When Bai Jinxiu saw the completely white sword sheath carved with the Bai family military totem, she suddenly stood up and walked quickly to the brocade box. Carefully taking out the precious sword and gripping it in her hands, her heart raced: “The Qingfeng Sword?!”

This was the Bai family’s treasured heirloom sword!

When eldest sister had returned wounded from the battlefield and then lost her engagement to Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion, grandfather had worried that eldest sister would become stubborn and never marry in this lifetime. He also feared that when the time came, sisters-in-law might not be able to accommodate eldest sister, so he had specifically passed down the heirloom sword to eldest sister.

Bai Qingyan tucked the loose strands of hair behind Bai Jinxiu’s temples behind her ears, speaking in gentle, soft tones: “The Marchioness of Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion is the heir’s stepmother, so conflicts are inevitable in daily interactions. Remember that you need not compromise on everything – you have Duke Zhenguo’s mansion behind you.”

In her previous life, Bai Jinxiu had died on her wedding day and never made it into Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion. Later, the heir Qin Lang had married the gentle-natured legitimate second daughter of the Minister of Personnel, who was bullied and tormented by her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law until she died of illness before thirty.

Listening to Bai Qingyan’s caring words, Bai Jinxiu, who had originally been anxious about marrying into an unfamiliar environment, felt warmth in her heart, and tears began to fall.

Bai Qingyan pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Bai Jinxiu’s tears, but was instead grasped by the hand. Bai Jinxiu moved closer to Bai Qingyan and lowered her voice earnestly: “Prince Liang has deep feelings for the eldest sister. He will surely cherish and protect his eldest sister. Eldest sister must not miss this good marriage!”

Thinking of how Bai Jinxiu had begged Prince Liang to protect her well and not betray her before dying in the previous life, countless emotions surged in Bai Qingyan’s heart, and her eyes reddened: “Hurry and apply your makeup!”

At the hour of Si, the sound of firecrackers came from the main gate.

Bai Qingyan looked up toward the partition screen, her fingers caressing the teacup.

“Oh my, what should we do? Second Miss hasn’t finished her makeup yet!”

“This young master from Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion is too eager – how could he arrive half an hour earlier than the scheduled wedding procession time?”

“Oh no! The earrings can’t be found…”

“Where’s the bridal veil?! The bridal veil can’t be found either!”

Inside the boudoir, the maids and nannies were in complete chaos, pushing and shoving as they searched everywhere for things.

Indeed, just like in the previous life, the wedding procession from Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion had arrived half an hour early. The several cousins arranged by the elders to block the door were probably huddled somewhere remote, gambling with silver.

But it didn’t matter – Bai Qingyan had already arranged for fourth sister Bai Jinzhi to set up a chessboard and wait at the main gate. Today, Duke Zhenguo’s mansion absolutely could not be like the previous life with no one blocking the door, letting Bai Jinxiu leave half an hour early… and lose her life.

At this moment, at the front gate of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, the groom-heir of Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion, Qin Lang, dismounted. The tender yet handsome young man cut an extraordinary figure, his face beaming with joy as people do during happy occasions.

Duke Zhenguo’s mansion marrying off a daughter and Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion taking a bride was the most watched joyous event in the capital before the New Year. The famous young wastrels in the capital had all followed Qin Lang to join the wedding procession festivities.

“With the seventeen young masters of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion gone to the southern frontier battlefield, our Qin Erlang is marrying too easily!” shouted Lu Yuanpeng, the youngest legitimate grandson of the Right Chancellor Lu’s mansion.

Because Bai Qingyan’s grandfather Duke Zhenguo and grandmother Grand Princess were still alive, and Grand Princess chose to live in Duke Zhenguo’s mansion rather than the princess’s mansion, out of filial piety the Bai family had not divided the household or mansions, which led to the title of the Bai family’s seventeen grandsons.

Usually, Lu Yuanpeng had close relationships with the Bai family’s seventeen sons, so he joked without restraint, shouting: “Everyone! Everyone… they say Duke Zhenguo’s Bai family army is divinely brave and invincible, entering enemy territory as if entering uninhabited land. Today we’ve come to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion for the wedding procession – let’s also experience what it’s like to enter uninhabited territory… Everyone charges! Let’s snatch the bride!”

Outside Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, everyone burst into laughter, and following Lu Yuanpeng’s lead, they prepared to charge inside.

Who would have thought that before anyone could rush in, they saw Duke Zhenguo’s mansion’s well-trained maids and servants blocking the main entrance like arranged soldiers. This formation quite startled the young masters.

“Is Duke Zhenguo’s mansion planning to send maids to block us?” Lu Yuanpeng stared at this formation, speaking in a daze.

After a moment, Duke Zhenguo’s mansion’s Fourth Miss, dressed in heroic riding attire, emerged from behind the group of maids holding a horse whip, her hands clasped behind her back, displaying both playfulness and proud bearing.

“Everyone from Duke Zhenguo’s mansion, listen to my command!” Bai Jinzhi raised the long whip in her hand.

“We listen to Fourth Miss’s orders!” The maids and guards of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion responded in unison, as orderly and organized as an army, which indeed intimidated the group of wastrel young masters who had come for the wedding procession.

“Eldest sister has commanded that those who force their way into Duke Zhenguo’s mansion need not be shown mercy. Don’t let people bully Duke Zhenguo’s mansion for having no men!” Bai Jinzhi cracked her whip, frightening back the crowd of wedding procession wastrels who wanted to charge forward. The sound of the long whip cutting through the air inexplicably commanded respect.

Duke Zhenguo’s mansion was indeed the backbone of the nation – even the daughters displayed such a strong, heroic bearing with iron bones.

Heir of Marquis Zhongyong, Qin Lang, stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Fourth Miss Bai Jinzhi: “Fourth Miss misunderstands. Duke Zhenguo is our nation’s pillar. While we enjoy peace and prosperity in the capital, it’s entirely thanks to Duke Zhenguo’s sons shedding blood on the frontier. No matter how dissolute we are, we wouldn’t dare bully Duke Zhenguo’s mansion for having no men inside! Please, Fourth Miss, show mercy and let us enter!”

“That’s good!” Bai Jinzhi maintained her proud and willful demeanor as she put away her whip. “Someone bring out the chessboard!”

Duke Zhenguo’s mansion servants carefully brought out a chess game and placed it on a stool at the entrance.

Only then did Fourth Miss Bai Jinzhi say: “My eldest sister says our Bai family has been a military household for generations, and the chess board is like a battlefield… Only if Prince Qin’s wedding procession can break this chess game will you be qualified to enter and marry my second sister!”

Outside the door, Bai Jinzhi forcefully blocked the entrance. Inside the boudoir, Bai Qingyan bent down to help Bai Jinxiu put on her earrings, saying: “Rest assured, even though grandfather and second uncle are not here, our Duke Zhenguo’s mansion will not let Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion think the Bai family has no one and look down on you.”

“Eldest sister! Eldest sister!” Bai Jinzhi rushed in hurriedly, breathing heavily as she placed a piece on the chessboard, fanning herself with her hand. “Eldest sister, Qin Lang, placed a piece here, and everyone cheered. Has he broken it?”

Calculating the time, it hadn’t yet reached the moment when Prince Liang would be assassinated. Bai Qingyan handed the teacup in her hand to Bai Jinzhi, used a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, then stood before the chessboard to observe where Qin Lang had placed his white piece.

Bai Jinzhi gulped down the tea like a cow drinking, stretching her neck to lean beside Bai Qingyan, wanting to see where Bai Qingyan would place her piece.

By placing the white piece in this position, Qin Lang had not only avoided the many traps on the board and hadn’t blindly advanced, but he could also stabilize the white pieces’ advantage while assisting the overall white position. At first glance of the entire board… no matter where the black pieces moved next, they couldn’t remedy the impending collapse.

After pondering for a moment, Bai Qingyan pressed down her sleeve with her left hand, bent down to pick up a black piece from the chess box, and placed it…

Seeing where Bai Qingyan had placed her piece, Bai Jinzhi rushed back to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion’s front gate and placed the black piece on the board according to Bai Qingyan’s position.

Outside, there were exclamations everywhere… With this black piece placed, the situation changed dramatically. The black pieces came with overwhelming force, like swallowing mountains and rivers, instantly taking half the white pieces’ territory.

“Brilliant!” Lu Yuanpeng exclaimed. “This black piece is like heavenly troops descending – so cunning! In an instant, it reversed the killing momentum, fierce and terrifying! May I ask who in Duke Zhenguo’s mansion is playing black?”

“My eldest sister,” Bai Jinzhi replied with a proud look.

At once, everyone remembered that Miss from Duke Zhenguo’s mansion… the only one whose name shared the character “qing” with the men of the household – the eldest Miss.

Hearing that it was Bai Qingyan playing black, Qin Lang was lost in thought.