The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 338: cover up the disaster
Chapter 338 Concealing the Disaster
Bai Qingyan’s words were a little profound, but Bai Jinse understood them clearly. She stood up and bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Jinse will remember your teachings.”
Looking at his younger sister, Bai Qingyan wondered whether her precocity was a good thing or not.
She smiled at Bai Jinse and said, “Remember, as long as the Lin family is stable, I will do my best to protect the Bai family, so I must make sure that Miss Lu can be used by the Bai family. If you are honest with me and are willing to share my worries, I will agree.”
With her elder sister’s words, Bai Jinse felt more confident. She bowed to her elder sister and ran towards her grandmother’s longevity hall.
Bai Qingyan believed that her grandmother used Miss Lu because the noble lady Qiu in the palace was a member of the King of Liang’s faction. This was a risky move because her grandmother knew better than Bai Qingyan how difficult the future of the Bai family would be.
If there was a clear-headed and intelligent young man from the Bai family who could stay by Miss Lu’s side to keep an eye on her for her, her grandmother would definitely feel a lot more at ease.
As soon as Bai Qingyan returned to Qinghui Courtyard, Bai Jinxiu grabbed him and asked him about clan matters.
“When you go back later, go out through the corner door at the back.” She said to Bai Jinxiu with a smile, “There’s a commotion going on in front!”
Bai Jinxiu stood up in shock.
“Sit down…” She pulled Bai Jinxiu to sit down, “You’re pregnant, why are you so startled?”
“Eldest sister, you just let them make a fuss?”
“It was me who asked Butler Hao to lead them to make a fuss! The bigger the fuss, the better!” She did not hide it from Bai Jinxiu, “This is the only way to let the people know that the Shuoyang Bai clan has been causing trouble for Shuoyang for many years, and I was mostly unknown to the Bai family. This can also be regarded as… a start to completely separate from the clan in the future.”
Bai Jinxiu was silent for a moment: “The clans are originally blood relatives, and they should help each other when they are in trouble. But over the years… the clans are like leeches attached to our Bai family. They did not help the Bai family when they were in trouble, but took advantage of the fire to rob! If they can be separated from the Shuoyang clan, it would be a good thing.”
She nodded: “Don’t worry about this matter, just take good care of your baby.”
Bai Jinse stayed in Changshouyuan for an hour before coming out. As expected, the Grand Princess allowed Bai Jinse to stay in Dadu and study medicine with Miss Lu.
Bai Jinse stepped out of the threshold of Changshouyuan, and her tense spine finally relaxed slightly. She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes moist. She could finally do something for this family.
When Bai Jinzhi heard that the clan elders were making trouble at the gate of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion, he almost lost his temper and rushed out with a whip. However, he was persuaded by Lingcui, his personal maid, to go to Qinghui Courtyard.
When Bai Jinzhi walked in, Bai Qingyan was discussing with Nanny Tong the gifts they were going to prepare for visiting their mentor, Mr. Guan, tomorrow.
April 12th is Mr. Guan Yongchong’s birthday.
Bai Qingyan was in mourning, so in order to avoid the birthday banquet, he planned to go a day earlier.
Seeing Bai Jin coming in childishly, Bai Qingyan put the unique bamboo slips she found for her mentor into the box and told Chuntao: “Go and get the fourth girl a cup of chrysanthemum tea to calm her down.”
Bai Jinzhi bowed and found an embroidered cushion to sit on. “The clan members are so shameless! They even dared to make trouble in front of the princess’s mansion!”
She smiled and said, “If the incident gets out of hand, I’ll have to confess to my ancestors and exterminate my clan in the future so that I won’t be criticized by the world! Just sit back and relax!”
Bai Jinzhi blinked, with a look of joy between his brows.
Chun Tao came in through the curtains, carrying chrysanthemum tea. She bowed and said, “Eldest Miss, Fourth Miss, Yin Shuang is back!”
Bai Jinxiu had just taken Yin Shuang away not long ago, how come Yin Shuang is back again?
“Let her in.” Bai Qingyan said.
“Yes!” Chuntao served tea to Bai Jinzhi, walked out in small steps and waved to Yinshuang.
Yin Shuang walked in, bowed politely, and quickly took out the letter from her arms and handed it to Bai Qingyan.
“Thank you for your hard work, Yinshuang!” Bai Qingyan took the neatly folded note with a smile, and said to Chuntao while unwrapping the note, “Take Yinshuang out for some snacks.”
“The second young lady is still in the teahouse…” Yin Shuang showed Bai Qingyan her white teeth and smiled innocently, “When I get back, the second young lady will give me some sweet-scented osmanthus cake.”
“Okay! Go ahead…be careful on the road!” Bai Qingyan reminded Yin Shuang.
“Hey!” Yin Shuang responded.
When Yin Shuang turned around to leave, Bai Qingyan suddenly called her again.
Yin Shuang looked at Bai Qingyan with a pair of clear black and white eyes, and heard Bai Qingyan say: “The second young lady is pregnant, and cannot leave you. In the future, send someone else to deliver the letter, and you must stay with the second young lady! I know your sister Qingzhu taught you some kung fu, I entrust the second young lady to you, please take good care of her and the child.”
“Sister Qingzhu told me to listen to the eldest girl, and I will definitely listen to her!” Yinshuang looked very confident.
Bai Qingyan smiled and said, “From now on, you listen to the second lady!”
“Yes! The Second Miss treats Yin Shuang well! Yin Shuang also listens to the Second Miss!”
“Go ahead…”
Yin Shuang nodded and hurried out of Qinghui Courtyard. She wanted to take good care of the second young lady. The eldest young lady said… not to leave her side at all times.
Bai Jinzhi put down his teacup and stretched his neck to look at the letter in Bai Qingyan’s hand: “Second sister, what’s the urgent matter that you asked Yin Shuang to send a message back right after you left?”
Before Bai Qingyan finished reading the letter, someone outside the door reported that Nanny Jiang and Wei Zhong, who were by the side of the Grand Princess, had arrived together.
She guessed that what her grandmother sent Nanny Jiang and Wei Zhong to tell her was the same news that Bai Jinxiu sent back - the great famine in Yanwo.
“Let Nanny Jiang and Wei Zhong come in.” Bai Qingyan handed the letter to Bai Jinzhi.
Bai Jinzhi hurriedly took it and looked at it carefully.
After Nanny Jiang and Wei Zhong entered and paid their respects, Nanny Jiang glanced at Bai Jinzhi, who was still sitting next to Bai Qingyan reading a letter, and seemed to be hesitant about whether she should let Bai Jinzhi know about this matter.
“Madam, are you here because of the famine in Yanwo?” Bai Qingyan said calmly, “This matter will be known to everyone in the capital within an hour. Tell me now.”
The implication is that there is no need to hide it from Bai Jinzhi.
Bai Jinzhi raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Wei Zhong.
Wei Zhong stepped forward and spoke respectfully, “Yanwo suffered a severe drought in July last year. The county magistrate, Min Zhongsheng… concealed the disaster because he would be promoted to county governor at the end of the year and did not want anything to go wrong. The grain collection in the war in southern Xinjiang emptied the people’s homes. After the new county magistrate took office, Min Zhongsheng forced the county magistrate to clean up the mess and not report the disaster!”
“Min Zhongsheng had hoped that Yanwo would recover, but Yanwo was hit by another snowstorm in winter. Heavy rains continued for a month in March, causing floods. Good farmland was submerged and no crops were harvested. The government was slow to provide food relief, so refugees fled everywhere and poured into Pingyang, Guangling, Luohong and Hushui. Wherever the refugees went, no tree bark remained, causing dozens of murders. Only then did the magistrate of Sifang County know about the famine in Yanwo. At this time, the memorial had been sent to the palace, and it was said that the prince had also entered the palace.”
Yanwo is not far from Dayan.
Bai Qingyan nodded: “I understand…”
First update…
A thousand cups of wine are not enough when you meet a bosom friend. Can you give me a few more votes? I beg for monthly votes with tears in my eyes…