Bai Jinzhi feared the family’s discipline and listened to Lu Ping’s words, putting away her whip. She shouted: “In the future, don’t go around here saying things like disdaining to serve in court alongside women! Not only are you not serving in court yet, but if you truly have the ability… wait until you become a tribute student, pass the palace examination to become first place, and say these words in front of the Empress herself—then I, Bai Jinzhi, will believe you have backbone! Just showing off with your mouth—that’s cowardice!”
Those men who had been dodging and hiding, scurrying about with their heads covered from Bai Jinzhi’s whip lashes, finally dared to peek their heads out from behind the tall tables. Seeing Lu Ping in official robes restraining Bai Jinzhi, they grew bold enough to shout: “Sir, please control this mad woman! We were just talking when this mad woman came up and started whipping us without a word! We all have scholarly titles—even at the prefectural yamen, we wouldn’t need to kneel before the magistrate, and they couldn’t use corporal punishment on us! This mad woman dared to use a whip on us!”
“Exactly! In the great capital, at the Son of Heaven’s feet! Sir, you cannot ignore this!”
Bai Jinzhi, who had already put away her whip, raised her hand and lashed out again, striking the shouting man precisely across the mouth.
Lu Ping had already become displeased upon hearing the words “mad woman.” This time, when Bai Jinzhi used her whip, he didn’t stop her. Instead, he stepped aside to block the doorway, straightened his sleeves, and stood calmly to one side: “You three, speaking against the Empress’s new policies is already a crime. You also spoke disrespectfully to Princess Gaoyi. Princess Gaoyi, in her magnanimity, rewarded you with a few lashes… Not sending you to the authorities is already showing extraordinary mercy.”
Hearing Lu Ping speak on her behalf, Bai Jinzhi wielded her whip even more enthusiastically. The entire room filled with crackling sounds as the glossy red wooden tables were sent flying far away by Bai Jinzhi’s whip.
When the three men heard that the person before them was Princess Gaoyi, they immediately recalled the former “chivalrous woman” of the capital—Bai Jinzhi, the fourth young lady of the Bai family, who was known for daring to whip even the sons of noble families, let alone people like them.
Perhaps because the Bai family had fallen on hard times and then moved back to their hometown, Shouyang, with Bai Jinzhi absent from the capital for years, people had gradually forgotten about this spirited, chivalrous fourth young lady of the Bai family who was full of righteous anger and a bad temper.
Now, this fourth young lady of the Bai family had returned…
The common people watching the excitement outside discussed among themselves, but most of them were quite happy about the return of the fourth young lady of the Bai family. This fourth young lady inherited the Bai family’s backbone and was very protective of the people. Her many whip lashes were for the sake of the people, and she never did anything to harm the common folk—how could the people not be happy?
Moreover, this fourth young lady of the Bai family, at such a young age, fought on battlefields to protect the Kingdom and was a great hero in destroying Liang—how could people not respect and fear her?
The screams from inside the shop continued for some time. Lu Ping saw it was about enough and called out in a low voice: “Fourth Miss! Fourth Miss… that’s about enough! Let these few learn their lesson; that’s sufficient. The eldest miss is still waiting…”
Hearing this, the breathless Bai Jinzhi finally put away her whip and hung it at her waist, saying: “In the future, if you dare criticize the Empress’s new policies again or speak disrespectfully to this princess, receiving beatings will be the least of your worries… Criticizing new policies and hindering their implementation could result in imprisonment. Since you are scholars, you should know that criticizing new policies and affecting their implementation will impact your future examinations. This princess, considering that you are scholars, couldn’t bear to ruin your prospects and wanted to give you this opportunity to prove that your decades of hard study indeed make you superior to women! But don’t let this princess down!”
Bai Jinzhi’s words made Lu Ping look at her with new respect. The former fourth miss would only charge about wielding her whip—when had she ever spoken with such reason and evidence?
“Next year’s spring examination… You three! This princess will be watching to see if you truly are superior to women!”
Someone outside, hearing these words, suddenly called out, “Well said!” Only then did Bai Jinzhi turn around and walk toward the shop entrance with refreshed spirits.
Walking out of the shop, Bai Jinzhi suddenly realized she hadn’t yet chosen gifts for her future little nephew or niece. Frowning, she turned her head back…
Those three men, having just been thoroughly whipped by Bai Jinzhi and then learning her identity, were terrified of implicating their families. Frightened, the three huddled together and kept backing away, afraid that Bai Jinzhi might raise her whip and come back in.
Bai Jinzhi immediately lost interest in picking out gifts, thinking she would wait for a suitable opportunity later to choose something for her little nephew and niece.
Bai Jinzhi glanced at the black-clad, strongly-built man holding the horse and waiting for her. The corners of her lips curved into a slight smile, her eyes showing a hint of sweetness, her face slightly flushed. With spirited grace, she leaped onto her horse, grasped the reins and said: “Let’s go! To see the eldest sister!”
The black-clad man respectfully nodded, and though he lowered his head, he couldn’t hide the smile at the corners of his mouth.
Lu Ping noticed something unusual and discreetly observed the black-clad, strongly-built man with his hair bound by a black satin ribbon. It seemed… he needed to investigate this fellow’s identity—he couldn’t let their family’s innocent fourth miss be deceived.
Bai Jinzhi had visited the imperial palace before, but never had her steps been so light and quick. Eager to see her eldest sister, she walked swiftly the entire way.
Wei Zhong, guarding outside the great hall, saw Bai Jinzhi ascending the steps from afar. His eyes showed a smile as he hurried forward: “Fourth Miss…”
“Wei Zhong?” Bai Jinzhi seemed surprised that Wei Zhong, who had served by their grandmother’s side, was now attending to Bai Qingyan. After a moment of astonishment, she said: “I’ve come to see eldest sister!”
“Her Majesty already knows and said that when Fourth Miss comes, there’s no need to announce—you may enter directly…”
Bai Jinzhi smiled and removed the whip from her waist, tossing it to Wei Zhong. She quickly ran to the great hall entrance and first secretly pushed the hall doors open a crack to peek inside…
Seeing her eldest sister sitting at the sandalwood desk reviewing memorials, before she could speak, she heard her sister’s voice: “Making such a commotion with your whip as soon as you entered the capital, but now you’re being cautious?”
Hearing this, Bai Jinzhi chuckled, entered and closed the hall doors, then ran to Bai Qingyan’s side. After performing the proper courtesy, she sat across from Bai Qingyan: “I was originally going to choose meeting gifts for my future little nephew or little niece! Who knew it would be disrupted… I was full of anger!”
Looking at the desk full of memorials, Bai Jinzhi continued: “Eldest sister! You’re now pregnant—how can you exhaust yourself like this?”
Bai Qingyan dipped her brush in ink and simply handed the brush directly to Bai Jinzhi: “You can help eldest sister share the burden…”
Bai Jinzhi opened her mouth and smiled sheepishly: “Let’s forget about that! It’s not that I’m unwilling to help eldest sister share the burden—when it comes to leading troops in battle, little fourth will step up without hesitation. But when it comes to wielding a writing brush, I can’t in good conscience say I’m capable!”
Bai Qingyan was amused by Bai Jinzhi and put brush to memorial: “Then tell me honestly, how did you abandon General Zhao and come back alone first?”