Ren Shimin's words made Ren Yaoying, who had been weeping softly, pause her sobs. She looked blankly at her father, somewhat bewildered: "Father..."
This version of Ren Shimin was something Ren Yaoying had never seen before. The cold and indifferent look in his eyes filled her with a deep sense of unease, and she began to regret the words she had just spoken.
Ren Shimin didn’t even glance at her again, as if looking at Ren Yaoying any longer would taint his eyes: "Don’t call me father. I am not your father."
Ren Shimin turned and glanced around, then beckoned to a few maids standing at a distance in the courtyard.
The maids exchanged uncertain looks, and then the one in the lead handed her tray to another maid beside her and hurried over.
"Master."
It happened to be Que'er, the head maid from Madam Li’s quarters.
Ren Shimin didn’t care who had come. He merely instructed her in a calm tone: "Take Fifth Miss Ren back to the Ren Family’s old residence. Send her there now."
Que'er was taken aback. She glanced at Ren Shimin and then at Ren Yaoying. Though confused, she quickly responded.
Ren Yaoying suddenly cried out: "No—I won’t go back! Father, this is my home. I won’t return to White Crane Town." By the end of her plea, her tone had softened into a pitiful, pleading whimper.
Unfortunately, Ren Shimin was no longer swayed by her act. A faint look of disgust crossed his brow: "If you don’t want to go to White Crane Town, that’s fine. Go wherever you like. From now on, this is no longer your home, and I am not your father. Didn’t you say earlier you wanted to go to a nunnery? You can go there too."
Ignoring Ren Yaoying, who was now stunned into silence, Master Ren instructed Que'er again: "Prepare a carriage. Send her wherever she wants to go, but from today onward, I don’t want to see her in this mansion again."
Que'er was Madam Li’s servant, and she naturally disliked Ren Yaoying—she even wished for her to leave.
But hearing Master Ren speak these words now sent a chill through her heart. His tone was too cold, too detached. It hardly seemed like something a father would say.
In truth, Ren Shimin was indeed a detached person. He had passions, but they were limited. Beyond those few things he cared about, he regarded everything else with indifference. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have severed ties with the Ren Family so decisively back then, nor would he have remained unmoved no matter how many emissaries the family sent—not even when Old Madam Ren used Old Master Ren’s critical illness as an excuse to try to bring him back.
Ren Yaoying was also in disbelief. She had never truly understood her father; otherwise, she wouldn’t have spoken those words in front of him earlier. She reached out to tug at Ren Shimin’s sleeve, tears welling in her eyes: "Father..."
Ren Shimin frowned and pulled his sleeve away, instinctively brushing it off with his hand.
Seeing Que'er still standing there motionless, Ren Shimin grew impatient and frowned: "Why are you still standing here? Didn’t you hear what I said?"
Que'er snapped back to attention and beckoned over a few older servants who had been watching the scene. She lowered her voice and instructed: "Take Ninth Miss back to pack her things. The master wants her sent away from the mansion immediately."Que'er wanted to go find Nanny Zhou and have someone notify Madam Li.
Only then did Ren Yaoying truly become frightened, beginning to struggle desperately to keep those matrons from approaching her.
Ren Shimin turned and walked toward the main house, ignoring the chaos here. Only after turning away did he impatiently add, "If she keeps making a fuss, knock her out before sending her off. Don't disturb the peace of the neighbors." This statement left no room to conceal the disgust in his tone.
Que'er broke out in a cold sweat, but looking at the endlessly clamoring Ren Yaoying, she decisively shot a glance at one of the matrons. Without a word, the coarse-working matron, accustomed to heavy labor, raised her palm and delivered a sharp chop to Ren Yaoying's neck.
The world immediately fell silent.
By the time Madam Li heard the commotion and was about to come out, Ren Shimin had already reached the main house.
Seeing the expression on Ren Shimin's face, Madam Li's heart sank. She possessed no particular cleverness or talent, but she understood Ren Shimin's temperament very well.
Ren Shimin was somewhat different from others—the angrier he was, the colder his expression became. At such times, it was best not to go against his wishes.
The question Madam Li had been about to ask died on her lips. She silently followed Ren Shimin into the side room and, after he sat down, wordlessly served him a bowl of tea.
Ren Shimin took it. He had originally intended to smash it on the ground, but his hand, having just lifted, lowered again. He placed the tea bowl on the side table. "This teacup isn't worth much, but the painting on it is quite good. Smashing it would be a pity, and it's not worth the trouble."
Madam Li glanced up at Ren Shimin, softly acknowledged with a "Yes," and her movements became even more cautious.
Ren Shimin's face showed little expression as he calmly instructed Madam Li, "Prepare two hundred taels of silver for Ren Yaoying and send her away. I don't want to see her in this house ever again."
Madam Li had already heard the disturbance earlier, but she cautiously confirmed, "Does Master intend to send her back to White Crane Town?"
Ren Shimin shook his head. "She can go to White Crane Town, a nunnery, or wherever she pleases. From now on, she has nothing to do with me. From this moment on, she is expelled from the family."
Madam Li couldn't help but be stunned. Although she didn't much care for Ren Yaoying either these days, as her legal mother, she still felt obliged to inquire. "Master, what grave offense has Yaoying committed?"
Ren Shimin smiled, his tone icy. "We walk different paths and cannot share the same purpose. If she stays in this house and continues to call me father, I fear one day I might not be able to resist having her drowned in the pond."
Madam Li was shocked and dared say no more.
Ren Shimin looked at Madam Li and said leisurely, "Just carry out my orders. No one will cast blame on you. It is I who am expelling her; it has nothing to do with you."
Madam Li hurriedly said, "Master, please don't say such things. This humble wife is not afraid." With that, she went into the inner chamber, personally fetched two hundred taels of silver, and placed them in a cloth pouch.
Que'er soon entered, accompanied by Nanny Zhou.
As soon as Ren Shimin saw Nanny Zhou, he said, "Nanny Zhou, you've come at just the right time. You handle such matters most efficiently. I leave this to you."Nanny Zhou carefully observed Ren Shimin upon hearing this, then noticed that her master spoke in a matter-of-fact tone without any intentional sarcasm. Having weathered many storms, Nanny Zhou calmly accepted the task, naturally taking the money pouch from Madam Li’s hands. Without another word, she lifted the curtain and went out. Que’er dared not utter a single word and followed Nanny Zhou out.
Under Nanny Zhou’s direction, the carriage was quickly prepared. Ren Yaoying, who had already been knocked unconscious, was carried out by two maidservants and swiftly placed into the carriage waiting at the Inner Gate.
One of the maidservants presented a large bundle she had just packed for Ren Yaoying for Nanny Zhou’s inspection. Nanny Zhou merely glanced at it before waving her hand dismissively. She then lifted the carriage curtain and tossed the pouch containing two hundred taels of silver, prepared earlier by Madam Li, into the carriage with a dull thud. Nanny Zhou showed no concern about accidentally hitting Ren Yaoying with it.
“Nanny, where… should we take her?” the coachwoman asked softly.
Master Ren’s instruction was to let Ninth Miss go wherever she wished, but now that Ninth Miss was unconscious, who knew where she wanted to go?
Nanny Zhou thought for a moment. “Take her to the Ren Family in White Crane Town. If the Ren Family is willing to take her in, leave her there and inform them that Ninth Miss has been expelled from our household by our master. If the Ren Family refuses to accept her, take her to a nunnery.” She paused before adding, “Send her to a nunnery far away, not in Yan Prefecture or Ji Prefecture.”
The coachwoman acknowledged the order. Nanny Zhou gestured for four maidservants to board Ren Yaoying’s carriage as well, accompanying her to ensure no mishaps occurred along the way.
Thus, under Master Ren’s orders and Nanny Zhou’s swift execution, Ren Yaoying was quietly sent back to White Crane Town in a Ren Family carriage.
By evening, the maidservants who had escorted her returned to report to Nanny Zhou that the Ren Family had allowed Ren Yaoying to enter and did not drive her out. Consequently, Ren Yaoying remained temporarily at the Ren Family’s old residence. The two hundred taels of silver and Ren Yaoying’s bundle were also handed over to the Ren Family.
Nanny Zhou nodded, now fully aware of the situation. She then reported the matter to Master Ren and Madam Li.
Madam Li glanced at Master Ren but said nothing. Master Ren merely nodded upon hearing the report and never inquired about Ren Yaoying again, as if he had never had such a daughter.
After leaving, Nanny Zhou immediately sent someone to the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion to relay the day’s events in detail to Ren Yaoqi.
When Ren Yaoqi received Nanny Zhou’s message, she was not particularly surprised. This outcome was one of the possibilities she had anticipated, though her father’s decisiveness still made her sigh.
Ren Yaoying’s expulsion from the Ren Family could be said to be the result of Ren Yaoqi’s design, but it was also Ren Yaoying’s own fault. Ren Yaoqi felt no unease or guilt whatsoever.
As Master Ren had said, those who walk different paths cannot work together. If Ren Yaoying had remained in their household, the ultimate outcome would have been either their family being implicated by Ren Yaoying or Ren Yaoqi having to deal with her herself.
Now, out of sight, out of mind—this spared her from being forced to raise a hand against her own sister and dirty her own hands.Master Ren's threat to expel Ren Yaoying from the household was not an empty one. On the second day after Ren Yaoying was sent back to the Ren Family, Master Ren submitted a written document to the local authorities, officially removing Ren Yaoying's household registration from his own branch. It was done quietly yet decisively.
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