How could Song Jinyao not know what her fourth son was thinking? In her previous life, she had toiled her entire life, showering the three ungrateful wretches with boundless affection, yet she still met a tragic end.
The moment those three helped their father stage his fake death, they had betrayed her!
Although the fourth son had been largely instigated by the third, betrayal was still betrayal!
She would never forgive them for any reason.
How could they speak of familial bonds now?
What sheer irony!
“Your matter can wait. Let me handle the urgent affairs first,” Song Jinyao said coldly, then turned her gaze to the six clan elders.
“Honored elders, my unfilial son has committed a grave mistake that implicates the entire Lu clan. I am filled with remorse and blame myself for failing to raise him properly.”
“To contain this disaster, I am willing to take my children and my husband’s memorial tablet to be removed from the Lu family register!”
“And I will move my husband’s grave elsewhere.”
“This way, whether fortune or misfortune follows, it will no longer affect the Lu family’s destiny!”
Her words shocked everyone present!
The Song woman voluntarily leaving the clan?
A widow and her orphans, without the protection of the clan—wouldn’t that be seeking their own doom?
The elders were first startled, then hesitated. Although this solution was excellent, if they agreed, wouldn’t outsiders criticize them?
Say they couldn’t tolerate a widow and her children?
As if reading their thoughts, Song Jinyao added, “I will issue a public statement saying we left voluntarily, with no involvement from the clan elders.”
The elders: “——-”
Three of them subtly glanced at Lord Pei seated in the place of honor, their minds racing with calculations.
This Song woman… she also came from Jing City. Could she truly be unacquainted with Lord Pei?
If these two actually had some private connection, wouldn’t that mean the Lu clan could leverage the relationship with the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?
In that case, they couldn’t let the Song woman leave the Lu family.
The three elders grew uncertain, their mental abacuses clicking loudly.
Perhaps… they should consult the Daoist priest again?
There weren’t any signs yet that the Lu family’s fortune had been destroyed, were there?
Maybe—
At this thought, one elder composed himself and said, “Ahem, there’s no need for this, Song—”
He was interrupted when another incident occurred.
“Disaster! Disaster!” A clansman rushed in panic.
“Will-o’-the-wisps have appeared at the ancestral graves! This is an extremely ill omen!”
“What?” How could this be?
Could it be?
Could the three wretched sons’ grave-robbing and theft of burial silver have truly destroyed the Lu family’s fortune?
The elders were aghast, glaring furiously at the instigators.
“Honored elders, the only solution now is to remove our branch from the family register! There is no other way!”
Song Jinyao seized the opportunity, adding promptly, “Before leaving, Priest Xuanhe also mentioned that if further incidents occurred, this would be the only method to resolve the calamity.”
The elders turned pale with tension, urgently pressing, “Did the priest truly say that?”
Just as Song Jinyao was about to respond, the sixth elder came to his senses and berated the messenger.
“Nonsense! The sun has already risen—how could there be will-o’-the-wisps?”
The clansman remained unruffled and explained, “Ah, Sixth Elder, this happened during the Yin hour. The grave watcher fainted from fright last night and couldn’t send word back in time. I only found out this morning when I went there.”
“Several people witnessed it—there’s no mistake about this matter.”
After the incident of the three brothers digging up the grave the previous night, the clan had indeed arranged for some junior members to stay there to prevent further disturbances.
This time, the elders raised no objections.
After a moment of contemplation, the Great Elder spoke first: “Song-shi, what exactly did Xuanhe say before he left? Repeat it carefully for us.”
Song Jinyao replied, “The Daoist said that if the graves of this lineage’s descendants are disturbed again, the baleful energy will offend the ancestral spirits, unsettling the earth’s veins and bringing calamity upon the clan’s fortune. According to the ‘Burial Classic,’ when form and energy conflict, it inevitably harms later generations. The only way to resolve the clash of negative energies in the burial ground is to remove this branch from the clan registry and temporarily sever their kinship ties. After three generations, when the earth’s energy realigns, they may return to the Ancestral Hall to ensure the bloodline’s continuity.”
“In that case, Song-shi, your branch will have to endure this hardship. I’ll have someone fetch the clan registry to remove your line from it.” Convinced that Song-shi wouldn’t dare fabricate claims under Xuanhe’s name, the Great Elder believed her.
Hearing this, Song Jinyao lowered her eyes and curved her lips slightly. “Great Elder, you flatter me. This is for the greater good—it’s no hardship at all.”
“Mm.” The Great Elder stroked his beard and nodded. Song-shi had always prioritized the bigger picture—excellent, she was a sensible one.
Witnessing this, Pei Jingzhe was taken aback. Was this what she wanted?
Interesting!
She truly was different from other women!
Any other woman would likely weep at the loss of clan protection.
Yet she seemed almost eager to sever ties with the Lu clan.
I wonder if there’s more to it?
Soon, a clansman brought the registry, and the names of the individuals, including Lu Xiuyuan’s, were struck out one by one.
From then on, Lu Xiuyuan’s branch no longer had a clan to rely on.
In other words, those ingrates were now left without any backing, and she could deal with them as she pleased.
With her first objective achieved, Song Jinyao couldn’t suppress the elation in her heart.
Stifling her joyous emotions, she continued, “Honored elders, though our branch no longer belongs to the Lu clan, you are all still our seniors. I have one more request and ask for your witness.”
“Song-shi, speak freely if you need assistance.” The elders agreed readily. Having just removed her from the registry, they were willing to grant her a small favor as a gesture of goodwill.
“These three sons have committed grave sins—first by desecrating their father’s grave, then by the unspeakable act of matricide. As a widow alone, I cannot keep such children who defy all moral principles. Therefore, I wish to sever ties with them.”
“I ask the elders to bear witness and help draft a severance document.” As she spoke, Song Jinyao touched her eyelids, feigning a look of profound despair.
The elders’ eyes flickered briefly.
But it was only a flicker—none of them voiced any objection.
Those three unfilial sons were no longer part of the Lu clan—why bother with their trivial affairs!
“Very well, I will personally write the severance document for you,” the Great Elder declared.
With ink and brush at hand, the Great Elder swiftly completed the document.
It couldn’t have been smoother!
However, when it came time for the three sons to press their fingerprints, the second son Lu Xiao and the third son Lu Yue reddened with fury.
“Mother? Do you truly not want your child anymore?”
“Hmm, I don’t want you anymore, I can’t afford to.” Song Jinyao said coldly, “Aren’t you full of resentment toward me? Then press your fingerprint.”
After a pause, she turned to her second son Lu Xiao and said, “Second son, you should press your fingerprint too. Didn’t you always resent me for forcing you into business? And resent me for not accepting your mistress? Now that we sever ties, I will no longer have any control over you. You can do whatever you want.”
After her second son was banned from imperial examinations for life, Song Jinyao had once considered that since he had no talent for either scholarly or military pursuits, his only viable path was business.
At that time, she believed that the most fundamental need in life was food and clothing. Although merchants weren’t highly regarded, those who succeeded could still thrive magnificently. Look at the Imperial Merchants throughout history – weren’t they all surrounded by supporters?
Moreover, the current emperor was wise and vigorously developing national strength, so merchants’ status was much better than before.
This was the best future she could envision for her second son. She had even secretly given him substantial silver as startup capital.
Furthermore, for his benefit, she arranged his marriage to a woman from a family with generations of business experience, hoping this naturally talented merchant’s daughter could help him build a new life in another field.
Yet her well-intentioned efforts were misinterpreted, earning only her second son’s resentment: “Mother, can’t you bear to see your son do well? Must you push me into that lowest-class occupation?”
Not only that, to express his dissatisfaction with her, this second son had coldly treated Shen Shi for years.
Thinking of this, Song Jinyao let out a scornful laugh.
How can anyone live without money? Since when did business become a low-class occupation?
Does this son survive on drinking northwest wind?!
“Fine, you’d better not regret this.”
The third son Lu Yue glared venomously at Song Jinyao before pressing his fingerprint.
Seeing the third son comply, the second son followed suit and pressed his fingerprint.
That venomous woman Song Jinyao was right – severing ties was for the best. He would never have to endure her control again!
Taking the severance document, Song Jinyao gently blew dry the red fingerprints and smiled faintly: “No regrets after the move is made. This mother won’t regret it. Second son, third son, I hope you won’t regret your past actions either.”
The implied meaning in Song Jinyao’s words was lost on Lu Xiao.
But Lu Yue’s heart sank: “So you knew all along? This was all your scheme, wasn’t it?”
Song Jinyao curled her lips in an extremely mocking smile.
This time, she didn’t deny it.
She leaned down and sneered in a voice only the four of them could hear: “Third son? Are you trying to say… about your father’s feigned death?”
Hearing this, Lu Yue showed an expression of confirmed understanding: “Mother’s calculations are truly impressive, and your acting is first-rate.”
He had suspected Song Jinyao multiple times before, but had been deceived every time.
How stupid!
Then he heard Song Jinyao continue in a demon-like voice: “Indeed, I knew everything. What? Do you want to confess everything now? Guess what? Would this make you even more despised by society? Would the outcome be better than now?”
Lu Yue’s face paled momentarily. Yes, if the truth were revealed, with Mother having Lord Pei’s support, their fate would be worse than now.
Like frost-bitten eggplants, he slumped despondently to the ground.
The second son Lu Xiao showed little reaction – this guy’s mind had never been as sharp as the third son’s.
He had never considered the deeper implications at all.
He just thought with reckless abandon, let them know then—from now on, he was finally completely free from Song Jinyao’s control. Reputation? What a joke. Ever since he was banned from examinations for life, he’d long lost that anyway.
Struck from the family register? Severing ties?
What did it matter?
Even if ties were severed, according to the law, he was still entitled to a share of the old family estate. That would be enough for him to ask Aunt Tao to help him purchase an official position.
As for the fourth son, Lu Yue—if the second son was considered slow-witted, this guy simply had no brains at all.
So the coward only felt a moment of fear, but when it came time to press his fingerprint—
The spineless wretch started wailing again.