Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 312 - 22: Defeat (Part 2) (Second Update)

Bai Lili, seeing this, didn’t have much confidence in Chaotic Heart; it was also her first time using it. She heard people say that this thing once stirred bloody storms in the Great Zhou Royal Family.

But aside from that, she had never heard of Chaotic Heart’s great reputation, and couldn’t help but grumble, thinking to herself: A bunch of useless people, and you still want me to handle it personally?

Bai Lili stood up, lifted her teacup towards Susu and said, "Madam Su, you truly deserve your reputation as a figure who can speak eloquently in the barracks. Seeing you today, it really lives up to the name. I toast you with tea instead of wine, Madam Su!"

Susu, however, placed her teacup down and frowned, "May I ask whose young lady you are? Perhaps you haven’t attended school!"

The womenfolk looked at Susu in disbelief, thinking is she going to attack everyone today? Then they all sneakily glanced at the two of them, sensing the start of a tearing rivalry!

Susu didn’t give Bai Lili a chance to speak and continued, "The idiom ’speak eloquently like blooming lotus’ originates from Buddhism, referring to the ability to lecture well, transforming words into blooming lotus flowers. Am I lecturing soldiers in the barracks? Am I supposed to tell them to put down the butcher’s knife and become enlightened on the spot? How foolish would I have to be to lecture in the barracks as you suggest? Are you just showing off that you’ve learned an idiom?"

Hearing this, Bai Lili really wanted to splash the tea in her hand onto Susu’s face, then gave Yue Baiyou a glare, thinking ’You only mentioned she doesn’t follow the rules, but you didn’t mention she’s a shrew who argues irrationally!’

Yue Baiyou looked innocent, thinking ’The Su in front of me is really high-cold, okay? Moreover, is it really appropriate to use "eloquent like blooming lotus" here? Are you really not showing off that you’ve learned a new idiom?’

Bai Lili managed a smile, "I am a young lady from the Bai family of Hami. Perhaps Madam Su has been too busy serving her lord to have attended school. Besides, it’s a bit out of context; speaking eloquently like blooming lotus also describes someone with great eloquence, able to speak beautifully like a blooming lotus flower."

But as soon as she finished speaking, she realized that she had been led off topic and heavily set her teacup down on the table, thinking ’Who the heck wanted to chat with you about the meaning of that idiom? You’ve derailed the conversation.’

Bai Lili became even more doubtful about the effects of Chaotic Heart. Did Yue Baiyou deceive her? After all, she hadn’t seen Su go crazy herself, and maybe Chaotic Heart isn’t as formidable as its reputation suggests?

Thinking about Awakening Incense, Bai Lili started to panic a bit, not really because she cherished it, nor was she aware of how precious it was. She had snuck it out of the Bai Family’s treasury secret chamber after learning about the poison, Chaotic Heart; her father hadn’t discovered it yet.

However, since it was already used, her father’s anger wouldn’t make a difference. It seemed she still needed to vent this frustration she had stored up on Su.

Just before she could make trouble, Mrs. Qin accompanied a magnificently dressed lady into the room, followed by the wives of two commanders, and then three young ladies appeared.

A Fourth Rank title was neither here nor there in the Northwest, having attended the banquet hosted by Mrs. Zhao, and naturally recognized Mrs. Qin as the wife of Governor Qin, the Second Rank entitled Mrs. Zhao.

Everyone hurriedly paid respects to Mrs. Zhao, Mrs. Qin, and the wives of the two commanders, all thinking to themselves: So Mrs. Zhao was the distinguished guest Mrs. Qin was referring to!

Before they could think more about why Mrs. Zhao was in Hami, they saw the three young ladies entering.

Eagerly they exclaimed. They recognized two of them, the daughters of Commander Liu: Sister An from the first wife, and Sister Zhen from Mrs. Qin.

But who was that fiery beauty? Ah, that must be the "Northwest’s First Beauty," the daughter of Governor Qin and Mrs. Zhao.

All the women inadvertently compared Qin Miao and Bai Lili; they looked between Bai Lili and Qin Miao.

Then the atmosphere turned awkward...

Damn, what is this all about?

Miss Bai’s face was ashen, while Qin Miao was even more delighted; she loved these moments of face-smacking outcome.

If it weren’t for the fact that the two had never met, Qin Miao would have assumed this girl was imitating her.

At that moment, Qin Miao marveled, saying, "Mother, look, which family’s daughter is this, who looks somewhat like me!"

The womenfolk: ...

Ha-ha, saying such blatant truths.

She was the "Northwest Princess," they could criticize Susu, but even if given ten times the guts, they wouldn’t dare criticize Qin Miao.

It was like many present didn’t think highly of Qin being a second marriage after divorce, yet they envied her good lineage and marriage; openly, they pretended to admire her, as if they wanted to drink her foot-washing water.

Even now, Lady Bai and Lady Yi, the two sisters, became speechless, not daring to stick up for their niece.

In truth, they were mere ordinary women, though aware their family was mysterious, and their father and brother acted superstitiously, they were clueless about the family’s hidden secret.

Bai Lili, before, also didn’t realize how "noble" her background was.

At this moment, Bai Lili only felt she had never been so embarrassed in her life! These rare beauties appeared one after another, making her a laughingstock.

What does it mean to have three parts of your looks? Shameless, looking like a fairy, are you from a ghost story?

She was a descendant of the Canglang White Deer, bearing noble blood. And this Miss Qin was only an offspring from a concubine, what’s so prideful about that?

Yet Bai Lili wasn’t stupid; she knew that when under someone’s roof, one must bow their head.

Mrs. Zhao evidently hadn’t expected to meet such a young lady here. To be honest, temperament-wise, she did see some resemblance to her daughter.

However, carefully examining Bai Lili again, she casually remarked, "I don’t see much resemblance, this young lady doesn’t look like one of us Han people."

With a single ’us,’ she drew a boundary line, distinguishing between you and me.

But Bai Lili, with a guilty conscience, was startled by this remark. Seeing Mrs. Zhao didn’t seem to have any "extended meaning," she hurriedly explained, "Miss Bai Lili from the Bai family of Hami pays respects to Mrs. Zhao. My great-grandmother was from the local Wiyuer Clan, and with my mother being a Jin person, my appearance indeed doesn’t look very Han."

Listening to this explanation, Susu found the Bai Family more suspicious. It needs be known that although the Han people are quite inclusive, they possess a sense of inherent superiority.

This sense of superiority was more pronounced in ancient times; being Emperors’ descendants and the Dragon’s progeny, great importance was placed on pure bloodlines. Marrying non-Han women as the main wife was uncommon, although there were cases of dancers becoming concubines after bearing the master’s offspring.

This custom wasn’t exclusive to Han, minority ethnic groups were even stricter, like during the Qing Dynasty when it was explicitly prohibited for Man and Han to intermarry. Even in modern Xinjiang, due to differing beliefs or opposition from the older generation, intermarriage between minorities and Han is not very high, let alone in ancient times.

The Bai Family, firmly tied to minority ethnics by connections, was an anomaly among Han in Hami, with each generation’s principal mother not being Han but favoring Jiangnan singers as concubines vastly.

But with silver paving the way, they were the most socially connected merchant of Hami Guard.

Mrs. Zhao secretly glanced at Susu, seeing her nod, she knew this was the principal target and refrained from scaring the snake to interrupt the topic.

Mrs. Qin invited Mrs. Zhao to the head seat, saying, "In today’s guests, sister-in-law holds the highest status. This banquet was hosted by your request and considered as half the host, naturally sister-in-law should take the head seat."

Mrs. Zhao laughed, "This is Hami, naturally you are the host, you should sit at the main seat. Besides, we are family, how could I possibly find fault in you?"