The playboy county magistrate

It's not that I haven't tried to deal with the Zhang family before, but I always ended up failing.

Furthermore, no matter what, Zhang Shi is still Li Xuanjing's stepmother on the surface. Even if Li Xuanzhi took her out of the Chengen Earl's Mansion, she is still the legitimate wife of the Chengen Earl.

If Li Xuanjing still wanted to preserve his already dwindling reputation, he absolutely couldn't afford to give anyone any leverage over his plot to murder his stepmother.

With both Li Xuanzhi and Zhang Shi being difficult to deal with, he had no choice but to target Pei Qingyuan this time.

Pei Qingyuan was dignified and virtuous, with an impeccable reputation, and was a virtuous lady praised by all. She was also the foundation for Li Xuanzhi's stable household and clean reputation.

Once Pei Qingyuan loses her innocence, ruins her reputation, and becomes tainted, it will completely shatter Li Xuanzhi's dignity and destroy his reputation.

A minister whose wife is impure and whose family is corrupt is morally deficient. No matter how great his achievements or how heavy his power, he will find it difficult to maintain his position in the court, to command the respect of his ministers, and to bear the weight of the Emperor's grace!

At that time, there will be no need for anyone else to impeach or suppress him, nor will he need to rack his brains trying to find a way to deal with him. Li Xuanzhi will be utterly disgraced!

With this thought in mind, the malice in Li Xuanjing's eyes intensified, and a cold, eerie smile curved his lips.

He raised his hand to summon his trusted servant, whispered a few instructions in his ear, and spoke in a harsh tone.

"Immediately set up according to my previous plan, making sure it is done secretly and without leaving a trace."

The servant bowed and replied in a low voice, "Young Master, rest assured, everything has been prepared. We only need to wait for the Second Young Mistress to enter the manor to complete the matter. I guarantee that everything will go smoothly."

Li Xuanjing nodded slightly and gave another word of advice.

"Remember to keep your hands and feet clean, don't give anything away, and erase all traces afterward."

If this succeeds, Pei Qingyuan's innocence will be completely ruined, and Li Xuanzhi's reputation will be utterly destroyed. When the court is in uproar and the Emperor's favor is shaken, let's see how he can still maintain his former glory!

I, as the elder brother, have never had any glory; as the younger brother, I can only honestly be an even more mediocre person.

Li Xuanjing returned to his courtyard and changed into a well-fitting, elegant brocade robe. Then, accompanied by several attendants, he drove to Li Xuanzhi's private residence to pay a visit.

After the servants of the Li family announced their arrival, Tang Zheng went out to greet the guests.

Li Xuanjing showed no displeasure; on the contrary, he smiled warmly and was extremely polite. He displayed no trace of malice or hostility, and spoke calmly.

"I trouble you to inform my second brother that Father, mindful of your long absence and the great achievements you have made upon returning to the capital, has been deeply concerned for you. He has specially prepared a family banquet and instructed me to come and invite you and your wife to the Earl's residence for a small gathering so that we can reminisce about our time together."

He spoke earnestly and acted with humility, appearing entirely like a kind and gentle elder brother who valued family ties. No one could see the monstrous evil and sinister schemes hidden in his heart.

Tang Zheng remained unmoved, not even bothering to say a word to him, and turned to leave.

Inside the main courtyard, Li Xuanzhi was sitting and chatting with Pei Qingyuan, looking through the new policy documents sent by Pingzhou and checking the details of the livelihood improvement.

He carefully examined the account books that had been secretly sent from Jinling, then waved for Tang Zheng to come forward.

Only then did they hear that Li Xuanjing, the eldest son of the Marquis of Chengen, had come to their door to invite them and their spouse to a banquet at the Marquis of Chengen's residence on behalf of his biological father, Li Dehai. Both of them paused slightly.

Pei Qingyuan raised her eyes, frowned, and said softly:

"My lord, you have been away from the capital for half a year, and the Marquis's residence has never sent anyone to inquire about your well-being. Now, to suddenly send someone to invite you in such a grand manner seems rather abrupt."

She was insightful and knew that the Chengen Marquis's mansion was known for its cold-heartedness and snobbishness.

When her husband was still in the Chengen Earl's Mansion, he never received any help from the mansion.

Now that her husband is in such a high position, the Chengen Earl's Mansion, which had previously severed ties and refused to speak to her again, has suddenly come to her door. Moreover, it is Li Xuanjing, the person who is most at odds with Li Xuanzhi, who personally came to invite her. There must be something fishy going on here.

Li Xuanzhi lightly twirled the dossier with his fingertips, a cold and deep meaning flashing in his eyes, his tone indifferent.

"It's not abrupt. I haven't visited him in the two days since I returned to the capital. Li Dehai is very concerned about his reputation. He considers himself my father and feels that he has lost face if his son doesn't visit him after returning to the capital. He must be harboring resentment in his heart."

"Today's invitation is ostensibly a family dinner to reminisce, but in reality, it's just a pretext to interrogate you, exert pressure, and establish authority."

He knew his biological father all too well.

He was vain and materialistic, and valued the reputation of his clan. He favored Li Xuanjing and never showed him any fatherly affection beyond the benefits of his power.

What they seek now is nothing more than the vanity of those who have achieved high status and the absolute authority of their elders.

After all, he still shares the surname Li, and he still has to acknowledge his ancestors.

It's just that he's establishing his own household and living separately. Even if the emperor gives his permission, he's still the second son of the Marquis of Cheng'en's mansion. That's a fact.

Instead of inviting his mother, he was asked to bring his wife.

Thinking of this, Li Xuanzhi said, "Qingyuan, once we arrive at the Marquis of Chengen's residence, you must stay close to me. If you absolutely have to leave my sight, do not wander off. Try not to eat or drink anything from the Marquis's residence."

"Prepare several sets of clothes and keep them in our carriage. If someone accidentally gets your clothes wet and you need to change, go back to the carriage to change. If all else fails, just throw a tantrum and take the carriage back to the manor. Some people are shameless, so don't worry about them too much."

"The premise of respecting the elderly and caring for the young is that the elderly are reasonable. If they are not reasonable, there are some things you don't need to give them face."

Pei Qingyuan was a little puzzled and asked softly.

"If that's the case, why don't you politely decline, my husband?"

Li Xuanzhi looked at her, his tone gentle.

"I cannot refuse him, after all, he bears the title of my biological father. No matter how much I dislike him, he is still the current Earl of Cheng'en. I am now in a high position, and if I deliberately avoid seeing him and refuse his invitation, it will spread throughout the court tomorrow, and I will be branded as 'a noble who forgets his roots and is unfilial and distant from his relatives.' The powerful and influential faction will take this opportunity to attack me, and it will be a loss for me."

Even though he knew that Li Xuanzhi was at odds with the people in the Chengen Earl's mansion, he could only suppress his disgust for the sake of his reputation.

"A little grievance, a few difficult words, I can tolerate, and I have the mouth to retaliate. The only thing I absolutely cannot bear is the name of being unfilial."

Pei Qingyuan instantly understood the implications and nodded slightly.

"What my husband says is absolutely right. In that case, I will go with you and do my duty as a daughter-in-law. I will be courteous, not argue or quarrel with anyone, and return at the appropriate time."

She didn't want her husband to be tied down by family matters, giving others cause for gossip.

Looking at her gentle appearance, Li Xuanzhi felt a warmth in his heart and softly gave her another word of advice.

"When you enter the Earl's residence this time, you must stay close to me and never leave my side. There is no need to be tolerant in anything, nor is there any need to be overly humble. With me here, no one can bully you in the slightest."

"I understand," Pei Qingyuan replied gently, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Xuanzhi.

The two tidied themselves up, changed into proper and dignified everyday clothes, and rode together in their own carriage, following behind Li Xuanjing's carriage, to the Chengen Earl's residence.

The carriage traveled smoothly and swiftly, and soon arrived at the gate of the Marquis of Chengen's residence.