The scene was as pitiful as it could be, but the Old Master acted as if he saw nothing and continued:
“My father once had a younger brother born of a concubine. He was exceptionally intelligent in his youth, but unfortunately passed away early. He had not yet married when he departed, so naturally, there was no one to carry on his lineage.
Having the second branch adopted as his heir will allow my uncle to have someone to offer incense and sacrifices. When I go to meet my parents in the underworld, I can say I have a clear conscience.”
These words were somewhat unreasonable.
If the Old Master had any affection for this uncle born of a concubine, he wouldn’t have remained silent about him all these years.
Was the Old Master planning to explain to his own birth mother that he was giving her grandson to a concubine-born son to continue the family line?
Anyone could tell this was just the Old Master’s excuse—in the end, he was still covering up for Madam Wang and the second branch.
Yan Tingbai and Madam Bai of the main branch, as well as Swallow Holding Branch, were all astonished. They had thought the best outcome would be for the Old Master to separate the second branch from the family and have them leave the Jingyuan Marquisate.
Once separated, without the prestige of the Jingyuan Marquisate, the second branch would become a collateral line.
With less interaction between the two families, there would naturally be fewer grievances. The main branch had thought this was the Old Master’s plan, but they never expected him to be even more decisive.
By having the entire second branch adopted out, their connection to the Jingyuan Marquisate would become even more distant, making them a collateral branch of a collateral line.
Madam Wang and Yan Jingzheng’s plan to directly inherit the title by harming the main branch had now fallen through. For the main branch, this was undoubtedly excellent news.
However, this also meant the main branch could no longer pursue the wrongdoings of the second branch and Madam Wang.
Yan Tingbai and Madam Bai of the main branch were quite satisfied with this outcome.
But Swallow Holding Branch felt it was far from enough. In her previous life, the main branch had been completely wiped out. How could simply driving out the second branch be sufficient?
No, it was far from enough!
Swallow Holding Branch narrowed her eyes and looked at everyone in the second branch. It didn’t matter—things had to be taken one step at a time. One day, she would make the second branch pay an equally painful price.
For now, she would enjoy watching the second branch’s desperate struggle.
Yan Jingzheng didn’t even care about his mother, Madam Wang, who had fainted. He fell to his knees with a thud, and Wang Chenbi quickly followed suit. The two of them kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads hitting the ground with loud thuds. Before long, bruises appeared on their foreheads.
While kowtowing, Yan Jingzheng didn’t forget to beg for mercy and admit his mistakes:
“Father, I was wrong. I truly know I was wrong. Please don’t have me adopted out. I’ll never dare to do it again.
My mother only has me, her only son. I am her lifelong hope.
I beg you, give your son another chance!”
The Old Master sighed. He had previously considered separating the family, thinking it would be enough to keep the two branches apart.
But his second son’s earlier act of “bearing thorns to ask for punishment” had shown him this son’s insincerity.
If he truly wanted to repent, why would he let his pregnant wife perform such a pitiful act?
Although this was Wang Shi’s idea, if his son had truly disagreed, his daughter-in-law wouldn’t have knelt in the ancestral hall, trembling and on the verge of collapse.
It was this very spectacle that made the Old Master realize that simply separating the family and having the second branch leave the Jingyuan Marquisate was not enough!
He would inevitably pass away before Wang Shi. By then, Wang Shi would transform into the Old Madam of the household, becoming the highest-ranking person in the Yan family.
While he was still alive, Wang Shi and his son dared to plot against the main branch. Without anyone to restrain them, who knew what Wang Shi and the second branch might do?
He feared that as soon as he closed his eyes, Wang Shi would start scheming to bring his son and daughter-in-law back to the Jingyuan Marquisate.
Wang Shi would use filial piety to pressure the eldest branch. The eldest branch would either submit for the sake of reputation or lose their reputation entirely, becoming the target of scorn wherever they went, labeled as unfilial.
Do not think Wang Shi was incapable of such actions—a mother would do anything for her son.
The Old Master was acutely aware that keeping the second branch in the mansion would be a disaster. Wang Shi and the second branch’s ambition for the title was already blatantly obvious, and a simple division of the family would not be enough to suppress them.
Thus, the Old Master decided to adopt the second branch out. Once they were no longer part of the marquisate, even if the eldest branch were to die out completely, the second branch would still not inherit the title.
Because there were other descendants of the Yan clan who had a more legitimate claim to inherit the marquisate.
Only by completely extinguishing the ambitions of Wang Shi and the second branch could both branches live peacefully.
This would also serve as a clear explanation to the Bai family, ensuring the second branch had no lingering concerns.
Unfortunately, Wang Shi and his second son failed to grasp his intentions and instead put on such a show, pleading to stay.
The Old Master felt his sincere efforts were unappreciated, which only strengthened his resolve. Without waiting for Madam Wang to wake up or caring that his son and daughter-in-law were still kowtowing, he directly instructed the clan elders to proceed, adding a few strokes to the clan register.
The clan elders voiced no objections. Swiftly, they opened the clan register, dipped a brush in ink, and with a few strokes, sealed the fate of the second branch.
Watching this unfold before his eyes, Yan Jingzheng suddenly lost all strength. His back felt as if its bones had been removed, and he collapsed to the ground, silent and unmoving.
Only his eyes remained fixed on the Old Master, filled with resentment. Why was his own father so biased?
He was also the Old Master’s flesh and blood. In every way, he was superior to his elder brother, confident he could restore the marquisate to its former glory. Yet, simply because he was born two years later, was he destined to be inferior to the eldest branch?
Why should the utterly incompetent eldest branch enjoy the privileges of their ancestors’ achievements, inheriting everything the marquisate had to offer, while he, for a single misstep, was stripped of his very identity?
It was unfair!
Yan Jingzheng’s eyes burned with hatred, nearly bloodshot. Wang Chenbi’s resentment was even more evident on her face. She glanced to her left at the unconscious Madam Wang, then to her right at her husband, who seemed to have lost his mind. She realized she was no longer the Second Mistress of the Jingyuan Marquisate.
She and Madam Wang came from the same family and had long been united in their ambition to claim the Jingyuan Marquisate as their own.
Now, caught off guard by the Old Master’s decisive move, she deeply resented his ruthlessness. Overwhelmed by a surge of bitterness, Wang Chenbi cast aside all decorum and propriety, shouting, “Someone, come quickly! Can’t you see Madam and the Master are unwell?
Hurry and help them out! Send for a physician at once!”
Seeing that the Old Master did not object, the servants rushed forward to carry Madam Wang and support Yan Jingzheng, escorting them out of the ancestral hall.
Wang Chenbi followed closely behind. Throughout, she did not spare another glance at the Old Master or the clan elders, nor did she utter another word before turning and leaving.
With one of the parties gone and the matter settled, there was no need for everyone to remain gathered in the ancestral hall.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the clan elders, the Old Master watched as they were assisted by servants back to the guest quarters to rest.
The Old Master was utterly exhausted, and even after taking his medicine, his complexion showed no sign of improvement. Yan Tingbai and Madam Bai prepared to assist him back to the Hall of Peaceful Longevity to rest.
However, the Old Master insisted on not resting: “Just cut two slices of ginseng for me. I’ll hold them in my mouth to refresh myself a bit.”
The matter of the adoption had already been settled, but the second branch and Madam Wang were undoubtedly resentful. He still needed to suppress their discontent before he could rest.
“Go attend to your own affairs. Leave the rest to me—I’ll handle it,” the Old Master said wearily, waving his hand dismissively. He then boarded his sedan chair and headed toward Madam Wang’s Ning’an Hall.