Xiao Rongyan’s hand paused in fingering the jade cicada. He turned around, his deep-set eyes extremely indifferent, concealing an imperceptible trace of surprise: “You’re saying… the Bai family’s eldest miss?”

“Exactly! This subordinate originally wanted to obtain Miss Bai’s handwriting for comparison, but the Bai mansion servants aren’t easily bought off, and it’s also… not easy to infiltrate.” Xiao Rongyan’s subordinate knelt on one knee: “Please forgive this subordinate’s offense, Master.”

Outside the window, the hanging lanterns painted with plum blossoms at the eaves swayed in the harsh winter wind and snow. Xiao Rongyan, dressed in an azure robe, stood calmly by the window with his hands behind his back, gripping the jade cicada tightly, his unfathomable gaze nearly disappearing into the shadows under the lamplight.

He closed his eyes, recalling how during the Little New Year palace banquet, when he rose to follow the palace maid to change clothes, Miss Bai had suddenly looked toward him. When their eyes met, her pupils had contracted, and after he returned from changing, her spine had relaxed slightly.

Did Miss Bai know his identity?

“Master, regardless of whether it was this Miss Bai who gave the note, your identity may be in danger of exposure. This subordinate boldly requests that the Master withdraw from the capital first, just in case.”

Cold air mixed with snowflakes rushed in from outside the window. Xiao Rongyan turned around, his gaze falling on the red lanterns on the long street: “If the person who delivered the note wanted to harm me, why would they bother to have it delivered to the butler? Let’s wait and see.”

In the harsh winter wind, the Grand Princess and the Bai family had been standing for an hour. The hand warmers in their hands had been replaced once, and the hot soup and meat pies had all been distributed to the common people waiting for news at the Duke’s mansion entrance.

The Grand Princess, leaning on her tiger-head cane, was swaying unsteadily. Bai Qingyan supported her and instructed someone to bring a chair for the Grand Princess.

But the Grand Princess shook her head, grasped Bai Qingyan’s hand, and pulled Bai Qingyan’s fox fur cloak tighter: “A’Bao, your constitution is weak. Can you still hold on?!”

Bai Qingyan had been exercising for some time now. Standing in a horse stance for an hour daily while wearing sand weights was no longer difficult for her. Standing here was not hard for her.

She shook her head: “Grandmother, please don’t worry. A’Bao is fine.”

The common people drinking hot soup saw through the steaming vapor, fragrant with mutton broth, that horses were approaching from afar. They immediately put down their bowls and pointed into the distance: “They’re coming! They’re coming! This time it seems like someone from the palace!”

The Grand Princess’s body stiffened, instinctively straightening her spine. The Bai family members hurriedly moved forward a few steps, craning their necks to look toward the end of the long street lined with red lanterns.

The eunuch galloping on horseback saw from afar the common people carrying lanterns outside the Duke’s mansion, and his heart immediately sank. When he got closer, he discovered that the Grand Princess was waiting outside the Duke’s mansion with the Bai family women.

The eunuch didn’t dare delay. He immediately dismounted and rushed up the steps, kneeling heavily before the Grand Princess: “Grand Princess, the military report from Nan Jiang – the Duke was stubborn in his military command, causing our army’s devastating defeat. The Duke, the heir, and all the Bai family men have perished on the battlefield! In five days, Prince Xin will escort the coffins home…”

Bai Qingyan suddenly raised her head, intense fury and killing intent churning in her heart. The Duke was stubborn in military command?!

When this shocking news arrived, the Grand Princess became unsteady and nearly fell, fortunately supported by Bai Qingyan and Nanny Jiang.

Dong Qingping and Dong Qingyue immediately felt their spines go numb. They had thought that perhaps some of the Bai family might die on the battlefield, but they had never imagined it would be all of them…

“You’re talking bullshit!” Fourth Miss Bai Jinzhi swung her long whip, forcefully wrapping it tightly around the throat of the eunuch delivering the news. Taking three steps in two, she stepped forward and pressed her foot hard against the eunuch’s chest, her eyes bloodshot with rage. Her fury had completely burned away all reason: “My grandfather earnestly taught us that caution is paramount! Grandfather was cautious his entire life! Where does this talk of being stubborn in military command come from?!”

Bai Qingyan’s hands clenched until they cracked audibly. What a fine “stubborn in military command”! The emperor and the empress’s legitimate son, Prince Xin, were mediocre and incompetent, unable to shoulder great responsibilities. To gain military merit, they forced their grandfather to advance recklessly, but in the end, it became their grandfather being stubborn in military command?!

Pushing all blame onto the loyal and brave minister who had devoted his entire life to Great Jin, spilling blood on the battlefield and dying wrapped in horse leather – wasn’t Prince Xin afraid that in his midnight dreams, the heroic spirits of the Bai family would come to claim his life?!

She almost couldn’t resist taking out the military records right now to clear her grandfather’s and the Bai family’s name, but… it wasn’t time yet. One must plan thoroughly before acting, needing to accumulate strength deeply before using everything to its fullest potential for a surprise victory.

These accumulated blood debts, this bone-deep hatred – she, Bai Qingyan, had noted them all!

Overwhelming fury surged up. She bit down hard, swallowing both her clenched teeth and the metallic sweetness rising in her chest, shouting: “Bai Jinzhi! Stand down! Grandmother hasn’t finished asking questions – who permitted you to act?”

Bai Jinzhi almost couldn’t hold back her sobs. She withdrew her whip, tears bursting forth like a broken dam.

The eunuch delivering the message was nearly strangled to death. After violent coughing, he hurriedly crawled on his knees to the Grand Princess’s feet seeking protection.

The Grand Princess’s face was deathly pale, her lips trembling, holding onto one last thread of hope as she asked: “All of them?! Did I hear wrong! My ten-year-old little grandson also went to Nan Jiang – he’s only ten…”

The usually gentle Fourth Madam Wang’s legs went weak as she staggered forward and collapsed to her knees, grabbing the eunuch’s clothes, grief-stricken and unable to speak through her tears: “Seventeen… my little Seventeen is also gone?! My little Seventeen was so small, only ten years old! Ten years old! How could he die too?! He only went to observe… how could he die! You’re lying to me! You’re lying to me!”

“Grand Princess! The Seventeenth Young Master also cannot return!” The eunuch cried and kowtowed heavily.

“Impossible! Second Brother promised me he would protect our son!” Second Madam Liu’s cries shook the heavens as she grabbed the messenger eunuch’s collar: “You’re lying! You’re lying!”

In an instant, the previously quiet entrance to the Duke’s mansion erupted into chaos, becoming a complete mess, with cries shaking the sky.

“My son! Third Brother… how cruel your heart is! How could you take all the sons away? How am I supposed to live?” Third Madam Li beat the ground and wept bitterly.

The two twins surrounded their mother, Fourth Madam, who was crying so hard that even two maids couldn’t help her stand, biting their teeth hard and begging their mother to hold on.

Fifth Madam Qi bit her lips hard, covering her abdomen… her vision went black, and she fell straight backward.

“Fifth Madam! Fifth Madam!” Dong Qingyue quickly caught the unconscious Fifth Madam.

“Fifth Aunt!” Bai Jintong took Fifth Madam from Dong Qingyue’s hands, holding her tightly: “Fifth Aunt, wake up!”

The common people, moved by the Bai family women’s heartbroken emotions, all knelt crying and calling out “Duke,” “General Bai,” their wails shaking the capital.

“Quick! Call Physician Hong!” Bai Jinxiu urged tearfully, “Butler Hao, quickly have people carry Fifth Aunt inside.”

Bai Qingyan turned back to see Dong Shi standing there rigid and colorless, stepped forward to support her mother, choking as she called: “Mother?!”

Dong Shi came back to her senses, tears flowing like broken strings. She bit down hard on her teeth and turned to face the main entrance of the Duke’s mansion…