Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 125: Chapter 124: Undermining the Enemy’s Foundations_1

Bai Jintong, worn out from planning future business ventures these past few days, had only awakened after sleeping for two hours.

Learning that her eldest sister and second sister had already gone to the mourning hall, she hurriedly got up, ate a couple of snacks to fill her stomach, donned her mourning clothes, and went out.

Bai Jintong briskly walked along the corridor decorated with white silk towards the mourning hall. From afar, she saw Nanny Jiang, who was beside her grandmother, followed by a servant from the outer courtyard. Both of them looked grave and were hurriedly heading towards Changshou Courtyard.

Puzzled, she mentioned this to Bai Qingyan and the others as soon as she reached the mourning hall.

“Something must have happened with grandmother, right?” Bai Jinzhi widened her eyes with worry.

“This morning I heard my mother say that grandmother mentioned that tomorrow’s funeral cannot proceed without someone conducting the mourning rituals. She intended to bring back that illegitimate son. It must be about him!” Bai Jinxiu said.

Before the sisters could say more, guests arrived to pay their respects, and Bai Qingyan and the others had to bow and return the courtesy.

The news of the Duke’s funeral for the next day had spread, and more and more people came to pay their respects, making it impossible for them to leave.

In Changshou Courtyard.

The Eldest Princess sat leaning against five soft pillows embroidered with passionflower patterns. After listening to the trembling servant on the ground recount occurrences at the estate, her hand, holding Buddha Beads, suddenly clenched the corner of the black lacquered table. She widened her eyes and raised her voice in disbelief, “You say… That wretch did what?!”

Terrified by the Eldest Princess’s aura, the servant hastily kowtowed and stammered, “The young master… He insisted this morning that the new wife from the Ji family serve him breakfast. Later… Somehow, the new wife dashed her head against the wall and died in the room. The young master, enraged after being scratched on the face, hacked the new wife into pieces and… ordered for her body to be thrown out to feed the dogs! But that new wife was a commoner…”

“Wretch!” The Eldest Princess slammed her palm on the small black table.

Forcing a new wife to serve him led her to dash her head and die; what else could it have been for?!

Trembling with anger, the Eldest Princess restrained herself and asked, “How many people knew about that wretch ordering the new wife to serve him?”

The servant nodded, “The old servant has already heard that everyone at the estate knew the young master ordered the new wife to serve him. On the seventh day, the nanny sent someone to bring the young master to the estate. From the carriage, the young master saw that the new wife was pretty and demanded her to serve him. The new wife unwillingly obeyed, and the young master threw a tantrum. The people at the estate feared the young master’s wrath and urged the new wife to comply. This morning, the steward’s wife, along with several women friendly with the new wife, persuaded her again, saying that serving the young master breakfast would be good for her husband’s future in the duke’s mansion. That’s why the new wife went! Who would’ve thought she would die there!”

Nanny Jiang stepped forward and gently rubbed the Eldest Princess’s back, saying, “The steward has already confined everyone aware of the new wife’s death and sent the two women who reported it back, awaiting your decision.”

“How could that wretch be so vicious?!” The Eldest Princess’s chest heaved with fury, and her heart turned cold. The second son’s illegitimate child had been raised to be so cruel.

If it weren’t for the fact that this illegitimate child might be the last male descendant of the Bai family, she truly wouldn’t want to keep such a fiend.

Nanny Jiang signaled the kowtowing servant to leave. Watching her exit, Nanny Jiang, frowning, said, “Eldest Princess, there’s something even more troublesome! The dead new wife… She was Ji Tingyu’s wife, recently married earlier this year!”

A rush of anger overcame the Eldest Princess. She grabbed Nanny Jiang’s wrist and lowered her voice with effort, “Ji Tingyu?! The same Ji Tingyu who risked his life to send the military record bamboo slip back to the Duke’s mansion a few days ago?!”

“Yes, that very Ji Tingyu! It’s all my fault… for arranging her to stay at that estate! If the Eldest Young Lady finds out, what are we to do?!” Nanny Jiang held the Eldest Princess’s hand, seeing the blood drain from her face, and her trembling hand in which she clutched the Buddha Beads. She quickly caressed her hand, “Eldest Princess, please calm down…”

The death of a commoner wouldn’t matter; even if the new wife died, it wouldn’t be important. But it was Ji Tingyu’s wife! With his wife violated and dead, any honorable man would not let it go.

Ji Tingyu had risked his life for the Bai family; did he not have even an ounce of honor?

If Kid found out about this, it would create an upheaval. Could that illegitimate child… even survive?

The Eldest Princess slowly released Nanny Jiang’s hand, her stiff back gradually slouching, and leaned against the couch with closed eyes, her fingertips icy.

Even though she had high hopes for the child in the fifth daughter-in-law’s womb, the Eldest Princess had discreetly inquired with the director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, Doctor Huang, who cautiously stated… that there was a high chance it was a female fetus.

If that were true, then the illegitimate child… would be Bai Weiting’s last bloodline.

She felt her lifetime had brought shame to the Bai family and Bai Weiting. She truly wanted to preserve that last bit of his bloodline; otherwise, after Bai Qingyan’s generation, Bai Weiting… would have no heirs.

This incident had just happened. While it hadn’t blown up yet, if they wanted to cover it up entirely… a quick decision must be made.

Everyone at the estate knew about the young master ordering the new wife to serve him. Even if those who knew of the new wife’s death were silenced, if they brought the young master back today and the new wife suddenly disappeared, it would be hard to prevent others from spreading rumors once Ji Tingyu returned.

If Ji Tingyu came to the Bai family to demand answers, it would definitely alarm Kid. Given Kid’s abilities, this matter couldn’t be hidden.

But under the Imperial City’s watch, it wasn’t possible to silence all the people at the estate. Ji Tingyu would definitely become suspicious upon his return.

Thinking of Ji Tingyu, the Eldest Princess clenched the Buddha Beads in her hand.

Killing a hundred to hide the truth, or silencing one at the root. As long as Ji Tingyu died without coming to the Bai family, the people at the estate could just assume that he and his new wife were serving at the Bai family.

As long as Kid remained unaware, others… the Eldest Princess could suppress through sheer force.

Ji Tingyu had been gravely injured; it wouldn’t be surprising if he couldn’t be saved.

Killing, having grown up in the palace, the Eldest Princess had done it before. But killing someone who had shown kindness to the Bai family, repaying kindness with such cruelty, how could she ever find peace?

The corners of the Eldest Princess’s eyes glistened with tears, but that wretch was still her grandson! She had already lost enough grandsons! Truly… they couldn’t die anymore!

She had to preserve Bai Weiting’s lineage, even if it meant facing Hell’s punishments and apologizing to heroes like Ji Tingyu in the afterlife, she would!