“Shen Tianzhi…” The Grand Princess called out loudly to Shen Tianzhi.

“Yes!” Shen Tianzhi stepped forward.

“Tie the Emperor to the pillar! Bind him securely! Take Second Miss out…” The Grand Princess commanded with tremendous authority, then looked at Bai Jinxiu with eyes full of loving affection. “Your elder sister’s enthronement ceremony—Grandmother won’t be watching! Tell your elder sister… not to resent Grandmother, and to live well.”

Having said this, Shen Tianzhi’s men had already stepped forward to pull Bai Jinxiu away.

Bai Jinxiu was about to draw her Azure Edge sword to fight off Shen Tianzhi’s men, but was restrained by Shen Tianzhi, who rushed forward: “Second Miss, do you truly not understand? The Grand Princess is the Grand Princess of the Jin Dynasty, just like… your uncles were of the Bai Family Army. To protect what they wanted to protect in their hearts, they would never retreat even unto death.”

Shen Tianzhi looked seriously at Bai Jinxiu. Moreover, the Grand Princess had spent her entire life guarding the Jin state, even for the sake of Jin… she had been wary of her husband, son, grandsons, and granddaughters.

Now that things had come to this point, the Grand Princess knew Jin was corrupt and had taught her granddaughter to ascend the throne as Emperor, yet she could not bear to watch Bai Qingyan’s enthronement with her own eyes.

If she died here today, she would die together with the Jin state.

But to let the Grand Princess witness Bai Qingyan’s enthronement would mean watching her granddaughter destroy Jin—the Grand Princess was unwilling to see this.

This was the Grand Princess’s pride as a legitimate princess of Jin, and such pride… was more important than life itself to people like them.

Just like…

A scholar’s integrity.

A general’s valor.

The Emperor, tied to the pillar, was still cursing furiously, trying to make a dying struggle, when a guard found a rag from somewhere and stuffed it directly into the Emperor’s mouth.

“Madam Qin… think of the late Duke Zhenguo. In his final moments, didn’t Duke Zhenguo clearly understand that the Bai family met such a fate because of those four words—’ When the ruler suspects, the minister dies’? Yet why did Duke Zhenguo never leave a single word for the Bai family to seek revenge? Because Duke Zhenguo was loyal to Jin.” Shen Tianzhi said solemnly to Bai Jinxiu, “Let’s go!”

Shen Tianzhi spoke these words, though he wasn’t sure if Bai Jinxiu could understand them.

After all, in this era of collapsing ritual and music, fewer and fewer young people could understand the beliefs and persistence of people like the Grand Princess’s generation.

“Go!” The Grand Princess smiled as she sat down behind the desk, fingering her prayer beads with a kind and gentle smile. “The Jin Dynasty has ended, and I, this Grand Princess of Jin… should also depart.”

Even if the Grand Princess left with Bai Jinxiu today, she wouldn’t live much longer anyway.

When one’s time is near, people have a sense of it.

Everyone must die eventually. Since this was so, why spend the remaining days before death… constantly immersed in pain? If that were the case, it would be better to depart today, when the Jin Dynasty completely became history, to leave together with Jin’s history.

In Shen Tianzhi’s view, Bai Jinxiu was still a child. Although the Bai family children were all precocious, Bai Jinxiu was different from Bai Qingyan, whose intelligence bordered on supernatural. If he didn’t speak plainly, Bai Jinxiu wouldn’t understand.

Bai Jinxiu looked through tear-filled eyes at the Grand Princess, who had made up her mind to sit down and speak no more: “Grandmother…”

Seeing Bai Jinxiu’s struggle, Shen Tianzhi spoke like an elder, patiently persuading: “Kowtow to the Grand Princess, then let’s go… don’t delay any longer!”

The Emperor, with his mouth gagged, had veins bulging on his forehead, not knowing what he was trying to say, but it was all blocked by the rag stuffed in his throat.

Bai Jinxiu hesitated for a moment, then released her grip on the Azure Edge sword and knelt before the Grand Princess, kowtowing heavily: “Grandmother, Jinxiu… still hopes Grandmother can leave together with Jinxiu. If something happens to Grandmother here… Elder Sister will be very heartbroken! Elder Sister was raised by Grandmother’s hand… her bond with Grandmother runs deeper than any of us siblings.”

“Precisely because of this, so… Grandmother is unwilling to see the day your elder sister ascends the throne! Yet also hopes it is she who ascends!” The Grand Princess lowered her eyes to look at the unfinished teacup before her, picked it up, and drained it completely. “In the next life! Grandmother will surely be a proper grandmother to you all.”

The tea contained poison—the “One Day Sleep” that the Grand Princess had once ordered to be used to kill Ji Tingyu. Yesterday, upon learning that Bai Qingyan would enter Luohong City, the Grand Princess had taken this One Day Sleep, but in extremely small doses. After all, this poison… would make one drowsy after use, leading to death in sleep!

Therefore, yesterday the Grand Princess had used only a little, and today, before Bai Qingyan’s arrival, she had gradually increased the dose.

Now, having drunk this cup of tea, the poison was completely consumed. Before long, the Grand Princess would feel drowsy, and then… sleep forever in this Luohong Tower.

The Grand Princess waved her hand at Bai Jinxiu: “Grandmother is going to see my Imperial Father and Mother, going to… apologize to your grandfather, uncles, and brothers.”

Having said this, the Grand Princess closed her eyes as if entering meditation and spoke no more…

“Let’s go!” Shen Tianzhi reached out to pull Bai Jinxiu’s arm. “If we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late! The fire is too fierce!”

Outside, billowing smoke continuously squeezed through the cracks of the tightly closed windows. Shen Tianzhi couldn’t help coughing, and the heat waves were becoming more and more intense. The raging fire would probably soon devour this Luohong Tower.

“Grandmother!” Bai Jinxiu’s tears fell like broken strings, hoping the Grand Princess would change her mind and leave with her.

Shen Tianzhi saw the Grand Princess’s lips changing color and his expression changed drastically. He looked up to see flames already reaching the windows and hurriedly said to Bai Jinxiu: “The Grand Princess has already taken poison! Madam Qin… if we don’t leave now, it really will be too late!”

“Grandmother!” Bai Jinxiu was greatly shocked.

“Let’s go!” Shen Tianzhi forcefully pulled Bai Jinxiu up. “If you also die here, His Majesty will truly be heartbroken! Let’s go!”

Bai Jinxiu gritted her teeth and no longer pleaded, instead gripping Shen Tianzhi’s arm tightly: “Immediately… send people to carry my grandmother out! Regardless of whether Grandmother is willing or not! Quickly! If anything happens to Grandmother… I will tell Elder Sister it was your fault!”

“This…”

Shen Tianzhi’s face went pale. To offend the Grand Princess… the grandmother of the Great Zhou Empress, who would have such audacity?!

“If you won’t act, I’ll do it myself!” Bai Jinxiu said.

Shen Tianzhi had no choice but to nod: “Carry the Grand Princess out…”

At this moment, although the Grand Princess still retained consciousness, her body had already lost its strength first and was about to fall into a drowsy slumber. Even opening her eyes required effort.

The Emperor, securely bound to the pillar, stretched his neck and seemed to be howling something desperately, but no one paid attention to him.

The Emperor watched as the soldiers carried the Grand Princess out, watched as the people in Luohong Tower left one by one, leaving him alone. Finally panicking beyond measure, he opened his bloodshot eyes wide and roared toward Bai Jinxiu.

Bai Jinxiu stepped outside, looked up at the Emperor, and personally closed the door for him…