When Bai Qingyan, Bai Jinxiu, Bai Jintong, and Bai Jinzhi emerged from the main hall of Changshou Courtyard, heavy snow was already falling outside like goose feathers.

Maids carried lanterns and held umbrellas, accompanying them as they walked slowly.

“Today elder sister had me and my third sister make such a scene. Though the clan won’t dare trouble us when we return to Shouyang in the future, these four hundred fifty thousand taels of silver… giving them away is truly infuriating!” Bai Jinzhi felt indignant. “With the clan’s bloodsucking parasite behavior, I’d rather use these four hundred fifty thousand taels to open a charity kitchen for the poor than give it to them.”

“The Duke’s mansion now has only women left – consider it paying for peace!” Bai Jinxiu smiled and patted Bai Jinzhi’s head.

“However, that Master Xiao is truly honorable!” Bai Jinzhi mentioned Xiao Rongyan with some admiration in her eyes. “He truly has an air of bright moon and clear breeze, completely different from the copper-reeking merchants I’ve seen before! He’s more like a refined young master from a noble family.”

Xiao Rongyan wasn’t truly a merchant to begin with, so naturally he had no mercantile air about him.

Just as they left Changshou Courtyard, they saw a young maid holding an umbrella and supporting Nanny Luo, the steward nanny beside Liu Shi, hurrying toward them. Nanny Luo said Liu Shi had sent her to summon Bai Jinxiu.

“Elder sister, third sister, fourth sister, I’ll go to mother first, then come to the memorial hall…”

Bai Qingyan nodded.

After bowing, Bai Jinxiu hurriedly left with Nanny Luo, continuously asking if her mother, Liu Shi, was feeling unwell.

In the bitter cold wind, she turned to her two sisters: “I’ll go check on Ji Tingyu. You go to the memorial hall first.”

“I’ll accompany my elder sister! Xiao Si, you go to the memorial hall first. Someone must be there.” Bai Jintong sent Bai Jinxiu away because she didn’t want her sister to see Ji Tingyu’s bloody, miserable state again.

“Alright…” Bai Jinzhi nodded.

When Bai Jintong accompanied Bai Qingyan to Ji Tingyu’s quarters, Ji Tingyu was already asleep. Physician Hong said Ji Tingyu had woken from pain earlier, taken medicine, and fallen asleep again.

“It’s good he can sleep!” Physician Hong, who had been keeping watch at the square table, stroked his goatee. “When he’s asleep, it doesn’t hurt as much.”

Looking at Ji Tingyu lying on the bed, pale as paper, Bai Qingyan came out of the inner room with red eyes and asked Lu Ping: “Do Ji Tingyu’s family members all know?”

“As soon as Ji Tingyu returned today, Steward Hao sent someone to the estate to inform Ji Tingyu’s sister.” Lu Ping nodded and lifted the curtain for Bai Qingyan and Bai Jintong to exit.

“Shouldn’t we send someone to inform Ji Tingyu’s parents, wife, and children?” Bai Jintong asked.

Lu Ping stood in the corridor and spoke slowly: “During the bandit troubles in Zhangzhou, Ji Tingyu’s father died, and his mother passed away five years ago. Ji Tingyu just married in early twelfth month, but his wife is still very young… Steward Hao’s sent manager was afraid the Ji family had no elders and the new bride couldn’t handle the shock, so he hurried to Ji Tingyu’s brother-in-law’s house to tell his sister.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, remained silent for a moment, then turned to Lu Ping: “Uncle Ping, there’s one more matter I need you to handle quietly.”

“Miss, please command!” Lu Ping clasped his fists.

“I estimate that early tomorrow morning, that clan uncle Bai Qiyun will set off for Shouyang with the silver notes.” She lowered her gaze and gently stroked the hand warmer in her hands, speaking unhurriedly. “You select ten loyal, reliable men with strong martial arts and tight lips, and have them secretly follow him. When they’re near the Shouyang border, have them disguise themselves as bandits and rob Bai Qiyun.”

Bai Jintong was stunned: “Elder sister?!”

“Yes!” Lu Ping responded.

“Uncle Ping, please go select the men now. Once you’ve chosen them, come to Yifeng Pavilion and tell me.”

After clasping his fists, Lu Ping hurriedly left.

“I thought when my elder sister had me and Xiao Si put on that performance, it was just to claim righteousness before the world and save face, and would give the silver to the clan. Xiao Si was still unhappy about it.” Bai Jintong’s eyes held laughter – this robbery scheme was exactly like something Xiao Si would do.

Just imagining Bai Qiyun crying to heaven after being robbed made Bai Jintong feel vindicated.

“We want righteousness, we want face, but we also want the benefits – otherwise we’d be letting down yours and Xiao Si’s hard work.” She watched Lu Ping’s hurrying figure and said to Bai Jintong, “They say take poverty at home but wealth on the road. With four hundred fifty thousand taels more to your name, remember to thank clan uncle Bai Qiyun…”

“Elder sister is right.”

Looking at the snow covering the ground, she turned around and asked Bai Jintong seriously: “Are you… Planning to go to sea?”

Bai Jintong had been pondering this matter daily since returning from the New Year’s Eve palace banquet.

If there hadn’t been the Emperor’s question to elder sister in the palace that day, if the Bai family’s men hadn’t all perished in Nan Jiang, she would have been quite willing to follow grandmother’s arranged path, slowly accumulating hidden wealth for the Bai family.

But that day, watching the Great Wei’s foremost merchant Xiao Rongyan sitting behind Prince Qi, she finally understood that wealth… could reach heaven.

Bai Jintong didn’t know how her elder sister planned the Bai family’s future, but she could sense from her elder sister’s occasional words that her elder sister intended to intimidate the imperial family.

Otherwise, why would the elder sister stir up such turmoil in the capital, using popular sentiment and anger to pressure the Emperor? Why did she always mention only the Duke’s mansion’s love and loyalty to the people, and only mention the Duke’s mansion’s great righteousness in protecting the Kingdom and people?

Elder sister… from beginning to end, never once mentioned loyalty to the Lin imperial power.

So Bai Jintong guessed that elder sister would never surrender the Bai family’s military power.

When the Bai family held military power and was wealthy enough to rival nations! What kind of scene would the Bai family present in Great Jin… and even the world?

Bai Jintong very much wanted to see that day.

That day in Qinghui Courtyard, her elder sister told her that whatever she could achieve with her talents was both her fortune and the Bai family’s fortune. Therefore, she must spare no effort in pursuing that boundless wealth, laying a solid foundation for the future.

Some words Bai Qingyan had never fully explained to Bai Jintong, but Bai Jintong was wise and perceptive – she understood too clearly how the Bai family’s future path should go.

“Wealth is found in danger – there’s no wealth that comes without risk in this world.” Bai Jintong stood with her hands behind her back, her features carrying some heroic spirit. “Going to sea carries enormous risks, but the profits are truly too tempting! I won’t hide it from my elder sister… I’ve already sent more than half of the manager’s grandmother’s assignments to various ports to buy ships and hire people. After the fifteenth, I’ll personally lead people to gather cargo. With ships full both ways, if heaven blesses us, within five years at most… Jintong doesn’t dare claim the whole world, but I’m confident of becoming Great Jin’s foremost merchant.”

She looked at her third sister, feeling much emotion.

Fortunately they were born into the Duke’s mansion Bai family. Grandfather and father never looked down on them for being daughters, and they learned everything no less than sons. Their bones lacked the weakness typical of women and the fear they should have of this world, instead filled with fighting spirit to conquer heaven and earth.

“My father once had an advisor surnamed Liu, whose ancestors made their living from the sea. He has a hereditary ability to predict the weather that’s quite remarkable. I’ll ask him to come out of retirement to assist you.” Bai Qingyan took Bai Jintong’s hand as they walked down the steps.