When the ti cos, with everyone’s eyes on them, even if Bai Qingyan wants to preserve her aunts’ and mother’s reputation, she won’t be able to stop her mother and aunts from remarrying!
Mrs. Fang calculates well; when the ti cos, she’ll spend more silver. Even if she can’t marry off Bai Qingyan’s mother, she can still get one of Bai Qingyan’s aunts, so the benefits won’t all be snatched away by the Bai clan.
Seeing that Mrs. Fang didn’t want to speak, Puliu didn’t press further. She bowed and said, "Maid will go back to change clothes and then co back to attend to you, madam."
Noticing sweat on Puliu’s temples, Mrs. Fang nodded, "Go back and rest! You’ve worked hard."
Just as Bai Qihe had heard, intentions of the Bai clan have already targeted Bai Qingyan’s aunts and the Empress Dowager Mrs. Dong.
Similarly, like Mrs. Fang, they heard that on the birthday of Commandery Princess Gaoyi, so ladies from the Bai family would also participate in the kite competition. They were figuring out how to stage a trap to catch as many as they could...
So, like Mrs. Fang, thought of using dirty tricks, but such disgraceful thods were naturally discussed behind closed doors, and so had already sent people to prepare in advance.
Inside the Imperial Palace.
Hearing Bai Qihe finish talking about the Bai clan’s plans, Bai Jinzhi was so angry that she almost couldn’t resist grabbing a whip to teach the Bai clan mbers a lesson.
"The reason we haven’t taken action is that we’re worried about disrupting His Majesty’s plans. Therefore, I’m here to discuss with His Majesty. If it’s not related to the great plan, afterward... I will deal with these clan mbers as the Clan Leader!" Bai Qihe said.
"What is there to discuss? Handle each and every one according to clan laws!" Bai Jinzhi’s chest heaved violently, and her voice rose sharply.
"On the day of Xiao Si’s birthday, I don’t want the Bai clan mbers causing trouble. Please return and deal with them all! Otherwise... who knows what filthy thods those with evil intentions might use. We can’t expose a ss to the public on such an occasion," Bai Qingyan said calmly. "Clan Leader, you can tell these clan mbers, they better behave themselves. Otherwise, don’t bla for disregarding kinship. I will deal with them not only according to clan rules but also according to national laws!"
"Yes!" Bai Qihe bowed to Bai Qingyan and then took his leave.
Bai Qingyan was lost in thought...
Throughout history, dirty tricks against won have mainly been about ruining a woman’s reputation!
She encouraged widows to remarry. If there were those who coveted a widow’s beauty or wealth and used foul thods, they could force the widow to remarry against her will.
Therefore, Bai Qingyan could only increase the penalties for defiling won in the new law, as described in Empress Ji’s writings, to enlighten the people... Especially to open the minds of won who had been oppressed under male dominance for hundreds of years, to teach them to fight for themselves.
This matter... can’t be rushed.
"I’m furious!" Bai Jinzhi sat beside Bai Qingyan, "The clan mbers can’t do anything right, but they excel at scheming! They always use such disgraceful ans. Eldest Young Lady... are we really of the sa lineage as the clan mbers?"
"The previous Clan Leader led the clan for decades; his misconduct set a poor example, so the clan mbers naturally followed. The older generation was influenced the most and may find it hard to change their ingrained nature. Now that Bai Qihe has taken over... the younger generation can still be straightened out. Be patient with them." Bai Qingyan said.
Bai Jinzhi nodded, her gaze drifting to Bai Qingyan’s belly, "This little baby in Eldest Young Lady’s belly is so well-behaved! I rember when Fifth Aunt was expecting Xiao Ba, she couldn’t leave the bed for the first few months due to vomiting."
At the ntion of the child, Bai Qingyan’s eyes softened and she smiled as she gently caressed her belly, "Yes, even Doctor Hong said this child is considerate. He will surely be very understanding in the future!"
Bai Jinzhi watched her Eldest Sister’s smiling face and bit her lip...
Since returning, Bai Jinzhi had never ntioned Xiao Rongyan in front of Bai Qingyan, afraid of triggering Bai Qingyan’s sorrow. But seeing Bai Qingyan seemingly untroubled, Bai Jinzhi worried that her Eldest Sister might be hiding her pain too well, harming herself in the process.
"Eldest Young Lady, Mr. Xiao..." Bai Jinzhi looked at Bai Qingyan, "If you want to cry, Xiao Si will accompany you, and after my nephew or niece is born, Xiao Si will cherish them well! I won’t let the child feel lonely without a father’s company!"
Bai Qingyan looked at Bai Jinzhi’s worried face and chuckled, "Silly girl! It’s nothing. Xiao Rongyan... is not dead."
"Nothing?!" Bai Jinzhi widened her eyes, "Then what..."
"This matter is complicated. I will explain it to you in detail later." Bai Qingyan said.
Seeing that Bai Qingyan’s deanor wasn’t feigned, Bai Jinzhi heaved a sigh of relief.
"By the way, Eldest Young Lady!" Bai Jinzhi moved closer to Bai Qingyan and lowered her voice to ask, "Did Aunt see Fifth Brother?"
While in Hancheng, Bai Jinzhi thought that at Eldest Young Lady’s ascension ceremony, Fifth Brother would surely co...
Later, Bai Jinxiu ca to Hancheng and ntioned that the masked Prince of Rong did indeed attend Eldest Young Lady’s ascension ceremony. Bai Jinzhi was overjoyed, thinking how happy Aunt would be to see Fifth Brother alive and well.
Bai Qingyan nodded.
Bai Jinzhi’s lips curled into a smile, "Although Fifth Brother is far away in Rong, one day our family will be reunited!"
She smiled at her teary-eyed Fourth Sister, "Of course! A family should be together! That day won’t be long..."
Bai Jinzhi nodded.
"The matters that the Bai Clan Leader reported earlier, please take the trouble to warn the aunts to be extrely careful that day. Although they will have the imperial guard beside them, they should still remain vigilant and avoid falling for anything. That day, they should not interact with the clan mbers."
"Alright, I’ll go right away!" Bai Jinzhi stood, bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan, and hurriedly left.
·
On the 17th of October in the early years of Yuanhe, the birthday of Commandery Princess Gaoyi, a kite competition was held on the outskirts of Dadu City. Luxurious elm wood carriages and ox carts with azure brocade wheels continuously erged from the south gate, heading towards Jinhui Mountain.
Jinhui Mountain was covered with ginkgo trees; in the golden autumn, it was a splendid sight.
Along the way, there were vendors in short blue coats carrying shoulder poles, and toddling children chasing after old n in plain clothes pushing carts selling sugar cakes, waiting for the old n to stop to buy so sugar cakes to satisfy their cravings.
The golden autumn season, with a spotless blue sky, was a perfect ti for flying kites.
Noble and influential families were eager to participate; so ca early to test their kites or to greet the judge of the competition, Liu Rushi. The recently remarried widows invited to the competition were eager to prove themselves but felt intimidated by the manner of these noble families.
"I heard His Majesty will also be coming today!" Soone whispered.
"Indeed! I heard soone plans to question the Empress today about why she encourages common widows to remarry but doesn’t set an example with the Imperial Family."
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