Bai Qingxuan repeatedly pondered Prince Xin’s attitude toward the Bai family. After a long while, he finally made up his mind and nodded: “Good! Mother, pack our things now. With all the Bai family men dead, such a grand funeral surely won’t pay attention to us, mother and son! Pick out some valuable items and secretly send them out to hide over the next few days. Once I’ve recovered somewhat, we’ll leave!”

Seeing her son had made his decision, the woman nodded repeatedly: “Mother will prepare right away!”

Fourth Madam Wang Shi, usually gentle and weak, was now determined to stay with her son no matter who tried to persuade her otherwise. She held tightly to the coffin, refusing to let go, wanting to accompany her son.

As a fellow mother, how could Dong Shi not understand Fourth Madam Wang Shi’s feelings? She ordered braziers to be brought and thick fox fur robes draped over Fourth Madam Wang Shi to ward off the cold.

Only when Fourth Madam Wang Shi collapsed from exhaustion did Dong Shi have her carried back to her quarters.

Deep in the night, Bai Qingyan persuaded her mother and several aunts to rest. The seven sisters knelt all night before the spirit altar, keeping vigil. As for Bai Qingxuan… when Bai Qingyan sent someone to request his presence, he claimed his high fever wouldn’t subside and his wounds had worsened, refusing to come.

Though Fifth Miss, Sixth Miss, and Seventh Miss were young, the great sorrow and pain in their hearts had somehow become the strength that sustained them. They knelt before the spirit altar quietly awaiting the return of their grandfather’s, father’s, uncles’, and brothers’ souls.

The darkness before dawn was the deepest and coldest. Even wrapped in fox fur, the chill had already crept up to Bai Qingyan’s waist.

The flickering candlelight made soft crackling sounds. Seeing Seventh Miss Bai Jinse swaying as if about to fall, she gently opened her fox fur cloak and softly embraced the finally exhausted and sleeping Bai Jinse, wrapping her tightly in the fox fur cloak. She had Chun Tao stoke the brazier coals to make the fire burn more vigorously.

Bai Jinxiu also protected her drowsy Fifth Sister, ordering someone to bring a brocade quilt to drape over Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss.

“Little Four, you’re injured. Go to sleep!” she said to Bai Jinzhi.

Bai Jinzhi knelt on her prayer cushion, shaking her head without saying a word. With all the family’s men destroyed and their bodies nowhere to be found, how could she sleep?

Bai Jinzhi’s thoughts were written all over her face. Looking at her with reddened eyes full of heartache, she lowered her gaze and said quietly: “Not seeing the bodies of our other uncles and brothers means everything still has room for change. Isn’t this… also a kind of hope?”

Tears streaming, Bai Jinzhi looked at her eldest sister, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and suddenly felt a glimmer of light in her heart. Her whole being became spirited as she nodded through her sobs: “Yes!”

As dawn barely broke, common people had already come before the Duke’s mansion gates to pay respects. Others came to watch the excitement, to see if any high officials or nobles would come to pay their respects today.

Morning light penetrated the white mist, reflecting off the snow-covered azure bricks and emerald tiles.

An elegant carriage of elm wood with copper-edged trim stopped before the Duke’s mansion gates.

Xiao Rongyan’s guard brought over a stepping stool to help him down from the carriage.

He lifted his robes and stepped gracefully up the high steps of the Duke’s mansion, removing his cloak and handing it to a guard standing beside him. Under Bai Qingyan’s slightly surprised gaze, he respectfully performed the great ceremony before the Bai family’s twenty-odd memorial tablets.

Dong Shi led the children in returning the courtesy.

The handsome and scholarly gentleman, dressed in white formal robes, appeared even more noble and distinguished, with extraordinary bearing.

His gaze turned toward Bai Qingyan, then he calmly and composedly bowed deeply to Dong Shi, his eyes warm and profound: “The Duke, the Young Master, and all the young masters of the Bai mansion are heroes of Jin. Though Xiao is from Wei, I am deeply moved and respectful! I hope Madam will restrain her grief. The loyal soul of a national scholar lives forever in the people’s hearts.”

Because of the words “the loyal soul of a national scholar lives forever in the people’s hearts,” Dong Shi’s tears could no longer be contained. She solemnly returned Xiao Rongyan’s courtesy: “Thank you, Young Master Xiao, for your comfort.”

After returning the courtesy and straightening up, Xiao Rongyan looked at Bai Qingyan: “Miss Bai, please restrain your grief.”

She straightened her spine, curtsied slightly, half-lowering her eyes. Her extremely long eyelashes were like fans, and beneath her seemingly gentle demeanor lay a sharpness difficult for others to perceive.

The Bai family steward invited Xiao Rongyan to the rear hall and ordered tea to be served. Xiao Rongyan had just picked up his cup when he heard that two of the era’s great scholars, Old Master Cui Shiyan and Old Master Guan Yongchong, had come to offer condolences.

Old Master Cui Shiyan and Old Master Guan Yongchong were close friends with Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting. Now that Bai Weiting had suddenly met with great mourning, how could these two dear friends not come to mourn and pay their respects?

Both old gentlemen were advanced in years, especially Cui Shiyan, who was over seventy… Supported by his household servants and Old Master Guan Yongchong, he tremblingly lifted his legs to step over the threshold. Tearfully calling out “Buyu” once, he could no longer control himself and began crying aloud: “Buyu… your foolish brother is seven years your senior, yet I haven’t departed, how could you leave first…”

Buyu was grandfather Bai Weiting’s courtesy name.

Grandfather had set his resolve… to restore peace to the people and establish tranquility in the world, unwavering in his determination until death.

She clenched her fists tightly, kowtowing heavily in gratitude. The tears that had been suppressed in her eyes came flooding out, as if something shot straight up to her throat, choking her so she couldn’t make a sound.

The originally still-as-death spirit hall, because of Old Master Cui Shiyan’s tearful, anguished cry, erupted in weeping. Even the common people outside the gates began wailing aloud.

Xiao Rongyan stood in the corridor, watching as the two literary giants and great scholars of the age bowed to the Bai family’s bereaved. What Bai Qingyan returned was… the courtesy due to teachers.

His eyes narrowed slightly. Could it be that this eldest Miss Bai had studied under these two great scholars?!

Guan Yongchong helped Bai Qingyan up, his reddened eyes looking at Bai Qingyan as he nodded repeatedly. During this period, Guan Yongchong had heard something of Bai Qingyan’s actions and felt much emotion in his heart.

That year, when Bai Qingyan was four, an innocent and adorable little girl, his dear friend Bai Weiting had led his young daughter by the hand to his forest retreat, asking him to teach her literature.

He had said: “A woman’s lack of talent is itself virtue. Why trouble oneself with scholarship?”

Morning light filtered through the dense layers of leaves like curtains, rustling in the wind.

He saw his dear friend smile gently as he stroked the child’s head, his voice steady: “Learning brings understanding of propriety, virtue, righteousness, and shame! This old man doesn’t seek for my granddaughter to be renowned throughout the world, but hopes she will know propriety, virtue, righteousness, and shame – to be an upright person who can face heaven and earth without guilt.”

Honorable and upright, dignified and proper!

Loving and protecting the people, knowing propriety and understanding virtue, knowing shame and understanding righteousness – Bai Qingyan had done very well.

Old Master Cui Shiyan nodded tearfully, seeming both comforting and regretful: “Your grandfather wasn’t wrong about you. You have indeed grown to become what he hoped for…”

She choked back her emotions, curtsying once more.

“Good child! Take care of… your grandmother, mother, and sisters!” Guan Yongchong’s voice was thick with inconsolable sadness.

She nodded in agreement.

News spread that the two literary giants had come to offer condolences at the Bai family home. Gradually, noble families also began coming to pay their respects. The originally deathly quiet Duke Zhenguo’s mansion now resounded with weeping, and azure-canopied carriages came in an endless stream.

Aged Marquis Dingyong came with his entire family. A single call of “Brother Buyu” brought tears streaming down his face.

Bai Qingyan kowtowed in return. Just as she straightened up, she saw Chun Tao lifting her skirts and hurrying through the crowd to squeeze behind her, breathing heavily as she said in an extremely low voice: “Miss! Guard Lu Ping sent word – Ji Tingyu has returned!”