Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Losing Face_1

Chun Yan’s face turned pale instantly. She hurriedly knelt down, saying, “Eldest Young Lady, this maid… this maid never had such thoughts. This maid is determined to follow the Eldest Young Lady in life and death. Wherever the Eldest Young Lady goes, this maid goes too! Even if the Eldest Young Lady gets married in the future, this maid will surely stay by her side to serve both the Young Lady and the Young Master!”

Bai Qingyan glanced at Chun Yan. Chun Yan must have believed that Bai Qingyan had no other future except marrying into King Liang’s mansion, so she was thinking of becoming her dowry maid there; otherwise, she wouldn’t work so hard to please her on behalf of King Liang.

Feeling uninterested, she didn’t want to waste her breath lecturing Chun Yan and picked up her chopsticks to eat.

For now, she couldn’t deal with Chun Yan. If Chun Yan, who could inform King Liang, left, King Liang would undoubtedly find other people in the Duke’s mansion. At that time, she would be in the open while King Liang’s people would be in the dark, causing more headaches.

Even though Chun Yan was annoying with her constant praise of King Liang, she wasn’t deeply conniving and wore her heart on her sleeve.

For several days, Bai Qingyan practiced morning and evening, feeling so sore that she couldn’t even hold her chopsticks while eating.

Chun Tao ladled a bowl of chicken soup millet porridge for Bai Qingyan, looking worried as she said, “Miss, if this continues, this maid fears that it will take a toll on your health.”

“These past few days, being all sweaty morning and night has actually made me feel much lighter.”

Hearing Bai Qingyan say this, Chun Tao dared not persuade her further, only lowering her head to glance at Chun Yan kneeling there, trembling and wiping tears, and shook her head.

After finishing breakfast, Bai Qingyan changed clothes to visit Bai Jinxiu, allowing Chun Yan to get up and attend to her.

Chun Yan tearfully handed the hand warmer to Bai Qingyan, respectfully stepping aside. Ever since she followed the Eldest Young Lady, this was the first time she had been punished so humiliatingly by her. All the maids coming in and out saw her kneeling there.

As Bai Qingyan draped the fox-fur cloak over her shoulders and stepped out of the Qinghui Courtyard, she saw Chen Qingsheng, who had been waiting at the door and joking with the sweeping maids, hastening over. He bowed to Bai Qingyan. “Eldest Young Lady…”

“Speak as we walk,” Bai Qingyan said.

“Yes,” Chen Qingsheng said respectfully, bending slightly and lowering his voice. “I found out that the six confidant maids accompanying the Second Young Lady as her dowry haven’t been sold. It seems that the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s family searched the dowry but couldn’t find their contracts. Eldest Young Lady, watch your step…”

Chen Qingsheng reminded Bai Qingyan to avoid the icy path underfoot and continued, “The gatekeeper at the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s mansion said his wife told him last night that, except for Mingyu, who was taken out of the mansion and arranged properly by Nanny Wu, the other five maids were all drowned!”

Bai Qingyan halted her steps, glanced sideways at Chen Qingsheng, and wondered if he was telling her that Mingyu had betrayed her mistress.

The dowry maids of Bai Jinxiu, chosen by their mother and second aunt, were simple and intelligent girls. Bai Qingyan had seen them on the wedding day.

But five young lives drowned just like that. Mrs. Jiang, Madam of the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, was indeed ruthless and vicious.

Chen Qingsheng continued, “To avoid having the clothes on the five maids traced back to the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s mansion, Mrs. Jiang’s Nanny Wu ordered their clothes stripped off, rolled them in straw mats, and threw them to the Burial Mound on a snowy night. The servants tasked with burying the bodies didn’t understand the situation, found it hard to dig the frozen ground, and, thinking they were just drowned maids, didn’t bother digging a proper grave, leaving the bodies in the snow hoping the heavy snow would cover them overnight before they went for drinks. The tavern owner said when they arrived, one seemed uneasy while the other reassured him that by the time the ice melted, the corpses would have been eaten by winter-foraging wild animals.”