Madam Liu's declaration plunged Fang Yacun into deep anguish.
Having been married to Madam Liu for many years, he had initially married her more for the benefits her family could bring him. In his youth, he had somewhat looked down upon this plain-looking wife.
Later, when he was establishing his footing in the Fang family, Madam Liu's clan indeed provided him with considerable support, both overtly and covertly. Though Madam Liu was not blessed with beauty, she was gentle, understanding, and always placed her husband above all else. Even when Fang Yacun scrutinized her with a critical eye, he could find no fault in her apart from her appearance. Eventually, they also had children together.
Over the years, Fang Yacun had developed genuine affection for Madam Liu.
In his youthful arrogance, he had secretly imagined that once he achieved success and no longer had to live under anyone's scrutiny, he could have any beautiful woman he desired. However, as he grew older and gained more life experience, he came to realize that having a wife like Madam Liu was truly a blessing in his life.
His childhood environment had been rather unusual. Initially, his concubine mother had protected him and his sister. After she passed away, his elder sister had meticulously planned everything for him. Yet, in an environment like the Fang family, Fang Yacun had lived in constant fear since childhood, always worried that his stepmother might one day take a dislike to him and end his life. It was only after Madam Liu entered his life that he truly found stability.
Just moments ago, when Madam Liu declared she would hang herself and their son at the Fang family's doorstep, it inexplicably brought back memories of his precarious childhood and youth, filling him with panic.
In the afternoon, Old Madam Fang once again summoned everyone to the Fang family ancestral hall to discuss how to deal with Fang Yacun.
As expected, Madam Liu's natal family sent representatives who raised numerous doubts and gradually shifted the blame onto Concubine Fang. Throughout this process, Madam Liu's gaze remained fixed on Fang Yacun, never wavering.
Fang Yacun stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. Each time he tried to speak, the sight of Madam Liu's desperate yet pleading eyes robbed him of the courage to utter a word. This was the most agonizing moment of his life.
One of the clan elders addressed Fang Yacun, asking, "Fourth Brother, is this the truth? Was it your concubine mother and sister who administered the sterilization powder to Yaxun?"
Faced with the collective gaze of the crowd, and after glancing at Madam Liu and their son, Fang Yacun finally slumped in defeat and murmured, "I don't know. I don't know." Apart from "I don't know," he had no other answer to their accusations.
On one side was his own sister; on the other, his wife and child.
Seeing this, Madam Liu breathed a sigh of relief, a glimmer of joy flickering in her eyes.
She thought to herself that all these years, her wholehearted devotion to him had not been in vain. Before this, she had been filled with anxiety. She did not truly wish to die, and she feared even more that she and their son together might still not outweigh Fang Yaru in his heart.
Old Madam Fang cast a glance at Fang Yacun, her expression filled with mockery and disdain.
Many were inclined to believe that Fang Yacun had nothing to do with the matter. Since Fang Yacun refused to admit guilt and Old Madam Fang could not produce more compelling evidence to accuse him, the clan could not arbitrarily convict him. Moreover, a more suitable scapegoat had now emerged.A deceased concubine and a married daughter who was no longer considered part of the Fang family naturally caused less turmoil for the Fang family than Fang Yacun, who had nearly become its future successor.
However, Old Madam Fang refused to let Fang Yacun off the hook. She believed that even if he hadn’t taken direct action, he was at least aware of the truth. Yet despite her years of cultivation and unwavering trust in him, Fang Yacun had never revealed the truth to her—a clear sign of an ungrateful wretch. If the Fang clan did not punish Fang Yacun, she threatened to report the matter to the authorities and let the government decide his fate.
Whether the authorities could convict Fang Yacun was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the Fang family’s reputation would be utterly ruined.
Everyone in the Fang family knew that Old Madam Fang was a formidable opponent.
The dispute dragged on until evening, when Old Madam Fang finally agreed to compromise. Fang Yacun could remain in the clan registry, but he had to move out of the ancestral home, and she would appoint a new successor for the Fang family.
Back then, Fang Yacun, a mere concubine-born son, had been able to take charge of the Fang family only because of Old Madam Fang’s support. Now, although Fang Yacun had grown powerful, Old Madam Fang, as the clan leader’s wife, still commanded considerable authority within the clan.
Fang Yacun’s faction speculated that Old Madam Fang had brought Ninth Master’s child into the household with the intention of grooming him as the Fang family’s successor. However, her wishes were one thing; whether reality would align with them was another.
After all, the child was still young, and Old Madam Fang was advanced in years. Among the younger generation of the Fang family, few were capable of taking over Fang Yacun’s responsibilities. In the end, the Fang family would still have to rely on Fourth Master Ren, Fang Yacun. As long as Fang Yacun wasn’t expelled from the family, there would still be opportunities for him to regain control in the future.
After some deliberation, Fang Yacun’s faction concluded that the most urgent task was to placate Old Madam Fang, secure Fang Yacun’s exoneration, and settle the matter. Other plans could be pursued gradually. If Old Madam Fang continued to stir up trouble recklessly, the Fang family would inevitably suffer, and everyone’s interests would be harmed.
Thus, Fang Yacun’s faction agreed to Old Madam Fang’s demands.
Fang Yacun’s branch would move out of the ancestral home as soon as possible. Clan affairs would be temporarily handled by several elders, while the assets of their branch would be returned to Old Madam Fang.
Concubine Fang was already dead, leaving Old Madam Fang with no one to hold accountable. Fang Yaru, with her malicious intent, had aided and abetted evil and conspired to harm her elder brother. She was expelled from the Fang clan, and the Fang family would send a letter to the Ren Family stating that they no longer recognized her as a daughter of the Fang family.
If Concubine Fang were still in the Ren Family, this would have been a devastating blow. Being disowned by her natal family meant she would have no maiden family to rely on, and her ancestral tablet after death could not bear the title “Fang.” Many married women in such circumstances would feel such shame and resentment that they would take their own lives.
However, Fang Yacun and Madam Liu felt that Old Madam Fang’s actions today were unlike her usual style. Why did it seem like she had raised the issue with great severity only to let it go lightly?
Fang Yacun, in particular, had suffered greatly under Old Madam Fang in his youth and found it hard to believe she would let him off so easily.
Regardless of what Fang Yacun and his wife thought, Old Madam Fang seemed genuinely intent on concluding the matter. Once the handover arrangements were settled, she had her servants see the guests out.After the clan members had left, Old Madam Fang did not even glance at Fang Yacun and his wife before having someone support her back to her own courtyard. She only sent someone to notify them to quickly move out of the Fang residence, and they were not allowed to take any of the Fang family’s property with them—just like the illegitimate sons she had driven out in the past.
Fang Yacun was filled with resentment but remained silent, his face dark and gloomy the entire way. He did not even look at Madam Liu.
When the couple returned, Madam Liu went to her room, changed into plain clothes, removed her hairpins and ornaments, and personally brought ink, brush, paper, and inkstone to Fang Yacun, begging him to write a letter of divorce.
Fang Yacun glared at Madam Liu for a long while before finally kicking away the items in her hands and storming off in a huff.
Madam Liu lowered her head to look at the scattered paper and brush on the ground. Tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, but a faint smile slowly curved at the corners of her mouth.
As an ordinary woman, she had never cared much about the idea of a husband’s glory reflecting on his wife. All these years, no matter what she did, her only thought had been to make him satisfied with her.
What she truly cared about was whether her husband held her in his heart. What she feared was that someone else occupied a more important place in his heart than she did.
After years of anxiety and uncertainty, at this moment, she finally felt truly at peace.
Fang Yacun had managed to accumulate some wealth over the years, so the next day, they moved out of the Fang residence and settled into a small courtyard he had previously purchased.
However, Fang Yacun was unwilling to let go of the Fang family’s assets. Once something has been swallowed, who would willingly spit it out?
Fang Yacun’s plan was well-calculated. He intended to delay for a while, gradually transferring the assets under his control and leaving an empty shell for Old Madam Fang.
What he did not expect was that this time, Old Madam Fang had anticipated his plan in advance. She had already obtained all the account books of the Fang family’s properties and hired several highly experienced managers at great expense to go through the accounts with him one by one. If there was even the slightest discrepancy, they would not let it go.
With his opponent thinking three steps ahead for every one of his moves, Fang Yacun’s clever scheme was completely shattered. Old Madam Fang reclaimed all the assets under Fang Yacun’s control at a surprisingly swift pace.
Every member of the Fang clan could only sigh in admiration: the older ginger is indeed spicier.
After reclaiming the assets from Fang Yacun, Old Madam Fang was still not satisfied. She sent people to dig up Concubine Fang’s grave, burned her remains, and threw them into a cesspit. She also hired some wandering sorcerers to perform rituals day and night, ensuring that Concubine Fang would find no peace even in the afterlife.
When Fang Yacun received the news, he was so furious he nearly vomited blood. He returned to the Fang residence to confront Old Madam Fang but was not even allowed through the main gate.
Around this time, Fang Yacun’s superior came to him again, asking for silver to offer as tribute to higher-ups. However, Fang Yacun could no longer freely withdraw silver from the Fang family’s funds, so his contributions were not as generous as before. This displeased Feng Mian greatly, and after learning about what had happened in the Fang family, Feng Mian’s attitude toward Fang Yacun cooled significantly.
Later, when higher authorities sent someone to investigate the losses of spies in Yanbei, Fang Yacun was severely punished by Eunuch Lu’s men, and his previous promotion prospects came to nothing.
Fang Yacun was overwhelmed with his own troubles. Although he still sent people to search for Concubine Fang, he no longer had the time or ability to seek revenge.During the period of the Fang family's turmoil, Ren Yaoqi had been receiving letters from Jiangnan, so she was fully aware of Fang Yacun's situation.
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