Bai Pingfu's funeral was not grand.
Langya City did not drape itself in mourning white, either.
Only the Bai Clan's old residence hung plain funeral banners. There was no banquet for friends and kin, no guests received. It was unusually low-key.
Of course, many understood the reason for this restraint—when a pillar broke, the tide could no longer be turned. The prominent clan that had once shone so brightly over the Yue Kingdom had no choice but to keep a low profile.
Without power that could dominate an era, how could they still match the pomp of one who dominated an era?
Wen Juanying, mistress of the Bai Clan, sat in her late husband's study, in the chair where he had died... clad in mourning hemp, grief upon her face, yet without tears.
The tears that needed shedding had all been shed in those past days.
After her husband Bai Pingfu's death, and before her son Bai Yuxia returned, she had to hold this household together. And indeed, she had handled everything well.
At this moment, however, her gaze held more worry than grief.
Her son had changed greatly, and for now, she did not know whether that was good or bad.
From childhood to adulthood, Bai Yuxia had always been one of those "other people's children." Qin, chess, calligraphy, painting—there was nothing he did not know. Saber, spear, staff, cudgel—there was nothing he did not master. His virtue and manners won praise from all. He could be called proficient in both civil and martial arts, flawless and perfect.
Just as he himself had said in court, Bai Pingfu had demanded from an early age that he be loyal to his sovereign and devoted to his country, diligent and tireless. And he truly had never once slackened.
At the Yellow