Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Horrific Tragedy_1

Chun Tao tightly covered her mouth and cried out loud.

She gripped Wu Zhe’s shoulders firmly. A wave of blood rushed to her heart, wrenching pain surged, almost as if her heart were being torn apart. She wished she could kill those who wanted to harm the Bai family.

She closed her eyes, but tears still flowed uncontrollably, her eyes hurt so much that she couldn’t open them. She wanted to scream but couldn’t make a sound. Her rage was boundless, as if it would break through the heavens, yet the pain was filled with utter despair.

After half a cup of tea, Chun Tao, with eyes bloodshot, held the bamboo slips Wu Zhe had risked his life to protect. She followed the disheartened Bai Qingyan back.

The Duke of Zhen’s mansion, with its green tiles and red lantern light contrasting with the white snow, was splendid and bright in the silent darkness. Yet, it was cold and desolate.

Chun Tao saw Bai Qingyan stumbling under the red lantern corridor. She wanted to reach out to support, but her hands were full and she feared dropping the bamboo slips. Tearfully, she cried: “Miss…”

Bai Qingyan, with her snow-white cloak stained with shocking red, returned to Qinghui Courtyard. In a hoarse voice, she instructed Chun Tao to place the bamboo slips on the desk.

Chun Tao, seeing Bai Qingyan’s stiff body and blue-purple face from the cold, spoke: “Miss, let this maid help you change out of these blood-stained clothes and warm yourself up!”

With gritted teeth, she waved Chun Tao away, staring intently at the bamboo slips flickering in the candlelight. She instructed Chun Tao to wait outside and not to come in.

In the warm spring-like room, the decorated copper furnace emitted faint sparks from the Yingshuang coal. She then snapped back to reality, her entire body felt as if it were in an icy cellar, cold and numb.

She sat at the desk filled with grief and rage, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the bamboo slips. Her throat hurt so much that she couldn’t speak a word, and the taste of blood lingered between her lips and teeth, refusing to fade.

Before her eyes, the bamboo slips recorded the military conditions of the Bai family’s battle in the southern front, even the last moments. In her previous life, she had hoped to obtain them to seek justice for the Bai family. Now that they were in front of her, she hesitated to look.

Some things, as long as one hasn’t received the exact news, there remains hope. But once seen, there would be no more hope… Bai Qingyan closed her eyes.

After a long time, she took a deep breath and opened the bamboo slips…

The five blood-stained bamboo slips, with each word and sentence, leaped before her eyes.

Chun Tao, with red eyes, stood guard outside the door. She watched the sky turn pale in the vast falling snow, listening to the heart-wrenching sobs from Bai Qingyan inside the room. Her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.

Bai Qingyan tightly clutched the bamboo slips. Her throat constricted, she could hardly breathe.

She closed her eyes, tears streaming down in grief and indignation. The fury within her almost consumed her entirely. Seeing the little figurine on the desk, posed to charge with a sword, placed prominently by Chun Tao, she madly swept all the brushes, ink, and paper off the table.

After returning gravely injured, if she had practiced diligently like before, how great it would have been to join her grandfather on the battlefield this time! Why did she consider herself weak just because others thought so, spending her days in comfort, being weak!

What use was she staying in the Duke’s mansion? What was her use?!

She grabbed her chest with all her might, gnashing her gums, unable to stop her tears for the Bai family’s heroes…

King Xin!!!!!!!

In her previous life, she believed King Xin to be cowardly but reasonable. Even if he went to war with her grandfather, the Bai family men perished entirely. King Xin still returned from a near-death experience. She never imagined it was he who recklessly trusted Liu Huanzhang, forcing her grandfather to advance with a gold medal order.

She wished to take her longsword and tear King Xin apart! To see the hearts of those who harmed her Bai family army, to see if they were black!

The few words on the five bamboo slips broke her heart into pieces, her insides felt like they were being incinerated!

She clenched her teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, holding the bamboo slips desperately. Scenes flooded her mind of her grandfather, father, uncles, and brothers’ tragic deaths.

The brief records on the bamboo slips depicted the horrifying brutality faced by the Bai family men!

Her father, trapped in Fengcheng, ran out of food. To hold off the enemy and help Fengcheng’s civilians, he said to the remaining thousand soldiers defending Fengcheng: “Those with elderly parents at home, step back. Those who have not established a family yet, step back. The rest, those willing to die for the Jin people, come with me to face the enemy!”

The Bai family’s ten-year-old seventeenth son, Bai Qingdong, stepped forward with his sword, proclaiming his readiness to die in battle alongside his uncle for the Jin people, refusing to live in disgrace. Moved by the ten-year-old, the Bai family army drew their swords, vowing to fight to the death.

Her brother Bai Qingyu, at seventeen, guarded the camp with five thousand soldiers. Seeing fifty thousand enemy troops approaching, King Xin fled, while Bai Qingyu decided to defend the line to the death, saying to the soldiers: “Comrades, though we were not born together, today we fight as brothers and blood kin for the Jin people. Toast one last drink; see you in the next life!”

Her cousin Bai Qingqi died defending Linggu Pass, facing an army of eighty thousand from Xiliang and Nanyan with just ten thousand troops. Before fighting to the death, he proclaimed: “Millions of civilians behind us, can the Bai family army retreat? Dare we retreat?!” The loyal Bai family army shouted thrice, no retreat.

Her third uncle, Bai Qiyu, when all Bai family men were forced to retreat to Tianmen Pass, called out in one last battle: “Our Marshal Generals have all perished. We are the last line of defense for the Jin people of Pingcheng! This General is willing to lead by example, to kill the enemies who insult my Jin! Those who dare to die, follow me!”

The Bai family’s men, even in death, held the Jin people’s well-being in their hearts…

The entire loyal Bai family, why did Heaven force my Bai family men so?! Why force my Bai family men so?!

She held back tears amidst her blood feud, her eyes like a devil from hell, vowing to kill all traitors and dark spirits! But each thought of the words on the bamboo slips stabbed her heart, making her cry in unbearable pain. Her mind muddled, crying and stopping, like a madwoman.

Even though she knew the Bai family’s fate, seeing it in the bamboo slips made the tragedy even more unimaginable.

Holding the bamboo slips, her disheveled hair scattered, her blood-red eyes stared at the brightening sky outside the window. She felt as though being cut piece by piece, lost in overwhelming grief, wanting to carve out her heart to stop the pain. @@novelbin@@

If she hadn’t ordered Shen Qingzhu to the southern front, met Fang Yan of Tiger Camp during his pursuit, these five bamboo slips might have never seen the light of day like in her previous life.

The Bai family, loyal and heroic, would be nailed to the shame of treason.

The overwhelming hatred, and the immense pain gnawed at her bones and flesh like ten thousand ants, making her wish for death, feeling as if she were being fried alive in despair and agony.

In her extreme pain, she clung to the bamboo slips, crying and laughing…

“The brave who terrified their sovereign faced danger. Those whose accomplishments overshadowed the world were exterminated!”

“Many heroes die in vain, treacherous ministers and thieves create havoc!”

What did the entire Bai family men ever do wrong?! Their loyalty and fiery blood… all buried in the southern front.