Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 65

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.