Chapter 32 As expected of you, Pei Guanli
As night fell, the once quiet Dingyuan Marquis's residence became lively.
Especially in quiet homes.
Marquis Xiao Yuan sat at the head of the table, flanked by Duke Zhang Xuan, who looked on with amusement, and Sun Fu, who appeared thoughtful.
On the other side, Xiao Wang, the second master of the Xiao family, Xiao Xuanshuo, the second master, and Xiao Dongchen and Xiao Qiuyun, the two members of the second branch of the family, were also sitting there.
However, in contrast to the old marquis's calm demeanor, everyone else looked indignant.
After a long silence.
Old Marquis Xiao slowly spoke: "Wu Ge, did Chen Yi really do that?"
Xiao Wuge stood in the hall with his head hanging low, and said, "Grandfather, my brother-in-law was just putting on an act, for the sake of the third-ranked scholar..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Xuanshuo roared in fury, "You've shown him off!"
"How can an outsider like him meddle in other people's family affairs? Besides, has he considered the impact his reckless behavior will have on my Xiao family?"
"If outsiders knew, what would they think of my Xiao family?"
Lord Xiao raised his hand to signal him to be quiet, then looked at Xiao Wang beside him and said, "Second son, you are in charge of the Criminal Division, what are your thoughts on this?"
Xiao Wang's expression was slightly lighter than his. Dressed in a black brocade robe, he sat upright in a grand chair, gripping the handles of his cane with both hands, and said coldly:
“This isn’t the first time he’s done this.”
"Not to mention his previous elopement, last time he left the manor and went to the brothels in the south of the city. This time he went even further, daring to forcibly abduct a woman. What will he do next?"
He looked at the old marquis and said expressionlessly, "In my opinion, he should be given fifty strokes of the cane and expelled from the family."
Lord Xiao's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Duke Zhang Xuan and Sun Fu on the other side.
Before he could speak, Zhang Xuan said in a strange tone, "Don't look at me like that. I'm an outsider, and I wouldn't dare to meddle in your family affairs."
Xiao Xuanshuo opened his mouth, then felt a surge of frustration.
Sun Fu glanced around and grinned, "Brother Xiao, your grandson-in-law is indeed a remarkable man."
"Oh?" Old Marquis Xiao winked quietly.
Sun Fu immediately understood what he meant, and cursed the old man inwardly, saying that he wanted to be the good guy but made him be the bad guy.
"Although he was a bit rash in this matter, you can see that neither the third-ranked scholar nor his family have come to visit so far, which means that the outcome should be in accordance with their wishes."
"Perhaps in the future, when people talk about this matter, they will not only not say that Chen Yi overstepped his bounds, but may even regard it as a good story."
Seeing the unfriendly looks from Master Xiao and the others, Sun Fu coughed and said, "After all, Li Huaigu is the third-ranked scholar in this imperial examination. If we let him have his way, he will be related to your Xiao family in the future..."
Just enough.
However, it has already been shown that Chen Yi's trip to befriend Li Huaigu is equivalent to the Xiao family and the third-ranked scholar forming a good relationship.
Xiao Wuge nodded repeatedly, almost saying "Yes, yes, yes."
As for Xiao Wang, Xiao Xuanshuo, and the others, they all frowned deeply. This was utterly absurd and heretical; how could one form good relationships in such a way?
Moreover, the Xiao family has been established in Shuzhou for two hundred years. In the past, others have been currying favor with them. When did they ever stoop to befriending a mere third-ranked scholar?
However, seeing that the old Marquis did not speak, everyone understood his meaning.
Xiao Qiuyun looked around and then smiled and said, "Uncle Sun is right. That third-ranked scholar will soon enter the Shu Prefecture Administration Office and serve as an official under the same roof as his brother, which will put his mind at ease. It is indeed a good thing."
Xiao Dongchen's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded in agreement: "My little sister is right. What do you think, Uncle and Father?"
Xiao Wang snorted coldly and closed his eyes to rest.
Lord Xiao glanced at him and then waved his hand, saying, "In that case, let's leave it to Jinghong to decide after she returns home, just like before."
"However, given the recent events, I think it would be best for Chen Yi to stay in the manor for the time being. As for Wang Lixing and the others, let them guard outside Chunhe Garden."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wang immediately stood up, leaning on his cane, took two steps, and turned his head to say, "Boss, don't blame me for not reminding you, this family also has a punishment hall!"
After saying that, he walked out the door with a cold expression.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Qiuyun and Xiao Dongchen bowed to the old Marquis and then went out under the pretext of trying to persuade him.
In no time, the house became much quieter.
Lord Xiao looked at his two old friends, shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "You flatter me."
Zhang Xuan leaned back loosely in his chair. "What's so bad about that? When you were young, you were even more outrageous than that kid Chen, and you didn't laugh at yourself then."
Old Marquis Xiao's face darkened, "You old fool..."
"Isn't that right? Have you forgotten when you took this old man to a brothel?"
"Shut up!"
I knew that old geezer never had a kind word to say.
Sun Fu was used to the two of them. He glanced at the door and said, "Old Xiao, let me say something unrelated to the topic."
"Um?"
"It's not necessarily a bad thing for your grandson-in-law to come to the Xiao family."
Seeing his solemn expression, the old Marquis Xiao pondered for a moment and then nodded in realization.
What kind of riddles are you two playing?
"It cannot be spoken of..."
...
Chen Yi had anticipated this outcome, so it wasn't unacceptable to him.
It's perfectly normal for the Xiao family, after all, to value their lineage and reputation, as they are hereditary military commanders of the Great Wei.
Therefore, after comforting Xiao Die, Xiao Wuge, Wang Lixing and others, he ate and slept as if nothing had happened.
Outside Chunhe Garden.
Wang Lixing looked bitter and sighed as he gazed at the moon.
The other armored soldiers did the same, except for Ge Laosan, who kept clicking his tongue:
"You didn't see the scene. If we hadn't run fast, we would have been beaten badly if we had been caught."
"And that third-place scholar was really lucky to have met such a good son-in-law. If it were anyone else... how could he possibly have encountered such a thing? Don't you all agree?"
"Shut up!"
Liu Si'er, who was leaning against the wall, looked annoyed.
If he had known this would be the outcome, he wouldn't have agreed to be Chen Yi's "accomplice".
Now, however, he is implicated and forced to guard outside Chunhe Garden, with Wang Lixing and others watching over him, forcing him to suppress any thoughts he might have.
Seeing his expression, Ge Laosan reluctantly shut his mouth.
After a moment, he remembered something and said, "Fourth Brother, I heard that a pretty maid went to your room today, and the two grooms were so envious."
Liu Si'er was taken aback, then her heart skipped a beat. After regaining her composure, she asked, "To my room? When?"
"We've only been out of the Marquis's residence for a short while, and you still don't know?"
"Oh, you mean her..."
"Tell me who it is?"
Liu Si'er glanced at him, but did not reply. Instead, she cupped her hands to Wang Lixing and said that she needed to go back to get some things to spend the night with.
"Go early and come back early. The Second Master and Second Uncle have spoken, and they are serious this time."
"rest assured."
Watching him walk away, Ge Laosan chuckled and said, "Brother Xing, do you believe it or not, Fourth Brother definitely has someone he likes?"
Wang Lixing glanced at him and said, "Fourth Brother is right about one thing."
"What?"
"shut your mouth!"
Ignoring the gloomy atmosphere outside Chunhe Garden, Liu Si'er hurriedly returned to her room, lit a candle, and glanced around.
Seeing that there was nothing unusual around him, he went to the bedside, bent down and lifted a brick under the bed. He saw that the secret letter inside was still there and intact, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Then he took out the latest secret letter and began to read it in conjunction with the script.
You've been exposed. Find that person and kill him!
[Also, the fledgling has been taken over by someone else; he will contact you if necessary!]
After reading it, Liu Si'er's face immediately turned murderous. "Who is it!?"
...
Late at night, after the Xiao residence had quieted down.
After dozing off for a while, Chen Yi quietly got up and went to another wooden building.
Upon seeing him, Pei Guanli approached him as if seeking praise.
"A discovery?"
"Brother-in-law, you can rest assured that I'll handle things well."
Tell me about it.
After Pei Guanli finished recounting what had happened, Chen Yi stared at her blankly, "You just swagger around the Marquis's residence like that?"
Pei Guanli laughed as she recalled what happened that morning, "They're all so stupid, not a single one of them noticed me."
As expected of you, Pei Guanli.
Chen Yi shook his head inwardly. He knew she was fierce, but he didn't expect her to be this fierce.
Next time I'll just say whatever... never mind, I still need her help with something.
"Where is the list?"
“Here it is,” Pei Guanli said, pulling a slip of paper from her bosom and handing it to him. “I searched his entire room, even finding the slips of paper under the bed, and copied them all down.”
Chen Yi opened it and looked inside, finding only common miscellaneous books, playwrights, and the like...
etc.
Looking at the last string of A, B, C, D and numbers, he couldn't help but look at Pei Guanli and ask:
"You just said a note?"
"Yes, it's the same as the previous secret letter."
"So you put them all back where they belonged, right?"
“Of course,” Pei Guanli chuckled, “Brother-in-law, aren’t I amazing?”
"Awesome, you're the best."
Chen Yi rolled his eyes and began to search for each name on the paper list in the study, trying to decipher the secret letter by comparing it with the contents.
"It's this play script, Huangmei Opera... You have good taste."
(End of this chapter)
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