The Song family’s ancestral hall was located in the west of the city and primarily served the fourth branch, which was of the same generation as the late Duke of Song.
Although this branch of the Song family was not as wealthy or prestigious as the Duke’s lineage, they were still quite prosperous. In the past, they had enjoyed high status in the capital thanks to the Duke’s influence. However, after the sudden collapse of the Duke of Song’s estate and the large sum of money spent to sever ties with the Song Hong branch, the remaining members of the Song family had become exceptionally low-key.
When the Black Armored Guards suddenly arrived, they startled everyone.
Seeing Xiao Yan and Gu He Lian standing in the manor, Song Si Laoye (Song’s Fourth Elder) felt uneasy. He focused his gaze on the familiar Song Tang Ning and forced a smile.
“Isn’t this Tang girl? Why are you coming so late and causing such a stir?”
He moved forward in a friendly manner. “You haven’t come in a long time. Your great-aunt has been thinking about you. A few days ago, she even mentioned whether you had forgotten her. If she knew you were here, she would be so happy. I’ll send someone to tell her right away…”
“No need to bother the old lady,” Tang Ning interrupted firmly.
Song Si Laoye froze, and the others nearby were startled.
“When I broke ties with Song Hong, I publicly cast myself out of the Song family. So, Song Si Laoye, I am not worthy of being called great-aunt,” Tang Ning continued coldly.
“I came today for two reasons. First, I wish to request that Song Si Laoye open the ancestral hall and remove my father and I from the Song family’s register, as well as move my parents' coffins from the Song family’s ancestral tomb. Second, I’ve brought a letter from Song Tan to sever ties with the third branch and erase Song Ru’s name from the family register.”
Song Si Laoye’s expression changed drastically. The person who had come with him, Song Wen Li (who had visited Song Jin Xiu earlier), urgently said, “Tang Ning, what are you talking about? When you were at the Duke’s residence, it was just a moment of anger. No one in the family took it seriously. Moreover, the clan uncle…” He remembered Tang Ning’s connection to the Duke’s house and quickly corrected himself, “Besides, Song Hong has already severed ties with the Song family. Why continue to be angry with him?”
“Yeah, Tang Ning, stop talking nonsense. Your father and the others have been buried for many years. How can you disturb their peace by moving their tomb?”
“Right, removing their ancestors’ graves would leave them with no clan to rely on!”
Other people also chimed in, some angrily accusing Tang Ning of being childish.
“You’re just a little girl, causing trouble! You’re a Song family daughter. How can you just remove your name from the family register? What will outsiders think?!”
“You want to move the tomb? That’s the resting place of our ancestors. How dare you cause such a disturbance?!”
“Are you mad? Leave our ancestors in peace. Can you bear the consequences?!”
Gu He Lian, who had not rested properly in several days, now had dark circles under his eyes. Listening to these elders scold and act as though they were superior, he impatiently spoke to Tang Ning:
“I’ve already told you, these people are shameless. When you severed ties with the Duke’s residence, everyone in the capital saw it. No one ever came to support you, and they allowed you to expel yourself from the Song family. Now, seeing the Duke’s house fall, they want to call you a Song family daughter again, just because they see an opportunity.”
“You!” Some of the Song family members shouted angrily.
Gu He Lian sneered, “If I’m speaking nonsense, then when this little girl left the Duke’s residence, did anyone from your family speak up for her? Did anyone deny the things she said at the Duke’s residence?”
“Those who call themselves family are just afraid of death, opportunistic, climbing high while stepping on others, shameless to the extreme.”
He looked at Tang Ning as he spoke. “Why bother negotiating with them? Just destroy the Song family’s ancestral hall. There’s no need to waste more words.”
Song Si Laoye nearly toppled over from anger, and all the Song family members glared at Gu He Lian.
Tang Ning spoke coldly, “Song Si Laoye, you should know whether I was angry with someone back then. The words of the Rong family’s daughters hold great weight and will never be retracted.”
“Since I’m here today, I am determined to take my parents’ coffins. Even if you don’t open the ancestral hall and remove our names from the register, my father’s line will no longer be part of the Song family. But if this goes unaddressed, it will be a shame, and it won’t be my face that gets hurt.”
Song Si Laoye realized how resolute Tang Ning was, and he felt a chill run through him. The little girl who used to smile at everyone had grown so cold.
He dared not confront her directly. Instead, he softened his tone and said, “Tang Ning, we are all close relatives. Why must things come to this?”
“It’s not me causing trouble; it’s some people who don’t want me to have peace.”
Though Tang Ning wasn’t acting coldly, her words carried a sharp chill that was clear to everyone.
“I never intended to come today, and I thought that whether I carry the Song surname or not doesn’t matter much. My hatred is for Song Hong and his mother and son. It has nothing to do with other members of the Song family. If I could save face for everyone, I wouldn’t want to be so extreme. But there are always people trying to use this matter to control me, the Song family daughter.”
“As long as I stay in the Song family, there will be people bothering me. As long as I carry this surname, I will never have peace.”
She looked at the Song family members standing across from her.
“I’m here tonight to accomplish two things. If Song Si Laoye opens the ancestral hall, I will do what I must and leave immediately, never to bother the Song family again. But if you make things difficult for me, don’t blame me for not considering past family ties.”
“If the ancestral hall collapses tonight and the tombs are dug up, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see that.”
As Tang Ning’s words fell, Xiao Yan calmly stepped forward, and Gu He Lian also coldly snorted, standing beside Tang Ning.
The Black Armored Guards, who had been standing in front of the manor, now all stepped forward, their light armor clanking as they moved, the sound of their steps sending a chill through everyone in the Song family.
They could ignore Tang Ning and Gu He Lian, but the Black Armored Guards, along with Xiao Yan’s imposing presence—standing silently but exuding an air of danger—left everyone in fear.
It felt as though, in the next moment, they would flatten the Song family.
“Tang Ning…”
Seeing her cold expression, Song Si Laoye turned to Xiao Yan. “Lord Xiao, this is all a misunderstanding. I’ve already restrained everyone in the family. No one would dare to disturb Tang Ning. Someone must have intentionally stirred up trouble to harm the Song family.”
“Tang Ning is young and was provoked. But no one in the family has wronged her. I hope Lord Xiao can persuade her. The Song family may not be what it once was, but it’s still her paternal family. As a woman, being cast out of the clan, no matter the reason, will attract criticism. Her future marriage will be difficult…”
“With me here, who dares to make things difficult for her?”
Xiao Yan’s words made Tang Ning’s heart skip a beat, but before she could fully understand his meaning, Gu He Lian coldly laughed.
“Marriage? My little Tang is beautiful as a flower, with a fortune so vast that half of Zuo Prefecture will belong to her. If she wants a man, all she has to do is snap her fingers, and a crowd of young, talented men will line up to marry her. Who dares to criticize her?”
Xiao Yan: “…”
His lips twitched in a thin line, casting a cold glance at Gu He Lian.
Gu He Lian seemed completely unfazed by the tension around him. He lazily said, “Tonight, either you open the ancestral hall and settle this matter, or I’ll bring people to smash your ancestral hall. This shabby place isn’t worth more than a few taels of silver.”
The faces of the Song family members turned red with anger, but as their eyes fell on the golden belt around Gu He Lian’s waist, studded with sparkling gems—gems that other families treasured as priceless—their faces flushed even more.
Wealthy dogs!!
Tang Ning, almost telepathically understanding the thoughts of the Song family, quietly glanced at the dazzling gem-studded belt. She turned her head and spoke to Song Si Laoye:
“Fourth Uncle, I hope you won’t make things difficult for me.”
When her maternal uncle, the Gu family, went mad, she could do nothing to stop him.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
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