The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 47

These three weaklings spilled the beans on everything they knew. However, they did not know much of importance. Critical messages from Prince Liang and Chunyan would not have been entrusted to them to pass on. At most, their role was merely to invite Chunyan to the corner gate in exchange for some money.

“Besides these three, who else helped you deliver messages?” Bai Qingyan asked, looking down at the trembling Chunyan kneeling at her feet.

Chunyan bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.

Bai Qingyan set down the hand warmer and picked up a cup of hot tea, blowing on it gently, “This is your chance to atone. If you don’t speak now, even if Chuntao kneels and begs for you again, I won’t be able to spare you.”

One of the tied up old women in the courtyard quickly said, “There’s also Old Liu! Old Liu also passed messages too, I saw her!”

Old Liu, who had been named, immediately knelt down, “Eldest Madam, Eldest Miss, have mercy! This old servant… This old servant only passed one message, just one! I was tempted after seeing Old Wang accept the money!”

Capture the criminal and expose those behind the scenes. Another one was exposed.

Old Wang immediately knelt, trembling like a leaf.

Dong-shi placed her teacup heavily on the small table beside her, “Our Duke’s residence has never mistreated its servants, yet unexpectedly, there are still those blinded by greed for money! If there are any more, stand forward by yourselves now and I might spare your life! If others have to point you out, you’ll be beaten to death without mercy!”

Dong-shi’s strict yet fair management had kept the Duke’s residence in good order. Otherwise, how could there be no news outside when Dong-shi had strictly forbidden the spread of news about Second Miss Bai Jinxiu’s return?

Prince Liang had indeed put in great effort for Bai Qingyan… But all he had managed was to bribe a young gatekeeper and four old gatekeeper women.

Chunyan cried even harder, desperation driving her to crawl to Dong-shi’s feet, “Madam! Prince Liang is genuine towards our Miss, this servant is only doing this for her sake! Prince Liang heard that the Grand Madam from Dengzhou wanted to marry our Eldest Miss to her grandson, her cousin. Despite his severe injuries, he came personally… just hoping to see Eldest Miss once. Such deep affection, who else in the entire capital could show such heartfelt devotion to Eldest Miss?!”

Aunty Qin stood with her hands clasped in front of her stomach, her face stern. “Miss Chunyan’s words are very unreasonable! If Prince Liang truly has deep feelings for our Miss, he could have had a proper lady visit our mansion… To ask for information or to mediate. Why resort to bribing servants and sneaking around? How is this deceitful behaviour any different from ruining our Miss’ reputation?! You are Eldest Miss’ personal maid, yet you have been in close contact with Prince Liang’s servant. If it weren’t for Eldest Miss’ cleverness in having Yinshuang follow you and for discovering this… As a mere maid, your life is of no importance, but what about our Miss’ reputation?!”

“Madam! Prince Liang truly loves our Eldest Miss…”

“It seems that Chunyan eats the food of the Duke’s residence but works for Prince Liang’s household!” Dong-shi chuckled lightly, her voice slow and deliberate, “Aunty Qin, take Chunyan’s contract later and send her to Prince Liang’s residence. If Prince Liang refuses to accept her, then you can break her legs right outside Prince Liang’s residence and hand her over to the slavers to be sold to a brothel.”

Chunyan’s expression changed instantly. She crawled back to Bai Qingyan’s feet begging for help, tears streaming down her face. “Eldest Miss! Eldest Miss, please save this servant! This servant doesn’t want to go anywhere, this servant only wants to follow Eldest Miss! This servant… This servant will never dare to do this again!”

Although Chunyan was foolish, she knew… Prince Liang only saw her because she was Eldest Miss’ personal maid. If she were to be rejected by Eldest Miss, Prince Liang would have no use for her and would definitely not take her in. She would end up with the same fate as Mingyu.

Thinking of Mingyu, Chunyan shivered and cried even more miserably.

Bai Qingyan looked at the panic-stricken Chunyan and said calmly, “What you have shared with Prince Liang about me… Tell me everything clearly and completely today, or even a deity won’t be able to save you!”

“This servant, this servant… only told Prince Liang about what Eldest Miss likes and some things from Eldest Miss’ childhood,” Chunyan confessed with a guilty conscience, her voice lowering.

“Be clear and list everything! Not a single detail should be left out!” She said while picking up a teacup nonchalantly.

It was not that she was petty, but in her past life, Prince Liang knew everything about her down to the smallest details like the scars on her body and which ones itched in the rain. In this life, if Prince Liang used what Chunyan had told him to ruin her reputation, she would be unable to defend herself.

It would be better to deal with it openly today so that even if Prince Liang tried something despicable in the future, Bai Qingyan would have nothing to worry about.

Chunyan was truly frightened. She sobbed and stammered about what she had told Prince Liang or Tongji in the past few days, spitting out everything.

When Aunty Qin heard that Chunyan had even divulged that Bai Qingyan’s shoulder itched when it rained due to an old battlefield injury, her hands shook with rage. She could not hold back her anger and stepped forward, slapping her hard, “Someone! Drag this wretched maid away and beat her to death! Beat her to death immediately! How dare you reveal such private matters about Eldest Miss!”

The usually calm Dong-shi was so furious that her eyes darkened and she nearly fainted.

“Eldest Miss! Eldest Miss!” Chunyan clung to Bai Qingyan’s legs, “Eldest Miss, save me! I’ve told you everything! Eldest Miss, please save me!”

“Pull this wretched maid away! Don’t let her dirty Eldest Miss’ clothes!” Dong-shi gritted her teeth, wishing she could eat Chunyan alive.

“Mother…” She shook her head at Dong-shi and then looked down at Chunyan, “Is there anything else you told Prince Liang?”

“No! There’s really nothing else…” Chunyan cried, shaking her head.

After a moment, Bai Qingyan set down her teacup and called for Chuntao, “Chuntao…”

Having heard all the personal matters about Eldest Miss that Chunyan had shared with Prince Liang, Chuntao was trembling with anger and her face had gone pale. She immediately knelt down, “Chuntao is here!”

“That day, you knelt before me to plead for Chunyan. Today, I will spare Chunyan’s life as repayment for the life-saving grace you spoke of! But while Chunyan is spared death, she cannot escape punishment. Chunyan will receive fifty lashes and be demoted to a third-class maid! I will also dock your wages for six months. Do you accept this?” She directed her question at Chuntao.

Chuntao kowtowed heavily, overwhelmed with shame. She burst into tears, “Miss should beat me as well! I shouldn’t have pleaded for this worthless and despicable thing!”

She helped Chuntao up and clutched her hand, saying, “You are loyal, compassionate, and righteous. Such qualities are what we value in the Duke’s residence!”

She then turned her icy gaze toward Chunyan. “Chunyan, do you accept this punishment?!”

Chunyan, trembling uncontrollably, repeatedly kowtowed, “Thank you for sparing my life, Eldest Miss! Thank you for sparing my life, Eldest Mss!”

Chunyan was dragged away and publicly punished. The thick paddle landed heavily on her backside, causing Chunyan to scream in agony. It was not long before her clothes were soaked with blood and Chunyan passed out.