The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 55

Hong Qiao’s heart pounded violently. She had long heard that the eldest daughter of the Bai family was formidable. Her original plan was to say her piece and die, leaving Bai Qingyan no opportunity to defend herself. However, she was caught off guard and restrained. She felt a little panicked.

Seated in a chair brought by the gatekeeper woman, Bai Qingyan handed her hand warmer to Chuntao, telling her to go and add another piece of charcoal. Only then did she speak leisurely, “From your words, it seems like you want to accuse me of having an illicit affair with Prince Liang?”

Hong Qiao’s heartbeat quickened. Instead of answering Bai Qingyan, she continued to cry, “Eldest Miss, His Highness has been unable to eat or sleep properly because of Eldest Miss. Four days ago, he came in person despite his severe injuries, but you still refused to see him! If this continues, I fear His Highness will not survive!”

“Jintong, tell the steward to go to Prince Liang’s mansion and inform them that if Prince Liang is not gravely ill… then please ask Prince Liang to come in person. A maid from his residence is causing quite a commotion at the front gate of our Duke’s residence. If Prince Liang is too ill to come, then I will have no choice but to ask the Princess Dowager to personally visit Prince Liang’s residence and resolve this matter at his doorstep!” Her tone was firm as she instructed Bai Jintong. Then she turned back to Hong Qiao with a smile that exuded confidence and dignity, “This matter concerns my reputation, and it must be clarified through direct confrontation!”

Hong Qiao opened her mouth to speak, but Bai Qingyan cut her off swiftly, “However, since Miss Hong Qiao mentioned that Prince Liang visited our Bai residence four days ago, his injuries must not be too severe. He should be able to come.”

Bai Qingyan’s sharp gaze concealed a cold edge, and her frosty smile sent chills down Hong Qiao’s spine, leaving her utterly flustered.

Prince Liang had sent someone to accompany Hong Qiao. When that person saw that the situation was going awry, he discreetly slipped away to report back to Prince Liang immediately.

However, the steward from the Duke’s residence acted much faster than Prince Liang anticipated. His informant had just finished reporting the situation at the Duke’s residence’s gates, when the steward from the Duke’s household had already arrived, requesting Prince Liang’s presence.

Sitting by the brazier with his eyes closed, Prince Liang was angry at Hong Qiao for not following the plan. She had been too hasty in trying to seal Bai Qingyan’s fate by implicating her in a scandal, but instead, it had backfired terribly.

Though Prince Liang understood that Hong Qiao was willing to sacrifice her life out of loyalty to him, her impatience causing the plan to fail still made her incompetent.

Thinking of how Bai Qingyan had outmanoeuvred the Zhongyong Marquis at his own gates, humiliated her second uncle’s illegitimate son in public on the main street, and also the event during the palace banquet, Prince Liang felt uncertain about confronting Bai Qingyan directly.

If only Du Zhiwei were still alive, he could have sought Du Zhiwei’s advice! Prince Liang felt the wound in his chest tightening and it seemed to bleed again. His head ached intensely.

After calming down and thinking carefully, Prince Liang instructed Tong Ji to help him change his clothes.

What he needed to do now was to repair his relationship with Bai Qingyan rather than forcefully tie her to himself. His reputation for being weak and incompetent was already well known, so he did not fear appearing humble and submissive before Bai Qingyan. He just needed to firmly insist that he was deeply in love with Bai Qingyan and that it was all Hong Qiao’s doing, overstepping and offending Bai Qingyan, without knowing the severity of the situation.

Originally, Prince Liang did not want to be openly connected to the Zhenguo Duke’s household, lest he be implicated later. But now… he had no choice. It would be better to bring his “love” for Bai Qingyan into the open. In the worst case, he could use his “weakness” to beg the Emperor to grant him a marriage. No matter how brave Bai Qingyan was, she would not dare to defy an imperial decree!

As he draped on his cloak, Prince Liang realised how heavily he had relied on Du Zhiwei, so much so that with Du Zhiwei gone, it felt as though he had lost a pair of wings. He would need to find a suitable advisor soon.

Before long, the housekeeper of Prince Liang’s household, along with Tong Ji and Gao Sheng who were always beside Prince Liang, hurried to the gates of the Duke’s residence.

Seeing the large crowd gathered in front of the Zhenguo Duke’s residence, the housekeeper of Prince Liang’s household quickly bowed to Bai Qingyan, “Apologies Eldest Miss Bai. This old servant is the housekeeper of Prince Liang’s household. It was this old servant’s negligence in not disciplining the servants properly, causing trouble for Eldest Miss Bai. This servant will take the maid back right away!”

“Wait…” Bai Qingyan smiled down at the housekeeper of Prince Liang’s residence, “Where is His Highness Prince Liang?”

“Our prince coughed up blood halfway when coming here and has already been sent back to the mansion! What, does Eldest Miss Bai insist that our prince still come in person to retrieve his servant? If anything happens to His Highness, I doubt even ten Eldest Miss Bais could bear the responsibility!” Tong Ji puffed his cheeks and glared at Bai Qingyan, frustrated by her coldheartedness.

She did not even glance at Tong Ji. A mere attendant of Prince Liang’s was not worth her attention.

“Since Prince Liang is too injured to come, then I must trouble you to convey my message to His Highness Prince Liang!” Bai Qingyan rose to her feet, holding her hand warmer. Standing high on the steps, she looked down at the housekeeper of Prince Liang’s residence, “Four days ago, my Duke’s household expelled a total of 39 servants. My personal maid, Chunyan, was beaten 50 times and is still unable to get out of bed, yet no one knows the reason! Today, I will explain it clearly here at the gates of the Zhenguo Duke’s residence…”

She fixed her gaze on Gao Sheng, Prince Liang’s right hand man, and said with a stern expression, “The reason is because Prince Liang bribed five of my household’s servants to communicate with the maid in my courtyard, attempting to spy on my private affairs. Hence, my mother broke all their legs and sold off their entire families, sparing no one. Chunyan… was spared only because she had grown up with me and once saved the life of my most valued maid.”

The housekeeper of Prince Liang’s residence was sweating profusely, while Tong Ji stood there, guilt written all over his face.

“This Miss said that Prince Liang gave me a jade pendant, yet I refused it. Even when he came to see me while gravely injured, I did not meet him! Why?!” Bai Qingyan raised her voice, her tone cold and solemn as she addressed Prince Liang’s housekeeper, “Though I am a woman, I have read classical literature since childhood and understand what is meant by propriety, decorum, integrity, and shame! Everything should be done openly and honestly! If His Highness truly had feelings for me, he could have had his elders come forward to our residence to inquire about my engagement status. If I was not engaged… then he could have sent a matchmaker! At that time, with the approval of my parents and matchmaker, I, Bai Qingyan, would have had no objection. This is called respect and honour!”

“But look at His Highness’s actions. Bribing my Bai family servants, secretly probing into my private matters through my maids, repeatedly sending messages through my maids to ask for a meeting! For the sake of not embarrassing my grandmother or the imperial family, I have tolerated it time and again! I thought that by expelling those servants as a warning to others, as long as the Bai family and I, Bai Qingyan, conducted ourselves with dignity, we would have nothing to fear! But I never imagined that His Highness would resort to such vile and despicable methods, ordering his maid to sully my reputation with her life!”

“You…” Tong Ji was angered by Bai Qingyan’s words and retorted, “Eldest Miss Bai thinks too highly of herself! Our Highness is a prince of our kingdom and he could have anyone! Do you really think he can’t live without you?! Eldest Miss Bai has difficulties bearing children, yet our prince doesn’t even care about that, so why are you so arrogant and acting all high and mighty?!”

“Tong Ji! Stand down!” The housekeeper of Prince Liang’s household had turned pale.

“So then, Prince Liang believes that because I, Bai Qingyan, have difficulties with childbirth… If my reputation is ruined, I will have no other choice but to enter his household?!” Her face turned cold, her aura overwhelming, “Please go back and convey this message to Prince Liang. The bones of the Bai family do not break, nor do they bend! Bai Qingyan will state this clearly here today. In this life, even if I marry a pig, a dog, or a ghost, I would never marry such a treacherous person who does despicable things!”