Dong Shi bit her teeth tightly, gently patting Bai Qingyan’s hands that held her. Her nostrils flared as she closed her eyes, and tears immediately fell like broken strings.
On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Xuanjia year, during heavy snow, the mistresses of the Duke’s Mansion—the heir’s wife Dong Shi, Second Madam Liu Shi, Third Madam Li Shi, Fourth Madam Wang Shi, and Fifth Madam Qi Shi—learned one after another that all the men of the Duke’s Mansion had perished in Nan Jiang, and they were overcome with grief.
While the entire capital was filled with festive joy, the Duke’s Mansion was shrouded in gloom. The uninformed concubines, maids, and servants in the mansion keenly sensed something unusual and carefully kept to their duties, not daring to make noise.
In the main room of Grand Princess’s Changshou Courtyard, the heir’s wife, Dong Shi, was relatively composed, tightly gripping the hand of her concubine-born daughter Bai Jinse to comfort her not to be afraid.
Second Madam was sniffling and wiping her tears, while Third Madam sat there as if she had lost her soul, her face colorless.
Fourth Madam was naturally weak in character. If it weren’t for Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss, the twin concubine-born daughters standing by her side and tightly holding her hands, she would have collapsed long ago.
Only Fifth Madam, like the heir’s wife Dong Shi, forced herself to remain strong, sitting upright with red eyes, her hands protecting her belly, biting her teeth tightly without saying a word.
Bai Qingyan, Bai Jinxiu, Bai Jintong, Bai Jinzhi, Bai Jinzhao, Bai Jinhua, and Bai Jinse all sat beside their respective mothers.
The Grand Princess fingered the Buddhist beads in her hands, eyes closed, unable to hide the tears that finally slid down her cheeks.
“Fifth daughter-in-law is pregnant, Fourth daughter-in-law is soft-natured and can’t be of much use. This Duke’s Mansion, which has been glorious for a hundred years, has now reached this point. Going forward… we must rely on First daughter-in-law, Second daughter-in-law, and Third daughter-in-law to hold things together!” The Grand Princess showed complete exhaustion. “Prepare what needs to be prepared! Don’t wait… don’t wait for the news to arrive and catch us unprepared.”
“Yes, daughter-in-law understands!” Dong Shi nodded tearfully.
“The Duke, First son, Second son, Third son, Fourth son, Fifth son, and… seventeen children! The coffins brought back will certainly all be makeshift!” The Grand Princess kept her eyes closed, but tears continued to flow. “The Duke’s coffin was prepared long ago! Today is the twenty-ninth of the twelfth month—I’m afraid all the coffin shops are closed. First daughter-in-law…”
Before the Grand Princess could finish, Bai Qingyan had already spoken: “Then when the news arrives, we’ll go borrow them, borrow from all under heaven…”
The Grand Princess slightly opened her eyes, the candlelight stabbing painfully at her aching pupils.
“Grandmother, only by placing the heroic martyrs in a tragic situation, letting all under heaven see what our Bai family has done for this realm and these countless people, can we make those who harmed our Bai family feel guilty, make the current emperor remember our Bai family’s achievements, treat our Bai family widows well, and protect our Bai family widows from harm.”
Bai Qingyan knew clearly in her heart that under the premise of not rebelling, her grandmother would agree to anything that benefited the Bai family.
The Grand Princess looked at Bai Qingyan and nodded: “Do as A’Bao says.”
“After the major affairs are settled, if any concubines in the household wish to seek other prospects, return their contracts, give each five hundred taels, and let them go! You each settle your chambers and don’t burden your eldest sister-in-law.” The Grand Princess, with that bit of kindness in her heart, hesitated for a long time before adding: “If you also don’t wish to remain in this household, you may also leave freely when the time comes! Don’t be afraid… even if you leave the Duke’s Mansion, as long as I live, the Duke’s Mansion will always be your home.”
The Grand Princess’s words touched the heartstrings of Second Madam Liu Shi, Third Madam Li Shi, and Fourth Madam Wang Shi. The three women covered their mouths and cried again, for their husbands and their sons. Even though they had already cried many times, thinking of their husbands and sons still tore at their hearts and souls.
“Mother, I promised Da Lang that he would guard Great Jin for the people, and I would guard the Bai family for him, sharing honor and disgrace, entrusted in life and death, never to betray in this lifetime.” Dong Shi’s voice held indescribable tenderness when mentioning her husband. “Though he is dead, my vow remains. I will never betray the Bai family in this life. Living, I am the principal wife of the Bai clan; dying, I am also a departed soul of the Bai family.”
The Grand Princess nodded and closed her eyes, tears flowing, already choked with emotion and unable to speak.
Bai Qingyan grasped Dong Shi’s hand, which was even colder than her own, gently rubbing it to try to warm her. In her previous life, her mother, Dong Shi, truly did what she said she would do.
Her mother and aunts were fortunate to have such a reasonable mother-in-law as her grandmother.
In this life, she never wanted to see her mother and aunts seek justice for the Bai family through suicide again.
Perhaps her heart was too narrow—in both lives, she could not let go of the deaths of her grandfather, father, uncles, and brothers.
Reborn and returned… she lived only for revenge and to settle debts! So she very much hoped her mother and aunts could emerge from the gloom of losing husbands and sons. They could even remarry.
The quagmire of all the Bai family’s hatred… she alone was enough.
From the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month to New Year’s Eve seemed extraordinarily long.
Like a condemned prisoner who already knew death was certain, but didn’t know when the blade hanging overhead would fall.
Bai Qingyan sat in the pavilion on the artificial mountain, lost in thought, until Lu Ping came to report on Wu Zhe’s funeral arrangements, and only then did she come back to her senses.
“Following Miss’s instructions, besides delivering the land deed for two hundred mu of prime paddy fields to Wu Zhe’s parents, I also withdrew five hundred taels of silver from the accounting office and gave it all to Wu Zhe’s parents and wife. I told Wu Zhe’s parents that Wu Zhe encountered bandits while on a mission, and all funeral expenses would be paid by the Duke’s Mansion. Wu Zhe’s wife is due to give birth in February, so he has left descendants. Miss needn’t be too sad!” Lu Ping said.
Bai Qingyan nodded, her expression showing slight fatigue: “Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Ping…”
Lu Ping knew why Wu Zhe had died, so naturally, he also knew about the Nan Jiang battlefield situation. His eyes reddened.
Seeing Bai Qingyan in this state, Lu Ping, being a rough man, didn’t know how to comfort her and could only say: “Miss, Qin Shangzhi said Miss’s vision and perspective are extraordinary—when he could see ten steps ahead, Miss had already seen ninety-nine steps. He also said if Miss were a man, the Bai family’s glory could continue for at least three more generations without problem! Lu Ping believes this! Though the Duke and the others have… have gone, Miss must hold on.”
Bai Qingyan never expected to receive praise from Qin Shangzhi. This person was arrogant due to his talents, and in her previous life, she hadn’t heard of Qin Shangzhi praising many people.
“I know. Uncle Ping, rest assured, I can hold on!”
Having lived two lives and experienced this twice, if she couldn’t hold on, it would waste Heaven’s good intentions in letting her return.
Lu Ping saw Chun Tao leading Chen Qingsheng up from below the artificial mountain, and only then did he bow deeply to Bai Qingyan before withdrawing.
Chen Qingsheng met Lu Ping at the steps of the artificial mountain, smiled and bowed, then hurried toward the pavilion.
“Miss!” Chen Qingsheng bowed.
“Today is New Year’s Eve, and I should have let you reunite with your family, but I have an urgent matter that requires someone trustworthy to handle. I can only trouble you!” She gripped her hand warmer tightly, her eyes downcast, her voice hoarse.