“The Qin family’s affairs should be resolved by Second Brother-in-law himself. If he can’t even handle a cunning old slave and refuses such unreasonable demands, how can he protect Second Sister in the future? And how… can he secure the position of Marquis Zhongyong?” Bai Jintong said.
Bai Jinxiu remembered Bai Qingyan’s words before leaving and felt uneasy. Until now, she had never considered that Qin Lang could ascend to the position of Marquis Zhongyong.
Before Bai Jinxiu could react, she heard Qin Lang sigh: “Nanny Wu, Mother previously indulged my two sisters in harming Jinxiu. Not only did she refuse to admit fault, but she also brought up the Grand Princess’s most beloved eldest granddaughter’s… difficulty with bearing children. Now the Grand Princess has lost her husband, with not a single child or grandchild spared, heartbroken and fallen ill. With Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion in trouble… how could I still have the face to petition the Grand Princess?”
Qin Lang spoke politely, but his meaning was clear—he was unwilling to petition the Grand Princess.
“Our Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion and Duke Zhenguo’s mansion are related by marriage! At least let the Grand Princess hold on… and speak for the marquis’s mansion!” Nanny Wu wept bitterly.
Bai Jinzhi’s temples throbbed as she kept telling herself to endure, to endure, but hearing these words, she simply couldn’t bear it anymore. She stood up at the doorway and roared: “You want my grandmother to drag her sick body, endure the pain of losing her husband, son, and grandsons to plead for your marquis’s mansion—where do you get such audacity?”
“What it means to be shameless, Bai Jintong has learned today!” Bai Jintong, dressed in mourning clothes, stood with hands behind her back on the high steps, pulling Bai Jinzhi behind her and slowly walking down. “That day, the two young ladies of Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion tried to take my Second Sister’s life. Marquis Zhongyong’s wife arbitrarily beat to death my Second Sister’s dowry maid, then used filial duty to suppress my Second Sister from lodging complaints! Our Bai family’s mourning hall is set up here, yet Marquis Zhongyong hasn’t come to pay respects for days. I wonder if it’s guilt in his heart, fearing our Bai family’s departed souls will demand his life, or if his nature is simply cold! Now that trouble has come… even a cunning old slave dares mention marriage relations?!”
Nanny Wu trembled all over. Seeing Bai Jintong step by step descending the high steps of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, she knelt and retreated a step backward.
Bai Jinzhi couldn’t contain herself, standing on those high steps and angrily shouting: “The Court of Judicial Review surrounded Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion precisely because there were problems with the provisions Marquis Zhongyong was responsible for sending to the Nan Jiang front lines! Our Bai family’s twenty-odd coffins are still displayed here. My Seventeenth Brother’s abdomen was cut open and filled with tree roots and mud! The provisions arranged by Marquis Zhongyong turned into buckwheat husks in Zhangcheng! They disappeared before reaching the front lines! Where do you get the dog’s face… where do you get the nerve to ask my grandmother to drag her sick body to plead for Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion?!”
Qin Lang’s fists clenched at his sides, his heart also filled with unbearable guilt, since Marquis Zhongyong was his father after all.
Bai Qingyan had changed into mourning clothes and was just arriving at the mourning hall when she heard Nanny Wu’s words, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
She walked from behind the mourning hall to the front, saying coldly: “The dignified Grand Princess of Jin—is she a slave of your Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion? Can you order her around at will? Even if sick, she must crawl up to plead for you… What grand airs Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion puts on!”
Upon seeing Miss Bai, Nanny Wu’s heart trembled as she kowtowed with loud thuds: “This old slave doesn’t dare! This old slave didn’t mean that!”
The continuous stream of common people coming to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion to pay respects heard these shameless words from Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion’s nanny, and someone immediately spat in Nanny Wu’s face.
“This old dog is truly shameless!”
“Opening her mouth to demand the Grand Princess drag her sick body to plead for her family! The Bai family’s mourning hall is set up here, but until Marquis Zhongyong was arrested and imprisoned, they never came to offer even a stick of incense. Now they remember Duke Zhenguo’s mansion!”
“Exactly! The military grain was all buckwheat husks, which disappeared before reaching Nan Jiang. The Bai family’s ten-year-old young general’s belly was full of mud and tree bark, yet their Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion dared to ask the Grand Princess to petition His Majesty. How shameless!”
“What face do they need! Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion probably forgot how to write the word ‘shame’ long ago!” A man tucked his hands into his sleeves. “Back when that Marquis Zhongyong’s wife was still around, she dared touch the Second Miss’s dowry. When the mistress acts like that, imagine what other good things that nest of snakes and rats in Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion could produce!”
As soon as the man finished speaking, his wife tugged at him, indicating that Qin Lang was still present.
Only then did the man shrink his neck and hurriedly leave with his wife.
“Qin Lang, you and Second Sister come with me. I have something to discuss with you…” Bai Qingyan said with a stern face.
Qin Lang nodded, turning back to look at Nanny Wu kneeling on the ground, crying continuously: “Go back and take good care of my brother and sisters! The Grand Princess is heartbroken. As her grandson-in-law, I already feel deeply guilty for not being able to share the Grand Princess’s burden. How could I make the Grand Princess worry about Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion’s affairs?”
Nanny Wu wanted to say more, but Qin Lang couldn’t let her continue damaging Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion’s reputation. He flicked his sleeve and said sternly: “My brother and sisters currently just cannot freely enter and leave Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion—their lives are not in danger. His Majesty will make his judgment on the military provisions matter. Since it concerns state affairs, we should not interfere. Go back!”
After speaking, Qin Lang stepped up the high steps of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, unwilling to entangle further with Nanny Wu. He went forward to support Bai Jinxiu and followed Bai Qingyan’s departing steps.
“Young Master! Young Master, please save Second Young Master and the two misses! They are your blood brother and sisters! Young Master, you can’t be so heartless!” Nanny Wu cried out.
Bai Jintong looked at the guards still standing there: “Why aren’t you taking this woman from Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion back? Are you planning to let this matter escalate and truly alarm my grandmother and His Majesty?!”
The guards responsible for watching Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion were startled. Regardless of propriety between men and women, they clasped their fists and apologized to Bai Jintong before dragging the ceaselessly crying Nanny Wu back to Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion.
Gao Sheng, hidden in the crowd, watched Qin Lang leave with Bai Qingyan. Immediately thinking of that list at the Court of Judicial Review prison gate, his scalp tightened as he hurried back to Prince Liang’s mansion.
·
Bai Qingyan brought Bai Jinxiu and Qin Lang to the pavilion by the artificial mountain in the courtyard, having Nanny Tong hand Qin Lang the list written on brocade silk.
Qin Lang glanced through it roughly, seeing that all the people on it were dead, and immediately understood: “This must be… the list of officials who handled Nan Jiang provisions last year?!”
“Yes, so many officials who handled Nan Jiang provisions… what a coincidence that they all died in accidents within two months.” Bai Qingyan’s fingers drummed intermittently on the stone table.
Xiao Ruojiang clasped his fists and bowed to Qin Lang: “Second Brother-in-law, this list was obtained from Marquis half an hour ago when we accompanied Miss to the Court of Judicial Review prison.”
Qin Lang’s heart surged like rolling waves. This meant his father had long known about the provisions problem, and might even… very likely have been the one who acted!
Qin Lang couldn’t sit still and suddenly stood up, pacing back and forth: “Miss, do you… Do you have a way for me to see my father?”
Xiao Ruojiang lowered his eyes: “For Marquis Zhongyong’s safety, it would be better if Second Brother-in-law doesn’t see him!”