Chuntao hurriedly added: "Mammy doesn't know, but now our eldest girl can already walk on horseback for an hour. Because her hands are wrapped with iron sandbags and cantilevered to practice calligraphy, she now has strength. The slave was also worried like mama before.
Later, I saw that the eldest girl's health was getting better and better, and even Doctor Hong said that the girl looked better than last winter, so Chuntao listened to our girl on these matters."
Aunt Tong nodded and kept rubbing Bai Qingyan's hand to warm her up.
On the way back, Grandma Tong kept talking. She even told the story that the two concubines from Shuoyang's hometown who came to attend the funeral had just gone to see Mr. Dong to bid farewell.
It was not surprising that the people from Shuoyang's hometown bid farewell to Bai Qingyan. Today, there was a huge momentum in front of the Wude Gate to force the emperor to kill King Xin. They were also afraid that if the emperor was angry, it would bring disaster to themselves.
"It turned out that before these two common men left, the eldest son of the patriarch of Shuoyang's hometown came. As soon as he entered the door, he told the prince's wife that before the Duke of Guo went on an expedition, the Shuoyang family sent people to the Duke's mansion.
, I have discussed with the Duke... After the New Year, I plan to purchase land for the clan, rebuild the ancestral hall, ancestral graves, and schools, and invite Hongru to give lectures."
Bai Qingyan was quite surprised. Although his grandfather had always asked for anything from his hometown in Shuoyang, why didn't his grandfather say a word about this matter before he left?
Seeing that Bai Qingyan seemed to have doubts, Grandma Tong continued: "This man said that we had originally agreed to handle this matter together when we returned to Shuoyang to send New Year's gifts to the Duke's Palace, but now the Duke's Palace has encountered a sudden disaster.
, what the old patriarch meant... The clan did not dare to trouble the Duke's government, so they asked this man to bring the account book to the Crown Prince's wife. After all, it cost 450,000 taels of silver! Regardless of whether it was a banknote or cash,
It must be prepared before they set off tomorrow, and I specifically said that this is what the old patriarch wanted."
Aunt Tong deliberately emphasized the word "necessary" because she wanted Bai Qingyan to know that this person from Shuoyang's ancestral home would bully them into talking about the lack of men in the Duke's mansion.
Chuntao's eyes widened: "Is this robbing money or asking for money?! Such a big thing happened to the Bai family now. They sent two concubines to attend the funeral. They had to leave before the funeral was completed! Now a direct descendant has come.
The master actually came to ask for money!"
Chuntao has always been good-tempered, but she was also very angry.
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and thought about it carefully.
The people from Shuoyang's ancestral home dared to be so confident, not only because they bullied the manless son of the Duke of Zhenguo, but also because their grandfather used to treat them too politely and talk too much, which was a habit.
There is a saying that goes, "beautiful rice rises to rich hatred," and she had warned her grandfather and father a long time ago.
Maybe it’s because men’s minds are always different from women’s thoughts…
Grandfather said that in this world, only the love of blood cannot be measured by money. What's more, thanks to the care of the Bai family ancestral hall in Shuoyang, the current patriarch is also my grandfather's uncle.
My father said that the most indispensable thing for a family of military commanders like the Duke of Guo is worldly things. If we can exchange worldly things for the people of the clan to live a peaceful life, then there is nothing wrong with the prosperity of the Bai family.
Grandfather and father are kind-hearted, but the so-called clansmen from Shuoyang's ancestral home have long lost their gratitude and only regard the Duke's government as their money bag, taking everything they ask for.
There are many gentlemen in the world who repay kindness like Qin Shangzhi, and there are also many white-eyed wolves like the Bai family.
Bai Qingyan paused and asked, "What did mother say?"
"I don't know yet, but now the eldest son of Shuoyang clan and the two concubines are at the residence of the prince's wife. They are recounting the accounts in detail and complaining about how the money is tight and not enough..." said Nanny Tong.
She stood in the corridor, lowered her eyes and thought for a while, then raised her eyes and said, "Go and have a look..."
·
Bai Qingyan walked to the corridor of the main hall and saw the little girl about to salute. She signaled the little girl to be silent and stood in the corridor staring at the lantern swaying in the wind in the corner of the opposite eaves, listening quietly to the movement in the hall.
Mrs. Dong closed the account book casually, threw it aside, and said with a sneer: "Whether it's building an ancestral hall, ancestral graves, or a school, it's logical that every family should contribute! But the Duke of the country and the prince are gone.
I had never explained this matter before. When my cousin entered the gate of the Duke's Mansion, he did not offer any incense or worship, but he opened his mouth to talk to me about the money! He finally lit up the incense and told me that I must prepare it for tomorrow.
Four hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver. Four hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver is not a small amount. Does the Duke's office open a bank account?"
Over the years, my father-in-law and my husband have indulged the Shuoyang clan, to the point where they have no idea how high the sky is and how great they are. They just want to take whatever they want from the Duke's Palace. Do they really think that the Duke's Palace owes them something?!
Bai Qiyun, the eldest son of the old clan leader from Shuoyang, was stabbed so hard that he looked ugly. He gritted his teeth and said, "I came here on the order of the old clan leader, brother and sister... you are so arrogant and talk about the country."
What do you mean by the fact that you didn’t explain it? Are you saying that the clan members are lying nonsense about your government?”
Seeing that his eldest brother was so arrogant, the older concubine wiped his sweat and hurriedly came out to smooth things over: "Brothers and sisters, don't be surprised. My cousin also came here under orders and was too anxious. You see... because of the war in southern Xinjiang.
Due to the tight situation, the price of Kunshan jade has doubled. But the place where the memorial tablets are placed cannot be reduced, otherwise how can the ancestors be safe? My brother and sister said this is true? My cousin told me before I came to see my brother and sister just now,
The old clan leader specifically warned him before he came that the current situation in Guogong's Mansion is such that the entire government cannot be spared. As long as the Guogong's Mansion takes out the bulk, we clan members will take care of the rest."
"Now that the Duke and the Crown Prince have passed away one after another, if you, the mistress of the Duke's Mansion, can't make up your mind, then I will take the account book and go see the eldest princess!" Bai Qiyun said, rolling his sleeves.
"Okay!" Mrs. Dong smiled and pressed the corners of her lips with a handkerchief, then picked up the teacup, "Then go ahead, cousin! Please help yourself..."
Seeing Mr. Dong's attitude of serving tea to see off the guests, Bai Qiyun felt a knot in his heart. How could he enter the backyard without Mr. Dong sending someone to lead the way?!
In her heart, Mrs. Dong, like Ming Jing, knew that after the Bai family's funeral, she would have to return to Shuoyang to save these orphans. But the more this happened, Mrs. Dong couldn't let them step on her head like this today, otherwise she would return in the future.
After Shuoyang...they even more unscrupulously exploited their orphans and widowed mothers.
If she tolerates her today, not only will the Bai clan not be grateful, but they will push her further. In the past, she was too kind to them, so much so that she would be resented by them if she did not go as they wanted. This is a living example now.
Before coming, Bai Qiyun's father, the patriarch, told Bai Qiyun that now all the men in the Duke's Palace have died in the war in Southern Xinjiang, and only the female relatives are left in the Bai family. It is not known whether the one in the belly of the fifth lady is a boy or a girl, so the Duke's Palace cannot live without it.
Men support the lintel, otherwise no one will inherit the title. He asked Bai Qishan to negotiate with the eldest princess and the mistress Dong to adopt Bai Qiyun's direct grandson to the Zhenguo Palace.