Chapter 101: 100: Robbery_1

Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Robbery_1

Bai Qingyan beckoned with a wave, signaling them to come closer. Once the three sisters huddled together, she began, “I want you to put on a performance.”

Nanny Tong clasped her hands in front of her stomach, watching the three sisters discuss matters, her eyebrows knitted with deep concern.

When Bai Qingyan finished explaining, Bai Jinzhi’s eyes lit up, “Eldest Young Lady knows me well. I have never feared any reputation! Especially when we are in the right this time! Eldest Young Lady, rest assured, I won’t mess this up and I will control myself!”

With that said, Bai Jinzhi took long strides into the hall, hastily saluting Mrs. Dong before turning around and glaring, “Our Bai family is in deep mourning. There are more than twenty coffins in the courtyard, and our widows are struggling to survive. Yet, you, the clan members, not only don’t help but seize this opportunity to steal silver from our Bai family! Have you no shame!”

“Jinzhi! Step back…”

Bai Qingyan and Bai Jintong entered the main hall hand in hand and saluted Mrs. Dong.

...

Seeing Bai Qingyan, the two elders from Shuoyang felt a bit intimidated. This eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion was formidable. She even forced the emperor’s legitimate son to his death. How could she not evoke fear?

“I will not step back! Who do they think they are, daring to point a finger at Aunt?! In terms of status… Aunt is a first-rank titled lady! And he, at such an old age, is only a scholar. How dare he act arrogantly in front of Aunt?! As for their clan status, ha…” Bai Jinzhi sneered, “Back then, my ancestor had four legitimate sons. Except for the eldest son, my great-grandfather, the rest all died in battle without leaving heirs. My great-grandfather, knowing he held the Duke of Zhen position and had to defend Jin, felt he couldn’t also take on the role of Clan Leader to serve the clan. So, he registered a concubine’s son under my great-grandmother as a legitimate son, entrusting him the Clan Leader position. This concubine’s son is your grandfather! So, fundamentally, your family is of concubine origin! What right do you have to shout at the legitimate daughter-in-law of the Bai family?!”

Bai Qiyun hated anyone mentioning his grandfather’s concubine status. During his childhood, whenever major events happened within the clan, those so-called Fourth and Sixth Uncles would suppress his grandfather with this status.

Now, this young girl Bai Jinzhi used his grandfather’s status against him. How could Bai Qiyun not be furious? “You! Mrs. Dong, this is how you educate your children in the Duke of Zhen’s mansion!”

“Even if a concubine’s son is honored with legitimate status, if not raised by the main wife, it still reflects a lack of proper manners! It’s one thing to be improperly raised, but now they cause trouble for their descendants!” Bai Jintong retorted.

The Duke of Zhen’s mansion had strict rules about raising concubine’s children. All children from concubines could not interact with their birth mothers and were raised by wet nurses alongside their respective legitimate mothers. They weren’t allowed to see their birth mothers except during the New Year. If found meeting secretly, the birth mothers would be beaten to death.

The Duke established this rule because he feared if all legitimate sons, like his predecessors, died in battle, concubine’s children might not be close to their legitimate mothers, making their old age difficult. So, he made this rule.

Concubines in the Bai family were essentially high-grade servants. Although they were served, they remained servants. No matter what, a servant is a servant.

The Bai family’s children from concubines were still masters.

Masters and servants couldn’t be equated.

Bai Jintong herself was born of a concubine. Since birth, she was raised by Mrs. Li. Although her food and clothing weren’t as fine as those of legitimate children, it was rightly so. Moreover, her legitimate mother never mistreated her, and she bore no resentment.

“Mrs. Dong! Will you just stand by and watch this little concubine-born girl insult the Clan Leader?!” Bai Qiyun, considering his status, did not want to argue with the two children and instead lashed out at Mrs. Dong.

“Mrs. Dong is not for you to call!” Bai Jinzhi instinctively reached for her whip behind her waist, realizing it wasn’t there.

“Uncle, if you still wish to discuss family matters, apologize respectfully to my mother. Only then can we talk…” Bai Qingyan sat down next to Mrs. Dong.

The two elders from Shuoyang raised their teacups, pretending to drink tea without uttering a word, while Bai Qiyun coldly glared at Bai Qingyan, “How dare you, a junior, interrupt when elders are speaking.”

“You…” Bai Jinzhi could not tolerate anyone disrespecting her eldest sister.

“I am the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion, named with the Bai family’s men’s ranking character! I’ve been on the battlefield, decapitated enemy generals, and annexed the Shu Kingdom! With all my grandfather, father, uncles, and brothers dead in the Southern Frontier, the Duke’s mansion’s honor will now rest on my shoulders!” Her calm, deep gaze fixed on Bai Qiyun, emitting an imposing killing aura, “When it concerns the Duke’s mansion, there’s nothing I can’t speak about.”

The murderous aura from her battlefield experience silently spread in the hall, causing a chill down everyone’s spine.

“Nanny Tong, take Bai Jintong and Bai Jinzhi to kowtow and apologize at the altars of their grandfather and father. Since our great-uncle has been registered under our great-grandmother’s name and deemed a legitimate son, this matter is not to be discussed again! Repeat offenders will receive ten lashes!”

“Eldest Young Lady…” Bai Jinzhi’s neck stiffened, “I refuse to accept this!”

Bai Jintong frowned and pulled Bai Jinzhi away, “Come on! Don’t make Eldest Young Lady angry!”

Nanny Tong, equally dutiful, advised, “Fourth Young Lady, if you don’t leave, and Eldest Young Lady calls Lu Ping, you won’t escape this round of lashes.”

With reddened eyes, Bai Jinzhi was dragged out of the front hall by Bai Jintong, still stubbornly muttering at the door, “I refuse to accept this! This clan is here to rob us, knowing we are left with orphans and widows!”

The two elders’ faces changed from green to white, heads lowered without a word.

“Uncle, shall we continue? Otherwise, my mother and I will head to the mourning hall to keep vigil,” Bai Qingyan said leisurely.

This forced Bai Qiyun to apologize to Mrs. Dong sincerely.

Mrs. Dong adjusted her clothing, “Qingyan, let’s go.”

Bai Qiyun’s face looked terrible. He turned his head and bowed towards Mrs. Dong, “Princely Heir’s wife, please forgive me!”

Only then did Bai Qingyan turn to Mrs. Dong, speaking up, “Mother, family matters are also important. Since Uncle can’t wait to offer incense to my grandfather, father, and uncles, let’s discuss. Afterward, Uncle, you should properly pay respects.”

The two elders from Shuoyang quickly agreed, “Indeed! Indeed!”

“Mother, since our three uncles didn’t come here to mourn but to demand silver for repairing the ancestral hall, graves, and school, oh… Also to buy land for the clan! I heard Uncle say the resting place for the tablets can’t be skimped… So the ancestral temple needs renovation too? Is that right?”

Mrs. Dong looked at Bai Qingyan, not understanding her intention, and remained silent, observing quietly.