The chill in her heart was something that even the warmth of a furnace fire could not dispel. She suppressed all her indignant words and lowered her head: “A’Bao understands!”

Mortal hatred was far less disheartening than this kind of divergence mixed with kinship and sorrow. Like a dull knife cutting flesh, it hurt so much that food could not be swallowed, and sleep could not be found.

Grand Princess’s throat swelled painfully as she choked back tears. After a long while, she tearfully embraced Bai Qingyan in her arms, closing her eyes in heartache, feeling torn between family and nation.

In her youth, Grand Princess had also given her true heart to the handsome general Bai Weiting, who was skilled in conquest and warfare. However, on the night before the imperial marriage decree was sent to the Duke’s mansion, her most beloved father emperor told her with reddened eyes that he allowed her to marry down to Marquis Zhongyong’s eldest son Bai Weiting for two reasons: first, to fulfill her girlish sentiments, and second, to have her watch over Bai Weiting from his pillow side. Her father emperor, had granted the Duke’s mansion supreme military authority, so someone was needed to keep watch over the Duke’s mansion for the Great Jin’s imperial family, preventing the Duke’s mansion from becoming too powerful with their troops and developing rebellious intentions.

Therefore, when she married into Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion and became a woman of the Bai family, besides continuing the Bai family lineage, she also carried the mission of being a princess of Great Jin.

She was absolutely determined not to watch her granddaughter—whom she had devoted her entire life to teaching and who was her most beloved granddaughter—develop rebellious intentions.

The grandmother and granddaughter each harbored their thoughts on the way home, ultimately not speaking another word or uttering another character.

·

Since the day the palace banquet ended, the streets and alleys of the capital, teahouses and wine shops, all discussed the Bai family of the Duke’s mansion. Even those profligate wastrels who only knew eating, drinking, and indulging in luxury began speaking of the Bai family, with heated discussions everywhere.

Even someone like Lu Yuanpeng, a wastrel who only knew how to play with cats and dogs, said things like “The Bai family’s conduct sets an example for our generation!”

Since the founding of the nation, wherever the Great Jin had warfare, there would be the loyal and brave Bai family army. By now, it seemed the entire nation of Great Jin had grown accustomed to this, simply feeling that the Duke’s mansion was Great Jin’s sword, born to protect the Kingdom and sacrifice their lives loyally.

But the eldest Miss Bai’s words before the gates of Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion, her handling of the Duke’s mansion’s illegitimate son before Manjiang Tower, and her words at the state banquet hoping for the Bai family sons’ safe return, made everyone realize that the Bai family sons with their myth of invincibility were also flesh and blood… they too were born of mothers and fathers with people earnestly awaiting their return.

Only for Great Jin, for Great Jin’s common people did they have no choice but to risk their lives in battle, fighting and killing on the battlefield.

It was as if overnight someone had lifted layers of veils, allowing the world to see the Duke’s mansion’s generations of inherited loyal hearts, gaining a new understanding of the Duke’s mansion and growing increasingly reverent.

When the Duke’s mansion’s procurement staff went out to make purchases, the city’s shops and farmers outside the city all unanimously refused to accept a single copper from the Duke’s mansion. Some farmers even delivered fresh fruits and vegetables to the mansion gates daily. The procurement stewards reported this to Dong Shi, leaving her torn between laughter and tears.

“Madam, now farmers and merchants are crowding at the back gate, competing to send things to our mansion. What should we do?” Procurement Steward Liu respectfully asked Dong Shi for instructions with lowered brows and obedient eyes.

Dong Shi held her teacup and pondered briefly before saying: “Accept the goods, but give them silver at market price. Tell them that our Duke’s mansion already receives His Majesty’s salary and is supported by the people’s taxes—we are already content and absolutely cannot take an extra copper from the common people!”

Dong Shi set down her teacup, hesitated for a moment, then added: “Go tell Steward Hao as well, have him pass down the word… everyone in our Duke’s mansion, when going out, must not take a single cent extra from the people or merchants. If anyone violates this, beat them to death immediately upon discovery without needing to report!”

Though the Duke’s mansion currently enjoyed a reputation like fire cooking oil, any misstep would plant hidden dangers for the future. Having managed the Duke’s mansion’s domestic affairs for many years, Dong Shi saw these potential consequences very clearly.

·

Liu Shi watched the physician change the medicine on Bai Jinxiu’s forehead, thinking about how her daughter would be left with scars and feeling heartbroken. With reddened eyes, she came out of Qingzhu Garden. Having walked only a few steps, she saw Nanny Luo approaching hurriedly with a face full of joy.

Nanny Luo bowed and said: “Second Madam, joyful news! Early this morning, word spread outside that on the night the New Year’s Eve palace banquet ended, Marquis Zhongyong immediately sent Marquis Zhongyong’s wife Jiang Shi to Jingxin Nunnery for penitential practice with her hair unbound! I specifically had someone investigate, and the news is certain! Our young miss never has to fear being controlled by her mother-in-law again!”

Jingxin Nunnery had always been where family women went to atone for their crimes. Once there, they never returned home, and many were tormented to death.

Second Madam Liu Shi, upon hearing this, exclaimed with satisfaction and sighed that heaven had opened its eyes: “Nanny Luo, prepare a full table of dishes. At noon today, I want to invite my elder sister-in-law to dine and properly thank her for her continuous support these days!”

At the meal, Second Madam Liu Shi said with a smile: “Now whenever I hear that Jiang Shi is in trouble, my whole body feels as comfortable as if I’d drunk a pot of hot wine—I could eat five more bowls of rice!”

Fifth Madam Qi Shi stroked her belly and mentioned with a laugh, “Second sister-in-law, you shouldn’t be thanking heaven! You should thank elder sister-in-law… If it weren’t for the elder sister-in-law’s benevolence in freeing those five girls from their slave status, how could the matter have blown up? How could the censors impeach Marquis Zhongyong, and how could Jiang Shi meet misfortune?”

“Second sister-in-law thanking elder sister-in-law is certain—otherwise, do you think second sister-in-law prepared this table of dishes to invite us? We… are just accompanying guests!” Third Madam Li Shi covered her lips with a handkerchief and laughed.

Liu Shi was so happy that she had Nanny Luo fetch a pot of wine. She filled a cup and toasted Dong Shi: “Whether it’s the matter of son-in-law moving to the new mansion or Jiang Shi’s affair, elder sister-in-law truly put in great effort!”

“We’re one family—why speak of two households!” Dong Shi drank the wine and happily pulled Liu Shi to sit down. “When Jinxiu recovers from her injuries and goes to the new mansion, she’ll be the head matron and never again fear being manipulated. You can also rest easy.”

Liu Shi’s eyes reddened thinking of Bai Jinxiu, and she nodded.

In the depths of winter, the magnificent ancient residence with its azure bricks and tiles was covered by goose-feather snowflakes, creating a scene unto itself.

Fourth Madam Wang Shi, seeing snow beginning to fall again outside, looked toward the window with reddened eyes and sighed: “I wonder how the children far away in Nan Jiang are doing, whether they can return for New Year this year…”

“With the Duke, the heir, and their fathers there, it’s nothing to worry about! Young men should experience more trials to shoulder great responsibilities.” Though Dong Shi said this, her heart also yearned for her legitimate son.

·

Though Prince Liang hadn’t attended the New Year’s Eve palace banquet, Bai Qingyan’s words spread throughout the entire capital in a tumultuous uproar the next day—how could he not know?

Seeing the Bai mansion and Bai Qingyan’s reputation growing daily, Prince Liang became increasingly anxious and restless.

The Bai mansion’s current momentum was growing ever stronger. Even his father emperor had inquired about the drowning death of the Bai family’s second miss’s dowry maid, telling Marquis Zhongyong to handle it properly.

Outside, everyone was saying that on the very night Marquis Zhongyong returned home, he sent people to escort Marquis Zhongyong’s wife, Jiang Shi, to Jingxin Nunnery for penitential practice to atone and pray for blessings.

He wondered whether, when the battle reports from Nan Jiang returned and popular sentiment all favored the Bai family, his father emperor, would still dare to move against the Duke’s mansion.