Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 49: 49章:Knowing Oneself_1

Eight delicacies and jade food, wine cups in close succession, amidst the pleasant sound of silk and bamboo, cups were exchanged. The hall resounded with music and dance, presenting a scene of peace and prosperity, a grand banquet that could hardly be found anywhere else in the world.

Bai Qingyan’s uncle, Dong Qingping, sat below, being mocked by his colleagues for the scratch marks at the corner of his eyes, calling him henpecked. They teased that if he continued to indulge his wife, she might end up controlling the Dong family just like the Empress of Yan did, bringing shame to Dong Qingping.

Xiao Rongyan paused slightly while pouring wine, then calmly filled the cup and lifted it, casting his gaze downward.

The moment Xiao Rongyan’s gaze fell on Dong Qingping, Bai Qingyan felt a chill. Xiao Rongyan was the youngest and most beloved son of the Empress of Yan.

She remembered in a past life, fifteen years later, the Jin Kingdom fell while the Yan rose to power. The Yan attacked the Jin from the north and south with Xiliang. While she fought with King Liang in Xiliang, the Jin Kingdom had no choice but to seek peace with the Yan. Xiao Rongyan agreed to cease the attack, demanding neither territory nor compensation but the surrender of those who had insulted the Empress of Yan. The fate of those people was predictable.

Dong Qingping, usually eloquent and graceful, remained calm, but once drunk, he became reckless and indulgent. At that moment, intoxicated, he spoke freely: “The ‘Comprehensive History of Yan’ records that Mrs. Ji was exceptionally alluring, surpassing even the charms of Daji or Liji. She served King Su with her beauty, first gaining the position of imperial consort to oversee the harem, then maneuvering among high officials to become the empress, commanding unparalleled power and strategy across the land. She was known as Empress Quan. My wife, Mrs. Song, straightforward and with a fiery temper, could never be compared to such a seductive and vicious woman!”

As he spoke, Dong Qingping burped and looked towards Bai Qingyan’s mother, Mrs. Dong: “Isn’t that right, sister?!”

Bai Qingyan felt a jolt from Dong Qingping’s words, instinctively glancing at Xiao Rongyan. She saw Xiao Rongyan sipping his wine with a cold smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Before Mrs. Dong could respond, Bai Qingyan quickly said, “Reviled by thousands and constantly insulted, whether her heart was as venomous as a snake or her charm ensnared the ruler, at that time, the Empress of Yan was just a minor consort. With no power in the palace or influence in court, she survived amidst the fluctuating imperial intrigues and eventually ushered Yan to become a dominant power. How resilient was her wit?”

Xiao Rongyan’s deep and profound gaze lifted towards her. Bai Qingyan pretended not to notice, fixing her attention on Dong Qingping, her palms sweaty: “To be reviled by the masses is merely the victor’s privilege; how can you speak nonsense just because you drank too much today?!”

The Emperor leaned on the soft pillow beside him, his gaze falling on Bai Qingyan.

“The Empress of Yan usurped power, leading to the nation’s decline! That once formidable monarch… Aren’t they now confined to a small corner, even giving up their capital, Dadu City, to us and living under our patronage?! Isn’t that right!” someone shouted with a laugh.

As a woman, Bai Qingyan particularly loathed the phrase “a hen crowing at dawn,” originally defending the Empress of Yan from Xiao Rongyan’s resentment, she found herself speaking more sincerely now.

“Everyone says the Empress of Yan was domineering and ruthless. But it was precisely this venomous woman who transformed Yan from a poor, weak nation into a power comparable to our Jin and Xiliang. Back then, Yan’s government was clean and prosperous; the loyal officials died remonstrating, and the military officials fought to death. After the Emperor of Yan recovered from his madness and took control, he killed the Empress, and everyone in Yan rejoiced. Yet shortly after, Yan fell into rapid decline, becoming subservient to our Jin. What a tragedy!”

Xiao Rongyan tightly clenched the jade cicada in his hand, his gaze towards Bai Qingyan growing deeper. Once, a woman of bravery and clarity now knelt under the lights in his mother’s Dadu Palace, justifying his mother’s name.

With no power in the palace or influence in the court, surviving with a foolish emperor in treacherous times, Bai Qingyan’s words spoke of his mother’s hardships and helplessness.

Xiao Rongyan looked down, filled his cup with wine, and drank it in one go to honor Bai Qingyan as a confidante.

The Emperor suddenly laughed: “Aunt, your granddaughter is quite formidable! I heard… That day at the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s mansion, her words left the Marquis speechless, but now I believe it.”

Bai Qingyan stood up, respectfully bowing her head and standing submissively at her place.

The Emperor squinted his eyes as if in remembrance, turning to the grand eunuch beside him: “What was it that Miss Bai said? She learned…”

The grand eunuch quickly bowed respectfully and continued: “Your Majesty, Miss Bai said she learned the skills of defending the nation and fighting bloody battles with an army! She learned that even if her corpse were covered in horse leather, shattered to pieces… She would never allow the people and Monarch of our Jin to be humiliated!”

The Eldest Princess smiled: “My granddaughter grew up beside the Duke, raised with a man’s spirit.”

“I remember that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhen had also joined the army and gone to war with the Duke! Such words might not be possible from other families’ daughters, but from the Duke’s, they certainly are!” Li Mao lifted his cup with a smile, seemingly in jest, “For a hundred years, the Bai family of the Duke’s mansion has raised sons and daughters who excel in battle, never suffering a defeat, achieving glory that has indeed taken all our Jin’s military merit, leaving nothing for others!”

Li Mao always knew how to voice complaints about the Bai family in front of the Emperor.

His words cut into the Duke’s mansion and the Bai family right before her eyes, like thrusting a knife into her heart, igniting a burning wrath within her. How could she bear it?!

She turned, her back straight as an arrow, staring coldly at Left Prime Minister Li Mao beneath the high steps: “So the Left Prime Minister sees only military merit! True, the Bai family has been a military lineage for a century. But let the Left Prime Minister visit the ancestral hall of the Bai family and see which of those souls laid down their lives for power and position! The Bai family even has ten-year-olds fighting on the battlefield! The entire family facing life-and-death situations, seeking military merit?! The Bai family seeks to protect the land and ensure the people’s safety! They seek peace and prosperity for the Jin Kingdom!”

Remembering old events, Bai Qingyan felt a sharp pain in her heart. Her words grew louder, each one a gem, and every utterance resounding, shaking the hall.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Li Mao’s face was ashen, awkward and angry, standing there.

Those who had been drinking and making merry became suddenly reflective upon hearing Bai Qingyan’s words. The Duke’s Bai family was the foremost aristocratic family of the Jin Kingdom, but the sons of the Bai family did not seek shelter under their ancestors, joining the battlefield as young as ten. Meanwhile, they were here, indulging in the pleasures of Dadu City, making no contributions at all.@@novelbin@@