The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 65

Soon after, the housekeeper of the Dingyong Marquis’ residence, accompanied by other servants, pushed through the crowd. Bowing respectfully, the housekeeper said, “Eldest Madam, Eldest Miss, this old servant is the housekeeper of the Dingyong Marquis’ residence. My lord the Marquis has instructed me to bring the coffins he had prepared by carriage. The Eldest Young Master and the generals have all made great contributions, and it would not be against the rules to use them.”

“Please convey my deepest thanks to the Dingyong Marquis!” Dong-shi said, bowing alongside Bai Qingyan.

“My lord the Marquis and the Zhenguo Duke have known each other since childhood, this is only natural! Eldest Mada, Eldest Miss, please accept my condolences,” the housekeeper replied with another bow.

All the aristocratic families who saw that their own coffins were suitable and met the required standards also sent coffins to the Bai family.

Dong-shi led people to personally supervise the selection of usable coffins and ordered them to be carried into the Zhenguo Duke’s residence. She instructed Housekeeper Hao to ensure that the Bai family’s stewards paid formal visits to express gratitude to each family. For the remaining coffins that were not needed, she expressed her thanks and returned them politely.

Dong-shi originally intended to stay in the courtyard and oversee the setup of the canopy and the arrangement of the mourning hall. However, Bai Qingyan managed to persuade her to go back and rest. There were still countless tasks awaiting Dong-shi’s attention, and while anyone else in the Bai family could collapse, the Princess Dowager and Dong-shi absolutely could not.

Standing in the courtyard, she watched the servants working together to set up the canopy. Looking at more than 20 coffins, her heart was filled with grief and fury, a piercing ache surging through her chest and eyes.

In her previous life, only her grandfather, her fifth uncle, her cousin Bai Qingming, and her younger brother Little Seventeen had returned. All the other men of the Bai family had remained in Nanjiang.

She wondered if this time, fate would repeat itself.

Chen Qingsheng returned from outside the residence and happened to see Bai Qingyan standing in the corridor. He walked over quickly.

Chuntao noticed her cousin and whispered to Bai Qingyan, “Miss… My cousin is here!”

“Eldest Miss!” Chen Qingsheng called, his face pale as he saluted.

Bai Qingyan turned to see Chen Qingsheng bowing and said, “No need for formalities.”

“Eldest Miss, just now when I was on my way back to the residence, I ran into the waiter who had been left behind to tend Manjiang Restaurant. The waiter said… Someone had been asking about my identity. I thought about it and went to find the beggar who had previously delivered the letter to the Xiao residence. Sure enough, the beggar said that someone had tracked him down, broken one of his thumbs, and interrogated him about the source of the letter, and he told the truth… that he had seen the Manjiang Restaurant shopkeeper greet me that day!” Chen Qingsheng raised his eyes briefly to Bai Qingyan, sweat glistening on his forehead, before hastily lowering his head, “This was my oversight. Please punish me, Eldest Miss!”

Bai Qingyan tightened her grip. She knew in her previous life that Xiao Rongyan was powerful, but Chen Qingsheng, though still young and inexperienced, had already done remarkably well to reach this step.

“Stand up!” Bai Qingyan said, pressing her lips together, “They might not necessarily trace it back to you. If someone asks, just say that you were paid by someone else to do this and you were afraid of causing trouble for the Bai family, so you entrusted the task to a beggar. It is not a big issue! You’re one of our Duke’s residence’s people, so those people likely will not dare use excessive force to pressure you.”

Chen Qingsheng let out a long sigh of relief, “I understand! In the future, I will handle matters with greater caution in the future and avoid causing trouble for Eldest Miss.”

Chen Qingsheng was smart. He understood that Bai Qingyan had promoted him because of his abilities. If he could not handle even minor tasks competently, he would not be worthy of remaining by her side.

She tightened her grip on the hand warmer and called Chen Qingsheng’s name, then took a few steps towards a secluded spot. Chen Qingsheng understood and hurriedly followed.

Bai Qingyan began to speak slowly, “Once the funeral at the Duke’s residence is over, Grandmother will take Third Miss to live at a temple under the guise of praying for the Great Jin Kingdom. However, praying for blessings… will only be a cover. Third Miss wants to disguise herself as a man and go out to do business under an assumed name to utilise her talents. I plan to have you accompany Third Miss and gain experience for a few years.”

Chen Qingsheng was slightly startled after hearing this. The idea of a woman disguising herself as a man to venture into business was already unconventional, but if it had the Princess Dowager’s backing, it was clearly a matter of great significance. How could she dare to speak about such a thing to someone who was not a confidant?!

Chen Qingsheng had always been perceptive and understood that this Eldest Miss trusted him immensely and already considered him as one of her own people. Otherwise, how could she have told him such a secret so easily?

Chen Qingsheng was so excited that his blood surged. He steadied himself and knelt to declare his loyalty, “Since Eldest Miss places her trust in me, I will do my best to serve.”

Bai Qingyan turned to Chen Qingsheng and gave a firm reminder, “Be even more cautious in your work from now on. I trust you!”

“Understood! Thank you for your trust and support, Eldest Miss!” Chen Qingsheng kowtowed.

“Go and make your preparations! You should have an idea of how to explain this to your parents!” she instructed.

“Yes, I understand!”

Early that morning, Dong Zhangyuan, who had not slept all night, heard his eldest uncle Dong Qingping and father Dong Qingyue returning to the residence. He hurried over to ask about the situation. Upon learning that all the men in the Zhenguo Duke’s residence had perished for the country, Dong Zhangyuan was filled with fear. He thought of his gentle and refined cousin from the Bai family and found himself unable to sit still.

He was filled with concern as he wondered, how terrified must Bai Qingyan be? Frail and delicate as she was to begin with, how could she endure such a devastating blow to the Bai family? Was she panic-stricken, heartbroken, and drowning in tears?!

Uneasy and restless, Dong Zhangyuan immediately set off at a gallop on horseback. Before he even stepped through the Bai residence’s main gate, he caught sight of Bai Qingyan in white mourning attire, standing in the corridor, speaking with Chen Qingsheng. Dong Zhangyuan paused beneath the white silk lantern bearing the word “Condolence”, waiting and watching quietly.

Bai Qingyan was not sobbing uncontrollably as he had expected, nor was she bedridden with despair. Though her face showed signs of fatigue and her eyes were rimmed with redness, her expression was clear and composed. She was even giving precise instructions to the servants, showing her resilience.

The clouds broke at dawn and the morning light pierced the lingering mist, casting a glow over her graceful yet unyielding figure. A calamity had befallen the Bai family, yet she was sad but not mournful, hiding her sorrow deep within her heart, cloaked in steadfastness. Despite her seemingly frail appearance, her spirit was as tenacious as silk fibres with an indomitable inner strength, unbroken by even the harshest storm.

The comforting words Dong Zhangyuan had prepared dissipated in an instant.

How foolish he had been to forget that his cousin, despite her delicate appearance, was a woman who had once stood on the battlefield, who had taken enemy lives with her own hands! Her courage and iron will were unparalleled qualities that far surpassed those of the pampered, bookish men like himself.

From the corner of her eye, Chuntao noticed Dong Zhangyuan lingering at the entrance of the Bai family’s residence. She hurried forward to Bai Qingyan and whispered, “Eldest Miss, the young master from the Dong family is here!”

She turned and saw Dong Zhangyuan bow deeply to her. She responded with a slight curtsy.

Standing before Bai Qingyan, Dong Zhangyuan hesitated for a long while, “If… there is anything I can do to be of help, please do not hesitate to ask, Cousin.”

Glancing towards the courtyard where a canopy had already been set up, she said, “Cousin Zhangyuan, please spend more time with Grandmother on behalf of Mother and me. It is rare for her to come to the capital for the New Year, but Mother and I are unable to stay by her side.”

Dong Zhangyuan nodded. He looked again at the poised and serene woman before him, “Cousin, please accept my condolences!”

“Eldest Sister!” Fourth Miss Bai Jinzhi came running over in a hurry. She hastily greeted Dong Zhangyuan with a curtsy before leaning in to whisper anxiously to Bai Qingyan, “Eldest Sister, Grandmother has coughed up blood!”