Bai Qingyan beckoned, signaling them to come closer. After the three sisters huddled together, she spoke: “I need you to perform a scene.”

Nanny Tong stood with her hands folded over her abdomen, watching the three sisters discuss matters, her brow heavy with worry that couldn’t be dissolved.

After Bai Qingyan finished explaining in detail, Bai Jinzhi’s eyes lit up: “Eldest sister knows me—I’ve never feared any reputation! Moreover, this time we’re in the right! Eldest sister, rest assured, Little Four absolutely won’t ruin things this time and will restrain myself!”

After speaking, Bai Jinzhi took three steps and charged directly into the hall. After hastily bowing to Dong Shi, she turned with angry, glaring eyes: “My Bai family faces great mourning, with over twenty coffins placed in the courtyard, and the Bai family widows struggle with every step. You, as clan members, not only don’t help but take this opportunity to rob silver from my Bai family! Do you have no shame!”

“Little Four! Step back…”

Bai Qingyan and Bai Jintong entered the main hall hand in hand and bowed to Dong Shi.

The two illegitimate masters from Shouyang felt somewhat intimidated seeing Bai Qingyan. This legitimate eldest daughter of the Duke’s mansion was truly too formidable—she even dared to force the emperor’s legitimate son to death. How could they not feel fearful?

“I won’t step back! What are they to dare point fingers at great aunt?! Speaking of status and nobility… great aunt holds an imperial first-rank noble title! At his great age, he’s merely a scholar—what gives him the right to be arrogant before his great aunt?! Speaking of clan status, hah…” Bai Jinzhi sneered coldly. Originally, my great-great-grandfather had four legitimate sons. Except for the legitimate eldest son, who was my great-grandfather, all other legitimate sons died in battle without leaving heirs! My great-grandfather felt that since he held the Duke’s position protecting Great Jin, he couldn’t simultaneously serve as clan leader for the clan’s benefit, so he registered an illegitimate son under my great-great-grandmother’s name as a legitimate son to lead the clan. This illegitimate son was the cousin uncle’s grandfather! So, fundamentally speaking, your entire family is of illegitimate birth! What qualifications do you have to shout at the legitimate eldest daughter-in-law of the authentic Bai family lineage?!”

What Bai Qiyun hated most in his life was people bringing up his grandfather’s illegitimate status. In those years when Bai Qiyun was young, whenever clan matters arose, those so-called fourth great-uncles and sixth great-uncles would use the grandfather’s status to suppress him!

Now this little girl, Bai Jinzhi, was also bringing up his grandfather’s status—how could Bai Qiyun not be furious? “You! Dong Shi… this is how your Duke’s mansion raises children!”

“Those of illegitimate birth, even if granted nobility and elevated to legitimate status, weren’t raised from childhood by the main wife’s side… this upbringing still lacks proper decorum! It’s one thing to lack proper upbringing oneself, but to pass this disaster to descendants too!” Bai Jintong spoke.

The Duke’s mansion had extremely strict rules regarding illegitimate children’s upbringing. All illegitimate offspring were forbidden from mixing with their birth mothers and were uniformly raised by wet nurses beside their respective legitimate mothers. Except during major holidays, illegitimate children were never allowed to meet their birth mothers. If illegitimate children were discovered meeting privately with birth mothers, the concubine birth mothers would be beaten to death without exception.

The Duke had originally established this family rule because he worried that if legitimate heirs all died in battle like the previous generation, and illegitimate heirs weren’t close to their legitimate mothers, the legitimate mothers would have difficult days in old age. Thus he established this family rule.

Concubines in the Bai family were merely elevated slaves. Although they had servants, slaves were still slaves—no matter how you put it, they could only be slaves.

Bai family descendants, even if illegitimate, were still masters.

Master and slave could not be spoken of in the same breath.

Bai Jintong was illegitimate. From birth, she had been raised beside Lady Li. Although her food, clothing, and expenses weren’t equal to legitimate children, this was proper. Moreover, her legitimate mother had never mistreated her, so she had no complaints.

“Dong Shi! You just watch your Duke’s mansion’s little illegitimate daughter speak insults to the clan leader?!” Bai Qiyun, maintaining his dignity, didn’t want to argue with two children and only challenged Dong Shi.

“Dong Shi is also something you can call!” Bai Jinzhi instinctively reached behind her waist, only then realizing her whip wasn’t there.

“If cousin uncle still wants to discuss clan matters, then respectfully apologize to my mother and straighten your attitude, then we can talk…” Bai Qingyan sat directly in the seat below Dong Shi’s right hand.

The two illegitimate masters lifted their teacups, pretending to drink, neither making a sound. Only Bai Qiyun looked coldly at Bai Qingyan: “When elders speak, how can a junior interrupt?”

“You…” Bai Jinzhi couldn’t stand anyone being disrespectful to her eldest sister.

“I am the Duke’s mansion’s legitimate eldest daughter, my name takes the character ‘qing’ from the Bai family’s male ranking! I’ve been to battlefields, I’ve severed enemy generals’ heads! I’ve destroyed Shu! Grandfather, father, uncle, brothers all died in Nan Jiang—from today forward, the Duke’s mansion’s glory shall be borne by me!” She raised her gaze, her calm and profound eyes looking at Bai Qiyun, not restraining the terrifying killing aura on her body in the slightest. “Regarding my Duke’s mansion’s affairs, there’s nothing I cannot speak about.”

That murderous aura returning from mountains of corpses and seas of blood quietly spread through the great hall, making people inexplicably feel chills down their spines.

“Nanny Tong, take Bai Jintong and Bai Jinzhi… to kowtow before grandfather and father’s spirits to apologize. Since great-uncle was originally registered under our great-great-grandmother’s name, he is a legitimate son—this matter must not be mentioned again! Next time this happens… go receive ten lashes yourself!”

“Eldest sister…” Bai Jinzhi stiffened her neck. “I don’t accept this!”

Bai Jintong frowned and pulled Bai Jinzhi toward the exit: “Let’s go! Don’t make the eldest sister angry!”

Nanny Tong also stood properly to the side and advised: “If Fourth Miss doesn’t leave, when eldest miss calls Lu Ping over, Fourth Miss won’t be able to escape those lashes.”

Bai Jinzhi’s eyes reddened as she was forcibly pulled out of the front hall by Bai Jintong. Even after leaving, she continued arguing stubbornly: “I don’t accept this! I just don’t accept it! This clan is seeing that we only have orphans and widows left and came to rob us!”

The two illegitimate masters’ faces alternated between green and white as they lowered their heads without speaking.

“Cousin uncle, do you want to continue talking? If not… mother and I need to go guard the mourning hall.” Bai Qingyan spoke unhurriedly.

This was forcing Bai Qiyun to apologize and admit fault to Dong Shi.

Dong Shi smoothed her clothing: “Qingyan, let’s go!”

Bai Qiyun’s face looked terrible. He turned his head toward Dong Shi’s direction and cupped his hands: “Heir’s wife, please forgive me!”

Only then did Bai Qingyan turn toward Dong Shi’s direction and speak: “Mother, clan matters are also important affairs. Since cousin uncle can’t wait to offer incense to grandfather, father, and the uncles and insists on talking, let’s talk! After talking… please have cousin uncle properly go offer incense to my grandfather, father, and uncles.”

The two Shouyang illegitimate masters quickly said upon hearing this: “Naturally! Naturally!”

“Mother, since these three uncles came to our Duke’s mansion not for condolences but only to take silver for repairing clan shrines, ancestral graves, schools, oh… right, and to purchase farmland for the clan! I just heard cousin uncle say that the place for installing memorial tablets cannot be reduced in quality… so does this mean the ancestral temple also needs repairs? Is this the meaning?”

Dong Shi looked toward Bai Qingyan. Not understanding her daughter’s intention, she first chose to observe quietly and remained silent with pressed lips.