Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 124: Chapter 123: The Drunk and Dying are Gone_1

Tongji hastily wiped his tears with his sleeve. After kowtowing to King Liang, he choked out, “Since the master likes Miss Bai, I will definitely make Chun Yan handle this matter for the master! Master… I have been by your side since I was a child. Please don’t drive me away! I will definitely be obedient in the future and not cause trouble for Your Highness!”

King Liang felt a pang of reluctance in his heart and rasped, “Handle this matter well, and I won’t drive you away!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Tongji carefully tucked the letter into his chest and respectfully backed out.

Although Tongji was quite useless in many ways, King Liang kept him by his side out of childhood affection!

Spare no effort to bring down the Bai family, all to repay the kindness from Consort Tong and the Second Prince. This was the reason why Gao Sheng was willing to follow King Liang.

Gao Sheng glanced at King Liang, lowered his gaze, and said respectfully, “Liu Huanzhang can’t be brought into the prince’s residence. I will personally keep an eye on him to prevent any unexpected moves.”

“Go ahead…” King Liang wearily clutched his chest and sat down in the chair, looking even worse than before.

…

Bai Qingyan woke up after sleeping for just over an hour.

Chun Tao lifted the curtain with a copper hook and looked at Bai Qingyan, who was sitting on the bed putting on her shoes, and said worriedly, “Miss Bai, if you sleep only this long every day, I’m afraid you won’t be able to endure it!”

The maids who had been waiting in the corridor with warm water basins, towels, spit pots, and fragrant mouthwash soup walked in in an orderly manner to assist Bai Qingyan in getting up and washing.

Chun Xing led a line of maids carrying food boxes into the room to set up the meal. When Bai Qingyan changed into her clothes and came out from behind the screen, Chun Xing led the maids to leave in a disciplined manner.

Chun Tao served a bowl of chicken soup millet porridge to Bai Qingyan. She said softly, “Today, just after you lie down, someone came looking for Chun Yan. But Chun Yan did not go to meet them. The maid at the door said that the guard from King Liang’s residence was very generous, but his cold expression was frightening.”

This was something expected, so Bai Qingyan was not surprised.

She lowered her head and took a sip of the light millet porridge and instructed, “Do not disturb Chun Yan. Keep a close eye on her. If there is any movement, report it immediately!”

“I understand!” Chun Tao nodded solemnly.

Chun Xing, who was waiting outside the door, saw Bai Jinxiu coming and hurriedly took a few steps to greet her, “Second Miss.”

“Is the eldest young lady up already?”

“Yes, Miss Bai is having her meal. I’ll go inform her immediately…”

Before Chun Xing could lift the curtain, Chun Tao already stepped out, “Miss Bai asked me to meet you! Chun Xing… have someone add a set of tableware for the second miss.”

Chun Xing responded.

Bai Jinxiu handed the hand warmer in her hand to Qingshu and instructed Qingshu to wait outside before entering the room herself.

Chun Tao served a bowl of millet porridge for Bai Jinxiu and then left the room to let the sisters have their meal in peace.

Seeing Bai Jinxiu frowning and holding her chopsticks without making a move, Bai Qingyan asked, “Are you worried about Qin Lang?”

“Eldest sister, Minister of Judicial Review Lu Jin has no connection with our Bai family. Now that our Bai family has no men left, even though Lu Jin has a good reputation, who knows what he’s truly like inside… Will he help Qin Lang?” Bai Jinxiu furrowed her brows and looked toward Bai Qingyan.

“In the past, we were in the inner chambers and knew little of court affairs, so your concern is understandable.” She put down her chopsticks, wiped her lips with a handkerchief, and gently analyzed for Bai Jinxiu, “In recent years, court officials have largely supported King Xin, who is the legitimate son of the Empress, in the struggle for the throne. King Xin was extremely popular, and if not for the Southern Border issue, it could be said that under the previous circumstances… King Xin would most likely have ascended to the throne! The court officials who knew how to read the situation all followed him, but Minister of Judicial Review Lu Jin remained neutral and did not involve himself. He even dealt impartially and unrelentingly with several of King Xin’s people who fell into his hands. The reason could only be fourfold.”

“First, he still has integrity. Second, he might have another rightful master in his heart. Third, he deeply understands that pure loyalty is the way to survive in officialdom. Fourth, he lacks ambition.”

Bai Jinxiu put down her chopsticks and nodded, “But if he lacks ambition, how could he have been promoted to Minister of Judicial Review in just a few years?”

She nodded, “First of all, if Lu Jin is of integrity, he would consider that the men of the Bai family have died to protect the country and its people and would thus protect the Bai family’s son-in-law! If it’s the second, in Lu Jin’s mind… the legitimate son King Xin, who is extremely popular, is not the rightful master, then… either Lu Jin desires great power and desires the merit of following the dragon! Such a greedy person would be willing to sell a favor to Duke’s Mansion for the sake of Grandmother Eldest Princess! Or he despises King Xin’s character, and someone like that must have integrity.”

“If he understands the way of the pure loyalist, he won’t engage in factional strife or involve himself in the succession battle. Although King Xin has been demoted to a commoner, would the advisors in his household be willing to sink with him? They must be devising plans to overturn the situation by making issues of the grain matter. Do you think Lu Jin would willingly become King Xin’s pawn?”

Bai Jinxiu listened earnestly to Bai Qingyan’s detailed analysis, understanding suddenly dawning on her with a shock, “Eldest sister, you calculate people’s minds so meticulously.”

The plain white lanterns and banners hanging in the corridor and under the eaves fluttered. In the room, the charcoal fire in the copper hearth covered with carved designs burned fiercely but quietly enough that a pin drop could be heard.

She held Bai Jinxiu’s hand tightly and whispered, “This grand Capital City, cloaked in prosperity, is not different from the battlefield in the Southern Border! There, it’s all about real weapons and blood; in the rain of blades and arrows, only those with sheer courage die, and those with courage and wisdom win! Within the Capital City, it’s about scheming, deception, and intrigue. Those blinded by prosperity and lost in it perish, while those who make unerring calculations and understand human nature prevail. Jinxiu… staying in the Capital will be harder for you than for me and our third sister!”

Since learning of the death of her grandfather, father, uncles, and brothers in the Southern Border, Bai Jinxiu felt for the first time a clear realization… from now on, no one would protect and indulge them anymore.

In the past, with the protection of family elders and brothers, the eldest sister didn’t need to be so shrewd!

Her eldest sister didn’t say she was wrong, but she already knew where she had erred…

The other day, her eldest sister had rebuked their fourth sister and said that the Bai family stood on the brink of an abyss at midnight, but she hadn’t taken those words deeply to heart.

It wasn’t that her eldest sister calculated too meticulously but that her own thinking was too shallow.

Today, there was no room for their fourth sister’s capriciousness nor for her previous complacency… avoiding meticulous and thorough consideration when something arose and just making do.

While her eldest sister was still in the Capital… in the future, it would be just her alone.

Bai Jinxiu’s mouth felt sour, like biting into a green apricot. She rose and bowed to Bai Qingyan, “Today, Jinxiu… thought shallowly! I will not make this mistake again in the future, so you can rest assured, eldest sister!”

“Alright, let’s eat!” She reached out and pulled Bai Jinxiu to sit back down.