Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 363 - 360: No Smoke Without Fire_1

Chapter 363: Chapter 360: No Smoke Without Fire_1

Tonight, word spread that the Li Mansion sought to marry their youngest son to the Lord of Gaoyi. By tomorrow morning, Li Mao would have his wife send a card to the Central Palace requesting an audience.

They intended to spread the news that his wife went to the palace to ask for an imperial decree for their youngest son’s marriage. They wanted to see if Bai Qingyan would approach him. If not, it meant that Bai Qingyan didn’t have the letters between him and the Second Prince, and was just bluffing.

Thinking about those letters gave Li Mao a headache.

In those days, he was trying to win the Second Prince’s trust. This was why he agreed to the demand of the Second Prince’s counselor to exchange handwritten letters with the Second Prince. This way, both held secrets over the other, ensuring mutual fear of betrayal.

Later, he instigated the Second Prince to force the throne, originally thinking he could rise to power in one step. Who knew... he would still fail!

He had thoroughly searched the Second Prince’s residence, but those letters were never found. Now, these letters had become his weakness.

He still needed to find a way to locate those letters, destroy them, and eliminate future concerns.

·

After Bai Qingyan finished practicing with her red-tasseled silver spear, she was drenched in sweat.

Chun Tao helped Bai Qingyan bathe and change clothes. After squeezing the water from Bai Qingyan’s hair, she noticed Bai Qingyan wasn’t planning to rest, but sat reading under the lamp. Chun Tao quietly retreated to make some tea for Bai Qingyan.

Barely had Chun Tao left when a nimble shadow leaped down from the beam and, seeing Bai Qingyan’s silhouette on the window lattice, quickly stepped to the window, pressing his back against the wall. In a low voice, he said, "Under orders from the Second Miss, this subordinate reports the movements of the Left Prime Minister."

The newcomer was a Hidden Guard assigned to Bai Qingyan by the Eldest Princess. Under Bai Qingyan’s command, the Hidden Guard was stationed by Bai Jinxiu’s side, doing her bidding. However, in the mind of the Hidden Guard, only the one holding the command token was the true master.

Hence, they addressed Bai Qingyan as their master.

Bai Qingyan looked up, her hand tightening on the book spine. She lightly pushed the wooden window open a bit, her calm eyes looking at the speaker.

A golden beam of light shone through the window, landing on the cobblestone floor below. The lamplight inside cast shadows, causing Bai Qingyan’s countenance to flicker between light and dark. Despite the calm exterior, her eyes hid a sharp gleam.

Seeing this, the Hidden Guard knelt to the ground, speaking quickly and softly, "Under orders from the Second Miss, we have surrounded the Left Prime Minister’s residence. Second Miss had said if there was any movement from the Left Prime Minister’s residence, I should report directly to you. Tonight, over thirty people left the Left Prime Minister’s residence, dispersing to the capital’s pleasure districts and taverns, spreading rumors about seeking the Lord of Gaoyi’s hand for the Left Prime Minister’s youngest son, unavoidably revealing their identities."

She listened quietly, her expression unchanged, but her gaze grew deeper.

So, this was Li Mao testing her?

Li Mao’s youngest son, Li Mingtang, was quite a character. The kind of scoundrel... but not all scoundrels were the same!

There were scoundrels like Lu Yuanpeng, who, despite causing trouble, conducted themselves with some sense of limits.

And then there were those like Li Mingtang, who was immersed in debauchery, disregarding any moral boundary, daring even to lay hands on Li Mao’s concubine.

Li Mao adored his youngest son. When the incident occurred, he used a strip of white silk to end the concubine’s life, covering up the matter airtight.

Afterward, Li Mingtang spent his days immersed in the pleasure quarters, infamously intending to marry a third-class courtesan from the brothel Warm Spring Pavilion.

Li Mao’s wife would not allow it. Li Mingtang then refused to attend the imperial examination, making Warm Spring Pavilion his home, often staying overnight and sometimes even calling multiple courtesans to his bed when in the mood.

Li Mingtang never showed his identity outwardly, but the third-class courtesan from Warm Spring Pavilion couldn’t resist boasting that the son of the Left Prime Minister wished to marry her.

Later, the Left Prime Minister had Warm Spring Pavilion disappear overnight, along with all its courtesans, leaving no trace behind.

Although there was no concrete evidence or credible testimony, many of the reputable families had heard of it, treating it as a joke.

The Left Prime Minister was well aware of what kind of son he had. Doing this was simply meant to provoke her.

She spoke slowly, "Understood. Go find out which brothel the Left Prime Minister’s youngest son Li Mingtang is in today."

"Yes!"

In an instant, the Hidden Guard vanished beneath the corridor window, as if he had never been there.

Bai Qingyan withdrew her hand from the window lattice, resting her gaze upon the military strategy book in hand, contemplating deeply.

Li Mao intentionally allowed the news to spread without concealing identities. He just wanted to see how the Bai family would react!

Li Mao likely aimed to ascertain, before she returned to Shuoyang, whether those letters were in her possession. Thus, he acted hastily tonight, spreading the rumors.

Initially, Bai Qingyan thought Li Mao would wait until she returned from Shuoyang to take action.

Who knew that Li Mao liked to act early. Then, she would greet Li Mao first.

Li Mao dared to make a move on her fourth sister, he shouldn’t blame her for being ruthless.

This way, he would realize... her non-retaliation was already the greatest mercy to him.

Dawn broke, illuminating the capital with its glow seeping through the morning mist and brightening the eaves across the city.

Qinghui Courtyard’s gates were open, and Bai Qingyan, finished with her morning exercise, stood by the stone table in the courtyard. While accepting the towel Chun Tao handed her to wipe her sweat, she listened to Lu Ping recount the rumors that arose suddenly last night.

The rumors claimed that Left Prime Minister Li Mao was seeking to marry his youngest son to the Lord of Gaoyi.

"Early this morning, the Prime Minister’s wife sent a card to the Central Palace to ask for an imperial favor. By noon, she might enter the palace. If the matter is true, she must be asking the Empress Dowager for a decree to marry their youngest son to our Fourth Miss," Lu Ping said with some urgency. "Although Li Mingtang is the legitimate son of the Prime Minister, some rumors about his conduct are quite undesirable, though without solid proof, they are not entirely baseless."

She put down the towel and took the teacup Chun Tao handed her, slowly sipping it before speaking, "The Prime Minister’s youngest son, Li Mingtang, is at Blossom Pavilion. Uncle Ping, take some men and find Li Mingtang..."

She turned and gazed coldly and calmly at Lu Ping, "Break his legs, and wait for the Prime Minister on his path from court. I will follow shortly."

Lu Ping was startled.

Break... break his legs?

"But, Young Miss, that is... the son of the Prime Minister," Lu Ping was somewhat alarmed.

"I know. Uncle Ping, just do it. I know what I’m doing." Bai Qingyan’s gaze was gloomy and profound. "Uncle Ping, remember to be ruthless... Even if you kill him, the bigger the commotion, the better."

One son, compared to the lives of the entire clan. Bai Qingyan believed... a man like Li Mao could tell the weight of the risks.

The Young Miss’s judgment had always been reliable. Since she ordered they break Li Mingtang’s legs, even killing him wouldn’t matter, then they would do as ordered.

"Yes!" Lu Ping departed with his orders.

·

It was early morning, and the girls at Blossom Pavilion were still asleep. The patrons who had stayed overnight were exhausted from the night’s indulgence and were in a deep sleep.

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