The incident of Bai Siruo being whipped in the ancestral hall reached the ears of Prime Minister Bai and the eldest son, Bai Chaoan. Bai Chaoan felt sorry for his niece and muttered a few words, but Prime Minister Bai was indifferent.
"Xiao Si did the right thing. Since Siruo has joined the Bai family, she is destined not to live a life of ease. Since the road ahead is full of thorns, instead of us shielding her, it is better to let her become strong herself. After this whipping, she should have grown up and should not act as recklessly as before."
"Father is right."
Bai Chaoan had never doubted Prime Minister Bai's words. However, he was currently worried about the Lin family's predicament. After all, it was for the Bai family that they had mobilized the troops of the Capital Garrison without authorization, causing a great stir throughout the city. He feared that many officials from the Censorate were already writing memorials overnight to impeach Lin Wang.
"Please, Father, show your son a way to save the Lin family from this whirlpool."
Prime Minister Bai looked at his eldest son with a sense of helplessness.
This child was kind and upright, but unfortunately, he was a bit slow-witted. He lacked strategy when facing problems and was deficient in the decisiveness and ruthlessness required of a patriarch.
If he were to fall, what would become of the Bai family's future?
So, he handed the letter on the desk to Bai Chaoan and said in a low voice, "This was just sent by A Yao. She said it was for you. Take a look."
A letter delivered at this time? Bai Chaoan was somewhat unable to fathom this niece of his.
As he read the letter, his eyes gradually widened in surprise.
To my dearest uncle.
The Bai family, since my maternal grandfather, has stood firm in the court for three generations, with disciples spread throughout the government and the public. When His Majesty first ascended the throne, he naturally relied on us to some extent. But now, more than ten years have passed, and His Majesty's wings have long been strong. At this moment, the Bai family has become an obstacle under imperial power that cannot be shaken off.
Gossip can melt gold. If someone with intentions hints a few times, do you think His Majesty will be wary?
Currently, my maternal grandfather is still in office, so petty individuals naturally dare not confront us directly. But what if my maternal grandfather retires? What do you think, eldest uncle? With your abilities, my third uncle's, and my fourth uncle's, can you truly protect the Bai family from falling for generations?
The matter of my cousin is beyond recovery. Since the Bai family cannot stop the wagging tongues, why not make a bigger issue of it and connect it to the court situation? In this way, someone will naturally come forward to uphold justice for the Bai family!
The political situation in the court is ever-changing, and the Bai family is not incompetent. Since we have the ability to stand firm, why not strive for it? In times of great change, a dragon enters the sea. Will we still fear the schemes of others then?
I hope my eldest uncle will ponder and consider carefully before acting immediately, and not delay the opportunity.
The words in Feng Jinyao's letter made Bai Chaoan's face turn pale.
She, an unmarried woman, dared to write such words in a letter so openly. Was she not afraid of any mishap if it fell into the wrong hands?
Prime Minister Bai looked at his son's expression, which shifted from anxious to thoughtful, and became somewhat curious about the content of A Yao's letter.
He took the letter and read it, his eyes revealing a clear joy.
"Good! Our Bai family has produced such a granddaughter. Truly wonderful!"
For a moment, he seemed to have returned to his youth. If he had not been able to assess the situation and overcome obstacles to reach this point, the Bai family would not have achieved its current glory.
If this glory is to be continued, one must have the ability to make decisive decisions and not add to the chaos.
The sons of the Bai family do not have this ability, nor does the granddaughter. It just so happens that this young granddaughter sees things more clearly than he does...
A few days ago, he was still contemplating whether the descendants of the Bai family should avoid the sharp edge and simply leave the Eastern Capital to seek peace and tranquility in the outside world.
Now, after reading this letter, he understood. The tree desires stillness, but the wind does not cease. Since it cannot be still, why not let the storm rage even more fiercely? A towering tree naturally fears no wind and rain. Once it weathers the storm, it will have the ability to secure peace and tranquility. But if it is a sapling with broken branches, even if it survives, it will become a soul under the blade of others.
Either carve out a path and make others dare not look down on you, or perish in the storm, dying with honor.
"Eldest son, do you understand?"
Bai Chaoan had lived a mediocre life. He had wanted to strive in the past but lacked the ability. Now, he had become accustomed to this ease and was unwilling to strive further. Yet, outsiders did not think so.
They dared to bully the Bai family. Among so many noble families, why did they choose to deceive the children of the Bai family? If this insult was swallowed today, they would be beaten down in the future.
He was now merely a fifth-rank Hanlin scholar. His third brother was cunning, and his fourth brother was a carefree individual with very few descendants. If his father were to fall, would the Bai family not fall with him?
If even a young woman could understand this principle, how could outsiders not?
Rather than being at the mercy of others, it was better to cut the Gordian knot quickly. A single letter hardened the gradually softening hearts of the Bai father and son.
"Father, rest assured, your son knows what to do!"
As the flames leaped up, the letter turned into ashes. But only the Bai father and son understood that this fire would burn forever in their hearts, until death.
That night, the eldest son, Bai, personally visited the Lin family. Less than half an hour later, he carried the severed-handed Lu Yuanfeng to the imperial palace.
By now, it was the hour of crowing. Bai, holding a memorial, knelt at the imperial palace gate, followed by Lin Wang, Bai Silang, and others, all filled with righteous indignation and earnest expressions.
"Our Bai family has been deeply favored by His Majesty since the founding emperor. For decades, we have never dared to fail in our loyalty. The entire Bai clan is willing to brave fire and water for His Majesty. Our loyalty to the emperor can be seen by heaven. Yet, some people, seeing my father gravely ill and our family in disarray, have actually instructed ruffians to abduct our Bai family members. If not for the bravery of Princess Fulin, what would remain of our Bai family today would be a corpse. This is to ensure that our Bai family has no descendants! Your humble servant implores His Majesty to uphold justice for the Bai family, punish the villains, expose the mastermind, and uphold the national prestige."
Bai, kneeling at the forefront, held up the memorial and shouted towards the palace gate, his voice echoing. Meanwhile, Bai Silang struck the Jingmen drum with a series of heavy blows.
The咚咚咚 sound was like the thunder of heaven, waking Emperor Qi from his slumber. Consort Shu, in his arms, also sat up with a fright.
Since taking her in, Emperor Qi had stayed in Zichen Palace every night, making all the women in the harem envious.
At this moment, she looked outside with a hint of fear and said, "Your Majesty, what is happening?"
"Wang Yu."
"Your servant is here."
"What is going on outside? Who is making such a racket?"
The eunuch Wang, having been informed, naturally embellished the story. Upon learning of the Bai family's situation, Emperor Qi's face turned extremely grim.
Setting aside the fact that Bai Siruo was a niece he quite liked, such a lapse in the capital, right before the imperial gate, was truly a slap in his face. He asked furiously, "What are the Ying Tian Fu officials doing? Such arrogant individuals are abducting the daughter of a high official right under their noses. Will they only realize it when someone breaks into the palace next time?"