To abandon emotion and righteousness for greater benevolence – this was a required lesson for every ruler, every emperor.

An emperor’s heart could not be one of black and white, and an emperor’s heart could not be warm.

An emperor’s heart must be ruthless, an emperor’s blood must be cold!

An emperor should not be bound by emotions. Imperial statecraft was the art of weighing options, making choices based on gains and losses, not the way gentlemen measured emotion and righteousness, making decisions based on those two words.

Being the emperor of a great nation was not easy – otherwise, why would those ancestral rulers always refer to themselves as “the solitary one” and “the widowed one”…

Those at the pinnacle of power were destined to be lonely. This position was not as desirable as others imagined, much less as Prince Liang imagined – that once seated, one could do whatever one pleased.

She had personally witnessed the rise and fall of three emperors: her father emperor, her imperial brother, and the current emperor. She knew that the joy of wielding power would quickly be worn away by heavy burdens and pressure until it disappeared.

The cold imperial throne was like the world’s heaviest shackles and cage, isolating familial love, friendship, and romantic love on the outside. Only rulers who could abandon these bonds could become eternal monarchs and achieve eternal imperial enterprise!

It seemed laughable – perhaps only those who sat in that position could understand its terror.

However, once seated there, it was for life, with no escape except death…

Therefore, if she ultimately could not prevent the fall of the Lin imperial power, then she must teach A’Bao the most important lesson of becoming an emperor.

Weighing gains and losses against familial affection, the Grand Princess ultimately made this decision.

With this plan in mind, she absolutely could not bring Bai Jinse and Nanny Jiang, providing Prince Liang with two more vulnerabilities to exploit.

Everything she needed Nanny Jiang to convey to A’Bao, she had already instructed. She still needed to leave Nanny Jiang behind to relay messages for A’Bao.

Sitting in the carriage, the Grand Princess gazed at the increasingly distant capital, yet thinking… if she had not been born into an imperial family, perhaps she wouldn’t be like this. She could have been Bai Weiting’s pure wife, could have been A’Bao’s complete grandmother.

She and A’Bao were the closest people in the world, yet in the end… they still had to go in opposite directions, standing on opposing sides.

Bai Jinse and Nanny Jiang were ordered by the Grand Princess to be confined in Changshou Courtyard and not allowed to leave. Nanny Jiang had been knocked unconscious by the grandmother’s orders and still hadn’t awakened, making her extremely anxious.

Looking at the armed guards stationed outside Changshou Courtyard, she thought briefly, then quietly moved to the rear courtyard of Changshou Courtyard, climbed a tree… leaped down from the tree, supporting herself with her hands… her palms slipped and burned with fiery pain.

She bit her teeth firmly to prevent herself from crying out, afraid of alerting those guarding Changshou Courtyard. Enduring the pain, she lifted her skirt and ran toward the back gate. She had to quickly get out to report to her eldest sister and second sister.

When Bai Jinse ran to the back gate, she was already covered in sweat. Seeing that there were also guards at the back gate, she quickly turned and hid behind the wall corner, pressing her lips tightly together to steady her breathing.

Since grandmother had left in haste, she couldn’t possibly have ordered everyone in the entire mansion to watch her. The people guarding the gate were very likely sent by the second sister, so she didn’t need to be so cautious.

Thinking this, Bai Jinse stopped hiding. She pulled out her handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face. Although her breathing was still somewhat labored, she calmly emerged from behind the wall and called out loudly: “Take me to see second sister! Quickly!”

The squad leader of the soldiers guarding the Bai mansion’s back gate recognized Bai Jinse and hurriedly stepped forward to bow: “Seventh Miss, with the current warfare in the city, Seventh Miss should not go out. If the Seventh Miss has any matters, this subordinate can relay them!”

“My grandmother, the Grand Princess, being taken away by Prince Liang – is this something you can relay?!” Bai Jinse’s eyes were sharp. “Prepare a horse! I want to see the eldest sister and the second sister! Quickly!”

“We subordinates will escort Seventh Miss!” The squad leader turned and shouted, “Go get horses!”

After Bai Qingyan led her troops into the city, she ordered Ji Tingyu to take a team directly to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion.

Ji Tingyu had just led troops rushing into the long street of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion when he saw Bai Jinse riding toward them, escorted by a team of guards.

Bai Jinse saw Ji Tingyu from afar, her eyes widening as she shouted: “Ji Tingyu!”

Ji Tingyu quickly raised his hand to signal the army to halt and urged his horse forward.

Bai Jinse reined in her horse and asked loudly: “Where are eldest sister and second sister?”

Ji Tingyu cupped his fists: “The eldest miss and second miss are attacking the imperial palace. The palace will be taken very soon!”

“Prince Liang has already taken my grandmother hostage, along with the emperor, who was proclaimed dead to the public, and the Crown Prince, and fled the city!” Bai Jinse called out loudly.

Ji Tingyu was greatly shocked upon hearing this and ordered a team to remain behind to care for Bai Jinse.

“Seventh Miss, rest assured! Ji Tingyu will rescue the Grand Princess!” After Ji Tingyu finished speaking, he led the remaining men in pursuit outside the city.

“We will escort the Seventh Miss back to the mansion!”

“I won’t return to the mansion. I want to see the eldest sister and the second sister!” Bai Jinse spurred her horse toward the imperial palace, where the sounds of killing shook the heavens.

The five thousand soldiers left to defend the imperial city had already lost their fighting spirit upon learning that Prince Liang had fled the city with his men. When they saw the black banners with white pythons from afar and that figure in white horse and silver armor galloping toward them, their hearts were even more disturbed, deeply feeling that defeat was certain, so they laid down their weapons and surrendered.

Under the blazing sun, the heavy and weathered Wude Gate slowly opened wide.

Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinxiu rode side by side, slowly entering the city under the escort of their great army.

The soldiers who had opened the city gates all knelt with bowed heads to show submission.

Even the soldiers within the imperial palace had already laid down their weapons and knelt with bowed heads.

Chancellor Lu and other surviving important court ministers, hearing that the sounds of killing had stopped and the situation was settled, finally helped each other emerge from their hiding places.

Seeing those Imperial Guards all kneeling toward Wude Gate, they too walked hand in hand to the front of the great hall. From afar, they could see Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinxiu riding at the front, passing through layers of red-lacquered palace gates.

Dong Qingping’s eyes filled with tears. Seeing his niece riding at the front, he suddenly thought of the iron-boned Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting, and his proud yet gentle and steady brother-in-law, Bai Qishan.

Although the Bai family’s sons were no longer here, his niece had completely inherited both men’s character – accomplished in both civil and martial arts, possessing both benevolent heart and proud bones.

Under the dazzling sunlight, Bai Qingyan’s blood-stained silver armor reflected cold gleams. She rode at the front, her posture upright, followed by shield-bearing infantry and heavy armored cavalry. The ear-piercing sound of their uniform footsteps and the metallic cold light from the soldiers’ blood-stained armor made the entire imperial city solemn.

Whether it was because the officials had just experienced a life-and-death situation and their emotions were greatly stirred, or because this scene was too shocking, their eyes all reddened. Some officials couldn’t help but sob quietly, then quickly used their sleeves to wipe away their tears.

Chancellor Lu clenched his fists, looking at the proud and noble Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinxiu. He inevitably thought of that kind of emperor… that kind of Crown Prince, and that kind of Prince Liang.

How could such an emperor and such an imperial family deserve the assistance of such a Bai family?!

Chancellor Lu sincerely felt it was unfair to the Bai family, unfair to Bai Weiting.