Chapter 5: Chun Yan_1

King Liang was like a festering sore on Bai Qingyan's wounded heart, oozing with poison. Every time she thought of him, her wound flared up. It didn't threaten her life, but it disgusted her completely and made her deeply uneasy.

Suppressing her emotions, Bai Qingyan looked up at Chun Yan, who was still chattering happily.

"The maid heard from Prince Liang's aide, Tongji, that the prince arrived before dawn and has been waiting ever since. When I saw him just now, his face was purple from the cold!" Chun Yan said, feeling both moved and pained.

Bai Qingyan turned a page of her book without responding.

Chun Yan couldn't understand. Someone as noble as Prince Liang, a son of the Imperial Family, had humbled himself to wait in the snow at the corner gate of the Duke's mansion all day. She found it touching, yet their young lady remained so indifferent. Could it be that she still couldn't forget the Princely Heir of the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage's mansion?

Chun Yan's voice lowered further: "The prince was worried you'd be upset about the Princely Heir marrying your younger sister tomorrow and wanted to find an excuse to speak with you."

"You agreed on our lady's behalf?!" Chun Tao's face darkened with anger. "You're far too reckless! If anyone accuses our lady of having secret dealings with Prince Liang, her reputation will be ruined!"

Chun Yan, lost in her feelings, hadn't considered the consequences. Startled by Chun Tao's scolding, she stammered: "My lady, I..."

In her second life, Bai Qingyan understood that Chun Yan's favor towards Prince Liang blossomed around this time because she frequently served as an intermediary.

Bai Qingyan asked calmly, "What did Prince Liang say?"

Chun Yan answered nervously: "The prince said the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage's mansion is short-sighted. Because of your difficulties in bearing children, they decided to have the Princely Heir marry your younger sister. All they cared about was marrying someone from the Duke of Zhen's family; they didn't care who. But to the prince, he was grateful for their short-sightedness. It gave him a chance to win your heart."

This was how Prince Liang deceived her. He also deceived her loyal maid and her mother. The entire Bai family believed the prince loved her deeply and didn't care about her difficulties in having children.

Bai Qingyan closed her eyes, emitting a cold air.

Not knowing if she had made another mistake, Chun Yan stood there awkwardly: "My lady, did I do something wrong again?"

Prince Liang wanted the military strategy book annotated by her grandfather. If she didn't give it to him, he would find another way due to his relentless nature.

Didn't he want to copy her grandfather's handwriting? Bai Qingyan had a unique strategy book given to her by her grandfather, with annotations from the Ancestral Emperor. She decided to give that book to Prince Liang to copy.

Bai Qingyan, with her long, glossy black hair, asked Chun Tao to fetch a carved redwood box from the bookshelf: "Bring this set of military strategy books given to me by my grandfather to Prince Liang and thank him on my behalf for his concern."

"Yes!" Chun Yan, delighted, eagerly took the box: "I will deliver the books to Prince Liang immediately!"

Chun Tao, worried, grabbed Chun Yan and whispered: "Be careful when you meet Prince Liang. Don't cause trouble for our lady. If you do, you'll face the madam's wrath, no matter how lenient our young lady is."

"Don't worry, Sister Chun Tao!"

Chun Yan, straightforward and cheerful, believed the prince's words moved their lady. She took the redwood box and hurried out.

The north wind howled, swirling snowflakes in the air. Even through the tightly closed carved wooden window, the sounds of the storm were audible.

Bai Qingyan turned back to her book, much calmer than when she first returned in her second life.

Reflecting on her previous life, she remembered that the so-called "treasonous letters" found in her grandfather's study had pushed the Bai family to the brink.

This showed that Prince Liang or Li Mao's people had already infiltrated the Duke of Zhen's mansion. Only a few people had access to her grandfather's study. Bai Qingyan wasn't in a rush. She had time to find out who they were.

For a long time, she couldn't understand why Prince Liang and Li Mao colluded with Liu Huanzhang to exterminate the Bai family, which had no male heir. Later, she understood.

Prince Liang and his allies wanted the Bai family army. But unlike other general families, the Bai family allowed both males and females to learn martial arts and military strategies. Everyone knew that in the Duke of Zhen's mansion, starting with Bai Qingyan, both men and women had to learn military strategies, riding, spear, and swordsmanship.

Even if they wiped out the Bai family men, as long as one Bai family member remained, and that person wasn't a fool, the loyal Bai family army wouldn't follow anyone else's command.

Moreover, Bai Qingyan, along with her younger sisters Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jintong, had once donned armor and fought on the battlefield with their grandfather, shedding blood alongside the Bai family soldiers.

Bai Qingyan closed her eyes, gripping her book tightly.

In her previous life, every time she thought of her family's massacre, it felt like her heart was being torn apart by hot oil. She wished she could skin Liu Huanzhang and Li Mao alive, but she was bound by Prince Liang's false affections, serving like a beast of burden.

She had endured the unbearable heartache.

Now, heaven had pitied her and given her a second chance. Although she didn't know if she could change the fate of her grandfather and father, she could alter the Bai family's outcome.

She couldn't let hatred cloud her judgment. She had endured for so many years. With her grandmother, mother, and all female relatives of the Bai family still alive, there was nothing to fear.

Slowly and steadily…

One step at a time.

She would personally bring down the treacherous villains who framed the Duke of Zhen's mansion from their high positions.

·

Before dawn, under the misty snow, smoke already curled from the Duke of Zhen's mansion.

The main gate of the mansion, adorned with red lanterns and silk, was wide open.

The steward of the front yard had already begun bustling about. Servants and maids moved in and out through the corner gate in an orderly fashion.

In the back yard, the Green Bamboo Pavilion, where Second Young Lady Bai Jinxiu lived, was lively. Nannies and maids busied themselves, while other courtyards remained quiet.

In Qinghui Courtyard, two old women in blue cotton robes had just added charcoal to the Earth Dragon's stove when they noticed the lights in Bai Qingyan's main room were lit.

Mourning time.

After finishing breakfast, Bai Qingyan put on a thick fur-lined cloak and, holding a hand warmer, walked along the covered corridor towards Bai Jinxiu's chambers. Chun Tao, Chun Yan, and a group of maids followed closely, attending to her.

When Bai Qingyan arrived at Bai Jinxiu's door, Bai Jinxiu had already changed into her wedding clothes and was about to apply makeup. Hearing the maids outside greeting "Eldest Young Lady" in unison, Bai Jinxiu stopped the nanny from powdering her face, lifted her skirt, and came out to greet her sister with both surprise and joy.

"Eldest Sister, why did you come in such heavy snow? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold!"

Inside Bai Jinxiu's room, two burning stoves made it very warm. The red carpet, the peanuts, longans, and the red decorations created a festive atmosphere.

Bai Qingyan handed her hand warmer to Chun Tao, loosened her cloak, took Bai Jinxiu's hand, and led her to the inner room, seating her before the vanity mirror: "Eldest Sister came to see you off. Chun Tao, bring the items in…"

Chun Tao received a long, embroidered box from a maid outside and presented it to Bai Jinxiu, saluting as she opened it.