Physician Hong had already finished examining Bai Jinxiu. Stroking his goatee, he glanced at Bai Qingyan. Seeing her nod slightly, he lowered his eyes and said: “Second Miss suffered a blow to the head first, then fell into the water! Cold water entered her lungs, and with the persistent high fever, I fear…”
Second Madam Liu’s legs went weak. If not for Qing Shu supporting her, she would have collapsed to the ground.
Bai Qingyan stepped forward with a grave expression and bowed to Second Madam Liu: “Second Sister is in critical condition. Will you stay here to care for her until she recovers, or will you take her back to the Duke’s mansion for treatment? Second Aunt, you must decide!”
Nanny Wu’s eyes widened in shock. A married woman could not leave her husband’s home without his family’s consent! If Second Madam Liu took Bai Jinxiu away, the two families would likely sever relations: “Second Madam, this cannot be! Young Madam just married into Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion, and you want to carry her back—how would this make people view our mansion? Those who don’t know might think our two families are severing ties! Even the Grand Princess herself would never agree to this, wouldn’t you say, Nanny Jiang?!”
“My daughter’s life hangs by a thread after just marrying into Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion! I don’t care how others view your mansion!” Second Madam Liu gripped her chest garments tightly and turned to look at Nanny Jiang. “Nanny! Please trouble yourself to go back and tell Mother… Jinxiu was struck on the head and pushed into the lake, and all her attending maids were sold off without exception! She doesn’t even have anyone to serve her—Jinxiu must be brought back to the mansion for care! If Mother doesn’t agree… I’ll take Jinxiu back to my natal family!”
Nanny Jiang nodded and bowed to Second Madam Liu: “This old servant will immediately return to report to the Grand Princess. Second Madam, please be at ease. The Grand Princess has always cherished Second Miss—there’s no reason she would ignore her granddaughter’s life for the sake of any relationship!”
Hearing these words, Nanny Wu felt as if the sky had fallen and nearly knelt. She hadn’t expected Second Madam Liu to disregard both families’ face and Bai Jinxiu’s prospects in Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion just to protect her daughter.
“Qing Shu, you’re quick on your feet—accompany Nanny Jiang back!”
After speaking, Second Madam Liu moved to the bedside, grasped her daughter’s hand, and couldn’t help but cry.
Seeing Bai Jinxiu’s condition, Qing Shu’s eyes had been red all along. Receiving Second Madam Liu’s instruction, she immediately responded and helped Nanny Jiang walk quickly outside.
“Nanny Jiang! This cannot be done!”
Nanny Jiang paid no heed.
Unable to stop Nanny Jiang, Nanny Wu quickly knelt before Second Madam Liu: “Second Madam! This absolutely cannot be brought to the Grand Princess!”
Second Madam Liu now held her daughter’s hand, looking at her daughter’s pale face that wouldn’t wake up no matter how she called, already crying beyond caring about anything else.
Chun Yan ran in quickly, covering her lips as she whispered in Bai Qingyan’s ear: “The mansion guards went toward the rear courtyard! Miss… what if Fourth Miss suffers losses?”
“Jintong, stay here to accompany Second Aunt.” Bai Qingyan stood in place with an aura of killing intent, letting Chun Tao drape a white fox cloak over her. She glanced at Second Madam Liu crying by Bai Jinxiu’s bedside and said unhurriedly: “I’ll go take a look. Fourth Sister is impulsive… she mustn’t lose her sense of proportion and injure the Marquis’s wife.”
Seeing that she couldn’t keep Second Madam Liu’s maid Qing Shu in check, Nanny Wu had to quickly report to the Marquis’s wife. Her eyes darted as she hurriedly climbed up from the ground: “This old servant will lead the way for Miss! This old servant will lead the way!”
Chun Tao supported Bai Qingyan as they quickly left the bridal chamber and walked rapidly toward the Marquis’s wife’s courtyard. Along the way, whenever Nanny Wu tried to approach Bai Qingyan, Chun Yan unceremoniously swatted her away with a handkerchief.
Knowing that Bai Qingyan had been raised by the Grand Princess and carried great weight in her presence, Nanny Wu carefully spoke to Bai Qingyan with a mournful expression: “Miss Bai, this matter truly cannot be blamed on our mansion’s Second Miss. Originally, our heir was betrothed to you, but later it was Young Madam who married in. Our Second Miss only exchanged a few words with Young Madam because of this.”
Bai Qingyan’s steps paused as she turned to look at Nanny Wu with a half-smile…
No wonder, after the Minister of Personnel’s legitimate second daughter died in resentment in her previous life, the Minister’s wife could use thunderous methods to deal with the Jiang family. Even the personal nanny beside Marquis Zhongyong’s main wife was such a liability—the signs of the mansion’s decline were already showing.
“You shrewd old woman, if you keep spouting nonsense, do you believe I’ll tear your mouth apart! Are you trying to blame what your mansion’s two misses did on our Miss?!” Chun Yan became furious.
“Chun Tao, tie her up and hand her to Second Madam! Tell Second Madam what this nanny just said… that Marquis Zhongyong’s Second Miss exchanged words and physically harmed our Second Miss!” Bai Qingyan glanced at Nanny Wu and continued walking forward. “This is a nanny from beside Marquis Zhongyong’s wife… speaking with her mouth. Should this matter go to court in the future, this nanny would be a witness.”
Hearing the words “go to court,” Nanny Wu’s face changed color. Her legs went weak as mud, and she immediately knelt: “Miss Bai! This old servant is a nanny from beside Marquis Zhongyong’s wife—you cannot tie me up! This old servant never said our Second Miss physically harmed anyone! If this damages our Second Miss’s reputation, even if this old servant sacrificed her life, she couldn’t make amends!”
Bai Qingyan paid no heed.
Before their group had even approached, Bai Qingyan could hear the maids crying and wailing. A group of guards, led by a disheveled nanny, was running hastily toward the Marquis’s wife’s courtyard.
Bai Qingyan gripped Chun Tao’s supporting hand tightly. Understanding, Chun Tao quickened her pace.
“Hand over those two wenches who hurt my Second Sister!”
Bai Jinzhi wielded a long whip in the courtyard, cracking it loudly. The ground was covered with withered branches and snow…
The maids and servants all bore whip marks from Bai Jinzhi’s lashing. Unable to retaliate due to her status, they could only tremble and loudly plead for Fourth Miss to show mercy.
The lead young guard from Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion grabbed the whip Bai Jinzhi was swinging, his stern face taut as he stared directly at her: “Please cease this behavior, Fourth Miss Bai. This is Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion, not your Duke’s mansion! We cannot tolerate such insolence from Fourth Miss Bai!”
Bai Jinzhi clenched her molars, trying to pull back her whip but discovering that despite using all her strength, she couldn’t retrieve it an inch.
This was the first time Bai Jinzhi had suffered a loss at someone else’s hands. Her eyes widened as she gritted her teeth and steadied her stance, yet still couldn’t pull back the whip.
“Little Four…”
Bai Qingyan called out to Bai Jinzhi, and only then did the guard release the whip.
Bai Jinzhi coiled her whip, looked deeply at the guard, and walked toward Bai Qingyan: “Elder sister…”
The young guard watched as Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi, surrounded by a crowd of maids and servants, walked along the corridor toward the main room. He turned to the guards behind him: “Stand guard here to prevent that Fourth Miss Bai from harming anyone else.”
Inside the room, Marquis’s wife Jiang held her two daughters, huddled together, trembling in fear.