Chapter 295
Madam Qi hurriedly wiped her tears and nodded to Mrs. Dong, choking with gratitude.
“But besides being daughters and mothers, my fifth sister-in-law and I are also wives of the Bai family. We’ve all vowed to our husbands to stay together through life and death. Moreover, my fifth sister-in-law just gave birth, how could Madam Qi, as a mother, bear to see her daughter and granddaughter separated?”
“I will never leave the Bai family!”
Mrs. Qi’s voice came from behind the screen, startling both Madam Qi and Mrs. Dong.
“You…” Madam Qi stood up in shock, holding onto the table edge. “Have you lost your mind? Don’t you know you’re still in confinement? How can you leave your room?”
Mrs. Dong quickly walked around the screen and saw Mrs. Qi standing there, pale and wrapped in a thin cloak, with terrified maids standing behind her, not daring to lift their heads.
Mrs. Dong helped Mrs. Qi and turned to shout, “Where is Nanny Zhai? How could she let the fifth lady come out in the wind during her confinement? Nanny Qin, quickly… get my cloak and light a brazier in the room!”
Mrs. Qi didn’t move, gripping Mrs. Dong’s hand tightly. “Sister-in-law, it’s already an offense for me to come to your courtyard during my confinement. I won’t go inside.”
“Why are you saying such things at a time like this? We are family, there’s nothing to avoid!” Mrs. Dong, displeased that Mrs. Qi wasn’t taking care of herself, scolded her with a stern face.
She dragged Mrs. Qi in, settled her on the bed, wrapped her in a brocade quilt, and then harshly questioned Mrs. Qi’s personal maids, “How could you serve the fifth lady like this? Don’t you know she’s still in confinement?”
“Sister-in-law…” Mrs. Qi tugged at Mrs. Dong’s sleeve, her eyes red. “Don’t blame them. I heard my mother wanted to see you and feared she might be here to ask for a separation letter behind my back, so I came along to see.”
As she spoke, Mrs. Qi glanced at Madam Qi.
Madam Qi’s tears flowed continuously, pressing a handkerchief to her chest as she sat on the soft couch. “For whose sake am I doing this?”
“Mother, I’ve made myself clear. I will never leave the Bai family in this life. Let alone my feelings for Fifth Brother, I just gave birth to my daughter! I can’t let the world see the Bai family, which has been loyal and sacrificed so much, fall to ruin!”
Mrs. Qi’s eyes were sore, her words were firm. This was what she had unintentionally overheard in a conversation between her sister-in-law and her own mother.
Hearing her daughter’s words, Madam Qi trembled and couldn’t say anything, clutching the black lacquered table beside her. After a long silence, she couldn’t help but cry bitterly, hiding her face in her handkerchief.
Because she knew, she couldn’t take her daughter away…
Not just today, but even if she pleaded with the Empress for a separation decree, her daughter wouldn’t leave since she had already rooted herself in the Bai family.
But she only had this one daughter!
Madam Qi’s two daughters-in-law saw Madam Qi coming out of the room. They hurried to support her from both sides.
“Mother, I just saw my sister-in-law come in. Did you and sister-in-law and the madam agree that sister-in-law can go home after her confinement?” Qi family’s second daughter-in-law asked.
Madam Qi shook her head. “Your sister is not leaving…”
“What? Mother…” Qi family’s first daughter-in-law glanced back at the room. Seeing no one coming out to send them off, she whispered, “Is it possible that Mrs. Dong doesn’t agree? Should we go to the Imperial Qing Temple and ask the Eldest Princess for a separation letter?”
Madam Qi looked up at the lanterns swaying under the corridor, closed her eyes, and tears flowed down the deep lines of her face. “It’s your sister who doesn’t want to leave! Fine… if she doesn’t want to go, then she doesn’t want to go. As her sisters-in-law, take good care of her in the future!”
Madam Qi wasn’t foolish. She saw earlier that Mrs. Dong’s reprimand of her daughter was sincere and that her concern for her daughter was genuine. Her daughter wasn’t as desolate and helpless in the Bai family as she had thought. Her daughter wasn’t unwilling to leave because of fears of being disliked when she returned to her natal family.
It seemed her daughter had been living well in the Bai family and didn’t want to leave.
“Mother… don’t worry, sister will always be my and Eldest Brother’s sister. Whenever she wants to return home, the door of the Qi family will always be open for her. If she wants to stay in the Bai family, we’ll always stand by her side, ensuring no one dares to bully her!” Qi family’s first daughter-in-law gripped Madam Qi’s hand tightly, her eyes red.
Hearing this, Madam Qi’s nostrils flared, deeply moved, and she squeezed her daughter-in-law’s hand firmly. “Mother knows! Mother knows you and Eldest Brother are good!”
Standing properly by the side, the second daughter-in-law of the Qi family knew that even if she showed emotion, Madam Qi wouldn’t believe her and it was better to remain silent.
·
At noon, Nanny Zhai used a soft sedan chair to carry Mrs. Qi back to her courtyard under the bright sun.
Originally, Mrs. Dong didn’t want Mrs. Qi to move again, but moving all her necessary items from her own courtyard was cumbersome. Out of insistence, Mrs. Qi moved back, and Mrs. Dong couldn’t stop her.
As soon as Mrs. Qi was placed into the soft sedan chair, Mrs. Dong heard Nanny Qin say that just now, a front gate porter reported that the Fourth Prince of Yan had delivered an invitation card asking to see the Princess of Zhen.
Now, the Bai Mansion was already the Princess of Zhen’s residence. Bai Qingyan, her daughter, was the rightful owner of this mansion. It made sense for the Fourth Prince of Yan to request a meeting with the Princess of Zhen.
But Mrs. Dong was uneasy, so she sent Nanny Qin to see what the Fourth Prince of Yan wanted with her daughter.
After all, he was a prince from another kingdom, and Mrs. Dong feared it might arouse suspicion from the Crown Prince or the Emperor.
·
Murong Li, accompanied by Feng Yao, sat in the main hall of the Princess of Zhen’s mansion, drinking tea. As soon as he saw Bai Qingyan enter, he stood up and humbly greeted her first.
Bai Qingyan sidestepped half a bow, returned the greeting with a smile, and asked, “May I know why the Fourth Prince has graced us with your presence?”
According to Uncle Nine’s instructions, Murong Li knelt deeply and solemnly said, “I’ve heard that there is a Doctor Hong in the Princess of Zhen’s mansion whose medical skills are unparalleled. I’ve come to seek his help for my father. I hope the princess can grant my request.”
This matter had been prearranged; they were merely putting on a show for those interested.
“How did the Fourth Prince learn of Doctor Hong in my mansion?” Bai Qingyan asked.
“I’ve heard from the director of the Imperial Medical Bureau in the Jin Palace, Doctor Huang, who has an elder martial brother with extraordinary medical skills far surpassing his own. After thorough investigation, I found this Doctor Hong in the Princess of Zhen’s mansion, and hence, I boldly sought your help.”
Bai Qingyan sighed, “Doctor Hong is indeed highly skilled, but not as miraculous as the rumors say. However… since the Fourth Prince has personally come, I can have Doctor Hong accompany you on your trip.”