“Please rise, gentlemen!” Dong Shi held a gilded hand warmer, her eyes red as if she had been crying.

She looked toward Bai Qingqi and said in a deep voice, “Aqi, Ayu has already told Great Aunt everything. If this battle truly becomes a war to destroy Yan, you siblings cannot be absent. The capital has Ayun, great aunt, and you capable ministers – there will be no chaos! Ayun and great aunt will stabilize the rear for you… Go ahead!”

Bai Qingyun, sitting in his wheelchair just outside the door, looked at his third brother with deep eyes and nodded gently toward him: “Third brother, rest assured!”

Earlier, when eldest sister wanted to unify through the gambling arrangement, Bai Qingyun had not been very agreeable. However, eldest sister had said… using the gambling method to unify the realm was a unification approach that others had never attempted.

Because there were no precedents to reference in previous history, it would be more difficult than the path of military unification. But the eldest sister was willing to grope forward through hardships and tribulations because this method of unification… was gentler and better for the people and soldiers. Even if this path was a hundred times more difficult than military unification, she was willing to try her utmost.

Bai Qingyun knew that eldest sister was not doing this for fame, but was willing to spend time and energy to preserve soldiers’ lives and people’s peace.

But now, since this path was impassable, the eldest sister, being someone who acted decisively when decisions needed to be made, would certainly choose to militarily unify and destroy Yan!

With his current disabled legs, he could not ride with eldest sister and the others in long campaigns or participate in frontline battles, but he would from the rear… continuously send newly forged weapons to them, and could help eldest sister stabilize the court situation to ensure they could charge forward with peace of mind and no worries behind them.

Similarly, Dong Shi was also very clear in her heart that even if her daughter had not encountered danger this time, and the Yan imperial relatives had only moved against Xiao Rongyan, this Yan nation… probably could no longer be unified using the gentle methods they had originally envisioned!

Now, only the path of military unification remained viable!

Setting aside Xiao Rongyan’s status as her daughter’s husband and speaking purely in terms of diplomatic relations between the two nations, Xiao Rongyan was Yan’s regent. The Great Zhou and Yan had signed the gambling covenant when Yan’s regent was in power. If the regent died, they could use this as an excuse to refuse to acknowledge the gambling agreement.

Afterward, these imperial relatives and feudal princes could depose Yan’s young emperor and push forward the Yan Empress Dowager, who had originally betrayed the alliance between the two nations, using this to silence the world’s criticism. All the blame would fall on Yan’s young emperor and regent, while they would appear to be restoring order and giving Great Zhou a proper explanation.

If they then followed the approach described in Bai Jintong’s letter of judging others by themselves, they would naturally try to simultaneously disrupt the Great Zhou.

How to disrupt the Great Zhou?

That would be to kill the Great Zhou’s emperor and draw these Great Zhou imperial relatives into the storm of power struggles, leaving them no time to concern themselves with Yan.

This was why Ayu had to go to Yan. Though unwilling to admit it, the possibility of Bai Qingyan being in danger was very high.

Bai Qingqi looked at his great aunt with her straight spine and resolute, steady gaze, then looked toward his mother.

Fifth Lady Qi Shi smiled reassuringly and said, “Go ahead. Mother has already had someone pack your luggage! On this journey… You must protect your eldest sister and bring her back safely! We will follow your great aunt into the palace. Be careful on the front lines and don’t worry about us.”

“Your son will not fail mother’s trust!” Bai Qingqi bowed deeply to his great aunt and mother.

Dong Qingping also couldn’t help stepping forward to say to Bai Qingqi, “When you see His Majesty! Tell His Majesty not to worry about provisions. Even if we must bankrupt ourselves… we court ministers will not let the soldiers go hungry!”

“Taking this opportunity, this official will conscript troops nationwide once again! To prepare for any contingency!” Minister of War Zhang Duanning also said.

Bai Qingqi nodded and bowed deeply once more to the several important court ministers: “Great Zhou is entrusted to you gentlemen!”

He took his sword and stepped out of Prince Zhenguo’s mansion gate with Bai Jinzhao, only to see two rows of Bai family guards mounted neatly outside the gate, extending so far he could barely see the beginning or end – these were not just the mansion’s Bai family army guards.

Bai Jinhua and Bai Jinse had also donned their silver armor, one with a sword at her waist, the other carrying a bow and arrows on her back, standing heroically at the entrance.

They had not caught up to travel with fifth brother and second sister, but with third brother going to Yan, they would follow third brother no matter what, even if third brother refused to allow it.

“Third brother! The second sister and the fifth brother ran too fast, we didn’t catch up…” Bai Jinse glanced at Bai Jinzhao beside Bai Qingqi. “I saw the fifth sister packing a small bundle and guessed the fifth sister would go with the third brother, so we two waited here. The third brother cannot leave us two behind!”

Bai Qingqi looked at Bai Jinhua, then at Bai Jinse, inevitably thinking of little Seventeen who hadn’t been as tall as a horse when they first went to war, and said, “Little Seven, you’re still young. Go back! Stay home and take good care of your great aunt!”

“Third brother, I’ve already reported to mother, and mother also permitted me to accompany third brother to Yan.” Bai Jinse was well-prepared and not afraid at all, bringing up Dong Shi as support.

Bai Qingqi was helpless. He knew these three sisters were the same as him – they were all worried about the eldest sister.

Steward Liang stood beside Bai Qingqi with a solemn expression: “Third Young Master, our Bai family guards are all retired from the Bai family army. They all know the news that First Miss might be in danger in Yan and are all clamoring to go to Yan. This old servant thought that the ladies would certainly enter the palace with the Grand Lady, so he took the liberty… except for those who truly cannot go to battle, the rest are all following the Third Young Master! They are all battle-hardened elite soldiers who retired due to injuries, but their skills haven’t slackened for a single day! If Third Young Master doesn’t permit it, they might secretly follow anyway. Please allow it, Third Young Master.”

Steward Liang had not only emptied Prince Zhenguo’s mansion stables but had also borrowed many fine horses from others.

When Steward Liang, who served Duke Zhenguo, asked, Who would dare not lend their finest horses? They all generously contributed.

From when Bai Jintong’s message arrived until this moment – three hours – everyone who knew that Yan’s feudal princes and relatives wanted to kill Bai Qingyan was thinking of ways to help in their capacity.

As loyal servants of the Bai family, the methods they could think of were not related to state affairs, but they were very willing to rush to Yan and sacrifice their lives for their First Miss.

Bai Qingqi’s throat bobbed as he nodded and said to Steward Liang, “Uncle Liang, after we leave, the household is entrusted to your care. Thank you for your hard work!”

“Please, Third Young Master… Fifth Miss, Sixth Miss, and Seventh Miss, take care of yourselves and be sure to bring First Miss back safely.” Steward Liang’s eyes reddened as he bowed deeply to the young master and misses of his household.

Bai Qingqi nodded and was the first to mount his horse. Bai Jinzhao, Bai Jinhua, and Bai Jinse followed closely behind, grasping their reins as they mounted and galloped away with Bai Qingqi.

The Bai family siblings, on the same day they received Bai Jintong’s message, successively rode out of the city at full speed toward Yan.