The next day, Xiao Yuanshi sent his confidant to the capital with the marriage certificate that demoted his wife to a concubine and elevated Liu Ru to the status of wife.
Once the marriage certificate was amended, Liu Ru was officially recognized by the government as Xiao Yuanshi’s legal wife.
Both Liu Ru and Ge Chunru learned of this development.
For Ge Chunru, it felt like the sky had fallen.
Xiao Yuanshi was truly heartless—not only had he demoted her to a concubine in the Deputy Governor’s Office, but he had also sent someone to the capital to alter the marriage certificate.
Now, her status as a concubine was irreversible.
With red, swollen eyes, Ge Chunru sat in a daze. She never imagined that one day, the very tactics she had used against Kong Yuelan would be turned against her.
Just then, Ge Chunyi knocked and entered with Mrs. Niu.
Seeing Ge Chunru in such a state, Ge Chunyi frowned in disappointment.
His sister had become more and more of a letdown, dragging them down with her.
In a concerned tone, he asked, “Sister, are you alright?”
Ge Chunru snapped out of her thoughts and forced a weak smile. “I’m fine.”
Then she asked, “Why are you here?”
Ge Chunyi sighed. “We came to say goodbye.”
Ge Chunru was stunned. “Goodbye?”
Ge Chunyi explained: “The steward just informed us that the Deputy Governor’s Mansion doesn’t support idle people. We’ve been ordered to move out.”
The mention of this filled him with anger. Xiao Yuanshi was going too far—not only had he humiliated them, but now he was kicking them out.
“What? He can’t even tolerate you?” Ge Chunru exclaimed.
Couldn’t the Deputy Governor’s Mansion sustain two more people? This was beyond cruel.
Ge Chunyi sighed again. “Brother-in-law must still be angry. Sister, why don’t you try to appease him again?”
He had no desire to leave the mansion and could only rely on his sister’s intervention.
Panicked, Ge Chunru realized that if even her brother was expelled, she would be completely isolated.
She immediately stood to leave the courtyard but was blocked by the guards.
One of them stated coldly, “The Deputy Governor has ordered that Concubine Ge is not permitted to leave the courtyard for the time being.”
Ge Chunru was stunned. Not only had Xiao Yuanshi demoted and confined her, but he was also expelling her brother.
Clenching her fists, she demanded, “Inform the Deputy Governor that I wish to see him.”
The guard hesitated, then nodded. “Wait here, Concubine Ge.”
He left to relay the message.
Being addressed as “Concubine Ge* twice made her skin crawl. The servants’ gazes felt like mocking stares.
Had Xiao Yuanshi not forced her brother out, she wouldn’t have bothered leaving the courtyard at all.
Soon, the guard returned.
“The Deputy Governor is occupied and has no time to see you.”*
Then, turning to Ge Chunyi, he added, “The Deputy Governor said that since Young Master Ge bears the surname Ge, it is improper for him to reside in the Xiao Family’s household. He must vacate within 5 days—otherwise, the housekeeper will assist in his removal.”
Ge Chunru’s face burned with humiliation and fury.
Ge Chunyi, too, felt deeply ashamed.
He never expected his sister to have fallen so far out of favor.
He inwardly blamed her for provoking Xiao Yuanshi instead of placating him.
Now, they had no choice but to leave.
Mrs. Niu was equally frustrated. They had climbed so high, only for Ge Chunru to ruin everything, reducing herself to a lowly concubine.
Seeing no hope of changing Xiao Yuanshi’s mind, she signaled Ge Chunyi with a glance.
Suppressing his resentment, Ge Chunyi comforted Ge Chunru while subtly complaining about their predicament.
Ge Chunru knew Xiao Yuanshi’s decision was final. Unable to leave or meet him, she had no options left.
She currently possessed 13,000 taels of silver in private savings.
After some thought, she kept 3,000 taels for herself and gave 10,000 taels to Ge Chunyi, instructing him to purchase a decent house and hire servants.
She reassured him that once Xiao Yuanshi cooled down, she would mediate to secure him a position.
But Ge Chunyi held no such hopes.
After his ordeal in the mines, he had faced harsh reality—with his crippled leg, he had no future.
Now, he only sought to live comfortably, as Mrs. Niu had suggested.
He was dissatisfied with receiving only 10,000 taels, knowing his sister had given 40,000 taels to their sister in the capital.
Still, to maintain appearances, he accepted the money gratefully, pretending he would always stand by her.
Touched by his words, Ge Chunru felt warmth in her heart—her siblings were her only true support.
She then handed him some gold and silver jewelry from her collection in North City.
“Sell these and buy two shops. Rent them out for a steady income,” she advised.
Ge Chunyi accepted them with feigned gratitude.
Mrs. Niu’s eyes gleamed. Even in disgrace, Ge Chunru was still a cash cow.
As long as she remained in the mansion, they could continue benefiting.
10,000 taels and such exquisite jewelry—she had never seen such wealth in her life.
After a brief visit, Ge Chunyi and Mrs. Niu left with the money and jewelry.
They headed straight to the pawnshop, planning to buy a house and servants before the steward could forcibly evict them.
When Xiao Yuanshi learned of this, he felt vindicated.
Had Ge Chunru remained the lady of the house, as his mother warned, the Xiao Family might have ended up bearing the Ge name.
*
Later that day.
Shi Qingluo soon heard the news while preparing to go shopping with Xi Rong.
Xi Rong was exasperated: “What was Ge Chunru thinking? She’s been demoted—her allowance will shrink drastically, yet she gave most of her savings to her brother!”
And from what she could tell, Ge Chunyi was far from dependable.
Shi Qingluo sighed. “She’s grown accustomed to enabling him.”
She almost pitied her scumbag father-in-law—his “true love” turned out to be a brother-obsessed fool, still supporting Ge Chunyi even in ruin.
Shrugging, she added, “She’ll regret this later.”
She felt no sympathy for Ge Chunru. Beyond her vicious nature, this was entirely self-inflicted.
Xi Rong agreed. “Definitely.”
Linking arms with Shi Qingluo, she said, “Let’s explore North City—it’s my first time here!”
Shi Qingluo pushed Ge Chunru’s affairs aside.
Given Ge Chunyi’s ingratitude and Mrs. Niu’s cunning, Ge Chunru would likely face betrayal later.
Still, she’d keep an eye on her—a cornered snake was always dangerous.
After reading the letter, Shi Qingluo and Xi Rong set off for their outing.
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