That seat was where Bai Weiting used to sit when he returned to Shouyang, but now it was to be reserved for a mere girl.

Hearing the calls of street peddlers and the sounds of children playing and chasing outside the Bai ancestral hall, the clan members all had unpleasant expressions.

The area outside the Bai ancestral hall was such a dignified and solemn place. Usually, those lowly commoners wouldn’t even dare approach, but now it was fine—the entrance had become a marketplace, chaotically noisy and restless.

“Looking at this situation, half of Shouyang City’s people have probably gathered outside our ancestral hall!” sighed one clan elder.

Fifth Master, thinking about being driven out of the ancestral residence, felt his anger toward Bai Qingyan growing even stronger. He directly slammed the bodhi prayer beads in his hand onto the small table beside him: “Indulging her! It’s because you, elder brother, are too good-natured!”

“Shut your mouth!” The clan leader opened his eyes and pointed at Fifth Master while scolding, “You cause the most trouble! If you hadn’t occupied the ancestral residence and caused Bai Qingyan to demand the property deed when she returned, would we have this situation now?!”

When Fifth Master met his elder brother’s furious gaze, he immediately cowered, shrinking his neck and softening his tone: “Then… are we going to expel all the children from the clan?”

“I’ve already told everyone just now—expulsion from the clan doesn’t matter. We can secretly help and support them. After all, what’s wrong with us helping our blood relatives? But… if we don’t satisfy Bai Qingyan today and she creates a scene by leading the capital’s Bai family to confess their sins to the ancestors and request expulsion from the clan, then Magistrate Zhou’s arrest of the children would only be the beginning. The clan’s misfortune would still lie ahead!”

The clan leader narrowed his eyes and looked toward the blazing sunlight outside the ancestral hall, saying: “As long as we remain in the Bai clan and can still rely on Zhenguo Princess, who has the Crown Prince’s support, we can still speak to Magistrate Zhou and intercede for them later. But if Bai Qingyan leaves the clan, those opportunists in officialdom will trample our clan to death!”

The clan elders who had previously gone to the capital with the clan leader all nodded. Not one of them had forgotten Grand Princess’s words.

Previously, the capital’s Bai family had elevated the clan’s position too high. With each of their tests met by the Bai family’s concessions, this had made them increasingly reckless.

Looking back now, some were already reflecting and acknowledging their mistakes. It wasn’t that the clan was important to the capital’s Bai family, but rather that the capital’s Bai family valued the Bai clan… only then was the Bai clan important. If the capital’s Bai family didn’t value the Bai clan, the Bai clan would be nothing.

But there were still those like the clan leader’s brother, Fifth Master, who remained unaware.

“The compensation silver you were asked to prepare, along with the items the children forcibly bought and others’ property deeds and land contracts—are they all ready?” the clan leader asked.

The clan elders nodded painfully.

The clan leader felt somewhat relieved. She thought again about how Bai Qingyan had specifically asked about Bai Qingping when she returned today. The clan leader turned to look at her second son standing to the side: “How is Ah Ping?”

Bai Qingping’s father, Bai Qihe, quickly bowed: “That child has been kneeling solidly for these past few days. He can’t stand up now. His mother has already called for a physician to examine him.”

Fifth Master glared at Bai Qihe, inwardly criticizing him as useless. All these years, he only knew how to study ancient books and bamboo slips, and couldn’t even control his son, actually allowing Bai Qingping to go to the magistrate to report against his clan brothers. Simply absurd.

“I’m afraid Bai Qingyan will want to see him later. Go bring him over. If he can’t stand, bring a stool for him to sit beside me.” The clan leader frowned.

“Yes!” Only then did Bai Qihe step out from the ancestral hall threshold and instruct a servant waiting in the ancestral hall courtyard to go back and find a way to bring Bai Qingping over.

A man standing in a tree saw Magistrate Zhou’s party approaching from afar and shouted: “They’re coming! They’re coming!”

Soon, Shen Qingzhu and Bai Jinzhi, along with Quan Yu and Magistrate Zhou, arrived at the Bai ancestral hall carrying various case files and accompanied by bailiffs escorting twenty-one members of the Bai clan.

During these past days, the Bai clan descendants had suffered miserably in prison without Magistrate Zhou’s orders for special care. Though they still wore brocade robes, they were thoroughly disheveled.

Bai Qingjie was escorted at the front, completely lacking the arrogance and domineering attitude he had shown before Bai Qingyan.

During his days in prison, Bai Qingjie had finally sobered up.

All these years, he had been spoiled by his grandfather and father to the point of not knowing his place. Seeing Fifth Great-grandfather occupy the direct line’s ancestral residence, and hearing Fifth Great-grandfather say… that the capital’s Bai family of orphans and widows would have to rely on the clan in the future, and even though Bai Qingyan was enfeoffed as a princess, she was still a clan daughter who had to obediently listen to the clan elders, he had believed it.

The clan was also spreading rumors that Bai Qingyan had sworn never to marry in this lifetime and would depend on the clan for support in old age. Even if Fifth Great-grandfather occupied the direct line’s ancestral residence… Bai Qingyan wouldn’t dare say a word.

Seeing that his grandfather didn’t refute Fifth Great-grandfather and the clan elders’ words, Bai Qingjie believed even more firmly, which made him increasingly reckless in Shouyang City.

But during these days of imprisonment, sitting together with several clan brothers to reflect on their mistakes, remembering the words Bai Qingping usually said to them, he suddenly realized the truth.

So, Magistrate Zhou’s friendship with his father wasn’t for the sake of their Shouyang Bai clan, but for the capital’s Bai family!

So, when Bai Qingyan ordered Magistrate Zhou to arrest them, Magistrate Zhou suddenly turned against Bai Qiyun and wouldn’t even see him.

To put it bluntly, without the capital’s Bai family, their Shouyang Bai clan was nothing.

Because the Fifth Master gradually stopped respecting the capital’s Bai family, becoming arrogant and greedy, and because of the clan leader’s acquiescence and indulgence, they all followed suit in thinking that the capital’s Bai family had to respect the clan and wouldn’t dare offend them.

This subtle influence was the most terrifying, like a drop of ink falling into a basin of clean, clear water, and this fatal self-righteousness would spread at an extremely fast pace to affect the entire clan.

Now it was too late for regret.

He remembered hearing from traveling merchants entering the city about how Bai Qingyan had mercilessly dealt with the Bai family’s illegitimate son, who oppressed the people on the capital’s main street. He also remembered that day when Bai Qingyan swore that if the clan leader didn’t agree to expel these errant descendants from the clan, she would lead the capital’s Bai family to confess their sins to the ancestors and leave the clan.

Bai Qingjie knew that these clan descendants who had made mistakes would be expelled from the clan today, even though he was the clan leader’s grandson.

He believed that after Bai Qingyan’s commotion, his grandfather must have realized that the capital’s Bai family was not someone the clan members could afford to offend. Letting Bai Qingyan leave the clan… would mean the end of the Bai clan.

Besides being expelled from the clan, he also bore the burden of a life on his hands. Whether he could even survive was questionable!

Thinking of this, Bai Qingjie’s legs went weak as he was escorted into the clan ancestral hall gate under the angry stares of the common people.

The Bai clan ancestral hall did not allow entry to those not surnamed Bai. When Magistrate Zhou escorted the people into the courtyard, the clan leader quickly came out to greet them.