The Eldest Legitimate Daughter is Both Beautiful and Valiant (ELDBBV) - Chapter 98

Chuntao hurried to add, “Aunty doesn’t know yet, but now Eldest Miss can already do the horse stance for one hour. She’s also regained her strength from practicing calligraphy with iron sandbags wrapped around her arm. Before, this servant was as worried as Aunty, but later saw Eldest Miss’ body getting stronger and stronger. Even Physician Hong said that Eldest Miss’ complexion is better now than last winter. So in these matters, Chuntao just follows Miss.”

Only then did Aunty Tong nod, but she still kept rubbing Bai Qingyan’s hands, wanting to warm them.

On the way back, Aunty Tong kept chatting and she also spoke of how the two concubine-born uncles who had come from the ancestral home in Shuoyang for the funeral had just gone to take leave of Dong-shi.

That the people from the ancestral home in Shuoyang were taking their leave did not surprise Bai Qingyan. Today, the momentum outside Wude Gate, pressing the emperor to kill Prince Xin, was so overwhelming. They probably feared that if His Majesty became enraged, disaster might spread to themselves.

“But in the end, before those two concubine-born uncles had left, the legitimate eldest son of the clan leader in Shuoyang came. As soon as he entered, he told First Madam that before the Duke went on campaign, the ancestral home in Shuoyang had sent people to the Duke’s manor to discuss… After the New Year, they had planned to purchase land for the clan, also to rebuild the ancestral hall, ancestral graves, the school, and also to invite great scholars to give lectures.”

Bai Qingyan was rather surprised. Although Grandfather always granted every request from Shuoyang’s ancestral home, why had he not left even a single word of instruction about this matter before departing?

Seeing that Bai Qingyan seemed doubtful, Aunty Tong continued, “This gentleman said that originally, this matter had been agreed upon to be handled when the Duke’s residence returned to Shuoyang to deliver gifts for the New Year. But now, since the Duke’s residence has suffered such misfortune, the clan leader’s intentions… The clan dared not trouble the Duke’s residence, so he sent this gentleman to bring the account book to First Madam. Altogether, it adds up to 450,000 taels of silver! Whether in banknotes or in cash, it must be prepared before they set out tomorrow, and he specifically said this was the clan leader’s order.”

Aunty Tong deliberately put emphasis on the word must, precisely to make Bai Qingyan understand that these people from the ancestral home in Shuoyang meant to bully the Duke’s residence, where there were no men left, and were demanding exorbitant amounts of money.

Chuntao’s eyes widened, “Is this robbery or begging for money?! With such a great disaster in the Bai family, they only sent two concubine-born uncles to attend the funeral, and before the funeral is even finished, they’re leaving! Now a legitimate heir comes, and it’s actually to demand money!”

Even the mild-tempered Chuntao was furious.

Bai Qingyan lowered her gaze and thought carefully.

That the people of the ancestral home in Shuoyang dared to be so brazen was not only because the Duke’s residence had no men left, but also because Grandfather had always treated them too politely, too accommodatingly, and thus indulged them into bad habits.

There was a saying, “A little help brings thanks, but too much help brings trouble.” She had long warned Grandfather and Father of this.

Perhaps the thinking of men and women has always been somewhat different…

Grandfather had said that in this world, only ties of bl00d cannot be measured with money. Moreover, the Bai ancestral hall in Shuoyang was cared for by the clansmen and the current clan leader was also Grandfather’s uncle within five generations.

Father had said that for a military noble family like the Duke’s residence, they were not lacking in worldly possessions. If worldly possessions could be used to secure peace for the clan and prosperity for the Bai family, then why not?

Grandfather and Father were indeed kindhearted, but those so-called clan members in Shuoyang had long since lost any sense of gratitude, seeing the Duke’s residence only as their money bag, to take from as they pleased.

In the world, there were many gentlemen like Qin Shangzhi who were grateful and repaid favours, but there were also many ungrateful people like the Bai clan who had hearts of wolves.

Bai Qingyan paused in her steps and asked, “What did Mother say?”

“I don’t know yet. Right now, that legitimate eldest son of the clan leader and those two concubine-born uncles are with First Madam, explaining in detail and complaining how their funds are tight and not enough…” Aunty Tong said.

She stood in the corridor, lowered her eyes in thought, then raised them and said, “Let’s go and see…”

Bai Qingyan walked to the corridor outside the main hall. Seeing a little maid about to greet her, she gestured for her not to make a sound, and simply stood in the corridor, fixing her eyes on the lantern swinging in the wind under the eaves opposite, quietly listening to the sounds inside the hall.

Dong-shi casually closed the account book and tossed it aside. She smiled coldly, “Whether it’s repairing the ancestral hall, ancestral graves, or schools, by reason, every family should contribute! But before the Duke and First Master left, they gave no instructions about this matter. Cousin entered the Duke’s residence, but did not offer incense, did not pay respects, and the first words out of your mouth were about money! After finally offering incense, you then tell me that by tomorrow I must prepare 450,000 taels of silver. 450,000 taels is no small sum. Do you take the Duke’s residence for a bank? These years, my father-in-law and my husband indulged the Shuoyang clan, allowing you to grow arrogant. To take from the Duke’s residence as you pleased was one thing, but to act as if it were right and proper, do you really think the Duke’s manor owes you anything?!”

The legitimate eldest son of the clan leader from Shuoyang, Bai Qiyun, was irritated by the sting of her words. He clenched his teeth, and said, “I came on the clan leader’s orders, Sister-in-law… What do you mean by making this excuse, saying the Duke gave no instructions? Are you saying the clan members are slandering your Duke’s residence?”

Seeing his eldest cousin acting so arrogantly, the older concubine-born uncle wiped his sweat and hurried to smooth things over, “Sister-in-law, don’t blame him. Cousin is only following orders and is too anxious. Look… Because of the intense war in Nanjiang, the price of Kunshan jade has doubled, but the place for where the ancestral tablets are to be placed cannot be made of lesser material, otherwise how will the ancestors rest at peace? Sister-in-law, is this not reasonable? Just before coming here, Cousin told me the clan leader specially instructed that with the Duke’s residence in such dire straits, of course it cannot be made to pay for it all. As long as the Duke’s residence puts forth the bulk, the rest of us clan members will make up the rest.”

“Now that the Duke and the heir have both passed, if you, as the Madam of the Duke’s residence cannot decide, then I’ll take the account book to the Princess Dowager!” Bai Qiyun flicked his sleeve.

“Very well!” Dong-shi smiled, dabbed her lips with her handkerchief, and raised her teacup. “Then Cousin, go ahead! At your convenience…”

Seeing Dong-shi so ready to see him off, Bai Qiyun felt a blockage in his chest. How could he get to the inner courtyard without someone sent by Dong-shi?!

Dong-shi’s heart was like a bright mirror. She knew that after the Bai family’s great mourning, they would still have to return to Shuoyang to preserve themselves as widows and orphans. However, it was precisely because of this that today she could not let them trample over her like this. Otherwise, once they were back in Shuoyang… They would exploit them widows and orphans even more recklessly.

If she yielded today, the Bai clan would not be grateful and would only push their luck further. In the past, they had treated them too well so that they were resentful if they did not do what they wanted. The scene before her was living proof.

Before coming, Bai Qiyun’s father, the clan leader, had told him that now that all the men of the Duke’s residence had died in battle in Nanjiang, the Bai family was left with only women. As for Fifth Madam’s unborn child, who knew whether it was male or female? The Duke’s residence needed a man to support itself, otherwise the title would have no heir. He had instructed Bai Qiyun to discuss with the Princess Dowager and Dong-shi about adopting Bai Qiyun’s legitimate second grandson into the Zhenguo Duke’s residence.