Chapter 46 Lord Bai Indeed Prefers Softness Over Hardness…

Chapter 46: Lord Bai truly responds better to honey than vinegar...

"Your Majesty, this must not be! The Marquis of the North has only just earned military honors, and to punish him so severely—how would the world perceive Your Majesty?" This time, it was the Minister of War, Qi Hai, who rarely spoke in court, standing up to defend the Marquis of the North.

The Minister of Rites, who had always been at odds with the Minister of War, made no effort to hide his eye-rolling and said, "Minister Qi, you're mistaken. The state has its laws. If Your Majesty were to lightly dismiss this matter merely for some military achievements, it would only turn the people's hearts cold."

Qi Hai said more forcefully, "Minister Mu has never been to Xiling and has no idea what the Marquis of the North means to the people there, protecting them against foreign tribes at the border."

With that, he bowed deeply to the emperor and implored, "Your Majesty, even for the sake of the Xiling people, we cannot so easily condemn the Marquis of the North."

The emperor remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Bai Xiuming, you grew up in Xiling. Tell me, should I spare the Marquis of the North for the sake of the Xiling people?"

"Your Majesty, in Youzhou, I exterminated an entire prefecture of rebellious demons, and the people even erected a memorial stele for me. Yet, even so, my name was carved below Your Majesty’s on that stele. I believe that if I were punished by Your Majesty for wrongdoing, the people of Youzhou would never dare blame Your Majesty—they would only think I had not been diligent enough. Xiling is remote, constantly harassed by foreign tribes, and Youzhou is similarly isolated, plagued by demons. I find it curious why the people of Youzhou can steadfastly believe in Your Majesty, while those of Xiling dare disrespect Your Majesty and revere only the Marquis of the North?"

Bai Xiuming’s words cut to the heart of the issue. Qi Hai turned to glance at him, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He inwardly cursed himself for underestimating his opponent, forgetting that Bai Xiuming was no longer the naive youth he could easily manipulate in court over a decade ago. Today, he had been checkmated.

Qi Hai hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Lord Bai is slandering! The Marquis of the North has always served the people and has never acted improperly or with selfish motives."

"His daughter killed people—that is improper."

"But the Marquis was unaware of it," Qi Hai retorted.

Bai Xiuming snorted, "Minister Qi appears to know the Marquis better than the man knows himself. Are you suggesting that with his profound cultivation, the Marquis couldn’t detect his daughter’s secret activities? Entrusting the military authority of Xiling to someone so easily deceived seems highly inappropriate."

Qi Hai shot back, "Lord Bai, watch your words! The allocation of military authority is decided by His Majesty. Does the Bright Mirror Bureau dare aspire to such authority?"

They went back and forth, finally arriving at the crux of the matter. What they were truly contesting was not the Marquis of the North’s three-month confinement but the control over the Xiling Army in his hands.

"Minister Qi is quite adept at manufacturing accusations against me. I recall the last time you argued so fervently in court was over a decade ago, in the case where the Prince of Xiling was accused of murdering his consort. Thanks to your silver-tongued arguments, the Prince was acquitted. Not long after, your eldest daughter was elevated to become the Prince’s official consort. Now, with such zeal, are you planning to marry your granddaughter to the Marquis of the North and make her the Marchioness?"

Seeing Bai Xiuming shamelessly dredge up the past in court, Qi Hai flushed with shame and anger. "Bai Xiuming, you impudent whelp! How dare you slander me!"

"I'm no match for a hypocrite like you, Minister Qi."

As the two escalated from debate to personal attacks and outright insults, the surrounding court officials watched with rapt attention.

Enraged, Qi Hai pointed at Bai Xiuming, "You disloyal, unfilial cur who—ah—!"

Before he could finish, his right cheek was struck as if by an invisible hand, swelling hideously.

King Ming, standing at the forefront of the courtiers, brushed off his hands as if to announce to all that he was the one who had delivered the slap.

"This prince is still alive, yet someone dares call my son unfilial and disloyal? Such words merit death."

The courtiers, seeing the usually ceremonial King Ming actually lose his temper, immediately lost their appetite for amusement and fell silent.

After being struck, Qi Hai’s rage evaporated, replaced by cold clarity. Had Bai Xiuming not suddenly brought up his eldest daughter, he would never have lost his composure so thoroughly. Now, it was too late—he knew he had lost completely this time.

"Enough! All this bickering—one would think you were fishwives," the emperor on the throne reprimanded. Then he declared, "The Minister of War has spoken disrespectfully. He is fined three months’ salary. Bai Xiuming… contemplate your conduct for three days. Court is dismissed."

As for the Marquis of the North, the center of the debate, it was as if the emperor had forgotten him entirely. The punishment against him could no longer be altered.

From start to finish, the Marquis had not managed to interject a single word, yet his conviction was sealed with such ease. When he left the court, his face was livid.

The courtiers and nobility who had sought his favor just days ago now gave him a wide berth.

Everyone knew this Marquis of the North had likely lost imperial favor. Having achieved military merits in Xiling, he was placed under house arrest for three months before any rewards could be bestowed. By the time he emerged from his mansion, it would all be too late.

After court, Bai Xiuming did not return to the Bright Mirror Bureau but went straight home. Since the emperor had ordered him to reflect for three days, he would comply.

His residence was also bestowed by the emperor, and the servants were all transferred from King Ming’s estate. There were few of them, as the household had only one master, making the entire mansion feel unusually quiet.

As soon as he entered, the steward eunuch, Eunuch Ning, approached and said, "Young Master, His Highness the King is here."

"Where is he?"

"In the garden, taking in the flowers."

Bai Xiuming waved him off and strode toward the garden.

King Ming had no interest in flowers, but he was very intrigued by the few gold and silver dragon carp Bai Xiuming had raised with dragon blood. Not only did these carp emit mist, making them highly decorative, but they were also exceptionally delicious. He planned to sneak a couple back to his own mansion for a feast while his son was away.

By the time Bai Xiuming found him, King Ming had already caught the plumpest one and tossed it into a net he had prepared at some point.

"Father, that golden one has been reserved by His Majesty."

"Nonsense. His Majesty prefers the silver ones." King Ming had no intention of letting go of his prize.

When his ploy failed, Bai Xiuming could only relent. When King Ming was provoked to anger, he tended to resort to violence—and Bai Xiuming was no match for him.

King Ming straightened up, tying the net securely and carrying it. "You did well today. How did you think to start with the Marquis of the North’s daughter?"

"Coincidence." Bai Xiuming didn't care to elaborate on A Chan’s previous behavior and simply asked, "Who does His Majesty intend to take over the Xiling Army?"

"The Duke of Song’s eldest son. He has already departed."

Bai Xiuming shook his head. "If Qi Hai knew, he would regret standing up for the Marquis of the North today."

"Why do you think he did?" King Ming countered.

Bai Xiuming met his gaze. "Because the faction backing him also want control of Xiling’s military. Unfortunately, events moved too quickly—they weren’t prepared with a successor. Keeping the Marquis in power was the safest option."

Not that they were careless. Given the current emperor’s temperament, even if he wanted to move against the Marquis of the North, he wouldn’t have acted so hastily.

But no one expected Bai Xiuming to seize the Marquis’s weakness and upset the board without waiting a single day.

King Ming chuckled. "Good. You’ve improved since childhood. Back when Qi Hai defended the Prince of Xiling and the emperor pardoned him, all you could do was vent your fury at me."

He was referring to the case of the Princess Consort of Xiling over a decade ago—Bai Xiuming’s mother.

In the past, merely mentioning it would send the boy into a frenzy. Now, he could openly bring it up in court to corner Qi Hai.

Bai Xiuming gazed at the mist-covered pond, where the dragon carp gathered, exhaling mist. The lotus leaves half-hidden in the mist created an ethereal atmosphere.

Once, the Prince of Xiling’s mansion had such a pond too. His mother had loved lotuses.

Soon, he pulled back his thoughts and said flatly, "I was young and hot-headed then."

"Well, you’ve matured." King Ming knew he didn’t wish to dwell on it and changed the subject. "How did it feel, facing off against the Marquis of the North?"

"He's very strong."

"Be more specific."

"Not as strong as me."

King Ming chuckled: "That may not be the case. Although the Marquis of the North isn't the brightest, he's not to be underestimated when fighting for his life. You backed him into a corner today—sooner or later, he’ll come after you."

"If I don’t drive him into a corner, how would he reveal his flaws? Don’t you and His Majesty want to know whether the Demon Seal will fall into his hands?" Bai Xiuming retorted.

After court adjourned, the Marquis of the North had just returned to his mansion when, not long after, a eunuch arrived with palace guards to deliver an edict.

The gist of it was that the Marquis’s daughter had harmed countless commoners, and the Marquis had failed in disciplining her. He was ordered to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors for three months as atonement for his daughter’s crimes.

Once the Marquis accepted the edict, the imperial guards immediately took control of all entrances and exits of the mansion, signaling they’d keep the Marquis under surveillance for the next three months.

After the mansion gates were shut, the Marquis could no longer contain his fury and hurled the edict to the ground.

"This is outrageous!"

Liu Zhou, seeing the Marquis seething with rage, remarked coolly: "The Emperor intends to strip you of your military power and render you powerless, my lord."

"Do you have any solutions, Strategist?" the Marquis snapped, turning to him.

Liu Zhou shook his head: "You’ve been caught red-handed, my lord. It’s a done deal."

After all, the Marquis’s daughter had killed so many people in the capital, and the Bright Mirror Bureau had obtained undeniable proof. The punishment of three months’ confinement was already lenient in the eyes of the common people.

"I’ve risked my life for the court, and now that I’m no longer needed, they cast me aside. The Emperor is indeed as heartless and ungrateful as you said, Strategist."

The strategist smiled faintly: "Emperors have always been ruthless, my lord. You must think more of yourself. If you can advance to the Fifth Realm sooner, the world will be at your feet—why remain shackled by others?"

"You’re right."

"My lord, do not forget—our return to the capital was never about power struggles, but for... the Demon Seal."

Liu Zhou watched as the Marquis’s expression softened, then added with a smile: "Once you obtain the Demon Seal, you’ll have all the resources needed for advancement. Who’d care about military power then?"

"The Demon Seal..." The Marquis narrowed his eyes. It seemed he needed to retrieve it from Yan Liru as soon as possible.

Court dramas rarely touched the commoners, but news of the Marquis being confined for indulging his daughter quickly spread through the capital. After all, this celebrated general had drawn crowds upon his arrival—who would have thought he’d fall from grace in just two days?

The people sighed at the rumors, but A Chan was surprised.

She hadn’t expected that after sweet-talking Bai Xiuming just yesterday, the Marquis would be confined today—even if only for three months, it was still remarkable. Lord Bai truly responded better to honey over vinegar.

A Chan resolved that the next time she caused trouble, she would do her best to stay under the radar and avoid arousing Bai Xiuming’s suspicion, sparing him unnecessary worry. That would be her way of repaying him.

After receiving the five thousand taels from the Marquis yesterday, A Chan discussed with Hui Niang the idea of demolishing and rebuilding their two-story shop. Hui Niang even bought the adjacent courtyard, planning to merge and redesign the space.

With the old house set to be torn down, the two couldn’t stay in the shop. A Chan took Hui Niang to the residence where Ji Chan’s mother’s dowry was stored.

The house was in Chongming Ward, not far from the East Market, in an excellent location surrounded by the mansions of officials.

Having moved in only last night, they had yet to furnish the place properly, spending just a hastily spent night there.

Early this morning, A Chan and Hui Niang hired a cart to transport their belongings from the shop to the house, then went to the East Market to buy daily necessities.

Many of their original belongings had been destroyed by the Marquis’s spear strike, so they had to replace everything.

By the time they left the market, they had two carts full of goods in tow.

The two walked ahead while the cart drivers followed leisurely.

Entering Chongming Ward, the difference from Changping Ward was stark—the people here dressed more luxuriously but were far more aloof in demeanor.

A Chan didn’t particularly like this environment. Perhaps due to first impressions, she preferred the more approachable neighbors of Changping Ward.

Finally reaching their doorstep, A Chan was about to unlock the door when she noticed the gates of the mansion opposite swing open. Several maids and matrons dumped a heap of things out.

Ever the nosy neighbor, A Chan couldn’t resist.

She instructed Hui Niang to guide the cart drivers inside to unload while she hurried over to investigate.

As she approached the opposite mansion, she caught sight of the plaque above the gate and froze.

Last night was only her second visit to this residence, and she’d only known that the surrounding houses were at least three-courtyard compounds, occupied by official families.

But she hadn’t realized that directly across from her was the General of Anxi's Mansion.

After the maids finished discarding the items, a figure was manhandled out by two matrons.

Recognizing the familiar silhouette, A Chan took a few steps closer.

Upon nearing, she saw it was none other than Lin Sui.

Lin Sui looked a complete mess—her cheeks swollen and red, blood trickling from her lip, as if she’d been slapped repeatedly.

Once the maids and matrons retreated, a beautiful woman emerged, supported by a girl around Lin Sui’s age.

Lin Sui, who had fallen to the ground, slowly pushed herself up, her bloodshot eyes fixed hatefully on the mother and daughter at the gate.

Ignoring her glare, Lady Yao, wife of the General of Anxi, spoke coldly: "I had hoped these two years of careful guidance would have improved you. Yet you’ve repeatedly disrupted the household’s peace, taking advantage of my leniency."

Hearing her spin the narrative, Lin Sui nearly laughed, her words sharp: "Your careful guidance? Your so-called guidance was constantly reminding me not to take Lin Ting’s things and to yield to her at every turn? Why should I?"

"Because she is your sister! Can’t you grasp the simple principle of sibling affection?" Lady Yao scolded harshly. "All these years in the countryside, and you’ve learned nothing but the crude ways of peasants. Last time, you stole Ting’er’s betrothal, and I let it pass. What do you intend to do this time?"

"Sister? She doesn’t qualify. Have you forgotten, Mother? I have no sister. Your precious daughter was adopted from your maiden family. She may be your daughter, but she’s certainly not my sister."

"How dare you!" Lady Yao clutched her chest, as if about to faint.

Lin Ting, at her side, quickly called for maids to steady her. After a moment, Lady Yao recovered somewhat.

Lin Sui watched as Lady Yao was surrounded by maids and comforted by her daughter, not moving an inch.

Then Lin Ting stepped forward, her tone accusatory: "Elder Sister, I know you resent me for taking your place. But my status has been acknowledged by Father, Mother, and all the elders. Whether you accept it or not, I am a daughter of the Lin family."

Lin Sui stared at Lin Ting, who held her chin high with unbearable haughtiness, and remained silent.

Two years ago, when she had first been brought back to the Lin family, she had been full of hope to reunite with her kin—only to face a cold mother, a bond as tight as mother and daughter between Lady Yao and Lin Ting, and a fawning elder brother, Lin Heng, who adored Lin Ting.

Later, she learned that her mother had never wanted her back. It was only because she had come of age and her father had raised the matter that Lady Yao grudgingly complied.

Lin Sui had once held some hope for her father, but after his return, nothing changed.

To all of them, Lin Ting mattered more. As if she, the own flesh and blood, were dispensable. She couldn’t understand it—and refused to accept it.

Lin Ting continued, self-righteous: "You set your sights on my fiancé, and I yielded, as if making amends for these years. But this time, you dragged Second Brother’s name through the mud for an outsider. That, I won’t stand for."

"Slander? He went hunting with others but forced my brother to be his guide. When danger struck, he pushed my brother out first. If not for my brother's sheer luck of only breaking a leg, he'd be dead by now. Have I lied about any part of this?"

Lin Sui's words fell on deaf ears. Yao Shi remained expressionless, and Lin Ting was equally unmoved.

"Sister, you're mistaken. You have no brother. That peasant family isn't worthy of our General of Anxi's Mansion. Now that you've returned, you should remember your status instead of hurting Mother's heart over some worthless trash."

"You're the filthy ones!"

"Lin Sui, shut the hell up! You're utterly ungrateful," Yao Shi shrieked.

"Am I wrong? How dare you lecture me about integrity, Mother? The son you raised isn't half the man my brother is. And you still expect him to succeed? Keep dreaming."

"I said shut up!"

Lin Ting quickly turned to soothe her: "Mother, Sister just needs time to understand. Please don't upset yourself—it's bad for your health. I worry for you."

Yet Lin Ting's words only added fuel to the fire. Yao Shi grew even angrier, pointing at Lin Sui: "I always knew you were an ungrateful brat. If you want that brother of yours so badly, go find him! Don't ever come back."

"Like I give a damn about this place!" Lin Sui's temper flared. Without a glance at the belongings thrown out with her, she turned and stormed off.

Yao Shi didn't spare her daughter another look either, entering the mansion with her second daughter and ordering the maids to shut the red gates behind them, locking Lin Sui out.

After walking some distance, Lin Sui turned back to see only the impassive red doors.

"Miss Lin." Noticing Lin Sui staring blankly at the General of Anxi's Mansion gates, A Chan approached and called to her.

Lin Sui turned, surprised: "You're here?"

A Chan smiled: "I've just moved nearby. If you'd like, why not rest at my place?"

Lin Sui hesitated, seeming unsure.

A Chan added: "Come along, Miss Lin. Consider it celebrating my housewarming. My Hui Niang is an excellent cook—you'll love it."

As she spoke, she took Lin Sui's hand and guided her inside.