“Does Third Uncle also know about this matter?” Ren Yijun asked.

Ren Yaoqi shook her head: “My father doesn’t know.”

Ren Yijun nodded knowingly: “That’s right. Given Third Uncle’s temperament, if he had known long ago, he wouldn’t have remained so quiet.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi looked at Ren Yijun: “Then what does Third Brother plan to do?” Ren Yijun was somewhat similar to Ren Shimin in temperament—inherently proud of his moral standards.

From Ren Yijun’s tone, Ren Yaoqi sensed he intended to take some action. She hadn’t forgotten how Ren Yijun looked when he brought her to smash the Ren family ancestral hall years ago—when this third brother got ruthless, he feared neither heaven nor earth.

After a moment of silence, Ren Yijun said coldly: “Even if my father doesn’t know everything about this matter, he certainly isn’t completely ignorant. Whether my eldest brother knows is still unclear. After returning, I’ll first discuss with Eldest Brother. If he’s also unaware, we’ll go to Father together.” Ren Yijun glanced at Ren Yaoqi: “Although I believe what you’ve said, this matter is of great importance—I need to confirm it further.”

Ren Yaoqi said, “There probably aren’t many people who know about this. Apart from the Han family, perhaps Master Ren might have heard some of it from Old Master.”

Ren Yijun quietly clenched his fists: “I’ll get to the bottom of it! If what you’ve said is true, then neither the Ren family residence nor that batch of treasure hidden somewhere unknown in the residence should belong to the Ren family. The Ren family’s downfall is their own doing—they can blame no one else!”

Ren Yaoqi looked at Ren Yijun with some comfort in her heart, but she also knew that Ren Yijun wasn’t the head of the Ren family. His decisions couldn’t stop the decisions of the family head.

“Third Brother, Han Yunqian promised not to move against the Ren family within three years, so the Ren family can use these three years to accumulate some strength in hopes of making a comeback, to avoid being helpless when the Han family acts again after three years.”

This was also why Ren Yaoqi had Han Yunqian give the Ren family a breathing chance. The Han family would take back what belonged to them. Ren Yaoqi wanted to give people like Ren Yijun a chance to find their way out—after all, the Ren family still hadn’t been left with nothing.

But Ren Yijun shook his head: “The grievances between the Han and Ren families must be resolved quickly. If my father disagrees, I can only follow Third Uncle’s example and leave the Ren family with my wife. I cannot let my future children live bearing such sins.”

Madam Qi looked at Ren Yijun. Though she didn’t speak, the gentle smile on her face showed she had no objection to Ren Yijun’s decision. She stroked her small belly—though they had no children yet, she firmly believed they would someday. Rather than living in the Ren family with food and clothing but constant anxiety, she’d rather leave with Ren Yijun. They had hands and feet—they could always support themselves and their children. The Ren family atmosphere wasn’t suitable for raising children.

Ren Yaoqi looked at the couple and sighed softly, no longer trying to dissuade them. Ren Yijun was stubborn by nature—once he decided on something, like her father, no one could stop him.

Ren Yijun had originally come to ask Ren Yaoqi about the family’s well-digging. Now that he had gotten his answer, he wouldn’t stay in Yunyang City. Ren Yaoqi asked them to stay for dinner before leaving, but Ren Yijun refused and left with Madam Qi.

As soon as Ren Yijun returned to the Ren family, the household inevitably experienced another upheaval.

Ren Yijun first went to see his eldest brother, Ren Yiyan.

Though Ren Yijun wasn’t particularly close to his elder brother, he knew Ren Yiyan was at least an upright person who probably didn’t know about the grievances between the Han and Ren families—otherwise, he wouldn’t have repeatedly suggested selling the Ren family residence.

After finding Ren Yiyan, Ren Yijun told him what he had heard from Ren Yaoqi. Ren Yiyan’s shock was no less than Ren Yijun’s, and he refused to believe this was true. He was unwilling to believe that his respected grandfather and father could do such things.

Ren Yijun sneered: “I don’t want to believe it either. Since that’s the case, let’s go ask Father for the truth!”

With that, Ren Yijun pulled Ren Yiyan toward their father’s study. Ren Yijun’s health had always been poor—though he wasn’t short, he was pale and thin. But now he grasped the healthy Ren Yiyan and strode forward rapidly.

Master Ren happened to be at home handling some official business that day, so the two brothers found him in his study.

The somewhat indecisive Ren Yiyan wanted to stop Ren Yijun before entering the study, wanting to go back and think more carefully. But how could Ren Yijun allow him to escape? He directly dragged him inside.

Ren Yijun dismissed the attending book boy, then poured out everything he had been brewing on the way. Initially, Ren Yiyan kept trying to stop him, but later fell silent too.

Master Ren stared at his two sons with wide eyes, taking a long time to find his voice: “Where did you hear all this?”

Ren Yijun stared at him intently: “Don’t worry about where we heard it. Just tell us if this is true. Is today’s major construction work to find that ill-gotten wealth?”

Master Ren said somewhat angrily: “Don’t talk nonsense!”

But Ren Yijun saw some evasiveness in his father’s eyes, and his heart sank: “Whether I’m talking nonsense, you know clearly in your heart.”

Being stared at like this by Ren Yijun made Master Ren somewhat uncomfortable and embarrassed. He put on a stern face: “With the Ren family in such circumstances now, instead of thinking about how to help me revitalize our clan, you believe others’ instigation and come to question your father. Who gave you such audacity?”

Ren Yiyan lowered his head, but Ren Yijun remained calm: “I only want to know the truth! Father, as descendants of the Ren family, we have the right to know the truth. What did Grandfather say to you before he died? Can you tell us?”

Ren Yiyan looked at Ren Yijun in surprise. He had thought that with Ren Yijun’s explosive temper, he would quarrel with their father, because he could sense Ren Yijun’s current rage. He hadn’t expected Ren Yijun to remain so calm when asking this question.

Master Ren looked at his son whose tone was peaceful but manner still pressing, feeling angry, tired, and a trace of guilt hidden in his heart.

Master Ren couldn’t help but remember what Old Master Ren had told him, remembering his shock when he first heard about this matter. But he was the head of the Ren family—he couldn’t just watch the Ren family fall. There were some things he had to do.

So Master Ren also gradually calmed down: “When it’s my deathbed, I’ll naturally tell you what should be told. Now, all of you get out of my study. I have many matters to handle and no time to accompany your madness.”

Ren Yijun shook his head, his gaze both mocking and sorrowful: “If you don’t speak, I can only take it as your tacit admission.”

Ren Yijun had hoped his father would deny it righteously, but Master Ren’s evasion made Ren Yijun’s heart sink to the bottom. If what he had just said wasn’t true, given his father’s temperament, he absolutely wouldn’t just dismiss them—he would beat him severely with a stick.

“Since you refuse to admit it, I’ll go to the ancestral hall to ask Grandfather and Great-grandfather. They say our ancestors’ spirits watch over us. If they refuse to answer me, I’ll smash all the memorial tablets in the ancestral hall.” After saying this coldly, Ren Yijun turned and rushed out of the study.

Both Master Ren and Ren Yiyan were stunned. Master Ren was the first to recover, chasing after while shouting: “Stop him! Stop this unfilial son!”

Just as Ren Yijun understood his father, Master Ren also understood his son. While others would consider Ren Yijun’s words mere angry talk, Master Ren knew this naturally rebellious son was capable of such actions.

But Ren Yijun, after Madam Qi’s recent conditioning, could run quite fast. He quickly ran out of the courtyard. As for those servants and maids, even if they heard Master Ren’s words, they didn’t dare truly step forward to stop him.

What a joke! This Third Young Master was precious—his delicate body had been carefully nurtured with countless precious medicines to reach this age. If they accidentally injured or made him ill, the Eldest Madam would want their lives. So they only made symbolic attempts to stop him while shouting.

Seeing the situation escalating, Ren Yiyan also hurried to follow.

Ren Yijun ran to the Ren family ancestral hall.

If Ren Yaoqi were here, she would certainly sigh at how similar today’s situation was to years ago. Back then, Ren Yijun had angrily dragged her to smash the Ren family ancestral hall. This time, Ren Yijun hadn’t come because of his third uncle’s tragic death, but still because of dissatisfaction with the family head and elders.

Perhaps some things were destined.

Breaking into the ancestral hall was easy for Ren Yijun—no one anticipated what he had come to do. He stood before his ancestors’ memorial tablets for a long time, lost in thought. Light slanted in from the perpetually closed main door, illuminating only the lower part of his body—his tightly clenched fists and the dust dancing and filling the entire room.

Master Ren’s frantic voice came from the doorway, mixed with Eldest Young Master Ren Yiyan’s attempts at persuasion. The Eldest Madam had somehow heard the commotion and seemed to be speaking outside as well.

Ren Yijun didn’t turn back. When the noisy voices grew closer, he stepped forward and overturned the offering table before the tablets. The incense burner, candlesticks, and offerings crashed to the floor with a tremendous noise. The people outside seemed to pause at the sound, then their footsteps moved even more rapidly toward the ancestral hall.

Ren Yijun’s temperament had always been somewhat gloomy. Many in the Ren family feared this Third Young Master, who didn’t like to talk but had an extremely bad temper. Yet no one had expected he would dare to destroy his own family’s ancestral hall.

Ren Yijun picked up a memorial tablet from the offering table and looked down at the characters on it.