Chapter 314 - 314 311 Pure and Upright_1

Chapter 314: Chapter 311: Pure and Upright_1 Chapter 314: Chapter 311: Pure and Upright_1 “If Third Sister were here, our family would be so lively…” Bai Jinzhao sighed, thinking of her Third Sister, Bai Jintong.

“Yes, it would be great if Third Sister could come back!” Bai Jinhua looked up at the Eldest Princess. “Grandmother, will Third Sister get better before we return to Shuoyang? Will she come back to see us off?”

The Eldest Princess did not return with Third Sister. The excuse given was that Third Sister had caught a cold and couldn’t come back for fear of passing it to the newborn Eighth Sister.

“They say illness comes like a landslide but goes like spinning silk. It’s important for Jintong to take good care of her health. Meeting again in the future will be the same.” Bai Qingyan patted Bai Jinhua’s head and said with a smile.

Behind Nanny Qin, maids carrying hexagonal sheepskin lanterns followed, along with a dozen maids carrying black lacquered food boxes, entering the courtyard gate.

The maids entered in single file, setting the dishes in an orderly manner, and then left.

The Eldest Princess ordered that although the Bai family was still in mourning, the children still growing should not lack nutritious food. So, the dinner included fish and meat.

Nanny Qin bypassed the screen and entered the inner room. After greeting the Eldest Princess and Mrs. Dong with a joyful expression, she announced they could dine.

Unexpectedly, before the family had finished eating, Nanny Jiang lifted the curtain and entered, quietly informing the Eldest Princess, “The person that Young Master in Prime Minister Lu’s mansion beat up in Fanque Tower on the twenty-fifth of March still couldn’t be saved after lying in bed for so many days. He died this morning.”

Bai Qingyan’s grip on her chopsticks tightened, and she looked up.

Nanny Tong also looked at Bai Qingyan in disbelief.

Dead? How could that be?

Because Lu Yuanpeng fought to protect her, she had sent Doctor Hong to check on the severely injured person attacked by Lu Yuanpeng at Fanque Tower, fearing a murder case might involve Lu Yuanpeng.

The Lu Mansion had also invited a doctor from Pingan Hall, known for its skilled doctors in Dadu City, to examine the injured person.

Apart from Pingan Hall’s doctor, Doctor Hong, though not claiming to be a miraculous healer, was skilled at determining the severity of injuries.

Under the pretext of an invitation by the Lu Mansion, Doctor Hong carefully checked the injuries and took the patient’s pulse before reporting to Bai Qingyan that the injuries were superficial. The person intentionally stayed in bed to extort money from the Lu Mansion.

Doctor Hong noted that the mother and son had likely already taken money from the Lu Mansion, showed no fear, and even let him take their pulse arrogantly, cursing unsparingly. They believed the Lu Mansion gave money begrudgingly, accusing the mansion of sending another doctor as they wouldn’t take that lying down. They threatened to fight the Lu Mansion to the bitter end.

Fourth Lady, Mrs. Wang, who couldn’t bear to hear talk of death, quickly chanted “Amitabha.”

Third Lady, Mrs. Li, was startled, pressing a handkerchief to her chest. “Then… won’t Prime Minister Lu’s mansion be facing a murder trial?”

“Yes…” Nanny Jiang knew the little devil from the Lu family, though mischievous, was kind-hearted. Moreover, Lu Yuanpeng’s injury to someone while protecting Bai Qingyan was well-known across Dadu City.

Bai Qingyan put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and frowned, “Nanny Jiang, if you have heard of it, it must be a big deal.”

“Indeed, Eldest Young Lady. The incident has blown up! The person who died from Young Master Lu’s beating was an Imperial College student named Lin Xinan. Today at noon, Lin Xinan’s mother, who couldn’t read, had a fellow student from Imperial College write a lawsuit. They went to the Government Office, but when the officials saw it involved the Lu family, they didn’t dare arrest anyone! The Imperial College students accompanied Lin Xinan’s mother to beat the drum at the Wude Gate, risking their lives to seek justice for her son!”

The Lu family found themselves in one crisis after another.

Bai Jinxiu also put down her silver chopsticks and asked, “Has Lu Yuanpeng been arrested?”

Nanny Jiang nodded, “I heard Young Master Lu was watching the commotion at the Wude Gate when a group of Imperial College students, dressed in their scholar’s robes, accompanied a woman to beat the drum. The students blocked the executioners from using their cudgels, insisting on receiving one blow each in place of the woman! Young Master Lu, seeing the commotion turned on him, couldn’t hold back and charged out with his riding crop, wildly hitting the group! The Crown Prince ordered his arrest immediately.”

Nanny Jiang deliberately omitted the crude and filthy language the woman used against their Eldest Young Lady when she beat the drum, not wanting to taint her ears.

Bai Jinzhi looked at Bai Qingyan, “Eldest Sister, has Lu Yuanpeng caused big trouble this time?”

The drum at the Wude Gate had been beaten frequently this year. Considering even from the Ancestral Emperor’s reign, the number of times the drum had been beaten hadn’t surpassed now.

The Eldest Princess took a sip of soup. Hearing this, she sensed something was wrong.

An illiterate woman, even one determined to beat the drum, couldn’t have rallied Imperial College scholars so quickly.

The Eldest Princess didn’t believe no one was plotting and inciting behind the scenes.

A woman beating the drum wasn’t frightening. What was frightening was having Imperial College students kneeling outside Wude Gate, which reminded Bai Qingyan of the last life. Consequently, when her mother left that letter “Asking the Emperor” and Auntie’s blood splattered outside the palace gates to seek justice, students from Imperial College led students nationwide to kneel for the Bai family.

Students had the purest hearts and were the most easily incited by wrongdoing in the world, leading them to radical actions.

“Perhaps someone, seeing the exam fraud case has blown up, incited the Imperial College scholars to divert attention.” Bai Qingyan pursed her lips, “After all, to the common folk, the nobles oppressing and murdering are more relatable and infuriating than exam fraud. Once the common people’s attention was diverted, anyone involved in the exam fraud… even if lightly sentenced, wouldn’t spark public outrage.”

The tactic of “Besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,” Bai Jinzhi had read about in military strategy texts.

Mrs. Dong nodded.

“Nanny Tong, send someone to investigate Lin Xinan’s family background and inquire of their neighbors when they learned of his death.”

As soon as Bai Qingyan finished, the Eldest Princess, putting down her blue and white porcelain spoon, said, “Let Nanny Jiang summon Wei Zhong to investigate! Quickly!”

Nanny Jiang agreed and went out to instruct Wei Zhong.

Bai Jinxiu, quick-witted and perceptive, guessed, “Eldest Sister intends to determine the time of Lin Xinan’s death from others to judge if this was human error or heaven’s will?”

“If Lin Xinan died this noon or in the afternoon, then he was part of a diversionary tactic.” Bai Qingyan did not avoid explaining to her young sisters, “If Lin Xinan truly died this morning, when the unsuccessful examinee had not yet beaten the drum…”