“What?!” Fifth Madam couldn’t help but cry out, her face full of disbelief, her voice trembling as she said, “Say that again!”

Seventh Young Master!

Bai Qingjue!

Dong Shi suddenly gripped the chair’s armrest tightly and looked toward Fourth Madam Wang Shi.

After the Bai family guard finished speaking, he raised his head and somehow had tears streaming down his face. Looking at the utterly shocked Bai family ladies, he choked out: “Madam… Seventh Young Master is still alive! Seventh Young Master is still alive!”

Fourth Madam Wang Shi’s prayer beads slipped from her wrist and fell. She hurriedly knelt to pick them up, tears streaming down her face as she asked: “You said… A’Jue is coming back?!”

“Mother!” Bai Jinzhao quickly stepped forward to help Fourth Madam Wang Shi up. “Seventh Brother is coming back! This is wonderful news! Why are you crying, Mother?”

Bai Jinhua also hurried to support Fourth Madam’s right side, choking out: “Seventh Brother is coming back, Mother! Seventh Brother is coming back!”

Wang Shi clutched desperately at the clothes over her heart, nodding forcefully. It should have been joyful news, yet she didn’t know why her tears fell like broken beads.

Although Bai Qingyan had already told Fourth Madam the news that Bai Qingjue was still alive, Fourth Madam had always thought she would probably never see her son again in this lifetime. She prayed to gods and Buddhas daily, only hoping to confirm her son was alive before she died. She never expected… that now Bai Qingyan would send word back… that Bai Qingjue would soon return to Shouyang to escort them back to the capital.

“You… you’re not deceiving us, it’s A’Jue?” Third Madam Li Shi asked urgently.

“The First Miss said so personally, telling all the ladies not to rush to the capital. The Seventh Young Master will lead troops back to personally escort all the ladies there. The First Miss specifically instructed me to tell all the ladies… Seventh Young Master is still alive!”

Li Shi covered her mouth with her handkerchief as tears streamed down her face.

Fifth Madam Qi Shi also gripped her chair’s armrest tightly, suppressing her choking voice to ask: “Seventh Young Master is still alive, then… what about the other young masters? Are there any others… who survived?!”

If Bai Qingjue was still alive, did that mean their other children were alive too?!

If one had escaped death, might the other children also have a chance?

Heaven had opened its eyes… could it return all those good Bai family children…

The sudden news of Bai Qingjue being alive created an even greater shock in the Bai family’s hearts than the news of Bai Qingyan’s coronation on the twentieth of June.

Perhaps it was because the ladies had long ago seen through the fact that the Jin Dynasty’s imperial family was already corrupt, and dynastic change was inevitable. Moreover, all the Bai family ladies were intelligent—they had inadvertently glimpsed hints that there would come a day when Bai Qingyan would replace them. But the Bai family sons… according to the new army records, they were all dead!

Dong Shi’s throat constricted. She forcibly suppressed the urge to ask the guard whether A’Yu would return, sitting in her chair and gripping the armrests desperately.

“The First Miss has already proclaimed to all under heaven that any Bai family descendants and Bai Family Army members who still draw breath from the southern campaign during the Xuanjia years must rush back to the capital to witness the coronation ceremony together and jointly build the grand ambitions of the Bai family ancestors! The imperial edict has already departed from the capital to be sent everywhere. Soon, the entire nation will receive it!”

Fifth Madam Qi Shi let out a long breath, closed her eyes, then opened them again. Forcing herself to straighten her spine, she looked at Dong Shi: “Elder Sister-in-law, I understand now… A’Bao isn’t afraid of bearing infamy to ascend the imperial throne—it’s all so that all the Bai family members and Bai Family Army still living in this world can return righteous and dignified! Jin has undergone a complete transformation. A’Bao wants them to know… this nation will never again have anyone who can make them bear stigma. From now on, this nation will be ruled by the Bai family!”

They had thought that after the Bai family men all perished in the southern campaign, the burden on Bai Qingyan’s shoulders was heavy as she took up the Bai family’s responsibilities. They never imagined the burden on Bai Qingyan’s shoulders was so extraordinarily heavy…

When had she begun planning all these things? They knew nothing at all. If they had known… they could have at least asked their maternal families to help Bai Qingyan somehow!

No matter how others saw Bai Qingyan as invincible in battle, as omnipotent, to them… in the eyes of these aunts, she was still just a child.

Dong Shi’s throat felt sour and swollen, her eyes misted with tears. After nodding slightly, she said, “I only hope that the Bai family members still living in this world can return! At least… if the children can all come back! It would make A’Bao’s hardships worthwhile.”

Li Shi nodded with choking voice: “I hope heaven has eyes… even if just one of A’Luo, A’Ming, A’Yun could return! Even just one…”

With joy and sorrow intertwined, in the brightly lit main hall of the Bai family, several ladies wept together, praying to heaven in their hearts… hoping that with Bai Qingyan’s imperial proclamation spreading throughout the realm, their children could all return!

After shedding tears, Fifth Madam Qi Shi dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief and spoke solemnly: “Sister-in-law, now that A’Bao is about to ascend the throne, there are some matters where we can also be of help. Let’s send letters to our maternal families! Our respective maternal families all have a certain influence in various places. Even if we can’t help with major matters, we can certainly help with minor ones. During dynastic change, stabilizing local powers is especially important, particularly since A’Bao is a woman—there will be those with rebellious hearts who will take advantage of the chaos.”

“Fifth Sister-in-law is right!” Li Shi also came to her senses. “I’ll write to my maternal family immediately!”

Fourth Madam Wang Shi, who had been crying uncontrollably, also nodded: “It’s just that I have little influence or status. I don’t know… whether my maternal family will listen to me.”

Although Fourth Madam Wang Shi was a legitimate daughter, her legitimate brother had died young, and her mother’s health was damaged so she could no longer bear children. The Wang clan had adopted a concubine-born son under her mother’s name. That concubine-born son was now the Wang family head and might not necessarily listen to her.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, don’t worry. A’Bao is about to ascend the throne. Intelligent people will understand what the general trend is…” Fifth Madam Qi Shi said.

Since the Bai family made no deliberate attempt to conceal the news, it spread very quickly…

The Bai clan soon learned of Bai Qingyan’s intention to become emperor, and the Bai clan members were beside themselves with joy.

Bai Qihe’s wife, Fang Shi, upon hearing this news, after her initial great joy… couldn’t help but complain about Bai Qihe and Bai Qingping.

“These father and son are simply my nemeses…” Fang Shi lifted the hem of her copper-green jacket and plopped down on the soft couch, venting to Puliu: “Back then, I told them that when the master and A’Ping had opportunities to visit the Bai mansion, they should bring our two daughters along so they could also show their faces before Princess Zhenguo. They’re all cousins… sisters should interact more!”

Fang Shi flung her handkerchief, so angry her eyes reddened: “But those two completely ignored my words! As if my two daughters weren’t the master’s daughters, weren’t A’Ping’s real sisters—they didn’t care about them at all! They’re both ungrateful wretches who won’t plan for their sisters, afraid I’d use the two daughters to spy on the Bai mansion! Now look… Bai Qingyan is about to become emperor! Our family’s daughters haven’t even had a chance to become familiar faces before her.”