The playboy county magistrate

The woman in pink was both ashamed and angry, unable to save face, but she forced herself to retort.

"Even if the Earl's family is at fault, that's just a family matter! Your husband publicly severed ties with his family and accused his own father and brothers before His Majesty, which is ultimately a violation of filial piety!"

Pei Qingyuan was so angry she laughed. "Family matters? What? Are these your family matters?"

The woman in pink was so annoyed she wanted to slap herself hard. What a lame excuse she'd come up with!

Compared to himself, Li Xuanzhi and Pei Shi were clearly closer to the Chengen Earl's Mansion; they were practically family.

If it is truly defined as a family matter, then these people who gathered together and chattered about it were the most impolite.

Thinking of this, the woman in pink cleared her throat and continued to try to argue her point.

"But once this matter reaches His Majesty's ears, it's no longer a family affair. It's a serious matter that damages the reputation of court officials. We are all women of court officials; are we not even allowed to say a few words to express our opinions?"

Pei Qingyuan gave a faint "oh" before continuing to say things that startled everyone.

"His Majesty has already publicly declared my husband innocent and blameless. The break was a last resort to protect myself. Do you think His Majesty made a mistake, or are the ministers simply unable to distinguish right from wrong?"

Upon hearing this, the women froze instantly, completely speechless.

They, as mere noblewomen, could not possibly bear the crime of questioning imperial judgments or criticizing court officials!

Pei Qingyuan turned to look at Pan Xia beside her. "I remember Her Majesty the Empress granted me the right to enter the palace at any time. How about this, you two go to the palace gate and tell the guards that the wife of the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, Li Xuanzhi, wishes to bring these ladies into the palace to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Empress. You can also tell her some jokes from outside the palace to amuse her."

The woman in pink looked extremely unpleasant at that moment.

She was just quick-tongued and jealous that Pei Qingyuan had married well; even her mother-in-law was a very easy person to get along with.

But that doesn't mean she was really stupid and didn't know that Pei Qingyuan and the Empress had a very good relationship.

His Majesty has repeatedly ordered that no one should mention anything about Li Xuanzhi and the Chengen Earl's Mansion, but they not only did so, they also provoked him in front of his wife.

If these words were to reach the palace, their men would surely be reprimanded. If His Majesty happened to be in a very bad mood, a beating would likely be the lightest punishment.

Their gathering and gossiping are purely driven by jealousy. Not a single one of them is favored by the emperor.

It's just that they turn a blind eye out of consideration for the wife.

If they are truly held hostage and their management rights are taken away, how will they survive in the cannibalistic inner court in the future?

If the bride's family feels that she has lost face because of this and is unwilling to support her, how many more years can she live?

"We are truly sorry. From now on, we will not discuss matters concerning the Marquis of Chengen's residence, let alone Lord Li. We hope that Madam Pei will not hold our mistake against us and will forgive us this time. We will certainly send an apology gift later, and we hope Madam Pei will accept it with a smile."

Pei Qingyuan was not one to hold a grudge, mainly because she knew in her heart how she had obtained her position as a Lady of the Imperial Decree.

If the Empress granted him the right to enter the palace at any time, and he used it without hesitation, entering and leaving the palace more frequently than his own private quarters, it would surely displease the Emperor and Empress.

If this affects her husband's future, then competing with a few gossipy women becomes less important.

Anyway, everything that needed to be said has been said, and everything that needed to be warned has been warned. As long as the goal has been achieved, that's enough.

Pei Qingyuan glanced at them indifferently, her tone detached.

"From now on, if you don't know the whole story, don't make any comments. Gossip and disputes are the most harmful things. Only by controlling your mouth can you live a peaceful life."

"As for an apology, my family will not accept it. An apology that is not sincere will only make us feel uncomfortable. However, I will definitely have a good talk with my husband about what happened today when I get back. As for what my husband will do, that is beyond my control."

"Yes, yes, yes! We know we were wrong! We will never dare to do it again!"

The women were so frightened that they immediately lowered their heads and admitted their mistake, completely losing the arrogant attitude they had displayed earlier. They wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into immediately.

They were still uneasy, having heard too many rumors that Li Xuanzhi was petty and extremely vengeful.

Even if it didn't reach the Emperor and Empress, Li Xuanzhi just talking to their men would be enough to give them a hard time, and it was expected that they wouldn't have a good life for several months.

Pei Qingyuan didn't look at them again, turned around and left calmly with her maid.

Watching her dignified and graceful figure as she walked away, several women stood there, their faces pale.

Stepping out of the teahouse, Yingchun, her face beaming with satisfaction, exclaimed excitedly:

"Madam is absolutely right! These people are just opportunists, only good at following the crowd and gossiping; they can't distinguish right from wrong at all!"

Pan Xia nodded repeatedly, "Thanks to Madam for standing up for you! Otherwise, if they had been allowed to spread rumors, who knows how much more damage they would have done to your reputation!"

Pei Qingyuan sighed softly, her expression returning to calm.

"It's alright, they're just a bunch of ignorant idlers, not worth getting angry over."

"I just don't want my husband to live an honest and upright life, but instead be wantonly tarnished by these baseless rumors."

But just as she finished speaking, a familiar, gentle voice suddenly came from behind her, carrying a hint of a smile.

"So my wife is secretly very protective of me?"

Pei Qingyuan's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly.

Not far away at the street corner, Li Xuanzhi stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in casual clothes. His gentle eyes and brows were smiling as he looked at her.

Unbeknownst to him, he had quietly arrived here and witnessed everything that had just happened.

Pei Qingyuan paused, her entire body frozen in place.

She blinked, looking at the smiling man standing on the street corner, and her cheeks flushed instantly.

Oh no, they heard everything.

Just now, when she was arguing with someone, she was full of charisma, every word was sharp and she didn't have a trace of gentleness. Unexpectedly, Li Xuanzhi caught her red-handed.

Yingchun and Panxia fell silent instantly, exchanging a glance. They secretly took half a step back, obediently not daring to interrupt.

The bustling street was still noisy, but in Pei Qingyuan's eyes, there was only that figure slowly walking towards her.

Li Xuanzhi walked leisurely to Pei Qingyuan in a few steps. He looked down at her reddened earlobes and teased her softly.

"Why are you so quiet now? You weren't this aggressive just now."

Pei Qingyuan was both embarrassed and ashamed. She raised her hand and gently pushed him, scolding him softly.

"When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything? You were just standing there secretly watching people make a fool of themselves."

"I haven't been here long." Li Xuanzhi gently grasped her wrist. "I just finished listening to my wife, every word she said defending me and protecting my innocence."

The tenderness in his eyes was almost overflowing, and his tone was full of undisguised joy and doting affection.