Thinking of Second Aunt’s dejected expression because no sons from the second branch had returned, Bai Qingyan couldn’t help but add another sentence: “However… you two can return to Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion first, but you must leave Wang Ge’er by Second Aunt’s side! This way, Second Aunt won’t be lonely, and she can also share the burden for you two, freeing up your hands to busy yourselves with court matters. You can’t blame Elder Sister for being unfeeling—you were the ones who said the family should work together with one heart!”

Second Aunt was already feeling distressed that only sons from the first, third, fourth, and fifth branches had returned. Bai Qingyan feared that if Wang Ge’er were taken away from the Bai Mansion, Second Aunt would feel even more lost and dejected.

Now, at least with Wang Ge’er at Second Aunt’s knee, it could distract some of Second Aunt’s attention.

Bai Jinxiu looked at the pile of memorials on her elder sister’s desk and couldn’t help but admonish: “Elder Sister, don’t stay up too late reviewing memorials, or I’ll have to tell Great Aunt and have her return from the Bai Mansion to the palace to scold Elder Sister.”

Qin Lang knelt sitting to the side, watching the sisters Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinxiu, never having imagined… that sibling relationships could be so good. Then thinking of his own family…

Thinking of his younger brother, whom he had painstakingly raised and taught by his side, yet who harbored resentment toward him—now thinking about it… the Bai family’s century-long glory in the Capital City without decline, and even after experiencing great disasters, the Bai family’s eldest legitimate daughter could ascend to the imperial throne—all of this had its reasons.

After Bai Jinxiu and Qin Lang took their leave from the great hall, Bai Jinxiu also remembered Qin Lang’s younger brother and said in a low voice: “I heard from Taisheng at your side that your brother still refuses to accept your discipline and thinks you drove away his mother?”

Qin Lang nodded, his smile somewhat awkward: “On the way back, he ran away twice… both times wanting to find his mother. An old acquaintance suddenly became a child.”

Especially after learning that his own sister had been sentenced to exile, he harbored extreme hatred toward Qin Lang and also hated Bai Jinxiu, thinking that Bai Jinxiu had not spoken up for his sister, shouting that Bai Jinxiu was not a good sister-in-law.

Later, when he learned that the two Qin family young ladies… one ended up as a concubine to a family without even a noble title among the Bai clan branches, and the other was exiled, Qin Lang’s brother became even more convinced that this was Bai Jinxiu’s revenge for how his two sisters had nearly harmed Bai Jinxiu in the past, deliberately humiliating his two sisters.

But he never considered that his two sisters had courted death in front of everyone. If not for Qin Lang being Bai Jinxiu’s husband, the entire family would have been implicated!

Setting aside other matters, just the incident of colluding with assassins to gossip about Bai family widows not remarrying, and later… when those assassins attempted to assassinate Bai Qingyan—if this had been under any other ruler, they would have long ago been sentenced to complete family execution!

Could his small life have remained? Could his mother’s life have remained? Both mother and son owed their lives to Bai Jinxiu and Qin Lang’s favor.

“Husband was soft-hearted and allowed him to correspond with his mother and two sisters?” Bai Jinxiu walked down the steps with Qin Lang while smiling.

Qin Lang lowered his gaze and nodded: “After all, they are mother and son. I didn’t want to be too ruthless.”

“If Husband trusts me, leave this matter to me to handle. Husband should not interfere and just pretend not to know.” Bai Jinxiu maintained her gentle, shallow smile. Even in military attire, she appeared very virtuous without any trace of killing intent.

“That would be troubling my wife.” Qin Lang felt somewhat reluctant—these sordid family matters had already caused Bai Jinxiu so much trouble.

“You and I are husband and wife, united as one… don’t speak such outsider talk!” Bai Jinxiu smiled at Qin Lang. “Wang Ge’er has been longing for Father to return and has been waiting for so long. Let’s go see Wang Ge’er!”

“Good…” Qin Lang suppressed the urge to embrace his wife and reached out to squeeze Bai Jinxiu’s hand. “Let’s go home!”

Wei Zhong had just had Chun Tao deliver the urgent memorial sent back by the Han City Prince, and when he turned around, he saw Auxiliary Prince Bai Jinxiu and Marquis Zhongyong Qin Lang holding hands.

The corners of his lips curved in a smile. If the Grand Princess knew from the afterlife… that the marriage arrangement the Grand Princess had originally made was transferred to Second Miss, which instead brought about Second Miss’s current happiness, she would surely be delighted.

“Wei Zhong…”

Hearing Bai Qingyan call his name from inside the great hall, Wei Zhong quickly lifted his garment hem and entered the hall: “Your Majesty, this old servant is here…”

“Send someone to summon Grand Marshal Lu.” Bai Qingyan frowned as she stared at the urgent memorial just delivered. She had originally wanted Wei Zhong to call Bai Jinxiu back, but thinking that Qin Lang had just returned and the family had finally reunited, she said instead, “Go summon Prince Zhenguo and Prince Huguo as well!”

“Yes!” Wei Zhong received the command and withdrew, sending people to summon them.

The urgent memorial sent back by the Han City Prince stated that Sa’er Khan had not returned by the original route to check whether Great Zhou had built defenses on both sides of the great river, but had gone directly to the Dongyi Kingdom. Now, Dongyi Kingdom and the Yan Kingdom had close relations, and there was fear that the Tianfeng Kingdom might also connect with the Yan Kingdom. In that case… The Great Zhou would inevitably fall into a situation of being attacked from the front and rear.

The Han City Prince requested Bai Qingyan to deploy troops for deterrence.

If this memorial were placed before any other ruler, they would likely think this Han City Prince was requesting military forces in preparation for rebellion.

Never mind other rulers—if this memorial were placed before the Great Zhou’s court, it would surely provoke opposition from court officials.

After all, when Bai Qingyan had stubbornly insisted on employing the Han City Prince to go to the former Great Liang territories… and placed the naval forces in the Han City Prince’s hands, there had been considerable opposition in court. Now the Han City Prince had only been in the former Great Liang territories for a short time and was already asking for troops—court officials’ suspicions would be justified. How to handle this matter well would require the help of Grand Marshal Lu and her brothers.

Grand Marshal Lu’s family was still immersed in the joy of Lu Yuanqing’s return. Lu Yuanqing’s mother pulled him left and right to look, feeling her son had grown much taller and more robust, then asked whether Lu Yuanqing had been implicated by Lu Yuanpeng.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanqing’s dark eyes rippled, but he maintained his smiling expression as he asked: “Mother… what trouble has he caused now?”

Lu Yuanqing’s mother didn’t notice her son’s expression change at all and only focused on talking to her son. She sighed and told him about Lu Yuanpeng following Cheng Yuanzhi’s group to kneel at Wude Gate, requesting His Majesty to send troops to Yan Kingdom and also to revoke the Han City Prince’s military authority.

“Your grandfather is also…” Lu Yuanqing’s mother had just begun to speak when she quickly looked outside. Seeing no one there, she dared to lower her voice and say, “Your brother was beaten in the palace and stripped of his official position—isn’t that lesson enough? After returning, instead of feeling sorry for your brother, he said… that after your brother’s injuries heal, he should kneel in the ancestral hall! Your father, that heartless man, doesn’t intervene either, saying it would affect your career prospects. Is His Majesty such an unreasonable person?”