Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 65 - : Restraint in Grief_1
Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Restraint in Grief_1
Afterwards, the servants of the Marquis of Dingyong’s mansion escorted the steward of the mansion through the crowd. The steward bowed and said, “Madam Crown Prince, Eldest Young Lady. This old servant is the steward of the Marquis of Dingyong’s mansion. My lord asked me to bring over the coffin he prepared by carriage. Given the meritorious services of the Crown Prince and the Generals, it is not against protocol to use it.”
“Thank the Marquis of Dingyong for me!” Mrs. Dong said while bowing with Bai Qingyan.
“My lord and the Duke of Zhen have known each other since childhood. It’s only fitting! Madam, Eldest Young Lady, please accept my condolences.” The steward bowed.
Seeing that the coffins from various aristocratic families were of suitable standards for the Bai family, almost all sent their coffins over.
Mrs. Dong personally selected the usable coffins and had them carried into the Duke of Zhen’s mansion. She ordered Steward Hao to have the Bai Mansion’s steward visit each home to thank them. The remaining unused ones were politely returned with thanks.
Mrs. Dong originally wanted to stay in the courtyard to supervise the setup of the mourning hall, but was persuaded by Bai Qingyan to go rest. There was still a heap of things waiting for Mrs. Dong to handle. In the Bai family, everyone could collapse except the Eldest Princess and Mrs. Dong.
She stood in the courtyard, watching the servants work together to set up the canopy, looking at the twenty-plus coffins, feeling a mix of sorrow and hatred, a deep ache swelling in her heart and eyes.
In her previous life, only the remains of her grandfather, fifth uncle, her cousin Bai Qingming, and young Seventeen had returned. The other men of the Bai family had all stayed behind in the southern frontier.
She wondered if this life would end with the same outcome.
Chen Qingsheng came back from outside the mansion and happened to see Bai Qingyan standing under the gallery, quickly walking over.
Chun Tao saw her cousin and whispered to Bai Qingyan, “Miss… my cousin is here!”
“Eldest Young Lady!” Chen Qingsheng bowed with a pale face.
Bai Qingyan turned back, saw him bowing, and said, “No need for formalities.”
“Eldest Young Lady, just now when this small one returned to the mansion, I encountered the shop assistant left to look after Manjiang Tower. He said… someone was inquiring about my identity. After thinking it over, I went to find the beggar who had delivered the letter to Xiao Mansion. Sure enough, the beggar said someone found him, broke one of his thumbs, and interrogated him about the origin of the letter. He truthfully said… he saw the shopkeeper of Manjiang Tower greet me that day!” Chen Qingsheng’s head was drenched in sweat as he glanced at Bai Qingyan, then quickly lowered his head. “This oversight is my fault. Please punish me.”
Bai Qingyan clenched her palm tighter. She knew from her past life that Xiao Rongyan was formidable. Chen Qingsheng was still young and lacked experience, yet he had done well to reach this stage.
“Get up!” Bai Qingyan pursed her lips. “They might not necessarily trace it to you. If anyone asks you, just say that someone paid you to handle this matter and you were afraid of causing trouble for the Duke’s mansion, so you asked the beggar for help. It’s no big deal! Since you’re a person of the Duke’s mansion, they likely wouldn’t dare use extreme means to press you for answers.”
Chen Qingsheng let out a long sigh of relief. “I understand! I will be more cautious in the future and won’t trouble you, Eldest Young Lady.”
Chen Qingsheng was a smart person. He knew Bai Qingyan valued him for his abilities. If he couldn’t handle small matters well, he wouldn’t be worthy of being by the Eldest Young Lady’s side to take orders.
She tightened her grip on the handwarmer and called out his name, then took a few steps to a deserted corner. Chen Qingsheng quickly followed her.
He heard Bai Qingyan slowly start, “After the mourning at the Duke’s mansion is properly handled, grandmother will take the Third Young Lady to the temple under the guise of praying for the Jin Kingdom. The prayer… is a ruse. The Third Young Lady will disguise herself as a man, leave incognito, and engage in commerce to display her talents. I am planning to let you accompany the Third Young Lady to gain experience for a few years.”
Chen Qingsheng was slightly stunned upon hearing this. For such a heretical action as a woman disguising herself as a man to go into business, to actually have the support of the Eldest Princess, meant it was a significant matter. Such affairs would not have been revealed unless it was to someone trustworthy.
Chen Qingsheng’s acute perception made him realize that the Eldest Young Lady was opening her heart to him, treating him as one of her own. Otherwise, how could he easily be told such confidential matters?
Chen Qingsheng was filled with ardent loyalty. He steadied his emotions, knelt down, and declared, “Since the Eldest Young Lady trusts me, I will dedicate my life to her service.”
She turned her head to look at Chen Qingsheng and advised, “Be more cautious in the future. I trust you!”
“I understand! Thank you for your confidence!” Chen Qingsheng kowtowed.
“Go prepare then. You should know how to explain it to your parents,” she said.
“I understand!”
Early in the morning, having spent a sleepless night, Dong Changyuan heard that his uncle Dong Qingping and his father Dong Qingyue had returned. He hurried over to inquire and learned that all the men in the Duke of Zhen’s mansion sacrificed their lives for the country. Dong Changyuan was filled with trepidation. When he thought of Bai Qingyan, the gentle and refined cousin, he couldn’t sit still.
He was full of worries, wondering how terrified Bai Qingyan must be. Her health was already frail and thin. With such a calamity hitting the Bai family, how much torment must she be enduring, whether she was overwrought, grief-stricken to the point of tears?
An anxious Dong Changyuan immediately rode over. Before he even stepped into the main gate of the Bai Mansion, he saw Bai Qingyan standing under the gallery, dressed in plain mourning clothes, speaking with Chen Qingsheng. Dong Changyuan stood under a white silk lantern marked with the word “Condolence,” quietly observing.
Bai Qingyan was not weeping as he had expected, nor was she too grief-stricken to get out of bed. Although she looked tired, her eyes were red, but her expression was clear-minded. She was even methodically instructing the servants, showing impressive resilience.
As the early morning light filtered through the thin mist, it gradually fell on the woman with her strong and steadfast demeanor. Faced with such a great catastrophe, she was sorrowful but not despairing, hiding her pain within, with no sign of panic. Though appearing delicate, she was as strong as green silk, containing inner strength, seemingly unbreakable by any means.
All of the consoling words that Dong Changyuan had brought with him dissipated in his chest.
He was foolish to forget that his cousin, despite her frail exterior, had been to the battlefield and slain enemy soldiers! Her courage and steely resolve were qualities that could not be matched by the men who had grown up among books in their comfortable homes.
Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.
Chun Tao noticed Dong Changyuan standing at the entrance of the Bai Mansion and hurriedly approached Bai Qingyan, whispering, “Eldest Young Lady, Young Master Cousin is here!”
She turned around, saw Dong Changyuan bow deeply to her, and returned his salute with a slight curtsey.
Dong Changyuan stood in front of Bai Qingyan, his lips moving for a long time before he timidly said, “If there is anything I can do to help, do not hesitate to ask, Cousin.”
She looked at the canopy that had already been set up in the courtyard and said, “Cousin Changyuan, please spend more time accompanying grandmother on behalf of my mother and me. She had come to Dadu with great difficulty for the New Year, yet neither my mother nor I can be by her side.”
Dong Changyuan nodded, then turned to look at the steadfast young woman before him. “Cousin, my condolences.”
“Elder Sister!” Fourth Young Lady Bai Jinzhi came running quickly with urgent footsteps. After hastily greeting Dong Changyuan, she leaned close to Bai Qingyan and whispered, “Elder Sister, grandmother has coughed up blood!”
