Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 323 - 320: Ineffable_1

Chapter 323: Chapter 320: Ineffable_1

The Clan Leader gripped his cane with both hands and looked at Bai Qingyan with a kindly expression, much like the Buddha depicted in paintings.

"Bai Qingyan, isn’t Clan Leader just asking knowingly?" Bai Jinzhi sneered. "We’ve just renovated it, but your brother, the fifth master of the Clan, forcibly occupied it. We need the property deed to file a lawsuit and seek justice!"

The Clan Leader’s heart fluttered, and the smile in his eyes faded.

Bai Jinzhi’s words were undoubtedly disrespectful to elders, but Bai Qingyan had not stopped her.

She did not give the Clan Leader a chance to reprimand Bai Jinzhi and blew softly on her teacup. "I heard it was under the Clan Leader’s order that the fifth master forcibly occupied the ancestral home? Clan Leader, do you think that just because only widows and orphans are left in Dadu City, the Clan can do whatever they please?"

The kind smile on the Clan Leader’s face finally slipped, and he slowly sat up straight, staring ahead. "By seniority, I am of the same generation as your grandfather, the King of Zhen. You should call me your great-uncle! By age, I am decades older than you, and I am the Clan Leader..."

"In terms of rank, both my sister and I... one is a Commandery Princess, the other a County Lord. State protocols precede family ones. The Clan Leader has studied the classics and should know this," Bai Qingyan said, half-closing her eyes while pressing tea leaves with her teacup’s lid. "To put it bluntly, you simply think we are young and wanted to show us who’s in charge."

With that, Bai Qingyan slammed the teacup heavily onto the table, a bit of the yellow tea spilling out.

"I do not have time to beat around the bush with the Clan Leader. The Clan knows well what has been done under the banner of my grandfather in Shuoyang City over the years. Now that my grandfather is gone, you want to use my title as Commandery Princess to your advantage? This title... only holds power if I permit it. Without my permission, how long does the Bai family think it can run rampant in Shuoyang?"

The Clan Leader gripped his cane tightly and turned sharply to look at Bai Qingyan’s smirking profile. "Bai Qingyan, your grandfather and father have barely passed away. Yet you show no propriety or respect for your elders. Aren’t you afraid of shaming your grandfather and father, or that I will publicize this, ruining your reputation?"

"Shame? The Bai family in Shuoyang repays kindness with hostility without shame. What would my grandfather and father be ashamed of?" Bai Qingyan’s voice flowed steadily.

Propriety? Respect?

If Bai Qingyan gave it to him, he had it...

If not, he did not.

Reputation? Bai Qingyan certainly valued it, but it depended on whose eyes were watching.

Bai Qingyan valued the common people’s opinion.

But in front of despicable people, Bai Qingyan did not care about reputation.

Many repay kindness with malice in this world; the Bai Clan was one of them.

Her grandfather showed leniency for the sake of kinship, but to Bai Qingyan, aside from their branch of the Bai family, the Bai Clan was less endearing than ordinary commoners.

"The ancestral home’s deed that rightfully belongs to our legitimate branch, will the Clan Leader return it or not?" Bai Qingyan’s voice was calm and warm, yet inexplicably arrogant.

The Clan Leader gripped his cane tightly. "Now that the Bai family in Dadu has no male heirs, technically... this ancestral home should be reclaimed by the Clan..."

Bai Qingyan was uninterested in listening to the Clan Leader’s lengthy arguments and threats.

She stood up, dusted off her clothes, and walked out.

The Clan Leader’s eyes widened, and he suddenly stood up. "Bai Qingyan! An elder hasn’t finished speaking..."

"Elder? Hah..." Bai Jinzhi sneered. "You did things to this extent. You want to oppress our family without men and rely on my elder sister’s influence. Now you want to display your elder authority? Do you really think my sister is just any ordinary girl who will fall for this?"

Bai Jinzhi looked at the teacup on the small redwood table and swept it forcefully, shattering the porcelain and splashing tea all over. "Save your energy!"

"You..." The Clan Leader pointed at Bai Jinzhi.

"The Clan Leader can keep his pretentious demeanor. Better not come begging to my sister!" Bai Jinzhi said as she walked out with her hands behind her back.

As she crossed the threshold, she added, "You might as well spread the word that my sister and I were disrespectful to you today. Then everyone will know that the Commandery Princess does not get along with the Clan. I imagine the Bai family’s situation in Shuoyang will be quite difficult."

With that, Bai Jinzhi walked away without fear.

"Outrageous! Outrageous! What kind of family education does the Bai family in Dadu have? Do they even know decorum and shame?" The Clan Leader angrily threw the cup beside him to the ground.

But despite his anger, the Clan Leader had to admit Bai Jinzhi was right. This grievance could only be kept in his heart.

He could not believe it. When the Bai family returns to Shuoyang, the widows and children will still have to rely on the Clan!

The Clan Leader gripped his cane tightly, and he couldn’t help but think that Bai Qingyan was now a Commandery Princess with a title.

At that time, his brother said he wanted to take over the ancestral home, and he hesitated. But his brother said Bai Qingyan, despite being a Commandery Princess, had a bad reputation after the battle in the southern borders. If she also got a bad name within the Clan, her life would be over!

Moreover, Bai Qingyan swore never to marry. In the future, the Clan will have to support her in her old age. How could she not rely on the Clan?

Besides, the Shuoyang Clan and the Bai family in Dadu shared the same bloodline and had always supported each other in prosperity and adversity. Now, since Mrs. Dong is in charge in Dadu, she could not watch her only daughter lose her reputation and end up with no one to support her in her old age. She would endure it.

As long as Mrs. Dong endured it, the Clan Leader would have an easier time dealing with the widows of the Bai family in Dadu.

But seeing Bai Qingyan’s stance now, could the Bai family in Dadu be the same as before, and support the Clan?

· Bai Jinzhi jumped onto her horse and followed closely behind Bai Qingyan, laughing. "Eldest Sister, I smashed the cup. I guess the County Magistrate’s people will soon bring the news back."

"Uncle Liu, is everything ready?" Bai Qingyan asked Steward Liu.

"Eldest Young Lady, rest assured. Everything is ready," Steward Liu replied with a smile. "Those few families in the Clan who only want money have all heard that the Clan Leader’s grandson plans to take over Tianxiang Tower without spending any money. They all want to get a piece of the action."

"Then today at noon, let’s have lunch at Tianxiang Tower!" Bai Jinzhi’s brows and eyes were full of laughter.

"Fourth Young Lady, that’s an excellent idea," Steward Liu agreed.

Since he returned to manage the renovation of the ancestral home, Steward Liu had suffered a lot of bullying. This time, the Eldest Young Lady and Fourth Young Lady could stand up proudly.

Over the years, the King of Zhen had been excessively lenient and kind to the Clan, allowing the Shuoyang Clan to act arrogantly. They treated themselves like the local tyrants of Shuoyang.

The Eldest Young Lady and Fourth Young Lady should indeed teach them a lesson and let them understand... they lived so comfortably thanks to whom.