Chapter 39 Ulterior Motives

They say one should not strike a smiling person. Looking at the face of Li Mingshan before him, Pei Yanzhou suddenly recalled what his third aunt had said back at home.

This Li Mingshan was truly... even he could not tell whether to praise Li Mingshan for knowing how to yield to circumstances or to condemn him for completely disregarding the Chai family.

Pei Yanzhou remained silent. Li Mingshan felt his heart hanging in the balance, utterly unsettled, yet he dared not urge him to speak.

Several times, he cast his gaze toward Pei Jingxing, almost as if hoping Pei Jingxing would open his mouth to press for an answer.

Although Pei Jingxing's words just now had sounded harsh and he appeared even less approachable than Pei Yanzhou, Li Mingshan saw the situation clearly: among the two brothers, Pei Yanzhou called the shots, and Pei Yanzhou was also the harder one to deal with.

He had met too many gentlemen like Pei Yanzhou—men whose minds were loftier than the heavens, usually agreeable to everything on the surface, but utterly intractable the moment a real issue arose.

"Your Lordship?" Li Mingshan asked tentatively, hardening his scalp.

Only then did Pei Yanzhou slowly reply, "A formal visit to offer apologies is indispensable. My cousin was subjected to unjustified humiliation by your esteemed wife, and now she has cried so hard her eyes are swollen with grievance. Your esteemed wife ought to make some gesture as well.

In a few days, my third aunt will be taking my cousin back to the capital. Why not compensate my cousin with a few commercial properties in Shengjing? It is practical, and it will also demonstrate your household's sincere remorse, and then we can let this matter rest.

Otherwise, if we merely let it go with a light, empty apology, and outsiders find out, they will think the cousin of our Duke of Xinguo's Manor is easy to bully.

If any stray cat or dog can come up in the future to disparage my cousin, that will entirely be your family's fault. What does Lord Li think?"

For a fraction of a second, Li Mingshan was dazed.

Was Pei Yanzhou really trying to vent his anger on Madam Liang's behalf, or was he here to back up Liang Shanzhou?

The cousin of the Duke of Xinguo's Manor—he certainly dared to say it. What was the Duke of Weiguo's Manor in comparison?

He called her cousin this and cousin that with such intimacy, while her proper blood-related cousin was sitting right beside him without uttering a single word.

Furthermore, let alone properties in Shengjing, he was asking for several of them. If the location was even slightly decent, it might cost tens of thousands of silver taels.

Li Mingshan frowned. "Your Lordship, my humble wife spoke improperly and was in the wrong first. I certainly will not be partial and make excuses for her. However, acquiring several Shengjing properties is no small sum. Is this really...

If you feel that mere words are weightless and fail to show our family's sincerity in apologizing, it is completely understandable to compensate Lady Liang with some silver and coins, and I can accept that. Would hairpins and jewelry be acceptable?"

He attempted to bargain, but Pei Jingxing smoothly intercepted, sneering coldly, "My maternal aunt comes from the Duke's Manor. What kind of fine treasures does she not possess? They are all saved for my cousin now. Does Lord Li think my cousin lacks these few pieces of jewelry from your Li family to wear?"

Pei Yanzhou gently added, "Lord Li has misinterpreted my meaning. If I remember correctly, Madam Chai does have property businesses in Shengjing, right? Those were the dowry given to her by the Earl of Changping when she was married off all those years ago, and they have been managed quite well over the years.

Of course, I certainly do not know the exact extent of Madam Chai's assets.

However, my point is that since Madam Chai made the mistake and said the wrong words, she must personally come forward to offer the apology. The compensation given to my cousin must also come from her own name so that it can reflect her sincere repentance.

Otherwise, it would seem as though we coerced your family into coming to apologize and used our power to bully you."

Li Mingshan immediately gritted his teeth.

Was Pei Yanzhou not coercing him right now?

Since he even knew that Chai had assets in Shengjing, how could he not know Chai's temper and character?

No one knew the conduct and style of the Earl of Changping's Manor in the imperial city better than Pei Yanzhou!

As the two imperial princes grew older, many covert struggles were gradually being brought to light. These were not merely struggles between the princes themselves, but also contests among their subordinates.

Pei Yanzhou was a confidant of the Third Prince; he knew better than anyone whose influence the Earl of Changping's Manor relied upon most.

Only then did Li Mingshan completely understand.

Pei Yanzhou was neither acting for Madam Liang nor for Liang Shanzhou.

He was deliberately picking a quarrel, intentionally looking for trouble so that he could find an excuse to make things difficult for the Chai family in the future.

It all depended on whether he himself was willing to be the fish caught in the pond when the city gate caught fire.

Li Mingshan took a deep breath and had no choice but to speak the truth. "If Your Lordship insists that my humble wife must come forward, and it must be properties in her name, I fear this matter will reach a stalemate." A troubled expression crossed his face. "As I said just now, as long as it is something within my power, I will surely do my utmost to meet Your Lordship's demands.

Before Your Lordship arrived, you must have known something of my household's situation. Over the years, I have suffered grievances I cannot voice.

Since matters have reached this point, and Your Lordship has brought it up, please at least grant me some time to discuss it with my humble wife."

Seeing the corners of Pei Jingxing's mouth twitch, knowing he still had something to say, Li Mingshan spoke up hurriedly before Pei Jingxing could open his mouth: "Two days! Within two days, regardless of the outcome, I will personally visit to give Madam Liang and Lady Liang an answer!"

Pei Yanzhou readily agreed, then stood up, making a gesture to leave.

Li Mingshan hurriedly stood up with him. Pei Yanzhou turned back to look at Li Mingshan. "I shall wait for Lord Li for two days."

Pei Jingxing stopped himself several times when he was about to speak, warned by a glance from Pei Yanzhou, and swallowed his words back down.

Li Mingshan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly feeling a surge of fortune that Pei Yanzhou was merely using this as a pretext to make trouble rather than genuinely championing someone, otherwise he would never have been so easy to reason with.

He hurried along after them, escorting the guests all the way out of the manor. Watching the servant start to drive the carriage—before the carriage had even pulled away from the gates of the Li residence—he hurried back inside and instructed the duty-bound gatekeeper to bolt the heavy doors shut.

Pei Jingxing saw everything clearly through the soft curtain and let out a cold hum of dissatisfaction. "He treated us like a plague god, viewing us as if we were floods and ferocious beasts."

Pei Yanzhou pinched the bridge of his nose and told him to sit properly. "If Madam Chai were that easy to talk to, he wouldn't be acting like this. The demands we made—to Li Mingshan, aren't they just like floods and ferocious beasts?"

"Elder Brother, are you..." Although Pei Jingxing sat down properly, he wore a worried expression, wanting to ask his question but not daring to voice it directly.

Pei Yanzhou shot him a sideways glance. "If there is something you want to ask, just say it outright."

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Pei Jingxing mustered his courage. "Knowing full well that this matter is extremely difficult for Li Mingshan, and that Madam Chai is eighty percent unlikely to agree, making such demands is futile—yet you still did it anyway.

When we get home in a little while and Mother asks, are you prepared to tell the absolute truth?

Once you tell her, once Mother knows, if Madam Chai fails to show any attitude after two days, Mother will only become even angrier..."

"You beat around the bush for a long time, simply wanting to ask if my actions today are meant to intentionally provoke a rift between our family and the Chai family, using my third aunt's mouth to express these grievances to my third uncle so that the two houses develop a feud, and thereby finding an excuse to make trouble for the Chai family in the future—isn't that it?" Pei Yanzhou listened to his rambling discourse, took over his words, and finished the sentence for him.

Once Pei Jingxing's floodgates of speech were opened, his boldness grew. He nodded along, pushing his words even further. "That's right, that is what I wanted to say.

Elder Brother, you aren't trying to stand up for my mother or my cousin at all; you have ulterior motives, don't you?"