A Sturdy Pillar
When the head of the Bai clan and the clan relatives arrived outside the city, Bai Jingyan's carriage procession was pulling up at the very same moment.
At the sight of Bai Jingyan leading a hundred or more armed guards, the clan head's legs nearly gave out beneath him. He had a gut feeling that if he did not obey her order to expel the offending young men from the clan, Bai Jingyan would never let the matter pass quietly.
Very well, then. If she wanted them cast out, casting them out was a small enough price. If he quietly looked after them behind her back, nothing would really change anyway.
Seeing the Prefect and Lord Zhou standing at the very front of the welcoming party, the clan head leaned on his cane and hurried toward them with a tottering gait, then bowed in a formal salute to the two men.
Lord Zhou found it mildly odd that the Bai clan head, who ordinarily looked down on him, was being so unusually deferential today. But when he recalled that the old man had provoked the Grand Princess until she vomited blood, the attitude made a certain sense. He had evidently learned that invoking the Zhenguo Commandery Princess's prestige to beg for the young men's release no longer worked — and so here he was, bowing and scraping to win his favor.
Lord Zhou gave a light nod, his expression betraying nothing. Then, once Bai Jingyan's carriage had come to a complete halt, he stepped forward alongside the Prefect.
The onlookers began to whisper among themselves.
"The Zhenguo Commandery Princess comes to Suyang with all these people, and the Bai clan claims it knew nothing of it? They only came scrambling out here after she arrived — they're later than we common folk are!"
"They're just putting on a show of respect in front of the Commandery Princess. The Grand Princess Herself means nothing to them, and they say she coughed up blood because of them!"
"Ptah! Filthy wretches! Leeching off the prestige of the Bai family of Dadu while acting that arrogant! I'd rather the Commandery Princess leave the clan for good — then the Bai relatives could never lord it over us again."
"Ahh, if only the Commandery Princess really is the protector of the common people the rumors make her out to be. Imagine if she made those relatives who tormented the people pay for what they've done."
"Well, we'll have to wait and see the truth of it, won't we? Is this all for our benefit — or does she truly mean it? Time will tell!"
When the Bai clan relatives and the clan head heard the murmuring of the crowd, shame flooded them and their faces burned red. The relatives hurried after the clan head, rushing to greet Bai Jingyan.
They had to preserve appearances before outsiders — above all, in front of the Prefect and Lord Zhou. If those two learned that the Bai clan and the Zhenguo Commandery Princess were at odds, then any future plea to Lord Zhou for the young men's release, or for a lenient punishment, would fall on deaf ears.
Then something entirely unexpected happened. Before the clan head's party could even draw near, Shen Qingzhu moved to block their way, flanked by guards.
Rage flared up in an instant, but the clan head forced it down, lowered himself with a smiling face, and bowed to Shen Qingzhu.
"I am the head of the Bai clan. Hearing that Her Ladyship had returned to Suyang, I brought the family out specially to welcome her. Young Miss, kindly let us pass."
Only then did Shen Qingzhu raise a hand and order the guards to open the way.
As Chun Tao lifted the carriage curtain and moved to help Bai Jingyan down, Eunuch Zhan Yu stepped up beside the carriage and said with a smile as he looked at her,
"Allow me to assist Her Ladyship."
Chun Tao knew exactly who Zhan Yu was, so she simply nodded and bent at the waist, holding the curtain aside for him alone.
The Prefect, scanning the procession behind the carriage, looked closely at the guards standing with reins in hand. The swords they carried bore the insignia of the Crown Prince's household. Startled to his core, he turned his gaze to the one supporting Bai Jingyan — and his astonishment only deepened when he saw that a handsome-faced eunuch was the one steadying her.
That eunuch was Zhan Yu, the attendant who served at the Crown Prince's side. He had waited on the prince since childhood, and the day the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Zhan Yu was destined to become the Grand Eunuch serving the Emperor himself. He was not a man anyone could afford to slight.
Lord Zhou did not know Zhan Yu's identity, but the eunuch's attire told him this was no lowly servant. In a low voice, he asked the Prefect,
"My lord, whose esteemed person does this eunuch serve?"
The Prefect answered him truthfully.
"Zhan Yu, a palace servant who enjoys the Crown Prince's favor. Did you see the guards behind him? Every one of them belongs to the Crown Prince's household."
Lord Zhou drew in a sharp breath. The Crown Prince had sent men to bolster Bai Jingyan's standing.
The truth was, Lord Zhou had already believed the Zhenguo Commandery Princess perfectly capable of bringing the Bai clan to heel without the Crown Prince's help. The murderous aura that rolled off her, and her calm bearing shot through with such commanding presence, were proof enough of how formidable her methods were.
And yet the Crown Prince had still attached men to her side — which meant he regarded the Commandery Princess as extraordinarily important.
Could it be... could it really be true, as the rumors said, that the Crown Prince harbored feelings for her? That he truly intended to one day set her on the Empress's seat?
By the time the Prefect stepped forward, Lord Zhou had no leisure for deeper thought. He collected himself and hurried after, and the clan head followed with his people in tow.
The moment Bai Jingyan stepped down from the carriage, the Prefect and Lord Zhou hurried to salute her.
"We pay our respects to the Zhenguo Commandery Princess."
"Spare me the formalities, both of you."
Bai Jingyan introduced Zhan Yu to them.
"This is Eunuch Zhan Yu, who serves His Highness the Crown Prince."
The Prefect and Lord Zhou hastily bowed.
"There is no need for that. I am nothing more than a humble servant attending the Crown Prince."
"His Highness has heard that the elders of the Bai clan angered the Grand Princess until she vomited blood. Out of concern for the Commandery Princess, who is like a younger sister to him... His Highness feared she might find herself short-handed while settling matters with the clan, and so specially ordered me to lead the Crown Prince's household guards and follow Her Ladyship. It seems His Highness worries that the Bai relatives might try to overwhelm her with their age and seniority."
Zhan Yu spoke to the two officials with a pleasant smile.
At those words, the clan head's legs went weak. Seeing a full hundred of the Crown Prince's household guards, his face drained to the color of paper in an instant.
Lord Zhou's eyebrows jumped. Like a younger sister...
So the Crown Prince did not cherish the Commandery Princess as a woman, then.
For him to help her this much even without romantic attachment, she must be someone he either depended upon greatly — or trusted completely. One or the other.
Either way, Lord Zhou had no choice but to treat Bai Jingyan with the utmost courtesy.
"This is an injustice!"
One of the clan elders cried out in protest.
"We never angered the Grand Princess! Her Highness—"
The clan head seized the old man's hand and cut him off at once.
Any more of that, and they would find themselves charged with slandering the Grand Princess on top of everything else. Who would ever believe that the Grand Princess had merely feigned coughing up blood over a single clan relative?
"Our respects to Her Ladyship and to Your Lordship!"
The clan head hastily bowed to Bai Jingyan and Zhan Yu alike, then continued with a fawning smile,
"Why did you give us no word before returning home, Your Ladyship? Had you told us, we would have made preparations and come out long ago to welcome you and the gentleman from the Crown Prince's household..."
Bai Jingyan said nothing to him, turning instead to Lord Zhou.
"I heard that after I departed last time, the young men of the Bai clan caused trouble again. They shoved a child into the river, and the child's mother lost her life trying to save her own son. Then they threatened you, Lord Zhou, demanding you lock them all away together. Have you taken them all into custody?"
"Yes, of course. They are all in custody. Have no fear, Your Ladyship. You commanded that they be punished to the fullest extent of the law — I would not dare be careless in carrying out your orders."
Lord Zhou replied.
Bai Jingyan nodded, then swept a cold gaze over the Bai clan relatives before turning to the clan head.
"And Bai Jingping — the one who went to inform you of this and protected the child. Is he here today?"
The clan head had locked Bai Jingping in the ancestral hall. At this very moment, he was kneeling inside it.
But the clan head could not bring himself to say so. It had been an agonizing decision for him as well — the one he'd confined was his own grandson. Yet if he had not locked Bai Jingping away, there would have been no appeasing the fury of the clan relatives.
"He is... at home."
The clan head hung his head, not daring to meet Bai Jingyan's icy gaze.
Bai Jingyan gave the clan head one long, deep look, then turned to Lord Zhou once more.
"Have you investigated thoroughly what crimes the young men of the Bai clan committed? Do you have all the evidence secured?"
Magistrate Zhou answered, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Your Ladyship, as it happens, we finished the investigations only yesterday and were preparing to pass sentence today!"
"Good. Have the clan head gather the relatives at midday, and open the ancestral hall."
Bai Jingyan continued, her eyes on Magistrate Zhou.
"Lord Zhou, have every one of the imprisoned young men of the Bai clan escorted to the Bai ancestral hall. And summon the victims there as well — all of them."
"Does she mean to ask Lord Zhou to release our sons? Then why would the victims need to come to the ancestral hall too?"
One of the Bai relatives murmured the question to the person beside him.
"Your Ladyship — the ancestral hall may not be opened except on festival days or for matters of great importance."
The clan head ventured the words carefully.
At that, Bai Jingyan looked at him with a cold smile, her expression somewhere between amusement and contempt.
"Today, some of the Bai clan will be leaving the clan — or the Bai family of Dadu will confess its crimes before the ancestors and depart from it. Would you say that qualifies as a matter of great importance?"
The clan head's face went white. Unease was written plainly across the other relatives' faces as well.
"Does Your Ladyship intend to enter the ancestral hall herself?"
Bai Qiyun spoke to the clan head, brow furrowed, not daring even to look at Bai Jingyan.
"Father, by ancient custom, women may not enter the ancestral hall."
The clan head lifted his head and looked cautiously at Bai Jingyan.
Bai Jinchi gritted her teeth and started forward, but Bai Jingyan stopped her — her face as untroubled as still water.
"That is so," Bai Jingyan said, nodding, her voice calm and utterly without inflection, though her words carried the unmistakable authority of one accustomed to command — an authority the clan head had never anticipated.
"As you know, only women remain in the Bai family of Dadu now. If women may not enter the hall, then let Eunuch Zhan Yu, the Prefect, and Magistrate Zhou stand as witnesses. Today, I, Bai Jingyan, will confess our crimes before the ancestors, and then lead the Bai family of Dadu out of this clan to establish a separate house of our own."
"Your Ladyship, pray do not be angered. The reason women have always been barred from the ancestral hall is that in our land of Jin, men attend to affairs outside the home and women to affairs within. The ancestral hall is where the clan deliberates grave matters, and it was said that women's horizons are not so broad as men's — that they cannot see far enough to render such judgments — and so women were not admitted.
But Your Ladyship is the rightful heir of our Bai family and a commander who leads soldiers into battle. One who can lead armies is one wise enough to devise strategies for a great nation. Therefore, Your Ladyship is naturally entitled to enter the ancestral hall."
As she listened to the clan head, Bai Jinchi arched her brows and sneered. It was almost funny, watching him pile up excuses one after another just to let her eldest sister through the doors.
Once the clan head had spoken so, what could the clan elders and the rest of the family possibly say in reply?
"Then go home and make your preparations, Clan Head. I have business that remains unfinished. Once it is seen to, I will come to the ancestral hall."
Giving the clan head no chance to answer, Bai Jingyan called for Shen Qingzhu at once.
"Shen Qingzhu."
"Yes."
Shen Qingzhu stepped close and saluted with a clasped fist.
"Attend Jinchi and Eunuch Zhan Yu, and follow Lord Zhou to his offices. Gather every last document and bring them to the Bai ancestral hall at midday."
Bai Jingyan issued her orders.
"Yes!"
The one who answered was Bai Jinchi.