The playboy county magistrate

Seeing this, Li Xuanjing, who was standing to the side, immediately tried to smooth things over. His words seemed to be meant to offer advice, but in reality, he was only adding fuel to the fire.

"Father, please calm down. My sister-in-law is new to our noble family and is unfamiliar with clan rules. It is common for her to speak inappropriately. I think she did not mean to be disrespectful; she is just young and inexperienced and does not know the authority of her elders or the hierarchy of the clan."

"In the end, it was because my second brother spoiled his wife too much that she lost some of her respect and humility."

Every word was gentle, yet every phrase was insidious. She subtly pinned the blame for "disobeying etiquette and arguing with elders" on Pei Qingyuan once again. At the same time, she subtly mocked Li Xuanzhi for spoiling his wife excessively and blurring the lines between public and private matters.

Li Xuanzhi's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he raised his eyes to glance at Li Xuanjing indifferently, his tone slightly icy.

"Elder brother, you are mistaken. My Qingyuan is gentle, obedient, well-educated, and has never been impolite. Even His Majesty and the Empress in the palace praise my Qingyuan as a model of a noblewoman. Moreover, my Qingyuan speaks only the truth; how can there be any talk of disrespect?"

"In family matters, right and wrong should be judged based on facts and reason, not by blindly obeying elders or following hierarchy. If we only consider seniority and not right and wrong, then the rules of etiquette become shackles that bind the younger generation and oppress the weak, which is not the foundation of a noble family's education."

Li Xuanjing's face stiffened slightly, his smile almost faltering, and the jealousy in his heart burned even more intensely.

What a fierce protectiveness towards his wife!

The more he protects her, the more he intends to destroy Pei Qingyuan today!

He wanted Li Xuanzhi to witness firsthand the complete ruin of his beloved wife's reputation and utter loss of innocence. He wanted Li Xuanzhi to taste the bitterness of shattered dignity and utter helplessness!

Pei Qingyuan stood quietly in place, initially feeling only a slight heaviness in her limbs and a feeling of weakness throughout her body.

But after a moment, an inexplicable heat gradually spread from his limbs and bones, coursing through his blood vessels. It disturbed his mind, making him feel increasingly dizzy.

Her heart skipped a beat!

The strange fragrance we encountered on our way into the garden was not an ordinary floral scent at all. It was a special aphrodisiac fragrance that the perfumer had once jokingly mentioned before I was married!

This fragrance develops slowly, initially without any noticeable effects. By the time one realizes it, it has already penetrated the skin and reached deep into the bloodstream, leaving only one solution; there is no pharmacological way to counteract it.

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she suppressed the panic in her heart and the strange feeling in her body, trying her best to maintain a dignified posture, her fingertips unconsciously clenching Li Xuanzhi's sleeve.

Li Xuanzhi noticed her unusual behavior immediately.

The person beside him trembled slightly, their breathing became erratic, and their fingertips were cool yet held a taut strength.

Her once clear and bright eyes were now veiled with a thin layer of moisture. Her gaze was unfocused and her face flushed an unnatural red.

A sudden surge of cold light flashed in his eyes, and his body temperature instantly plummeted to freezing.

All the previous oddities, Li Xuanjing's strange behavior of insisting on leading people to the back garden, and the strange fragrance that was omnipresent in the mansion and never smelled before when he lived there—all these things seemed suspicious.

What a vicious mind!

He didn't confront him in court, nor did he engage in power struggles with him. Instead, he chose the most despicable means to secretly harm his wife.

Li Dehai was still completely unaware of the changes in the hall, and continued to reprimand others with a stern face.

"Xuanzhi, stop protecting her! Today I will teach you two what clan etiquette and the proper order of respect and filial piety are!"

Li Xuanzhi had no intention of listening to another word of his criticism; all his attention was focused on his unwell wife beside him.

He ignored Li Dehai in the main seat, leaned down and asked Pei Qingyuan in a low voice, full of tension and heartache.

"Are you feeling very unwell?"

Pei Qingyuan bit her lower lip, trying her best to stay awake. She nodded slightly, her voice weak and trembling.

"I feel weak all over... and my head is spinning."

The drug took full effect, and she could barely stand, clinging to life only with the last shred of reason in her heart.

Li Xuanzhi said no more, and steadily pulled her into his arms. He used his body to firmly protect her swaying body, blocking everyone's view and shielding her from all gazes.

He raised his eyes, his gaze icy as he looked directly at Li Xuanjing beside him, whose smile was stiff yet feigned innocence. His voice was as cold as if it had been tempered with ice.

"Li Xuanjing, how dare you!"

Li Xuanjing feigned ignorance, looking bewildered and innocent.

"Second brother, what makes you say that? I don't understand what you mean. This is just a family banquet; how can you say we're being audacious?"

He appeared innocent and harmless, but inside he was overjoyed.

The drug had already taken effect; Pei Qingyuan was gradually losing her senses and her body was going limp. She would soon be completely out of control.

He had already made arrangements in advance; all he needed to do was lure a few trusted men in so they would witness Pei Qingyuan's out-of-control state.

Further rumors spread that a third-rank noblewoman was delirious and behaving inappropriately at a banquet in the Earl's mansion.

It's a pity that the cuckoldry can no longer be firmly pinned on Li Xuanzhi's head. However, even if no one had an affair, the rumors would still be so filthy that his innocence would be completely ruined.

With witnesses and evidence readily available, rumors will sweep through the capital. Pei Qingyuan's reputation will be ruined for life, and Li Xuanzhi will also lose his name!

Li Xuanzhi looked at his hypocritical face, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and his aura was chilling and intimidating.

"Don't you understand?" Li Xuanzhi sneered. "The garden is filled with exotic fragrances, specially made for women. Brother, you went to great lengths to arrange this, enticing me step by step. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

Li Xuanjing's expression finally changed slightly, and he was startled, not expecting him to be so perceptive.

But since things had come to this, he forced himself to remain calm and feigned surprise, saying:

"Second brother, you jest. The manor only has the fragrance of ordinary flowers and trees; where would there be any sleeping potions or poisons? Perhaps you're too tense and have misunderstood my good intentions?"

"Misunderstand?"

Li Xuanzhi bent down and picked up Pei Qingyuan, looking down at the woman in his arms whose eyes were red and whose breathing was slightly rapid, already struggling to hold on. A mixture of anger and heartache surged in his heart, almost bursting out of his chest.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked directly at Li Xuanjing, who was feigning innocence.

"If my wife suffers even the slightest injury or damage to her reputation today, I will demolish the Cheng'en Marquis's mansion. I will let you and everyone involved in this scheme know what kind of methods I, Li Xuanzhi, possess."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Li Dehai, seated at the head of the table, was completely stunned, his face filled with astonishment. He had no idea what had happened. He frowned and said in a deep voice:

"Xuanzhi! How dare you! It's just a minor family squabble, yet you dare to spout such nonsense and threaten your own brothers!"

In his eyes, Li Xuanzhi's second son's rage was nothing more than an attempt to protect his wife, a reckless and outrageous statement. He had no belief that his eldest son, Li Xuanjing, would actually dare to commit such a despicable act as to harm his younger siblings and frame his own brothers.

Li Xuanzhi simply couldn't be bothered with this biased, ignorant, and morally ambiguous biological father.

He stopped looking at anyone in the hall, picked up the limp and delirious Pei Qingyuan in his arms, and carried her outside.

Pei Qingyuan unconsciously nestled in his arms, her warm breath brushing against his clothes, her eyes filled with tears.

"Don't be afraid, I'll take you away."