Chapter 24: Do Not Waste Time

Lady Liang had remained silent since entering, leaving everything to her two sons, Pei Yanzhou and Pei Jingxing. Seeing the Marquis of Changle suffer, she felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. She had only ever known him to be arrogant and bullying; never before had she seen him cowering and hesitant, especially not before a younger generation.

Liang Shanru stood nearby, within reach of Lady Liang’s hand. With a gentle tug, Lady Liang pulled her up to the seat of honor. She sat down, with Liang Shanru standing beside her. Lady Liang toyed with the girl’s fingertips, her movements rhythmic. When the Marquis stammered, unable to answer Pei Yanzhou’s question for a long time, Lady Liang let out a short, muffled sound that caused everyone in the hall to turn toward her.

Only then did she deign to look at the Marquis directly. "I also find the sum of fifty thousand taels highly inappropriate. It seems that, for once, we have found some common ground on this matter."

Lady Liang arched her brows and turned to chide Liang Shanru, "It has been years, yet how have you been raised to be so spineless? They have been bullying and manipulating you for years, and you—you just hand over real gold and silver to them like that?" She scoffed coldly and pinched the girl’s hand harder. "Perhaps you still don't know what pain is. What is yours belongs to you; I would rather give it to refugees than leave it for these people."

The Marquis of Changle flew into a rage. "This is not a place for you to speak!"

Pei Jingxing stepped forward to stand by Lady Liang. "Uncle, my mother is a daughter of the Liang family by birth. How is it that she is not entitled to speak in the Liang family home?"

The group’s intentions were clear, and the Marquis knew he was outnumbered. It wasn't just that Pei Yanzhou was standing in the hall; Lady Liang now had the backing of the Duke of Xin’s estate. Otherwise, a junior like Pei Jingxing would never have dared to challenge him so openly.

The Marquis’s chest heaved violently. "What is it that you want?" he asked, clearly addressing Lady Liang.

Lady Liang finally granted him a glance. "Since I am here today, you ought to know why. Must I spell it out for you?"

The Marquis gritted his teeth. "So you are all in cahoots, having plotted to seize my family's property all along!"

"Plotted? Seized? Your family's property?" Lady Liang scoffed, losing patience with his nonsense, and turned to Pei Jingxing.

Pei Jingxing understood the signal. He addressed the Marquis with outward politeness, though his words were sharp as blades: "Uncle fears we are scheming, but that is merely because you do not want to settle the accounts. Before leaving the capital, my father visited various offices, retrieving the records of the rewards bestowed upon my late uncle from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of War. My mother has meticulously compared them against the ledgers left behind by my late uncle; there are absolutely no discrepancies. If you are uneasy, bring out the Marquisate’s public ledgers for a point-by-point comparison, and the truth will be clear."

"Insolent!" The Marquis was backed into a corner. "Even your mother wouldn't dare speak, let alone you! You are a child of the Duke of Xin’s house, not of the Liang family. Since when is it your place to interfere in our family affairs? Come—"

"I’m afraid this is no longer a private family affair of the Marquisate," Pei Yanzhou interjected, just before the Marquis could call for his men. "Did you not just have General Liang’s name removed from your family genealogy?"

He cast a glance at Liang Shanru, who stood silently with her hands tucked into her sleeves, before turning back to the Marquis. "Is Cousin Shanru still considered a daughter of the Liang family at this moment?"

The Marquis was left speechless. He had known Liang Shanru’s relentless pressure was ill-intentioned, and sure enough, she had been waiting to trap him here. A sinister look flashed in his eyes as he accused her, "Was it not you who said that as long as your father’s name was removed, everything else could be negotiated? Liang Shanru, is this your idea of negotiation? You clearly arranged this from the start, waiting for them to help you force me to hand over all the money."

The Marquis let out a cold laugh. "A fine scheme, cutting the ground from beneath my feet! You truly have a cunning plan and ruthless methods!"

Liang Shanru assumed an innocent expression. "Marquis, you have misunderstood. Just now, when I proposed fifty thousand taels, you felt I was asking for too much and were dissatisfied. My aunt also happens to feel that fifty thousand taels is inappropriate. Since neither side is satisfied, isn't that precisely what negotiating is?" She tilted her head and leaned closer to Lady Liang. "My aunt has traveled all the way to Yangzhou to stand up for me, so naturally, I will follow her lead in everything."

She was determined to play the rogue, and with Lady Liang and the Pei brothers backing her, the Marquis knew he would gain nothing. He turned toward the elder members of the Liang family. The Old Master of the Liang clan had finally realized the situation; if things continued this way, the Marquisate would likely be emptied out. Even if they could squeeze some profit from Liang Shanru, they couldn't let her take the entire foundation of the estate, or they would be left with nothing once her money was gone.

Panicked, he urged, "Shanru, that is not what was said earlier. Even if your father is no longer a Liang, the family did raise you for over a decade. Let’s talk this through slowly. Why don't you persuade your aunt, hmm?"

Lady Liang never fell for such tactics. Her face darkened instantly. "According to you, the only reason you are here today is to support and act on behalf of Chuchu, is it?" She scoffed again, refusing to even look at them, clearly disgusted. "Spare me the hypocrisy. A moment ago, you said I wasn't qualified to speak here. It seems you believe you are more qualified than I am!"

The Old Master of the Liang clan dared not show anger despite being rebuffed. Who could he afford to offend? Lady Liang had borne three sons for the Duke’s estate, ensuring the continuation of their line; the Pei family cherished her dearly. She had come to support Liang Shanru, and the Duke of Xin had even sent his heir to accompany her—this was clearly to ensure no short-sighted person dared to upset her. The Old Master hesitated, looking to the Marquis for guidance, and dared not utter another word.

The Marquis, frustrated by Lady Liang’s imperviousness, paced back and forth, unable to devise a counter-strategy. He even considered feigning a fainting spell, just as Lady Zhou had done.

Liang Shanru noticed the shift and said in a calm, low voice, "Marquis, surely you aren't planning to adopt the womanly tactics of fainting from anger on the spot, are you?"

She emphasized the latter half of her sentence. The Marquis’s face turned a grotesque shade, and he glared at her viciously. "You insolent—"

He intended to lash out with insults to vent his rage, but as the words reached his lips, he caught sight of Pei Yanzhou. The upright gentleman stood in the hall, his expression unchanging. He appeared gentle, yet for some reason, the Marquis felt a sudden, inexplicable chill and a surge of dread. He abruptly fell silent and turned to ask Lady Liang, "The rewards Liang Ji received over the years are recorded in the official archives of the Ministries. That you would dare to access them privately is a complete disregard for the law!"

Before he could finish, Pei Yanzhou took over. "It is not just the Ministry records, but also those of the Inner Court. My third aunt has brought them all. She said she was coming to Yangzhou to stand up for our cousin. My grandmother, upon hearing of this, found it absurd—that a man who gave his life for his country should have his daughter treated so harshly by those with the audacity to do so. Thus, she petitioned the Imperial Noble Consort, who intervened to retrieve the records from the Inner Palace. If the Marquis has anything else to say, you might as well say it all now."

His tone remained mild, without a hint of aggression, as if he were merely commenting on the weather. "I am traveling to Yangzhou on behalf of the Imperial Noble Consort, and I must also visit the Xu family. I do not have much time to waste here at the Liang estate."