At the entrance of the Bai mansion sat an azure-curtained horse carriage, with a well-dressed middle-aged man standing at the front of the carriage, constantly looking into the distance.

Seeing Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi returning on horseback, accompanied by the Bai family’s armed guards, that middle-aged man hurriedly ran forward. However, before he could get close, he was stopped by guards who came running from the Bai mansion entrance to welcome Bai Qingyan, scolding him not to approach.

“Princess Zhenguo! Princess Zhenguo! I am the brother-in-law of the Bai clan patriarch. Today I’m escorting my sister home and have come specially to pay my respects to the Princess.”

Yesterday’s incident of Fang Shi packing her belongings and returning to her maternal home had spread throughout Shuo Yang City.

Fang Shi’s brother bowed deeply with a beaming smile in Bai Qingyan’s direction. Seeing Bai Qingyan dismount, he tried to approach again, but the Bai family guards did not let him pass.

That Bai Qihe had a stubborn nature and had truly been driven to desperation by Fang Shi’s petty behavior, deciding resolutely to divorce his wife.

Today, when Fang Shi’s brother brought Fang Shi back to the Bai mansion, Bai Qihe initially wasn’t so harsh and, thinking Fang Shi knew her mistake, still let her enter the door.

But who would have thought that once Fang Shi entered the Bai family gate, she would actually put on an air of wanting to negotiate conditions with Bai Qihe, saying she could return to the Bai family, but only if Bai Qihe could arrange for the Princess Zhenguo to meet her brother’s legitimate second son.

Upon hearing this, Bai Qihe immediately flew into a rage, directly overturning the table and having servants bring the already-written divorce papers to throw at Fang Shi, telling her to return to the Fang family.

Fang Shi had never imagined that Bai Qihe would divorce her. In her fury, she brought up her dowry, but she hadn’t expected that Bai Qihe had already had someone pack up her dowry properly the day before. Fang Shi immediately burst into tears, claiming Bai Qihe was heartless—she had borne children for him, and now that Bai Qihe had become the clan patriarch, this was how he treated his wife who had shared his hardships.

Fang Shi had been spoiled by her family elders since childhood and cried uncontrollably. Fortunately, Fang Shi’s brother was still relatively clear-headed. Seeing the situation, he quickly came out to mediate, saying that back when Bai Qingyan was still a Princess, he already knew their family couldn’t reach so high, let alone now that Bai Qingyan had attained the status of Princess Zhenguo. The Fang family had no such intentions. Fang Shi’s words were… just spoken in anger, and since she had been brought back by her brother rather than fetched by Bai Qihe, she couldn’t save face and thus spoke without thinking. He hoped Bai Qihe would forgive Fang Shi this once for the sake of Bai Qingping.

When Fang Shi’s brother mentioned their son, Bai Qihe closed his eyes, feeling that if he truly divorced Fang Shi… it wouldn’t look good for their son either, since Fang Shi was the boy’s birth mother.

But Fang Shi, tears streaming down her face, declared she would fight Bai Qihe to mutual destruction. Bai Qihe was so angry that he said he must divorce her this time and stormed off.

Fang Shi wailed and cried for her brother to take her home, but Fang Shi’s brother, upon reflection, thought that perhaps only if the Princess Zhenguo intervened could they salvage Bai Qihe’s intention to divorce. So Fang Shi’s brother hurriedly brought Fang Shi to find Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan dismounted but did not have the guards step aside. She simply tossed the black-gold horse whip in her hand to Lu Ping and looked toward Fang Shi’s brother.

Fang Shi’s brother hadn’t expected the Princess Zhenguo to show so little face—after all, the two families were related by marriage.

But she was a Princess, while he was merely a local gentleman. Without this family connection, the Princess Zhenguo probably wouldn’t even pause her steps. After understanding this, Fang Shi’s brother adopted an extremely humble attitude, kneeling and kowtowing before saying: “Princess, yesterday the Bai clan patriarch and his wife Fang Shi had a dispute. The cause was that Fang Shi had inquired about the Princess’s whereabouts. The thing is… Fang Shi only wanted to be able to welcome the Princess early, but who knew the patriarch would become greatly angered and now wants to divorce her! This commoner, for the sake of my sister, can only shamelessly come to beg the Princess to persuade the patriarch!”

“How strange what you’re saying! When a married couple quarrels, you come running to beg my elder sister, an unmarried young lady—how do you have the nerve to speak up?”

Bai Jinzhi casually tossed her horse whip to a guard, standing with her hands behind her back, staring at Fang Shi’s brother kneeling on the ground with a half-smile. Her gaze glanced toward the azure-curtained carriage as she said: “I’m not criticizing the patriarch’s wife, but is the Princess’s whereabouts something she should be inquiring about?! My elder sister is being lenient… if she were to be serious about it, Fang Shi’s scheming to inquire about the Princess’s movements would surely land her in prison for interrogation.”

Fang Shi’s brother prostrated himself and agreed: “She already knows she was wrong and will never dare again! Please, Princess Zhenguo, put in a good word with the patriarch!”

“I can stand here and listen to you say all this because you are the brother-in-law of the Bai clan patriarch.” Bai Qingyan’s voice was bland and very calm. “According to propriety, I am the patriarch’s junior and should not interfere in the private affairs of my elders! According to sentiment… I extremely dislike having people inquire about my whereabouts. If she weren’t the patriarch’s wife and Bai Qingping’s mother, she would be in prison being tortured right now! Do you understand my words?”

Fang Shi’s brother’s back broke out in a light sweat as he kowtowed in agreement.

Only after hearing the footsteps of Bai Qingyan’s group entering the mansion fade away did Fang Shi’s brother dare to raise his head. Without another word, he ran to the azure-curtained carriage and said to Fang Shi, who was still sitting inside crying: “Sister! I think you should go back and properly beg Bai Qihe! This Princess Zhenguo is different from the Duke Prince—she won’t respect the Bai clan patriarch and his wife like the Duke Prince did!”

Fang Shi’s brother felt he had been possessed by ghosts. Previously, when Bai Qingyan was still the Princess Zhenguo, Fang Shi had thought that since the Princess Zhenguo couldn’t bear children, her legitimate son could marry into the family!

Thinking about it now, that was simply wishful thinking with a mind clouded by lard. Not to mention that Bai Qingyan was already the Princess Zhenguo now—this woman’s commanding presence was so overwhelming that she would not think much of his good-for-nothing son.

Fang Shi, sitting in the carriage, had also heard Bai Qingyan’s words. She clutched her handkerchief as tears streamed down her face: “How can I still beg him! I just said I only wanted him to arrange for the Princess Zhenguo to meet once—it’s not like I wanted to arrange a betrothal for them! He directly overturned the table… I’m not going back! I want to return to the Fang family! I don’t want to suffer this indignity at the Bai family!”

“You’re being foolish! In earlier years, when Bai Qihe wasn’t valued at home, you accompanied him through those hard times. Now that life is good… and he’s even become the patriarch, are you making room for others instead? Are you stupid! Someone like Bai Qihe, the Bai clan patriarch… believe it or not, if you leave the Bai family, there will be plenty of families willing to send their unmarried daughters to become Bai Qihe’s wife!” Fang Shi’s brother advised in a low voice.

Fang Shi bit her teeth tightly, but she just felt unwilling. Previously, Bai Qihe would still humble himself before her, but ever since becoming this patriarch, he had really straightened his backbone and dared to speak of divorce!

Thinking of this, Fang Shi began crying again: “That heartless Bai Qihe! I’ve accompanied him all these years, suffering so much hardship and enduring so much pain because of his status as a legitimate second son! Now that he’s the patriarch, he’s getting all high and mighty!”