The Bai familyâs eighth girl, Bai Wanqing, who was focused on eating pastries, looked up, her chubby, white little face still covered in crumbs, and said in a childish voice, "Mother is right!"
Mrs. Li was amused by the little one, used a handkerchief to wipe the crumbs off Bai Wanqingâs face, and said, "Oh dear, our little Xiao Ba is eating so messily..."
The little girl tilted her head, obediently waiting for Mrs. Li to clean her face, then said in her childish voice, "Thank you, third aunt."
Mrs. Li smiled and patted the little bun on Bai Wanqingâs head, set aside her round fan, and picked up a teacup, seemingly casually saying, "I heard that today in Shencheng, Lord of Gaoyi invited many remarried widows. Whether remarriage is good or bad for these common women, it wouldnât hurt for them to speak with the second girl of the Qin family before Minister Liu announces this timeâs top scholar. Maybe they would question the new policy since it was set up for them."
How could those newly remarried widows think the new policy bad? How could they be suspicious? They were all deeply grateful to Bai Qingyan for encouraging widows to remarry, believing Bai Qingyan truly did a great deed for them! Whoever opposes this policy opposes their happy days, who can bear that?
After all, the widows who first remarried had strong personalities.
Upon hearing the words of the Bai familyâs third lady, Mrs. Li, some bold widows stepped forward, knelt on the ground, bowed their heads, shouting, "This woman here is a remarried widow. I sincerely thank the monarch for establishing the new law for us widows, encouraging us to remarry! Those who havenât been widows have no idea how hard the lives of common household widows are! Itâs easy to talk when youâre not in it! I may not speak well... but from the bottom of my heart, I thank the monarch. If anyone dares to challenge this law, oppose the monarch, Iâm the first to reject!"
"I donât agree either!" Another widow stood up and knelt in front of the pavilion.
Before long, a succession of newly remarried widows knelt, saying that the new law saved their lives, allowing them to live well.
A noble lady, who disapproved of the Qin sistersâ behavior, sneered, "This encouragement for widows to remarry is set up for these women. The second girl of the Qin family is clearly not a widow, yet she has the nerve to publicly criticize the policy encouraging widows to remarry! Isnât she afraid of being laughed at? Look, the widows themselves say itâs good... What kind of mischief is she up to?"
"The behavior of these two Qin sisters is truly disgraceful! Suddenly jumping out to publicly oppose the new policy of the monarch, isnât this just trying to attract attention?"
"Precisely! The monarchâs new policy is for the nation and people... Even personally debated with the students at the Imperial College, and even they couldnât fault it! Yet she has the audacity to use the new policy to force the Bai family women to remarry!"
"Exactly, the monarchâs new policy... allows widowed women to remarry, aiming to improve the status of us women, yet she, as a woman, instead of helping, hinders things for attention-seeking. Such self-degradation is truly disgraceful for us women!"
"Enough! What face does the Qin family daughter want? Her own mother dared to reach into her daughter-in-lawâs dowry. First, they nearly killed the Auxiliary General, then shamelessly sought glory, trying to link themselves to the monarch..."
"If they have the time to worry about others remarrying or not, why not care for their imprisoned widowed mother? Why not consider if there is still anyone willing to marry them? Truly like a dog that meddles in a ratâs business!"
"The Qin familyâs conduct... how could daughters like the Qin sisters possibly understand what honor is?"
Qinâs second girl knelt there, listening to the voices of others, clenched her fists tightly, her face greatly unpleasant. Although she was prepared to sacrifice herself for the Bai family, she still had a sense of pride, and being spoken of in such a manner... she was simply ashamed and furious to the point of death.
"If she truly understood what honor is, she wouldnât have, after nearly killing my Jinxiu, shamelessly claimed to be as close as sisters, and even shamelessly claimed our..." Mrs. Liu nearly let Bai Qingyanâs childhood name slip, immediately correcting herself, "Our monarch took them as close as sisters. Such behavior at a young age, what will come of it in the future!"
In her heart, Mrs. Liu contentedly thought of having an extra bowl of rice. After all, as they say, âwhat goes around comes around.â Now it seems like the Qin sistersâ reputation has been ruined by their own actions.
Since they dared to oppose the new law, theyâd better stop thinking of using her daughters Jinxiu and Kidâs names to swagger and deceive outside.
"I am at least the younger sister-in-law of the Auxiliary General, wonât the second lady fear Iâll complain to my brother after such humiliation?" Qinâs second girl said with reddened eyes, tears streaming down.
Born with a fiery temper, Mrs. Liu was infuriated upon hearing this, she stepped directly out from behind the table and stood before Qinâs second girl: "How dare you mention my poor son-in-law! Ask yourself... how did my son-in-law treat you half-blood siblings? My son-in-lawâs reputation... first was maliciously flattered by your mother, then ruined by you sisters. Have you ever thought why Qin Lang and Jinxiu went to Hancheng and took the familyâs second son but not you sisters?"
"Father..." That Qinâs second girl, completely shameless now, cried loudly, looking up to the sky, "Did you hear that? Qin Lang deliberately didnât take my sister and me! Qin Lang wants to kill us sisters, leave us no way to live! We sisters were left without father... without motherâs care! No one to look after us!"
Bai Qingyan looked up at Qinâs second girl putting on a show and softly spoke, "Since... the Qin sisters claim to be without a motherâs care, then send someone to escort the two Qin girls to find their mother!"
Qinâs second girl was busy crying and wailing, and upon hearing these words, the Qin familyâs eldest girlâs knees went weak; her mother was a convicted criminal, doomed never to be released. She quickly knelt and crawled forward, "Have mercy, Majesty! I did nothing; itâs my second sister who lost her mind, was incited by others to oppose the new law, itâs all the second sisterâs fault, I did nothing!"
Hearing the words of Qinâs eldest daughter, Bai Qingyan also stood up from behind the table and called, "Master Lu Jin..."
Lu Jin stepped forward on cue, "What is your command, Majesty?"