After sharing a body with her husband

These words shocked everyone.

"Has Qing-ge'er lost his mind?"

Shang Lingjun's expression changed slightly, but she quickly returned to normal. Could it be...?

"She wants to reveal the truth about her disguise as a man and force the Xie family to protect her." Huo Chuan suddenly spoke.

Shang Lingjun pursed her lips.

Do you think she can succeed?

Huo Chuan scoffed. "She's completely finished."

That bastard! If he were here, he would also support his mother in severely punishing Xie Zhaoqing!

Shang Lingjun chuckled silently. It seemed that she and Huo Chuan had the same idea again.

Is this some kind of telepathic connection?

Shang Lingjun decided to stand by and watch, finding it quite interesting to observe Xie Zhaoqing's gradual demise.

Old Madam Wei ignored her and the servant boy with the rag approached step by step.

Qu looked extremely nervous.

"Qing-ge'er, stop talking nonsense. The elders of the clan have already shown you great mercy by sparing your life!"

"Grandmother! Please listen to me! Grandmother..."

No matter how much Xie Zhaoqing pleaded, the rag was already stuffed to her mouth. Seeing this, Madam Qu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Zhaoqing decided to go all out and shouted:

"I'm not Xiao Huan, I'm a woman!!!"

Silence. An eerie silence fell over the entire room.

Shang Lingjun covered her mouth in disbelief, took several steps back in shock, and almost fell to the ground. Her acting skills were superb.

"What did you say?"

Old Madam Wei's face hardened, and her suspicious gaze shot towards Xie Zhaoqing and Madam Qu like a knife.

Qu's mind went blank for a moment, her face instantly turning ashen. It was over, completely over.

This stupid girl, doesn't she have a death wish?!

"I think you've gone mad! Hurry up and gag her!" Madam Qu said in a trembling voice.

The servant stuffed a white cloth into Xie Zhaoqing's mouth.

"Mmm...Mother...Mmm..."

Xie Zhaoqing struggled incessantly, unable to understand why her mother was stopping her. She was trying to outmaneuver Old Madam Wei!

Seeing Qu's strong reaction, Old Madam Wei frowned slightly, feeling annoyed.

If she still can't see anything amiss after something so unusual, then she must be old and blind!

It's too easy to expose the disguise of a woman disguised as a man; all it takes is a physical examination. Therefore, Xie Zhaoqing had no need to play tricks on everyone.

Unless, this is true...

Murong's pupils contracted sharply, but she reacted quickly, saying in a disappointed tone:

"Is Qing-ge'er scared now? Since he knew that the name 'Xiao Huan' was offensive, he shouldn't have done it in the first place. Now he's trying to cover it up by claiming to be a woman."

Do you think we're all blind? These are all elders who have watched you grow up; you've disappointed us greatly!

Shang Lingjun glanced at Murong Shi with slight surprise, then calmly looked away.

Murong is the matriarch of the Xie family. As expected of the daughter-in-law personally chosen by Old Madam Wei, she is quick to react when it matters, even though she is usually quiet.

Uncle Xie's expression also changed. This matter indeed involved the survival of the entire clan. If it were true and the news got out, the consequences would be unimaginable!

This matter is of great importance. Old Madam Wei and Uncle Xie quickly exchanged a glance. Following Murong's advice, they had to cover it up for now and deal with it later!

Old Madam Wei's expression turned somber.

"Starting to spout nonsense now, you truly don't deserve to be a man of the Xie family. Guards, gag you, tie you up, and lock you in the dungeon. I can't stand your ravings any longer!"

Xie Zhaoqing's pupils contracted sharply; she was extremely panicked.

"Ugh... ugh... ugh..."

How could this happen?

She wanted to call for Qu to save her, but Qu's back was already soaked with sweat. A cold wind blew through the ancestral hall, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Qing-ge'er didn't want to be expelled from the family genealogy, so he spoke nonsense. Please forgive him, Mother-in-law!"

Qu insisted.

Even though she tried her best to control herself and not lose her composure, she later showed signs of panic.

Old Madam Wei glanced at her sideways, her eyes cold and intimidating. Qu's legs went weak, and she barely managed to steady herself with the help of servants.

People had different thoughts; some didn't believe it, some were suspicious, and some even wentssiped about it secretly.

But when Old Madam Wei glanced at them, everyone fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.

"Only fools would believe such nonsense. Keep your mouths shut, or you'll end up in trouble and expelled from the family register!"

Old Madam Wei's voice echoed in the ancestral hall, penetrating deeply into everyone's ears.

Shang Lingjun watched the show calmly, thinking to herself that Xie Zhaoqing had really acted rashly in her panic, and publicly revealing her true gender was a foolish move.

Moreover, they are incredibly stupid.

Her daring to threaten the Xie family elders—that the entire clan would die if they didn't help her—easily enraged the Xie family members.

The elders of the Xie family are indeed wary of the serious consequences if her identity as a daughter is revealed, and they can certainly do everything they can to protect her.

But there is an even simpler and easier way: make her disappear without a trace.

A woman dressed as a man?

The person is gone, who has any evidence?

Actually, Xie Zhaoqing is not a stupid person; it seems she was forced into a corner.

Li was hidden behind the crowd, but her eyes were darting around. The look of doubt in her eyes grew stronger, and she couldn't help but secretly observe Qu's expression.

Although Qu tried to appear calm, her face was deathly pale, devoid of any color.

Li's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he was talking nonsense...?

This crazy mother and daughter!

Li cursed inwardly.

This is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family; how can such a crime be tolerated?

She felt a pang of regret; if only she had known…

Xie Zhaoqing attended both the academy and the imperial examination hall, which is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family!

Madam Li swallowed hard. Seeing Old Madam Wei in charge, she felt slightly relieved. With other clan elders present, they were all in the same boat.

It'll be alright, it'll be alright...

"Uncle Lao, please continue," said Old Madam Wei calmly.

Uncle Xie was certainly full of suspicion, unsure of the truth, but he decided to finish the current matter first.

"Furthermore, Xie Zhaoqing, the fourth son of the third branch, has seriously violated ancestral precepts and tarnished the reputation of our ancestors. He is unacceptable to the clan. He has confessed his guilt, and the evidence in the signed document is conclusive. In accordance with Article 42 of the Xie clan rules, he is hereby removed from the clan genealogy..."

Uncle Xie picked up a purple brush, dipped it in ink, and deftly crossed out Xie Zhaoqing's name from the family genealogy, then crossed out Shang Lingjun's name below Xie Zhaoqing's as well.

He turned to Xie Yan'an's page and was about to add his name when he saw the gatekeeper running over. Because he was running too fast, he tripped and fell hard when he stepped over the threshold.

"It's terrible! The Xiao family... the Xiao family has led their army and broken down our gates! They even said that if anyone dares to arrange a marriage for Lady Shang, they'll destroy the entire Xie family!"

"What???"

Everyone was shocked. How could General Xiao's mansion be so presumptuous?

Shang Lingjun's expression gradually turned serious. It seemed that the arranged marriage was far more difficult than she had imagined...

"What arrogance! Who brought the army here?" Old Madam Wei said angrily.

"Yes...yes..." the servant stammered.

"It's me!"

A powerful shout came from the doorway, and a figure clad in armor strode in...