Wen Mingzhu, half pulling and half acting coquettish, led the Crown Prince away. At the doorway, she still remembered to remind Lord Wen: "Father, you must think carefully before acting!"
After she finished speaking, she took the Crown Prince by the arm and walked out. The Crown Prince’s mind was entirely occupied with how to tease Wen Mingzhu. "None of you need to see me off." He said.
"Your humble servant respectfully sends off Your Highness." Lord Wen, together with all members of the Wen family, knelt in the main hall to respectfully send off the Crown Prince.
After the Crown Prince left, Wen Yanting said angrily: "Zhu’er is just too kind. Wen Qingwan is completely unworthy of being a daughter of our Wen family."
"Elder brother is right. How could Wen Qingwan be worthy of the Wen surname? For her to bear it is simply an insult to our Wen family."
"Smack!" As soon as Wen Yansheng finished speaking, he was slapped by Xiao Jin, knocked three chi away, and a loud ‘bang’ resounded.
"Scoundrel! Who do you think you are? My wife is not someone you can insult!"
"aa… wuwah… Father, Grandmother, Mother, look—crippled brother‑in‑law actually hit your second son!"
"It is precisely you blind fools I am striking. How is my wife unworthy of the Wen name? I say it is you who are unworthy of bearing it."
Xiao Jin spoke with resounding force, then, with his full momentum unleashed, delivered a kick that sent Wen Yanting flying.
"You… you… this is outrageous bullying! I will go right now to lodge a complaint before His Majesty." Lord Wen was so furious that he staggered backward.
"The Crown Prince hasn’t gone far yet—go ahead and complain!" Xiao Jin sneered. "Didn’t Lord Wen say he was going to open the ancestral hall right now?"
"I, the Marquis, tell you this: even if my wife is expelled from your genealogy, she will still bear the Wen surname—but she is not of the same Wen as your household."
"Once expelled from the genealogy, she is no longer a daughter of our Wen household. How could she still bear the Wen surname?" Lord Wen shook with rage.
"Lord Wen, care to test me? I, the Marquis, can ask His Majesty to strip your clan of its name and grant you another." Xiao Jin spoke slowly and deliberately, the corner of his lips curling with a hint of sinister charm.
"You dare!"
"What would I not dare? My wife has done nothing wrong—why should she accept your punishment? What are you, anyway?"
"You… you… I… but I am your father‑in‑law." Lord Wen shook all over with anger.
"Ever since you threatened my wife and sought to expel her from the genealogy, you are no longer my father‑in‑law. Go at once to the ancestral hall and cut ties with her."
"Hmph! Don’t think that just because you’re a Marquis I would fear you. What’s so great about a crippled Marquis?" Lord Wen, consumed with rage, flung his sleeve and left.
"Lord Wen, don’t you need to summon the Wen clan leader?" Xiao Jin, limping, pursued him and asked.
By using qinggong, he could have avoided limping so badly, but he did it deliberately.
"I am the clan leader. Second Brother, go summon all the Wen sons to the ancestral hall. Today we must expel this unfilial daughter from the Wen genealogy."
"Wife, don’t be afraid. If you wish to remain Wen, you remain Wen; if you wish to be Xiao, then be Xiao. Only from now on, you are not the same Wen as them. The whole Xiao estate will be yours."
Xiao Jin truly wasn’t joking—everything he has belongs to the little girl. Whoever she wanted expelled from the Xiao genealogy, he would support her.
He always had the thought of wanting his little girl to distance herself from the Crown Prince’s household, but he found it difficult to say so.
After all, her younger sister is the Crown Prince’s secondary consort. Since Lord Wen himself proposed cutting ties, isn’t this just like someone bringing a pillow when you’re dozing off?
Two years ago, His Majesty secretly summoned him, hoping he would fully support the Fifth Prince in the future, and directly conveyed the imperial intention to him.
It was only then that Xiao Jin realized the Fifth Prince was his cousin. Because their maternal grandfather farmed in the countryside, the Fifth Prince lacked support from his mother’s family and therefore outwardly did not enjoy imperial favor.
He never imagined, even in his dreams, that His Majesty’s prejudice against the Crown Prince was so deep—that the Emperor actually wished to depose him, and that the heir he favored was the Fifth Prince!
At that time, Xiao Jin was determined to marry his little girl, but Lord Wen rejected him.
At that time, he was young and full of triumph, so he made a request to His Majesty: he would continue his efforts, go to the frontier, and drive the Northern Di back to their lair.
His plan was simple: win fresh honors on the battlefield, return to the capital, and petition the Emperor for marriage. But he never foresaw that triumph, like a horse galloping in the spring breeze, could be too swift—glory as fleeting as seeing all the blossoms of Chang’an in a single day.
He did drive the Northern Di back to their lair, but he was wounded and left lame, so he abandoned the idea of marrying the little girl.
His Majesty never again spoke of having him support the Fifth Prince—perhaps because he saw that he was crippled.
Although the imperial will is difficult to predict, the Emperor’s words are binding—he favored the Fifth Prince as crown heir, and that is fact.
If the Crown Prince loses virtue, he will eventually be deposed. Then the Wen household that supports him will certainly face disaster.
Hmph! They want to drive his little girl out of the Wen genealogy—this Marquis will thank you.
Wen Qingwan looked at the man holding her; the smile on his face could not be hidden.
She was a little surprised—aren’t noblemen of marquis households all concerned with the influence of their wives’ families?
He was smiling so happily—then there could only be one possibility: once she had no natal family to rely on, he might abuse her at any time.
Although in the Great Sheng dynasty many men beat and humiliated concubines and maidservants, none ever raised a hand against their principal wife.
She had only heard Wen Mingzhu’s tearful complaints—that Xiao Jin liked to abuse her, and that in one day he would viciously beat her eighteen times.
Wen Qingwan thought that by drinking the spiritual spring water from the Merit Mall every day, her combat strength had already risen considerably.
Moreover, this man was no match for her at all—they had already tested it on their wedding night.
She was raising her combat power day by day, while he had to earn money to support the Marquis’s household.
Well, it’s settled: once he returns from court to the manor, he is to supervise his younger stepbrothers in raising pigs and chickens.
Wen Qingwan thought to herself: if he did not strike first, she could spare him.
After all, many had bullied her, but he had never spoken a single cruel word to her.
Domestic violence only counts if one wins the fight; if he cannot win, then it really cannot be called domestic violence.
Thinking this, Wen Qingwan could not help but laugh.
Minister Wen saw the smile on his eldest daughter’s face, gave a cold snort, and turned his head away, afraid he might not be able to resist strangling her.
Eldest Brother Wen hated Wen Qingwan bitterly, his gaze full of venom. "Wen Qingwan, you’ve grown bold—daring to break this young master’s hand. Don’t think that marrying a lame Marquis makes you anything special."
Wen Qingwan said coldly: "Think whatever you want. I didn’t break your hand—it was only dislocated."
"Only dislocated? When did you become so sharp-tongued and cruel? Wan’er, you’ve disappointed your mother greatly!" Madam Wen rebuked in a sharp voice.
"When has Mother ever not been disappointed in me?"
"You… how can you speak like that? Mother only wish for you to kneel in the ancestral hall, admit your fault to your father and elder brother, and plead with your father not to expel you from the family record."
"It’s too late to say anything now. Today, I must expel this wretch from the family record."
With a chill edge to his tone, Xiao Jin asked, "Lord Wen, how dare you speak to my wife like that?"
With a cold snort of disdain, Minister Wen sneered to himself: So full of “this Marquis” talk—yet he’s still just a lame cripple.
An hour later, Wen Qingwan was expelled from the Wen family record by Minister Wen, who personally wrote a severance document and took it to the authorities for stamping.
Because she refused to give up the Wen surname, the family posted their decree of disownment over the city walls, making her rejection a public spectacle.
🐇♡🐇♡🐇♡🐇
Lord Wen: At last! Wen Qingwan has been expelled from the family genealogy! From today onward, she has nothing to do with the Wen family!
Wen Yanting: Father is wise!
Wen Yansheng: Father is magnificent!
Madam Wen: Our family can finally live in peace!
A servant rushes into the hall, panting.
Servant: Master! Terrible news!
Lord Wen: What now?!
Servant: The Marquis has set up a table with a huge sign on the streets where the disownment decree was posted!
Lord Wen: SO?!
Servant: He has hired people to stand beside the notice and distribute refreshments.
Wen Yanting: Refreshments?!
Servant: Yes. The sign even reads: "Congratulations to Madam Wen for escaping her terrible natal family! Free snacks for all!"
Lord Wen: ...
Wen Yansheng: Father, I think we have been insulted.
Lord Wen: I KNOW!
Servant: There's another sign.
Lord Wen: WHAT DOES IT SAY?!
Servant: "The Wen family has generously donated one daughter to the Marquis's household. No refunds."
Wen Qingwan: (From the carriage) Husband, did you really write that?
Xiao Jin: No, wife. I wrote three other versions. This was the most polite one.
Wen Qingwan: How thoughtful.
Lord Wen: XIAO JIN!!!
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