These words denying Gu Xi’s ability made her tremble with anger all over.

What was Old Madam Yang?

If it were before, before she had attended the Jiang family’s celebration banquet, she would have been mindful that the Yang family was Pei Tong’s maternal family, and that Old Master Yang was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. For the sake of Pei Tong’s future, no matter what, she would have swallowed this grievance. But now, she could clearly sense that although both father and son of the Yang family had good official careers, among aristocratic households like the Zhang and Li families, they were merely nouveau riche who had briefly flourished. If they wanted others to regard them highly, their family would need to at minimum produce an official of the second rank or higher, or produce several officials of the fourth rank or above across multiple generations.

The current Yang family was not qualified to contend with aristocratic families like the Zhang and Li families, let alone challenge them.

What did she have to fear?

Gu Xi immediately grew cold-faced and stood up to leave: “If that’s the case, then we’ll take our leave!”

All the Yang family’s female relatives looked stunned. It was still Yang First Madam who reacted quickly, hurriedly grabbing Gu Xi’s arm and suppressing the anger in her heart as she said, “You child, what’s wrong with an elder saying a few words to you? Don’t tell me you think the Yang family is inferior to the Pei family, so you find our Old Madam’s words too harsh? But what Old Madam said isn’t too far wrong, is it? The two madams of the Pei family are being unreasonable. Why don’t they come visit in person instead of sending you to be a guest? Do you know what purpose our Yang family has in inviting them? What status and position do those accompanying guests have? Old Madam said you’re thoughtless, and you’re still unconvinced?”

Gu Xi had always been proud. After attending the Jiang family’s celebration banquet, she discovered that even if the Jiang family looked down on the Pei family, they didn’t dare show it openly. The Zhang and Li families valued her greatly because she was the Pei family’s eldest young mistress. What’s more, she also had a sister-in-law from the Yin family. She felt that apart from seniority, she was no worse than Yu Tang in any way.

Yang First Madam’s words precisely struck at what had been troubling her during this time.

She immediately became alert, sneering coldly: “First Aunt, you’re quite mistaken. Second Aunt and Third Aunt have already said they have matters and cannot come, but you insisted on holding a banquet to host them. They had no choice but to send me over. I was thinking that although the Fei family is powerful, the Yang family is after all my maternal family, so I should stand on the Yang family’s side no matter what. I never imagined that in First Aunt’s eyes, I’m the one in the wrong. Doesn’t this put me in an impossible position? Since that’s the case, what am I even doing here! There’s a pile of matters waiting for me back home!”

So the two sisters-in-law of the Pei family had really gone to the Fei family!

Yang First Madam and Old Madam Yang exchanged a glance. Yang First Madam immediately smiled and said, “We know you’re filial, obedient, and sensible. Your maternal grandmother is just angry that your two madams are being too disrespectful, isn’t she?”

When Gu Xi was at her maternal family, she had encountered countless such situations. She seized the opportunity to make difficulties, putting on an appearance of utter heartbreak as she said, “So you’re not criticizing the people who didn’t come, but you’re catching me, who came with good intentions, to stab wildly with knives. How can my heart feel good?”

This daughter-in-law of the eldest sister-in-law was not someone easy to get along with.

Yang First Madam inwardly felt disdain, but her face showed nothing as she said, “You’re also a member of the Yang family. Now that something like this has happened, what use is losing your temper? Why don’t you sit down and let’s discuss what to do?”

Yang Second Madam, who had been mostly silent all along, suddenly interjected: “What can we do? Quickly notify those people not to come! She can’t make decisions for the household. Even if we talk to her, it’s useless!”

Yang First Madam looked as if she had been choked.

Gu Xi nearly jumped up.

What did that mean?

Looking down on her?

There were indeed some matters in the Pei family that she couldn’t decide, but it wasn’t the Yang family’s place to discuss it here.

Gu Xi looked at Yang Second Madam with a half-smile and said, “As I said, there’s no use for me being here. There’s no point in First Aunt holding onto me like this!”

Yang First Madam glared at Yang Second Madam but didn’t release her grip on Gu Xi’s arm.

Yang Second Madam turned her face away with an attitude of “I didn’t do anything wrong, I won’t apologize.”

Yang First Madam put on an expression of great distress.

Gu Xi couldn’t quite determine whether the Yang family had truly encountered some matter requiring the Pei family’s help, or if the two were putting on an act. Then she heard Old Madam Yang slap the table with a “smack” and scold loudly: “Enough! Stop talking. I’m not dead yet—it’s not your turn to make decisions for this household!”

Both Yang First Madam and Yang Second Madam lowered their heads. Yang First Madam even released her grip on Gu Xi’s arm.

Only then did Gu Xi realize that Yang First Madam had been gripping quite hard—her arm was starting to hurt a bit.

She rubbed the place that had been grabbed.

Old Madam Yang’s face was full of fatigue, as if her earlier vigor had been suddenly stripped away.

“A’Tong’s daughter-in-law, sit down and talk,” she said. “First daughter-in-law, you stay. Second daughter-in-law, go guard outside. I have something to say.”

Gu Xi was astonished.

The two madams of the Yang family acknowledged in unison. Yang First Madam refilled Old Madam Yang’s tea while Yang Second Madam withdrew with the maids and old servants in the room.

Old Madam Yang took a sip of tea. Seeing that Gu Xi was seated at her side, she said, “Since you’ve already said this much, I won’t hide it from you either. We went through all this trouble inviting the two madams of the Pei family over because we do indeed have a request of the Pei family. However, saying ‘we have a request’—that’s giving the Pei family face. The Pei family can also refuse, but as for the consequences of refusing, the Pei family will have to weigh that themselves.”

Gu Xi was shocked.

This wasn’t the tone of making a request—it was more like… a threat.

Could the Yang family have gotten hold of some leverage over the Pei family?

Gu Xi was also someone who wouldn’t lose in spirit even if she lost in reality. Hearing this, her face showed nothing, but her ears had long since perked up.

Seeing her like this, Old Madam Yang knew she wasn’t someone without her own ideas either.

She exchanged another glance with Yang First Madam.

Yang First Madam nodded slightly toward her mother-in-law.

If she weren’t formidable, her sister-in-law wouldn’t have married her in as the eldest daughter-in-law.

Having come to this point, Old Madam Yang could only use desperate measures. She said, “After you go back, talk with your Third Aunt. Our family wants to strengthen the bond with the Pei family and arrange another marriage alliance. If she feels that the Pei family’s Old Madam won’t be willing and it’s better to decline, then have her go ask your Third Uncle. Others may not be clear about it, but our family knows—who gave the Third Prince those two hundred thousand taels of silver he brought back from Jiangnan that year?”

Gu Xi was no ignorant woman. Moreover, because Gu Xi had no older female to teach her, Gu Chao worried she would suffer losses, so sometimes he would use matters from the court as examples for her.

She knew about last year’s lecture assembly during the Buddha Bathing Festival and those two hundred thousand taels of silver.

Were the Yang family’s words implying that the Third Prince’s two hundred thousand taels of silver came from the Pei family?

Gu Xi immediately became somewhat panicked.

Two hundred thousand taels of silver was a small matter—going deeper, they could even claim it was extorted by the Third Prince. But the problem was, these two hundred thousand taels of silver were also connected to the incident when the Second Prince was assassinated that year.

The Emperor had always refused to establish an heir. By principle, it should be either the legitimate son or the eldest. It should have nothing to do with the Third Prince. But the Emperor had always favored the Third Prince. Because of the Third Prince, he hadn’t sent the Second Prince to his fiefdom. There had even been rumors that the previous Chief Grand Secretary retired because he opposed the Emperor deposing the eldest to establish the younger.

If the Pei family was drawn into this kind of storm, no matter how capable they were, it would be useless!

Under all heaven, there is no land that is not the sovereign’s.

“What do you mean by this?” Gu Xi’s voice was somewhat shrill. “Some things can be done recklessly, but some words cannot be spoken recklessly. The Yang and Pei families are relatives by marriage!”

Old Madam Yang was very satisfied with Gu Xi’s reaction. She said coldly, “At my age, would I deceive you, a young person? We do want to treat the Pei family as relatives by marriage, but the Pei family must also treat us as relatives by marriage. Otherwise, why should we advance and retreat together with the Pei family, share their joys and sorrows? Alright, you can’t make decisions about these matters either. Having you relay the message also puts you in a difficult position. But the two madams of the Pei family don’t take our Yang family seriously. Even if we want to have a good talk with them, we can’t. So we can only impose upon you.”

Gu Xi shook her head, her heart blank and confused, not knowing how she got back home.

But when she returned home, she discovered that neither Yu Tang nor Second Madam were there.

She was so angry she gulped in air, thinking that if this matter were true, what would she do? She didn’t know if Pei You was involved. Would it be too late for the main branch to distance themselves from the Pei family at this point?

Unable to even change her clothes, Gu Xi got back into the sedan chair and went to find Gu Chao.

Gu Chao hadn’t yet left his office, and her eldest sister-in-law Yin Shi was unexpectedly also not at home.

She couldn’t help but ask the Gu family’s old servant: “Where did my sister-in-law go?”

“She said Minister Qin from the Ministry of Rites was hosting guests at his home,” the old servant said with a smile. “Madam and Mrs. Yin, as well as both madams from your family, all went over.”

Hadn’t they said Old Madam Fei had arrived?

Gu Xi was confused.

The old servant said, “It’s precisely because Old Madam Fei arrived! Mrs. Qin is hosting a welcome banquet for Old Madam Fei. The Qin family invited several madams as accompanying guests.”

Was this Yu Tang’s intent in sending her off to the Yang family?

Afraid she would steal the limelight, or afraid she would form connections with more external noblewomen?

Like a caged beast, Gu Xi waited nearly a full hour before finally seeing Gu Chaoyang.

She pulled her brother into the study and quietly told him about this matter.

Gu Chaoyang couldn’t hide his shocked expression. His mind raced rapidly as he muttered to himself: “No wonder Pei Xiaguang came forward to handle this matter? I thought he wanted to establish his authority, but it turns out he didn’t want others to discover this matter was connected to the Pei family? This really is something Pei You could have done…”

Hearing her brother mention her deceased father-in-law, Gu Xi’s hair stood on end. She hurriedly said, “Elder Brother, is this matter really connected to the Pei family? Connected to my father-in-law? Could the Yang family be lying?”

Gu Chaoyang shook his head, pondering: “I’ve heard of this matter before, but I didn’t think deeply about it, especially after Pei You suddenly died and the Pei family retreated to Lin’an.”

Speaking to this point, the siblings couldn’t help but look at each other.

Pei Yan was a person full of schemes who had deeply earned Old Master Zhang’s trust. No normal father would call such a son—one who might become Chief Grand Secretary and enter the cabinet—back home to guard the family business.

Or perhaps, this matter wasn’t connected to Pei You, but to Pei Yan?

Both saw in the other’s eyes complex emotions that words couldn’t describe.

“This matter must be mentioned to Pei Xiaguang,” Gu Chao said, suddenly feeling as if he had grasped leverage over the Pei family. His throat felt somewhat dry as he said hoarsely, “If the Pei family falls into misfortune, our family will also be implicated.”

At this moment, Gu Chao deeply regretted marrying his sister into the Pei family.