Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

She took a few steps toward the inner room, covering her mouth as she whispered something into Bai Jinzhi's ear.

Bai Jinzhi's reddened eyes suddenly sparkled. She gripped the long whip behind her waist and nodded before rushing out.

"You go too, don't let the Fourth Young Lady suffer a loss!" Bai Qingyan turned slightly and instructed Chun Yan.

"Eldest Young Lady?!" Third Young Lady Bai Jintong stepped forward, looking puzzled at Bai Qingyan. "What did you say to Xiao Si? Where did she go?"

Bai Qingyan tightened her grip on the hand warmer, her voice cold and harsh: "Didn't they say Second Sister and the little sister-in-law were just playing? Since Second Sister's little sister-in-law enjoys playing so much, our Xiao Si has a reputation to uphold. Not seeking her out for a little fun would be a disservice to that reputation!"

The Fifth and Sixth Young Ladies surrounded the bed, tearfully looking at Bai Jinxiu.

"How is Doctor Hong?" Mrs. Liu wringed the handkerchief in her hand, deeply concerned.

"She caught a cold, the fever won't subside... Did she also suffer some head trauma?" Doctor Hong rolled up his sleeves, just about to examine Bai Jinxiu's head.

Nanny Wu, from the side of the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, shouted: "Our eldest young mistress is highly esteemed; how can we let a rural doctor touch her?!"

Bai Qingyan directed a sharp glare at Nanny Wu.

Mrs. Liu, also a fierce character, didn't wait for her steward, Nanny Luo, to act. She personally pushed Nanny Wu aside: "My daughter married well into your Marquis Mansion, and now she lies here unconscious! Who do you think you are to stop Doctor Hong from treating my daughter?! Filthy scum..."

Before Mrs. Liu could say anything more offensive, Bai Jintong already cast a sidelong glance at Nanny Wu and spoke: "The valued guests of the Duke of Zhen Mansion become rural doctors at the Marquis Mansion? Marquis of Loyalty and Courage really has a big mouth!"

Nanny Jiang sensed something wrong and subtly observed the nervous Nanny Wu.

Nanny Wu stood timidly to the side, sneaking glances at the solemn-looking Nanny Jiang, her heart sinking. She quickly plastered a smile on her face and said: "Our eldest young mistress fell into the water yesterday. Our madam invited the Imperial Physician over to examine her. The Second Madam, the Third Young Lady misunderstood."

"Where is your Crown Prince?!" Mrs. Liu, seeing her daughter in such a state and not seeing her son-in-law, immediately flew into a rage.

"Today, since the eldest young mistress can't return home, the princely heir went to the Fanxing Tower to attend a poetry meeting and meet friends," Nanny Wu deliberately stoked the fire.

"Shouldn't someone ask the Crown Prince to come back!" Nanny Luo looked at Nanny Jiang, considering Nanny Jiang represented the Eldest Princess.

Bai Qingyan knew Qin Lang's stepmother was difficult to deal with. She probably intended to stoke dissatisfaction from the Duke of Zhen Mansion towards Qin Lang, deliberately sending him away. Holding back her anger, she said: "Third Sister, have a servant from the Duke of Zhen Mansion go to Fanxing Tower to invite Crown Prince Qin back."

"This isn't right. Our princely heir is attending a poetry meeting, an important matter for men... How could he return for such a trivial issue!" Nanny Wu, back in her own territory, was more arrogant than she was at the Duke of Zhen Mansion.

Bai Qingyan's icy, deep eyes fixed on Nanny Wu, the sharp-tongued one, and she asked sternly: "Is this your idea or the lady of your marquis?"

Having her intentions exposed, Nanny Wu felt a chill under Bai Qingyan's stare and didn't dare to make a sound. She thought of how this eldest young lady of the Bai family had once followed Duke Bai to the battlefield, personally beheading enemy generals. The very thought made her panic. Every glance from this eldest young lady made Nanny Wu's heart pound.

"I'll go at once!" Bai Jintong took a deep look at Nanny Wu before lifting her skirt and heading out.

Bai Qingyan sat down on the soft couch, holding a hand warmer. She looked at Nanny Wu again and asked, "Why haven't I seen any of my second sister's dowry maids around?"

Nanny Wu felt a shiver run down her spine, sensing something was wrong.

Just now, worried and busy, Mrs. Liu hadn't noticed. But now she realized that none of Bai Jinxiu's dowry maids were present.

Mrs. Liu, furious, pointed at Nanny Wu: "Where are my daughter's dowry maids?! Speak!"

"Second Madam, Eldest Young Lady, the eldest young mistress fell into the water because the maids didn't serve her well. Our marquis mansion has strict rules, unlike the lenient Duke's mansion. If the master has problems, it's the servants' fault. So, our lady decided to sell them all off!" Nanny Wu lowered her eyes, nervously explained.

Bai Qingyan almost laughed out of anger, her chest heaving violently. She nearly crushed the hand warmer in her grasp. Such strict rules!

"The lady of your marquis mansion really carries herself with grandeur! She dares to meddle with my daughter's dowry! The contracts of my daughter's dowry maids belong to my daughter. Yet, your lady dared to sell them while my daughter was unconscious!" Mrs. Liu was so furious that her chest hurt, wondering what kind of hellhole her daughter had married into.

Tampering with the dowry would ruin reputations if word spread. Nanny Wu panicked and quickly said: "This was done with the consent of the eldest young mistress!"

Mrs. Liu's heart grew heavier: "Do you think my daughter hasn't woken up, so you can deceive me?!"

Just as Mrs. Liu finished, a maid stumbled in, her hair in disarray, a whip mark on her face.

"Bad news! Bad news! The Fourth Young Lady of the Bai family has gone mad... She wants to kill our Second Young Lady and Madam!"

Nanny Wu's eyes widened upon hearing this. She hastily lifted her skirt and rushed out but quickly turned back, bowing to Mrs. Liu and Nanny Jiang: "Second Madam, Nanny Jiang, please do something! Has the Fourth Young Lady of the Bai family gone mad, daring to assault people at our Marquis Mansion?!"

Nanny Jiang, who stood with her hands clasped in front of her, heard this and looked at the composed Bai Qingyan.

Their eyes met. Bai Qingyan's gaze was clear, and Nanny Jiang immediately understood that Bai Qingyan was intentionally causing a scene. She slightly nodded at Bai Qingyan.

Mrs. Liu let out a cold laugh: "My daughter is lying here on the brink of death. Do I care about your second young lady and madam?!"

Nanny Wu was dumbfounded by Mrs. Liu's response. The Bai family was simply... unreasonable. She could only look to Nanny Jiang for help: "Nanny Jiang?! Nanny Jiang, please say something!"

Nanny Jiang, looking at the bloodless Bai Jinxiu on the bed, also felt heartache: "This old servant will follow the Second Madam's orders."

Before Nanny Jiang left, the Eldest Princess had instructed her that nothing was more important than her granddaughter's life.

Bai Qingyan understood that in her previous life, the Chief of Staff's wife had kept things quiet for the sake of her daughter's situation but had sown the seeds for future troubles.

In her current life, Bai Jinxiu's life was of utmost importance. Blowing things out of proportion would make the Marquis Mansion of Loyalty and Courage more cautious.

Bai Qingyan had already made up her mind.

As the saying goes, things must be broken before they can be remade. Hopefully, Qin Lang wouldn't disappoint her, and she could use this opportunity to truly establish herself.

If Qin Lang proved useless, even though a high-status family in Dadu City had never divorced before, she would, before news from the Southern Border reached, still force a divorce while the Duke of Zhen Mansion held power.

Divorce would be better than letting Bai Jinxiu suffer a lifetime as the legitimate second daughter of the Chief of Staff.