The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 49

Delicacies were piled high, wine glasses clinked amidst melodious music from strings, drums and other instruments filled the air. The hall was a scene of festive splendour with singing and dancing, a grand banquet unmatched in all the world.

Bai Qingyan’s uncle, Dong Qingping, who was sitting below the raised dais was being teased by colleagues about the scratch marks on his face. They joked that he was henpecked… If he continued indulging his wife’s unreasonable behaviour, she might become the next Empress Ji of the Yan Kingdom, dominating the Dong family and making Dong Qingping a cuckold.

Xiao Rongyan paused momentarily while pouring wine before continuing to refill his glass. Then he picked up the wine glass… and glanced down the steps.

When his gaze fell on Dong Qingping, Bai Qingyan shivered. Xiao Rongyan was the youngest and most beloved son of Empress Ji of the Yan Kingdom.

She remembered her previous life… 15 years later, the landscape had drastically changed. The Great Jin Kingdom had fallen, and the Great Yan Kingdom had risen as a strong power. The Great Yan and Western Liang had attacked the Jin Kingdom from the north and south. She fought desperately alongside Prince Liang against Western Liang, unable to spare herself. The Jin Kingdom could only seek peace with the Yan Kingdom. Xiao Rongyan had agreed to cease hostilities without demanding territory or reparations, but only if those who had insulted Empress Ji were handed over. It was possible to imagine the fates of those people.

Dong Qingping, usually eloquent and adept in social situations, tended to become frivolous and indulgent when drunk. Now, in a drunken stupor, he boldly spoke out, “According to the ‘Comprehensive History of the Yan Kingdom,’ Empress Ji was unparalleled in beauty, surpassing even the seductive charms of Da Ji and the captivating beauty of Li Ji. She served Emperor Su as a courtier with her looks, first obtaining the position of noble consort to lead the harem. Amidst the twists and turns in the palace, she became the empress and mother of all in the kingdom. She has unparalleled status and is full of political power, known as the ‘Empress of Power.’ My wife, Song-shi, is straightforward and has a fiery temper, but how can she be compared to such a licentious and venomous woman?!”

As he spoke, Dong Qingping burped and turned to Bai Qingyan’s mother, Dong-shi, “Isn’t that right, younger sister?!”

Her heart raced from Dong Qingping’s words and her palms tightened. She glanced nervously at Xiao Rongyan, only to see him smiling coldly as he finished his wine. His smile did not reach his eyes.

Before Dong-shi could respond, she spoke up, “Constantly criticised and cursed by the masses and vilified as a venomous woman or a seductress, Empress Ji was merely a small consort at that time. She had no power in the palace and no influence in the court. Yet, she managed to survive with that foolish emperor in the midst of turbulent politics and elevated the Yan Kingdom to its current dominance. How resilient must she have been?”

Xiao Rongyan raised his eyes and looked at her with a deep, unfathomable gaze. Pretending not to notice, she only looked at Dong Qingping, her palms already covered with sweat, “The reason she was scorned by the masses was simply due to the principle of winners taking all. This boring truth was something you taught me, Uncle. Why is Uncle speaking nonsense after having a few drinks today?”

Reclining on a soft pillow nearby, the Emperor’s gaze fell onto Bai Qingyan.

“Empress Ji usurped power, leading to the decline of the kingdom! The once-great ruler… is now confined to a corner. Even their capital city has been given to our Great Jin Kingdom and she survives by relying on us. Say… Isn’t that right?!” someone laughed and jeered.

As a woman, she particularly hated the phrase “usurping power”. She had initially intended to defend Empress Ji to keep Xiao Rongyan from resenting her uncle. Now, she was being sincere.

“Everyone says that Empress Ji of Yan was power-hungry, tyrannical and ruthless. However, it was this very woman, venomous as she may have been, who transformed the Yan Kingdom from a poor and weak nation into a powerful state that rivalled our Jin Kingdom and Western Liang. At that time, Yan Kingdom’s government was clean, the kingdom was stable, with civil officials dying for their beliefs and military officers fighting to the death. Later, when the Yan Emperor regained his sanity and seized power, he executed Empress Ji… to the delight of the people. But then the Yan Kingdom quickly fell into decline, ultimately becoming dependent on our Jin Kingdom, how pitiful!”

Xiao Rongyan gripped the jade cicada in his hand tightly, his gaze deepening as he looked at Bai Qingyan. The woman, who once rode on a fierce horse, now sat kneeling with clear eyes under the lamp in the palace his mother had built, eloquently defending her name.

She had no power in the palace and no influence in the court. Yet, she managed to survive with that foolish emperor in the midst of turbulent politics. In a single statement, Bai Qingyan had expressed all his mother’s bitterness and helplessness.

Xiao Rongyan lowered his eyes and poured himself another drink, downing it for his mother and as tribute to Bai Qingyan, his confidant.

The emperor suddenly laughed, saying, “Aunt, your granddaughter is truly remarkable! I’ve heard… That day in front of the Zhongyong Marquis’ residence, she left the Zhongyong Marquis speechless with her words, but I still didn’t believe it. Today, I’ve seen it myself.”

Bai Qingyan stood up, respectfully bowing her head. Then she maintained a demure posture with her eyes lowered.

The emperor eyed Bai Qingyan, squinting his eyes as if recalling something and asked the chief eunuch beside him, “What was it that Miss Bai said? Learning something…”

The chief eunuch bowed hurriedly and continued respectfully, “Your Majesty, Miss Bai said she learned how to protect the country and fight alongside thousands of troops in bloody battles! She learned to wrap a corpse in horsehide after death on the battlefield and sacrifice her life… and would definitely not allow the people and emperor of the Jin Kingdom to be humiliated!

The Princess Dowager smiled and said, “My granddaughter was raised by the Duke and has a touch of a man’s spirit.”

“This minister recalls that the eldest daughter of the Zhenguo Duke’s family also joined the army when she was young and followed the Duke to the battlefield! While such words might be out of place for other families’ daughters, they are perfectly fitting for a daughter of the Zhenguo Duke’s family!” Li Mao stood up with a glass of wine, saying with a hint of mockery, “This century-old military Zhenguo Duke’s family has sons and daughters who are all good at fighting and have never been defeated. They’ve made great military achievements but they’ve really taken all the military glory of our Great Jin Kingdom, leaving nothing for anyone else!”

Li Mao never missed a chance to undermine their Bai family before the Emperor.

He was putting obstacles in the way of the Zhenguo Duke’s residence and her Bai family right in front of her. His words were like a dagger to her heart, causing her to be instantly furious. She was filled with resentment and anger like boiling water. How could she tolerate this?!

She turned her head, her back straight as a ramrod, and stared coldly at Prime Minister Li Mao who sat below the raised dais, smiling with a raised cup. Her face was stern and she spoke icily, “So, the Prime Minister only cares about military merit! Yes, my Bai family has been a military family for at least a century, but Prime Minister, listen to the spirits of the Bai family. Before they died, which one of my ancestors sacrificed their life for military merit or power?! Prime Minister, if you visit my family’s ancestral hall and look at those hundreds of memorial tablets, you’ll see that none perished in this prosperous capital while struggling for power! Even the ten-year-old children in my Bai family fought on the battlefield! All the men in my family faced the most dangerous trials, were they seeking military merit?! What our Bai family wanted was to protect our kingdom and its people! We seek peace and prosperity for the civilians! We want to ensure the enduring legacy of the Great Jin Kingdom!”

Recalling the events of the past, Bai Qingyan’s heart ached. Every sentence was loud, every word was a pearl, a resounding declaration that echoed throughout the world.

A deathly silence filled the hall.

Li Mao’s expression became unpleasant as he stood there, filled with embarrassment and anger.

Even the frivolous young playboys, who had been toasting each other, were moved by Bai Qingyan’s words. The Bai family of the Zhenguo Duke’s residence was foremost among the aristocratic families of the Jin Kingdom. However, the men of the Bai family did not seek protection from their ancestors. Since the age of ten, they had been fighting on the battlefield with the Duke, while they themselves had lived a life of debauchery in the capital, indulging in pleasures and achieving nothing.