May this scumbag husband, who favored his concubine over his wife, rest in peace.

Wen Heng glanced at the child who was still kneeling, coughed twice, and said as if trying to save face, "Alright, get up."

Pei Xi glanced at Wen Yuanshu subconsciously, and only stood up after seeing her nod.

The crowd looked him over again.

He was so thin that his clothes looked like he was wrapped in a stick, but he had a straight back and a humble yet dignified demeanor, which made him quite likable.

"Didn't you say you recognized two children? Why are you only taking one in?" Wen Jing asked.

He was the eldest son in his family. He was gentle in appearance and had a gentle voice. He didn't look like a military man at all.

But he wields a spear.

He carried the spear, which weighed over a hundred pounds, as if it were a game.

Wen Yuanshu pursed her lips: "The other one was ordered by my mother-in-law and the Marquis."

Once that was said, everyone understood.

One was ordered by her personally, and the other was ordered by the old lady and Marquis Anyuan; the distinction between close and distant relatives was immediately apparent.

Madam Wen couldn't help but sneer: "The Marquis's Mansion, what a fine Marquis's Mansion!"

Wen Heng's face also darkened.

He picked up his teacup and looked at Wen Jing.

Wen Jing understood and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Back then, Wen Yuanshu must have been bewitched by some kind of magic potion, insisting on marrying Pei Zeyu, even abandoning her childhood sweetheart.

They only have one daughter, so they have to cherish her. Therefore, they took the initiative to ask the Marquis's mansion for a list.

Those were all subordinates promoted by the ancestors of the Marquis of Anyuan's family. They had been attached to the Marquis's family for generations and were loyal to the family. Although the Marquis's family had faded out of the court, as long as they were still there, the Marquis's family was not completely in decline.

The Wen family has helped those people earn a lot of fame and fortune, and now several of them have reached important positions.

But the Marquis's mansion was on the verge of collapse, and those people were naturally not up to the task either.

In the past, they had been more tolerant of those people because of Wen Yuanshu.

It seems like it's time to make some changes.

Otherwise, the Marquis's mansion might think that the daughter of the General of the Cavalry's mansion is someone they can manipulate at will.

The father and son had made up their minds, but they showed no sign of it on their faces, and invited everyone to eat.

During the meal, seeing that Wen Yuanshu and the child got along very naturally, everyone's opinion of the child changed.

Anyway, as long as Wen Yuanshu is happy, that's all that matters.

Everyone put aside their chaotic thoughts, and the dinner table became lively again.

After the meal, Wen Yuanshu prepared to leave.

Madam Wen and her two sisters-in-law insisted that she take something back with her and dragged her away, leaving Pei Xi alone to face the General of the Cavalry and the two young generals.

Those who fight on the battlefield possess an aura that is different from that of ordinary people.

Their gazes carried an almost tangible sense of oppression, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

Wen Heng stared at the child for a long time before saying, "Since your mother chose you and has poured her heart and soul into you, you should not let her down."

The Wen family academy is presided over by three great Confucian scholars, and it's not a place anyone can just enter.

He disdained to threaten a child, his tone carrying only a faint warning.

Pei Xi knelt straight down on the ground, cupped her thin, stick-like hands to Wen Heng, and then solemnly kowtowed to him.

He was young and had never been to school, so he didn't know what to say.

If you can't talk about it, then do it.

Seeing this, Wen Heng's expression softened somewhat.

Before the women returned, they woke the child up.

-

Wen Yuanshu arrived with a cartload of goods and returned with another cartload of goods. Just as she arrived at the courtyard gate, she saw a figure standing outside.

The woman styled her hair in a traditional Chinese updo, deliberately letting two strands of hair fall down on either side of her face, making her appear delicate and frail. She wore a charming pink dress and happened to turn her head, just in time to see Wen Yuanshu and her entourage.

Xie Qianjiao hurriedly came forward, and before she could speak, a hint of grievance appeared on her face: "Greetings to Madam."

Wen Yuanshu subconsciously stopped in her tracks, afraid that if she took another step forward, this person would cling to her.

Xie Qianjiao was completely unaware, her tone filled with resentment: "Yesterday was my wedding day with the Marquis, and we were a little late. I didn't have time to get up this morning to serve tea to you, Madam. Please forgive me."

As she spoke, she gracefully gave a curtsy.

A flash of hatred crossed his eyes, but it was completely concealed the moment he looked up.

Pei Zeyu had always cherished her and had never spoken a harsh word to her. That day, it must have been Wen Yuanshu who said something behind her back that made Pei Zeyu speak so harshly to her!

It was hateful that she felt inferior, and even though she knew that Wen Yuanshu was behind it all, she still had no choice but to come forward and bow her head.

Wen Yuanshu hummed in agreement.

Xie Qianjiao looked at her cautiously and tentatively asked, "...It was my rudeness first, can you forgive me, Madam?"

Wen Yuanshu subtly sized her up.

She wasn't unfamiliar with Xie Qianjiao; in both her past and present lives, this was the first time this person had shown weakness in front of her.

However, this made her even more confused about Xie Qianjiao's intentions, so she could only go along with her and say, "I don't blame you. If you came here for this matter, then go back."

Xie Qianjiao bit her lip, looking troubled: "Madam, I've been here for quite a while now. I didn't dare leave without you, afraid you'd think I wasn't sincere enough, so I've just been waiting here..."

As she spoke, she rubbed her legs as if she couldn't take another step.

Wen Yuanshu then realized what was going on.

So he wanted to get into her yard.

I'm afraid they're going to find Pei Zhicheng.

It seems that Pei Zeyu said something to Xie Qianjiao after he went back.

Seeing that Xie Qianjiao looked like she was about to collapse to the ground at any moment, Wen Yuanshu nodded and said, "Then let's go in and rest for a bit."

A hint of joy flashed in Xie Qianjiao's eyes: "Yes!"

As everyone entered the courtyard, Xie Qianjiao noticed that Wen Yuanshu looked tired and quickly said, "Madam has just returned from outside and must be exhausted. Why don't you go back and rest first? I'll just rest for a bit and then leave."

Wen Yuanshu nodded and left politely.

Chunhua looked completely bewildered.

Why is Xie Qianjiao taking the initiative now?

This was the first time in her life that she had ever seen a guest tell the host to go and rest.

However, Wen Yuanshu actually gave him face, leaving Pei Xi to go back on his own, and then she really left.

Chunhua was completely confused.

After returning to her bedroom, she waited quietly for a while before a maid came over and said, "Madam, that person went to Pei Zhicheng's room."

Wen Yuanshu hummed in agreement. Seeing Chunhua's shocked expression, she gave up on her and went to take a nap.

No one knows what Xie Qianjiao said to Pei Zhicheng, but that evening, Wen Yuanshu finally saw Pei Zhicheng again after a month.

Compared to when he first arrived, he seemed to have gained some weight, becoming round and plump like a ball of flesh. He was dressed in a brocade robe, and his expression was somewhat gloomy, with a hint of reluctance in his movements.

"Mother."

Pei Xi bowed respectfully, while Pei Zhicheng merely gave a perfunctory bow, not even bothering to open his mouth.

Wen Yuanshu nodded and invited them to sit down.

During the meal, Wen Yuanshu would occasionally serve food to Pei Xi. Pei Zhicheng, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but purse his lips when he saw this.

This woman is putting on a respectable act now, but he hasn't forgotten that his mother was scolded because of this woman!

He wouldn't have come if his mother hadn't come in person and asked him to just pretend!

Pei Zhicheng's eyes darted around.

Since the woman had served food to the sickly man at the same table, she certainly wouldn't dare to neglect him.

In a little while, he's going to throw the food the woman picked up onto the ground and stomp on it viciously to vent his anger for his mother!

However, Pei Zhicheng waited and waited, until Wen Yuanshu got up, but he still didn't get a single bite of food.

Pei Zhicheng's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Wen Yuanshu, blurting out, "How can you be so biased?!"