The Old Madam suppressed the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

But now was not the time to be happy—one final step remained.

“Lord Duke, please reconsider!”

A wave of people knelt at his feet, yet the Duke of An still did not hear a word of submission from Jiang Fengyuan.

Once spoken, words were like spilled water—impossible to take back.

Though unwilling, the Duke of An could not bring himself to relent.

He glared at the entire first household. “Don’t come to regret this!”

Jiang Yuansheng’s expression remained cold. “Grandfather, rest assured. From now on, the glory of the Duke’s Manor has nothing to do with us!”

“You—!” The Duke of An was so furious that he couldn’t speak.

“Open the ancestral hall! Expel this unfilial family from the Duke’s Manor!”

The elders of the Jiang family filed into the estate.

Madam Chen discreetly handed out red envelopes, stuffing them into their hands.

“I appreciate you all making the trip.”

The elders responded politely to Madam Chen. It was rare for someone to be so considerate, even arranging the best accommodations for them.

Jiang Qisheng sneered at these men.

Just a bunch of old geezers with no real influence—was the first household really wasting their effort on them?

Jiang Qisheng turned away, leaving.

The clan leader frowned.

Jiang Qisheng clearly did not take the elders of Qingzhou seriously.

Did he think they were blind?

A concubine’s child could never compare to the one born of the principal wife.

The eldest young master of the Jiang family held a military post and was a fourth-rank general.

Though his children had somewhat tarnished reputations,

his eldest son, Yuansheng, was exceptionally talented and would surely have a place in the imperial court someday.

Madam Chen bowed respectfully. “Yuanwu is away on duty and unable to return. I ask for the clan leader’s understanding.”

The clan leader nodded. Things had already escalated to this point; whether he returned or not no longer mattered.

Everything was ready.

“If everyone is here, let’s begin.” The clan leader sighed.

“Open the ancestral hall!”

The heavy, ancient doors creaked open, revealing an altar room filled with ancestral tablets and flickering candles.

At the center of the incense table lay the family genealogy—a thick book chronicling the rise and fall of the Jiang family.

The clan leader turned the yellowed pages. The further he flipped, the newer the pages became.

He stopped at the section for the first household.

In all his years as clan leader, this was the first time he had ever seen an entire branch being erased.

Seeing the brilliant young man standing behind him, knowing that from today onward he would no longer be a part of the Jiang family, the clan leader felt as though a knife were cutting into his heart.

He had a premonition—the Duke of An would regret this decision.

Letting out a long sigh, he picked up the brush and dipped it in ink.

“Are you certain about this?”

“Do it!” The Duke of An snapped in anger.

The clan leader’s brush fell onto the page.

One by one, six names were crossed out.

One of the names still had fresh ink.

“Jiang Fengyuan, eldest legitimate son of the Jiang family—removed.”

For each name he crossed out, an elder recited it aloud.

“Chen Xinwan, eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family—removed.”

“Jiang Yuansheng, eldest legitimate grandson of the Jiang family—removed.”

…

“Jiang Yuanxi, youngest daughter of the first household—removed.”

Six names in total were erased.

Jiang Yuanxi nearly burst out laughing—she had waited so long for this day.

[We’re leaving. Grandmother will be lonely and miserable in the Jiang ancestral hall. Why don’t we take her with us?]

Jiang Fengyuan’s heart tightened.

It was his fault—he had nearly left his mother behind in this wretched place.

“Clan leader, erase my mother’s name as well,” Jiang Fengyuan said solemnly.

“This—”

The clan leader hesitated and turned to look at the Duke of An.

The Duke of An’s eyes flickered with a moment of confusion.

That woman may have been crude and unsophisticated, but she was still his principal wife.

The Old Madam saw his hesitation.

She immediately stepped forward. “My lord, Elder Sister brought her dowry with her when she married into the Duke’s Manor and contributed greatly. We cannot do this to her.”

Though she spoke with concern, in truth, she was eager for that wretched woman’s son to take her memorial tablet away.

That way, she would officially and rightfully become the mistress of the Duke’s Manor.

No more mockery from others.

The Duke of An felt a wave of disgust.

Every time someone brought up this matter, it only reminded him of his past incompetence—

That he had needed a merchant’s daughter to save the Jiang family.

He, the esteemed Duke of An, needing a woman’s support?

“Take her!”

As long as that woman was gone, no one would mention it again.

The clan leader shook his head.

That woman had brought a massive dowry into the household and saved the Duke’s Manor from ruin.

And yet, years later, the Duke of An was now expelling her son from the family.

Using someone and then discarding them.

What a sin!

The Duke of An had truly lost his way.

The clan leader dipped his brush in ink once more and erased the name of the woman who had saved the Jiang family.

This was a sin—they were even wiping away the memory of the dead.

One day, the vows the Duke of An had made to his first wife would come back to haunt him.

Jiang Yuancheng leaned toward Jiang Yuansheng. “Big Brother, what if they shamelessly come crawling back in the future?”

Shameless people were everywhere.

The Old Madam and the second branch were now in charge.

Jiang Yuansheng smirked.

He wasn’t concerned.

“Don’t worry, they won’t.”

The first page of the Jiang family genealogy clearly stated:

Anyone whose name had been removed from the family records would have no further ties to the Jiang family.

No matter how rich or poor, there could be no further entanglements.

It was equivalent to severing all familial relations.

The Jiang family ancestors had intended this rule as a deterrent—so that future generations would know that without the Jiang family, they had no foundation.

But in this case, it had worked in their favor.

If the Jiang family ancestors could see this now, they would be furious.

“Since the families are severed, we must take Mother’s dowry and all the new bride’s dowry with us.”

Jiang Fengyuan looked at the Duke of An. “I imagine Father wouldn’t want the outside world to know that the Duke’s Manor only survived thanks to my mother’s dowry, would he?”

Jiang Qisheng was the first to answer. “Take it all! Who wants a dead woman’s things?”

“No!” The Old Madam blocked them.

“You can leave, but the dowry stays!” She dropped the pretense.

Wu Cuirou also lost her composure. “Yes, the dowry must stay!”

Madam Chen sneered. “So the grand Duke’s Manor is scheming over a daughter-in-law’s dowry. How disgraceful.”

“You can leave, but not the dowry!” The Old Madam insisted.

“Enough!” The Duke of An shouted.

He wouldn’t let his noble estate be reduced to relying on two women’s dowries.

“Give it to them! Take it all!”

He would see how long they could last without the Jiang family.

As Jiang Fengyuan and his family left with their wealth, the Duke of An felt an emptiness in his chest.

His vision spun, and he collapsed.