Dong Qingyun sat down properly and began to speak, “My aunt accidentally overheard that Concubine Luo’s elder brother told Concubine Luo that… Miss Chun Tao, besides cousin, seems to have feelings for him. It appears he wants to ask Concubine Luo to speak with Father about requesting cousin’s grace to bestow Miss Chun Tao to Concubine Luo’s brother as a concubine.”

Bai Qingyan’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Dong Qingyun. Though her deep, indifferent gaze was calm as still water, it somehow gave Dong Qingyun an extremely strong sense of oppression.

She sat down, somewhat nervously fidgeting with her handkerchief, “My aunt’s intention was actually to have me come and give cousin a warning. That brother of Concubine Luo is not a good person—he’s addicted to brothels and gambling! My aunt overheard this secretly. Because she’s not favored, she didn’t dare make a fuss. She feared that harming Miss Chun Tao might create discord between cousin and Father, so she had me make this meddlesome trip.”

“Uncle wouldn’t be so confused. You worry too much.”

Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, Dong Qingyun, who had been looking down, seemed afraid that Bai Qingyan wouldn’t believe her. She looked up earnestly at Bai Qingyan, “Cousin, my coming to tell you all this today is not to sow discord or use cousin’s hand for anything! I know Father might not agree, but what if Concubine Luo uses some underhanded methods? Cousin must be on guard!”

She bit her lip, “I’m a concubine-born daughter. Concubine-born daughters are different from legitimate daughters—we didn’t come from Madam’s womb. Even though we share the same father, others won’t take concubine-born daughters seriously. Concubine-born daughters… either become concubines to others or serve as stepping stones for the family’s legitimate sons and daughters. We’re decorative objects in the main wife’s eyes—dispensable. Aside from not being able to be sold, we can be beaten, scolded, and disposed of at will! I’m fortunate to be born in the Dong family… Mother is magnanimous, and Grandmother took pity on my aunt’s weakness and raised me at her side! So I’m grateful to Grandmother and Mother from the bottom of my heart. I don’t want Grandmother, Father, and Mother to be hurt by that ignorant Concubine Luo, so I dared to tell cousin all this today. I hope cousin won’t blame me for meddling!”

Dong Qingyun never forgot her status for a moment. Even though she was raised by Old Madam Dong’s side and seemed more spirited than her sister Dong Qinzhi, the deep-seated inferiority in her bones couldn’t be changed.

Especially since their great-grandfather’s generation, when two concubine-born daughters from the same concubine had caused a major incident that nearly killed their pregnant grandmother and her unborn child. At that time, Grandmother was already six months pregnant, had given birth to two stillborn babies, and was so injured she could never conceive again.

When Grandfather was still alive, when First Uncle’s concubine-born daughter Dong Qinfang was born, Grandfather didn’t even allow the good news to be announced. He said to wait until after the first month and send her to a nunnery to be raised. Later, it was Grandmother who firmly suppressed this, saying… she was still family blood after all.

Since then, not announcing the birth of concubine-born children in the Dong family became an unwritten rule. This was also one of the reasons why Madam Cui’s maternal family had worked so hard to marry young Madam Cui into the family.

She remembered that every year, when Aunt Dong sent New Year gifts home, there were never any for the concubine-born children. She had been sad about this for a long time until her aunt told her… Aunt Dong hadn’t returned to Dengzhou for many years and didn’t know she had such a niece.

“I don’t doubt your filial heart. Having you serve by your Grandmother’s side and entertain her makes her happy. I’ve heard all this from Nanny Wang.” Bai Qingyan’s voice was even. “Regarding today’s matter, you’ve informed me, and I accept your kindness. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Dong Qingyun quickly waved her hands, “I’m doing this for our family’s harmony. How dare I ask my cousin to owe me a favor? Cousin is saying this is too much! As long as cousin believes I’m not trying to sow discord!”

Bai Qingyan glanced at Chun Tao, who was standing guard below the artificial hill, and said to Dong Qingyun, “I trust you. Even if I didn’t trust you… I would trust Grandmother’s judgment. Grandmother is wise and would never keep a calculating, heartless person by her side.”

Hearing these words, Dong Qingyun’s eyes reddened.

The reason Dong Qingyun hadn’t dared to tell Father about this matter and came to find cousin instead was because even if she told him… Father might not believe her and would instead suspect that she had learned those underhanded schemes of concubine-born daughters, intending to frame someone. She never expected… that cousin would actually believe her.

She quickly nodded, “Cousin is right. If I were truly that kind of despicable person, Grandmother definitely wouldn’t keep me by her side! I admit my thoughts run deep, but it’s all from these years of guarding against Concubine Luo’s secret harm to my aunt. I’ve never had a heart to harm others! Father… is busy with official duties all day and knows nothing about inner courtyard matters. Mother fears that reporting inner courtyard troubles to Father will earn his scolding, so she always suppresses things and doesn’t let them reach Father’s ears to avoid annoying him. That Concubine Luo is also skilled at pleasing Mother, and I…”

Dong Qingyun spoke like floodgates had opened, saying a great deal in one breath before suddenly stopping abruptly. She dabbed away tears with her handkerchief and bowed to Bai Qingyan, “I apologize, cousin. I’m usually talkative and couldn’t help myself once I started.”

“It’s fine.” Bai Qingyan had extra tolerance for Dong Qingyun, who could serve filially before Old Madam Dong—partly out of sympathy for the difficulties of concubine-born daughters in the Dong family, and partly in gratitude for making Old Madam Dong happy.

Coming out of the Mountain Water Pavilion, Bai Qingyan supported herself on Chun Tao’s hand as they walked back and asked, “Yesterday at Uncle’s study courtyard gate, did you see any men?”

Chun Tao didn’t hide anything from Bai Qingyan, “Yesterday, there seemed to be a concubine from the Dong mansion bringing her brother to pay respects to Master Dong.”

Bai Qingyan turned to look at Chun Tao and asked, “Did you see what that person looked like?”

Thinking of Luo Fugui’s frivolous, dissolute gaze when he looked at her, Chun Tao felt inexplicably disgusted and frowned, “Thin and dark, not very tall either. But the way he looked at people—no matter how you looked at it, he didn’t seem like a good person.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, “In the future, stay away from that Concubine Luo’s people. Remember that you are Princess Zhenguo’s maid. In this mansion… aside from Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt, Chang Lan, and Sister Rong, and the personal nannies and maids you’ve seen by their sides, you can ignore everyone else! Show the bearing of Princess Zhenguo’s maid! Do you understand?”

Chun Tao didn’t understand why Bai Qingyan suddenly said this, but thinking that she was the First Miss’s maid and couldn’t diminish her First Miss’s prestige, she straightened her back to show she understood, “First Miss, rest assured! This servant remembers!”

Bai Qingyan was amused by Chun Tao’s chest-puffing gesture.

Just after the hour of Shen, while Madam Cui, young Madam Cui, Bai Qingyan, and Dong Chang Lan were accompanying Old Madam Dong in conversation, a servant woman suddenly hurried in to announce that Dong Qingyue was requesting the eldest young master and the young miss to come to his study.