Chapter 5

"That damned wench!".

A vase was thrown on the floor.

"Calm down mother"

"How can I be calm?!, That little witch has the guts to hand the rest of you her leftovers and you want me to be calm?!".

Bai Lan Min was incensed at her daughter.

As the prime Minister's sister,she deserves respect but that little brat only talked and greeted the old Madam during breakfast.

She did not call her out on this because she was waiting for the old Madam to ask Bai Shen Ting about her painting master but even that was unsuccessful too.

Bai Ming Yue sneered inwardly at what her mother said. Her mother, Bai Lan Min was just the concubine sister to the Prime Minister, born from the old Madam and to make matters worse, she got pregnant out of wedlock to a mere guard slave who ran away after the deed had been done.

The Prime Minister was very angry and forbade her from leaving the house for seven years and covered the issue up by making up a fake husband who died during the war.

Still it was the topic of evening gossip around the capital.

There were rumors till this day all surrounding what truly happened but the lady in question vanished from the public eye so the rumors gradually died down.

Bai Ming Yue was angry at her mother for this fact. At her young age, her identity and bloodline was made no secret to her either by her cousins or even the servants.

Once, a servant told her she was half a slave,so why was she required to serve her?.

She brought the attention of her grandmother to that statement before the maid was beaten to death as a warning to the other servants.

That didn't stop the side glances and whispers though but it only served to make it happen more and little whispers and mutterings from the servants somehow spread from the Minister's mansion through the capital.

If she could accumulate lots of talents and a good reputation, she could maybe jump away from her peasant blood and marry properly into nobility, not as a third concubine or wife to an old nobleman.

Right now, with her mother solely depending on the Minister, her uncle, she knew that getting the preferential treatment and proper noble upbringing to wash away how she is treated would be highly impossible.

The minister had his own responsibilities and he could not properly spend on her the way she wanted like Bai Shen Ting!

Truly, the Prime Minister was innocent of this. Many noble families would disown their daughters who had children out if wedlock and would cross their names out of the genealogy book but the minister when he wanted to send his sister back to his county in An Ping to be exiled there was met with stiff resistance from the old Madam with the reason that Bai Lan Min was her only child and as his sister he should find a way to settle the affairs discreetly.

After lots of begging and mild threatening using her life,the minister relented and confined her to the mansion for ten years.

Outwardly,she was very grateful to her brother but she was full of mutterings and discontent.

The minister kept her name and even put her daughter's name in the genealogy book, something that is not usually done.

The greedy heart always lust after more so when she saw how rich and affluent the Minister's wife was, she instigated her mother to try and snatch her dowry but was properly warned not to stir up trouble by the Prime Minister for the last time lest she would be banished forever to the county.

The fū ren's dowry was kept properly in two storage rooms close to the fū ren's house in her courtyard so only the fū ren had access to it.

To be equally trained with the Di daughter would be a very good start.

In her previous life, Bai Shen Ting had agreed and personally asked her grandfather for her sisters to be taught equally with her even when her grandfather repeatedly asked her if it was what she really wanted.

Like a dummy,she said yes and her grandfather allowed it.

A week later, a carriage stopped in front of the Prime Minister's mansion.

A man, woman and a boy alighted from it.

They went to the main hall where everyone had gathered to welcome them.

Bai Shen Ting rushed to greet her parents with a hug and tears on her face. She had not seen her mother for twenty three years and her father for ten years.

The Prime Minister and the fū ren were shocked at this. They were expecting a sullen Shen Ting to greet them because of the punishment but the opposite is what they got.

They had even prepared and bought several goodies and toys to bribe Shen Ting but it seemed it was unnecessary.

The Prime Minister stopped hugging Shen Ting but she refused to let go of the fū ren .

In her past life,she foolishly rushed to the temple and was waylaid by bandits sent by Du Shao Lian.

Song Mi rushed to the temple to solicit help from the Minister but only found the fū ren and the young master around. The minister had gone into a prayer session deep into the mountains.

Worried sick, they rushed down without waiting for their guards. They managed to save Shen Ting but it caused a massive accident with fū ren getting killed by the bandits and her brother losing one of his legs.

This time, she vowed not to let anything harm her family.

She guided her mother to sit whilst she lay acting spoilt in her arms.

Her neglected brother Bai Shen Min eyerolled at his twin's antics.

Fū ren had a wide smile on her face at her daughter's actions.

Old Madam Bai cleared her throat loudly at this point. She was still waiting for her greetings.

The family acknowledged and greeted her dryly.

Du Shao Lian came in front of the minister and curtseyed. She had visibly lost weight and her complexion was pallid.

"This concubine greets the master and fū ren."

"Are you feeling well? If not, you should summon the physician."

Master Bai was feeling a bit concerned.

Fū ren scoffed at this.If she was not feeling well then why did she purposely come all the way to the front just to show it off.

"Master, I'm feeling better now, after the three days spent at the ancestral hall,this concubine has carefully reflected and knows her wrongs."

Shen Ting raised an eyebrow at this. Now this concubine wanted to report her to her Father?.

"Yes Father, oldest sister punished my mother to kneel and fast for three days in the ancestral hall!"

Bai Ru Lan rushed forward pointing at Shen Ting. At her back was her sister Bai Ru Lian supporting her.

Bai Shen Ting smiled at this and signaled to Song Mi

Song Mi stepped forward and slapped Bai Ru Lan causing gasps to surround the hall.

"Shen Ting…"

"Father, sorry to interrupt you, but we are proper ladies of the Prime Minister's household in public. And we need teachers and etiquette lessons for all of us."

She stopped to look at Song Mi

"Song Mi, word for word repeat everything concubine Du said when came for a visit."

"Yes my lady."

Song Mi started to narrate everything that had happened even Du Shao Lian had no rebuttal at that , for Song Mi accurately told everyone everything that had happened.

With each statement she said,the Prime Minister and the fū ren furrowed their brows.

To come and subtly taunt the Di daughter and even decide not to properly address Shen Ting was enough punishment in most households.

The Minister had been too lenient with all these foxes causing them to forget their stations and rank.

"Still Shen Ting..."

"Father, I apologize once again for cutting you short,but concubine Du Shao Lian has broken the rules repeatedly. Even when I was silent to give her time to rectify her wrongs,she simply acted like she didn't care or she had forgotten about it."

"This is the Prime Minister's mansion and as the Di daughter,I saw it fit that I properly educate her lest we be made a mockery in public."

The fū ren hugged Shen Ting

"Don't worry Ting'er, the minister is not blaming you right?."

The subtle glance from the fū ren was enough to silence the minister. Out of fear and the fact that he might sleep on the floor if he says otherwise.

Du Shao Lian was angry at this. All she did was for naught now!.

"Young miss, I know you were only thinking of educating this concubine,but my daughter did no wrong."

Shen Ting smiled and looked at Song Mi in reply,

" Replying to the concubine's question, there is only one fū ren in this household, one mother, so calling another person mother is a grave disrespect that could lead to the second young miss being disowned."

"And concubine Du calling her your daughter means you are disrespecting my mother the fū ren, which is punishable by law. She should be glad I let her off with a slap."

Shen Ting continued looking at the rest of the concubines and their daughters.

"From now on, you are all to properly address fū ren as mother for she is the only mother in this household and your concubine mothers as concubine and your daughters as young miss. Lest we embarrass ourselves in public causing shame and tarnishing the Bai family name.

They all silently agreed seeing the fū ren and the minister had nothing to object to.

"Good. I prepared a small banquet to honor your arrival. Why don't we go there?."

Shen Ting led her family away leaving distraught concubines and their daughters.

'This is the type of power I want. Even at five she can already order and command the whole household "

Bai MingYue thought.

The concubines admonished their daughters carefully on how to address them then left for the banquet.

Du Shao Lian was left with a red handprint on her cheeks with anger in her heart.

That damned bastard.

A/N: Hello lovelies. Don't forget to like, comment and refer my story to everyone you know.