Receiving Condolences
Bai Jingyan kept her head lowered, watching the hail rattle down from the eaves, and spoke in an even, measured tone.
"What is Grandmother's wish, then? That she wishes to keep him?"
"I can't yet say what the Grand Princess intends. Eldest Miss, there are no men left in the estate now. Whatever else he is, he still carries the blood of our house. His wicked temperament comes of never having been taught properly, that's all. A few days ago, the Grand Princess said to this old servant that His Majesty has issued an edict punishing King Xin, General You Huan, and Marquis of Loyalty Jin Deshao, and that once our estate's funeral rites are concluded, she will go and have the title passed down. Afterward she means to send that woman away, keep only the son, and raise the boy herself, with her own hands."
When Bai Jingyan said nothing, her head still bowed, Nanny Zhang stepped closer and took her hand.
"Eldest Miss, the Grand Princess is advanced in years. She has lost her husband, lost her son, and now her grandson as well—her heart must be eaten through with grief! A person must have something to hold onto, whatever it may be. She must do something, anything, or she will never see these bitter days through."
"Nanny, I understand all of it."
Bai Jingyan concealed the cold fire smoldering in her chest beneath a gentle voice.
"I knew he was running, and I let him go on purpose. That bastard latches himself onto whatever profits him and slinks away from anything that might cost him so much as a hair—it's his very nature. Once the edict punishing King Xin comes down, he'll come crawling back to the estate. Nanny, trust me."
"Of course I trust you! Completely! It was thoughtless of me to say anything. Eldest Miss, please pay it no mind."
Nanny Zhang bowed low before her, hands folded.
"Nanny."
Bai Jingyan sighed and steadied the old woman with her arm.
"Do you think you must treat me like some stranger? You served Grandmother your whole life—you are an elder to me and to Jinchi in all but blood. You spent far more years at Grandmother's side than any of us grandchildren ever did. You worry for her, you think of her always, and that is a blessing to us as much as to her."
Nanny Zhang pressed her handkerchief to her mouth as tears spilled down her face.
"Eldest Miss, Second Miss—when disaster struck the estate, it shattered the Grand Princess's heart beyond all saying. And yet she cannot allow herself to break, so she endures, barely, like this. Caught between the imperial house and the Bai family, able to lean neither this way nor that—there was not a single day of peace for her. Not one."
There was no possibility that Bai Jingyan failed to understand what Nanny Zhang was saying. It was because she understood too well—because of her grandmother—that she had crushed down the urge to kill that bastard on the spot and spared his wretched life.
"Send word that I will handle it in Grandmother's stead—sending away his mother, keeping only the son—so she needn't trouble herself with it any longer," Bai Jingyan said.
"Eldest Sister knows Grandmother is living through bitter days. But so are you."
Bai Jinxiu clenched her handkerchief, holding back tears as she moved to shield Bai Jingyan.
"If we keep that cursed thing my father left behind, he will bring ruin down on the entire Bai family one day. Do you remember what he said at the Chang family estate? I still get chills thinking of it. And yet we're to keep him? That's no different from living with a calamity that could strike at any hour. And when it does, Eldest Sister will have to step forward and clean up the mess again, won't she? Her body is already worn thin—she has endured more than enough for this family already.
Today, before Wude Gate, Eldest Sister was beaten with the rod. And even then she had no time to see Physician Hong. Nanny, doesn't your heart ache for her? And yet you beg her, of all people, to plead for that bastard's life."
Bai Jinxiu's throat tightened, and the tears would not stop.
"Eldest Sister has never once let it show, not since she was a child, not even when she was wounded. But she wasn't forged out of steel—she feels pain like anyone else!"
Only then did Nanny Zhang, standing beneath the lamp, startle and turn to Bai Jingyan in flustered alarm. She looked her over from head to toe and asked, her voice taut with worry and on the edge of weeping, "Eldest Miss—have you been enduring this all along? I was careless. This is my fault! I'll fetch Physician Hong at once."
"Physician Hong is looking after Qi Zhengyu right now. Qi Zhengyu has lost so much blood that he's probably—"
Bai Jingyan stopped mid-sentence. The memory of Qi Zhengyu, who had barely kept his arm from bleeding out for the sake of the estate, only to have it cut away again, brought the red sting of tears to her eyes.
"I'm fine."
Compared to Qi Zhengyu, what was one beating with the rod?
Bai Jingyan gripped Bai Jinxiu's hand tightly and offered what comfort she could.
"The executioner brought the rod down as carefully as he could. It was many times lighter than a military flogging would have been. Otherwise, do you think this body of mine could still be standing here?"
Just then the curtain swayed with a soft clatter of beads. The maids and servants all withdrew from the main room.
Nanny Zhang wiped her tears and raised the screen for Bai Jingyan and Bai Jinxiu. As they entered, Lady Dong was helping the Grand Princess into a seat at the round table.
Lady Dong had given the Grand Princess a detailed account of the disposal of the Duke of Zhenguo Estate's assets and the manner in which it had been done. Knowing that she and Bai Jingyan had arranged it all with the family's eventual return to Suyang in mind, the Grand Princess raised no objection. On the contrary, she was reassured by the thought that thanks to Lady Dong's and Bai Jingyan's decisiveness, the clan kinsmen would not be able to torment them when the time came to go home.
Her talk with Lady Dong had eased her mind considerably, and she had been about to take her meal when she overheard what Nanny Zhang was saying outside.
The Grand Princess and Lady Dong had listened from within the room for a long while before coming out.
The Grand Princess sat with her eyes closed, fingers moving over her prayer beads, and in the candlelight her silver-streaked hair looked more haggard than ever.
"A-Yan."
With reddened eyes, the Grand Princess stretched out the hand that clutched her beads toward Bai Jingyan.
As Bai Jingyan drew near, the Grand Princess pulled her into her arms. Tears slid down from the old woman's closed eyes. Then she bit her lip hard, her eyes flying open, and raised her voice.
"Take my name placard this instant and bring the imperial physicians here."
Only then did Bai Jingyan realize that the Grand Princess had heard everything said outside.
"Grandmother, I'm fine. Truly—there's no need to worry."
"You will listen to your grandmother!"
Lady Dong had been anxious from the moment she'd overheard, and her tears were on the verge of spilling over. She had wrung her handkerchief so hard it seemed about to tear.
"Why must you keep pretending to be strong, even in front of your own family!"
When Lady Dong had seen the children return safely from striking the Dengwen Drum, she had believed every matter had concluded smoothly. And yet her daughter had been beaten with the rod before Wude Gate. Why had no one told her?
Had she known, she would never have allowed her daughter to push herself so, dragging her wounded body from place to place.
"Where exactly is it that you're 'fine'? Ever since you were small, not once have you said a word when you were hurt! You let little ailments fester into grave ones, and every time it's only after you're found out that you admit to anything!"
the Grand Princess thundered.
"If you hope to spare your grandmother's heart, then you will let the imperial physicians examine you—now!"
Once the summons for the physicians had gone out, the Grand Princess steeled herself and spoke again.
"That wretched thing—if he means to go, let him go! Our estate has never bred such a coward."
Because Bai Jingxian had been her father's son, the words made Bai Jinxiu feel an unwitting pang of guilt.
"Grandmother…"
The Grand Princess spoke with an air of unshakable majesty.
"We do well enough without that unfilial wretch. Let us look instead to the child in our fifth daughter-in-law's belly. And what if it should be a girl? Do you doubt the women of our Bai family could raise this house back up on their own? So sit down and eat. Nanny Zhang, go to the mourning hall and bring all the children here. They must be fed."
Gazing at the vegetarian dishes spread across the table, the Grand Princess raised her voice again.
"I know we are receiving mourners, but the children are still growing. If you follow this old woman in going without meat, how will any of you hold up?"
"Grandmother, we must observe the rites properly—"
Bai Jinxiu began, her eyes rimmed red.
"Without meat, where would you find the strength to guard the tombs? To guard this estate, you need strength. Filial piety lives in the heart, not in empty ceremony—these observances are for the living to see. What meaning is there in clinging to them at the cost of your own bodies! A-Yan is frail, and Jinxiu has been wed—you must look after your health for the sake of the days ahead. Your health and your peace are the greatest filial offering you can make to your grandfather and your father! There will be no more argument. If anyone dares say a word, tell them this old woman forced you to eat."
The Grand Princess, straining to keep her mind clear, gave her orders to the maid standing at her side.
"Stop by the kitchens on your way and have chicken broth with noodles made for the children. Add bamboo shoots and pine mushrooms, and two eggs as well! Bring out the pork leg we set aside before the festival and steam it! And tell the kitchens that from tomorrow on, there is to be no day without meat broth. Tell them it is on my direct orders!"
"Jinxiu, your great-aunt knows how devout your filial heart is. But your grandmother is right."
Lady Dong patted Bai Jinxiu's hand gently.
"Your grandfather and father have already departed this world. I will not allow the rest of you to ruin your bodies in the name of 'filial piety.' Do as your grandmother says."
Having admonished Bai Jinxiu, Lady Dong turned to give the maid further instructions.
"Bring a bowl of noodles to the second son-in-law as well. Prepare a few side dishes to his taste and take them to him. He has been toiling these past days, helping with one thing and another around the estate."
The mourning hall could not be left unattended, so while Bai Jindong and Bai Jinchi brought the younger siblings over, Bai Jingyan's mother kept vigil there with the aunts.
After the meal, the wet nurse went off to put the fifth, sixth, and seventh young misses to bed, while the Grand Princess watched over the imperial physician as he took Bai Jingyan's pulse. Only when he pronounced her health sound did the Grand Princess finally allow herself to relax.
When Bai Jingyan emerged from the main room of Changshou Courtyard with Bai Jinxiu, Bai Jindong, and Bai Jinchi, goose-feather snow was drifting down outside.
A maid held an umbrella over them as they walked slowly out into the falling white.
"Eldest Sister, you told me and Third Sister to play up a tantrum and stall for time. I know the Suyang main house won't trouble us anymore, but still—four hundred fifty thousand taels of silver is far too bitter a price to pay!"
Bai Jinchi grumbled her discontent.
"When I think of those bloodsucking leeches among the clan kinsmen, I'd rather use that silver to open a porridge shop and hand out free bowls to the poor."
"There are only women left in the estate now. Think of it as the price we paid to buy our peace."
Bai Jinxiu smiled and ruffled Jinchi's hair.
"Still, that Mr. Xiao seems a truly honorable man."
Bai Jinchi's voice carried open admiration as she thought of Xiao Rongyan.
"The way he handled everything was so commanding. Nothing at all like the money-grubbing merchants we've met before. Honestly, he seemed more like a nobleman's son from some great house."
Xiao Rongyan had never been a true merchant to begin with. Naturally, then, he bore no smell of coin.
As they left Changshou Courtyard, a maid came toward them holding up an umbrella, supporting Nanny Na, the attendant at Lady Yu's side. Nanny Na said that Lady Yu wished to see Bai Jinxiu.
"Eldest Sister, Jindong, Jinchi—I'll go visit Mother. I'll head straight to the mourning hall afterward."
Bai Jingyan nodded.
Bai Jinxiu bade them farewell and hurried off with Nanny Na. In her haste, she asked the old woman whether her mother, Lady Yu, had fallen ill.
A cold wind swept past. Bai Jingyan turned to her two younger sisters.
"I'm going to see Qi Zhengyu, so you two go on to the mourning hall ahead of me."
"I'll come with you. Jinchi, you go to the mourning hall. There must be someone keeping vigil there."
Bai Jindong sent Bai Jinchi off. She had no wish for her to see Qi Zhengyu drenched in blood.
"Yes, sister."
Bai Jinchi nodded and went on her way.