Deputy Commander Duke Zhenguo’s heir Bai Qishan, who was ordered to rush to Feng City, discovered upon arriving at Feng City after riding non-stop that Feng City was perfectly safe. The grain warehouse official said the grain supplies had not arrived at Feng City. Deputy General Liu Huanzhang had stopped at Feng City, claiming the grain supplies had gone directly to the front-line military camp, telling the grain warehouse official not to worry.

Heir Bai Qishan knew of Liu Huanzhang’s betrayal and turned around to rush aid to the Chuanling mountain terrain. Who knew that Liu Huanzhang would lead 180,000 soldiers to ambush them halfway at Luofeng Canyon? With such disparity in forces… Deputy Commander Bai Qishan, with ten thousand troops, could not resist, suffered severe injuries, and retreated to Feng City with a thousand remnant soldiers.

Deputy Commander Bai Qishan was trapped in Feng City for five days without grain. Liu Huanzhang captured the five sons of the Bai family, stripping and cutting their flesh before the battle lines to humiliate them, wanting to force Deputy Commander Bai Qishan to surrender. Bai Qishan resolved to protect the evacuation of Feng City’s people and fight Liu Huanzhang to the death to delay time, tearfully drawing his bow to shoot and kill the five sons of the Bai family.

Before Deputy Commander Bai Qishan went into battle, he had those with elderly parents at home step back one pace, and those unmarried without heirs step back one pace. The rest… those who dared die for the people of Great Jin, would follow him into battle against the enemy!

The Bai family’s seventeenth son, only ten years old, stepped forward with sword in hand, declaring he dared sacrifice his flesh and blood to follow his father into battle, fighting to the death for the people of Great Jin, absolutely refusing to live ignomiously! The Bai family army was deeply moved by this ten-year-old child, all drawing their swords, wanting to fight to the death, protecting the people, thrice shouting they would rather die in battle than live ignobly.

When Prince Xin was attacked by Nanyan’s fifty thousand troops at the main camp, he took three thousand soldiers and fled with his tail between his legs, leaving only two thousand Bai family troops willing to fight to the death with Swift Wind General Bai Qingyu for the people, buying time to evacuate the civilians behind.

Bai Qingyu sent five hundred warriors to evacuate the civilians, leading fifteen hundred soldiers to drink farewell wine, saying… though they were not born in the same era, today fighting as comrades for the tens of thousands of Great Jin people, they were all blood brothers. Draining this cup of wine, they would meet again in the next life!

Later, Swift Wind General Bai Qingyu died together with the fifteen hundred soldiers, their bodies burned.

Brave General Bai Qingming defended Feng County to the death as Nanyan’s great army attacked the city. Brave 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 died! To disrupt the Great Jin army’s morale, Nanyan’s main commander, Yun Poxing, beheaded the Bai family’s seventeenth son before the battle lines, cutting open his belly and defiling the corpse. The Bai family’s seventeenth son’s belly contained nothing but tree roots and dirt – Yun Poxing was greatly shocked!

The Bai family army’s killing intent was aroused, and they fought the enemy bravely!

Even the accompanying historian recording the military records wrote these words in his final entry…

“A ten-year-old child’s spirit shames me beyond measure. Having reached this point, though I am a scholar, I dare throw down my brush and take up a sword! Wrapped in a horse’s hide… I go!”

When the six volumes of bamboo slips were finished being read, before Wude Gate… the Bai family members and the capital’s people were already streaming with tears.

Bai Qingyan raised both hands holding the six blood-stained volumes of military expedition records, shouting: “No grain supplies were seen in Nan Jiang. Deputy General Liu Huanzhang betrayed the Kingdom! Prince Xin coveted glory forcing Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting into battle, causing tens of thousands of officers and soldiers to die in Nan Jiang, yet pushed all blame onto Duke Zhenguo, claiming he was stubborn in military use. We beseech Your Majesty to return justice to the heroic spirits, return innocence to the loyal bones! Capture Liu Huanzhang, kill Prince Xin, uphold national law, calm the people’s hearts!”

After hearing this, the gate commander was also filled with righteous indignation, tears in his eyes. He looked back and kindly suggested to the Grand Princess: “Grand Princess, each strike of this Denunciation Drum brings thirty rod strikes! Please have Third Miss stop first!”

“Strike it!” Bai Qingyan stood up with blazing eyes, “These thirty rod strikes per blow, I will take them! Even if I die outside this Wude Gate today, this resounding drum must reach the imperial ears!”

She knelt on one knee at the very front in the posture of receiving military punishment, staring fixedly at the magnificent and imposing Wude Gate before her.

Over these years, the Denunciation Drum standing here had been a mere decoration, more like a symbol – no one dared step forward to strike it.

The executioner held the large rod, gripping the long stick tightly, emotions surging turbulently in his heart. After hearing how the Bai family men died, how could he bring this rod down?!

The delicate and beautiful woman before him – this was a Bai family widow! This truly made it impossible for him to act.

But even if he couldn’t act, he had to. He would just hold back somewhat on his wrist.

“Miss Bai, the rules are before us. I must act – please forgive me!”

The court rod was raised high, restraining its force as it fell…

The muffled rod brought the wind striking directly. Bai Qingyan clenched both fists tightly, her entire body nearly toppling to the ground. She bit her teeth hard, feeling sweetness rising in her chest.

“I’ll take it! I’m strong and sturdy! Let me!” Bai Jinzhi stepped forward to block that long rod, kneeling alongside Bai Qingyan, saying to the executioner, “My eldest sister was injured while killing bandits that year; her body was already weak. Let me!”

“I struck the drum! Naturally, I should receive the punishment!” Bai Jintong forcefully struck the drum, her hands not stopping.

“We sisters… will take it together!” Bai Jinxiu also knelt beside Bai Qingyan. “We’ve all taken plenty of military punishment rods – are we afraid of these small court rods?!”

A man kneeling in the crowd with tears streaming down his face stood up, pushed through the crowd, knelt, and said: “Let me take these court rods for the Bai family daughters! The Bai family men all died fighting for the Kingdom – must the Bai family widows also die seeking justice?! The Bai family’s loyalty and righteousness… Your Majesty must return justice to the Bai family!”

“Let me! That treacherous Prince Xin conspired with the traitorous Liu Huanzhang to covet glory and shift blame, even defiling the remains of heroes who died for the Great Jin! If Bai family men dared die wrapped in horse hides for Kingdom and people, I too dare sacrifice my life for Bai family justice!”

A pale-faced scholar had already stood up: “Well said! What fine words about sacrificing life for righteousness! This humble one is merely a scholar. They say scholars are useless, but today this humble one will sacrifice this useless body, only asking that heroic spirits and loyal souls receive justice!”

The scholar’s words stirred the crowd’s emotions. Even women and children couldn’t help crying aloud, especially women with children. Thinking of the fate of the Bai family’s ten-year-old seventeenth son, thinking of Fourth Madam who nearly crashed into the coffin to die, they too stood up, saying they would take the punishment rods for the Bai family.

The people were filled with righteous indignation. Infected by the chivalrous spirit of those who led, they responded one after another.

Bai Jinzhi looked back at the people standing up for their Bai family, her heart seeming to surge with towering waves, large tears falling drop by drop, her throat so choked she couldn’t even say a word of thanks.

She suddenly remembered the words her eldest sister had taught her that New Year’s Day in Qinghui Courtyard…

—We already struggle without anyone in the court. If we also lack popular support, that would be eternal damnation! This… is the ending those behind this scheme want to see for our Bai family!

So this… was the popular support eldest sister wanted! So the people’s will could be this powerful and vast.

The passionate blood in her heart, her fingers slowly clenched, clear as enlightenment… No wonder eldest sister, who was once taciturn, would tirelessly recount the Bai family’s achievements before others, expressing the Bai family’s love for Kingdom and people.

Before, the Bai family did much but said little, so the people took it for granted.

Now, the eldest sister spoke of what the Bai family had done for this Great Jin kingdom and its people, and the people… were moved to grateful tears.

As the saying goes, the crying child gets milk – these words were truly not false.

“I’ll come too. I’m strong and sturdy. No matter how many times Third Miss of the Bai family struck, I’ll take all the punishment rods!”