Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

After his gaze swept over everyone in the ancestral hall twice, Jia Jing finally spoke slowly:

"Since I was appointed as a duke and became the clan leader, I have never met with the clan members."

"Firstly, I'm very busy with official duties and really don't have much time."

"Secondly, everyone has their own work to do, and unless it's something important, I don't want to convene a clan meeting, making a big fuss and causing so many people to suffer!"

"However, there are some things that cannot be done without holding a clan meeting!"

"Some recent trends in the clan have been very bad. The rules set by our ancestors have become almost worthless in the eyes of some people."

"For the long-term prosperity of our clan, and for the sake of the reputation and honor of my Jia family, I have no choice but to gather you all here!"

"Therefore, the main purpose of this clan gathering is to eliminate the bad and promote the good, to learn from past mistakes and avoid future ones... and to rectify the clan's customs!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of a few people on the field immediately changed!

However, with his personal guards lined up on both sides, watching him intently, no one dared to speak without permission!

Jia Jing continued calmly:

"The first thing to do is to deal with Jia Zhen and Jia Rong from the Ningguo Mansion."

Jia Jing paused for a moment, his gaze falling on Lady You at the front of the crowd.

Lady You was summoned by him to witness the formal removal of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong from their official household registration.

In addition, one point must be mentioned:

Last time at Rongqing Hall, although Jia Jing made the decision to respect the wishes of You Shi and Qin Keqing, allowing them to either remarry or remain chaste.

However, to everyone's surprise, after learning the news, neither of them chose to return home and remarry; instead, they both chose to remain chaste.

The two now live in a secluded courtyard on Dongfu West Road, rarely venturing out and relying on each other for survival.

At this moment in the courtyard,

When Lady You heard Jia Jing mention Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, her pretty face turned pale, and she silently lowered her head, her hand holding the handkerchief trembling slightly.

Jia Jing's voice deepened:

"Everyone knows about Jia Zhen's affair. As the heir to the title of Ningguo Mansion and the head of the Jia family, he did not think about bringing glory to his ancestors, maintaining harmony within the clan, or striving for progress."

"However, he was corrupt and accepted bribes, acted recklessly, violated the law, and attracted the attention of the entire court, which enraged the emperor. If I had not been there at the right time, he would have already lost his head, and his clan would have been implicated as well. My Jia family would have been ruined as a result."

"But even though he escaped death by sheer luck, he lost the title that his ancestors had fought and fought to obtain, and at the same time, his actions greatly tarnished the reputation of my entire Jia family."

"Such a disloyal, unfilial, and unjust person has failed both his ancestors and his family and country."

"Today, in front of the entire clan, I hereby declare, in accordance with the twelfth rule of the clan: Anyone who violates the law, disgraces the family, or ruins the family's reputation shall be expelled from the clan and never be included in the register again. Therefore, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong shall be expelled from the clan."

"From this day forward, Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong are no longer members of the Jia clan."

"I hope you will take him as a warning. National laws come first, clan rules come second. No one should think that they can do whatever they want just because they are in charge of the clan."

"Bring us the family tree!"

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu hurriedly took a black lacquered wooden box from his personal guard. The box was engraved with the four characters "Jia Family Genealogy" in vigorous strokes.

Reaching out of the wooden box, Xuanwu took out a thick volume of Xuan paper and handed it to Jia Jing with both hands.

Jia Jing took the genealogy book and turned to the page marked "Ningguo Mansion". The paper was yellowed and the ink was old. The names of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong were written on it.

A guard stepped forward and handed Jia Jing a brush dipped in ink.

Taking the pen from the guard, Jia Jing thought for a moment and wrote a line next to the names of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong:

"On the 30th day of the sixth month of the tenth year of Jingsheng, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong were expelled from the clan and removed from the official register for violating national laws and clan rules, thus disgracing the family. This was done to rectify the atmosphere and cleanse the family."

After finishing writing, Jia Jing put down his pen, took out the clan head's seal, dipped it in ink, and pressed it heavily onto the ink mark.

The cinnabar stain fell on the paper, turning it a vivid red, like blood.

This scene, witnessed by the Jia clan members present, caused a sense of fear to appear on their faces!

This is the first time in nearly ten years that a member of the clan has been expelled from the clan register, let alone a former clan chief.

Once this precedent is set, life in the clan will likely become difficult!

Jia Daixiu sighed softly. Zhen Ge'er and Rong Ge'er had been exiled by the court and removed from their clan. Their lives were over.

The Ningguo family lineage lost its noble title and its officials, and from now on it will be completely in decline!

Jia Zheng, standing to the side, glanced meaningfully at Jia Baoyu kneeling in the ancestral hall, lost in thought, and remained silent.

After Jia Jing stamped the genealogy book, he handed it back to Xuanwu for safekeeping. Then, he looked at Madam You and said in a deep voice:

"Sister-in-law, although Jia Zhen and Jia Rong have been removed from the family register, their relatives have no faults."

"You and Qin should live a good life from now on. Whether you remain chaste or not is up to you. If you have any important matters in the future, you can come to me."

Upon hearing this, Madam You raised her head. Her face was already streaked with tears, and her lips trembled for a long time before she managed to squeeze out a sentence:

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency..."

Jia Jing nodded and said:

"Go ahead! The people from Shuntian Prefecture are already waiting in the front hall. Go with your personal guards to file this matter!"

In principle, removing a member from the clan register does not require a certificate from the government. However, in order to completely sever ties, the clan will often take the initiative to "register and file" with the government.

The registration is equivalent to an "official notarization," which is to declare to the government that this person is no longer related to the clan.

If a person removed from the clan commits a crime in the future, the clan can use this record to claim exemption from liability, thus severing the possibility of familial ties under the law.

In other words, removing individuals from the genealogy register completes the "identity separation" within the clan. Official registration, on the other hand, completes the "responsibility separation" in a legal sense.

Only by using both methods in parallel could Jia Zhen and Jia Rong be completely "removed" from the Jia family.

Lady You nodded gently and was led away by her personal guards.

After Jia Zhen and Jia Rong's business was concluded, Jia Jing looked around, his expression turning serious, and continued:

"With the matter of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong settled, the next matter is..."

"Last year, when I was paying respects to our ancestors, I saw that some of my clansmen were struggling to make a living, and I thought about giving back to the clan and maintaining harmony among relatives."

"Therefore, we provided free training to some of the young and strong members of the clan and arranged for them to work as managers in farms and shops. The aim was to make the clan prosper and ensure that all clan members could have a proper path to advancement!"

"I made it clear beforehand that you must not cheat or shirk your duties, and even less should you use my influence to engage in any illegal, disorderly, or bullying activities! Otherwise, if I find out, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Most of the tribespeople have done a good job during this period, cherishing the opportunity and working diligently and attentively."

"But some members of the tribe turned a deaf ear, violated my prohibitions, and tarnished the traditions of our tribe..."

"Guards, bring Jia Qiang, Jia Rui, Jia Qin, Jia Jun, Jia Ping..."

Jia Jing recited more than a dozen names in one breath, each name like a pebble thrown into water, creating ripples in the crowd.

Some of those whose names were called turned pale, some began to tremble, and some looked dejected, instinctively taking a step back.

But by this time, the guards had already surrounded the ancestral hall, leaving no room for retreat!

"And Jia Baoyu in the ancestral hall, bring them all here! Each of them will receive thirty heavy lashes!"

"Anyone who dares to shout or yell, run away or resist, or disturb the ancestral hall or grounds shall be punished with thirty strokes of the cane!"

"Fight me with all your might, dead or alive!"