Chapter 700: Chapter 697: Uneasy_1

Some clan members glanced inside the Bai Mansion gates, lowering their voices: “What if… What if the Princess of Zhen really meets a tragic end and doesn’t get the chance to speak on our clan’s behalf to the Crown Prince? What will happen to the futures of the children in our Bai Clan? Our prestigious name that has flourished for a hundred years… Won’t it just fall into decline!”

After these words were spoken, others began to echo the concerns, all hoping to get a chance to show their faces in front of the Princess of Zhen, asking her to speak to the Crown Prince for the clan’s future. Only then would the Bai Clan’s honor be assured.

“Clan Leader… You are the Clan Leader. Please find a way. At the very least, let us see the Princess of Zhen!”

Dressed in a dark blue long robe, Bai Qihe stood under the swaying lanterns at the Bai Mansion. The sunlight of the day reflected off him, making him appear exceptionally steady and upright. He swept his gaze over the crowd of clan members hoping the Princess of Zhen would plead with the Crown Prince on their behalf, and spoke…

“The Princess of Zhen was severely injured saving the Crown Prince. As members of the Bai Clan, many of you standing here are considered elders to the Princess of Zhen. Yet, instead of worrying about her health, you fear that if she doesn’t survive… it will affect the futures of your offspring!”

Bai Qihe took a deep breath, adjusting his emotions before speaking slowly, his voice as cold as if soaked in ice water: “You didn’t come to visit the Princess of Zhen. Neither are you here to celebrate her birthday. You came solely for your own interests, hoping to use the clan’s prosperity to pressure her! You want to exploit her sacrifice in saving the Crown Prince to pave the way for your children’s futures! Absolutely… heartless and shameless!”

“It’s just a matter of a few words. Clan Leader, you speak too harshly!” someone retorted, rolling their eyes at Bai Qihe.

Bai Qihe remained calm and composed on the surface, but inside he was seething with anger. He took a deep breath: “I thought when the Princess of Zhen started purging the clan, you would have already understood that the hundred-year honor of our Bai Clan relies on the Bai family in Dadu City. Now that all the men of the Prince of Zhen Mansion have perished in the southern regions, our clan must rely on the Princess of Zhen! But you… have barely behaved for long before reverting to your old ways! Truly disappointing to the extreme.”

“Clan Leader, you are wrong to say that. Precisely because all the men in the Prince of Zhen Mansion are gone, the Princess of Zhen needs us, her kinsmen, to support her in the royal court. Only with the entire clan working together can our Bai Clan maintain its former glory!” a clan member argued again.

Bai Qihe shook his head: “Don’t you understand? The Princess of Zhen values the Bai Clan’s honor more than anyone. That’s why she is unwilling to make recommendations before the Crown Prince! Each of you here today, who can swear on their conscience… that if given a position in the royal court, you wouldn’t abuse power or tarnish the Bai family of Dadu City for the Bai Clan’s hard-earned glory?”

“If any of you could truly bear the banner of the Bai Clan, there would be no need to ask… The Princess of Zhen would readily recommend you to the Crown Prince! But over the years, the younger generation of the clan has indulged in nothing but eating, drinking, and playing. Not to mention this… has any member of our large Bai clan ever topped the civil service exams in the palace? No! You think only of relying on the Bai family in Dadu City, only of relying on the Princess of Zhen, seeking connections and using personal favors. Who… has truly fought for the Bai Clan’s honor with heart and soul? Only the Bai family in Dadu!”

Bai Qihe spoke with righteous indignation, his chest heaving violently. Yet he saw that the clan members responded with cold indifference, showing no sign of acknowledging their wrongs. With great effort, he suppressed his anger and said, “If you want to see the Princess of Zhen, figure it out yourselves. I, Bai Qihe, will never request an audience with the Princess of Zhen for you.”

After saying this, Bai Qihe swept his sleeves and left.

The clan members watched Bai Qihe board his carriage, curling their lips disdainfully. Someone spat at his departing figure: “Bah! What arrogance! Nothing but a lapdog of the Princess of Zhen! He thinks he’s something special!”

“Exactly. He can’t even handle his own household affairs, almost losing his wife! And yet he comes here to lecture us!”

“Wasn’t Bai Qihe just worried about offending the Princess of Zhen, afraid of losing his temporarily gained position as Clan Leader!”

The clan members criticized Bai Qihe behind his back, feeling much better afterward. Seeing they couldn’t get past the high gates of the Bai Mansion, and their gifts had been taken away, the Bai clan members left in frustration, fearing that if the servants of the Bai Mansion did call on Magistrate Zhou, they would face dire consequences.

*

Inside the Shaohua Hall, Bai Qingyan listened to Steward Hao recounting the events at the main gate of the Bai Mansion, not minding them. However, Steward Hao felt a knot in his heart, thinking that the Bai family had spoiled the clan too much over the years, giving them an inflated sense of entitlement.

After discussing the gate incident with Bai Qingyan, Steward Hao said, “Eldest Young Lady, today is your birthday. Mr. Gu, Steward Liu, and all the old servants of the Bai family have prepared birthday gifts for you. Please kindly accept them!”

Steward Hao then turned and took a large square treasure chest made of purple sandalwood from a servant. The doors of the chest were intricately carved with floral and avian motifs, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. Inside was a set of ruby hair ornaments, not particularly large, but exceptionally delicate in workmanship, utilizing gold-smithing techniques. The combination of gold and red was strikingly beautiful.

“Such beautiful hair ornaments!” Dong Tingzhen couldn’t help but exclaim.

As he stood nearby, Steward Hao’s eyes smiled deeply, seeing Bai Qingyan pick up a peony hairpin with evident delight.

“This treasure chest alone is incredibly valuable. And the craftsmanship of this set is rare indeed, truly thoughtful!” Bai Jinzhi touched the tassel on the hairpin, looking up at Steward Hao with a smile.

That afternoon, Mrs. Dong announced that in honor of Bai Qingyan’s birthday, the servants of the mansion would receive an additional two months’ salary. She also sent generous gifts to Mr. Gu, Steward Liu, and Steward Hao, thanking them for their hard work and celebrating Bai Qingyan’s birthday.

Mr. Gu, Steward Hao, and Steward Liu found the gifts from Mrs. Dong to be far more valuable than the treasure chest they had given Bai Qingyan, leaving them both amused and helpless. Nanny Qin had told them that refusing the gifts would be an insult to Mrs. Dong.

That day, Bai Jinzhi spent the afternoon with Mrs. Li and visited the Boyun Courtyard at night.

As they were set to depart for the Anping Camp the next day, Bai Jinzhi felt both excited and anxious about the uncertain journey ahead. Though she wanted to sleep early, she couldn’t help but visit the Boyun Courtyard to see her eldest sister.

Seeing the lights in the main room of Boyun Courtyard, Bai Jinzhi hesitated at the door. She saw the silhouette of her eldest sister, leaning on a soft couch by the window, reading, and worried that expressing her anxiety might make her sister think she wasn’t ready.