soon, two burly guards followed that bastard inside.

Who knew that as soon as Bai Qingxuan stepped into the main hall of the mourning hall, before he could walk to the Grand Princess to pay respects, suddenly a team of guards appearing from nowhere directly seized Bai Qingxuan and pressed him kneeling in the mourning hall.

This sudden tension startled Nanny Jiang into immediately shielding the Grand Princess behind her, while loyal servants beside the various madams also assumed protective stances.

Even Dong Qingyue and other military generals kneeling outside the gates were shocked into standing, grasping their waist swords and poised to draw them and enter.

The Grand Princess grasped Nanny Jiang’s raised arm that was protecting her, lifted her eyes to look at Bai Qingyan whose expression was cold and showed no surprise, and the Grand Princess immediately understood – this was Bai Qingyan’s arrangement.

“Who are you?! What do you want?! I’m the Bai family’s only grandson! The future Prince Zhenguo! You dare lay hands on me – do you not want to live?! Release me! Otherwise, when I inherit the princely title, I’ll make sure you die without burial grounds!”

Hearing that bastard’s arrogant screaming, the Grand Princess trembled with pursed lips and closed her eyes… her hand gripping Nanny Jiang slowly loosened.

To be so brazen in front of so many Bai surname people! This arrogant wretch truly… deserved death!

Murderous intent surged in Bai Qingyan’s eyes as she bit her back molars tightly, coldly looking at Bai Qingxuan like viewing putrid rotting meat soaked in poison – disgust and fury intertwined, her gaze deep: “Prince Zhenguo?! The character for ‘prince’… three horizontal strokes and one vertical, reaching heaven above with the character of profound virtue and flowing radiance, standing on earth below with the ability to establish merit in comforting people and stabilizing the state. With your qualifications… You dare claim to be Prince Zhenguo?!”

Bai Qingxuan was pressed kneeling in the mourning hall, very indignant, struggling several times to rise but being pressed back down each time. Resentful and grinding his teeth, yet with some smugness: “Hah… I’m now the Duke’s Mansion’s only man! Whether you’re willing or not! I am Prince Zhenguo! When I inherit the princely title, I want you to…” kneel and kowtow begging for mercy.

Bai Qingxuan swallowed back his latter words.

What he relied on was nothing more than being the only remaining male heir of the Bai family now, which was why he dared be so brazen!

But yesterday, the Grand Princess had someone bring him back to the Duke’s Mansion, clearly having Nanny Jiang convey that he should respect this legitimate eldest sister. For now, he’d endure this moment, but in the future, he’d arrange an extremely good… extremely good destination for this legitimate eldest sister who couldn’t bear children, to make up for the humiliation he suffered today!

“What do you want to do to your elder sister?!” Bai Jinzhi stepped forward, grinding her teeth, furious that if that bastard dared speak any disrespectful words, she’d immediately have him killed!

Bai Qingyan’s gaze swept past the Grand Princess and finally settled on Bai Qingxuan, saying coldly: “What kind of talent and virtue one has determines what kind of position one can hold. You have no talent, no virtue, no knowledge of propriety, righteousness, integrity, or shame – cruel and heartless, worse than beasts. How can you speak of governing the state?! Unable to protect the people’s well-being would be one thing! Even if you were an upright scoundrel, our Duke’s Mansion would acknowledge you! But your methods are cruel and vicious – you intended to rape the wife of our benefactor Ji Tingyu, who risked his life to clear our Bai family martyrs’ names and escort the bamboo records. Ji Liu Shi preferred death to submission and crashed into a pillar to die, yet you destroyed her corpse and had someone drag her body out to feed to dogs! You beast – are you worthy of the Bai surname?! Do you dare call yourself Prince Zhenguo?!”

No one outside the gates among the Bai surname people was unaware of Ji Tingyu. That day, Ji Tingyu had lost an arm, covered in blood as he fell from his galloping horse, risking nine deaths out of ten to deliver the bamboo records documenting military movements for the Bai family. This… was what allowed Duke Zhenguo to clear his name of stubborn military command, and what caused Prince Xin and his ilk to face justice!

The Bai surname people were shocked – what kind of demon was that bastard? When the Bai family suddenly faced such great mourning, as the only male heir, instead of keeping vigil before the spirits, he tried to force a woman into shameful acts, driving her to suicide and then destroying her corpse to drag her out and feed her to the dogs! When the matter was exposed, he still dared to try to inherit the Prince Zhenguo title! Wasn’t he afraid of retribution? Wasn’t he afraid that Ji Liu Shi would become a vengeful ghost seeking his life?!

The Bai family men were each loyal and righteous – how did they produce such an inhumane, unrighteous, disloyal, and unfilial beast?!

Bai Qingxuan glanced at the already indignant Bai surname people outside the gates, panicked in his heart, and looked toward the Grand Princess, wanting her to save him. He was the Bai family’s last male heir! This Bai Qingyan speaking of this matter in public made it impossible for him to face people – wasn’t this making it impossible for the Bai family to face people? How could grandmother tolerate this?!

Bai Jintong stepped forward, blocking Bai Qingxuan’s line of sight, seeking rescue from her grandmother, coldly looking at that bastard.

Bai Qingxuan’s heart was anxious and uneasy, yet he put on a fierce exterior while inwardly cowardly, raising his neck: “I know… You look down on me because I’m born of a concubine! But I’m now the only remaining bloodline of Prince Zhenguo Bai Weiting! The only grandson! How dare you treat me like this?! Aren’t you afraid grandfather won’t rest in peace, aren’t you afraid the Bai family line will end?!”

Bai Jintong said coldly, “If you truly inherited the princely title, grandfather would truly not rest in peace! Which of our Bai family descendants hasn’t first gone to battle protecting home and defending Kingdom before calmly accepting the people’s devotion? Grandfather led away all the Bai family men to fight bloody battles on the frontier – was it to clear the way for you, this beast worse than animals, this venomous snake, to let you lie on our ancestors’ achievements and enjoy good fortune?!”

The Grand Princess felt grief in her heart, gripping tightly the tiger-headed cane in her hand. Seeing this bastard so brazen, she felt regret…

A’Bao was right – such a beast… keeping him would be a disaster for the Bai family!