In the end, the clan leader still decided to abandon his son and clear himself completely!

Bai Jinzhi looked at one of the bamboo slips, sneered coldly, and heavily placed the bamboo slip back on the small table: “Your casual statement that you dare not continue holding the position of clan leader cannot gloss over this matter. Most of these are imperial gifts from His Majesty. It’s one thing for the Great Capital’s Bai family to send them back to the clan, but if they’re lost or given away… that would be the crime of offending the imperial countenance. If His Majesty is displeased… death would be a small matter, but it could implicate nine generations of the clan. Do you want the entire clan to die for your son’s greed?!”

Magistrate Zhou, sharp-eyed and quick-witted, timely added: “Exactly! Imperial gifts should be properly enshrined. Losing them, giving them away, or damaging them are all acts of great disrespect! It was proper for the Great Capital’s Bai family to send imperial gifts back to the clan for enshrinement, but Bai Qiyun’s privately withholding imperial gifts for personal use is already a capital crime of offending the throne! If these imperial gifts cannot be recovered… this official can only report this matter officially. I hope Your Highness will understand!”

“Husband!” The clan leader’s wife’s legs nearly gave out upon hearing this. Would it affect their son’s life? Many of the fine things the clan leader’s wife had taken to her maternal family, and her brother would never spit them back out!

The remaining clan members were terrified upon hearing this, angrily denouncing the clan leader with sharp and harsh words.

Bai Jinzhi again timely sneered: “Previously, when Bai Qiyun came to our Great Capital’s Bai family, he forced our Bai family to exhaust all our assets to gather over four hundred thousand taels of silver for the clan. Could it be… that Bai Qiyun was putting on an act and privately embezzled it! After all, these hundreds of thousands of silver taels are still unaccounted for. Even if thrown into water, there should be a splash!”

This statement fanned the clan members’ anger even higher, making their attitude toward the clan leader’s family even more unrestrained, shouting out all their accumulated dissatisfaction with the clan leader’s entire family over the years.

The ancestral hall courtyard was filled with noisy commotion, growing increasingly intense. The completely dark sky began to wind, and light rain followed, but it couldn’t diminish the Bai clan members’ burning anger in the slightest.

Under the dim yellow lantern in the corridor, the slender and tall Bai Qingyan slowly stood up. The light spots leaking from the bottom of the lantern swayed back and forth, illuminating the ancestral hall’s intricately carved partitions and bluestone floor, as well as her fair, serene, and delicate features. She appeared like a fragile, startled swan, elegant and tranquil, yet resilient and steady, with an imposing noble bearing.

Seeing Bai Qingyan rise, the clan members gradually quieted and looked in her direction. They heard Bai Qingyan say: “As clan leader, he failed to fulfill his responsibilities, did not follow ancestral instructions and family rules, arbitrarily took imperial gifts for personal use, failed to advise and teach clan members, sheltered his descendants, indulged their violent acts, and covered up for them, leading to the corruption of the Bai clan’s moral atmosphere! The clan’s children are of poor character, acting wildly and rebelliously, bullying the people, and even harming lives. This is closely related to the clan leader’s improper conduct, moral deviation, greedy nature, and failure to fulfill his duties!”

She turned to look at the pale-faced clan leader: “Remove his clan leader status and order him to return all the imperial gifts and silver he embezzled from what the Great Capital’s Bai family sent to the clan within ten days. If he cannot return them within ten days, then please ask Magistrate Zhou to handle it according to the law.”

“Right! They must return everything, not a single coin can be missing!” the clan members said indignantly.

“This time, the Shouyang people have suffered greatly because the Bai clan relied on the Great Capital’s Bai family’s prestige. Now, bandit troubles repeatedly occur around Shouyang, and the court cannot spare forces to suppress bandits! Bai Qingyan will use the silver embezzled by the Bai clan’s former clan leader to suppress bandits, to pacify the bandit troubles for the Shouyang Bai clansmen, as some compensation!”

“Good!” Someone among the people outside the door shouted approval, and the Bai clansmen followed with cheers.

Although the bandit troubles hadn’t entered the city, bandit problems had continuously appeared around Shouyang, and the government never sent people to suppress them, making the Bai clansmen uneasy. If the bandit troubles could be pacified, it would solve a major concern for the people.

Bai Qingyan bowed to the people outside the door, then called Bai Qingping’s name.

Bai Qingping was flattered and hurried forward to bow to Bai Qingyan: “Your Highness…”

“Going to Magistrate Zhou to report your cousin and settling the matter with the mute woman – you did very well! The law shows no favoritism to relatives. When your cousin made mistakes… You reported him, then handled the aftermath. You’re like a true Bai family descendant!” Bai Qingyan’s deep, profound eyes gazed at Bai Qingping.

Bai Qingping felt emotions surging in his heart, his nose tingling with emotion, and he lowered his head even more. He felt ashamed inside.

“You’re still young. That your father could raise a son like you shows he hasn’t failed the Bai ancestors.” Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on Bai Qingping’s father, Bai Qihe.

Bai Qihe was startled, looked up at Bai Qingyan whose dignified bearing was identical to Duke Zhenguo’s, slightly lowered his eyes, and clasped his fists toward Bai Qingyan.

Those who had experienced battlefields and returned from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, no matter how young, could not hide their lethal sharpness.

After all, battlefields were like Asura fields – those who couldn’t be ruthless couldn’t return alive.

The fine rain dampened the hair and clothes of the Bai clansmen outside the door and the Bai clan members inside the ancestral hall. The bluestone floor, except where people stood, was dry but had become wet everywhere else, faintly reflecting the firelight.

“Today, many were expelled from the clan, and the clan leader was also dismissed. The Bai clan has suffered great damage, but clan members must know that removing the old to establish the new, great destruction enables great construction. From now on, I hope all members of the Bai clan will remember the Bai family’s ancestral instructions, remember the Bai clan’s heart of protecting and loving the people, conduct themselves properly, harbor bright hearts, and be upright people who can face heaven and earth without shame.”

The clan elders nodded one after another, whether compelled by Bai Qingyan’s authority or truly agreeing from their hearts.

“The Bai clan is at a time of renovation and renewal and cannot be without a clan leader. Let Bai Qihe temporarily serve as clan leader.” Bai Qingyan looked at Bai Qihe. Discuss everything with the clan elders. When the Great Capital’s Bai family moves back to Shouyang, they decide on the permanent clan leader! In the future… Bai Qingyan will reside permanently in Shouyang. If I hear again of any Bai descendants bullying the Bai clansmen, I will not be lenient! And Bai clan members absolutely cannot help… those expelled from the clan for bullying the people. If violated, the clan leader must impose severe punishment.”

Having done what needed to be done and said what needed to be said, Bai Qingyan bowed to the clan elders and Bai clansmen, left the remaining matters for Bai Qihe to handle, and left first.

Standing in the light rain, Bai Qihe was completely dazed. He had never imagined that one day the clan leader position would “crash” down on his head like this. It was only when Bai Qingping reminded him that he came to his senses.

In the carriage, Bai Jinzhi felt unwilling. As soon as she sat down, Bai Jinzhi said, “Elder Sister, why didn’t you deal with the clan leader’s family completely? That clan leader’s entire family should have been expelled from the clan. How could Elder Sister let his son become clan leader? And the other family members… their families also had those who disregarded ancestral laws. You should have expelled them all from the clan for the Bai clan to be truly clean!”

Bai Qingyan had shown no favoritism this time, using iron-fisted methods to reform the clan. Though it seemed thunderous, she hadn’t completely eradicated everything root and branch – at least she had left people from each family, which made Bai Jinzhi extremely dissatisfied.