Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 466 - 463: Regret_1

Chapter 466: Chapter 463: Regret_1

"Keep your voice down! If someone hears, you might get whipped!" The noblewoman, using a round fan to cover her face, playfully tapped her friend with it, holding back her laughter. "Didn’t you see the Commandery Princess of Gaoyi, who loves to wield a whip, following them?"

Zhen Zeping’s third daughter, Miss Zhen, overheard the group of noblewomen gossiping and was displeased. "My father said that the Princess of Zhen and the Commandery Princess of Gaoyi are true heroines, inheriting the spirit of the King of Zhen. In the Jin Kingdom, apart from Bai Suqiu of the Bai family who volunteered during the Jiaozhou epidemic, only these two are deserving of the title of heroic women!"

The noblewoman glanced at Miss Zhen and sneered but refrained from further comment, simply flicking her handkerchief while watching Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan pass by Yanque Tower, followed by Bai Jinzhi and the guards.

"Princess of Zhen!"

Murong Li, the Fourth Prince of Yan, together with Lu Yuanqing and Chen Zhaolu, arrived for the poetry gathering. Upon seeing Bai Qingyan, he happily called out and dismounted his horse to salute her.

"Fourth Prince of Yan, Young Master Lu, Young Master Chen!" Xiao Rongyan greeted them with a smile.

Chen Zhaolu and Lu Yuanqing had long admired Xiao Rongyan’s talent. Ever since his poem "Pingchuan Night Snow" became famous, any of his writings that surfaced were considered masterpieces. They couldn’t help but be impressed and treated him with great respect.

"Mr. Xiao!" They all returned the greeting to Xiao Rongyan.

"There’s a poetry gathering at Yanque Tower today. If the Princess of Zhen, the Commandery Princess of Gaoyi, and Mr. Xiao are interested, why not join us for some fun?" Chen Zhaolu said gracefully with a gentle smile.

Murong Li, not wanting Chen Zhaolu to disturb his uncle and aunt’s time together, quickly added, "If... the Princess of Zhen, the Commandery Princess of Gaoyi, and Mr. Xiao have other plans, there’s no need to force it."

The noblewomen upstairs, seeing how popular Bai Qingyan was, couldn’t help feeling jealous. They thought of the Princess of Nandu, Liu Ruofu, who had been mistaken for the Fourth Prince of Daliang. They laughed and said, "I heard that the Princess of Nandu, Liu Ruofu, is also coming to the poetry gathering today! If she sees all the handsome young men of Dadu City surrounding the Princess of Zhen, who knows how jealous she’ll be!"

Although the Fourth Prince of Daliang had mistaken Liu Ruofu’s identity, he had already proposed to her. Daliang had accepted her.

For this reason, Liu Ruofu had been kept in Dadu City by her grandmother’s family. They feared she would have fewer opportunities to visit once married into the Daliang. Hence, when King Xian returned to Nandu, Liu Ruofu didn’t leave and would attend the poetry gathering today as well.

"The Princess of Zhen is truly... irresistible. Just with that beautiful face, many young men of Dadu City are willing to become her admirers." The fourth daughter of the Minister of Revenue, Chu Zhongxing, realized her words were a bit out of line and switched the topic with a smile, "Luckily, Young Master Lu Yuanpeng and his group aren’t here. Otherwise, at the mere mention of the Princess of Zhen, they’d go rushing out like dogs wagging their tails!"

Hearing the noblewoman compare Lu Yuanpeng to a dog, Miss Zhen immediately became furious and glared at her, shouting downstairs, "Brother Yuanqing, the fourth daughter of the Minister of Revenue called Lu Yuanpeng a dog!"

"You!" The fourth daughter of the Chu family clenched her fan handle, her face flushed with anger, glaring at Miss Zhen.

Miss Zhen raised her eyebrows and turned to walk downstairs.

"No wonder. Those from military families have no manners!" The fourth daughter of the Chu family, her eyes red with anger, dared not look at Lu Yuanqing. She covered her face with a round fan and returned to the private room.

Lu Yuanqing was unlike Lu Yuanpeng. With a cold demeanor, he appeared indifferent, but anyone who had offended him never had a good outcome. He had a keen memory for grudges.

Miss Zhen descended the stairs, smiling as she greeted Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi, "Congratulations, Princess, Commandery Princess!"

"Thank you, Miss Zhen!" Bai Qingyan returned the salute.

"Thank you, Miss Zhen!" Bai Jinzhi said with a smile.

"Are the Princess and the Commandery Princess here for the poetry gathering?" Miss Zhen asked.

"We’re returning to Shuoyang tomorrow and need to prepare at the mansion. We won’t join the fun today. Fourth Prince, Young Master Chen, Young Master Lu, Miss Zhen, farewell!" Bai Qingyan cupped her fists.

Bai Jinzhi mimicked her and also took her leave.

"Rongyan has matters to attend to, so I won’t join the fun!" Xiao Rongyan also took his leave.

Miss Zhen watched Bai Qingyan’s departing figure, full of admiration. "How enviable! I wish I could be like the Princess of Zhen and the Commandery Princess of Gaoyi, fighting on the battlefield!"

Outside Yanque Tower, the lanterns shone brightly, and the red lanterns’ glow made Miss Zhen’s face look even more charming.

Lu Yuanqing glanced at the noblewomen talking and laughing upstairs and asked Miss Zhen, "Did you say... the fourth daughter of the Minister of Revenue mocked Lu Yuanpeng?"

Miss Zhen snapped out of her reverie and nodded vigorously. "The fourth daughter of the Chu family!"

Lu Yuanqing nodded, his face stern as he walked into Yanque Tower with Chen Zhaolu and Murong Li.

To Lu Yuanqing, no matter how foolish Lu Yuanpeng was, he was still his brother. He could criticize him, but others couldn’t say a word against him.

Xiao Rongyan escorted Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi back to the Bai Mansion, now with the sign of the Princess of Zhen’s residence, and had Yue Shi deliver a gift box before taking his leave with a deep bow.

Though they had pledged to focus on unifying the world before discussing their relationship, emotions were not so easily controlled.

"Don’t bother seeing Mr. Xiao off!" Bai Qingyan stood under the bright lamplight of the Princess of Zhen’s residence and spoke to Xiao Rongyan.

"Once Miss Bai and Miss Bai Jinzhi are inside, then I... will go." Xiao Rongyan’s smile was warm.

Bai Jinzhi secretly covered her mouth to stifle a laugh and cleared her throat. "Then goodbye, Mr. Xiao!"

Bai Qingyan’s ears turned slightly red. She nodded to Xiao Rongyan and stepped into the residence.

"Go on then!" Xiao Rongyan smiled.

Bai Qingyan had just returned to the Qinghui Courtyard and changed her clothes when news arrived from the Dong Mansion.

After returning home, Dong Qingping told Dong Tingzhen that he had spoken with the Emperor. He would ask King Liang to properly send a matchmaker to the Dong Mansion. He would agree to it. He begged the Emperor not to let King Liang publicize Dong Tingzhen’s personal belongings, or the other girls in the Dong family would be shamed.

Dong Tingzhen knelt and thanked Dong Qingping, promising that King Liang would never do such a thing.

Dong Qingping also told her that after she married King Liang, she wouldn’t need to return to the Dong Mansion. He and Mrs. Song would act as if they never had a daughter named Dong Tingzhen.

Dong Tingzhen cried bitterly but couldn’t change Dong Qingping and Mrs. Song’s decision.

The bright moonlight reflected on the polished stone floor of the corridor. Bai Qingyan, dressed in white training clothes, sat on a stone bench, wiping her silver spear. She seemed to see her past self in Dong Tingzhen.

Feeling both pity and frustration toward Dong Tingzhen, she feared that Dong Tingzhen, blinded by love for King Liang, was ignoring her uncle’s words and still wanted to be with him.

In the future... when she realized she had been used and deceived by King Liang, she wondered how regretful and miserable she would be.