The two male cousins and three female cousins from the Dong family that Bai Jinzhi mentioned were the children of Bai Qingyan’s eldest maternal uncle, Dong Qingping.
Shortly after, Nanny Qin from Dong Shi’s side came over and asked quietly beside the carriage: “First Miss, Fourth Miss, the young masters and young ladies from the Dong mansion want to invite First Miss and Fourth Miss to go boating on the lake together. Madam sent me to ask what you two young ladies think – would you like to go get some fresh air with your male and female cousins?”
Dong Shi felt that Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi, having returned from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in Nan Jiang, should relax and unwind.
Moreover, having her daughter grow close to her maternal family was naturally a good thing in Dong Shi’s view. It was rare that her nephews and nieces harbored no fear over Bai Qingyan’s burning of prisoners of war in Nan Jiang and wanted to invite Bai Qingyan to go boating together. How could Dong Shi not agree?
“Elder Sister! Elder Sister!” Bai Jinzhi called out with increasing urgency, her eyes bright as she looked at Bai Qingyan, nearly tugging at Bai Qingyan’s sleeves in pleading.
Seeing Bai Jinzhi’s eager expression, Bai Qingyan smiled and said: “Then please trouble Nanny to tell Mother that Fourth Sister and I will return home later…”
“Good! This old servant will go report to Madam immediately.” Nanny Qin’s voice was quite joyful – before coming, she had feared that First Miss would refuse.
Dong Shi wasn’t at ease and had Nanny Qin personally accompany them. When the three young ladies from the Dong family heard that their eldest female cousin was going, they happily crowded into Bai Qingyan’s carriage.
“Female Cousin! Female Cousin!” Dong Tingzhen lifted her skirt as she got into the carriage, smiling upon seeing Bai Qingyan. “Yesterday, we originally wanted to visit Female Cousin and Fourth Female Cousin, but Mother held us back, saying Female Cousin and Fourth Female Cousin would surely be very tired after returning from Nan Jiang and should rest well! When we learned that you were attending the palace banquet today, we specially waited here all morning and finally managed to intercept Female Cousin and Fourth Female Cousin!”
Bai Qingyan was slightly stunned, having thought it was a chance encounter, not realizing they had specifically waited here to intercept them. She smiled and looked at Dong Tingzhen: “You could have just sent someone to give us word – why suffer waiting all morning?”
Dong Tingzhen’s eyes reddened slightly as she grasped Bai Qingyan’s hand, looking her up and down: “Did Female Cousin get injured on this trip to Nan Jiang? When Father and Mother learned Female Cousin had gone to Nan Jiang, they were scared to death! They were anxious all day long.”
She gently squeezed Dong Tingzhen’s hand: “It’s nothing, don’t worry.”
Compared to the legitimate daughter Dong Tingzhen’s familiar warmth, Dong Qingyu and Dong Qingfang were happy… but seemed slightly more reserved in Bai Qingyan’s presence, probably because Bai Qingyan always seemed to emanate a subtle yet sharp aura that made people afraid.
However, they got along very well with the childlike Bai Jinzhi.
The carriage swayed leisurely out of the city. Before reaching Taoyin Lake, they could already hear the playful sounds of children and young ladies enjoying spring outings along the way.
Dong Changsheng, the eldest son of Dong Qingping who was riding ahead, seeing this lively scene, turned his horse around to come beside the carriage and said quietly: “Sisters, the spring scenery outside is just right. Would you like to get down and walk?”
Dong Tingzhen lifted the curtain to look outside, seeing spring colors everywhere and vibrant life. She couldn’t help laughing: “It’s just the right time for spring scenery. The peach blossoms and green willows along the way are so beautiful – why don’t we get out and walk? Female Cousin?”
“Elder Sister, it’s so lively outside, and the flowers are all blooming so beautifully!” Bai Jinzhi also turned around to look eagerly at Bai Qingyan.
If not for Bai Jinzhi’s request, Bai Qingyan would have returned to the mansion long ago. Seeing her sister looking at her eagerly again, she looked outside through the curtain Bai Jinzhi had lifted, saw the beautiful sunshine, and noted they had brought enough guards and nannies, so she nodded: “Then let’s get out and walk!”
With her elder sister’s permission, Bai Jinzhi delightedly had the coachman stop the carriage and got down holding Dong Qingyu and Dong Qingfang’s hands.
“Female Cousin…” As she was getting off the carriage, Dong Tingzhen suddenly grabbed Bai Qingyan’s hand, moved closer to her, and lowered her voice: “Elder Brother Changyuan begged Brother and me to help him meet Female Cousin privately. Female Cousin, please don’t be angry with me!”
In Bai Qingyan’s moment of shock, she was already helped down from the carriage by Dong Tingzhen.
Dong Changsheng and Dong Changqing, who had already dismounted and stood to the side, bowed to Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi.
“Greetings to both female cousins!”
“Greetings, Female Cousin! Greetings, Fourth Female Cousin!”
Dong Changsheng was three months older than Bai Qingyan, making him Bai Qingyan’s male cousin. Bai Qingyan had already heard from her mother that Dong Changsheng would marry the legitimate granddaughter of Lord Shoushan on the fifteenth of the fourth month.
After returning their courtesy, she smiled: “I heard from Mother that Male Cousin also took the examinations this year with impressive results. Qingyan congratulates Male Cousin in advance on the double joy of both academic and matrimonial success.”
“Then I thank Female Cousin. Please do send generous gifts when the time comes.” Dong Changsheng had a gentle and refined appearance. Joking with Bai Qingyan in this way brought them much closer.
Dong Shi had just left Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi with many servants and guards, and Dong Changsheng and his siblings had also brought quite a few when they came out. At first glance, this outing of refined young masters and ladies from noble families was quite magnificent in scale, causing the common people who had been playing along the road to take their children and step aside.
Bai Jinzhi pulled Dong Qingyu and Dong Qingfang ahead to pick flowers, making quite a commotion. Occasionally, her voice carried over, seemingly talking about how the County Princess title she’d been granted wasn’t very meaningful.
Dong Tingzhen linked arms with Bai Qingyan, followed by a large group of matrons and guards, whispering to Bai Qingyan: “Female Cousin, please don’t be angry about Elder Brother Changyuan’s matter! And don’t tell Aunt, or I’ll be subjected to family punishment!”
“If you’re afraid of family punishment, how dare you deceive my mother like this? My mother’s Nanny Qin is still following us – do you think Nanny Qin is a pushover?” Bai Qingyan’s face showed no joy or anger as she spoke blandly.
“Female Cousin, you don’t know how pitiful Elder Brother Changyuan is – he’s lost so much weight!” Thinking of her cousin’s appearance made Dong Tingzhen feel heartbroken. “Ever since Female Cousin went to Nan Jiang, Elder Brother Changyuan hasn’t had a single peaceful day. Originally, even the great scholar Old Master Lu said Elder Brother Changyuan would achieve the triple crown this time, but unexpectedly, he nearly failed the examination…”
She had also heard from Mother about Dong Changyuan nearly failing, and Mother had very subtly told her that Dong Changyuan had performed poorly because he was worried about her in Nan Jiang. Chun Tao had also told her that Dong Changyuan had come to visit her several times when she was ill, and later, somehow, learned she had gone to Nan Jiang. After seeking confirmation from Mother, he had gone out, mounted his horse, and wanted to rush to Nan Jiang, only to be stopped by Lu Ping.
Regarding Dong Changyuan, she truly considered him a younger brother. As for anything else… she had no such thoughts.
“When Second Uncle and Second Aunt left, they entrusted Elder Brother Changyuan to my parents. Now that Female Cousin has returned, Elder Brother Changyuan says he wants to meet Female Cousin privately before the palace examination. Brother and I couldn’t bear to refuse, so we came up with this foolish plan. If Female Cousin wants to blame someone, blame me!” Dong Tingzhen’s eyes reddened. “But Female Cousin, rest assured – apart from Brother and me, no one else knows. They all just think we came to go boating today!”