“You disobedient and unfilial thing! Such a major matter as requesting to give up the heir apparent position, and you didn’t even say a word! Is this heir apparent position nothing more than radishes and cabbages to you? To give it up just like that! And you even disturbed the Grand Princess! You’re trampling on our marquis mansion’s dignity to advance your prospects!”

Qin Lang’s eyes reddened, his throat bobbing. After a long silence, he stepped back and performed a full kowtow to Marquis Zhongyong: “Since mother’s passing, father remarried. I don’t know why strictly observing filial piety displeased my stepmother, and why studying diligently by lamplight also made father dissatisfied. I pondered this endlessly without understanding. Until this autumn, when I saw younger brother playing at father and mother’s knees, and father exclaimed how younger brother’s talent was brilliant with his eloquent speech, while stepmother wept saying how unfortunate it was that younger brother wasn’t the eldest son, that ancestral rules and propriety were unfair to younger brother—only then did I realize that the heir apparent candidate father and mother favored was younger brother! I have no great talent, and I know I cannot resolve my father’s and mother’s worries, which is unfilial. Upon self-reflection, I requested to give up the heir apparent position to seek some redemption, which is truly not unfilial. Soon, I will move out of the Marquis Mansion. My foolish wish is… for the marquis mansion to be harmonious, for father and mother to be healthy, for wives to be safe. I beseech father’s understanding!”

Marquis Zhongyong’s pupils trembled as he watched Qin Lang rise, bow deeply once more, then turn and leave. His lips moved as he raised his hand… but in the end, he couldn’t call Qin Lang back.

After dinner, Bai Qingyan practiced until she was covered in sweat. Her body showed faint signs of adaptation, not as sore as the previous two days.

After bathing, Chun Yan was helping Bai Qingyan, who sat under the lamp reading, dry her hair with a cloth, when Chun Tao entered carrying hot tea.

“First Miss, the task you assigned to your cousin has been completed. Since it’s late and inconvenient for him to enter the inner quarters, he had this servant report to you.” Chun Tao placed the hot tea beside Bai Qingyan.

Chen Qingsheng was an extremely perceptive person. Bai Qingyan now had no concerns about him. Even though she had spoken tactfully today, Chen Qingsheng surely understood clearly how to handle the matter.

Bai Qingyan lifted her gaze from the book and asked, “How did your cousin handle it?”

Chun Tao originally didn’t want such filthy matters to soil Bai Qingyan’s pure ears, but since Bai Qingyan asked, there was no reason to hide it: “Cousin asked Lu Ping, the guard, to lead people to raid Jiang Shi’s estate at Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion. Using her bond contract, they forcibly seized Mingyu, then tied her up and paraded through the streets with gongs and drums into the city, delivering her to Mingyu’s family home. They said… although Mingyu betrayed her master, Second Miss, remembering her years of service, didn’t hold it against her but dared not employ her again. So they sent Mingyu home, allowing her family to redeem her with money, to conduct themselves properly hereafter.”

Chen Qingsheng was very clever—this was beautifully done…

The Bai mansion’s reputation could not have any stains.

Bai Qingyan felt pleased as she closed her book and placed it on the small chicken-wing wood table, knowing there was more to come. She picked up her tea and took a sip: “Continue…”

“Mingyu’s elder brother, fearing Duke Zhenguo’s power, scraped together money from here and there, even borrowing from moneylenders, to repay our mansion! Before my cousin left, he secretly gave Mingyu’s brother a warning! Later, an assistant from the money lending house also went to remind Mingyu’s brother! Mingyu’s brother then, citing family misfortune, broke both of Mingyu’s legs and sold her to a private brothel!”

Bai Qingyan set down her teacup. Chen Qingsheng was indeed a treasure. Amusement flickered in her eyes as she asked again, “What else?”

Chun Tao’s ears reddened, but she continued: “My cousin said to tell Miss not to worry. He’s already made arrangements—Mingyu is now the lowest-grade prostitute. As long as she draws breath, she must…”

Chun Tao could no longer continue.

Understanding the implications, Chun Yan shuddered: “This… Chen Qingsheng usually seems so gentle and easygoing, but how can he be so vicious?! After all… he and Mingyu were acquaintances.” To make Mingyu into the lowest grade of prostitute, forced to serve clients continuously as long as she breathed—truly a pillow for thousands, ridden by tens of thousands.

Chun Tao looked carefully at Bai Qingyan, also worried that she might think Chen Qingsheng too cruel and heartless.

“Your cousin did very well! It’s good to let those servants with ulterior motives see what happens to those who betray their masters.” Bai Qingyan smiled at Chun Tao. “Tomorrow, take a hundred taels of silver to reward your cousin.”

“This servant thanks Miss on behalf of the cousin.”

Bai Qingyan turned to look at Chun Yan, whose face was deathly pale: “Go to the small kitchen and see if the sheep’s milk soup is ready, then take it to Second Miss.”

“Yes!”

Chun Tao, very perceptive, took the cloth to continue drying Bai Qingyan’s hair.

Once Chun Yan left, Bai Qingyan said, “Tell your cousin to do two more things for me…”

“Whatever Miss commands.”

Bai Qingyan picked up her book and casually turned a page: “The matter of Jiang Shi ordering someone to drown Second Miss’s dowry maid can be stirred up now!”

First, there was Bai Jinxiu’s injury and fall into water, her life hanging by a thread before being taken back to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion. Then Duke Zhenguo’s mansion made a great show of dragging the traitorous Mingyu from Jiang Shi’s dowry estate and sending her home. Now, all the common people and noble families in the capital were already speculating wildly about Bai Jinxiu’s drowning incident, yet Duke Zhenguo’s mansion kept its lips sealed tight, not leaking the slightest information. Unable to obtain any reliable news, idle women in inner quarters and tavern loafers were already beside themselves with curiosity.

At this moment, revealing the death of the dowry maid whom Jiang Shi claimed to have sold would not only have others compose elaborate stories about Jiang Shi, but also put Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion’s reputation on the fire to be roasted.

Matters should be revealed one by one, unhurriedly, progressing step by step to keep the audience captivated, with all eyes fixed on Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion.

Then it would depend on whether Marquis Zhongyong chose to protect Jiang Shi or preserve Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion’s reputation.

“Before stirring things up… send someone to the village heads of those five dowry maids to cancel their slave status, so that when the matter is finished, they can be properly buried with free citizen status.”

Chun Tao never questioned Bai Qingyan’s arrangements and quickly responded: “Yes, after serving Miss to bed, I’ll go instruct cousin!”

“Also, in three days, grandmother will send someone to the estate to bring back two people. Grandmother and I want to test these two people’s character, so let your cousin handle it freely.”

Regarding Second Uncle’s son living outside, Second Madam Liu Shi, though angry upon hearing of it, still accepted it.

After all, when Second Uncle went traveling and was rescued by a young woman, and the two developed feelings, Second Aunt knew about this.

As for this additional child, the mansion wasn’t without concubine-born sons, whom she treated equally. It was just one more pair of chopsticks, and she was unwilling to fuss over such matters.

Bai Qingyan turned her head to look at Chun Tao with affectionate, gentle eyes: “Your cousin is indeed useful. After the New Year, I plan to have him go out for two or three more years of experience. By then, becoming a steward will be more than adequate, and I can feel at ease entrusting you to him.”

Chun Tao’s entire face flushed red as she said coquettishly, “Miss!”

Bai Qingyan looked at Chun Tao’s blushing face and spring-filled eyes in her shy state, smiling gently as she patted her hand.

Chun Tao had followed her for so many years—her feelings couldn’t escape Bai Qingyan’s notice.

In her previous life, Chun Tao had protected her and followed her to Nan Jiang, dying before she could marry Chen Qingsheng. In this life… Bai Qingyan was determined to let Chun Tao marry in splendor and live happily with her beloved for a lifetime.