The bolder children, ignoring their mothers’ scolding voices, climbed up trees with quick hands and feet to peer into the field, telling the common people below about the situation inside.

Second Miss Qin had timed her arrival perfectly, intending to bring up this matter when everyone’s attention was gathered here, which would surely cause the Bai family considerable trouble.

The current Second Miss Qin was no longer the same Second Miss Qin from before. She was someone who had already died once – what was there left to fear?

Just as that gentleman had said, since she was going to die anyway… why not cause trouble for the Bai family before her death? If she could make the Bai family unhappy, she would consider it revenge for her mother!

Bai Jinzhi pulled A’Rong from the Huang family around the kite competition field, running toward Bai Qingyan’s pavilion. Just as they arrived, they heard Second Miss Qin saying loudly, “Therefore, please let the imperial family set an example, so that the new law encouraging widows to remarry can be smoothly implemented. Otherwise, the common people will inevitably suspect that encouraging widows to remarry… only applies to commoners and not to the noble, thinking that encouraging widows to remarry has no benefits – otherwise, why aren’t the widows of the imperial family and noble families rushing to marry out?”

Everyone was eagerly watching in the direction of Bai Qingyan’s pavilion, waiting to see who would be the winner of this kite competition. Who would have thought they would hear Second Miss Qin say such things?

Everyone held their breath, looking toward Bai Qingyan, Dong Shi, and the other madams of the Bai family.

Dong Shi showed no panic whatsoever, fanning herself with her round fan and looking at Second Miss Qin with a half-smile. She then looked at Second Madam Liu, whose expression was tense, Third Madam Li, who let out a cold laugh, and Fifth Madam Qi, who appeared completely composed, “Look at this, she’s coming after us, wanting to use us as a raft to attack the new law…”

Fifth Madam Qi leaned against her armrest, languidly fanning herself with an ivory round fan, “This Second Miss Qin certainly has a lot on her mind! I wonder who’s instructing her from behind!”

Second Miss Qin had already resigned herself to death. She kowtowed toward Bai Qingyan and Dong Shi, “Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, please see clearly – no one is instructing me from behind. These are all my heartfelt words, and everything is for the Great Zhou!”

Second Miss Qin lowered her eyes and said, according to what that gentleman had taught her, “Now that Your Majesty allows women to take imperial examinations and permits women to become officials, although I am without talent, I also wish to serve Your Majesty. Since I usually cannot see Your Majesty, I can only take this opportunity today to raise this matter to Your Majesty. Please, Your Majesty, prioritize the overall situation of the new policies and permit the various madams of the Bai family to remarry.”

“I don’t understand these words!” Fifth Madam Qi laughed coldly, “Asking Your Majesty to permit us to remarry, as if Your Majesty doesn’t allow us to marry.”

Liu Rushi, having been enlightened by Lu Jin, already understood Bai Qingyan’s meaning. She lifted her dress hem and walked toward Bai Qingyan’s pavilion. After first bowing to Dong Shi and Bai Qingyan, she then spoke, “I received word long ago that someone intended to cause trouble at today’s kite competition hosted by Princess Gaoyi… using the new law encouraging widows to remarry. I wondered who would have such audacity and capability. Who would have thought… it turns out to be Second Miss Qin, who nearly killed the Auxiliary Duchess and often considers herself the Auxiliary Duchess’s sister-in-law.”

Second Miss Qin knelt there, showing no fear of Liu Rushi, the Minister of Rites, famous throughout the capital for his venomous tongue. She looked up at Liu Rushi, “How can this be considered causing trouble? This matter is currently the talk of the entire capital. The widows among ordinary families in the capital have indeed been marrying one after another, but which of these madams of the Bai family isn’t a widow? Why haven’t they married yet? Aren’t they afraid of inviting criticism?”

A few days ago, Bai Qihe expelled from the clan those Bai family members who had improper thoughts about the Bai family madams. Therefore, the Bai clan members who came here today had long given up the idea of marrying these widowed madams of the capital’s Bai family. Who knew this Second Miss Qin would be so bold as to publicly raise this matter, doing what they had originally planned to do…

If the Bai family madams were forced to marry, wouldn’t they have an opportunity? After all, they were all Bai clan members. Having these Bai family madams marry people from the Bai clan would keep the wealth within the family.

Thinking of this, the Bai clan members were already calculating in their hearts…

“This is what everyone outside is saying now – that the madams remain widowed and don’t remarry because the imperial family also deeply feels that widows remarrying would damage their reputation and bring no benefit to their own family… so they don’t allow the Bai family widows to remarry. The Female Emperor’s new policies force common people’s widows to remarry! Only caring about the imperial family’s face, not caring about the common people’s dignity – this humble woman refuses to accept this!” Second Miss Qin spoke with righteous indignation.

Liu Rushi, who had prepared his response, was about to speak when he heard Fifth Madam Qi call out to stop him.

“Minister Liu…” Fifth Madam Qi stood up with Nanny Zhai supporting her hand, bowed to Dong Shi, and smiled, “Elder Sister-in-law… since Second Miss Qin’s words directly point to us widows of the Bai family, as a widow of the Bai family myself… I think it’s most appropriate for me to say a few words.”

Fifth Madam identified herself as a Bai family widow, her expression calm and composed, naturally carrying an air of dignity.

Dong Shi knew that her fifth sister-in-law was no less capable than Minister Liu, so she nodded, “Fifth Sister-in-law, please…”

“Fifth Aunt…” Bai Qingyan’s brows furrowed tightly. She already knew what Fifth Aunt was going to say, and she didn’t want Fifth Aunt to damage her reputation for the smooth implementation of the new law.

Fifth Madam Qi smiled at Bai Qingyan and shook her head, signaling for Bai Qingyan to be at ease.

Dong Shi patted Bai Qingyan’s hand, indicating she should be at ease.

Liu Rushi also stood to the side, quietly waiting. If Fifth Madam Qi didn’t hit the mark, he could supplement her words.

Wei Zhong hurried over, covering his lips with his hand as he whispered in Bai Qingyan’s ear for a while, making a gesture of respectfully awaiting instructions.

“First, bring the patriarch over, I’ll come shortly…” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking to Wei Zhong, she added, “Have Physician Hong go check on Fourth Aunt.”

“Yes!” Wei Zhong acknowledged and withdrew to fetch Bai family patriarch Bai Qihe and Physician Hong.

“What happened to your Fourth Aunt?” Dong Shi asked.

“It’s nothing, Mother needn’t worry.” Bai Qingyan smiled.

Fifth Madam Qi fanned herself and, under everyone’s gaze, walked in front of Second Miss Qin and smiled, “Do you know why we sisters-in-law of the Bai family are unwilling to remarry?”

Second Miss Qin didn’t know what Fifth Madam Qi was planning, so she simply didn’t speak.

But Fifth Madam Qi smiled and said, “We are unwilling to remarry…”

“If Fifth Madam says this, aren’t you afraid of being questioned by the common people about the new law encouraging widows to remarry? Even the imperial family is unwilling to lead by example… how can you make the common people accept it?” Second Miss Qin bowed once and said, “For the sake of the new law… it would be better if the madams married.”

Second Madam Liu, hearing these words, was about to rise and angrily scold this Second Miss Qin, but was stopped by Third Madam Li, who shook her head at her.