Hong Qiao’s heart pounded violently. She had long known that the Bai family’s eldest miss was formidable. Originally, she had planned to die immediately after speaking, leaving Bai Qingyan unable to defend herself. Who would have thought she’d be restrained? Her heart grew somewhat panicked.

Bai Qingyan sat down in the chair brought by the gatekeeper woman, handed her hand warmer to Chun Tao and instructed her to add a piece of charcoal, then spoke unhurriedly: “From what you’re saying, you want to slander me as having a private affair with Prince Liang?”

Hong Qiao’s heart beat fiercely. She didn’t respond to Bai Qingyan’s words and just continued crying: “Miss, His Highness can’t eat or sleep well because of you. Four days ago, despite his serious injuries, he came personally, yet you still wouldn’t see him! If this continues, I fear His Highness won’t survive!”

“Jintong, have the mansion’s steward go to Prince Liang’s mansion and say that if Prince Liang’s illness isn’t serious… then please trouble Prince Liang to come personally. His mansion’s maid is causing a great disturbance at our Duke’s mansion’s main gate. If Prince Liang is too seriously ill to move, then I’ll have to invite Grand Princess to personally visit and resolve this matter at Prince Liang’s mansion gates!” She spoke firmly to Bai Jintong, then turned back to smile at Hong Qiao with an open and magnanimous demeanor. “This concerns my reputation, so it must be clarified through confrontation!”

Hong Qiao was about to speak when Bai Qingyan cut her off: “However, since Miss Hong Qiao says Prince Liang came to our Bai mansion four days ago, his injuries must not be too serious, so he should be able to come.”

Bai Qingyan’s torch-like gaze concealed sharp edges. Hong Qiao was frightened by her bone-chilling smile, her spine turning cold as she became flustered.

Prince Liang had sent people to follow Hong Qiao. Seeing the situation turn bad, that person immediately fled back to report to Prince Liang.

But the Duke’s mansion’s steward arrived much faster than Prince Liang had anticipated. His person had just finished describing the situation at the Duke’s mansion gates when someone outside announced that the Duke’s mansion’s steward had come to invite Prince Liang.

Prince Liang sat before the fire basin with closed eyes, resentful that Hong Qiao hadn’t followed the plan. She had been too eager to use her death to establish that Bai Qingyan had a private affair with him, instead creating the opposite effect.

Though Prince Liang knew this was Hong Qiao’s loyalty in being willing to sacrifice her life for him, being too hasty and bungling the matter was still incompetence.

Recalling how Bai Qingyan had recently made Marquis Zhongyong’s nose crooked with anger at his mansion gates, handled her second uncle’s illegitimate son on the main street, plus the palace banquet incident, Prince Liang felt very uncertain about confronting Bai Qingyan like this now.

If only Du Zhiwei were here, he could ask Du Zhiwei how to handle this! Prince Liang felt his wound tighten as if blood was seeping out again, and his head ached terribly.

After calming down and thinking carefully, Prince Liang had Tong Ji help him change clothes.

What he should have done now was repair his relationship with Bai Qingyan, not forcibly bind Bai Qingyan to himself.

Anyway, his reputation for weakness and incompetence was already known to all. He wasn’t afraid to humble himself before Bai Qingyan, as long as he insisted he was deeply infatuated with Bai Qingyan and that Hong Qiao had acted rashly and offended Bai Qingyan without knowing better.

Originally, Prince Liang hadn’t wanted to have any obvious connections with the Duke’s mansion to avoid being implicated later, but now… he couldn’t worry about that much. Bringing his “admiration” for Bai Qingyan into the open might be good—at worst, he could use his “weak” manner to enter the palace and tearfully beg His Majesty for a marriage decree. No matter how bold Bai Qingyan was, she wouldn’t dare defy an imperial edict!

Prince Liang put on his cloak, only then realizing his dependence on Du Zhiwei had been too severe, so that with Du Zhiwei’s death, he was like having his wings clipped. He still needed to find an opportunity to locate another suitable advisor.

·

Soon, Prince Liang’s mansion steward, along with Tong Ji and Gao Sheng from Prince Liang’s side, hurriedly arrived at the Duke’s mansion gates.

Seeing so many onlookers gathered in front of the Duke’s mansion, Prince Liang’s steward quickly bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Miss Bai, my apologies. This old servant is Prince Liang’s steward. This old servant failed to properly discipline the mansion’s servants and has troubled Miss Bai. This old servant will take her back immediately!”

“Wait…” She looked at Prince Liang’s steward and asked with a smile, “Where is Prince Liang?”

“Our master was halfway here when he coughed up blood and has been sent back to the mansion! What, does Miss Bai insist our master come personally to retrieve someone? If something happens to our master, even ten Miss Bais probably couldn’t bear the responsibility!” Tong Ji puffed out his cheeks and glared at Bai Qingyan, resentful of this woman’s heart of stone.

She didn’t even glance at Tong Ji. A minor lackey from Prince Liang’s side—she had never regarded him worth notice.

“Since Prince Liang is too seriously injured to come, then please trouble the old gentleman to convey my words to Prince Liang!” She gripped her hand warmer and stood up, standing on the high steps, looking down at Prince Liang’s steward. “Four days ago, our Duke’s mansion dismissed a total of thirty-nine people. My maid, Chun Yan, was given fifty heavy beatings and still can’t get out of bed. Others don’t know the reason! Today I’ll make it clear at our Duke’s mansion gates…”

She fixed her gaze on Prince Liang’s capable general Gao Sheng and said with a stern face: “Because Prince Liang bribed five servants in our Duke’s mansion to communicate with maids in my courtyard and spy on my private affairs, my mother broke those five people’s legs and sold their entire families without leaving anyone. As for Chun Yan… considering she grew up with me and once saved the life of the maid I value most, I spared her life.”

Prince Liang’s steward was covered in sweat, while Tong Ji stood there feeling guilty.

“This young lady just said that Prince Liang sent me jade pendants that I wouldn’t accept, and when he came despite serious injuries, I also wouldn’t see him! Why?!” She raised her voice, her expression cold and serious as she addressed Prince Liang’s steward. “Though I am a woman, I have read the classics since childhood and know what propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame mean! In all matters, one should use open strategies and righteous paths! If His Highness admires me, he could have asked the elders to visit and inquire whether I’m betrothed. If not betrothed… then request a matchmaker to visit! Then, with parents’ orders and matchmaker’s words, I, Bai Qingyan, would have absolutely no objections! This is called respect and honor!”

“But look at His Highness’s actions—bribing servants of my Bai family, secretly gathering my private information from my maids, repeatedly asking my maids to request meetings! To avoid embarrassing my grandmother and the imperial family, I endured again and again! I thought that after dismissing the servants as an example, as long as our Duke’s mansion and I, Bai Qingyan, conducted ourselves properly, we would fear nothing! But I truly never imagined His Highness would use such filthy, sordid methods, ordering his mansion’s maid to use her life to slander my reputation!”

“You…” Tong Ji became furious, hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, and said, “Miss Bai thinks too highly of herself. Our master is a current prince—who couldn’t he have! Could it be he must have you?! Miss Bai has difficulty bearing children, yet our master doesn’t despise you. What airs are you putting on, what nobility are you pretending!”

“Tong Ji! Stand down!” Prince Liang’s steward’s face went white.

“So Prince Liang thinks I, Bai Qingyan, have difficulty bearing children… and if my reputation were ruined, entering Prince Liang’s mansion would be my only option?!” Her expression darkened, her presence overwhelming. “Please trouble the old gentleman to return and tell Prince Liang—the bones of the Bai family can be broken but not bent! I, Bai Qingyan, place my words here today: in this lifetime, even if I marry a pig or dog or die a spinster! I will never submit to such a treacherous villain who acts like a petty person!”