Yu Tang watched and couldn’t help but shake her head inwardly.

Li Jun, however, didn’t see Yu Tang.

These past days, he felt as if he were dreaming.

Because the Yu family wanted to arrange a match with the Wei family’s second young master, the vagrants on their family’s estate had taken the life of the Wei family’s second young master. Because the Yu family disagreed with arranging a match with their family, his mother had sent people to kidnap Miss Yu. Because those vagrants found his elder brother to extort silver, his elder brother wanted to put those vagrants to death.

When had their family become so obsessed with his and the Yu family’s marriage?

When had his mother become someone who would use any means to achieve her goals?

When had his elder brother become arrogant and overbearing, able to disregard national laws?

Was it because he had made such a big fuss at home over being able to marry Miss Yu?

But he had also made a big fuss about not wanting to study—why hadn’t his mother and elder brother indulged him like this then?

Even he, as the person directly involved, wasn’t as obsessed with the Yu family marriage as his mother was.

He went to persuade his mother, but not only did she not feel she was wrong, she said it was because his father’s official position wasn’t high enough—otherwise how would the yamen dare to get involved in this matter?

He was very upset and went to find his elder brother, but his elder brother said he had grown up and shouldn’t be so naive anymore. Some matters were either the east wind prevailing over the west wind or the west wind prevailing over the east wind. Even if their family hadn’t sheltered those vagrants, naturally others would have sheltered them.

He was very confused.

No matter what, that estate was their Li family’s, those vagrants were sheltered by their Li family, and when the yamen’s people went to investigate, the incident happened on their Li family’s farm. How could his elder brother say such words to shirk responsibility?

When Hu Xing, the third chief steward of the Pei family, came to visit and said that the Yu family had asked their Third Master to act as mediator to discuss the grievances between the two families, he felt too ashamed to face the Yu family members. Yet his elder brother forcibly made him come along, and even consulted with the literary guest their father had left behind for ages, saying those vagrants had nothing to do with their family, and the matter of kidnapping the Yu family’s young lady was even more ridiculous… completely denying everything they had done.

Shouldn’t their family be actively and proactively cooperating with the Pei family to give the people of Lin’an City an explanation?

His modest and gentle mother was gone, his kind and upright elder brother was also gone…

And were they really doing all this just for his marriage?

Li Jun didn’t know how he followed his elder brother through the Pei family’s gate, or how he came to sit in the Pei family’s reception hall. It was the heated argument beside his ears that brought him back to his senses.

While he had been in a daze, the Li family and Yu family had already been arguing for quite a while.

Yet the expression of Third Master Pei sitting in the seat of honor seemed somewhat cold, as if the argument before his eyes had nothing to do with him.

What exactly did this Third Master Pei mean?

Li Jun couldn’t help but look toward his brother Li Duan.

Li Duan still took this matter quite seriously.

He had changed into a sapphire blue brocade robe with five-bat medallion patterns that he’d had newly made some days ago. It made his skin appear fair and delicate, his face like powdered jade, like a jade tree in the wind—his appearance was very outstanding.

His expression at this moment was also as cold and severe as autumn, his face stern as he said: “Master Yu, there’s no point in us talking more. Please have your family produce evidence. Otherwise I’ll have to go to the yamen to sue you for slander!”

Hearing this, Li Jun shuddered.

The Yu family weren’t rash people either—how could they dare to ask Third Master Pei to come forward as mediator without any evidence? Third Master Pei wasn’t a fool either—if there was no evidence, how could he possibly meddle in this idle matter?

Li Jun suddenly became clearheaded.

He looked toward Yu Wen.

He saw Yu Wen, his face flushed red with anger, hear what Li Duan said and bow to Third Master Pei and the several gentry, then sternly instruct Yu Yuan: “Go bring up the witnesses.”

Yu Yuan acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Low murmurs of discussion filled the hall.

Yu Tang felt extremely angry in her heart.

The Li family was always like this.

Even when backed into a corner, they could treat all evidence as nothing, deny everything as if everyone else were blind, and when pushed to the extreme, would shift all responsibility onto others, claiming ignorance and that they too were victims.

In her previous life, who knew how many times they had used such tactics?

This life, she would absolutely not let them continue succeeding.

She quickly glanced at Pei Yan.

Pei Yan, who had been watching Yu Tang from the corner of his eye, felt somewhat amused.

He had known she wouldn’t stay obediently at home.

When she entered with her head lowered, disguised as a servant hiding behind her cousin, he had spotted her immediately—everyone who could enter this hall was a principal in the matter. To bring a servant in, the Yu family really had nerve. Fortunately, those people were most curious about him, presiding over such a matter for the first time, and didn’t spare attention for her. Otherwise she would have been discovered the moment she walked into this hall.

But as long as he didn’t speak up, even if someone discovered her it wouldn’t matter. Seeing him remain silent, eight or nine out of ten would pretend not to have noticed.

However, even so, this eldest miss of the Yu family still surprised him somewhat.

From beginning to end, she hadn’t even glanced at the Li family’s second son, while her gaze at Li Duan seemed to burn with a fire, as if she wanted to incinerate him.

Pei Yan stroked his chin at that moment.

Could it be that this Miss Yu wanted to take revenge on Li Duan?

He took a sip of tea.

Then he saw Yu Tang whisper a few words in Yu Yuan’s ear. Yu Yuan nodded, went forward and murmured a few words to Yu Wen, and Yu Wen, who had just been rendered speechless by Li Duan, immediately picked up where Master Wei left off and began refuting Li Duan.

After a while, Yu Wen was at a disadvantage again.

Their side switched to having Wei Xiaoyuan argue with Li Duan.

Li Duan truly was worthy of being the son-in-law the Gu family had taken a liking to. Not only could he debate, he had quick wit. In just a few moves he had Wei Xiaoyuan unable to continue.

Li Duan stood with his hands behind his back in the middle of the hall, quite proud as if verbally battling a crowd of heroes and looking down upon the world.

Yu Tang whispered a few more words to Yu Yuan, who stepped forward to argue with Li Duan again.

Watching this, Pei Yan felt somewhat anxious on behalf of the Yu family’s side.

How could several grown men arguing be inferior to one woman?

No wonder the Yu family these years could only guard their ancestral property and get by!

If this Miss Yu could represent the Yu family’s side and step forward to confront Li Duan, it would definitely be much more interesting.

Pei Yan suddenly felt his interest waning.

He set his teacup down on the square table with neither too much nor too little force.

The hall immediately became silent as a crow, and everyone’s gazes turned toward him in unison.

Pei Yan acted as if he noticed nothing and said to Pei Man standing behind him: “The tea has gotten a bit cold. Have the maids change everyone’s tea.”

Everyone who thought he had something to say: …

Pei Yan’s attitude was far too frivolous!

The Li family members’ spirits lifted. Yu Wen and the others’ expressions darkened. Those gentry who came to observe all had uncertain expressions, pondering in their hearts how they should take sides when the time came.

Yu Tang’s gaze stabbed straight toward Pei Yan like a knife.

How could he have this attitude?

If he disagreed, that was a matter of disagreeing. But having agreed, he should handle this matter seriously, earnestly, fairly, and justly. How could he be so careless?

Could this be yet another person she had misjudged based on her previous life’s impressions?