Seeing Bai Qingyan nod, Dong Shi patted her daughter’s hand with eyes full of heartache. If her daughter’s grandfather, father, and younger brothers were all still alive, where would there be need for her, a mere daughter, to rack her brains over the family’s future?

She smiled and squeezed Dong Shi’s hand: “Mother understands everything in her heart, and daughter can hide nothing from mother.”

“But can this Great Wei wealthy merchant Xiao Rongyan really purchase so many shops, farms, and fertile land in one go?” Dong Shi gripped her daughter’s hand, calculating carefully, “This is no small sum!”

“This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with my mother. I’ll have Chen Qingsheng tell Xiao Rongyan that this matter only borrows his reputation – the money will come from our Duke Mansion. Only this method can transfer all the Duke Mansion’s public shops and estates to private hands, while still keeping them under your control.” Bai Qingyan looked at Dong Shi, “I just don’t know… whether our Duke Mansion can immediately produce four hundred fifty thousand taels for the clan members?”

Dong Shi’s steps paused as she listened to Bai Qingyan’s words, remembering what her younger brother Dong Qingyue had told her yesterday… that Prince Xin’s carriage axle had broken precisely because of the extraordinarily skilled guard beside Xiao Rongyan. Today, Xiao Rongyan had also come early to pay respects at the Duke Mansion, and it was Xiao Rongyan’s guard who had saved the fourth sister-in-law from crashing into the coffin.

She gripped her daughter’s hand tightly: “Have you and Xiao Rongyan met privately? Do you have… relations?! Tell mother the honest truth!”

Dong Shi’s questions came like rapid fire. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Although the social hierarchy placed scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants in that order, with merchants last, the Great Jin didn’t look down on merchants so severely. Not only was Xiao Rongyan handsome and dashing, but he possessed an outstanding scholarly and refined temperament! Her daughter’s beauty and character were naturally extraordinary and otherworldly – could it be that the two of them… had developed affection?! Otherwise, how could Bai Qingyan be so certain that Xiao Rongyan would help the Duke Mansion?

If Bai Qingyan truly had feelings for Xiao Rongyan, then she would need to make different plans. The method she had previously discussed with her mother, Old Lady Dong, couldn’t be used.

Her daughter’s safety was important, but beyond safety, ensuring her lifelong happiness and fulfillment was also important.

Currently, with the common people of the capital standing behind the Bai family, the Emperor wouldn’t move against the Duke Mansion for the time being. If her daughter truly had feelings for this merchant, she needed to start planning now. Only after testing Xiao Rongyan’s character and finding it exemplary would she dare entrust her daughter to him.

With Xiao Rongyan’s bearing, how could he be merely a merchant?! If her daughter were to follow him, it wouldn’t just be marrying below her station – in the eyes of the world, it would be seen as willingly degrading and debasing herself!

Ordinary respectable families never married their daughters into merchant families, let alone the Duke Mansion, a centuries-old prestigious house of nobility known throughout all nations.

In just a brief moment, Dong Shi’s mind had turned a hundred times.

Bai Qingyan observed Dong Shi’s changing expression and spoke frankly: “Today I went to Foliu Pavilion outside the city to see someone off and happened to encounter Xiao Rongyan, exchanging a few words. However, the reason I’m having Chen Qingsheng seek out Xiao Rongyan to discuss this matter is not because I think a few chance meetings and brief conversations could earn me such favor with Xiao Rongyan.”

She supported her mother as they walked forward, explaining in a low voice: “Since Xiao Rongyan entered the capital, mother should carefully consider his habit of spending money like water at every turn. What he wants is to make a name for himself in this capital, even throughout Jin, transforming his title as Great Wei’s wealthiest merchant into the world’s wealthiest merchant, letting everyone under heaven know of Xiao Rongyan as a figure!”

“Now, within Jin, the Duke Mansion commands national attention. For Xiao Rongyan… what could help him achieve his goal faster than swallowing up all the Duke Mansion’s shops, farms, and fertile land in one go?”

When Bai Qingyan had stood in the corridor earlier, she had calculated everything in her mind. Why had Xiao Rongyan said at the palace banquet that he would wait until after the capital’s Fifteenth Day Lantern Festival before leaving? It was simply because he wanted to use the festival, when scholars and refined gentlemen from across the realm gathered in the capital, to display his wealth and establish his reputation as the world’s wealthiest merchant.

But now, due to the Duke Mansion’s mourning, this hope would likely be dashed.

Given this, Bai Qingyan was presenting the opportunity directly to Xiao Rongyan. Someone as clever as Xiao Rongyan would never miss this chance to both demonstrate his wealth to the world and have the Duke Mansion owe him a favor.

Dong Shi looked at her daughter’s restrained but sharp gaze, gripped her cold hand, and asked: “This Mr. Xiao… whether in appearance or character, he’s truly outstanding. Your feelings toward him…”

She didn’t immediately understand her mother’s meaning, but when she did, she was both amused and exasperated: “Mother, where are your thoughts wandering? I know myself. I’ve already decided to stay by mother’s side for this lifetime. Moreover, our Duke Mansion is currently in dire straits – where would I have the luxury for such girlish thoughts?”

Before Dong Shi could speak, she continued: “Mother, whatever the matter, let’s wait until after grandfather’s, father’s, uncle’s, and younger brothers’ funeral rites are completed.”

Dong Shi’s eyes reddened as she nodded with a choked voice.

“My Lady, eldest miss.”

They saw Old Master Gu being helped along by a servant. After bowing, he urgently asked: “Where is Fourth Master Qiyun from the clan? Has he left?”

Old Master Gu was a loyal servant of the Duke Mansion. Since the founding emperor’s time, Old Master Gu’s ancestors had served the Duke Mansion for generations, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the family through the ages.

Old Master Gu had been managing the mansion’s most important accounting office for years, overseeing all monetary matters. Therefore, Old Master Gu was highly respected both within the Duke Mansion and among the Shouyang clan.

When Bai Qiyun had come earlier with his arrogant attitude to find Dong Shi, Nanny Qin had quietly sent someone to fetch Old Master Gu to maintain order. However, she hadn’t expected that Bai Qingyan would arrive and settle the matter in just a short while, leaving Old Master Gu a step too late.

“Just now, mother agreed to the clan’s demands, planning to sell all the Duke Mansion’s shops, farms, and estates to raise the money. Uncle has already gone to the front to offer incense and inform grandfather and father.” Bai Qingyan spoke respectfully to the old man.

“This old servant will go reason with them!” Old Master Gu, leaning on his walking stick, tremblingly hurried toward the front.

“Old Master…”

Dong Shi was about to call Old Master Gu back, but Bai Qingyan gripped her hand. She looked deeply at the old man’s retreating figure, then withdrew her gaze and looked at Dong Shi with calm composure: “Mother, let Old Master go add fuel to the fire – it’s perfect timing!”

The sun had already set, gathering the last traces of twilight from the horizon.

In the front courtyard’s mourning hall, under the flickering candlelight, Bai Qiyun finally performed a proper kowtow ceremony.

Kneeling on the prayer mat, he began: “Uncle, cousin, though you have departed, sister-in-law keeps her word. The matters uncle previously promised regarding building the clan’s ancestral hall, ancestral temple, maintaining ancestral graves, and constructing schools – sister-in-law has agreed to all of them!”

Hearing these words, Bai Jinzhi angrily responded as Bai Qingyan had instructed: “What?! Great aunt agreed?!”