Bai Wenshan was still somewhat skeptical.
"Baozhu, when you were in the Northwest, you were willing to die for this Xu Yanci."
"Now Grandpa is giving you a chance. I won't make things difficult for him. If you truly like Xu Yanci, Grandpa will give you his blessing."
After all, she was the child he had doted on since she was little.
Besides, Bai Baozhu had lost her value for political marriage, so it would be better to let her live the life she wanted.
Bai Baozhu's tone was firm as she said:
"Grandpa, I am serious."
"I would rather die than have anything to do with Xu Yanci ever again."
"Give me a gun. I'll kill him right now!"
The murderous aura radiating from Bai Baozhu was somewhat terrifying, causing Xu Yanci to take two steps back.
He couldn't understand why, as lovers who were forced apart, she suddenly seemed like a completely different person.
He said in a panic:
"Baozhu, let's part on good terms. If you don't like me anymore, that's fine, but there's no need to kill me."
"It's the new Republic now. You've read so many progressive ideas and newspapers, you should know that everyone is equal and that murder is a crime."
Bai Wenshan ordered his adjutant to hand a gun to Bai Baozhu.
"You handle it. Grandpa can cover it up."
Bai Baozhu took a deep breath.
Yet, at the moment she was about to shoot, she hesitated and couldn't pull the trigger.
In her past life, they had shared sweet and loving days, but it was all destroyed by Xu Yanci's subsequent actions.
She had truly and genuinely loved him.
"Bang—"
The gunshot rang out.
The bullet grazed Xu Yanci's cheek. He was so terrified that his face turned deathly pale, and he burst into tears.
Bai Baozhu took another deep breath.
"Grandpa, I'm done. Let him go."
"Xu Yanci, if you ever dare to appear in front of me again, I will truly kill you."
Watching the man scramble away, Bai Baozhu felt her face was wet. She touched it, only then realizing she had been silently crying.
It was for the foolish self she had been in her past life.
Bai Wenshan spoke again:
"What are your thoughts now?"
"Xie Chengxiao is out of the question."
Bai Baozhu wiped away her tears, turned to look at Bai Wenshan, and said:
"Grandpa, I won't fight for Xie Chengxiao anymore. I can't compete with Liuyue."
"But there are so many young marshals in this new Republic. Xie Chengxiao isn't the only one."
Bai Wenshan stared at his eldest granddaughter with a complex gaze.
He said in a deep voice:
"So I sent you to study abroad, you learned so many progressive ideas, and you still decide to just be a young marshal's wife?"
Bai Baozhu was somewhat puzzled and shook her head.
"Grandpa, as a woman of the Bai family, the greatest benefit I can achieve for the family is through marriage."
"Whether it's me or Liuyue, isn't it the same for both of us?"
"Our diplomacy as wives can bring more benefits to our family and our husband's family. Plus, I can use my influence in the New National Newspaper to increase the family's prestige."
Bai Wenshan smiled and shook his head again.
He recalled the ambitious look in his youngest granddaughter's eyes in the study yesterday.
She had said,
'Grandpa, I want the position of Women's Advisor in the Jinzhong Provincial Assembly.'
She was clearly a girl raised in the inner chambers.
Yet her actions were even more shocking than those of his eldest granddaughter. She had even left him unable to refute her, only adding to his admiration.
Indeed, why couldn't the women of his Bai family step into the political arena?
Bai Wenshan's gaze returned to Bai Baozhu, and he said:
"You can forget about Pei Yu. He told me privately that he wants to marry your cousin."
A trace of loneliness and jealousy flashed in Bai Baozhu's eyes.
Why did such an ordinary little cousin attract the attention of all the men?
Bai Wenshan continued:
"I originally wanted to marry you to the second young master of the Northern Presidential Palace, but he refused."
Bai Baozhu took a deep breath and mocked herself, "Does he like Bai Liuyue too?"
Bai Wenshan didn't want to deal a blow to his eldest granddaughter.
But he nodded anyway.
"Yes!"
Bai Baozhu bit her lip. Why? Why did everyone love Bai Liuyue?
"Baozhu, I never stop internal fighting within the Bai family, but it must not cost any lives."
"Your brother crossed the line. I've already sent him away for punishment, and he won't return to Jinzhong for the next three years. As for you..."
"Have you thought about your way out?" Bai Wenshan narrowed his eyes.
As the patriarch of the Bai family, he always sat and watched the tigers fight, but he also always controlled the overall situation.
In his eyes, the tricks of these children were nothing more than kids playing house.
Bai Baozhu pursed her lips.
Her gaze was firm, flickering with ambition.
"Grandpa, the Fengtian clique and the Shanxi clique have declared a truce, but it's only for a one-year term."
"I am willing to marry into the East as a banner of the Shanxi clique, to seek a longer-lasting peace."
"Liuyue is indeed impressive. A young marshal's wife... you're right, my goal should not stop there."
"The marshal of the Fengtian clique just lost his wife. I am willing to be his second wife. Once I become the marshal's wife, even the Presidential Palace will have to give me some face."
Bai Wenshan remained silent.
Marshal Zhang of the Fengtian clique had three concubines and was already forty years old this year.
He was in his prime, but Bai Baozhu was only nineteen. The age gap was simply too large.
No family would willingly send their daughter there; it was tantamount to jumping into a fire pit.
Bai Baozhu spoke up again:
"Xie Chengxiao doesn't want me, Pei Yu looks down on me, and Jiang Yunshen is just some second young master who popped out of nowhere."
"Grandpa, just watch. I will prove myself."
"I am more valuable to the family than Bai Liuyue! I will absolutely never disappoint you again!"
"This is the path I have chosen for myself."
Since neither the Northwest nor Jinzhong would work out, Bai Baozhu had thought it through: she might as well go East and take a gamble.
With the warlords currently fighting among themselves, no one could say for sure who the final winner would be.
She, Bai Baozhu, would no longer involve herself in trivial romances in this life. She would live life on her own terms!
Bai Wenshan took a deep breath.
He looked at his eldest granddaughter with some pity.
She seemed to have had an epiphany, but in reality, she was still trapped within the confines she had set for herself.
Oh well. She had always been the type who wouldn't turn back until she hit a brick wall.
Bai Wenshan nodded.
"I will make the arrangements. You may leave."
"Yes, Grandpa!"
The flame of excitement reignited in Bai Baozhu's eyes.
Reborn into this life, she was determined to achieve great things.
...
A week later, Bai Baozhu was escorted to the East by several officers of the Shanxi clique.
She brought a large dowry and many servants.
Just like when she first married into the Northwest, although not as grand, everyone in Jinzhong knew that the Bai family's eldest miss, Bai Baozhu, was marrying for the second time, directly to Marshal Zhang of the Fengtian clique.
Bai Liuyue also heard the news.
She did not go to see her off.
What if Bai Baozhu thought she wasn't sincerely seeing her off, but was there to mock and provoke her?
To avoid trouble, it was better not to.
However, Xie Manyu secretly went to watch.
She said she hated Bai Baozhu, but in the end, she couldn't forget the brief period they had been good friends when Bai Baozhu first arrived in the Northwest.
Now that she was going East, they might never have the chance to meet again in this lifetime.
After seeing her off, Xie Manyu voluntarily came to apologize.
"Liuyue, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone to see Bai Baozhu off."
"I betrayed you. You can hit me, but we're still best friends. Please don't be angry about this."
"I was really hoping you would become my sister-in-law."
Xie Manyu said this as she lowered her head to steal a glance at her expression.
