County Magistrate Zhou’s face turned slightly pale. Family scandal? Escalating to the point of alarming them?

The implication… Princess Zhenguo was going to openly break with the clan?

But hadn’t Bai Qiyun said that whether it was the former Duke Zhenguo or the current Princess Zhenguo, they both greatly respected his father, the clan leader, practically obeying his every word?

Seeing his subordinates had already led the horses over, Bai Qingyan spoke: “We still need to return to the clan, so we won’t delay both officials’ business. Farewell…”

The prefect quickly stepped aside to clear the steps. Bai Qingyan mounted her horse with Bai Jinzhi, cracked her whip, and galloped away.

“Sir, could it be that the clan and the Princess have… fallen out?” County Magistrate Zhou’s expression was very ugly. “Didn’t the clan leader’s son say that Princess Zhenguo was just a young girl who obeyed the clan leader’s every word? But from what I heard just now… the Princess is going to openly break with the clan.”

The prefect stood with his hands behind his back, narrowing his eyes as he recalled rumors he’d heard yesterday.

Word was that the clan leader’s younger brother had seized the Bai family’s ancestral home in the capital that had just been renovated.

The prefect curled his lips in a cold smile: “No matter how the Bai clan embellishes things, this time Princess Zhenguo returned without hiding her intention to break with the clan, and County Princess spoke so bluntly… County Magistrate Zhou had better watch which way the wind blows, lest your boat capsizes!”

County Magistrate Zhou had always maintained good relations with the Bai clan, covering up their despicable deeds over the years. If Princess Zhenguo intended to deal with the Bai clan this time, those matters would surely be exposed. When that happened, he who had helped cover things up would not only fail to gain favor with Princess Zhenguo, but would truly… capsize!

County Magistrate Zhou’s expression grew even uglier. He turned and respectfully bowed to the prefect: “Thank you for your guidance, sir.”

The Bai clan leader was having breakfast when he suddenly heard that Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi had returned. He was startled, then thinking of his younger brother Fifth Uncle forcibly occupying the Bai ancestral home and the clan’s irreconcilable disputes, he immediately understood – Bai Qingyan had probably returned because of this matter.

The clan leader set down his bowl and chopsticks, ordering someone to help him change clothes.

In the clan leader’s courtyard knelt a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth who seemed to have been kneeling all night. Dewdrops had settled on his black hair, his whole body trembling from cold, swaying as if he could barely hold himself up.

Seeing the clan leader emerge, the youth quickly shuffled forward on his knees: “Grandfather, if elder brothers continue this lawless behavior, they’ll eventually destroy our Bai family! Please step in to stop them from forcibly seizing others’ shops and hand several elder brothers over to the authorities for punishment. Otherwise… if someone goes to the capital to report to the throne and exposes all these years’ misdeeds, even the Princess won’t be able to protect our Bai family!”

The clan leader glared at his anxious grandson, anger rising within him as he sternly said: “Severe punishment? How can I severely punish them?! After kneeling all night, don’t you understand yet?! They are your elder brothers! Even if they committed the gravest errors… they’re still your blood-related brothers. How can you help outsiders against your brothers, even secretly sending people to the prefect? If I had been a step later… your brothers would be in prison. Do you know what crime hiring assassins to kill carries?! Ah Ping… grandfather isn’t dead yet! Are you trying to destroy your brothers?!”

Bai Qingping bit his teeth tightly, his eyes reddening as he choked out: “Even the Son of Heaven must face the same punishment as commoners when breaking the law. Even Prince Xin, the Emperor’s legitimate son, was demoted to a commoner and exiled to Yongzhou! Grandfather, you are the clan leader… shouldn’t you put family honor above personal feelings?”

“What fine words about not showing favoritism!” The clan leader’s eyes blazed with fury. “Grandfather isn’t dead yet, and you already want to fight among yourselves? All that reading… you’ve truly read yourself a belly full of fine books!”

Bai Qingping clenched his fists tightly, stubbornly refusing to yield.

“If you can’t figure it out, keep kneeling! Never get up!” After speaking, the clan leader walked out, leaning on his cane.

Bai Qingping maintained his stubborn expression. After hearing his grandfather’s footsteps fade, he finally slumped down in a dejected kneeling position. He had always admired the backbone of the Bai family from Duke Zhenguo’s mansion in the capital, once proud to be a descendant of the Bai clan.

But later, he discovered that the Shouyang Bai clan members were quite different from the capital Bai family he’d heard about.

Especially since childhood, he had witnessed the clan leader’s direct line… bullying branch families, using the capital Bai family’s authority to run rampant in Shouyang. Over the years, with no restraint, Shouyang officials all currying favor with their clan because of the capital Bai family, their clan had become increasingly unscrupulous.

He felt deeply ashamed – compared to the capital Bai family, they hardly seemed like the same family.

Now the Shouyang Bai family and his generation of elder brothers had escalated to the point of treating human life as grass. If this continued unchecked… the Bai family would be finished!

Bai Qingping couldn’t understand why his grandfather couldn’t see what was so obvious to him!

Bai Qingping’s servant boy peeked around outside the courtyard, and seeing no one inside, hurried over to drape a cloak over Bai Qingping’s shoulders, lowering his voice: “Sixth Young Master, Princess Zhenguo and County Princess Gayi have returned.”

Bai Qingping looked up, eyes widening as emotions surged in his heart.

Since Bai Qingyan and Bai Weiting departed for war, she had never returned to the clan – first due to constant campaigns leaving no time, later due to recovering from injuries in the capital.

Beyond excitement, Bai Qingping felt deeply ashamed that his grandfather’s younger brother had forcibly seized the ancestral home.

Bai Qingping wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Their clan used the capital Bai family’s banner to throw their weight around in Shouyang City, while simultaneously humiliating the capital Bai family’s orphans and widows – first using mourning as pretext to force the capital Bai family to exhaust their wealth renovating this and that for the clan, then seizing their newly renovated residence. How could he, a man who had read the classics, show his face?

News of Bai Qingyan’s return struck like a thunderbolt, shaking the Shouyang Bai family three times over.

Most anxious was the Fifth Master, who had occupied the Bai ancestral home. He paced frantically in his room, not daring to go to the clan leader to see Bai Qingyan or inquire about the situation – after all, Bai Qingyan was the one who had burned alive a hundred thousand Western Liang surrendered prisoners!

Who knew if Bai Qingyan might resort to violence when provoked?

As Princess, Bai Qingyan held noble status. When the clan leader came to see her, she smiled at the corners of her eyes and brows but didn’t rise to bow. The clan leader, asserting his status as elder, also didn’t bow upon seeing Bai Qingyan and walked directly to the seat of honor, smiling: “Why didn’t Qingyan and Jinzhi send word before returning? Great-uncle could have prepared a welcoming feast.”

Hearing the clan leader trying to assert elder authority over her with his words, she casually set her teacup on the small table beside her: “I returned this time to retrieve the ancestral home’s deed…”

The clan leader hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan to be so direct, caught completely off guard.

“The ancestral home’s deed has always been kept here with the clan leader. I wonder what happened to make you return so urgently to demand it?”