The Grand Princess maintained that same neither cold nor warm, neither sad nor happy tone: “Or perhaps, taking this opportunity, I, the current Grand Princess, together with Princess Zhenguo, the legitimate eldest daughter of the orthodox main branch of the Bai clan… could open the ancestral hall, depose the clan leader and all the clan elders, and expel you and your descendants from the clan. Would that be acceptable?”

The Grand Princess’s indifferent attitude made it seem as if everything was within her control—with one thought, the Shouyang Bai clan could ascend to heaven; with another thought, they could descend to hell.

These people were like ants that the Grand Princess didn’t even consider worth her attention.

“The winds in official circles have always blown according to how they gauge the imperial family’s intentions. Tell me, would the local officials in Shouyang still dare to release the Bai clan’s offspring? Would they dare oppose me, the Grand Princess, and oppose Princess Zhenguo?” The Grand Princess paused in fingering her prayer beads, opened her eyes, and asked, “Between these two paths… which do you think is better?”

“Grand Princess!” The clan leader suddenly raised his head. “King Zhenguo Bai Weiting’s greatest wish was for our entire Bai clan to prosper!”

The Grand Princess nodded: “Indeed, which is why I’ve indulged you for so many years. But in life… one must know when to stop while ahead. You don’t know what’s good for you, sullying my granddaughter’s reputation. Even if Bai Weiting were still alive… he would never be lenient!”

Nanny Jiang glanced at the clan leader’s terrified face beyond the screen, her eyes cold and sharp.

Speaking to this point, the Grand Princess called: “Nanny Jiang…”

Nanny Jiang, standing beside the Grand Princess, responded: “This old servant is here!”

“Have Wei Zhong quickly go summon the Imperial Physician. Tell him the Grand Princess was forced by the clan’s arrogant behavior until she vomited blood and collapsed on her bed, and the Imperial Physician must come to save her life.” The Grand Princess spoke methodically.

“Grand Princess! Grand Princess, you cannot! If you do this, the clan will have no way to survive!”

“Grand Princess, we know we were wrong! Absolutely not! We’re all family—there’s no need to take it this far!”

The clan elders frantically knelt and cried out in supplication. Seeing Nanny Jiang emerge from behind the screen, they knelt toward her, trying to stop her.

But Nanny Jiang’s cold gaze swept over the clan leader and elders before she went out to summon Wei Zhong.

The Grand Princess continued drinking her tea while the clan leader was already kowtowing for mercy: “Grand Princess, please show mercy! The clan has grown better and better over the years with King Zhenguo’s support! Grand Princess must consider King Zhenguo’s wishes—you cannot treat the clan this way!”

The Grand Princess no longer wished to speak further with the clan members and addressed a nearby maid: “Have Lu Ping bring people over to throw them out of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion. Show no mercy.”

“Grand Princess, show mercy! Grand Princess, show mercy!”

The Grand Princess, with her noble status, was unwilling to say more to these creatures worse than pigs and dogs, but Nanny Jiang had words she couldn’t keep inside.

Nanny Jiang clasped her hands in front of her abdomen, her voice carrying a sharp edge: “Over the years, the clan has not only used the capital Bai family’s influence to act tyrannically in Shouyang, committing countless crimes, but this time the clan leader’s brother has been so bold as to dare forcibly occupy the ancestral home! Sullying Princess Zhenguo and the Crown Prince’s reputations! It’s truly because the Bai family has been too lenient with the Shouyang clan all these years, indulging them until the Shouyang Bai clan doesn’t know their place, actually thinking they can step on our Bai family’s heads!”

The clan leader panicked and crawled forward on his knees several steps, kowtowing: “Grand Princess, we know we were wrong! When I return to Shouyang, I will certainly discipline my brother properly! Please, Grand Princess, show mercy and spare the clan! After all, we share the same bloodline—please give the clan a chance to reform!”

Bai Qingyan, bearing the Bai surname, still left this Bai clan leader some face. Dong Shi was a junior before him, and if it hadn’t involved her own children’s reputations, her methods wouldn’t have been as merciless as last time!

But the Grand Princess was a noble imperial daughter, high above all, and she didn’t bear the Bai surname. Although she was a Bai family daughter-in-law, her status was too precious. If the Grand Princess acted without considering Bai Weiting’s affection for the clan, what hope would the clan have?!

In the corridor, Bai Jinzhi clenched her fists tightly, suddenly feeling vindicated. She let out a long breath and said happily, “Grandmother is so formidable! I say this, Shouyang clan’s leader and elders are really stupid enough—even Nanny Jiang knows these principles, but they don’t!”

Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and adjusted her ornamental steps, her gaze cold and composed: “Yes, that’s why they are petty people.”

Petty people have no principles, abandoning the fundamental to pursue the trivial. When pleased, they think of what they can gain; when angry, they think of what they can take.

This was written precisely for the Shouyang clan.

Even Nanny Jiang knew… what Shouyang’s support was, yet they were unwilling to let others mention it and didn’t think about it themselves. In their eyes, they probably still thought it was the Bai ancestors’ protection that gave the capital Bai family such glory.

They completely forgot whose influence they relied on to run rampant in Shouyang. They should have clung tightly to the capital Bai family and not offended them—only then could the Shouyang clan endure.

But instead, they forcibly seized family property during the Bai family’s period of great mourning, then occupied the ancestral home, only caring about immediate benefits without any long-term considerations.

The capital Bai family was the true orthodox inheritance of the Bai clan, a family of bells and tripods, a military household for a hundred years. Even if only women remained, they would never bow and scrape, allowing the clan to trample and manipulate them.

Today, listening to her grandmother, the Grand Princess’s unhurried words, Bai Qingyan had new thoughts in her heart.

“Little Four…” Bai Qingyan turned with a smile to look at Bai Jinzhi. “Since grandmother has performed this scene, I’ll trouble you to add fuel to the fire…”

Bai Jinzhi’s eyes lit up as she understood Bai Qingyan’s meaning: “Eldest Sister, rest assured—this is what I’m good at!”

When Lu Ping brought people in, he heard the cries and pleas for mercy from the clan elders in the main room.

Seeing Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi standing in the corridor, Lu Ping stepped forward and bowed: “First Miss, Fourth Miss!”

“Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Ping!” Bai Qingyan nodded to Lu Ping.

Lu Ping led people into the room and soon dragged out the crying and pleading elders.

Compared to last time when Dong Shi had them dragged out, this time having the Grand Princess throw them out made them even more terrified…

Forcing the Grand Princess to vomit blood and faint—once such rumors spread, Bai Qingyan’s leaving the clan would be perfectly justified. Without Princess Zhenguo, their Shouyang clan would be finished!

The elders being carried out saw Bai Qingyan standing under the corridor and quickly shouted: “Princess Zhenguo! Princess Zhenguo, you carry Bai family blood in your body—you are a Bai family descendant! The Bai clan’s hundred years of reputation cannot end like this!”

Bai Qingyan stood there coldly, her ice-cold eyes not even glancing at them, turning instead to look at Nanny Jiang who emerged lifting the door curtain.

Bai Jinzhi spoke with a stern face: “The Bai clan’s hundred years of reputation won’t end—only you will end…”

“Eldest Sister, Nanny Jiang… I’ll go first!” Bai Jinzhi bowed to Bai Qingyan and Nanny Jiang and immediately left.