White Robe

Chapter 76

I reached down and pressed my neck, feeling waves of pain. Yun Yiyang had really hit me hard; more than half a year had passed, and my neck still couldn't turn freely. Xiao Lü said that if Yun Yiyang had hit me even slightly harder, I might have been paralyzed for the rest of my life. But, if it weren't for him… I smiled faintly. Perhaps, I would be meeting Young Master Shang in the underworld right now.

For the first two months, I spent my time crying and trembling. Those days are half clear and half blurry in my memory. I heard from others that I was freezing cold and trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind. Yun Yiyang, disregarding what others said, held me in his arms every night, fully clothed, warming my cold body and wiping away the tears from my eyes from time to time. Four months later, I finally returned to normal. I became the white-robed prime minister I used to be.

However, I am now colder and more ruthless than I was two years ago.

The first thing I learned after regaining consciousness was that my master, Master Feng, had also arrived at Guiyun Manor. He volunteered to clean up the accounts and replace Master Gongsun. After a major battle, Guiyun Manor was in dire need of rebuilding. Although Yun Yiyang had taken charge of the manor's affairs while I was ill, he was still somewhat overwhelmed on his own. I focused all my energy on Guiyun Manor, which finally eased my worries and improved my spirits considerably. Master Feng also set up arrays both inside and outside Guiyun Manor, making it impregnable despite the lack of many experts, deterring the rabble from easily launching an attack. As time passed, life gradually returned to normal, and we resumed our peaceful and natural existence.

But I know that the past will never come back.

Just like I can never forget that man riding a horse with a sword drawn in the autumn.

By day, I'm still that decisive, calm, and composed person in white; but by night, I'm like a different person—

My face was pale, and my gaze was fixed on the boundless darkness.

The surrounding area was filled with roaring charcoal fires, making the hut glow red.

But my hands were cold, and my body was cold.

I have never felt warmth.

Perhaps I will never feel warmth in this lifetime.

I patted Xiao Lü's hand and said, "You should rest for a while. I feel much better now."

Xiao Lü moved her hand down from my shoulder and said softly, "Sister Bai, what are you thinking about?"

“I—” I chuckled and said, “I’m thinking about how to get rid of those matchmakers and bookworms from my house.”

Little Green chuckled to herself, saying, "If that's the case, isn't it a pity—"

"What a waste of Xiaoyunzi's marriage proposal fee!" I pulled a roll of paper from my sleeve and handed it to Xiaolü, saying, "This—did you two come up with this? Hmph...you two have been spreading the word behind my back, actually trying to find me a marriage partner! What 'gentle and virtuous, quiet and kind,' what 'wealthy from the county town, related to royalty,' what 'hoping to recommend a worthy scholar, eagerly anticipating an auspicious date.' How come I didn't know Guiyun Manor had any spare silver, so generous that they give five taels of silver to everyone who comes to meet them—do you take me for some rare commodity!"

Little Green stuck out her little tongue and said, "Sister Bai, this...this can't all be blamed on me...Little Yunzi had a share too..."

“Xiao Yunzi? -- I’ll settle accounts with him in a bit!” As I spoke, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself, saying, “Look at what you’ve written, it’s neither eloquent nor coherent… Where am I ‘virtuous and gentle’? I’ll scare those bored people away in a bit! ... And you even wrote ‘relatives of the king’! ... You guys -- sigh, you’re really making a mess of things.”

Xiao Lü opened her eyes wide and said, "Sister Bai, this is absolutely true! Prince Ning really did take you as his sworn sister!"

I sighed, "You—" Ever since Shang Shaozhang fell off the cliff, Prince Ning not only didn't pursue the matter with me, but also treated Guiyun Manor no differently than before. A few days ago, he even insisted on becoming sworn siblings with me. To others, Prince Ning, known for his romantic and unrestrained nature, was willing to associate with an ordinary woman, which was certainly a romantic tale. While not a major event, it had been widely discussed in Jiangzhou for a long time. But I knew in my heart that Prince Ning's sworn sisterhood with me was far from simple. My origins were mysterious and unpredictable; even he couldn't find me, and others speculated about my background. His recognition of me as his sworn sister was partly due to our past entanglements, and partly to give me a legitimate title. The head of Guiyun Manor, the prince's sworn sister—who would dare doubt my origins?

Thinking of this, I sighed and said, "Don't spread this around in the future, understand?" I patted my clothes, stood up and said, "You play with Xiaoyunzi for a while, I'll go and chase those matchmakers away."

Little Green exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Bai, please don't—"

I smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, I'm just showing them how 'gentle and virtuous' I am."

Yun Yiyang ultimately dared not bring them into my room, but instead led them to the flower hall closest to my room. Before I even approached the door, I could hear a great commotion and chaos inside, with voices constantly emanating from within. I frowned slightly and moved a little closer, when I heard Youhua exclaim in surprise, "Young Master Fang... please have some self-respect!"

A man's voice laughed, "How am I being disrespectful? You're just a lowly maid, yet you're so particular about manners—" Then seven or eight people burst into laughter.

Youhua said solemnly, "Although I am of lowly status, I know the proper etiquette of men and women not touching each other. Young master is like a dragon among men, so you should also cultivate your character."

The man surnamed Fang, however, was not offended. He chuckled and said, "Little beauty—don't be so serious. What if your so-called 'White-Robed Minister' chooses me to be his guest of honor, and you're his personal maid? Perhaps you'll have to come along as part of his dowry to serve him too—" He then burst into laughter again. The surrounding crowd chimed in with their opinions: some said, "Brother Fang, you're truly blessed with good fortune," others said, "Brother Fang, how can you have both wealth and beauty? You can only choose one," and still others said, "That woman in white is old and faded, far less beautiful than this young maid." ... My face grew increasingly frosty. I coughed heavily, pushed open the door, and went inside. There were about twenty people in the hall, men and women, some sitting, some standing. Youhua was surrounded by several young men, looking uneasy. She had been away from the music hall for almost two years, and was much more reserved and self-possessed than before. Now, being teased by these frivolous men, she was filled with shame. Seeing me stroll in, they rushed past the crowd as if they had seen a savior, and stood behind me.

I glanced around, and everyone stopped laughing and involuntarily stood up when my cold gaze touched them. I walked slowly to the carved wooden chair in front of the hall and sat down, and said with a smile, "Are you all here to see Baiyi today? I apologize for keeping you ladies and gentlemen waiting."

The group looked at each other, but no one uttered a word.

I chuckled, "Oh—why are you all so quiet? You all came here today hoping to talk to me more, didn't you?" My gaze swept across the room, catching sight of a thin, boyish face in the corner. I couldn't help but mentally curse Xiao Lü and Yun Yiyang a few more times. But aloud I said, "It's you—what do you want to say to me?"

When the boy saw me pointing at him, he nervously said, "Sister Bai—Sister Bai—" but I interrupted him, "How old are you this year?"

The boy stammered, "Ten—fifteen—no, no—sixteen—"

I laughed and said, "Do you know how old I am?"

The boy said, "I...I...don't know..."

I held up two fingers and said, "I'm exactly twenty-six years old this year." I smiled sweetly and continued, "So you shouldn't call me Sister Bai, you should at least call me Aunt Bai."

As soon as I finished speaking, I saw five or six people, including the young man, walk out of the flower hall. A smile appeared on my lips as I said, "What else do you want to ask?"

A middle-aged man in his forties, with a wretched appearance, swaggered out, shaking his head and saying, "It is my great honor to meet you today, Your Excellency! I was widowed two years ago... no, no, my wife passed away two years ago, and I was thinking of rekindling... that love potion! I am forty-three years old this year, which is the same age as Your Excellency... I wonder if we can become husband and wife..."

I narrowed my eyes and slowly said, "You're Manager Gao of Ruihe Silk Shop, aren't you?" Seeing the man nod repeatedly, my voice turned cold, and I said, "If you don't disappear from my sight soon, I'm afraid you won't have a silk shop to support you in your old age..."

Seeing the newly widowed Manager Gao practically flee the flower hall in a panic, I picked up my teacup, took a sip, and was just about to figure out how to kick the rest of the people out. Then, a young man in his early twenties stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I am Xia Huai De, greetings to the White-Robed Prime Minister." Compared to the others before him, he was quite handsome. I was about to reply when Youhua whispered in my ear, "Sister Bai, it's him—"

A thought flashed through my mind, and I whispered, "He's the one who flirted with you, isn't he?"

Youhua said, "Yes! He is the son of a major rice merchant from the five provinces north of the Yangtze River. It is said that he has connections with the government and has a large following."

I gave a light hum and then smiled and said, "So you are Young Master Fang. My apologies for not addressing me properly. You may just call me Baiyi. The title 'Minister' is just something someone casually used. How could I possibly accept it?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Huaide hurriedly laughed and said, "The name of the White-Robed Prime Minister has spread throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River. Seeing you today, it is indeed well-deserved! You surpass men, especially... Your appearance is so beautiful, it makes me—" When he saw me smiling at him, he thought I had fallen for him, and he was both proud and happy, throwing me flirtatious glances.

I laughed and said, "Not at all, not at all. My wife is old and faded, how can she compare to my young maid who is so beautiful and charming?"

Fang Huaide's expression changed drastically; his previous "flirtatious" demeanor vanished instantly, and he stammered, "This—this—"

My smile vanished; I had no desire to continue speaking with such a shameless person. I shouted, "Get out—," and was about to get up.

Seeing my increasingly unfriendly tone, Fang Huaide's anger flared. A spoiled young master, accustomed to flattery, he had never been so insulted. Fang Huaide stepped forward and roared, "You're nothing but a haggard old woman! If it weren't for your status, I wouldn't even have a thing for you—"

He hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly stopped, staring straight ahead, frozen in place.

I gently placed my five fingers on his throat and slowly said, "Say one more word, let me hear it."