Chapter 185 The Heir Apparent's Might
In his letter, Duke Xing said that he already knew about the Wan family's affair and that Pei Zhuo was not his child.
However, he still had feelings for the two children, and he was willing to recognize them as his godchildren.
The two could continue to live in the Duke of Xing's mansion and address each other as father and son.
Pei Zhuo cried, "Father, I... I have no face to face you..."
Pei Ying walked over, picked up the letter, and read it before bursting into tears.
Pei Yanchi waited for the two to cry for a while before interrupting and saying:
"Alright, stop crying."
I need to take care of those old guys. Tell me about the recent situation.
"Just consider it out of respect for the Duke of Xing."
Pei Zhuo stopped crying, wiped away her tears, and said:
"The excuse they used when they came to our door was always about my mother...she..."
Then they forced their way in and looted everything that had been in the house.
Later, they were still not satisfied and wanted to open a warehouse.
Seeing that the people inside the mansion were resisting to the death, they took advantage of the night to steal.
Pei Yanchi frowned as he listened. Was this some kind of robber?
He shouted angrily, "Didn't you report it to the authorities?"
“We reported it, but the Jingzhao Prefecture came over, and the Second Master bribed those people from the Jingzhao Prefecture in front of us.”
They even said it was a family matter and told them not to interfere.
The people from the Jingzhao Prefecture have left again.
Pei Yanchi was furious upon hearing this: "Someone, take my calling card to the Dali Temple and invite Huan Shaoqing over."
Go to the Censorate and invite Censor Zhang over.
The men obeyed and immediately turned and left.
Pei Yanchi thought for a moment and said, "Go to the Right Jinwu Guard and ask my cousin Cheng to bring a team of Jinwu Guards."
...
An hour had passed, and many people were standing at the entrance of the ancestral hall of the Duke of Xing's mansion.
The old master of the second branch, the second uncle of the Duke of Xing, with white hair and beard, was carried in while sitting in a chair.
Two people from the fourth and fifth households stood behind him.
Meanwhile, the two younger brothers of the Duke of Xing stood directly opposite.
Their half-brother stood behind them.
Duke Pei Qingzhong of Xingguo was the eldest son, his second brother was Pei Qing'an, and his third brother was Pei Qingkang.
The two brothers, born out of wedlock, were named Pei Qingye and Pei Qingyan.
The two men from the second grandfather's family are named Pei Qingzhen and Pei Qingfeng.
Apart from the Duke of Xing, all six of his brothers arrived, along with an old man.
They were all Pei Yanchi's elders.
"Didn't you say it would be an hour? A quarter of an hour has passed, where is that kid?"
The fifth brother, Pei Qingfeng, spoke up to question him.
"Fifth brother, what's the rush?"
The second brother, Pei Qing'an, said calmly.
The third brother chimed in, "That's right, what good is it for that brat Pei Yanchi to come back?"
"Given our family's current situation, even if my eldest brother came back, it wouldn't make a difference."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a voice, tinged with a mocking laugh, came from the doorway:
"Oh, really? In the Duke of Xing's mansion, the Duke of Xing's word doesn't count?"
So who decides?
Pei Yanchi was dressed in a dark blue flowing robe, loosely cinched at the waist with a matching belt, and held a jewel-encrusted dagger in his hand.
With a playful smile on his face, he walked in casually, displaying the elegance and poise of a prince.
Behind him were two men: Cheng Jinhuai, a wolf general of the Right Jinwu Guard, and Huan Zixing, the vice minister of the Dali Temple.
Then a squad of Imperial Guards followed, followed by a group of burly military men.
After entering, the two groups lined up on either side.
Following leisurely at the very back was a thin, frail old man, who turned out to be Censor Zhang from the Censorate.
Everyone's expression changed instantly upon seeing this.
"What...what do you mean by this?"
The old man with white hair and beard asked.
Pei Yanchi completely ignored them, strode forward, walked through the crowd, reached the entrance of the ancestral hall, then turned around and shouted:
"Pei Yanchi, the heir of the Duke of Xing's mansion, has been ordered by the emperor to return and handle family affairs."
Unauthorized personnel are requested to leave to avoid harming innocent bystanders.
As soon as Pei Yanchi finished speaking, two burly soldiers behind him stepped forward and pushed open the door of the ancestral hall.
The creaking sound of the ancestral hall's main door being pushed open startled many people.
The two half-brothers of the Duke of Xing quickly bowed their heads and said to Pei Yanchi:
"Your Highness, please allow us to inform you that this is our first visit to the Duke's mansion in three years, and everything that has happened in between is none of our business."
Pei Yanchi waved his hand at his two half-brother uncles and said:
"Since this has nothing to do with you, then step aside."
The two quickly ran to the corridor next to the courtyard and stood there trembling.
Pei Yanchi's uncle, the second son Pei Qing'an, looked at the two of them with an unfriendly expression and spat:
"Two cowards."
After saying that, he turned to look at Huan Zixing, a smile on his face, and said:
"Minister Huan, this is our family matter. How could we trouble the Dali Temple?"
As he spoke, he stepped forward and slipped a handful of gold beans into Huan Zixing's sleeve pocket.
Huan Zixing reached out and caught it, then took two steps back and showed the gold bean in his hand to Imperial Censor Zhang.
"Imperial Censor Zhang, please write this down in more detail."
Imperial Censor Zhang nodded.
Pei Yanchi stood at the head of the table and smiled, "Young Master Huan, it's not that I wanted to disturb you."
Rather, it was because the people from Jingzhao came last time, took the gold, and then left.
Therefore, this time, I have no choice but to trouble your Dali Temple to make a trip.
Huan Zixing laughed and said, "Your Highness is joking. Since someone has filed a complaint with our Dali Temple, Dali Temple will naturally accept the complaint."
Pei Yanchi smiled and said, "In that case, please ask Huan Shaoqing to take the person away."
The two old men, their hair and beards both white, looked at Pei Yanchi and said:
"Yanchi, are you trying to commit treason and have your own uncles arrested?"
Pei Yanchi laughed after hearing this:
"Second Uncle, you are mistaken."
When I returned to my residence, I saw that it looked like it had been burgled, so I sent someone to report it to the authorities.
The Dali Temple is here to arrest thieves, not to arrest you uncles.
Pei Qingcheng, the third son of the Pei family, angrily said to Pei Yanchi:
"Pei Yanchi, everyone knows you were separated from the family a long time ago."
The Xing State Duke's mansion is no longer under your jurisdiction.
Pei Yanchi chuckled softly upon hearing this:
"Oh, Uncle, have you forgotten that you were also separated from the family during the division of property?"
Although I have separated from the Duke of Xing's family, I am still the heir apparent of the Duke of Xing's family.
And you? I'm your uncle; you've become a collateral branch.
Pei Qingcheng was rendered speechless by Pei Yanchi's retort.
Pei Qing'an then added, "You young upstart, you're not qualified to be the head of our Xingguo Duke's mansion."
"If you're so capable, bring your dad back. We'll listen to him."
Pei Yanchi smiled again: "Oh, really?"
I have a handwritten letter from my father here, entrusting me to return and help him handle family matters.
As he spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket, and Pei Qing'an reached out to take it.
Pei Yanchi then addressed Imperial Censor Zhang and Vice Minister Huan:
"Please take a look, both of you."
After reading the letter, Imperial Censor Zhang nodded and handed it to Huan Zixing.
Huan Zixing finished reading before it was the Pei family's turn to read.
Seeing that things weren't going well, Pei Laowu changed the subject, saying:
"Aren't you going to open an ancestral hall?"
Why go through all this trouble to gather everyone here? What are you trying to say?
Pei Yanchi smiled and said, "Don't be in such a hurry, Fifth Uncle."
Isn't that what they're saying?
I discovered that my house had been burgled and I suspect it was an inside job.
I was thinking of calling everyone here to give them a warning, so they could go home and guard their homes properly and not repeat the same mistake.
After saying that, he looked at Huan Zixing and said, "Greetings, Junior Minister Huan."
Huan Shaoqing stepped forward and said, "Today we received a petition from the heir of the Duke of Xing, saying that a large amount of valuable property has been stolen from his residence."
Having previously appealed to the Jingzhao Prefecture without success, they have come to our Dali Temple.
"So I've come to take a look."
After saying that, he looked at Pei Yanchi and asked, "Young Master, do you have a list of the lost items?"
Pei Yanchi beckoned, and the old steward, Uncle Yuan, took out a list and handed it to Huan Shaoqing.
Huan Shaoqing glanced at it and said, "People from the Dali Temple are already investigating the scene ahead, and we'll have results soon."
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