Chapter 70 Expulsion
At this point, no one in the second wife's family wanted the old lady to wake up, but unfortunately, their wish was not fulfilled. She was so angry that she was paralyzed, but her mind and mouth could still function.
The general's mansion and the elders of the Xie family gathered together.
The air was thick with the suffocating smell of aged incense ash and rotten wood.
On the rosewood couch, the old lady leaned against a thick brocade cushion.
The illness from a few days ago seemed to have drained most of her energy; her body was limp and weak, and the corners of her mouth drooped down.
"Dear uncles and brothers..."
"Today, we have gathered all our elders and relatives here, solely for the sake of the Xie family's honor and to cleanse the family of its filth!"
Her gaze fell on Xie Wulu.
Xie Wulu lowered his head. He had already changed out of the brocade robe of a tribute student and was wearing a worn gray cloth robe. He dared not look up, but he could clearly feel the hatred and coldness in his grandmother's eyes.
"The Xie family's unworthy descendants are beyond worry," the old matriarch's voice rose, "their conduct is despicable and their hearts are wicked! From a young age, they were born with a wicked heart, using the name of the legitimate daughter to steal money from their maternal grandfather's Lin family for ten years, and the amount was so huge that it was shocking!"
"Furthermore, they used stolen money to pave their way and seek fame and fortune! Such behavior disgraces their ancestors and ruins their family reputation. It is insidious, cunning, and outrageous! It is truly a disgrace to the Xie family's century-old reputation and a source of great misfortune for our family!"
These words are absolutely vicious!
Sure enough, when it came to matters concerning the Xie family's reputation, the old matriarch would turn against even her own relatives.
Now that the old lady has found a better adoptive parent, she has no more worries.
Xie Wulu bit his lower lip hard, tasting the strong metallic flavor of blood, and his hands trembled.
"Today, in the name of the matriarch of the Xie clan, I ask all the elders of the clan to bear witness," the old matriarch took a deep breath, "to remove Xie Wulu, this shameless scoundrel who has disgraced our ancestors and ruined our family's reputation, from the Xie clan genealogy—"
She paused for a moment, and the air pressure inside the ancestral hall was so low it felt like it was about to explode.
"Completely expelled from the clan! Banished from the family!"
These words caused an uproar in the room!
"Madam, please calm down! Please reconsider!"
The oldest of the seven uncles, with his white hair, stood up shakily, leaning on his cane, his face, covered with age spots, full of worry.
"Don't worry... This child has made a mistake, but he is still a member of the Xie family! Ten years of hard study, his academic achievements are hard-won! To expel him from the clan and strip him of his academic honors... this is to ruin his life! To cut off all his future prospects!"
"Madam, isn't the punishment... too harsh? Perhaps we should order him to compensate the Lin family with his entire fortune, then discipline him severely and confine him to his quarters to reflect on his actions..."
"Seventh Uncle, you are mistaken!"
Xie Ye, the middle-aged man sitting to his left, immediately retorted in a deep voice.
He was one of the few in the clan to have held a substantive position in the local government, and was known for his uprightness and strictness.
"He has been stealing gold for ten years, amounting to hundreds of thousands of taels! This is no small mistake, but a heinous crime! His heart is so wicked that even if he is kept in the clan, he will be a source of trouble! If he can steal his maternal grandfather's wealth today, who knows if he will not bring disaster to the clan tomorrow?"
"Such a stain, if left on the family genealogy, would be an eternal disgrace to the Xie family! It would tarnish the reputation of the entire clan! All Xie family members would be gossiped about behind their backs when they were considering marriage or entering officialdom! The old lady's decision was wise! I agree!"
"Brother Ye is right! The rumors are rampant outside, and the whole capital is laughing at the Xie family! If we don't take swift and decisive action to punish them severely, people will think that the Xie family is a den of iniquity!"
"Where is the family tradition? Where is the family's honor? They must be expelled! As a warning to others! Give the Lin family and the world an explanation! Otherwise, who will associate with the Xie family in the future?"
"But...but Ke Wulu is, after all, Chengzong's own flesh and blood!"
A cousin of Xie Chengzong, who had a relatively good relationship with him, looked reluctant and tried to find a compromise.
"Madam, how about... temporarily separating Wulu's branch from the main line and sending them far away to the countryside, never to return to the capital? This would be a way to preserve their lives and fulfill the bond of blood ties?"
"Blood ties?"
Xie Sangning, who had been silently watching the show from the shadows in the corner, suddenly spoke softly.
She instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Xie Sangning raised her eyes, a smile playing on her lips.
“My uncle is kind and benevolent, which Sang Ning admires. But when he stole the gold, did he ever think of our blood ties?”
"Now that things have failed, you expect the clan to consider blood ties and show him leniency? Did I agree to that?"
She paused slightly, her gaze shifting to Xie Chengzong:
"Moreover, on the way here, I heard my second uncle speak eloquently, saying that even if Xie Wulu leaves the Xie family and the General's Mansion, with his academic achievement of ranking seventeenth in the second class, he can still rise rapidly in the officialdom and have a bright future."
When Xie Chengzong saw that the fire had been turned on him, his face immediately turned red!
"Pfft..." In the corner, one of the young members of the clan couldn't help but let out a very low sneer, then quickly covered his mouth.
That's just wishful thinking, utterly brainless.
The atmosphere inside the ancestral hall became even more eerie.
"Enough!" The old lady's cold voice rang out, carrying an air of authority.
"My mind is made up! Xie Wulu must be removed from the list! That's the first point!"
Her gaze, sharp as a hawk's, suddenly turned to Wang, who was trembling beside her.
"Secondly! As the mistress of the second wife, Madam Wang failed in her duty to educate her son, spoiling and indulging him! She also failed in her management of the household!"
"Effective immediately, his stewardship is hereby revoked! All affairs and properties of the second branch of the family shall be temporarily managed by Xie Sangning!"
"No—!" Wang let out a shrill scream that was so intense it was almost unrecognizable, and she suddenly collapsed in front of the old lady's bed, tears streaming down her face.
"Mother! Mother, you can't do this! He's innocent! Wu Lu is innocent! It's all slander and framing by villains! Xie Sangning! It's that vile woman Xie Sangning who harmed my son! Mother, please see the truth!"
"Injustice?"
The old matriarch's cloudy eyes were filled with nothing but disgust. She didn't even bother to look at Wang Shi again, her gaze sweeping over the clan elders in the ancestral hall. "All the world's voices point to him! Even if he's innocent, there's nothing we can do!"
She took a breath, seemingly exhausted from speaking too much, but still forced herself to continue: "Thirdly! Listen carefully, everyone from the second branch of the family! Xie Wulu's expulsion is his own fault. If you value kinship and are unwilling to sever ties with him—"
The old lady's gaze was fixed on Xie Chengzong, Wang Shi, and Xie Wuyou, whose eyes were darting behind them.
"Then, let's move out of the General's Mansion together with Xie Wulu! Let's fend for ourselves! Xie family!"
"Move...move out of the General's Mansion?!"
Xie Wuyou, who had been trying to keep a low profile, was suddenly struck by lightning. He raised his head abruptly, his face drained of color, and his eyes were filled with unbelievable terror!
She left? Then what does she have left?!
"Grandmother! You can't do this!"
Xie Wuyou jumped up with a shriek, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her voice was sharp and shrill, completely losing her composure.
"Why?! It's Xie Wulu who made the mistake! Why should we be kicked out?! I won't leave! I'd rather die than leave! My surname is Xie! This is General Xie's mansion! This is my home!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
