Prince Xin’s face instantly drained of all color. If Bai Qingyan’s words were to spread and become known to all the people… it would inevitably become the greatest obstacle on his path to the throne!

What a venomous woman! Prince Xin was so infuriated that his entire body trembled with rage. Pointing at Bai Qingyan, he roared: “Men! Hack her to death with random blade strikes!”

“I’d like to see who dares!” Bai Jintong drew her sword and stood protectively in front of Bai Qingyan, her deadly gaze sweeping over those personal soldiers of Prince Xin.

“Prince Xin, watch your words!” Dong Shi quickly stepped forward to shield her daughter, standing at the very front with the full dignity of a mistress. “If the loyalty and courage of my Bai family’s war dead truly carry guilt, then His Majesty will naturally determine their crimes after reviewing the military records! But before His Majesty passes judgment… they are all heroes who sacrificed their lives for the Kingdom! Prince Xin shows disrespect and insults them, and now if he were to kill the Bai family widows, is he not afraid of being denounced by all under heaven?!”

Bai Jinzhi, bearing injuries, bit her gums until they bled, her blood-filled tears all containing towering killing intent. Along with the Bai family guards, they all stepped forward, adopting a stance of protecting Bai Qingyan and fighting Prince Xin to the death.

But Bai Qingyan was already beyond rage. She yanked back Bai Jintong, who was protecting her, and stepped forward two paces… pressing her chest against the sword point of Prince Xin’s guard. Her overwhelming, heart-stopping killing intent forced that guard to retreat a step.

“Kill me?! Come on!” She was hoarse with fury, her eyes rolling with world-destroying malevolence. “Right here in broad daylight under the clear heavens, let all under heaven see how the princes of this Great Jin imperial family treat the widows of martyrs! Let all people under heaven take a good look… what fate befalls those who fight bloody battles and die for the Jin Kingdom! My soul will stand right here with eyes wide open watching… to see who in the future will dare fight for the Jin Kingdom! Who will dare to die for the Jin Kingdom? Your Lin family’s imperial throne… who will dare protect it for you!”

Xiao Rongyan, standing outside the crowd like an observer, his deep, dark eyes deeply concealing their gleam.

Others might not understand, but he could hear… today Bai Qingyan’s reason had been completely destroyed the moment the Bai family’s seventeenth son’s head rolled out. The dark gleam of rebellion in her words was gradually showing, pressing forward aggressively, sharp and terrifying.

Prince Xin was so intimidated by Bai Qingyan that he broke out in cold sweat. Seeing the emotionally charged common people step forward, each seeming unafraid of death, all appearing ready to stand with Bai Qingyan in a line against his soldiers, Prince Xin’s throat rolled violently as he retreated: “You… you lowly commoners, are you trying to rebel?!”

The common people rustled forward, wishing they could skin Prince Xin and tear him apart… each one spirited and determined, making Prince Xin feel guilty and uncertain. Though he wanted to pretend to be calm and hold his ground, his legs couldn’t help but retreat backward.

Prince Xin was not unaware of the phrase “public opinion is fearsome.” Today, he had thought that all the Bai family men were dead… he had been too arrogant.

Just when Prince Xin didn’t know how to respond, suddenly a eunuch supervisor came riding fast on horseback, calling out in a shrill voice: “His Majesty has issued an edict… Prince Xin must quickly enter the palace for instruction! Prince Xin, please quickly follow this servant into the palace!”

Prince Xin, who was just worrying about how to extricate himself, knew this was his father sending someone to rescue him. He quickly knelt respectfully and kowtowed: “This son receives the edict!”

Prince Xin stood up, his face sinister as he pointed with his finger in Bai Qingyan’s direction, then boarded the carriage brought by the eunuch supervisor and headed toward the imperial palace.

The entire Bai family, with red-rimmed eyes filled with hatred, watched the carriage Prince Xin departed in, their fists clenched tightly.

“Grandfather! My grandfather… your grandson just returned to the Bai family, you haven’t even looked at your grandson once, how could you have gone… Grandfather!”

Sudden crying and shouting arose. Bai Qingxuan knelt and crawled toward Duke Zhenguo’s coffin, crawling and crying out, his voice so loud it seemed as if he feared others wouldn’t know he was Duke Zhenguo’s grandson.

Bai Qingxuan had been carried to the southern city gate by some Bai family servants who sought to curry favor with him. Just now, seeing the Bai family and Prince Xin at sword’s point, he had quietly hidden to one side without making a sound. Only after Prince Xin had just left did he put on this appearance of overwhelming grief.

“Duke! How could you have gone? Your grandson Bai Qingxuan just returned to acknowledge his ancestry and return to the clan… how could you have left?” That woman also beat her chest and stamped her feet, crying out.

Dong Shi’s expression was gloomy as she coldly watched this mother and son pair putting on such a farce, feeling extremely annoyed: “What is this commotion?!”

“What words is the Crown Prince’s wife saying? How can this be called a commotion? My son Qingxuan is the Duke’s grandson… now that the Duke is gone, Qingxuan, as the Duke’s only grandson, naturally should come to welcome the Duke!” That woman covered her heart, putting on an affected appearance of heartbreak. “The Crown Prince’s wife brought the Bai family widows to the southern gate early this morning to welcome the Duke. Why didn’t you call my son? Could it be that just as the Duke and Second Master have passed away… the Crown Prince’s wife can’t wait to drive us, mother and son, out of the Duke’s mansion gates!”

“Grandfather! Now that you’re gone, what should your grandson do?” Bai Qingxuan knelt before the Duke’s coffin, patting the paper-thin coffin. “Your grandson was beaten nearly to death right after returning home! Your grandson still hasn’t been entered into the family register, and your grandmother won’t see your grandson! Without the grandfather’s protection! Your grandson fears that before long, he’ll have to go see his grandfather!”

Seeing this, the common people couldn’t help but whisper among themselves…

“That’s also a young master of the Duke’s mansion?!”

“I remember! That day in front of Manjiang Tower… the bastard son who was beaten by the eldest miss!”

“Who would have thought that while the Duke’s mansion is full of heroes, it would also produce such a vicious bastard son!”

“No matter how vicious, he’s now the Duke’s mansion’s only male heir! His prospects must be limitless!”

Bai Qingyan, who had been most impulsive and furious just moments ago, watching this farce, instead calmed down. She closed her eyes, no longer confronting Prince Xin’s personal guards, nor wishing to watch this mother and son’s affected posturing.

She spoke: “Bai Qingxuan, today’s events… You should also have seen Prince Xin’s attitude toward our Bai family! What our Bai family’s future holds is still unknown. Perhaps… we don’t know when a great crime will be imposed upon us! The entire family exterminated! Since you’re not afraid… after our Bai family’s funeral rites are over, mother and I will ask grandmother to preside over entering you into the family register! Whether the Duke’s mansion faces future glory… or family extermination! You must not regret it!”

Bai Qingxuan, who was in the middle of wailing, shuddered all over. Remembering Prince Xin’s attitude just now, it was as if cold water had been poured over him, and all his howling voice got stuck in his throat.

She gripped Bai Jintong’s hand tightly, not even glancing at the affected Bai Qingxuan, saying: “Let’s go. Bringing our Bai family heroes home is what matters!”

She turned and walked to the red-eyed Chun Tao, taking the white fox fur Chun Tao had brought for her. Straightening her back, she walked to Fourth Aunt Wang Shi, who was holding Little Seventeenth’s corpse and talking to Little Seventeenth in mad, demented whispers. She knelt and wrapped Little Seventeenth’s remains in the fox fur.

“Fourth Aunt, let’s take Little Seventeenth home!”

Fourth Madam Wang Shi looked up, her bloodshot eyes streaming with tears, her gaze vacant and empty as if nothing existed, her voice choked and trembling: “But… but Little Seventeenth’s body has been cut open! I also… I also can’t hold Little Seventeenth’s head steady! I can’t hold Little Seventeenth’s head steady…”