Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 973

Chapter 973: Chapter 969: Identical

This is also why Bai Qingyan insists on establishing schools... advocating that all citizens, regardless of gender, must attend school and study. She wants to select talents for the Zhou Dynasty... 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Talent is never enough for a country.

The scholar accompanying Bai Qingyan nodded and responded: "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will certainly make proper arrangements."

Bai Qingyan exited the Imperial College, mounted her horse, and rode away.

Commandant Lu and others were still anxiously waiting in the palace. They were supposed to accompany Bai Qingyan today, but she did not allow it and instead let Commandant Lu and other key ministers handle state affairs. They must be quite anxious by now.

Now that the affairs at the Imperial College were done, she sent someone ahead to inform Commandant Lu and the others so they could be at ease.

Bai Qingjue also bowed deeply to the scholar of the Imperial College, mounted his horse, and left with Bai Qingyan and the imperial guards.

Today, the Eldest Young Lady personally addressed and encouraged the students at the Imperial College, setting new goals for them to strive for the unification of the Zhou Dynasty. This would surely create a vibrant new landscape in the Zhou Dynasty’s court in the future.

Just as the group left the Imperial College, Bai Qingjue noticed a Bai family guard approaching swiftly on horseback.

Bai Qingjue held the reins and approached Bai Qingyan, saying, "Eldest Sister, it’s our Bai family guard. I’ll go and have a look..."

Bai Qingyan nodded.

Seeing Bai Qingjue ride forward quickly, the guard dismounted swiftly and bowed deeply to Bai Qingjue.

Bai Qingjue dismounted unnoticeably, gestured for the Bai family guard to follow him, and walked slowly to an isolated spot, making way for the imperial guards and Bai Qingyan’s team to proceed.

He asked the Bai family guard, "Are you hurried because something happened?"

The Bai family guard nodded: "Seventh Young Master, Lord Lu Ping has returned from Shuoyang. As he entered Dadu City on his way back to the Bai Mansion, he encountered the maidservant of a woman from the Bai Clan. That maid asked Lord Lu Ping for help, saying her mistress has been widowed for a long time. She heard that the Eldest Young Lady issued new laws encouraging widows to remarry. Yesterday, she talked to her mother-in-law about the matter, but her mother-in-law and father-in-law were enraged and locked her up. They’re planning to drown her at the noon today, outside the city."

Bai Qingjue’s face darkened. He knew that his Eldest Sister was implementing new laws. If the Bai Clan set this precedent, it would certainly hinder his sister’s efforts in pushing forward the new laws.

The guard’s voice was very low: "Lord Lu Ping has already rushed over to stop them and specifically came to consult the Eldest Young Lady on how to handle the situation."

"Go and tell Uncle Ping to save her at all costs! Also, inform the Bai Clan that anyone daring to break the law while the Emperor implements new policies will not only be dealt with legally but also will not be tolerated by the Bai Clan!" Bai Qingjue said in a low voice.

The elder’s old wife was worried about the daughter’s auspicious life. Drowning her might cause unrest in the family. She then lavished gifts on the fortune-teller, who advised them that if they must drown the woman, it should be done at midday when the sun is high but declining to avoid her vengeful spirit.

Fearing attention, the elder took his daughter-in-law early to a deserted riverbank, keeping the plan even from Bai Qihe, preparing to drown her when noon approached.

Who would have thought Lu Ping would arrive with people, causing such a commotion that the surrounding laborers came to watch the spectacle, making it impossible to hide the family scandal.

Rescued from the pig cage, the young woman wept uncontrollably, her face pale, as if she thought she would drown in the river. Her maid took Lu Ping’s cloak, thanked him, draping it over the young woman, hugging her tightly, and crying as she rubbed her arms: "Miss, I’m sorry, I’m late! I’m late!"

Tears streamed down the young woman’s face.

If not for returning from a palace feast, where she heard her father-in-law say that the Bai Clan would vigorously support the Emperor’s new policies to establish a firm footing in Dadu City, and her mother-in-law talk about persuading their widowed and childless sister-in-law to remarry, she wouldn’t have dared to talk about remarrying.

Just after speaking with her father-in-law and mother-in-law, her mother-in-law slapped her, calling her a promiscuous woman... and threatened to drown her.

The elder’s old wife angrily pointed at the daughter-in-law rescued by the guards, who was so weak she couldn’t stand, and cursed: "You shameless little tramp, evil-hearted little prostitute! Lewd creature! My son has only been dead a few years, and you’re already thinking of remarrying, always hooking up with other men. Can’t live without being with men, right, you little prostitute? My poor son... you might have colluded with bandits to kill him, you vile woman!"

The young woman saved by the Bai family’s guard trembled with anger, unable to believe such foul words could come from her wealthy mother-in-law, making her no different from a common shrew.