Those generals who had already rebelled did so because they knew Princess Zhenguo had rebelled… submitting to Princess Zhenguo’s reputation and virtuous conduct.

This could already be called the fulfillment of popular expectations.

“The Bai family has been loyal and righteous for generations! I don’t believe Princess Zhenguo would rebel!” An official knelt and cried out, looking toward Bai Qingyan as if seeking confirmation, his voice choked with emotion. “The Bai family has been loyal, righteous, and honorable for generations. This subordinate cannot believe that Princess Zhenguo would disregard the Bai family’s century-old reputation to raise troops in rebellion!”

“Many places have rebelled due to the emperor’s and Prince Liang’s incompetence, and they submit and surrender precisely because they learned that Princess Zhenguo intends to rebel against the Lin imperial power!” Li Mingtang smiled as he spoke to that official. “Just as this lord said, the Bai clan… has been loyal and righteous for generations. Princess Zhenguo, as the eldest legitimate daughter of the Bai family, raised personally by Grand Princess and Duke Zhenguo, should rightfully replace the Lin imperial court. We should support Princess Zhenguo’s ascension as Empress to protect our nation’s countless subjects.”

Chancellor Lu’s emotions churned in his heart. Hearing Li Mingtang mention Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting, he lowered his eyes in quiet contemplation for a moment, then lifted his piercing gaze to look at Bai Qingyan. He stepped forward two paces and asked: “Princess Zhenguo, do you truly intend to rebel?”

Bai Qingyan did not avoid Chancellor Lu’s gaze in the slightest. She nodded, her voice solemn: “I won’t hide it from you all. From the moment I learned that my grandfather, father, uncle, and younger brothers died in battle in Nanjiang, I harbored rebellious thoughts. The deaths of the Bai family and the Bai family army in Nanjiang were entirely because His Majesty believed that the Bai family of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion commanded troops for personal power, suspecting and fearing the Bai family. Those below then speculated on his intentions and conspired to place my Bai family men in mortal danger.”

The great hall fell silent as a tomb, with everyone quietly watching Bai Qingyan.

Dong Qingping’s hands clenched behind his back; his heart couldn’t help but worry for his niece, feeling that Bai Qingyan spoke too directly.

“Do you all know why my grandfather ordered that Bai family descendants, upon reaching ten years of age, must go to military camps for training?” Bai Qingyan gripped the sword at her waist, her eyes reddening. She turned to look at the throne symbolizing imperial power. “When our current emperor was first established as Crown Prince, he said to my grandfather… ‘Uncle-in-law is ten years older than I. Since childhood, I have regarded my uncle-in-law as father and elder brother, not as a court minister. Uncle-in-law’s heart encompasses all the people under heaven, seeking tranquil seas and clear rivers for all living beings, and I am the same! With me in court and uncle-in-law on the battlefield, for this entire lifetime, I entrust military power to you, never to doubt each other.”

The court ministers held their breath, quietly listening to Bai Qingyan’s measured words.

“Great Jin has dominated the various nations for decades. How many enfeoffed marquises and dukes from military families are unwilling to have their descendants risk their lives on the front lines for fame and merit, to the point where our Jin nation has precious few capable military generals! Since other military families’ sons could not be forced into army camps, my grandfather… to cultivate talented generals for the Great Jin who could continue to intimidate the various nations, could only order that the Bai family descendants enter military camps for training upon reaching ten years old. But in the emperor’s eyes… he felt the Bai family was doing this to keep military power firmly in their grasp!”

“In the Nanjiang campaign, facing Xiliang’s fierce general Yun Poxing, my grandfather was determined to bring all the Bai family men to the front lines. The youngest, Little Seventeen… was only ten years old. Grandfather left no escape route for the Bai family – such loyal devotion… was all because of the emperor’s initial words about ‘seeking tranquil seas and clear rivers for all living beings under heaven!’ So, grandfather established such family rules… he was preparing for the day when Jin would unify the world. Grandfather wanted the Bai family sons to become the sharpest blades in the emperor’s hands, cultivating the necessary generals and commanders for Jin’s future unification of the world.”

Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jinse stood right outside the great hall entrance, listening to their elder sister’s voice, not loud, flowing like a gentle stream, yet heart-rending.

The Bai family’s fate came from believing the emperor’s oath to unify the world.

“My grandfather’s courtesy name was Buyu, meaning… wishing to return peace to the people, establish tranquility in the human world, unwavering in determination until death.”

“Unifying the world… this has been the Bai family’s hereditary aspiration for generations, because only through world unification can there be peace across the four seas, no more separation of flesh and blood, no more elderly without support, no more families destroyed with nine out of ten houses empty! With the world as one nation, all people under heaven would be citizens of one nation – tranquil seas and clear rivers, peace under heaven… the Bai family wants all people under heaven to live such lives!”

This was the first time Bai Qingyan had revealed such thoughts about world unification to the people of Jin.

“The Jin emperor lacks such spirit. The Jin imperial princes are content with the status quo, only wanting to preserve their ancestral foundation, never thinking of becoming enlightened rulers who expand territory, never harboring ambitions to unify the world!”

Bai Qingyan’s gaze was burning: “Later, when I received news that Great Yan intended to destroy Wei, I became even more determined in my intention to replace the Lin imperial power after destroying Liang! Great Yan’s destruction of Wei… is not merely to dominate the various nations! It is… to ensure Yan has no worries to the west and south, laying a good foundation for future world unification! Even Yan – a nation with weak people and a poor Kingdom – has a ruler with the heroic ambition to unify the world. But look at our emperor and our princes – which one has such spirit?”

However, Yan’s temporary advantage had already disappeared after Jin destroyed Great Liang.

Even so… the hundred officials in this great hall had to admit that Yan… in just over ten years, had grown from a small nation that was once forced to depend on Jin for survival into a great nation that nearly surpassed Jin, inspiring unavoidable wariness.

If not for Princess Zhenguo’s destruction of Liang, the current Jin… would likely be subordinate to Yan.

“Then, on the journey home, learning that the emperor wanted to use a thousand children to refine immortality elixirs, causing the people to live in misery, I decided to raise troops in rebellion! The hellish conditions in various places that you lords have not seen, Generals Liu and Lin must have witnessed very clearly!” Bai Qingyan looked toward Liu Hong and Lin Kangle.

Lin Kangle stepped forward, cupped his fists, and addressed the ministers: “This general is a rough man. On the journey back… when I saw children’s mothers unable to bear having their children made into elixirs, taking their children to drown themselves in rivers, and learned that those two children’s father and grandfather had died fighting on the Nanjiang battlefield, I had already decided… if Princess Zhenguo had followed the imperial edict and not protected those children, this general would have rebelled! Even if it meant death, I couldn’t let those bastards sent by the emperor take the children away! Later, Princess Zhenguo said: ‘Those who protect the people, the Bai family protects! Those who protect the people for thousands of generations, the Bai family protects for thousands of generations! Those who harm the people, the Bai family, should also rebel against them for the sake of protecting the people! Execute them!'”

Recalling Bai Qingyan’s words about rebelling against the Lin imperial power that day, Lin Kangle’s blood boiled, his voice choked with excitement: “That day, Princess Zhenguo declared she would raise righteous troops for the people of Jin to rebel against the Lin imperial power! To return worry-free and fearless, peaceful rivers and mountains to the people, with no regrets in life or death! This general is also willing to follow Princess Zhenguo – no regrets in life or death!”

Having finished speaking, Lin Kangle cupped his fists and knelt before Bai Qingyan.

“Bai Qingyan has already rebelled against the Lin imperial power, intending to replace it, and will exhaust all her life’s strength for world unification!” She cupped her fists toward the hundred officials in the great hall. “I earnestly request that you all join forces with Bai Qingyan. Bai Qingyan will surely let you all witness a prosperous age where people live and work in peace and contentment, with tranquil seas and clear rivers!”