Bai Ruozhu and the others fell silent, their faces turning cold. Bai Yihong was especially stricken, his inner turmoil evident. He’d waited in the bitter cold for hours outside the Government Office for his mother only to have her first words be a declaration of suit against him. He could accept that, bound by the fact that he was her son. But her declaration against his two sons... Wasn’t that harming the children?
"Mother, how could you say such a thing?" Bai Yihong was choked up with emotion.
The old Lady Bai gave him a cold look, addressing the senior officials: "They lied to me about staying in the main house, it was only then that I found out they’ve angered some Turkic people. There’s been violence here in the courtyard, those people only targeted those who stayed in the main house. Can’t you see they’re intentionally putting me in danger?"
The senior officials turned to Bai Yihong, unable to help but ask, "Are you the Bai family who had a vendetta with the Turkic people a few days ago?"
Bai Yihong nodded, "Yes, it was indeed our home."
The incident a few days ago was major, the whole city was in turmoil hunting for the Turkic prince. How could Kuai Minglang, the city’s governor, not know? However, he didn’t expect for accusations of disrespecting their elders to come from the Bai family before the Turkic offender was even caught.
Bai Zepei stepped forward to bow to Kuai Minglang, saying, "I am Bai Zepei, the second son of the Bai family. I am currently studying at Beiyu Study Palace. May I humbly request a few words?"
On hearing this, Old Lady Bai perked up and yelled, "Don’t listen to him, your honor! His head is full of deceit from all his studies. You must punish him and prevent him from taking the Imperial Examination!"
"Silence!" Kuai Minglang slammed the courtroom wooden block onto the table, saying sternly, "I will ask whoever I see fit. There will be no commotion in the hall!"
Old Lady Bai flinched and shut up.
Lin Ping’er, Bai Ruozhu and Bai Zehao were all standing at the entrance of the hall, and their faces chilled at this display. The old lady’s disregard for decorum and avarice weren’t new behaviors, while they didn’t like her, they never hated her. But now she wanted to ruin Bai Zepei’s chance at the Imperial Examination, they weren’t surprised if the second family began to resent her.
"Go on, Bai Zepei," Kuai Minglang seemed to have a favorable impression of students from Beijing Study Palace.
Bai Zepei bowed to him, saying respectfully, "In response to your question, it’s true that we are at fault for not satisfying the elder. However, if it is said that we intended to harm the elder, we absolutely deny such a charge. My grandmother arrived in Beiyu a few days ago, it was her own intention to stay in the main house, not our deliberate arrangement. Regarding the issue with the Turkic people, the city master had instructed not to spread the word. We kept quiet for fear of frightening the elderly."
Kuai Minglang turned to Old Lady Bai and asked, "How did you learn about the conflict with the Turkic people?"
"I overheard their conversation from outside the room. Governor, don’t believe him. He’s trying to cause my death!" Old Lady Bai yelled.
"Grandmother, who was the one insisting on coming to Beiyu City with my elder brother? Did my elder brother not try to dissuade you several times?" Bai Zepei turned to the old woman and asked.
The old lady retorted, "You’re all successful now and no longer want to support me. You all resisted and tried to push me away when I wanted to come."
"We were worried about involving you in danger, which is why we tried to persuade you to stay at the safe old home. There, you would have relatives and villagers to look out for you, and you’d have Sanlang in the first house to accompany you. If we wanted to harm you, why would we advise against you coming?" Bai Zepei argued.
"You could have made it clear to me, why didn’t any of you say anything and kept it hidden from me?" The old lady scoffed arrogantly in response.
"As I’ve just said, the city master has ordered that the matter not be publicized. What if telling you brought trouble?" Bai Zepei replied helplessly, shaking his head.
Glancing at Old Lady Bai in the hall below, Kuai Minglang already understood that they didn’t tell her because she was the type to eavesdrop and gossip.
Seeing the situation has escalated to this extent, Kuai Minglang had already pieced together a clearer picture. The responsibilities of a clean and impartial official were difficult enough without meddling in domestic affairs. He decided to say, "It seems there has just been a misunderstanding. Old Lady Bai, you should let go of your grievances towards your children and grandchildren. Return home with them quickly. Their presence to oversee your well-being and their immediate willingness to pay your fine shows that they still respect you."
Any discerning individual could tell that the governor was trying to mediate and even if they were unwilling, they would need to give the governor some face, right?
But Old Lady Bai once again demonstrated her lack of tact, protesting loudly, "Your Honor, you can’t be deceived by them. Where’s their respect for me? When I first arrived and was suffering from back pain, they weren’t even a little welcoming, they didn’t even offer to help me off the carriage. At night, when I wanted to wash my feet, there was no one to fetch me water. They even made me share a room with an imbecile. I had no choice but to move into the main room, and now they even want to compete with me for it!"
Bai Yihong couldn’t stand it anymore. "Mother, who are you referring to as an imbecile? That’s your second granddaughter, she’ll get better with time. As for hot water to wash your feet in the middle of the night, where would we get it from? You’re calling us unfilial, why didn’t you also tell the governor about how I have to empty your chamber pot for you?"
Old Lady Bai continued to complain and soon began cursing at Bai Yihong in the middle of the courtroom. Kuai Minglang who was presiding on the stand began to look increasingly displeased, about to lose his cool.
Bai Ruozhu was left with no choice but to step forward into the main hall. She bowed to Kuai Minglang, saying, "Your Honor, I have a basic understanding of medicine. May I be so bold as to say a few words?"
Kuai Minglang, who had grown increasingly impatient, said coldly, "Speak."
"My grandmother is of advanced age and was recently frightened, causing her mental state to become unstable. Otherwise, what grandmother would wish to destroy her own grandson’s career prospects? There’s no need for your honor to pay mind to her senseless words. We will take her home to our village and take care of her there." Bai Ruozhu said calmly.
Old Lady Bai became agitated, "I’m not mentally unstable, stop slandering me. You have the most malicious heart, wishing I was dead!"
Bai Ruozhu looked helpless, "Your honor could have a doctor examine her pulse."
The old lady hadn’t had a proper rest the night before and had been scared. She was emotionally charged now and if a doctor took her pulse, there was no doubt that they would diagnose her with the precursor to insanity.
Kuai Minglang had already taken Bai Ruozhu’s words to heart. What normal grandmother would sabotage her own grandson’s career prospects? He couldn’t be bothered to find a doctor, he still had a lot of work to do. How could he waste his time with an old madwoman?
"Alright, take her home and watch her carefully. Even if she is ill, she cannot cause further disturbance." Kuai Minglang said, "Court is adjourned!"
"Your honor, your honor, I’m not sick! Listen to me!" Old Lady Bai continued to yell nonsensically until finally she was ushered out of the hall by officers.
Bai Ruozhu ordered her parents to take the old lady home and instructed them to watch her closely. She then carried Dengdeng and exited the city.
She had a promise to keep to Jiang Yichun, she didn’t want him knocking on her door again if she didn’t show up.
When she arrived by carriage at the Hot Spring Mansion, another carriage was already parked in front of the entrance. It was clearly a carriage meant to carry a lady.
Bai Ruozhu’s face went cold, she recognized the carriage. The first time she’d met Wu Wanqing, the same carriage had been parked in front of the Hot Spring Mansion.
With a humph, she thought about how Jiang Yichun had agreed yesterday to keep Wu Wanqing out, and yet today he had let her in again. At this point, she didn’t even want to get off the carriage, she even considered telling the coachman to turn around and go back.
But she refused to back down. With this decision, she got off the carriage, just as another person was descending from the carriage parked nearby.
"Miss Bai, what a coincidence." Wu Wanqing smiled and greeted Bai Ruozhu.
Bai Ruozhu responded with a half-lidded gaze, followed by an unexpected laugh...