Ji Tingyu had probably cut off another section of his arm to make the act more convincing!

That fall from horseback wasn’t light. He untied the blood-soaked bundle from his body and handed it to Bai Qingyan, gripping her hand firmly to signal her to be at ease.

Ji Tingyu’s forehead veins bulged: “First Miss… this subordinate was ordered by you to go to Nan Jiang to deliver winter clothes to the Duke and others. At Chongluan Ridge, we encountered assassins pursuing Tiger Battalion Commander Fang Yan! We fought desperately to save General Fang Yan…”

“General Fang Yan said Liu Huanzhang betrayed us, colluding with Nanyan and Prince Xin. Prince Xin, seeking military glory, forced the Duke into battle, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. When the front lines collapsed, Swift Wind General Bai Qingyu fought desperately to hold the line while evacuating civilians. Prince Xin abandoned the civilians and forcibly took most of the troops to protect his cowardly escape! General Fang Yan entrusted us to bring back these six volumes of military campaign bamboo records! We hid and dodged all the way… all our brothers died to protect these six bamboo scrolls and bring them back! We only seek… that Heaven grant justice to the Duke and the entire Bai family!”

Hearing this, Prince Qi’s face filled with shock. Military record bamboo scrolls being sent back to the capital and presented before the throne was normal procedure – why would anyone pursue and kill along the way?!

Xiao Rongyan lowered his eyes to drink tea without showing emotion, while the noble guests who had been invited to rest and drink tea in the rear hall all rose and headed toward the main entrance, their curiosity aroused, wanting to immediately learn clearly how the Bai family men had all perished!

Bai Jintong looked at the floor soaked with Ji Tingyu’s blood, trembling as she reached out to take the bundle wrapping the bamboo scrolls. Though she knew in her heart that only by being severely injured could Ji Tingyu appear more convincing.

But seeing Ji Tingyu inflict such cruel wounds on himself for the Bai family, Bai Jintong’s heart still churned like stormy seas. The Bai family’s justice… since Heaven and the imperial court wouldn’t give it clearly and openly, they could only seek it through such self-destructive means?!

Bai Jintong unwrapped the bundle before everyone, trembling as she took out one bamboo scroll and unfolded it.

Young Master’s wife, Dong Shi, and Second Madam Liu Shi, both women whose husbands and sons hadn’t returned, also pushed through the guards to come forward, grabbing bamboo scrolls to examine frantically, hoping to find any trace in these military records that their husbands and sons might still be alive.

Bai Qingyan forcefully tightened the rope binding Ji Tingyu’s severed arm, shouting sternly: “Uncle Ping! Take Ji Tingyu to see Physician Hong for treatment! Quickly!”

Prince Qi pushed aside the guards blocking his path, stepped forward two paces, and bowed respectfully to the ground: “Since there are military records here, might Madam entrust them to this prince to take these bamboo scrolls before Father Emperor immediately!”

Though Prince Qi lacked great talent, he was clear in his heart that with Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting’s capabilities, he couldn’t be as stubborn in military affairs and deaf to Prince Xin’s advice as Prince Xin had tearfully claimed in the palace yesterday, forcing troops into battle!

Seeking glory by forcing the Duke into battle, and abandoning civilians in defeat – these two charges alone were enough to block Prince Xin’s path to the throne!

Prince Qi’s heart beat rapidly. The succession had always followed the principle of establishing the legitimate heir if there was one, or the eldest if there wasn’t. Prince Xin was legitimate, while he was the eldest! Though he knew he lacked great abilities in civil and military affairs, he didn’t want this realm to fall into the hands of someone like Prince Xin, narrow-minded and only knowing pleasure! Since he desired that supreme position, he couldn’t fail to scheme and strive for himself.

Dong Shi looked at the bamboo scroll in her hands, blood rushing to her head, her mind numb and blank. She could no longer hear Prince Qi’s words. Her eyes split with rage, tears flowing like springs, the fury in her chest nearly burning her entire being to ash.

Second Madam Liu Shi knelt on the ground, having finished reading one bamboo scroll without finding information about her husband and son, she sobbed heart-rendingly as she switched to another volume.

Bai Jintong gripped the bamboo scroll, clenching her teeth, restraining the overwhelming emotions surging in her heart, striving for clear articulation as she read: “Fifteenth year of Xuanjia, second day of the twelfth month. Scouts reported that Xi Liang’s main force of 250,000 was ambushed in the Chuanling mountains, trapping Bai Qiying and his 40,000 reinforcement troops. Prince Xin urged Marshal Bai Weiting to lead the entire main army to rush to the Chuanling mountains, coordinating with Bai Qiying from within and without to annihilate Xi Liang’s main force. The Marshal suspected deception. Prince Xin, supervising the battle under Heaven’s command, forced Bai Weiting into battle, threatening to execute Bai Weiting’s nine generations for disobedience.”

Seeing Bai Jintong publicly reading the military records, the common people crowded forward, looking up at Bai Jinxiu standing within the Duke’s mansion gates, shocked in their hearts.

So it was Prince Xin who forced Duke Zhenguo’s mansion into battle!

“Fifteenth year of Xuanjia, tenth day of the twelfth month. Deputy Commander Bai Qishan was trapped in Feng City for five days without provisions. Nanyan’s great army captured five Bai sons, stripping and cutting their flesh before the battle lines to humiliate them, wanting to force Bai Qishan’s surrender. The Deputy Commander was determined to protect Feng City’s civilians’ retreat and fought Nanyan’s iron cavalry to the death to buy time. With tears, he raised his bow and shot the five Bai sons. Deputy Commander Bai Qishan declared: Those with only sons and elderly parents step back one pace, those unmarried without heirs step back one pace. The rest… those who dare die for our Great Jin’s people, follow me into battle against the enemy! The seventeen Bai sons, aged ten, took up swords and stepped forward, saying they dared sacrifice their blood and flesh to follow their father into battle, fighting to the death for Great Jin’s people, absolutely refusing to live in shame! The Bai family army was deeply moved by the ten-year-old child, all drawing swords and crying out three times: rather die in battle than live in shame.”

Bai Jinzhi felt blood rushing to her head. She stepped forward quickly, randomly grabbed a bamboo scroll and unfolded it, reading with unsteady breath: “Fifteenth year of Xuanjia, twelfth day of the twelfth month. Swift Courage General Bai Qingming destroyed a small Xi Liang cavalry force, leading one thousand troops back to camp for reinforcement. The camp had been leveled. Swift Courage General rescued ten surviving soldiers… The survivors reported that one day prior, Prince Xin, seeing fifty thousand Nanyan troops approaching, abandoned camp and fled with three thousand troops. Camp-defending Swift Wind General Bai Qingyu dispatched five hundred soldiers to evacuate civilians from the rear, leading fifteen hundred soldiers in battle. Swift Wind General died in battle, his body burned.”

“So it was Prince Xin! Prince Xin is too shameless! He fled with three thousand men!”

“Damn it! And yet… Prince Xin still had the nerve to say the Duke was stubborn in military affairs! He was the one who forced the battle!”

“Too shameless! Poor Duke Zhenguo’s mansion – all their men were sacrificed like this!”

The common people wailed and cursed, not caring that Prince Xin was imperial nobility, the emperor’s legitimate son. Grief-stricken and burning with fury, they wished they could tear Prince Xin apart alive.

“Fifteenth year of Xuanjia, thirteenth day of the twelfth month. Swift Courage General defended Feng County to the death as Nanyan’s great army attacked the city. Swift Courage General Bai Qingming declared that millions of people were behind them – the Bai family army would fight with their backs to the water, not retreating until the last man, vowing to fight to the death! To disrupt Great Jin’s military morale…” Bai Jinzhi read to this point when her voice suddenly stopped abruptly.

Her hands gripping the bamboo scroll trembled violently. Fury and grief tore at her heart, nearly transforming into erupting wails. The overwhelming hatred in her chest burned fiercely, piercing her heart with blood-weeping pain. She bit her teeth hard, reading word by word: “Yun Poxing severed the heads of the seventeen Bai sons before the battle lines, cut open their bellies to humiliate the corpses. The bellies of the seventeen Bai sons contained only tree roots and mud…”

Inside and outside Duke Zhenguo’s mansion gates, all fell silent.

Fourth Madam Wang Shi, hearing the circumstances of her son’s tragic death, became completely stupefied. After all emotions froze, they erupted explosively. She clutched her collar desperately, looking at her son’s coffin, let out a hysterical scream, and charged head-first toward the coffin.