Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 139: Chapter 138: Reputation_1

Although the back corner gate of the Duke’s mansion was seldom visited, the Bai family’s funeral procession had just returned and was passing by the entrance of this alley. Tongji’s loud cry attracted many people who stopped to look into the alley.

Nanny Tong crossed her hands in front of her lower belly, her solemn face darkened. She looked at Chun Yan and spoke: “Chun Yan, you have such audacity. Have you forgotten the last beating you received? The scars have barely healed, and you’ve already forgotten the pain! Not only did you secretly communicate with a servant from King Liang’s mansion, but you also dared to use the Duke’s name… to force the First Young Lady into marrying King Liang with these letters. You have such guts, such capability!”

Chun Yan, held down to the ground by a servant woman, trembled all over in fear: “Nanny! Nanny, I didn’t! I didn’t!”

“We have both the witness and evidence. How dare you deny it! Do you take me for a blind old woman?” Nanny Tong was so furious that her voice rose sharply. “I should have beaten you to death last time!”

“Nanny, please spare me! I did it for the First Young Lady!” Chun Yan cried and begged.

Nanny Tong snorted coldly: “This matter is of great importance! It involves the prince and our First Young Lady. Let’s go before the Eldest Princess and settle this properly.”

Nanny Tong’s piercing gaze swept over Chun Yan, then fell upon Tongji: “Escort them! Take them through this alley to the main gate… and hand them over to the Eldest Princess for punishment!”

With that, Nanny Tong led the way, and the guards of the Bai family escorted Chun Yan, Tongji, and the coachman from King Liang’s mansion, dragging the coach from King Liang’s mansion as they walked towards the main gate.

“Let go of me! I am a servant of King Liang’s mansion, not someone the Duke’s mansion can arrest! Let me go!”

Tongji shouted loudly as he was being escorted forward.

Chun Yan’s legs went weak. Remembering Mingyu’s fate beside the Second Young Lady, she was so terrified that she could only cry and confess: “Nanny Tong, I was wrong! Please spare me! I won’t dare do it again! Please free me, don’t take me before the Eldest Princess. If the Eldest Princess finds out, my life is over! Nanny Tong, you have watched me grow up… Please give me a way out!”

But Nanny Tong seemed to be heartless, leading the guards and servant women out of the alley. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they headed straight for the main gate of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion.

The Eldest Princess had just been helped off the carriage by Nanny Jiang when she saw Nanny Tong suddenly rushing up and kneeling straight before her, crying out loudly: “Eldest Princess, you must seek justice for the First Young Lady!”

The Eldest Princess was taken aback. She turned to look at Bai Qingyan, who had just gotten off the carriage, with a confused expression, hurriedly walking towards Nanny Tong: “Nanny Tong, what has happened?!”

The commoners who had come to see off the Bai family’s widow had not yet dispersed. Seeing this turmoil so soon after the Bai family buried their hero, they stopped to see what was going on.

“First Young Lady! First Young Lady, save me!” Chun Yan struggled violently to break free upon seeing Bai Qingyan. She was pressed down by the servant woman, watching Bai Qingyan walk forward without looking back. Desperate, she cried out to Chun Tao, who was supporting Bai Qingyan: “Chun Tao… save me! You save me! I once saved your life… Please save me too!”

Chun Tao’s eyes were filled with tears at Chun Yan’s cries, but she hardened her heart and did not look back.

Chun Tao knew how difficult the First Young Lady’s journey had been. Chun Yan, who had grown up with the young lady, should have helped, but instead, she continually caused trouble, intending to ruin the First Young Lady’s reputation and forcibly marry her off to King Liang. Such a crime was unforgivable.

Nanny Tong heavily kowtowed in the direction of Bai Qingyan, then to the Eldest Princess, before speaking: “Last time, Chun Yan secretly communicated with the servant of King Liang and asked the First Young Lady to meet King Liang privately, because of which the lady of the house disciplined the inner court and sold five families of servants. The First Young Lady, considering Chun Yan’s years of service, spared her life! Who would have thought this ungrateful wretch would again meet with King Liang’s close servant! It was by chance that the little maid Yingshuang discovered it and reported it to me!”

The Eldest Princess had long heard of this matter, believing Kid to be too merciful to her servants, but in the end, the maid was still a maid… and must not be indulged out of pity!

“The old servant, with the guards and servant women, heard at the corner gate the close servant of King Liang telling Chun Yan to take advantage of the chaos during the Duke’s funeral to place letters written by King Liang to the First Young Lady in the Duke’s study. He carefully instructed Chun Yan not to open the letters… because the Duke’s integrity would prevent him from opening letters addressed to his juniors. Then, King Liang would find a way to make a scene with those letters!”

The Eldest Princess was shocked, eyes wide, realizing this would ruin Kid’s reputation!

Nanny Tong’s words were fast yet steady: “The servant of King Liang said that King Liang would lie to the lady of the house, claiming that the Duke had long discovered his affection for the First Young Lady, had withheld letters he wrote, and planned to arrange their marriage once the southern war was over! He even stated that once these letters were made public and the First Young Lady’s reputation was tarnished, he would take responsibility and marry the First Young Lady, and as soon as she stepped foot in the door, he’d take this wretch as a concubine! To this, the wretch agreed! She accepted the letters, and they are still clutched tightly in her hand, I forgot to retrieve them!”

Although Bai Jinzhi had been warned by Bai Qingyan on the carriage earlier, she couldn’t help but walk over and kick Chun Yan to the ground upon hearing King Liang’s sinister plan. She then kicked Tongji to the ground as well.

“What audacity! How dare you plot against my eldest sister!” Bai Jinzhi looked around for a weapon, intending to beat Tongji first.

So, that’s how it was. In her previous life, King Liang had convinced Chun Yan by promising her the position of concubine, which led Chun Yan to help King Liang. It resulted in the entire loyal Bai family being wrongfully accused of treason and dying with grievance.

Bai Qingyan’s gaze swept over the letter tightly gripped in Chun Yan’s hand, then turned to Tongji, who was enduring pain without making a sound, and deliberately spoke to provoke him: “First, he had Chun Yan deliver a message… claiming he wanted to borrow the military books annotated by my grandfather, using this as a pretext to see me! Considering the difference between men and women, I declined to meet him. To save face, I had Chun Yan deliver the military books annotated by the Ancestral Emperor to King Liang, hoping he would understand my intention not to further interact with him. Unfortunately… King Liang did not understand my intent!”

“After a few days, King Liang requested another meeting. My mother punished over ten family servants of the Bai family because of this! Failing one plan, King Liang devised another. He had a maid from Liang’s mansion come to my mansion’s front door to slander me, claiming I had dealings with him! And today, taking advantage of my family’s funeral, he resorted to such a disgraceful tactic, showing no shame at all, trying to deceive using my deceased grandfather’s name, with the intention to force a marriage! Is it true or not?!”