Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Chapter 81: Broken Home_1

“Who came from Shuoyang?” she asked.

Nanny Qin looked troubled and said, “Only two of the unacknowledged elders of the same generation as the Crown Prince were sent over.”

The cold wind swirled with snow, and a sheet of white slid down from the eaves’ corner, disturbed by the tilt. The lanterns in the corridor swayed back and forth in the wind.

She pressed her lips together and remained silent for a while. Though the Bai family of Shuoyang and the Bai family of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion were about to separate in her generation, the Bai family of Shuoyang relied entirely on the Bai family for protection. Every year during the New Year celebrations, the legitimate members of the Bai family of Shuoyang would almost always follow, trying to foster closer ties with the Duke’s mansion.

Now, in the midst of the Bai family’s grand mourning, only two unacknowledged elders were sent. Although it doesn’t suffice to say they were opportunistic, it did inevitably come off as somewhat heartless.

It was human nature to seek benefit and avoid harm. She blamed no one.

...

Yet, there was still a faint chill in her heart.

She murmured, “Grandmother just took her medicine and lay down to rest. Let’s leave it for another day!”

Nanny Qin nodded respectfully and left hastily.

Bai Qingyan held her seventh sister Bai Jinse’s hand and walked to the front courtyard. They knelt before the spirit tablets alongside their mother, aunt, and sisters.

The fourth aunt, Mrs. Wang, seemed utterly defeated, lying beside the small coffin of the seventeenth child. No one could persuade her to leave.

The first to pay their respects was Madam Dong from Dengzhou, accompanied by almost the entire family.

After Dong Changyuan finished paying his respects, he looked at Bai Qingyan, who barely managed to hold back tears while giving him a greeting in return. His heart felt heavy, assuming that since the Bai family’s current situation was unclear, the Shuoyang clan had only sent two unacknowledged elders for the funeral. Those serving as officials were too afraid to come. Even their maternal relatives didn’t send anyone. Instead, the common folk of the Capital gathered at the Duke’s mansion gate, wailing in sorrow.

This incident with the Bai family vividly showcased the fickleness of political life.

After paying respects to the Bai family’s departed spirits, Madam Dong took Mrs. Dong to a secluded place and quietly asked about her future plans.

“Yesterday the Chief of Staff who is close friends with your elder brother advised him to distance himself from the Bai family. He said the Emperor might seize this chance to root out the Bai family entirely and suggested your brother should protect himself. I’ve been thinking, perhaps I should return and pretend to be ill. Our official line should be that Kid and Chang Yuan have had a marriage agreement for a long time. Even though marrying in such mourning is unconventional, if it’s for bringing good fortune to this old life of mine, nobody could say much. You should also ask the Eldest Princess for a divorce paper. We’ll return to Dengzhou; preserving what we can is more important.”

Madam Dong spoke rapidly, her thoughts evidently long premeditated.