The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 30

Aunty Wu’s heart pounded wildly.

Aunty Wu had waited until after Jiang-shi dealt with the maids before she remembered their contracts. However, she still had not found the contracts among Bai Jinxiu’s dowry items.

Originally, she had planned to keep Mingyu in order to use her when the Zhenguo Duke’s residence investigated them later. She would have Mingyu claim that Bai Jinxiu herself had instructed Mingyu to give the contracts to Jiang-shi.

Unexpectedly, the Zhenguo Duke’s residence had ordered someone to bring Mingyu’s contract and forcibly drag her out from Jiang-shi’s countryside estate. It was needless to say that the contracts of the other five dowry maids were likely still in the Zhenguo Duke’s residence.

Before Aunty Wu could think about it and respond, Jiang-shi, who was already feeling guilty, found an excuse to explode in anger, “Bai Jinxiu, upon entering the Qin family, disregarded filial piety to her in-laws, violated proper conduct, and used cunning tactics to make her husband split up the family! The Marquis’ residence still has the audacity to question me about those maidservants! Even if it’s Bai Jinxiu herself… As her mother-in-law, I can punish her and no one in the world would say a word against it! Aunty Wu, are you not leaving?!”

Sweating profusely, Aunty Wu hurriedly followed Jiang-shi.

“Marquis’ Madam, if you leave through this door today with the intention of spreading rumours that Second Sister incited Qin Lang to move out of the Marquis’ residence, wanting to tarnish Second Sister’s reputation, I advise you to think twice! Our Duke’s residence will definitely deny everything, and my mother will undoubtedly stand up for Second Sister and provide explanations,” said Bai Qingyan as she stood up, speaking with a charming smile, “My mother has been praised by the Emperor as the exemplar of virtue in the capital… Marquis’ Madam, consider the reputation you’ve earned by spoiling your daughter and letting them harm someone’s life, and meddling with your daughter-in-law’s dowry. If you add more slander to my sister’s name, it would be indescribably absurd.”

The words spoken by Bai Jinxiu to Qin Lang would also be detrimental to Bai Jinxiu’s reputation if they were to be spread.

Bai Jintong stood by Bai Qingyan’s side, pretending to be helpless and shook her head, “When I told Marquis’ Madam what Second Sister had said, I was hoping that Marquis’ Madam would add fuel to the fire, considering her reputation already in jeopardy! Eldest Sister is too kind-hearted, unnecessarily reminding her.”

“Dong Wanjun, is your Duke’s residence intending to sever ties with our Zhongyong Marquis’ residence?” Jiang-shi’s eyes were about to pop out as she gripped the handkerchief in her hand.

Dong-shi raised her eyes lazily, “Your two daughters almost killed our Duke’s residence’s Second Miss. You still have the audacity to demand face in front of our Duke’s residence?!”

Bai Jintong, standing with her hands behind her back, smirked coldly, “Is the Zhongyong Marquis’ residence’s face as impenetrable as city walls? We openly and proudly brought Second Sister back to our Duke’s residence with great fanfare! Haven’t we severed ties already?!”

“You all… Fine! You Bai Family, be arrogant for now!” Jiang-shi, consumed by anger, trembled all over and her words were unrestrained, “It won’t be long before you’re the ones crying! Aunty Wu, let’s go!”

Bai Qingyan raised her gaze, locking her deep gaze on Jiang-shi’s departing figure.

Aunty Qin, who was standing at the door, saw Jiang-shi coming out of the hall with a gust of wind. She smiled politely and approached to guide her out. Jiang-shi, filled with anger, vented it all on Aunty Qin, “What’s the matter? Do you need to keep an eye on me when I leave? Afraid I’ll steal something from your Duke’s residence?!”

As soon as the Zhongyong Marquis’ wife left, Dong-shi abandoned her teacup, looking disgusted, “This is Jiang-shi, always thinking she’s the smartest in the world, calculating against others as if everyone else is a fool!”

Originally, the engagement between Bai Qingyan and Qin Lang was settled when Qin Lang’s mother was critically ill. In her earlier years, before Qin Lang’s mother was married, she had been saved by Old Madam Dong and Dong-shi from bandits, preserving her chastity. Qin Lang’s mother was grateful and forged close ties with the Dong family. She even got along with Dong-shi well and they became sworn sisters.

Later, when Qin Lang’s mother fell critically ill and knew her time was running out, she entrusted Qin Lang to Dong-shi. In private, she knelt down and begged Dong-shi that if she had a legitimate daughter in the future, she would promise to betroth her to Qin Lang. In doing so, Dong-shi would become Qin Lang’s rightful mother.

Faced with the desperate plea of a dying sister, the young and soft-hearted Dong-shi boldly agreed in one fell swoop. She accepted Qin Lang’s mother’s pendant as a token of their promise and they settled this matter privately.

Qin Lang’s mother loved her son with all her heart. She was aware of the lack of affection between her and the Zhongyong Marquis, Qin Dezhao. She feared that the arrival of a stepmother might change the situation for the worse for the heir of Zhongyong Marquis. In order to stabilise Qin Lang’s position as the heir, could only entrust her son to her sworn sister.

If it were not for the declining status of Qin Lang’s maternal family and the knowledge that Dong-shi had gained favour with the Zhengguo Duke’s eldest son who intended to propose marriage after her grandfather’s three-year filial piety mourning period, Qin Lang’s mother would not have sought an arranged marriage contract from the unmarried Dong-shi.

Later, after Qin Lang’s mother passed away, the Zhongyong Marquis married Jiang-shi. Dong-shi knew exactly what kind of person Jiang-shi was, and since Bai Qingyan was born, she had always been worried for Bai Qingyan.

Unexpectedly, Bai Qingyan suffered an abdominal injury when growing up and would not be able to bear children. The Duke wanted to cancel the engagement between the Duke’s residence and Zhongyong Marquis’ residence. However, the Zhongyong Marquis personally visited to persuade them to change Qin Lang’s fiancee to Bai Jinxiu. Initially, the Duke opposed but finally agreed after who knows what the Zhongyong Marquis said to him.

Dong-shi, as a daughter-in-law, could not say anything. Fearing that if she said too much, her words might be misunderstood by Second Madam Liu-shi for being dissatisfied that engagement was given to Bai Jinxiu, she remained silent after offering a few words of advice to no avail.

Little did she know that years later, Bai Jinxiu’s marriage would bring such suffering to her. If she had known, she would have vehemently opposed it from the beginning.

“Mother, don’t be upset,” Bai Qingyan consoled Dong-shi, “Before going to the Zhongyong Marquis’ residence, I thought the Marquis’s Madam was a powerful person. Now we can see this is what she’s like. Right now, it’s imperative that Qin Lang moves out from the Zhongyong Marquis’ residence. Later, when you and Second Aunt send more competent maids to Bai Jinxiu and without a mother-in-law pressuring her, what is there to worry about Jinxiu’s good life ahead?”

Dong-shi sighed and nodded. Fortunately, the Emperor’s decree and the Empress’s approval had settled the matter, making any attempt by Jiang-shi futile no matter what she did.

Thinking of Bai Qingyan asking about where those five dowry maids were just now, Dong-shi hesitated for a moment. Eventually, she decided to honestly tell her daughter, “Yesterday, your Second Aunt asked me to send someone to find your Second Sister’s remaining five dowry maids. She wanted to understand the entire situation for future reporting. Even though I sent someone to inquire about the brokers in the city, I know deep down that those five dowry maids are likely gone. Your Second Aunt is straightforward and does not know how vicious Jiang-shi is, so it’s likely she did not think about this aspect. I’m not sure how to explain it to your Second Aunt either.”

After all, those five dowry maids had originally come from the Duke’s residence. Even when beating a dog, one had to know its master. Who in the capital would dare to jeopardise their lives by taking people from the Zhenguo Duke’s residence without proper documentation? Only Second Madam Liu-shi would believe this was possible.

“Mother, why bother being straightforward with Second Aunt? If our Duke’s residence can’t find those five dowry maids, then we should report it to the authorities and let them handle it,” Bai Qingyan suggested.

With a frown on her face, Dong-shi looked at her daughter who was as calm as deep water. Suddenly, she smiled brightly, “My daughter is right! Mother was being silly! If we can’t find our own servants, then naturally we should report it to the authorities! We should also have the steward bring the dowry maids’ contracts and their biological parents to the officials!”

Bai Qingyan came out of the room with a serious demeanour. She pondered over the words the Zhongyong Marquis’ wife had said before leaving – “It won’t be long before you’re the ones crying!”

The words seemed to carry a hidden meaning. She gazed down at the stone path under her feet, contemplating whether the Zhongyong Marquis’ wife knew something. Was that why she dared to act against Bai Jinxiu as soon as she had entered their household?

That day at the Zhongyong Marquis’ residence, the Marquis’s Madam Jiang-shi had been downright indifferent to the fact that her daughters had injured someone. The usually cautious Zhongyong Marquis… Even if he had been infuriated by the Bai family’s disrespect and their relocating Bai Jinxiu, why was he being so tough even when it was clear who was right and who was wrong?

She felt a chill down her spine. The situation concerning the Bai family… Just how many powerful figures in the capital were involved?

Walking slowly by Bai Qingyan’s side, Bai Jintong had a happy expression, “Seeing that wicked woman trembling with anger, it felt like such a relief!”

Noticing Bai Qingyan’s silence, Bai Jintong could not help but think about the fate of those five dowry maids. Holding a glimmer of hope, she asked, “Eldest Sister, are those five dowry maids really as Eldest Aunt said… The odds are against them?”

She came back to her senses, but did not conceal the truth, “All of Second Sister’s dowry maids, except Mingyu, were drowned. The Marquis’ Madam was afraid that the clothes on the maids’ bodies would reveal their identities easily, so she ordered someone to strip the clothes off the five dowry maids. On a night of heavy snow, they were rolled up in straw mats and thrown into a mass grave.”