"Mother, my husband didn't..."
Pan Jinhua's words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, and Mo Qiaoniang instinctively retorted.
"Yes, I'm not satisfied!"
Mo Qiaoniang looked at Li Xushi with a look of astonishment.
"Qingzhang, the eldest grandson, inherited the factory and married the county magistrate's daughter. Qingjing even learned to make soap from you, and now only you two know the recipe. The eldest son's family has both money and power!"
Qing Tong became General Ouyang's godfather and directly gained access to the Empress and the Crown Prince. Now, Qing Jun is also doing well in his studies.
What about the second branch? First, they made my son work as a subordinate for the main family, and now he can only get into the Imperial Guard through the connections of the Ouyang family, thanks to the third branch. From now on, my son will be overshadowed by the third branch. Why should he be?
Li Xushi was very agitated, and the suppressed anger in his heart burst forth.
"When the Wen family approached me, I inquired about them. Even the illegitimate daughters of the Wen family were much more noble than Fu Ning."
If the goal is to sow discord between the Li and Ouyang families, the woman who marries into the family must be of a very high status. Vice Minister Wen's daughter is also in the palace and has a child.
To put it bluntly, a secure position for the crown prince isn't necessarily a good thing. I'm just trying to find a successor for my Li family..."
"Smack!"
Before Li Xushi could finish speaking, Pan Jinhua slapped him across the face.
This was done with great force, and it stung Pan Jinhua's hand.
"You're confused!"
Li Xushi was knocked to the side by the blow, but he was still unconvinced and started arguing with Pan Jinhua, sticking his neck out and standing there motionless.
"Husband! How can you speak to your mother like that! Do you know who the girl the Wen family is going to marry into? She's Master Pan's own daughter!"
"What?!"
Li Xushi's previous resentment turned into astonishment, disbelief, and bitterness, his expression becoming comical.
"Impossible! The Wen family wants to win us over, why would they arrange for a daughter of an illegitimate child?!"
“What’s impossible? Master Wen has already come to our door today. My husband personally gave out the token, and there are witnesses to prove it. What kind of status do we have? We dare not break off the Wen family’s engagement.”
This matter is already a done deal; there's no turning back!
Li Xushi slumped to the ground, utterly dejected. He couldn't believe that after planning for so many days and even secretly rejoicing in his midnight dreams, this was the end result.
"He tricked me! Fourth Master Wen tricked me, Mother!"
"Your ambitions are sky-high, but your fate is as thin as paper. You can outmaneuver others, so why can't they outmaneuver you? Do you really think everyone in the world will revolve around you? You dare to arm wrestle with others without any real strength; you deserve to have your hand broken."
"You dare to inquire about the royal family? How many lives do you have? What capital does the Li family have that you can squander? Just because you've been flattered for a few days, do you really think your second branch of the Li family has the right to speak so arrogantly before important figures?"
Pan Jinhua mercilessly mocked him, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
"I didn't expect you to have so many complaints. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have bothered with you."
"Mother!" Mo Qiaoniang couldn't help but cry out. "My husband is confused. My children and I would never have had such thoughts."
Mo Qiaoniang was not a fool. Her mother-in-law always held a lot of power in the family. If her mother-in-law really didn't care about the second branch of the family, the other branches would probably distance themselves from them, and even the clansmen would despise them.
What is my husband thinking? Has he gone mad?! Does he really want to turn the house into a complete mess to be happy?
As Mo Qiaoniang spoke, she also began to resent Li Xushi, realizing that her bedmate had such a big mind.
They've gone so far as to dare discuss the Crown Prince—what is his status? The Li family has only recently found peace, and he's already trying to push them into a pit? This isn't about securing a future for the children; it's about murdering the entire family and clan!
Li Xushi was also shocked by Pan Jinhua's words and broke out in a cold sweat. His mother... was she going to give up on him?
"Mother, I..."
"You don't need to say anything more. Once Qingduan and Qingyi get married, we'll immediately separate the family, and you can go back to Nanze."
"With your status, you still dare to dream of vying for the throne? I dare not keep you any longer. Sooner or later, you will bring death to the children, and you will ruin the future of the Li family."
Pan Jinhua's expression was very cold. The good life we have now was earned little by little by everyone, and she would not allow anyone to ruin it.
"If you still care about the children, you should go into complete silence and not forget the admonition that the Duke of Chengen gave to our family: to be law-abiding and behave yourselves."
Your actions these past few days have probably been noticed by those above. If you don't listen to me, you probably won't live much longer.
You should thank Master Wen. If it weren't for his interference, and your children had actually married the daughter of the Wen family's eldest son, you would be dead.
Pan Jinhua, seeing that Li Xushi was such a fool who hadn't figured things out yet, had no choice but to lay everything out and explain it clearly.
Li Xushi felt weak all over, as if all his strength had been drained. He trusted Pan Jinhua completely, so he naturally wouldn't doubt the truth of her words.
The events of the past few days flashed through his mind. Master Wen had completely outmaneuvered him, leaving him with no spirit left.
"I was wrong, I was wrong!"
Li Xushi cried out, but Pan Jinhua ignored her and left, leaving the crying behind.
She was walking unsteadily and was helped up by Yao Niang as soon as she came out.
"Am I not paying enough attention to them, which has led to this disaster?"
Seeing the old lady's dejected appearance, Yao Niang felt distressed.
“The children are all grown up, and each of them has their own thoughts. It’s too tiring for the old lady to keep an eye on them all.”
Yao Niang thought the three of them were still talking about marriage. After all, the Second Master was already so old, and it was really embarrassing for him to be scolded in front of the servants. And hearing the Second Master crying so miserably inside, she sighed.
However, Yao Niang's words did offer some comfort to Pan Jinhua. Children and grandchildren have their own destinies; she couldn't control everyone.
If you drag your family down, it's even more unforgivable. This isn't modern times; one wrong step and the whole family's lives will be taken.
While Li and Xu were dealt with, other matters remained unresolved.
Pan Jinhua then called Bai Sha, who personally wrote a letter and sent it to the Ouyang family. After several years of hard work, her calligraphy had finally become presentable.
Firstly, it was to show loyalty to the Ouyang family. In such matters, one must not be a fence-sitter, otherwise the Li family would be the first to die. His words were sincere.
Secondly, the Ouyang family was informed of the marriage between the Li and Wen families, as well as the Li family's handling of Li Xushi.
Thank goodness Wen Ruyu intervened, preventing the situation from spiraling out of control and saving Li Xushi's life.
Immediately afterwards, Li Qingjing was summoned over, and the grandfather and grandson talked inside the room for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
After Li Qingjing left, Pan Jinhua asked Yao Niang to personally deliver the invitation to the Wang family.
After all this trouble, it's time to give the Wang family a response.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
