Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Arrogance_1

Bai Qingyan’s calm and clear eyes gazed at Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, Qin Dezhao, as she erupted in fury and spoke sternly, “If anyone wants to accuse my grandfather or my father, then go ahead and do it! The daughters of the Bai family do not learn the virtues of women; what we learn is to protect our home and country and the skills to fight bloody battles with thousands of troops! We learn to be willing to wrap our bodies in horse skin and die in battle, but never to let the people and monarch of Jin Kingdom be humiliated! The sons and daughters of the Bai family hold our heads high with clear conscience, and bow without shame! If being righteous in our actions means rejecting the filthy tricks of scheming in the inner quarters and being open and just in our conduct, if that means being wild, then I, Bai Qingyan, will not only be wild today but also wilder in the future!”

“Good!”

“Such open and upright conduct! The entire family of the Duke of Zhen… regardless of gender, truly embodies pride and integrity!”

Some could not help but cheer loudly.

For a moment, the onlooking citizens recalled the daughters of the Duke of Zhen’s household fighting bloodily on the battlefield during the national crisis.

They thought of the Duke of Zhen, far away in the Southern Border, bringing the sons of the Bai family to the battlefield to protect the country!

More than half a year had passed since the Duke of Zhen’s expedition to the Southern Border. The citizens still remembered the grand scene of their departure, as the men of the Bai family stood in their military uniforms, embodying righteousness.

The citizens couldn’t bear it and whispered among themselves.

“This Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s household is bullying the Duke of Zhen’s household because their men are not here!”

“Shameless bastards, they revel in peace and safety in Dadu City while the sons of the Bai family shed blood in the Southern Border. How dare they bully the daughter of the Duke of Zhen’s household!”

“They say the women of the Bai family do not learn the virtues of women and instead wield weapons. Among the women who learn the virtues, how many can go to the battlefield? The Marquis of Loyalty and Courage holds the title of loyal and courageous… yet never goes to the battlefield, unlike the daughters of the Bai family! And he has the face to say these things!”

Qin Dezhao gritted his teeth, his face turning green with anger, and clenched the thumb ring on his hand behind his back. “Miss Bai sure has a sharp tongue!”

“She can’t compare to the Marquis’s wife, who can twist the truth!” Bai Qingyan showed no fear of Qin Dezhao’s imposing presence, with anger evident on her face.

Qin Lang did not dare to look any longer. He squeezed through the crowd to the front, bowed to the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage and the people of his household, then lowered his eyes and bowed deeply to the Second Madam, Mrs. Liu. “Mother-in-law.”

Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on Qin Lang without a hint of emotion.

Mrs. Liu, her eyes red, glared at Qin Lang, her face contorted with rage, wishing she could slap him.

“I thought the Crown Prince Qin was a rare good man in Dadu City. But it turns out he’s such a heartless person. Your new wife was nearly killed by your two sisters and lies unconscious in bed, yet you still have the interest to recite poetry at Fanxing Tower! Are you even human?!” Mrs. Liu clutched her chest, crying out.

“Unconscious?!” Qin Lang’s face was filled with shock. He turned towards the Marquis’s wife, Mrs. Jiang. “But Mother clearly told me…”

“Marquis!” Mrs. Jiang panicked and spoke before Qin Lang. “I told the Crown Prince to attend the poetry gathering. No matter how big the matter in the inner quarters, it can’t hinder a man’s social prospects! It’s all my fault… I didn’t expect Jinxiu to be so seriously ill! As soon as she was injured, I sent my name card to call for an Imperial Physician! The physician said a few days of rest wouldn’t matter! But today, the rural doctor brought by the Second Madam claims Jinxiu is in mortal danger. How am I supposed to know who to believe?”

Mrs. Jiang could not let Qin Lang reveal her deceit in front of so many citizens of Dadu City. She had to put on a thoroughly aggrieved and sorrowful act. @@novelbin@@

Standing by the carriage, Bai Third Miss, Bai Jintong, spoke coldly, “A rural doctor? This is the first time I’ve heard someone call the senior brother of the Imperial Medical Bureau’s Director, Doctor Huang, a rural doctor!”

Qin Lang pressed his lips together, his side hand clenched tightly, his face growing uglier.

He could not say in front of all these onlookers that Mrs. Jiang forbade him from seeing Bai Jinxiu, claiming it was bad luck for men to see blood. Mrs. Jiang also told him Bai Jinxiu was fine, and that she was bedridden only to avoid catching a cold, insisting he join the poetry gathering at Fanxing Tower.

Bai Qingyan laughed coldly, “Marquis’s wife, are you suggesting my second sister is unfilial for not waking up, causing my Second Aunt grief? May I ask which Imperial Physician you invited? I will have Nanny Jiang fetch my grandmother’s name card and invite Director Huang and other doctors to examine my second sister’s condition together!”

Marquis’s wife Mrs. Jiang turned pale. She could not have imagined the highly regarded Doctor Hong was actually residing at the Duke of Zhen’s household. Nor that the Bai family had brought Doctor Hong to diagnose Bai Jinxiu today.

“Marquis’s wife… tell us which Imperial Physician you invited!” Bai Third Miss Bai Jintong pressed.

Qin Lang closed his eyes, lifted his garments, knelt heavily before Mrs. Liu, and kowtowed. “Mother-in-law, it’s all my fault!”

“I cannot bear you calling me that! Your title is a curse on my daughter’s life!” Mrs. Liu cried from within the carriage. “Return home!”

Before Bai Qingyan was helped into the carriage by Chun Tao, she glanced at Qin Lang, who remained kneeling. In her previous life, she had no idea that Crown Prince Qin, son of the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, was so cowardly. No wonder he couldn’t protect his wife.

Chen Qingsheng, sent by Mrs. Dong to guard Bai Qingyan, discreetly placed the carriage stool at Bai Qingyan’s feet and respectfully stooped at her side, reminding, “Miss, be careful of your step.”

Chen Qingsheng, the nephew of Mrs. Dong’s nanny and Chun Tao’s cousin, lacked other skills but had connections throughout Dadu City. Above all, his loyalty to Mrs. Dong stood out.

The citizens, curious onlookers, followed the Duke of Zhen’s carriage all the way to its gates.

Mrs. Dong, having heard the news early, personally welcomed the unconscious Bai Jinxiu at the gate of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion.

While everyone busied themselves moving Bai Jinxiu into the mansion, Bai Qingyan called Chen Qingsheng aside and gave him instructions. Chen Qingsheng nodded and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

·

The news of the second girl of the Duke of Zhen falling unconscious on her return visit, being taken back to the Duke’s mansion in the Eldest Princess’s carriage, spread like wildfire. Within an hour, it became the hottest topic in all of Dadu City.

But the most talked-about event was the marquis of Loyalty and Courage accusing the Bai family girls of not learning women’s virtues, only to be rebuffed speechlessly by the eldest Miss Bai.

Taverns, long streets, even the pleasure quarters buzzed with this discussion.

“The eldest, second, and third Misses of the Bai family all fought beside the Duke of Zhen on the battlefield. So what if they’re daughters? Who says daughters can only remain in the inner quarters tending to their husbands and raising children? They too can stand tall and proud!”

“Facing bloody battles with thousands of troops, wrapping their bodies in horse skin, never allowing the people or the monarch to suffer humiliation! Throughout the Jin Kingdom, only the most loyal and brave Duke of Zhen’s household can raise daughters with such heroic spirits! The Marquis of Loyalty and Courage… ha, only bullies the Bai women while their men are away, truly unworthy of the title loyal and courageous! Unworthy of being called a man!”