Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 376 - 373: Too Late for Regrets_1

Chapter 376: Chapter 373: Too Late for Regrets_1

That seat was always occupied by Bai Weiting when he returned to Shuoyang, but now it was to be left for a mere girl.

Hearing the street peddlers’ cries from outside the Bai Clan’s ancestral hall, and the sounds of children playing, the clan members’ faces turned grim.

How could such a dignified and solemn place as the outside of the Bai Clan’s ancestral hall turn into a marketplace, with commoners, once too afraid to even approach, now causing such chaos?

"Look at this scene, half of Shuoyang City’s populace seems to have gathered outside our ancestral hall!" An elder sighed.

Fifth Master, recalling being evicted from the ancestral home, grew increasingly furious at Bai Qingyan and slammed the bodhi beads in his hand onto the small table beside him. "You indulged her! It’s because you, big brother, have too soft a heart!"

"Shut up!" The Clan Leader opened his eyes and pointed at Fifth Master, scolding, "You’re the one causing the most problems! If you hadn’t occupied the ancestral home and refused to give Bai Qingyan the title deed, would we be in this mess now?!"

Fifth Master, facing his elder brother’s furious glare, shrank back, his tone becoming softer. "Then... do we really have to expel the children from the clan?"

"As I just discussed with everyone, expulsion from the clan is not a big deal. We can secretly support them; after all, helping our kin in blood is not wrong! But... if we do not satisfy Bai Qingyan today, and she makes a scene by having the Dadu Bai family apologize to the ancestors and request to leave the clan, then Magistrate Zhou imprisoning the children would be just the beginning. The clan’s misfortune would follow!"

The Clan Leader, with a composed expression, gazed towards the dazzling sunlight outside the ancestral hall. "As long as we remain part of the Bai Clan and rely on the Princess of Zhen supported by the Crown Prince, we can still speak to Magistrate Zhou in the future. But if Bai Qingyan leaves the clan, those opportunistic officials will trample us to death!"

The elders who followed the Clan Leader to Dadu City nodded in agreement, not forgetting the words of the Eldest Princess.

Previously, the Dadu Bai family elevated the clan’s position so high. They tested the Bai family several times, and the Bai family made concessions each time, leading to their utter disregard for boundaries.

Now reflecting on this, some had come to a realization. It was not that the clan was important to the Dadu Bai family; rather, it was the Dadu Bai family’s appreciation that made the Bai Clan important. Without the Dadu Bai family’s regard, the Bai Clan was nothing.

Yet, there were still some, like the fifth brother of the Clan Leader, who had not wakened up to this reality.

"Did you prepare the compensation silver, the items forcibly bought from the children, and other people’s house and land deeds?" the Clan Leader asked.

The elders reluctantly nodded.

The Clan Leader felt slightly relieved as he recalled Bai Qingyan’s special inquiry about Bai Qingping. He turned to his second son standing aside. "How is A Ping?"

Bai Qihe, Bai Qingping’s father, quickly bowed. "The child has been kneeling solidly for these days. He can’t stand up now, and his mother has already called a doctor to see him."

Fifth Master shot Bai Qihe a glare, thinking to himself that Bai Qihe was useless. Over the years, he only focused on studying ancient books and bamboo slips and couldn’t even manage his own son, allowing Bai Qingping to report his cousins to the Official Government, utterly clueless.

"Probably Bai Qingyan will want to see him soon. Go fetch him, and if he can’t stand, let him sit on a stool beside me." The Clan Leader frowned.

"Yes!" Bai Qihe stepped out of the ancestral hall and instructed the servant waiting in the courtyard to find a way to bring Bai Qingping over.

A man standing on a tree saw Magistrate Zhou and his group approaching from afar and shouted, "They are coming! They are coming!"

Soon, Shen Qingzhu, Bai Jinzhi, and Quan Yu, along with Magistrate Zhou and the twenty-one members of the Bai family clan under the hold of government officials, arrived at the Bai Clan ancestral hall.

In the past days, the descendants of the Bai Clan, not receiving special treatment despite Magistrate Zhou’s greeting, lived miserably in the prison. Though still wearing fine clothes and long robes, they looked disheveled.

Bai Qingjie, held at the front, no longer showed any of his previous arrogance in front of Bai Qingyan.

Imprisoned these past days, Bai Qingjie finally sobered up.

These years, he was spoiled by his grandfather and father, unaware of the severity of things. Seeing Fifth Grandfather occupying the ancestral home of the direct lineage and hearing him say... the Dadu Bai family, being a widow and orphan, would still rely on the clan in the future. Even though Bai Qingyan was titled as Princess of Zhen, she was still a member of the clan and had to obey the elders. He believed it.

Rumors within the clan even said Bai Qingyan vowed never to marry and would rely on the clan for her later years. So, Fifth Grandfather occupying the ancestral home wouldn’t dare provoke a reaction from Bai Qingyan.

Seeing Grandfather not object to such words from Fifth Grandfather and the other elders, he believed it even more, thus acting more recklessly in Shuoyang City.

But recently, while reflecting with several cousins in the prison, he remembered the things Bai Qingping often told them and suddenly realized.

Magistrate Zhou befriended his father, not for the Bai Clan in Shuoyang, but for the Bai family in Dadu!

Thus, when Bai Qingyan ordered Magistrate Zhou to arrest them, Magistrate Zhou immediately turned against Bai Qiyun and wouldn’t even see him.

Put plainly, without the Dadu Bai family... the Shuoyang Bai Clan was nothing.

Because Fifth Master increasingly disregarded the Dadu Bai family, becoming more arrogant and greedy, and because of the Clan Leader’s acquiescence and indulgence, everyone followed suit, thinking the Dadu Bai family had to respect the clan and wouldn’t dare offend it.

This insidious influence, like a drop of ink in clean water, quickly spread this deadly arrogance throughout the clan.

Now, it was too late for regret.

He recalled hearing from traveling merchants entering the city about how Bai Qingyan dealt harshly with a bullying Bai family illegitimate son in the long street of Dadu. And remembered Bai Qingyan’s oath that if the Clan Leader didn’t agree to expel the erring descendants, she would take the Dadu Bai family to apologize to the ancestors and request to leave the clan.

Bai Qingjie knew that these erring clan descendants, including himself, would definitely be expelled from the clan today, even if he was the Clan Leader’s grandson.

He believed that after Bai Qingyan created such a stir, his grandfather would finally realize that the Dadu Bai family couldn’t be offended. Letting Bai Qingyan leave the clan... would ruin the Bai Clan.

Besides being expelled from the clan, he carried a death sentence. Whether he would live or not was uncertain!

Thinking of this, Bai Qingjie’s legs felt weak as he was dragged into the ancestral hall under the angry gazes of the populace.

Except for those surnamed Bai, no one was allowed inside the Bai Clan ancestral hall. Magistrate Zhou had the people dragged into the courtyard while the Clan Leader hurriedly stepped out to greet them.