After Lin Dan secretly left for the border, the Lin family was thrown into chaos for quite some time. Old Madam Lin didn’t even dare fall ill. She hurriedly got up to manage the household affairs and sent people along the way to search for her granddaughter, fearing she might encounter some danger. A once-prosperous family was now broken and scattered, hardly resembling its former self.

In contrast, Concubine Shi and Lin Wan, who had been driven out by the old madam, were living quite comfortably. The Lin family had many descendants, all of whom were accomplished in both literature and martial arts, which made Concubine Shi’s unborn child not so precious. When the child was born, the Lin family could provide for him, but little else. However, now the situation was completely different. The capable young men of the Lin family had all died in battle, with only Lin Qing surviving by luck, still fighting on the border in perilous conditions. As a result, Concubine Shi’s unborn child became indispensable to the Lin family, and they were determined to protect and raise him.

The night the old madam received the dreadful news, she sent someone to invite Concubine Shi back to the manor. Concubine Shi repeatedly claimed she was too weak to move and refused to get into the carriage no matter what. Understanding Concubine Shi’s intentions, the old madam personally went to fetch her the next day, even lowering her pride to apologize. For the sake of the child and the future of the Lin family, the old madam was willing to endure anything.

Only then did Concubine Shi stop playing hard to get and return to the mansion with Lin Wan in a grand manner. Not long after, Lin Wan was also found to be pregnant, nearly driving the old madam to her grave with anger. It was then revealed that the night Lin Wan and Prince Kang were stranded in the wilderness, they had done the deed, resulting in this illegitimate child. The once-praised virtues of theirs, like integrity and chastity, now seemed laughable. Ding Mujie’s previous praise of them had been completely discredited— these two were nothing but shameless degenerates.

The old madam, overwhelmed with rage and nearly fainting, had no choice but to send word to Prince Kang. After five years of marriage with no heirs, Prince Kang was growing anxious. Although Lin Wan was now of no value and the Lin family had fallen, the child was key to his claim to the throne and couldn’t be discarded. So, he ordered people to carry a sedan chair to pick up Lin Wan.

Lin Wan, though resentful at not having a grand wedding, consoled herself by remembering that the child she carried was Prince Kang’s only heir. With her status as the mother of his child, she might one day ascend to the position of official consort. As the Lin family continued to decline while she entered the prince’s household, she grew more and more pleased with herself, even imagining Lin Dan’s pitiful state.

In her mind, Lin Dan’s decision to rush to the border alone was nothing short of foolish. By now, she thought, Lin Dan had likely been ravaged and killed by some bandits. She wished to tell Old Madam Lin, “You can stop searching for her and just look for her bones instead— that would be faster.”

However, her smugness didn’t last long. News from the border soon arrived, reporting that General Xue Zhao had died in battle and Lin Dan, stepping up in a crisis, had taken his place as the central troops’ commander. She led the Western Army to a sweeping victory against the Xiongnu, reclaiming the Hetao region that had been seized.

In his report, Prince Zhuang frequently praised Lin Dan, stating that although appointing a female general was a decision born of necessity, it had proven to be the right one. Lin Dan was indeed capable and worthy of being entrusted with great responsibilities. He went on to cite female generals throughout history, skillfully flattering the emperor.

Prince Zhuang’s glowing words slightly eased the emperor’s concerns, but more importantly, Lin Dan’s continued success in battle left the emperor with nothing to criticize. She repeatedly defeated the remnants of the Xiongnu, reclaiming many villages and even cities. The emperor, satisfied with the results, cared little that Lin Dan was a woman. As long as she could win battles, that was all that mattered.

With the emperor saying nothing against it, the ministers remained silent as well. And so, Lin Dan’s role as a troop commander passed without incident. As time went on, her military achievements piled up and her reputation grew, eventually earning her the title of ‘Great Warrior’. The Lin family, once teetering on the brink of collapse, slowly regained its former glory.

Upon learning that her granddaughter was still alive, the old madam let out a long sigh of relief. Seeing the once deserted and neglected Lin family gradually restore its past splendor, her face was finally adorned with frequent smiles. Madam Lin, who had been ill for so long, was also recovering. She was now able to help the old madam manage the household affairs, no longer consumed by the grief of losing her husband and son. The servants, who had been planning to leave, all stayed on to serve their masters faithfully.

The only person unhappy in the manor was likely Concubine Shi. In recent days, she had been riding high on the importance of her unborn child, often visiting Madam Lin under the pretext of checking on the other party’s health but really just flaunting her status. She had even begun urging the old madam to elevate her to the status of equal wife. After all, Lin Qing was still fighting on the battlefield and it was uncertain whether he would return alive. The child in her womb, the Lin family’s only heir, was indeed their treasure. How could she, the mother of this child, remain a mere concubine?

The old madam, irritated by Concubine Shi’s selfish and greedy behavior, quickly rebuked her, firmly stating that the Lin family would never have an equal wife. A wife was a wife, and a concubine was a concubine. The hierarchy could not be disrupted.

Furious, Concubine Shi ground her teeth in anger and grew more resentful of the old madam and the rest of the Lin family. She secretly vowed to one day exact her revenge. Yet she never expected that her chance for vengeance would come so swiftly. One day, a maid she had bribed brought her a piece of information. General Lin had not died in battle but had been killed by Lin Dan’s own hand. To protect Lin Dan’s honor, the entire Western Army had been sworn to secrecy, with the official story being that General Lin had died in battle, just like Old General Lin.

However, Lin Dan could not overcome her guilt and had written a letter to the matriarch confessing her crime and promising to explain everything to the family upon her return. After reading the letter, the old madam wept uncontrollably and eventually fainted. The maids, rushing to her aid, also saw the letter’s contents. Though the old madam ordered them to keep silent, human greed prevailed and the secret eventually leaked.

Concubine Shi, thrilled beyond words, rewarded the maid handsomely and immediately wrote to Lin Wan, instructing her to find a way to bring down Lin Dan, lest Madam Lin’s newfound pride overshadow them. Lin Wan, eager for a way to gain favor with Prince Kang, revealed the secret to him that very night. The next day, accusations of patricide against Lin Dan flooded the emperor’s desk like falling snow, along with rumors designed to poison his mind against her. Soon, the emperor began to feel a deep unease about Lin Dan and issued an imperial decree summoning both her and Prince Zhuang back to the capital.

Fortunately, Prince Zhuang had long been prepared. He ordered that the letter signed by the soldiers detailing the true events be submitted to the emperor, and he also requested to defend Lin Dan’s case before the imperial court.

What was something originally meant to be concealed forever became known to the public overnight, causing an uproar. As she heard people outside cursing her granddaughter as heartless and cruel, the old madam felt as though her heart was being torn apart. She had no time to deal with the traitors within her household and immediately donned her first-rank court dress, took up the imperial dragon-head cane bestowed upon her, and went to the palace to meet the emperor.

The old madam had once saved the former emperor and empress dowager, so when she insisted on barging into Jinluan Hall, the imperial guards dared not stop her and quickly sent someone to inform the emperor. Inside the hall, the court officials were divided into two factions, arguing fiercely. One side condemned Lin Dan for the crime of patricide, claiming it was unforgivable and demanding her immediate recall to the capital for punishment, while the other side defended her, arguing that she had been forced into the act and that her actions were understandable, thus she should be pardoned.

The emperor was already overwhelmed by their bickering, so upon hearing that Old Madam Lin had arrived, he immediately allowed her to enter. Whether Lin Dan was guilty or innocent, pardonable or not, he would let Old Madam Lin, her closest relative, decide. If the ministers wanted to argue, they could argue with her.

Sure enough, when Old Madam Lin entered the hall, leaning on her dragon-head cane, both sides fell silent and all eyes were on her.

With great respect, Old Madam Lin bowed to the emperor and began to speak slowly, “I heard your debates while I waited outside the hall. Why did Lin Dan kill her father, you must have seen the details in the letters signed by Prince Zhuang and the other military officers. Whether you think she has failed as a daughter or acted out of necessity, both are justified. I’m not here to argue with you, only to share my own perspective.”

Old Madam Lin bowed to each of the ministers in turn and continued, “The saying ‘loyalty and filial piety cannot both be fulfilled’ has existed since ancient times. You are all civil officials and may not deeply understand this, but for military families like ours, this is an age-old dilemma. The choice between loyalty to the emperor and filial piety is a personal one and I do not dare to comment on it. However, in the Lin family, when loyalty to the emperor and love for the country is placed on the same scale as filial piety, we will always choose loyalty and the nation over filial duty. The sons of our Lin family leave their mothers’ sides upon coming of age, heading to the frontier to fight. Their lives are dedicated to the nation and the emperor with no chance to fulfill their filial duties. Between their own small family and the greater nation, they choose to defend the nation, forsaking the family. It is because of their choice that countless small families can live in peace and stability. Can any of you say their choice was wrong? While you enjoy peaceful lives, have you ever considered their sacrifices? For the sake of Great Wei’s victory and to stop the Xiongnu from trampling over our lands, my son chose to die with a smile on his face, and my granddaughter chose to kill her father, a decision that will torment her for the rest of her life. When I received the news, my heart broke, but I do not believe my granddaughter was wrong.”

Old Madam Lin swept her gaze across the ministers, her words measured and powerful, “I believe she never regretted her decision. Even if given another chance, she would still release that arrow, because, in her heart, loyalty to the emperor and defending the country are more important than filial piety. Without her arrow, the morale of the army would not have remained as solid as a rock, the soldiers would not have fought with such determination, and our Great Wei would not have achieved its current victory. When you accused her, you must have believed she was wrong, believing that between the emperor, the nation, and her parents, she should have chosen her parents and her small family. For you, filial piety is paramount and your small families matter more than the empire’s lands. I do not dare to judge your views, but I cannot agree. The Lin family’s motto has been passed down for hundreds of years, and it consists of just twelve words— ‘In life, loyalty to the emperor; in death, sacrifice for the nation.’ We know only of the country, not of the family. Is that wrong?”

Old Madam Lin knelt down slowly, tears streaming down her face as she kowtowed and declared, “The Lin family has died loyally for generations and our hearts are as clear as the sun and moon. I beseech Your Majesty to see this clearly!” Her powerful words echoed throughout the hall, leaving the ministers ashamed, too embarrassed to meet the emperor’s gaze.

In the presence of the emperor, who would dare say that their parents and small families mattered more than the emperor and the Great Wei Dynasty? Old Madam Lin’s speech was a blow to all those officials who had impeached Lin Dan, and even the emperor showed signs of being moved.