Chapter 17
Bai Qingyan, who was already in the carriage holding a hand warmer, pulled back the carriage curtain to look at Mrs. Jiang, who was feigning weakness, and couldn’t help but sneer.
Her words were spoken so beautifully. They appeared to be an apology but secretly accused the Duke of Zhen’s household of being too domineering. They said her sister-in-law fell into the lake while playing and that the Duke of Zhen’s fourth young lady lashed out with a whip at the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s household’s two girls without discernment. In the heavy snow, she took the injured married woman back to the Duke of Zhen’s household by force.
“She is full of lies!”
The fourth young lady, Bai Jinzhi, grabbed the whip at her waist and was about to get off the carriage, but her third sister, Bai Jintong, held her back.
“Even if the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s wife has a noble title, if you impulsively whip her at their mansion, it will give her what she wants. Your reputation will be ruined!” Bai Jintong patted Bai Jinzhi’s hand and said, “You sit quietly in the carriage. I will go to Eldest Young Lady’s carriage to discuss this with her.”
Second Madam Liu, who was about to get on the carriage, shouted angrily with a trembling voice and tears, “My daughter married into your mansion for just three days! Her life is almost gone! How can I dare to leave my daughter in your wolf’s den of a Marquis Mansion?”
Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, Qin Dezhao, was not yet at the door when he heard his wife apologizing meekly. Seeing Second Madam Liu so aggressively making their mansion out to be a demonic cave, he couldn’t help but become furious. He lifted the hem of his robe and stepped out of the mansion.
“Second Madam, have you forgotten that Bai Jinxiu has already married into our mansion?!” Qin Dezhao stood with his hands behind his back, his face stern and looking very intimidating.
Nanny Jiang, fearing Second Madam Liu would impulsively say something that others could use against her, stepped forward to greet her, but before she could speak, Bai Qingyan’s clear voice was heard…
“The marquise can turn black into white with her sharp tongue… Calling murder and mayhem mere playful banter! We were forced to carry our second sister back home in the heavy snow, yet the marquise made it out to be unreasonable and domineering! Truly eye-opening.”
Bai Jintong saw Chun Tao lift the curtain for Bai Qingyan to get off the carriage and stood silently beside it.
Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, Qin Dezhao, clenched his fist behind his back, his deep eyes fixed on the steady pace of Bai Qingyan, “Miss Bai, watch your words.”
Nanny Jiang hurried forward to support Bai Qingyan, protecting her.
Second Madam Liu, her eyes red with anger, shouted emotionally, “Marquis, your two daughters are truly fierce! They struck my daughter’s head, leaving a massive bleeding wound, and in the dead of winter pushed her into the water! What grievance could drive such beastly cruelty towards my daughter?!”
Qin Dezhao turned to look at Mrs. Jiang, who shook her head in panic. He then looked at Second Madam Liu, “Second Madam, could this be a misunderstanding?”
“Bullshit misunderstanding!” Second Madam Liu cursed angrily, tears streaming down her face as she pointed at the Marchioness, glaring as if wanting to tear her apart, “Ask your good wife! Her spiteful maids have already admitted that your two daughters injured my daughter. Yet she lightly dismisses it as sister-in-law’s playful banter! While my daughter was unconscious, she had the audacity to reach into my daughter’s dowry, selling all her maidservants. When my daughter most needed care, she had no one by her side. This is clearly an attempt on her life!”
Second Madam Liu, crying out in anguish, clutched her chest, her eyes filled with hatred, “What kind of mansion is this?! It’s a death trap! I was blind to have pushed my daughter into your Marquis Mansion, a pit of fire! Are you even human? You’re a pack of wicked wolves!”
“Second Madam! Bai Jinxiu slipped and fell unconscious. No one wanted this!” Qin Dezhao shouted angrily, “I respect you as my in-laws, but speak ill again, and don’t blame me for losing my temper!”
“Marquis…” Bai Qingyan spoke coldly and slowly, “My second sister is an excellent swimmer. Among all in Dadu City, few men could match her skills. Do you find it laughable that she would slip and fall unconscious?”
Qin Dezhao was frustrated, “Regardless, Bai family’s second young lady is the daughter-in-law of our Marquis Mansion, part of the Qin family! How could your Bai family just take her away as you please? And think nothing of our mansion?!”
Bai Qingyan raised her eyes, already showing a resolute spirit, “As Marquis said… My second sister married into the Marquis Mansion; she is part of the Marquis Mansion. But now that she’s grievously injured by the two young ladies of the mansion, and if the Marquis Mansion neglects her, should our family not care? Should my grandmother, the Eldest Princess, also not care? What kind of marriage is this… or is it a death sentence?!”
“Utter nonsense!” Qin Dezhao’s face turned livid with anger.
“If the Marquis believes I speak nonsense, dare to let the two young ladies of the mansion swear on their lives that they didn’t cause the head injury or push her into the water…” Bai Qingyan slowly stepped up the high steps of the Marquis Mansion, her eyes burning intensely at Qin Dezhao, her aura becoming more imposing, “Dare to let the marquise swear she didn’t meddle with my second sister’s dowry maids. If there are lies, may their entire family meet a bad end, their bodies covered in sores and rot away.”
The marquise, Mrs. Jiang, was so startled by the battlefield-like aura from Bai Qingyan that she clutched Qin Dezhao’s sleeve, “Marquis…”
“Does the marquise and the two young ladies have the courage? If they dare say a word of affirmation, I will today end my life and drink poison to apologize to the Marquis Mansion!”
Bai Qingyan spoke quickly and firmly, clarifying everything with a few words, causing the onlookers to discuss fervently.
“Oh my, to interfere with daughter-in-law’s dowry, that’s plotting to murder for money!”
“Isn’t it? Who would have thought the Marquis Mansion would behave like this?”
“I heard they have a legitimate young master in the mansion. Anyone marrying their daughter into the Marquis Mansion would be doomed!”
Qin Lang, rushing back from Fanxing Tower, saw the commotion at the mansion gate, with carriages and onlookers. Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words from afar, his heart pounded, and he dared not advance.
Marquis Qin Dezhao clenched his fists, biting his teeth, “Your Bai family’s daughters act wildly within the Duke of Zhen’s mansion, neglecting virtue and propriety, playing with weapons daily, is already bad enough. Now, meddling in others’ affairs and publicly slandering elders. Aren’t you afraid someone will accuse the Duke of Zhen and his heir for raising unruly, undisciplined daughters?”
Bai Jinzhi and Bai Jintong were both furious. Bai Jinzhi had already gotten out of the carriage. If Bai Jintong hadn’t held her back, she might have rushed forward to argue with Marquis of Loyalty and Courage using a whip.