The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 51

At this moment, the Emperor turned to Bai Qingyan seemingly nonchalantly and asked, “I heard… you’re quite skilled at chess?”

She clenched her hands tightly and lowered her eyes without responding. The Emperor’s blatant favouritism toward the Zhongyong Marquis was obvious. The court ministers would undoubtedly follow suit. When news of the Bai family’s defeat came back, those flattering ministers skilled at gauging the Emperor’s moods would undoubtedly take the opportunity to step on them.

No wonder that in her previous life, despite the Bai family’s reputation for loyalty and bravery, no one dared to defend them in the imperial court.

With the Emperor already showing such dissatisfaction with the Bai family, who among the court ministers would dare to speak up for them?

She bowed low and replied, “Just a little.”

“Your aunt… was also excellent at chess.” The Emperor’s gaze lingered on Bai Qingyan, as if he was lost in thought and trying to see another person in her. He spoke slowly, “When you have time, accompany your grandmother to the palace and visit the Empress. The Empress also enjoys chess. You may rise!”

The Empress smiled and nodded, her long pearly fingernails digging into her palms inside her sleeves. Having been married to the Emperor for so many years, she knew well that Bai Suiqu, the only daughter of the Zhenguo Duke Bai Weiting… was the “cinnabar mole” in the Emperor’s heart that could not be erased.

Although Bai Suqiu had passed away, she had become an irreplaceable figure in the Emperor’s heart. Now, with the Emperor inviting Bai Qingyan to the palace when she had time, could it be that he was considering bringing Bai Qingyan into the palace as well?

The Empress’s heart was heavy with worry and she felt a tightness in her chest. The Emperor’s attitude toward the Bai family was ambiguous, seemingly both disdainful and affectionate. It was truly difficult to figure out.

A sudden “clang” echoed through the hall, and a palace maid immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, “Please have mercy sir! This servant didn’t do it on purpose!”

“It’s alright…” Xiao Rongyan calmly shook the wine off his robe. His refined and elegant demeanour was accompanied by a gentle smile and a mellow, deep voice that made one feel as if they were bathed in spring breeze.

The Emperor came back to his senses and looked at the handsome and distinguished man behind Prince Qi. He felt the man had a refined temperament comparable to that of a great sage, serene, steady, and composed. The Emperor immediately had a good impression of him and said, “You… must be Xiao Rongyan, the righteous merchant of the Wei Kingdom, whom Prince Qi often speaks of.”

Xiao Rongyan stood up calmly and bowed deeply to the Emperor, “Honoured to be summoned to the palace, this commoner is deeply grateful to be able to enter the palace and witness Your Majesty’s grandeur.”

Even words of flattery, when spoken by such a refined gentleman, were more pleasing. The Emperor laughed heartily, his mood lifted, “Mr Xiao, the renowned righteous merchant of Wei, with talents widely known. Just a month ago, your work ‘Snowy Night in Pingzhou’ at Wenxian Restaurant was so exquisite that it made me long to see the beauty of Pingzhou!”

The Emperor suddenly addressed Xiao Rongyan as “Mr” and his admiration was unconcealed. The ministers below the raised platform each harboured their own thoughts.

“It was a clumsy piece of work after drinking, Your Majesty over praises me.”

Xiao Rongyan was neither humble nor arrogant and he carried the proud bearing of a scholar. Despite the wine stains on his clothes, he did not appear dishevelled. Instead, his calm and unruffled demeanour made him seem like an otherworldly being, untouchable by the mortal world.

“There are many renowned and talented scholars known throughout Wei Kingdom. And you, sir, are among the best. Your reputation is known in all the kingdoms, there’s no need for such humility!” The Emperor, who had always been fond of scholars with literary talents, could not help but ask Xiao Rongyan a few more questions, “You haven’t returned to Wei for the New Year. Are you planning to stay in our capital for the festivities?”

“I’ve heard that the Lantern Festival on the 15th in the capital is a grand event in the Jin Kingdom every year. Scholars and poets gather, eager to showcase their talents, creating a lively atmosphere, so I decided to stay in the capital for the New Year. After the Lantern Festival, I will return home.”

The Emperor nodded. Noticing the wine stains on Xiao Rongyan’s clothes, he said, “Mr Xiao, please go and change your clothes first. When you come back, you can tell me more about the beautiful scenery of Pingzhou.”

Xiao Rongyan bowed and agreed with a smile.

Bai Qingyan noticed the maid who was supposed to serve Prince Qi’s concubine had disappeared, confirming her suspicions. She broke into a cold sweat and could not help but worriedly glance at Xiao Rongyan.

Their eyes met across the distance, and she saw the clarity and sharpness in his gaze.

Her hands tightened and then slowly relaxed. Seeing Xiao Rongyan’s calm and composed demeanour, she believed he had already sensed the trap, but… could he avoid this danger?

Xiao Rongyan’s eyes were calm and he quickly looked away. Then he followed a palace maid to change his clothes.

In just half an hour, Xiao Rongyan returned in a new robe, and only then did Bai Qingyan’s anxious heart settle.

On the way back to the residence after the palace banquet, the Princess Dowager was filled with fear. She gripped Bai Qingyan’s hand tightly and scolded her sternly, “Have you gone mad?! Usually, you act with caution, so why were you so reckless today? To say such things in front of the Emperor, if he had truly gotten angry, do you think you could bear the consequences?! If something happened to you, how could Grandmother live on?!”

The intricately crafted elm wood carriage swayed gently, lanterns hanging from its four corners casting flickering light within.

Bai Qingyan lowered her gaze, hiding the redness in her eyes. She admitted to herself that she had said those words deliberately to the Emperor. She had wanted to let that stubborn and suspicious Emperor and the world know! Her Bai family, fighting on the front lines for the Jin Kingdom and the countless lives under heaven, had a virtue that he as a scheming and suspicious Emperor could never achieve!

Those words and events weighed heavily on her heart, like a sharp blade stuck in her throat that constantly cut her. She could not keep them bottled up any longer!

Seeing Bai Qingyan with her head lowered, unwilling to speak, the Princess Dowager closed her tired eyes and choked out, “Grandmother knows that the day I asked you if you had rebellious thoughts, I hurt you. You, child… Are good in every way, but you have the same unyielding temper as your grandfather! But, Ah Bao, the imperial family is Grandmother’s home, and Grandmother’s surname is Lin! You have Grandmother’s blood in your veins! So, in the Jin Kingdom, anyone can rebel… Except for my descendants! Do you understand?!”

The Princess Dowager’s loyalty to the imperial family was just like Bai Qingyan’s loyalty to the Bai family. How could she not understand?

Yet, the Jin Kingdom’s imperial family had long since been corrupt. It had been tainted from its roots by court ministers who loved power and profit, and the inner core had become rotten and foul. Unless the imperial blood lineage was replaced by a truly capable ruler, how could the rotten core not lead to ruin?

“I asked, do you understand? Do you get it?! Speak!”

Faced with the Princess Dowager’s increasingly forceful questioning, Bai Qingyan could no longer suppress the suffocating despair, exhaustion, and deep bitterness in her heart.

She had been raised under her grandmother’s care since childhood, and her first steps had been taken while holding her grandmother’s hand.

The first word she learned to write was taught to her by her grandmother.

When she had a high fever that would not go down, her grandmother stayed up all night holding her, kneeling and praying in front of the altar at the Buddhist shrine and asking to shorten her own life by ten years in exchange for Bai Qingyan’s health and safety.

Her grandmother was very important in her life and her importance was immeasurable.

She and her grandmother used to talk about everything, but now… They had the same goals but stood on different grounds. They supported each other yet were wary of each other. What should have been the closest reliance in the world, was now so close but yet insurmountably far apart.

She was deeply afraid that in the near future, the profound familial bond between her and her grandmother would be worn away by mutual caution and suspicion, gradually fading away, and even… becoming something hideous and unrecognisable.