Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 71 - 70: Breaking Down_1
Chapter 71: Chapter 70: Breaking Down_1
Though it was unknown if the note came from Miss Bai’s hand or if this Bai Young Lady was aware of his identity.
But now, since the person who sent the note had not taken any action, had not leveraged the favor to make any demands, nor exposed his identity, he decided to follow the principle of “inaction” and wait quietly.
However, he guessed that the matter of the note was probably related to this Bai Young Lady who seemed to possess deep tactics and scheming.
“Sister Bai!” When Lu Yuanpeng rode quickly closer to the crowd, he reined in his horse, jumped off the saddle, gripped his whip, pushed through the crowd, and rushed up the high steps. He respectfully saluted Bai Qingyan deeply, then turned to look at the people kneeling in front of the Duke’s Mansion making trouble and said, “Early this morning, Brother Xiao and I received news that two people had bribed some soldiers’ families to come to the Duke’s Mansion to make trouble. It seems to be these people…”
At the mention of Brother Xiao, Bai Qingyan raised her eyes.
Not far away, Xiao Rongyan, wearing a gray mouse-fur cloak, was leading his horse and walking leisurely, surrounded by a dozen guards.
...
The onlooking citizens turned their heads upon hearing the guards’ shouting.
All they saw were the tall, stern-faced guards with knives at their waists, dragging two blood-soaked men toward the Duke’s Mansion. The crowd quickly made way for them.
“Sister Bai! Early this morning, I heard about the sad news of the Bai family’s seventeen sons. On my way to the Duke’s Mansion, I encountered Brother Xiao. It just so happened that an elder in Brother Xiao’s family was reporting to him, saying that silver was being sent to several impoverished families in the city outskirts on Brother Xiao’s behalf. Unexpectedly, they overheard someone distributing silver to soldiers’ families at the ruined temple outside the city, instructing them to come to the Duke’s Mansion to make trouble. They were told to say that the Duke was foolishly using the army for his own glory, disregarding the soldiers’ lives! After causing trouble, they would receive fifty taels of silver each!”
“Such despicable tactics! This is meant to drive our Duke’s Mansion to ruin!” Bai Jintong clenched his fists tightly beside her.
The soldiers’ families, trembling as they came to make trouble at the Duke’s Mansion, were now shaking. Lu Yuanpeng had clearly pinpointed the exact location, indicating the scheme was exposed. Some tried to flee but were blocked by the citizens and guards. With a loud thud, they knelt on the ground, confessing everything.
“Miss Bai, forgive us! These two men gave each of us twenty taels of silver to come and make trouble at the Duke’s Mansion!”
“Miss Bai! Miss Bai, I don’t want the silver anymore! I’ll give it all to you! I know I was wrong! I dare not do it again! Please spare me!”
“Sister Bai, guess what?” Lu Yuanpeng threw aside his cloak and pointed at the bloodied men on the ground with his whip. “These two men were waiting at the ruined temple for these fools to return. They planned to kill all these greedy fools and then frame the Duke’s Mansion, tarnishing its reputation!”
Upon hearing this, the soldiers’ families turned pale with fear. Terrified, they crawled forward a few steps on their knees, begging for mercy: “Miss Bai! Our minds were clouded by greed, so we accepted the money to come here. But… but I only have one son! If my child dies, I just wanted to get some more money for my old age!”
“Yes! We were forced by circumstances. If our sons really die, how are we, the old ones, supposed to live!?”
Bai Qingyan stood straight on the high steps, looking at those who had come to make trouble, accusing her grandfather of killing their sons with conviction, now tearfully banging their heads on the ground, begging for mercy. She felt no significant surge of emotion. Instead, she looked at those two villains being pressed down by the guards and asked, “Who ordered you?”
The two, restrained and unable to resist, one of them replied: “We took money to dispel disaster for people. Everyone in the martial world has their own code of loyalty and rules. We should be dead by now. We were captured alive because our skills were inferior. We accept the outcome! It is up to Miss Bai to decide whether to kill or flay us.”
“Helping scoundrels slander loyal and brave martyrs who died for the country, intending to frame the Duke’s Mansion’s widow as unkind; how dare you speak of loyalty?” Her voice was hoarse, seemingly exhausted, her heart as cold as winter. After closing her eyes briefly, she said, “Now the Bai family’s loyal spirits are not yet cold, but there are already dark arrows aiming to kill my Bai family! So be it! The Bai family’s loyalty and integrity are well-known to gods and men! Grandfather is dead, and all the Bai family sons are lost. My Bai family can at least live up to the name of Zhen Kingdom!”
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That indifferent coldness, devoid of joy and sorrow, filled with exhaustion, was drastically different from the righteous, passionate young lady fiercely arguing against those greedy troublemakers who besieged the Duke’s Mansion. It was an unspeakable desolation, akin to the hopelessness of a heart turned to ash.
She bowed to Lu Yuanpeng and said, “The Bai Mansion has many affairs to attend to, and the stewards and servants are all occupied. Could I trouble Young Master Lu to hand these two over to the magistrate’s office? The Bai Mansion trusts that the magistrate will deliver justice for the Bai family.”
Lu Yuanpeng, taken aback, dumbly replied, “Of course, no problem!”
Her gaze fell on Xiao Rongyan, who stood calmly outside the crowd. Behind him were over a dozen armed guards, wearing a cloak and a robe with blue and white cloud patterns, with a jade belt adorned with gold threads, exuding extreme elegance.
His deep-set, exquisite features, combined with the scholarly elegance of a literati, always had a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, his gaze steady and reserved. His scholarly demeanor was rarely matched even by the great scholars of the time.
She was not foolish. Instead, she was clear-eyed and perceptive. It was Xiao Rongyan who sent these two people to the Duke’s Mansion’s door through Lu Yuanpeng’s hand today.
Bai Qingyan nodded towards Xiao Rongyan in greeting; this favor… she, Bai Qingyan, accepted.
“Fourth Young Lady Bai Jinzhi whipped the people. Uncle Ping, seize Fourth Young Lady’s long whip, take her back to the mansion, and apply the family law.”
After speaking, she turned and silently supported Bai Jinxiu, who had blood on her face, smiling at her through her tears.
“Eldest sister…” Bai Jinxiu choked, tears streaming down like rain.
“No more crying. Let’s go!” Bai Qingyan’s voice was like a sigh, tightly holding her sister in her arms as she walked towards the Bai Mansion.
Bai Jintong bowed to Lu Yuanpeng, then personally escorted the still-angry Bai Jinzhi back to the mansion.
Watching Bai Qingyan’s despondent figure, Lu Yuanpeng gripped his whip tightly. He hadn’t expected that bringing these two people to the Bai Mansion to claim credit would actually lead to the desolation of a woman with the spirit and charm of a proud frost flower. He seemed to be infected by the white cloth inscribed with “sacrifice” on the Duke’s Mansion gate, feeling a deep sadness and anger that pained his heart.
Once before Manjiang Tower, this seemingly fragile woman, with her loyal and righteous words and her heartfelt compassion for the people, was a stunning revelation! Her thunderous demeanor when dealing with that illegitimate son was so powerful!
On that day in the grand hall, her thin figure stood like a pine and cypress, filled with righteous vigor, iron will, and loyalty. It seemed no setbacks or impacts could crush her proud backbone. Yet today, she was defeated by the very people the Bai family had protected with their lives for generations!
