Bai Jinxiu, overcome with grief, stepped forward, pointing at the black-lacquered gold-lettered memorial tablets: “They are the true fine sons of our Bai family! When they were born in the Duke’s Mansion and received their first teachings, they already knew… the responsibilities and duties of being descendants of the Duke’s Mansion, of being Bai family children! Even if ancestral achievements were thicker than heaven, not one of them relied on ancestral protection to remain in this prosperous capital, enjoying comfort! They all chose to go to battlefields with nine deaths out of ten, sacrificing themselves to protect the people! Those were the iron-boned, hot-blooded sons of the Bai family!”

After speaking, Bai Jinxiu knelt toward the Grand Princess and kowtowed: “Grandmother! Even if the Bai family must petition to renounce our noble title, we absolutely cannot let such a beast in human clothing, such a cowardly wretch, disgrace these two words ‘Zhenguo’! Today, after our Bai family heroes’ funeral, I beg my grandmother to enter the palace and petition to renounce our noble title, so as not to let this inhumane, unrighteous beast, worse than animals, this petty scoundrel, tarnish our Bai family’s honor!”

The Grand Princess slowly nodded.

Bai Qingxuan opened his eyes wide in disbelief: “You can’t do this! Are you all mad? Petitioning to renounce the noble title… could it be you don’t want the Bai family’s hundred years of glory?!”

“The Bai family’s hundred years of glory came from generations sacrificing their lives for the people! You… are unworthy!” Bai Qingyan declared resolutely. “Uncle Ping! Tie up this bastard and take him away. Deal with him after the Bai family martyrs are buried!”

The eldest miss’s words about a hundred years of glory coming from generations sacrificing lives for the people made the people’s weeping even more intense…

The Grand Princess’s voice was measured: “Your grandfather and the others’ funeral procession… cannot be without someone to break the mourning pot. Let this beast… break the mourning pot. After the great matter is finished, grandmother will hand him over to A’Bao to deal with. Is that acceptable?”

“What qualification does such an inhumane, unrighteous, disloyal, and unfilial dog have to break the mourning pot for my grandfather? Are all the Bai family’s younger generation dead?!” Bai Jinzhi flew into a rage and stepped forward, kicking Bai Qingxuan in the chest and knocking him to the ground. “To let someone who raped and drove to death the wife of our Bai family’s benefactor break the mourning pot – I fear grandfather and uncle won’t rest in peace!”

Just when the funeral procession was about to begin, the Bai family suddenly had another disturbance.

“I’ll break the mourning pot for the Bai family heroes! Since ancient times, women haven’t been allowed to break mourning pots simply because they fear women will marry into other families in the future, right? I, Bai Qingyan, swear today before my grandfather and father’s spirits – born as a Bai family descendant, I’ll die as a Bai family ghost. In this life, I will not marry! Grandmother, like this… do I have the qualification to break this mourning pot?!” Bai Qingyan’s burning gaze looked toward the Grand Princess.

“I’ll break it together with my elder sister! Bai Jintong vows to become a daughter who can support the Bai family. In this life… I absolutely will not marry into another family!” Bai Jintong also declared.

The Grand Princess looked at Bai Qingyan and Bai Jintong. Bai Jinzhi was also eager to step forward and swear, so she nodded: “You sisters break it together!”

Bai Jinxiu, already married off, stood to the side without stepping forward. Bai Qingyan, Bai Jintong, and Bai Jinzhi gripped the mourning pot.

The armored generals who had come with Dong Qingyue entered through the side gate, replacing the Bai family guards to stand beside each coffin.

The remaining military generals stood on both sides in front of the Duke’s Mansion gates, quietly waiting in the swirling snow for the mourning pot to be broken and the coffins to be raised.

“The more completely the mourning pot is shattered, the better. We sisters will join forces with one heart to see grandfather, father, and all uncles and brothers off well!” she said, looking at her two younger sisters.

One, two, three – after the shout, the three sisters together shattered the mourning pot.

Dong Qingyue gritted his teeth and shouted: “Raise the coffins!”

“Raise the coffins…”

“Raise the coffins…”

The generals’ deep voices rang out one after another, resounding like thunder. The coffins rose from the ground one by one, then emerged from the Duke’s Mansion gates one by one.

The Grand Princess gripped her tiger-headed cane, standing before the main gate… watching those armored generals who had come in military dress shoulder the coffins of the Duke’s Mansion heroes.

Watching the continuously arriving generals in armor holding long swords, voluntarily guarding on both sides of the coffins of her husband, Bai Weiting, and the Bai family sons!

The long street was filled with common people carrying lanterns and wearing mourning clothes. Wherever the coffins passed, the people all knelt, shouting “Respectfully seeing off Prince Zhenguo, Duke Zhenguo, and all the young generals!” weeping with genuine grief.

Liu Shi cried until she couldn’t stand, supported by Nanny Luo and Bai Jinxiu as she stood behind the Grand Princess.

Li Shi held Bai Jinzhi in despair, crying voicelessly with tears falling like rain.

The Grand Princess, in all her life until now, had never seen such a funeral.

Snow filled the sky, spirit money filled the sky, a vast whiteness that made it impossible to see the path ahead, yet the sound of weeping could guide one’s way…

She didn’t know if at this moment, the Emperor in the deep palace could hear the heart-shaking cries of the capital’s people. If he could hear them… she wondered what he would think, whether he would regret destroying this household of Bai family martyrs because of his suspicion.

“Grand Princess…” Steward Hao stepped forward and called softly.

The Grand Princess’s gaze fell on the Bai family guards ready to depart, took a deep breath of the midwinter cold air, and said: “Let’s go!”

Bai Qingyan turned to instruct Nanny Tong: “The mansion’s affairs are entrusted to Nanny Qin and Nanny Tong!”

Nanny Qin and Nanny Tong acknowledged with reddened eyes.

As Bai Qingyan followed beside her mother, Dong Shi, walking down the high steps of the Duke’s Mansion… her gaze inadvertently met Xiao Rongyan’s profound, bottomless eyes.

Through the heavy snow, she lightly nodded to Xiao Rongyan in acknowledgment, thanking him for coming to see off the Bai family heroes.

Xiao Rongyan also nodded in return.

The Grand Princess went first, leading the Bai family widows, following behind the coffins through the snow in a mighty procession, walking toward the cemetery. She never waited for A’Bao to walk alongside her.

Xiao Rongyan brought only one guard and two horses, leading the reins as he slowly followed behind the funeral procession. He saw the people kneeling on both sides of the long street all rise and follow behind the Bai family guard unit, carrying bright lanterns, supporting and helping each other as they walked step by step. His heart was suddenly filled with myriad emotions.

In his lifetime, he had never seen such a funeral – not royalty… yet surpassing royalty.

The funeral procession exited through the capital’s South Gate.

The South Gate commander stood on the high wall, gazing into the boundless snowy black night where an entire long street was filled with people holding lanterns, standing on both sides. The warm, orange glow of the lanterns illuminated those twenty-plus coffins, particularly striking on this night.

Infected by the people’s earth-shaking cries, emotions surged in the South Gate commander’s chest, hot tears welling up.

He gripped the sword at his waist and led the gate-guarding soldiers down from the city wall, having someone also call out the soldiers who were resting in the barracks during their shift rotation.

Seeing the row of coffins slowly approaching, the South Gate commander and several hundred defending soldiers standing outside the city gate performed military salutes, kneeling on one knee and striking their chests with their fists.

“Respectfully seeing off Prince Zhenguo, Duke Zhenguo, and all the generals!”

Several hundred soldiers moved in perfect unison, their resounding voices speaking as one, actually carrying the rainbow momentum of battlefield slaughter.

The journey was extremely long, finally arriving when dawn was about to break.

Burial, covering with earth, kowtowing…

Bai Qingyan stood before the tombstones, tearfully watching those coffins disappear from view one by one, her heart filled with grief.

From now on, there would be no more Duke Zhenguo with his noble and righteous spirit in this world, no more… seventeen Bai family sons whose talents and martial arts had amazed the capital.