Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 576 - 573: Won_1

If it weren’t for the Crown Prince’s favor, at worst she would be reprimanded and punished. But if she had the Crown Prince’s favor, who in the Dong family would dare to punish her and offend the Crown Prince? That’s why Dong Tingzhi dared to act so boldly.

As Madam Dong said, she did not have enough confidence in her beauty. If it were about beauty... that cousin from the Bai family, Princess of Zhen, Bai Qingyan, truly possessed stunning beauty. She didn’t think the Crown Prince was foolish enough not to see through her deliberate attempts to attract him. All she wanted was to send a signal to the Crown Prince that the Dong family had a girl willing to serve him.

But just as she stepped out of the Bajiao Pavilion, she was bound by Nanny Wang’s people and brought directly to Madam Dong. It seemed Madam Dong wouldn’t give her the chance to serve the Crown Prince.

She struggled and screamed, wanting to argue, to tell Madam Dong that sending her to the Crown Prince was a good thing for the Dong family.

But Madam Dong had no intention of removing the cloth from her mouth. She gazed sharply at the kneeling Dong Tingzhi. "Once, your grandfather said... the Bai family in Dadu treats its illegitimate children well, not allowing them to see their birth mothers from birth, raising them with the legitimate mother instead! My woman’s compassion was too weak to bear it, and it led your aunt to raise you into such a character."

Hearing her aunt being implicated, Dong Tingzhi’s eyes widened, and she kowtowed to Madam Dong for mercy.

Dong Tingzhi knew her aunt had cunningly entered Dong Mansion, using the connections of the third master of the Dong family, and was sent to her father by him. Thus, she and her mother were not favored in the Dong Mansion, and her aunt lived a very hard life. She had racked her brains many times to let her aunt live a better life.

"You’ve made many mistakes from childhood. Your grandmother has been lenient due to your youth. Now... I don’t want to waste my words teaching you any longer. From today... you and your aunt, one will go to the family temple for seclusion, and the other will live out her remaining years at Qing Temple." Madam Dong didn’t want to look at Dong Tingzhi anymore. She closed her eyes and waved her hand holding the Buddha beads. "Nanny Wang, take her away! Prepare the carriage immediately... send them to the family temple without delay."

Dong Tingzhi shook her head, crying and pleading for mercy from her grandmother, but with the cloth stuffed firmly in her mouth, she could only whimper, tears streaming down her face with overwhelming fear.

Nanny Wang responded affirmatively, about to instruct the maid beside her to prepare the carriage, when a maid rushed in hurriedly. She stood behind the screen, bowed, and said in a panic: "Madam, the eunuch beside the Crown Prince said he has a gift for Miss Tingzhi from our mansion. He asks for her to come out to receive it."

Madam Dong’s hand holding the Buddha beads suddenly tightened, and her sharp gaze looked outside the screen.

With the Crown Prince’s involvement, could Madam Dong still dare to send her to the family temple?

Kneeling on the ground, Dong Tingzhi was overjoyed. It worked! It succeeded!

Her tearful eyes shifted to the high and mighty Madam Dong sitting on the couch. Her earlier fear was replaced by a triumphant expression.

Dong Tingzhi struggled fiercely, shaking off the rough maids holding her down. She straightened her back and stared at Madam Dong. If her mouth weren’t stuffed with the cloth, she would have laughed out loud three times.

In this round, she won! If she could become the Crown Prince’s favored concubine, even this dying old Madam Dong would have to bow down to her!

Not to mention if the Crown Prince ascended the throne in the future, her high and mighty grandmother would be replaced. This grandmother would have to bow her noble head to her, and listen to her teachings.

Dong Tingzhi turned to glare at Nanny Wang, yelling incoherently, signaling her to release her quickly.

"Madam?" Nanny Wang was somewhat flustered, looking up at Madam Dong who had a face of iron.

"Meet the Princess of Zhen!"

Before Madam Dong could speak, outside, they heard Quan Yu greeting Bai Qingyan.

Madam Dong’s expression changed, and she turned to look outside the window.

Bai Qingyan nodded to Quan Yu, her gaze falling on the jade pendant in Quan Yu’s hands. She smiled and said, "Is this the Crown Prince’s gift for my cousin?"

"Exactly!" Quan Yu beamed.

"The Crown Prince’s gift. My grandmother and cousin should change into proper attire to receive it. But since the Crown Prince is at the Dong Mansion, it’s hard to ensure proper service. It’s not good to keep Quan Yu waiting here. If you trust me, why not let me pass it on to my cousin?" Bai Qingyan smiled.

Quan Yu thought for a moment, then handed the jade pendant to Bai Qingyan with both hands. "Then I’ll trouble the Princess of Zhen."

Since the Crown Prince didn’t specifically say that Miss Dong Tingzhi had to receive it personally, and out of goodwill to ensure the Crown Prince’s good service, Quan Yu couldn’t refuse Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan took the jade pendant, gazing at it momentarily before stepping out of the courtyard with Quan Yu. As if casually, she asked, "Is the Crown Prince rewarding my cousin because the residence is arranged properly?"

Quan Yu glanced at the maids following at some distance, then lowered his voice to speak to Bai Qingyan. "Miss Dong Tingzhi was playing the zither near the Crown Prince’s residence to commemorate her brother today. The Crown Prince felt sympathy for her sibling affection and thus rewarded her."

Bai Qingyan nodded, escorting Quan Yu out of the courtyard gate. "Take care, Eunuch."

Quan Yu respectfully bowed to Bai Qingyan and left with his entourage.

Holding the jade pendant, Bai Qingyan stared at the blue stone path lined with crane-shaped bronze lanterns. Under the clear moonlight and swaying shadows, she issued instructions. "Go invite Uncle to grandmother’s place."

Bai Qingyan stepped into Madam Dong’s room, glanced at Dong Tingzhi, who was firmly tied up with a cloth in her mouth, held down by rough maids, then passed through the beaded curtain, around the screen, and walked into the inner chamber.

Dong Tingzhi’s throat tightened. For some reason, Bai Qingyan’s calm look made her heart grow cold.

"Grandmother." Bai Qingyan greeted Madam Dong.

Madam Dong showed a tired expression and extended her hand to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan grasped Madam Dong’s hand and sat by her side.

"You were also disturbed..." Madam Dong sighed slightly. She had hoped to handle this quietly without troubling Bai Qingyan.

Since the incident with the Bai family, her granddaughter had been walking on thin ice, exhausted mentally and physically. Madam Dong truly didn’t want to burden Bai Qingyan with such petty matters.

"I planned to give Tingzhi a way out, sending her to the family temple for seclusion. If the Crown Prince asked, I would say it was to pray for this old woman’s longevity. But now that the Crown Prince has sent this jade pendant, if I force Tingzhi away, triggering the Crown Prince’s displeasure is a minor issue. I fear he will grow wary of the Dong family." Madam Dong gritted her teeth, tightly clutching the Buddha beads.

Dong Tingzhi outside the screen shivered. They had intended to spare her? What about now?

Could it be that, with the Crown Prince personally asking, Madam Dong would still dare to take her life?