Chapter 80 -

Chapter 80: Chapter

"After all," Bai Xiuying drawled, letting out a loud, theatrical laugh that dripped with pure disdain. "Sister-in-law Yimei was just an illegitimate concubine’s daughter. She’s probably never even seen the front gates of a Minister’s estate! Let’s just pray she doesn’t turn us into the laughingstock of the capital by acting like a clueless bumpkin tomorrow."

Beside her, Madame Liu took a lazy, satisfying sip of her tea, not making a single move to check her daughter’s venomous mouth, while Madame Chen and An Yulan exchanged wicked, eager smirks.

An Yimei’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, her lips already parting to unleash a vicious verbal lash that would tear Bai Xiuying’s bloated pride to shreds.

Before she could spit out a single word, Madame Bai slammed her teacup down onto the rosewood side table with a deafening CLACK! Hot tea splashed over the rim, but Madame Bai didn’t even flinch.

"Mind your filthy tongue, Xiuying!" Madame Bai snarled, her voice bursting through the hall like thunder as she glared across the room. "Yimei is the official First Young Madame of this family’s main branch! How dare a child of the second branch drag up her birth background just to humiliate her before the entire household?"

"That’s right!" Bai Rulan snapped, leaping to her feet beside her mother. Her usual gentle face was flushed crimson with outrage as she thrust an accusing finger straight at Xiuying. "Sister-in-law Yimei possesses more genuine grace in her pinky finger than you could conjure in a lifetime! You sit there bragging about high society, yet your own trashy manners belong in a gutter!"

Bai Meiling jumped up right beside her elder sister, puffing out her cheeks and slamming her tiny fists onto her hips. "Yeah! Stop picking on Sister-in-law, you bully!"

"Rulan!" Madame Liu gasped, her fake composure instantly shattering into flustered rage. "How dare you speak to your cousin like that!"

"I speak nothing but the cold truth!" Rulan declared, stepping directly in front of Yimei like an unyielding shield. "Sister-in-law Yimei nursed Big Brother back from death’s door and reclaimed our branch’s rightful honor today! I will not stand here and let an envious snake fling mud at her!"

The grand hall froze into a suffocating, deadly silence. An Yulan’s face twisted into an ugly mask of envy, while Bai Xiuying shrank back into her chair under the blazing, united fury of Madame Bai, Rulan, and little Meiling, her cheeks burning bright crimson.

An Yimei felt a sudden, fierce warmth swell in her chest. A slow, genuinely soft smile spread across her lips as she looked at her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.

"Enough!" Old Madame Bai’s wooden staff hit the floor with a heavy, echoing THUMP, instantly cutting through the chaos.

She swept a cold, disappointed glare across the room. "A house divided against itself cannot stand! We are one family, yet you bicker like wild dogs over scraps. Every single one of you represents the Bai name tomorrow. If anyone dares to bring these pathetic, disgraceful fights to the Minister’s banquet, do not bother returning through these gates!"

A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the hall. Madame Liu bit her lip, while Bai Xiuying kept her eyes glued to the floor.

Old Madame Bai let out a deep, tired sigh, her sharp eyes turning toward An Yimei. Her harsh expression softened just a fraction.

"Yimei," Grandmother Bai said slowly. "Try your best to convince Zhengyu to attend the banquet with you tomorrow. It would do our family tremendous good if the First Young Master made an appearance."

Before Yimei could even respond, Madame Zhang let out a loud, mocking scoff, fanning herself with dramatic flair. "Convince Zhengyu? Oh, please, Mother! That boy hasn’t shown his face at a single social event in three whole years. He hides in that broken courtyard like a ghost. Do you really think an illegitimate concubine’s daughter has the magic to drag him out into public now?"

An Yulan sneered in agreement, while Madame Chen hid a smug grin behind her silk sleeve.

Yimei didn’t flinch. She simply offered Old Madame Bai a calm, perfectly composed bow. "I will pass on your wishes to my husband, Grandmother. We shall see tomorrow."

"Dismissed, all of you," Old Madame Bai waved her hand, leaning back in her chair with a weary expression.

The room began to clear as everyone rose to leave, sliding out one by one under Old Madame Bai’s sharp, lingering glare. Madame Zhang tossed her head with a scornful huff, while Madame Chen and a sullen An Yulan swept out right behind her.

Once the rival branches had filtered into the courtyard, Madame Bai, Rulan, and little Meiling stepped toward Yimei.

"Mother, Rulan, Meiling," Yimei said, her voice soft with genuine gratitude as she bowed deeply. "Thank you for standing up for me back there."

Madame Bai reached out, resting a gentle yet firm hand on Yimei’s shoulder. "You are my daughter-in-law, Yimei. No one in this house gets to drag your name through the mud while I still breathe."

"Sister-in-law, you don’t ever have to take their abuse," Rulan added, her eyes flashing with quiet resolve. "We stand together now."

"Yeah!" Meiling chirped, clutching Yimei’s sleeve. "If anyone picks on you again, I’ll bite them!"

A warm laugh escaped Yimei’s lips, but Madame Bai’s expression turned serious. "Yimei, about what Grandmother said... you really should try to convince Zhengyu to attend tomorrow. Having the First Young Master there will solidify our branch’s place and shut those vipers up for good."

"I will try my absolute best, Mother," Yimei promised smoothly.

Satisfied, Madame Bai nodded, leading Rulan and Meiling down the torchlit walkway toward their living quarters. Yimei watched them leave, maintaining a calm, obedient posture until their silhouettes faded into the darkness.

Then, her sweet smile vanished. Her sharp eyes glinted in the dim moonlight. She had no intention of going back to her courtyard just yet.

Gesturing quietly to Qinqin to stay hidden near the main corridor, Yimei melted into the shadowy alcoves of the estate, tailing Madame Shen and An Yulan as they slipped down the Eastern gallery.

She ducked behind a thick marble pillar near the lotus pond, holding her breath as the quiet evening air carried their hushed voices right to her ears.

"You must listen to me carefully, Yulan," Madame Chen gritted out, her voice tight with suppressed panic. "You cannot let Wenjiang touch a single drop of liquor tonight! Not a single cup from now until tomorrow’s banquet! If he stumbles into the Minister’s estate smelling like a wine jar and rambling like a lunatic, he will ruin everything we have built!"

"I know, Mother," An Yulan replied hurriedly, looking eager to please. "I have already ordered his servants to lock away all the wine jars in our court. He will be completely sober and in his right mind tomorrow. I will make sure he makes you proud!"

An Yulan smoothed her embroidered silk sleeves, a smug smirk returning to her face. "Besides, I have personally prepared a priceless, rare jade hairpin as a gift for the Minister’s daughter for her engagement tomorrow. Once she accepts it, our branch will look far superior to that concubine’s daughter!"

Madame Chen let out a relieved sigh, patting An Yulan’s hand. "Good. See that you don’t mess this up."

With a final nod, Madame Chen turned down her own hallway, while An Yulan hurried off toward her quarter.

Behind the pillar, Yimei’s lips curled into a dangerous, dark smirk. So, Wenjiang is being forced to stay sober, and An Yulan thinks she’s going to win favor with a shiny jade hairpin? How delightfully naive.

Now that she had a golden piece of information to play with, Yimei turned her attention toward her next targets: Madame Liu and her arrogant daughter, Xiuying. Slipping through the shadows like a ghost, Yimei stealthily trailed Madame Liu’s lanterns through the quiet gardens.

Those two had plenty to say in the Main Hall tonight, and Yimei was more than ready to make sure they paid for every single word.