The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 79

The colour drained from Prince Xin’s face in an instant. If Bai Qingyan’s words were to spread, if the common people learned of this… It would undoubtedly become the greatest obstacle on his path to the throne!

What a venomous woman! Prince Xin trembled all over with fury. He pointed at Bai Qingyan and roared, “Men! Cut her to pieces!”

“See who dares!” Bai Jintong drew her blade and stepped protectively in front of Bai Qingyan, her eyes sharp and murderous as they swept over Prince Xin’s guards.

“Prince Xin, mind your words!” Dong-shi stepped forward swiftly, shielding her daughter, her presence exuding all the authority and dignity of the madam of the residence. “If the loyal and brave people of my Bai family who sacrificed themselves had truly committed a crime, then His Majesty will judge them after reviewing the military records! But before His Majesty makes such a decision… They are all heroes who laid down their lives for the kingdom! Prince Xin has disgraced them instead of honouring them, and now you would even kill the widows of my Bai family who have been left behind? Are you not afraid of being condemned by the world?!”

Bai Jinzhi, wounded but already tasting bl00d between her clenched teeth, had murder in her tear-filled eyes. Along with the Bai family’s guards, she stepped forward, ready to lay down her life to protect Bai Qingyan in a fight with Prince Xin.

But Bai Qingyan could no longer be held back. Seized by wrath, she grabbed Bai Jintong who was protecting her and pulled her aside. Taking two steps forward, she pressed her chest directly against the blade of a sword held by Prince Xin’s guard. The overwhelming killing intent radiating from her forced the soldier to retreat a step against his will.

“Kill me?! Go on!” She shouted at the top of her lungs, her eyes seething with hatred capable of tearing the heavens apart, “Right here, under the bright sun and in open daylight, let the world see how a prince of the Great Jin treats the orphan of a fallen martyr! Let the people bear witness… to what happens to those who die in battle for this kingdom! My soul will stand here, watching with open eyes… And see who dares to fight for the Jin Kingdom in the future! Who dares die for it! Your Lin family’s kingdom… Who else would dare to protect it?!”

Standing outside of the crowd, Xiao Rongyan’s deep, dark eyes shimmered faintly with hidden light.

Others might not understand, but he heard it clearly… Bai Qingyan’s rationality had been incinerated the moment her younger brother’s head had rolled from the coffin. A hint of rebellion gradually appeared in her words, aggressive, sharp, and terrifying.

Prince Xin was terrified by Bai Qing Yan and broke into waves of cold sweat. Watching as the furious commoners surged forward, each of them seemingly unafraid of death, clearly preparing to stand with Bai Qingyan against his personal guards, Prince Xin’s throat bobbed furiously as he staggered back, “You… you filthy commoners, are you rebelling?!”

The commoners began to press forward, murmuring amongst themselves, all wishing they could flay Prince Xin alive on the spot… Their righteous fury surged. Prince Xin felt guilty and although he wanted to maintain a facade of calm, he could not stop himself from inching backward.

He was not unaware of the phrase “public opinion is more fearsome than swords”, but he had thought the Bai men were all dead… He had been arrogant.

Just as Prince Xin stood there at a loss for what to do, a eunuch from the palace galloped over on horseback, his shrill voice ringing through the air: “His Majesty commands Prince Xin to enter the palace at once and receive orders! Your Highness Prince Xin, please follow this servant to the palace immediately!”

Prince Xin had been worried about not being able to escape the situation. Knowing that his father had sent someone to help him out, he knelt down and kowtowed respectfully, “This son obeys the order!”

Prince Xin stood up, his expression dark and vicious as he pointed towards Bai Qingyan as if to mark her, then boarded the carriage brought by the eunuch and headed toward the palace.

The entire Bai household watched Prince Xin’s carriage disappear into the distance with bloodshot eyes, their fists clenched and their hearts filled with fury.

“Grandfather! Oh Grandfather… This grandson had just returned to the Bai family, and you have not even seen me once, how can you be gone… Grandfather!”

A sudden wail sounded. Bai Qingxuan flung himself to his knees and crawled toward the Zhenguo Duke’s coffin, sobbing dramatically as if determined to let the whole city know that he was the Duke’s grandson.

Bai Qingxuan had been carried to the southern gate by some servants of the Bai family who wanted to get in his good graces. Seeing the standoff earlier between the Bai household and Prince Xin, he had kept quiet, hiding in the shadows. Only after Prince Xin had left did he make this overly theatrical display of grief.

“Oh Duke! How could you leave us like this?! Your grandson, Bai Qingxuan, had just come home to recognise his roots… and now you are gone!” the woman beside him cried, pounding her chest in exaggerated sorrow.

Dong-shi’s gaze turned steely, her eyes cold as she stared down at the mother and son’s ridiculous show. Annoyance flickered across her face, “What nonsense is this?!”

“Such harsh words, First Madam! How could this be nonsense? My son Qingxuan is the Duke’s grandson! The Duke is gone now, and as his only grandson, Qingxuan naturally must come to greet him!” the woman cried, clutching at her chest as though stricken by heartbreak. “First Madam came here so early this morning, leading the Bai widows to the south gate to receive the Duke. Why did you not call for my son? Are you so eager to drive us out of the Duke’s residence now that the Duke and Second Master are gone?!”

“Grandfather! Without you, how is your grandson supposed to live?” Bai Qingxuan wailed, throwing himself against the paper-thin coffin, “This grandson had only just returned home and was nearly beaten to death! I still hasn’t been entered into the family registry! Grandmother won’t even see me! Without your protection, Grandfather, I fear I may soon follow you into the afterlife!”

The crowd, upon witnessing the scene, began murmuring amongst themselves in hushed voices…

“That’s also a son of the Duke’s residence?!”

“I remember! That day outside Manjiang Restaurant… He was the illegitimate son who was beaten by Eldest Miss!”

“Who would have thought that among the Duke’s household of such loyal and heroic men, there would be such a cruel and ruthless illegitimate son as well!”

“Cruel or not, he is now the only remaining male of the Zhenguo Duke’s lineage! His future might be limitless!”

Bai Qingyan, who had moments ago been the most furious and agitated, now calmed completely as she watched the farce. She closed her eyes for a moment, then let go of her confrontation with Prince Xin’s guards and no longer cared to watch the pretending mother and son.

She said, “Bai Qingxuan, after today… You should now see clearly how Prince Xin regards our Bai family! The future of our Bai family is still uncertain. Perhaps… One day a false charge may be thrust upon us and our entire family will be wiped out! Since you are not afraid… Then after my Bai family’s funerals are over, Mother and I will ask Grandmother to oversee the formal entry of your name into the family register! Whether this Zhenguo Duke’s household rises in glory… or if the family is exterminated! Don’t’ regret it!”

Bai Qingxuan, still in the middle of wailing, shuddered at her words. The memory of Prince Xin’s earlier malice doused him like a bucket of cold water immediately. His howling caught in his throat and choked into silence.

Bai Qingyan tightly grasped Bai Jintong’s hand and, without even sparing the pretending Bai Qingxuan a glance, said, “Let’s go. What matters now is bringing our Bai family’s heroic spirits home!”

She turned and walked toward Chuntao, whose eyes were red with grief, took the white fox fur cloak she had brought for her, then straightened her back and approached Fourth Madam Wang-shi who was cradling Little Seventeenth’s mutilated corpse, murmuring crazily to him as if trying to soothe a child to sleep. Bai Qingyan knelt before her and used the white fox fur to gently wrap Little Seventeenth’s body.

“Fourth Aunt, let us take Little Seventeenth home.”

Wang-shi lifted her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears, but her gaze was blank. Her voice trembled as she choked, “But… but Little Seventeenth’s body has been cut open! I… I can’t hold his head steady! I can’t hold Little Seventeenth’s head…”