Chapter 712: Chapter 709: Confident and Fearless_1
Bai Qihe returned to the Bai family mansion and locked himself in his study. No one could get him to come out. He didnât show up for the familyâs New Yearâs Eve dinner and didnât send anyone to inform the family, completely ignoring that the entire family was waiting for him.
Bai Weimei, Bai Qiheâs father, sat at the dinner table with a furious expression. The elaborate dishes placed on the Eight Immortals Table had already lost their warmth. The people sitting around the black lacquered round table didnât dare to speak.
Bai Qingping kept his eyes downcast and stayed silent.
Mrs. Fang saw the situation and pulled at Bai Qingpingâs sleeve. Bai Qingping merely withdrew his sleeve indifferently and pursed his thin lips tightly.
âWhatâs this, even your grandfather canât move you now?â Bai Weimei gritted his teeth and glared at Bai Qingping.
âGrandson wouldnât dare. But Grandfather incited the clan members to make trouble for the Princess of Zhen, intending to ruin the Bai Clan! My father, as the Bai Clan Leader⊠is caught between his father and the Bai Clan. He must reflect deeply before making a decision.â
âA decision?!â Bai Weimei suddenly stood up. âWhat kind of decision?!â
Puliu, standing behind Mrs. Fang, quickly stepped forward to salute. âYoung Master must be exhausted. I am willing to go and invite the Clan Leader.â
Mrs. Fang looked back at Puliu gratefully, then looked at Bai Weimei, who was trembling with rage. âMy husband must be too tired from todayâs ancestral worship, which is why he hasnât come yet. Puliu, quickly go and invite him. Tell him that Father knows he worked hard today and specially had the family wait here to dine together!â
âYes!â After saluting, Puliu exchanged a glance with Bai Qingping, signaling him not to further anger Bai Weimei. Then she took small steps out the door, opened an umbrella, and went to summon Bai Qihe.
Bai Weimei looked at his stubborn grandson, still seething with rage. Thinking of his son, who no longer shared his views, he pointed at Bai Qingping and cursed: âYouâre just like your father! Ungrateful dog! Your uncle is gone⊠instead of thinking about avenging him, even though you know the enemy is right here in the Bai Mansion, none of you are thinking about revenge. Yet you leave it to me, an old dying man, to come up with solutions!â
Bai Qingping trembled all over with suppressed emotion. Finally, he couldnât hold back any longer. He stood up and looked at Bai Weimei with resolute eyes: âMy uncleâs death was caused by his own greed. If he hadnât been so insatiable and hadnât tried to frame the Bai Mansion, he would be living well now! There are sins that even heaven cannot forgive, much less self-inflicted ones! He deserved his end. My father has no grounds for seeking revenge!â
âYou insolent brat!â Bai Weimei shouted in fury and swept all the dishes off the table with a single motion. The plates clattered onto Mrs. Fang, who screamed as she pulled her son to avoid them.
Bai Weimeiâs wife, shocked at first, began to cry and beat her chest. âWhat did I do to deserve this⊠gray hair sending off black hair. The second son and grandson are disobedient, and we canât even sit together for a meal on New Yearâs Eve.â
Bai Qingpingâs eyes filled with tears as he turned and walked out. Mrs. Fang, covered in food stains, didnât know what to do. She looked at her enraged father-in-law and crying mother-in-law, then picked up her soiled skirts and turned to chase after her son. âA Ping! A Ping!â
·
In Bai Qiheâs study, Puliu stood on the plush rug in the center, listening to Bai Qihe talk about how Bai Weimei had reprimanded Bai Qingping at the dinner table. Bai Qiheâs face darkened as he listened.
Originally, Bai Qihe had been hesitant. But after hearing Puliu recount what happened in his fatherâs courtyard, he had no more doubts.
He wasnât a fool. He understood what Bai Qingyan meant through the message conveyed by Nanny Tong. Even if he didnât act, Bai Qingyan would. It depended on how he handled it this time to establish his authority in front of the clan.
His fatherâs actions were indeed excessive. Knowing that the Bai Clanâs only leverage was the Bai family with the Princess of Zhen, he still incited the elders to pressure the Bai family for the sake of his greedy brother who sought to frame the Dadu Bai family.
For decades, the Dadu Bai family had elevated the Bai Clan, causing them to become overly arrogant. Did the elders truly believe the clan could be equal to the Dadu Bai family?
The Princess of Zhenâs handling of the clan at the ancestral hall had sobered them up. How had they so quickly forgotten and become arrogant again?
If not for his fatherâs manipulation behind the scenes, the clan wouldnât have dared to be so reckless.
Bai Qihe didnât avoid speaking in front of Puliu. He ordered, âInform all the clan members: they are to be at the Bai Clanâs ancestral hall at the third quarter of the hour tomorrow morning. Anyone who dares not to come⊠will no longer be considered a Bai clan member! Send all the household servants to notify everyone. They must be informed within half an hour!â
Bai Qiheâs personal servant was momentarily stunned but then took orders and went out to deliver them.
Puliu, watching Bai Qiheâs face flickering in the candlelight, hesitated for a moment and then spoke. âMaster, the clan members dare to cause trouble because they have your father to rely on. Over the years, your father accustomed to being the Clan Leader, has always had his way⊠Youâve always been filial to him. But in othersâ eyes, it seems like you fear him. They believe, no matter what happens, your father will back you upâŠâ
Puliu looked up at Bai Qihe and saw him looking at her seriously. Only then did she finish the sentence: âAnd thus, they act fearlessly!â
Yes, it was because of his father, the former Clan Leader, that others acted so boldly.
The next morning at dawn, Bai Weimei and his wife were having breakfast when they were informed that Bai Qihe was coming toward their courtyard.
Bai Weimeiâs wife gently shook his arm. âSee, Qihe still respects you as his father. Heâs coming to apologize. Donât scold him too harshly. Qihe has always been obedient since childhood. It must be because he was too busy yesterday! Youâve been a Clan Leader before. You should know how difficult it is!â
Bai Weimei wiped his mouth with a handkerchief handed by a maid, his face stern. âIf he truly wanted to apologize, heâd have come last night! Your good son gathered all the stewards at his courtyard before dawn today. He isnât coming to apologize; heâs coming to demand accountability!â
His wife frowned deeply. âQihe wouldnât do that!â
Even if Bai Qihe did come to question him, Bai Weimei wasnât afraid. After all, he was still Bai Qiheâs father. What could his son actually do to him?
Knowing his son, Bai Weimei was certain Bai Qihe would try to use the threat of resigning as Clan Leader to pressure him to back down and stop opposing Bai Qingyan.