Chapter 260 - 260 258 Benefactor_1

Chapter 260: Chapter 258: Benefactor_1 Chapter 260: Chapter 258: Benefactor_1 “Is the hot water for the young lady’s bath ready?! Chun Xing… the young lady will need to change her clothes later, are they prepared?!”

Chun Xing covered her mouth and laughed: “Nanny, don’t worry. Sister Chun Tao has already prepared everything!”

Chun Tao called a little maid over to watch the bird’s nest soup and stepped out of the small kitchen herself: “I’ll go check the temperature of the bathwater.”

Not long after, Mrs. Dong escorted Bai Qingyan, dressed in armor, through the gate of Qinghui Courtyard.

Nanny Tong led the maids and elderly female servants of Qinghui Courtyard to stand inside. As soon as they saw Bai Qingyan, they hurriedly bowed and greeted: “Congratulations on the young lady’s safe return from victory!”

Chun Tao, looking at the young lady in armor, felt her eyes well up, and tears began to fall.

Bai Qingyan, seeing the familiar faces around the courtyard, smiled: “I wasn’t here these days. It must have been hard on you and everyone guarding Qinghui Courtyard, Nanny!”

Mrs. Dong dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief, smiling through teary eyes: “Alright, go freshen up quickly.”

Chun Tao quickly stepped forward to take Bai Qingyan’s Sun Shooting Bow: “Young lady, the water is ready. This servant will assist you with the bath!”

She squeezed Chun Tao’s hand and nodded with a smile.

Chun Tao helped Bai Qingyan bathe. Seeing the wounds on Bai Qingyan’s body, tears fell like a broken string of pearls. But because Mrs. Dong was sitting outside, Chun Tao was afraid to sadden Mrs. Dong and bit her lip hard, silently aiding Bai Qingyan with the bath.

After the bath, Mrs. Dong personally wrung Bai Qingyan’s hair, speaking softly to her daughter about court matters: “Your uncle said, about the recent burn and killing of a hundred thousand surrendered Xiliang troops in the Southern Border battle… someone in court has already submitted a petition urging the Emperor to punish severely. But the Emperor has not issued a decree yet. Your uncle fears the Emperor is waiting for you to return and then hold you accountable. He sent a message asking you to be extremely careful.”

“Mother, don’t worry. I know what to do.” Bai Qingyan grasped her mother’s hand, turning to look at Mrs. Dong, “I am unfilial, making you worry!”

Mrs. Dong smiled with reddened eyes, raising her hand to hug her daughter: “If your father knew that Kid protected the border people, he would definitely be proud of Kid. I… am also proud of Kid!”

Her eyes reddened, she gently hugged her mother’s waist, like a child snuggling: “Mother, I am sorry. When I was in the Southern Border, I initially planned to bring father home after a great victory, but Kid thought… since father was devoted to the border people all his life, Kid, along with Little Four and the Bai family generals, secretly buried father at Tianmen Pass.”

Mrs. Dong nodded, understanding: “Mother knows! Rather than being buried in Dadu City, your father would definitely prefer to watch over Jin’s border people at the pass. Mother understands…”

“Alright, after your hair is dry, have a good sleep! At noon, I will host a feast in Prosperous Garden for you and Little Four.” Mrs. Dong smiled.

After Mrs. Dong left, Bai Qingyan sat in front of a bronze mirror and said to Chun Tao, who was tidying the bed: “Chun Tao, send someone to ask Uncle Ping to come over in half an hour. I have something to ask.”

Chun Tao put down the work in her hands and turned around: “Young lady, won’t you sleep for a while?”

“I’m going to see Fourth Aunt.” Bai Qingyan said.

Nanny Tong, while wringing Bai Qingyan’s hair, looked at her through the mirror: “Even though the young lady is tanned and thinner, she looks healthier than before!”

“Yes! Doctor Hong also said that having me rest might have been wrong before! So, fortune and misfortune are intertwined.” She said with a gentle smile.

After the hair dried, Nanny Tong braided Bai Qingyan’s black, thick hair into a crescent moon bun, fixed with a white jade hairpin. Bai Qingyan, still in mourning, changed into a plain white gown with silver trim and covered herself with a layer of sheer, moon-blush translucent silk, embroidered with ginkgo leaves in gold and silver threads, shimmering under the light.

Dressed back in feminine attire, Bai Qingyan exuded less of the heroic aura of armor and more of the elegant and gentle charm of a lady.

“Young lady, Lu Ping the guard is already waiting outside.” Chun Tao said, lifting the curtain and stepping in.

It was late March, and the weather was gradually warming. Bai Qingyan, seeing the burning brazier inside, said: “Nanny, have someone remove the brazier.”

“Alright!” Nanny Tong replied with a smile.

Bai Qingyan held Chun Tao’s hand as she stepped out of the courtyard, Lu Ping greeted her: “Young lady.”

“Uncle Ping, let’s walk and talk…”

“Yes!” Lu Ping nodded, following half a step behind Bai Qingyan.

“How is Ji Tingyu?” Bai Qingyan asked.

Lu Ping pursed his lips, tightly gripping his sword, and spoke in a low voice: “Ji Tingyu, after hearing the news of his newlywed wife’s tragic death, left the Bai family that night. He said he was going to his manor to mourn his wife and hasn’t returned since. I went to him personally, telling Ji Tingyu that the young lady had already dealt with that illegitimate child for the injustice done to his wife, but Ji Tingyu was still unwilling to return to the Bai family.”

Bai Qingyan paused in her steps, closed her eyes briefly, then continued walking.

The Bai family had surely broken Ji Tingyu’s heart.

“How is Ji Tingyu’s health? Did the doctor say how much he’s recovered?”

“Any poison harms the body. To fully recover to how he was before is impossible, but fortunately, Ji Tingyu is young. To recover well, he’ll need to rest and nourish himself for a few years…”

She nodded: “I have many things to handle upon my return. In a few days, I will visit Ji Tingyu personally. Make sure someone takes good care of him.”

Ji Tingyu, who sacrificed himself for the Bai family, did not deserve such an outcome.

Lu Ping nodded: “Madam also gave such instructions. Don’t worry, young lady.”

Tomorrow, the Emperor will host a banquet at the palace, followed by the Emperor’s birthday celebrations. However, Bai Qingyan still needed to find time to meet Ji Tingyu in person.

·

The big maid, Lingyun, who served the Fourth Madam, had just returned from the kitchen, bringing rock sugar pear soup for the Fourth Madam. She saw from afar that Bai Qingyan seemed to be heading towards their Lishui Garden. She hurried back to the courtyard to report to Nanny Guan: “Nanny, the young lady is coming towards our Lishui Garden.”

Nanny Guan was just arriving at the courtyard gate when Bai Qingyan, accompanied by Chun Tao, had already arrived. She turned to instruct Lingyun: “Quickly inform the Fourth Madam that the young lady is here…”

“Yes!” Lingyun replied and left swiftly.

Nanny Guan took a few steps forward to greet: “The young lady just returned. Why not take a rest first?”

Bai Qingyan smiled at Nanny Guan: “Where is Fourth Aunt?”

Nanny Guan led the way, mentioning that the Fourth Madam appeared somewhat troubled: “The Fourth Madam has had a minor cough recently but refuses to take medicine. This old servant had Lingyun get rock sugar pear soup from the kitchen. She is preparing to use it now.”

Lingyun, who had just informed the Fourth Madam, stood at the door and greeted Bai Qingyan before lifting the curtain: “Young lady, please.”

Upon entering the room, behind the carved silk curtain of blooming lotus patterns and the jade screen of a hundred birds, she saw her Fourth Aunt in a light green dress with cloud-patterned embroidery, sitting on a redwood soft couch by the window, leaning on a small table made of golden nanmu wood, her legs covered with a thin quilt embroidered with diamond patterns.

Fourth Madam Mrs. Wang’s face was thin, with deep, sunken eye sockets, surrounded by dark circles, clearly showing signs of fatigue.