“How can that be the same? The children under Second Miss’s knees bear the surname Qin, not Bai! Could it be that the Bai family’s imperial throne should fall into the hands of the Qin family?” Bai Qingping continued to ask, “Does Second Miss not have the blood of the Bai family’s direct line flowing in her veins?”

“That’s different, daughters are born to marry out…”

That clan member spoke too quickly, his tongue slipping. Only after speaking did he remember that this Bai Qingping was also a woman.

“Oh… so you look down on women!” Bai Qingping picked up the teacup beside her hand. “Since that’s the case, why claim to be imperial relatives? His Majesty… is a woman!”

“Ah Ping, you’re also being ridiculous, actually debating this matter with the various clan elders here with grand rhetoric. Is this a matter that the clan can influence?” Bai Qihe remained completely composed, with an air of calm indifference. “Don’t forget that when the clan members acted recklessly in the past, they nearly forced His Majesty to request exile from the clan. Now, the matter of donating money and grain to defend Shuoyang is merely atonement for past crimes! After His Majesty’s ascension, not being blamed would already be fortunate. Who would have the audacity to claim merit before His Majesty? Who would have the audacity to force His Majesty to adopt clan heirs? And whoever has such audacity… let them go see His Majesty. Anyway, I, as clan leader, don’t dare. I don’t want to have a slightly comfortable life and then actually think myself something, doing utterly contemptible things.”

The clan members immediately fell silent upon hearing Bai Qihe speak thus.

“Father’s instruction is correct!” Bai Qingping stood up, his mood considerably calmer now. Suppressing a smile, he gave Bai Qihe a deep bow. “Your son won’t dare again in the future.”

The Bai clan members: “…”

For three full days, Bai Qingyan and the hundred officials had been handling government affairs in the great hall continuously.

During these three days, the palace was bustling with feverish activity, while outside the palace was equally restless.

Noble families were running about everywhere, seeking information.

Among the officials currently detained in the palace, aside from those who had once been Li Mao’s faction… and were later abandoned by Prince Liang, the rest were all supporters of the Crown Prince!

Previously, whenever news came back, those led by Left Chancellor Li Mao, including Minister of War Shen Jingzhong, Court of Judicial Review Minister Lu Jin, Honglu Si Minister Dong Qingping, and others, had all stood firmly on the Crown Prince’s side.

Before Prince Liang’s ascension, he had declared that after ascending the throne, he would execute Chancellor Lu and his group of important ministers. Not only Chancellor Lu’s family, but all families of officials who supported the Crown Prince were filled with anxiety, only hoping that Bai Jinxiu could quickly capture the imperial palace and rescue their family’s lords and children, who would rather die than submit to Prince Liang.

Later, when Princess Zhenguo led troops to capture the imperial city, everyone had barely finished celebrating when news came from the palace again, saying that Princess Zhenguo would ascend the throne as Empress.

This terrified the noble families in the capital city. Not only had Princess Zhenguo returned with troops, but Bai Jinxiu also held military power. In these chaotic times… whoever held military power was the strong one, and the capital city was already the Bai family’s domain.

Every family was afraid that if their lords and sons stubbornly refused to submit to Princess Zhenguo, they might still not escape the fate of being killed, and even these family members might not be spared.

The anxious noble families all sent their most capable servants to gather information outside the palace, but none could discover anything.

Being unable to gather information… this was what made people most panic-stricken.

Some went to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion, only to find it heavily guarded by troops. They couldn’t get in at all, and the people inside couldn’t come out either. Moreover, Princess Zhenguo’s servants had always been tight-lipped, so even if they could meet them, they probably couldn’t discover anything.

Then the palace sent people out to go to the officials’ residences to fetch clothes for the various officials, which made the noble ladies in the capital city even more restless. This indicated that people were being detained in the palace!

Some with better sources heard that people from the palace had also gone to the Court of Judicial Review Minister Dong’s home to fetch clothes. Everyone hurried to the Dong residence to gather information.

But the wife of the Court of Judicial Review Minister, Madam Song, also claimed to know nothing. She only comforted everyone, saying that Bai Qingyan was not like Prince Liang, who killed innocents indiscriminately. Moreover, the Bai family had a century of excellent reputation, with descendants who were all upright and noble in character, not to mention that Bai Qingyan was a disciple whom even the great scholar Master Guan called the pride of his life.

Madam Song only said she speculated that Bai Qingyan might have kept people in the palace because there had been too much accumulated government business during the recent chaos in the capital, so she kept the hundred officials in the palace to handle state affairs. But most people thought this was just evasive nonsense.

After sending away the various groups who came to gather information, Madam Song was parched with thirst, taking cup after cup of tea her daughter handed her.

Initially, when news arrived that Bai Qingyan would ascend as Empress and change the dynasty name to Zhou, it had truly given Madam Song quite a shock.

This matter of a woman ascending as Emperor was the first of its kind in Jin’s history. As for Western Liang, that was different – the Western Liang Empress was the legitimate daughter of the Western Liang Emperor, and the Western Liang Emperor truly had no sons, so the Empress ascended the throne.

But Bai Qingyan… although her grandmother was the Grand Princess, she didn’t bear the Lin surname after all.

However, Dong Tingzhen, after her initial shock, began analyzing with her mother why Bai Qingyan was more suitable than anyone to be Empress. Whether it was Prince Liang or the Crown Prince, neither would be a wise ruler if they inherited the throne.

The Jin Dynasty had suffered continuous turmoil and was already crumbling like falling mulberry leaves, its situation evident to all.

Looking at her cousin again, she had ordered the rescue of the children from the Nine-Tiered Platform. Those generals from various regions who had already rebelled heard that her cousin had revolted and followed her one after another – otherwise, how could her cousin have returned so quickly?

This was called having the people’s support…

Her cousin Bai Qingyan, with her proud and noble character and outstanding moral conduct, was a true gentleman who stood tall between heaven and earth.

When the source is pure, the flow is clear; when the form is upright, the shadow is straight.

If the emperor of Great Zhou was a gentleman like her cousin Bai Qingyan, pure as ice in a jade pot, then Great Zhou’s government would surely display an atmosphere of brightness and clarity, achieving the enlightened state of Jin’s founding emperor’s time… when civil officials died remonstrating and military generals died fighting.

Moreover, if Jin had an Empress, it would greatly improve women’s status. Perhaps… her cousin would create a precedent, allowing women to take imperial examinations and permitting women to serve as officials.

There were many talented women in the capital city, but talented women were always confined to the inner quarters…

Families like the Bai family, who didn’t look down on women and allowed daughters to study alongside their sons… and even train on battlefields, were too few.

If her cousin, who grew up in such a family, became Emperor, she would surely influence the dynasty’s attitude of male superiority and female inferiority.

Madam Song listened, then turned to look at Dong Tingzhen, whose eyes were bright with excitement, and grasped her hand. “So, you hope your cousin ascends the throne to improve women’s status?”

“If cousin ascends as Emperor, the status of women in Great Zhou will surely change.” Dong Tingzhen’s tone was certain.

Madam Song slowly nodded. As a woman herself, she also knew that women’s status in Jin was indeed too low. But male superiority and female inferiority had continued for thousands of years – could it improve because of Bai Qingyan’s ascension?