Yes, in this life… all the Bai family’s loyal servants were still here!

They had not yet scattered to the ends of the earth to escort their sisters to safety.

Her eyes reddened. In her previous life, when mother received news that Liu Huanzhang would return to the capital to accuse grandfather of treason, it was her two milk brothers Xiao Ruojiang and Xiao Ruohai who protected Bai Jinzhi as she left Great Jin for Great Wei.

Bai Jinzhi devoted herself to Great Wei, becoming Great Wei’s most courageous general, while the Xiao Ruojiang and Xiao Ruohai brothers also became the most capable strategists and generals by Bai Jinzhi’s side.

“It’s not convenient for me to see my two milk brothers at this hour. Please, Nanny, help me settle them properly first. You’ve traveled through the night and are travel-worn – rest well first! Everything can wait until tomorrow.” Bai Qingyan looked at the bloodshot eyes of Nanny Tong and knew she probably hadn’t rested well on the journey.

Nanny Tong nodded. Having traveled day and night without sleep, seeing Bai Qingyan safe and sound at the Duke’s mansion, she breathed a sigh of relief and fatigue set in. After all, she was getting old and couldn’t handle such ordeals.

Leaving the room, Nanny Tong saw an unfamiliar face – Yinshuang sitting in the corrid,or eating pine nut candy. Frowning at such a lack of propriety, she turned to ask Chun Tao: “We’ve added someone to our courtyard?”

Chun Tao looked at Yinshuang with some affection and quickly said: “I forgot to tell Nanny… Yinshuang was brought into Qinghui Courtyard by First Miss. This child isn’t very bright, but she has great strength. She previously served alongside Miss Shen Qingzhu. First Miss intends that as long as she doesn’t make major mistakes, there’s no need to constrain the child with strict rules.”

Nanny Tong nodded, though she didn’t quite approve in her heart. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. Even if First Miss wanted to show favor, she shouldn’t sit so carelessly in the courtyard eating – if others saw this, they’d think Qinghui Courtyard had no rules at all.

Nanny Tong didn’t show her thoughts on her face, but mentally planned to discuss this with First Miss later. Once she had First Miss’s approval, she would begin teaching this child proper conduct. In Nanny Tong’s view, it didn’t matter if Yinshuang wasn’t bright or learned rules slowly – they could teach her repeatedly, taking their time. But they couldn’t indulge her out of pity, as that would harm the girl.

“You go serve First Miss!” Nanny Tong said to Chun Tao.

Chun Tao nodded. When she entered, she saw Bai Qingyan taking out a fox fur cloak and quickly helped her put it on: “Where is First Miss going?”

“To see grandmother.”

When Bai Qingyan entered Changshou Courtyard, she saw the Grand Princess and Nanny Jiang standing under the lanterns beneath the eaves. She handed her hand warmer to Chun Tao and hurried forward: “Why is grandmother standing outside?”

The Grand Princess’s eyes were red as if she had been crying. Seeing Bai Qingyan approach, the corners of her mouth curved into a smile as she reached out to embrace Bai Qingyan, pointing at a pine tree in the courtyard: “That pine tree was planted by your grandfather’s own hands! That year when your grandfather and I moved into this Changshou Courtyard…”

The Grand Princess said this, then looked down at her granddaughter in her arms, smiling through tears: “Back then, this was called Rongshou Courtyard! But your grandfather said… he didn’t seek glory and longevity, only that we, husband and wife, could have a long life like pine and cypress. With a bold stroke of his brush, he changed the courtyard name to Changshou Courtyard.”

Standing nearby, Nanny Jiang couldn’t help but turn her face away, covering her mouth as tears fell like broken strings.

The Grand Princess’s nostrils flared, her entire being as if she had chewed bitter plums, with lingering bitterness creeping into her heart.

“Grandmother, let’s go back inside… the wind is strong in the courtyard.” She lowered her moist eyes and helped the Grand Princess back into the main room, arranging for a hot towel for the Grand Princess to wipe her face. Only then did the Grand Princess recover.

“Coming out so late in the wind, is there something you need?” The Grand Princess handed the hot towel to Nanny Jiang, took Bai Qingyan’s hand, and had her sit beside her, then had Nanny Jiang bring Bai Qingyan a bowl of hot ginger soup.

Regarding the second uncle’s bastard son, now everyone in the mansion is saying Bai Qingxuan will inherit the Duke Zhenguo position. Grandfather, father, uncle, and my brothers will return in three days. Granddaughter came to ask what grandmother plans for this son.”

The Grand Princess’s heart was in turmoil. Recalling today’s scene of several daughters-in-law unable to reach an agreement here, she asked Bai Qingyan in return: “What does A’Bao think?”

She held the Grand Princess’s hand and spoke slowly: “This son… has a violent temperament and lacks benevolence. Not only is he unworthy of the two characters ‘Zhenguo,’ but if we place him in this position, I fear the Bai family’s century of reputation will be ruined overnight, and may even bring catastrophic disaster to our Bai family!”

The Grand Princess nodded, but the Duke Zhenguo title had been earned through generations of Bai family members sacrificing their lives. Should they just give it up?!

“That day when someone bribed soldiers’ families to cause trouble at our Duke’s mansion gate served as a warning – someone in the shadows is watching our Bai family, plotting to frame and destroy us! Granddaughter privately believes that the Bai family’s glory lies in people’s hearts. Voluntarily relinquishing the Duke Zhenguo title to preserve the Bai family should be our urgent priority!”

“Voluntarily relinquishing the title…” The Grand Princess had considered this before.

She nodded: “In the position, one must fulfill its duties. Bai Qingxuan doesn’t have this capability. Rather than let Duke Zhenguo become an empty title, it’s better to retreat courageously and return to our ancestral home in Shuoyang, showing His Majesty our Bai family’s humble withdrawal, to preserve the lives of all our Bai family members and our century of reputation.”

“As for Bai Qingxuan, if grandmother has the energy… she can keep him by her side for proper upbringing. If in the future he can achieve something and earn advancement through his merit, then our Bai family’s retreat today and the good reputation it creates will certainly become tremendous support for his future career! Even if Bai Qingxuan is beyond redemption, our Bai family still has the child in Fifth Aunt’s womb. If Fifth Aunt bears a son, the Bai family’s restoration to glory will be just around the corner!”

Bai Qingyan’s words suddenly enlightened the Grand Princess. Yes… How could she forget about the child in the fifth daughter-in-law’s womb?

By retreating, the Bai family gained another path forward! By not retreating… even if the Bai family fought desperately and let that bastard son obtain the title, he probably couldn’t continue the Bai family’s full glory.

The Grand Princess nodded, her reddened eyes looking at the soft-spoken Bai Qingyan. She raised her hand to stroke her granddaughter’s black hair, continuously marveling in her heart – her granddaughter could be literary when needed, martial when required! Her shrewdness, methods, strategies, and breadth of mind were all extraordinarily outstanding. If her eldest granddaughter were a son, why would the Bai family worry about having no successor?

When Bai Qingyan left the Grand Princess’s courtyard, she originally wanted to accompany Dong Shi. Walking to the entrance of Dong Shi’s courtyard, she didn’t have Nanny Qin announce her. Just as she lifted the curtain to enter, she heard her mother’s extremely suppressed crying.

Through the twelve-panel jade and nanmu wood screen, Bai Qingyan vaguely saw her mother sitting before the bronze flower mirror, one hand clutching the hairpin father had personally made to celebrate her birthday, holding in her arms the new clothes made this year for her younger brother Bai Qingyu, unable to suppress her quiet weeping.

Her mother’s crying made her heart feel as if it had been stung. Her internally strong mother, losing both husband and son overnight – what kind of heart-wrenching pain must she feel deep inside?

She didn’t disturb her mother, only standing behind the screen for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before leaving the room again.