Dong Shi turned to look at Bai Qihe, who sat pale and powerless in the clan leader’s seat, and said: “Today I, Dong Shi, will make this clear—if anyone dares to scheme against my daughter again or disturb her recovery, I will confess my sins to the ancestors and lead the orphans and widows of the Bai family to request removal from the clan! The evil reputation of the Shouyang Bai clan is already known throughout the world. Even if I lead the capital Bai family women to confess our sins and leave the clan, others will only think that we orphans and widows have suffered tremendous grievances. When that time comes… I want to see how you plan to continue this Bai clan glory! Whether this Shouyang City will still be your place to act tyrannically!”

“Dong Shi! Don’t be too arrogant! You are merely a Bai family daughter-in-law, not a Bai family descendant! You don’t bear the Bai surname! What right do you have to speak of leaving the clan or not?” One clan elder was so angry that he struck his walking stick against the azure stone floor with loud clanging sounds.

“Just because my sister-in-law is the mother of Princess Zhenguo, just because Princess Zhenguo has never once disobeyed my elder sister-in-law!” Li Shi was so angry that her hands trembled, thinking that this was the kind of clan, these kinds of demons and monsters that Bai Qingyan and her daughter had faced when they returned. She truly wanted to leave the clan immediately. “If you don’t believe it, let’s try! We capital Bai family, daughters-in-law all dare to… do you petty people dare?!”

As soon as Li Shi said this, some people hurriedly pulled their elders back, not letting them continue speaking, lest words lead to more words, and Princess Zhenguo did leave the clan in the end.

Dong Shi said coldly: “Among beasts, there are those with human nature, though their form differs, they face isolation. Among humans, there are those with beast hearts—how many can truly recognize them? Ancient people resembled beasts in form, yet all possessed great sacred virtue.”

Dong Shi’s gaze swept over those clan members who relied on their seniority: “Modern people appear human in form, but how can their beast hearts be measured?”

The ancestral hall immediately erupted like a pot boiling over because of Dong Shi’s words. The clan elders all rose to accuse Dong Shi of being a Bai family daughter-in-law who did not know how to plan for the Bai clan’s future, being selfish and self-serving.

Dong Shi turned to look at Fourth Madam Wang Shi, who was tightly protecting her two daughters in her arms, signaling Wang Shi to leave first. Wang Shi hurriedly led her two daughters toward the exit of the ancestral hall.

Dong Shi was also called to Third Madam Li Shi and the Fifth Madam Qi Shi, and the sisters-in-law supported each other as they walked out.

Before leaving, Fifth Madam Qi Shi turned back to look at the Bai clan members in the ancestral hall who were either shocked or surprised, saying calmly and without anger: “Look at the rat—it has skin, yet this person has no propriety! This person has no propriety—why does he not die? Look at the rat—it has teeth, yet this person knows no restraint! This person knows no restraint—what does he wait for if not death? Look at the rat—it has a body, yet this person has no manners! This person has no manners—why does he not swiftly die?”

This made the clan elders so angry that they nearly couldn’t catch their breath.

Before the capital Bai family ladies boarded their carriages, they heard the chaotic voices from inside the ancestral hall calling for a physician.

After finishing the account of what happened in the ancestral hall, Bai Jinhua frowned as she looked at Bai Qingyan: “Elder Sister… why won’t the clan members ever learn their lesson?”

“It’s not that they won’t learn, but that someone is instigating them from behind.” After hearing everything, Bai Qingyan was not angry. The former clan leader Bai Weimei had lost his son Bai Qiyun and naturally harbored hatred in his heart, so he would hope for the capital Bai family to fall out with the clan, preferably leaving Bai Qingyan with no one to use.

Bai Qingyan had dealt with this former clan leader Bai Weimei many times, and presumably this clan leader already understood Bai Qingyan’s temperament completely, knowing that she would never exploit favors to seek repayment from the Crown Prince… to pave the way for these Bai clan descendants who were mud that could never be helped onto the wall. That’s why he came up with this idea, hoping it would be best if Bai Qingyan fell out with the Bai clan, so that the Bai clan members she was currently using could no longer be used.

When Bai Qingyan had just returned with severe injuries, she already knew this news but held back from acting, wanting to see how Bai Qihe would handle it. If Bai Qihe could stand up, this would not be a bad opportunity for him to establish his authority.

“This matter is not serious—let them make their trouble. Someone will handle it, and if no one can handle it, then our Bai Manor will step in.” Bai Qingyan did not take this matter to heart. Seeing Chun Tao bringing in steaming hot pastries and milk custard, she smiled and told her two sisters to have some first.

Although this matter was not serious, tonight Bai Qingyan would still need to comfort her mother well, thinking that her mother must have been thoroughly angered by those Bai clan people.

Bai Qingyan was watching her two sisters eat pastries when Nanny Tong lifted the cotton curtain and entered. After paying her respects, she said to Bai Qingyan, “First Miss, Lu Ping has returned. He says everything is well at the relief station. After he delivered the meat and vegetables, the refugees were all extremely grateful for First Miss’s kindness and all knelt to kowtow in thanks to First Miss!”

Bai Qingyan nodded—as long as everything was well, that was good.

“Lu Ping also said that when he returned, he saw the clan leader outside the Bai Manor gates, saying he wanted to carry thorns on his back to apologize.”

Bai Qihe came quite quickly. Bai Qingyan picked up the book at hand and said calmly with downcast eyes: “Nanny, tell the clan leader that as clan leader, how to balance relationships among clan members, how to make clan members work together with unified strength rather than harm themselves—these are all the clan leader’s responsibilities. What he should do now is not carry thorns to apologize, but how to calm the discord in the hearts of clan members and the capital Bai family, how to establish authority among the clan… so that clan members will never again dare to have words and actions that overstep him as clan leader.”

Nanny Tong responded affirmatively: “This old servant will have Lu Ping go deliver the message.”

“Please trouble Nanny to make the trip personally and tell the clan leader… this is my meaning.” Bai Qingyan raised her eyes and smiled faintly at Nanny Tong.

Nanny Tong was the most capable nanny by Bai Qingyan’s side. Only by seeing Nanny Tong would Bai Qihe know that this was Bai Qingyan telling him to act freely, and he would also understand that if he did not handle it well, Bai Qingyan would step in herself.

“Very well!” Nanny Tong instructed Chun Tao to take good care of Bai Qingyan before going out, holding an umbrella and braving the snow to go to the front courtyard with Lu Ping.

“Eat fewer pastries—we’ll be having dinner soon. Tonight is Little New Year’s Eve, and I heard the kitchen has prepared quite a feast.” Bai Qingyan smiled and said to her two sisters.

For Little New Year’s Eve dinner, Dong Shi had decided to dine at Meixiang Pavilion. Since Bai Qingyan had nothing else to do at home anyway, she had come early to prepare.

The round table in the outer room had been properly arranged. Bai Qingyan had also asked Chun Tao to cut several branches of red plum blossoms, arranging them in a white jade long-necked vase on a tall stand. Those bright red flower clusters looked extremely beautiful.

Before long, Dong Shi, Third Madam Li Shi, Fourth Madam Wang Shi, and Fifth Madam Qi Shi holding Eighth Miss Bai Wanqing all changed into everyday clothes and came to Meixiang Pavilion.

As Fifth Madam Qi Shi carried Bai Wanqing and stepped through the gate of Meixiang Pavilion’s courtyard, she saw a dense row of hexagonal sheepskin lanterns hanging around the covered walkways. The golden yellow halos of light illuminated the red plum blossoms throughout Meixiang Pavilion’s garden clearly—the bright red plum blossoms, white snow, and golden yellow lamplight.

There were also servant girls holding black lacquer food boxes decorated with gold, standing in order under the lantern-lit walkways, pointing at the red plum blossoms and chatting and laughing. This inexplicably made one feel the atmosphere of the New Year.

Qi Shi heard the cheerful sounds from inside the room where Bai Jinhua and Bai Jinzhao were making Dong Shi, Third Madam Li Shi, and Fourth Madam Wang Shi laugh. Looking at the human shadows reflected on the window lattice, her eyes and brows were tinged with a layer of warm color.