The playboy county magistrate

She wasn't afraid of any storm, but she felt sorry for Li Xuanzhi.

I feel sorry for all the grievances he has suffered since childhood, and I feel sorry for him for working so hard, only to be repeatedly tormented and schemed against by his closest relatives.

Just as Pei Qingyuan was lost in thought, familiar footsteps came from outside the door.

A thought struck her, and she abruptly looked up.

Li Xuanzhi is back!

Pei Qingyuan could no longer sit still and quickly got up to greet him, her eyes revealing her eagerness and concern.

"My lord, how did it go? Was everything alright? Did His Majesty give you any trouble?"

Li Xuanzhi felt a warmth in his heart when he saw the look of concern in her eyes.

He reached out and pulled her tightly into his arms, holding her firmly in his embrace.

"Don't worry, it's all over."

Pei Qingyuan leaned against his warm chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, instantly settled down.

She gently raised her hand to hug his waist and whispered, "What happened to Li Dehai and Li Xuanjing in the end?"

Li Xuanzhi lowered his head, his nose lightly brushing against the top of her hair, his tone casual, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

"Li Xuanjing's crimes were proven, and he was demoted to a commoner and exiled three thousand miles away, never to return to the capital."

"Li Dehai will be fined three years' salary, confined to his home for one year to reflect on his mistakes, and all his privileges will be reduced. If nothing unexpected happens, the Chengen Earl's Mansion will be completely ruined from now on."

Pei Qingyuan was slightly taken aback, then sighed softly. "He deserves it."

They relentlessly pursued and annihilated them time and again, pressing them relentlessly. Now they have ended up like this, and it is no wonder they have suffered such a fate.

"Yes," Li Xuanzhi responded, "From now on, all grudges are settled."

Pei Qingyuan raised her head, her clear eyes looking directly at him, and said softly:

"My husband, from now on you will never have to put up with their mistreatment again, and you will never have to wrong yourself again."

"Yes." Li Xuanzhi chuckled softly, his eyes filled with tenderness and doting affection.

"My husband is so good," she murmured softly.

"Mmm, that's nice." Li Xuanzhi lowered his head and gently kissed her eyebrows and eyes.

Pei Qingyuan suddenly remembered something and looked up at him. Her eyebrows curved into a smile.

"After that, no one dared to talk about filial piety and clan anymore, and no one dared to bully us anymore, right?"

Looking at her bright smile, Li Xuanzhi's heart melted, and he nodded solemnly.

"right."

The servants brought in chilled fruit and tea, placing them on the stone table. Then, quite tactfully, they all withdrew, not wanting to disturb the two people's private time in the courtyard.

Pei Qingyuan leaned against Li Xuanzhi's chest, lazily playing with his fingers.

She looked up at the gentle and refined man beside her, and spoke softly, her tone tinged with lingering fear.

"My husband, when I sat by the window waiting for you, I felt a moment of panic."

Li Xuanzhi gently took her small hand in his, his fingertips lightly caressing her delicate skin. He looked down at her tenderly.

"Oh? You're usually so composed, why are you flustered today?"

"That's different." Pei Qingyuan pouted slightly and said truthfully:

"No matter what happened before, I could always keep my composure. But today you're entering the palace alone, and your opponents are your own father and brother. What I fear most isn't that you'll lose, but that you'll be soft-hearted."

"If others scheme against you, you can fight back without hesitation. But they are your closest relatives after all, and I'm afraid that you'll be too concerned about that last bit of family affection and wrong yourself."

Li Xuanzhi's heart softened, and he tightened his arms to hug her even tighter, chuckling softly.

"It turns out my wife has been worrying about these things for me all along."

"That's not true." Pei Qingyuan nodded, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"I am your wife. I see your difficulties, your grievances, and your concerns. I remember them all."

Li Xuanzhi lowered his head, his nose touching her temple.

"I did have too many concerns before. I always wanted to preserve my last bit of dignity, I didn't want to be criticized for being cold-hearted, and I didn't want everything I had worked so hard for to be ruined by empty fame."

"But then I figured it out." He looked up at the clear blue sky. "The truly heartless one was never me; it was them who never treated me like family."

Pei Qingyuan softly replied, "Yes, the hardships you suffered as a child were not something you should have had to endure."

When Li Xuanzhi spoke of the past, there was not a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"It's all in the past. I've not only settled accounts with them, but I've also completely forgiven myself."

Pei Qingyuan looked up at his handsome features and asked with a smile:

"So, in your heart, you really don't feel any resentment at all? After all, they owe you so many years of wrongdoing."

Li Xuanzhi thought to himself, perhaps the original owner of this body hated him. After all, when he first transmigrated, every time he felt resentment towards Li Dehai, he always felt a kind of inexplicable awkwardness.

Presumably, the original owner's emotions still influenced one's own emotions at that time, but as one's own emotions grew stronger, this subtle influence diminished.

"I don't hate anymore." Li Xuanzhi shook his head, his tone indifferent.

"Hate is an obsession, a lingering attachment. Now I don't want to waste any more energy on these irrelevant people."

"They brought this upon themselves and suffered a crushing defeat; that's their problem. From now on, it's best for us to have nothing to do with each other and wish each other well."

Pei Qingyuan felt a surge of warmth in her heart and was deeply moved.

"My husband, you are truly more insightful and open-minded than anyone else. If it were anyone else, they would probably have been holding a grudge long ago."

Li Xuanzhi looked down at her, and words of coaxing flowed from his lips effortlessly.

"If it weren't for you, I might still be struggling in the mire, barely maintaining that false family bond."

Pei Qingyuan felt a surge of sweetness in her heart and gently snuggled into his arms. "Then, am I your salvation?"

"Yes," Li Xuanzhi said without hesitation.

Pei Qingyuan picked up the chilled melon from the stone table and held it to his lips, smiling as she changed the subject.

"Try it, it's freshly chilled, refreshing and sweet. You must be exhausted after working so hard."

Li Xuanzhi opened his mouth and ate the melon from her delicate hand. The sweet taste of the melon spread on his tongue. He looked at the bright-eyed woman in front of him and was in a very good mood.

Indeed, if you want sweet melons, you have to let a beautiful woman feed them.

"Ugh! You always provoke me."

Pei Qingyuan scolded him playfully, but the smile in her eyes was unmistakable.

If Li Xuanzhi hadn't been so exhausted these past two days, he might have actually carried Pei Qingyuan back to her room and shown her what true provocation really meant.

Pei Qingyuan suddenly remembered something and asked:

"By the way, my husband, the Cheng'en Marquis's mansion has completely fallen into ruin. Li Dehai is reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors. Does he still harbor resentment towards you and secretly seek revenge?"

Li Xuanzhi smiled faintly upon hearing this, his tone completely calm.

"He doesn't have the ability, nor the confidence."

"Now he has lost all face and reputation, and can no longer hold his head up in the elite circles of the capital. He is also getting old, and if he wants to live a more peaceful old age, he can only stay in the empty Marquis's mansion and eke out a living."

"He can barely protect himself, so where would he find the energy and courage to provoke me? Moreover, after this incident, everyone knows that he is muddle-headed, biased, and distorts the truth. No one can trust him, and there is no longer any benefit or value to be gained from him. No one will help him anymore."