The playboy county magistrate

Before we knew it, he had started using moral blackmail again.

If soft tactics don't work, then hard tactics will do. Use the rumors, the woman's reputation, and the rules of filial piety to pressure her and force Pei Qingyuan to comply.

Pei Qingyuan almost laughed in anger: "Does my elder brother mean that if I don't go, I'll be unfilial?"

"That's not what I meant," Li Xuanjing quickly waved his hand, looking as if he were doing it for the best. "It's just that social etiquette dictates this; it's how it should be. My sister-in-law can go over there, say a few kind words, and appease Father. Yesterday's misunderstanding can be wiped clean. Why not?"

"Besides, it's just a simple matter of taking care of you and inquiring about your well-being; it won't cause you any trouble."

Won't that put you in a difficult position?

That's ridiculous!

I just set a trap for her yesterday, and today I kindly invited her to come over alone. Only a fool would believe there's nothing fishy going on.

Li Xuanzhi, who was standing to the side, finally spoke, his voice cold and devoid of any warmth.

"That's enough, stop acting."

Li Xuanjing's heart tightened, but he still tried to remain calm on the surface, looking blankly at Li Xuanzhi.

"Why do you say that, second brother? I came here sincerely to invite you, with good intentions. How can you say it's an act?"

"Good intentions?" Li Xuanzhi looked up at him, his eyes full of mockery. "Are you sure it's good intentions, or are you just trying to set up another scheme to harm my wife?"

These words were direct and sharp, without any beating around the bush, directly piercing the surface.

Li Xuanjing's expression changed instantly, a flash of panic crossed his eyes, and he hurriedly tried to explain.

"Second brother! How can you say such a thing? Yesterday's family dinner was purely accidental. How could you say it was a setup to harm anyone? You can't listen to slanderous words from others and make wild guesses about your own brothers, damaging our brotherly bond!"

"Brotherly affection?" Li Xuanzhi sneered, his laughter icy cold. "Between the two of us, has there ever been even a shred of brotherly affection?"

"Now I've achieved success and live a stable life, with a peaceful marriage. You, on the other hand, are always thinking about me and plotting against my wife. Is this your brotherly affection?"

These words left Li Xuanjing speechless, his face turning pale and then red.

He never expected that Li Xuanzhi, who was always so respectable, would so decisively and completely abandon all pretense of civility today, not even bothering to maintain appearances.

After a brief moment of inner turmoil, Li Xuanjing gritted his teeth and persevered, still unwilling to give up.

"Second brother, you've really misunderstood me! The fragrance of the flowers in the manor yesterday was just the normal scent of plants. You're just being overly anxious, seeing threats everywhere. How could you falsely accuse me of harming your wife? If this gets out, my reputation is a small matter, but your wife's reputation cannot withstand such wild speculation!"

I started working on things as soon as I got home yesterday afternoon, and it went on until the wee hours of the morning. After dealing with some trivial matters this morning, I worked on things for a while longer, and now Li Xuanzhi feels completely drained.

The facts are right here, so how can it be considered wild speculation?

Shamelessness knows no bounds. To lie through one's teeth and still forcefully point fingers—it's truly unbelievable!

Li Xuanjing was far from calm at this moment; he was merely putting on a brave face and gambling.

He bet that Li Xuanzhi had no solid evidence. As long as he stubbornly denied it, it would all be empty talk, and in the end, he would only be seen as Li Xuanzhi being suspicious and unfoundedly distrustful of his brother.

But he still didn't understand Li Xuanzhi enough, not knowing that Li Xuanzhi never fought a battle unprepared.

Li Xuanzhi waved his hand, and Pei Qingyuan's maidservant, quite perceptively, withdrew and soon returned with a thick stack of incriminating documents.

Li Xuanzhi reached out and took it, weighing it lightly in his hand, his eyes indifferent yet exuding an overwhelming power.

"You're saying I misunderstood you?"

"Then let's settle the score properly."

"Let me start with a personal matter. Yesterday, the entire garden of the Earl's mansion was filled with specially made aphrodisiac incense, designed to confuse people's minds and ruin their reputations. If I hadn't noticed in time and taken people away, the consequences would have been unimaginable if Qingyuan had been in your mansion yesterday."

"Let's talk about official business. Over the years, you've abused your status as the eldest son of the Marquis of Chengen to seize farmland and oppress the people in the outskirts of the capital. You've been lazy and negligent in your duties at the Ministry of Works. You've also tried every means to line your own pockets, drawing the court's salary without doing any real work. Aren't all of these things your doing?"

With each sentence he spoke, Li Xuanjing's face paled a little more.

In the end, his whole body stiffened, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and terror.

He handled these matters with utmost secrecy, believing himself to be completely infallible. No one except his closest confidants knew anything; how could Li Xuanzhi possibly have discovered such details?!

Seeing his flustered and disoriented state, Li Xuanzhi's tone grew even colder.

"Weren't you so talkative just now? Advising me to consider family ties and using filial piety to pressure me, why are you silent now? Are you just naturally quiet?"

Li Xuanjing forced himself to steady his mind, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to appear calm and said:

"You...you're framing me! These are all baseless accusations, deliberately fabricated by you to slander and suppress me!"

"Framed?" Li Xuanzhi raised an eyebrow, a cold smile curving his lips.

"I have all the evidence, both witnesses and physical evidence, the accounts. Do you want me to read them out to you now, so you can hear in front of everyone just how despicable you really are?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xuanjing panicked completely.

He finally realized that Li Xuanzhi was really planning to settle scores with him!

He immediately dropped all his arrogance, his tone softened instantly, and he began to plead for mercy.

"Second brother! We are brothers from the same clan and father! Blood is thicker than water, and even if our bones are broken, our tendons are still connected! Even if I have done something wrong in the past, it was just a moment of confusion! How could you collect these things and try to kill me?"

"Brothers?" Li Xuanzhi's eyes were filled with mockery. "When you schemed against my wife, trying to ruin my future and take my life, did you never consider that we were brothers?"

"I've tolerated you enough times, but you keep pushing your luck and never learn your lesson. Why should I expect you to consider our sibling bond?"

Pei Qingyuan sat to the side, quietly watching Li Xuanjing's entire transformation from hypocritical persuasion to forced sophistry, and finally to bowing his head and playing the victim.

Such people are not worthy of being called sentimental; they are only selfish and malicious to the core.

Li Xuanjing was utterly humiliated, his face turning deathly pale. He could no longer feign any gentleness, and his eyes revealed an obvious ruthlessness.

"So you're determined to break ties with me and the entire Earl's mansion today?"

"It's not that I want to break ties," Li Xuanzhi said, his eyes sharp as knives. "It's that you've repeatedly forced me to make a break."

"Go back and tell Li Dehai."

"First, Qingyuan refused to go to his supposed place of caring for the sick and inquiring about their well-being. The grievances and scheming from yesterday have not yet been settled, and my husband and I will never go there to be humiliated again and walk into his trap."

"Secondly, from this day forward, I, Li Xuanzhi, will completely sever all ties with the Chengen Marquis's Mansion and the entire clan."

"Third, keep a close eye on the mouths of everyone in your household. Anyone who dares to spread rumors and slander my wife's innocence will be severely punished if I find one. I will show no leniency! If you don't believe me, feel free to try!"