Chapter 151 Severing Ties

Everyone's eyes turned to the source of the sound.

"Your Highness... Your Highness?! Why would Your Highness personally visit such a humble shop in the marketplace?"

"Don't you know? That newly enthroned Marquis of Yongjia is the future Crown Princess. The Ruan family has really bitten off more than they can chew!"

"It's all over, the Ruan family is in deep trouble! Everyone knows that this young master looks noble, but his methods are... tsk tsk, he's not a gentle and compassionate person at all!"

Ruan Liu, hands on her hips, turned around menacingly, ready to see who dared to interfere in her family affairs. A string of vulgar words was already on the tip of her tongue:

"Who's got a death wish..."

The words caught in her throat the moment she saw who it was.

Her mouth gaped open in astonishment, and she even forgot to close it. All the arrogance on her face vanished, leaving only fear.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Someone reacted first and shouted, and in an instant, everyone inside and outside the shop, including the servants who had been holding Shen Yiqiu captive, knelt down in panic, not daring to raise their heads.

Xiao Yongjing, however, remained oblivious to the chaos around him.

He strode forward, past the kneeling crowd, his gaze fixed directly on Shen Yiqiu.

He walked up to her, ignoring the trembling servants, reached out and carefully took her arm, gently lifting her up from the ground.

His movements were gentle as he carefully brushed the dust off her sleeves.

When he touched the clear red marks on Shen Yiqiu's fair wrist, a sinister look appeared in his eyes.

She subconsciously met Shen Yiqiu's gaze; Shen Yiqiu's eyes were clear and calm, showing no sign of grievance.

Xiao Yongjing felt relieved, raised an eyebrow slightly, and pulled her behind him, using his body to shield her from the Ruan family.

He then slowly raised his eyes, glancing over Ruan Liu and her father, who were kneeling on the ground trembling like leaves, before finally fixing his gaze on Ruan Liu.

"Gentlemen, you have quite the audacity. I never imagined that, right under the Emperor's nose, a merchant's second wife would dare to use torture against a marquis of the highest rank, the future Crown Princess?"

He leaned slightly forward, looking down at them with a condescending gaze:

"Who gave you the guts? Hmm—?"

The drawn-out tone carried a dangerous undertone, causing everyone present to gasp in shock.

Ruan Liu was already terrified, tears streaming down her face, and kept kowtowing:

"Your Highness, please forgive me! Your Highness, please forgive me!"

"I was blind! I didn't know that the Marquis of Yongjia was the Crown Princess! I... I was just dealing with family matters and was confused for a moment!"

Xiao Yongjing coldly interrupted:

"Family matters? Using violence and insulting a nobleman, and you call that family matters? It seems the Ruan family thinks the laws of the capital don't apply to you?"

"According to the law, offending the Crown Princess is punishable by caning at the very least, and exile at worst. Tell me, how should I deal with you so that these arrogant people will remember... who is someone you can never afford to offend in this lifetime?"

Xiao Yongjing's words instantly brought the group to their senses, filling them with fear.

Mr. Ruan practically scrambled forward, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"Your Highness, please calm down! Your Highness, please calm down! Yes, it was my wife's foolishness, and it was my failure to manage the household properly. This, this is indeed a family matter. It was my failure to properly educate my daughter that caused this turmoil and disturbed the Crown Princess. I deserve to die a thousand deaths. I beg Your Highness for mercy!"

Shen Yiqiu gently pressed down on Xiao Yongjing's arm, who was about to speak again, and stepped forward, speaking calmly:

"Since this is a family matter, let's settle this score properly according to the rules of family matters."

She gave Ruan Tianxin a look.

Ruan Tianxin understood and immediately ordered her trusted servant to bring over a heavy sandalwood box.

The box was opened, revealing a thick stack of land deeds, house deeds, account books, and banknotes.

Ruan Tianxin tried her best to remain calm:

"In this box are all the property details left by my birth mother, as well as the profit ledgers of Feizhi Pavilion and other shops over the years."

"According to the laws of Da Jin, the mother's dowry and the income generated therefrom belong to the children themselves, and the husband's family and stepmother have no right to seize it."

Seeing the unfavorable situation, a ruthless glint flashed in Ruan Liu's eyes. She hurriedly pulled a document from her sleeve and shouted:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise! Marquis Yongjia is wise!"

“This girl is now my daughter. It’s written in black and white, with the official seal on it. It can’t be faked.”

"She is my daughter, so why can't I, as her mother, touch her assets? Jiawen is her nominal older sister, and she's about to get married. What's wrong with giving her some of her dowry?!"

Ruan Tianxin stared wide-eyed in disbelief, turning sharply to look at her father:

"When...when did this happen? You never told me!"

Mr. Ruan lowered his head in shame, unable to meet his daughter's gaze.

Shen Yiqiu sneered:

"What a clever trick! A despicable tactic. They don't give their legitimate daughter any status, keeping her treated like a concubine's daughter, but when it comes to dividing the inheritance, she becomes the daughter the legitimate mother has the right to dispose of. How cunning of them!"

She and Ruan Tianxin exchanged a knowing glance.

Ruan Tianxin took a deep breath, made up her mind, and said loudly:

"Fine! Since you insist on having these material possessions, I'll give them to you!"

She looked resolutely at Ruan's father and Ruan Liu's wife:

“I am willing to transfer all of my real estate, as well as the shares and cash in my private accounts, to Ruan Jiawen and… Madam.”

"But I have only one condition: that my name be completely removed from the Nguyen family genealogy. From that day forward, I will sever all ties with the Nguyen family!"

Ruan's father was greatly shocked upon hearing this:

"Sweetheart! You're being ridiculous! How can you leave the family just because of a moment of anger? You're a woman, who will you rely on if you leave the family? This...this is against the rules!"

Chen Yiqiu slowly replied:

"Is Lord Ruan implying that my succession to the title without kinship is against the rules of our ancestors?"

Xiao Yongjing, who was standing to the side, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips at the opportune moment, his tone languid:

"The evidence of his insults against an official of the imperial court is conclusive. According to the law, he shall be punished with thirty strokes of the cane, which may be carried out immediately."

Madam Ruan Liu trembled with fright and quickly tugged at her father's sleeve:

"Sir! As long as we have the money, we don't care where she goes!"

Ruan Jiawen almost knelt down, pleading with a sob in her voice:

"Father! We can't afford any more mistakes. If this marriage with the Liu family falls through, then... then no one will want me!"

Under duress, Ruan's father finally gave in, his hand trembling as he signed the property division and ancestral dissolution documents and pressed his fingerprint on them.

Chen Yiqiu coldly observed from the sidelines:

“Verbal statements are not enough; documents must be verified in public and filed with the government.”

The onlookers, seeing this, began to discuss it amongst themselves:

"Miss Ruan has truly been driven to a dead end!"

"The Jade Pavilion owes its current success entirely to the Second Miss's management. Now you're just going to hand it over to someone else?"

"I came here because of the Second Miss's integrity. If this Jade Pavilion is replaced by that incompetent mother and daughter, who will still patronize it?"

"The industry will be ruined sooner or later if it falls into their hands! What a pity..."