Yu Tang cried out in surprise.

She had been in the capital for some time now and had attended several gatherings of the capital’s external noblewomen. She knew what kind of situation the Yang family was in within the capital.

If the Yang family’s eldest master and second master were never to be employed again, for the Yang family, that would be a fatal blow.

It might even cause the Yang family to decline from then on.

One must know that the Yang family’s current status was achieved through several generations’ worth of effort.

She said, “I heard Madam Li mention in passing once that the Sun family matter caused quite a stir. The Peng family even gained quite a few benefits from it. If we can avoid getting involved, we’d better not. Whatever you need done, you can have me do it directly. We can’t just let the Yang family threaten us like this.”

But she also couldn’t think of a better way to escape the Yang family’s threats.

Hearing this, Pei Yan lazily hummed an acknowledgment and said, “A marriage alliance is absolutely impossible. Although I haven’t thought of a solution yet, it’s not like there’s completely no way.” Speaking to this point, he lifted his head from Yu Tang’s shoulder and asked with a smile, “You said Gu Xi told you about the Yang family’s matter. How did the Yang family end up finding her? What exactly did she tell you?”

Yu Tang then told Pei Yan everything—how the Yang family had invited her and Second Madam to be guests, what she and Second Madam had been thinking, how they had sent Gu Xi to the Yang family as a guest, and what Gu Xi had said to her.

Pei Yan thought for a moment and said, “Do you know what time Gu Xi left the Yang family and what time she returned to the residence?”

Yu Tang hadn’t asked about this.

She said, “That’s easy to find out—I’ll just ask our family’s carriage driver.”

Pei Yan simply told Yu Tang what information he needed: “I want to know if Gu Chao knows about this matter.”

One must know that it was Gu Chao who had reported Sun Gao’s misdeeds.

If anyone should be most nervous, it should be Gu Chao.

And Gu Xi often unconsciously revealed in her words and actions a tone of “I have my brother backing me up.” With such a big matter happening in the Pei family, logically, eight or nine times out of ten, Gu Xi would go ask Gu Chao to help her make a decision.

If Gu Chao knew, what would he do?

Yu Tang’s eyes lit up. She hurriedly said, “I know what to do now!”

Her bright, sparkling appearance was like a star suddenly shining brilliantly, or like a sleeping cat that became lively the moment it opened its eyes.

This kind of Yu Tang was especially vibrant.

She overlapped with the image of the fearless Bold Yu in Pei Yan’s memory.

Perhaps this kind of Yu Tang was the most beautiful?

Pei Yan chuckled and couldn’t help pinching Yu Tang’s cheek.

Delicate and smooth, like a child’s skin.

He couldn’t resist rubbing it between two fingers.

But Yu Tang frowned and tilted her head away, saying with displeasure, “Do you know how strong your grip is? You’re not allowed to pinch my face anymore.”

Pei Yan continued laughing and suddenly leaned over to kiss the spot he had just pinched.

Yu Tang’s face flushed red, as beautiful as peach blossoms.

This looked even better!

Pei Yan thought to himself.

What A’Tang lacked was experience. If she had the same background as Xu Shi, she would definitely be more independent-minded than Xu Shi.

He couldn’t help but say, “You should spend less time lounging around at home with Xu Shi. When you have nothing to do, go out and visit around. Doesn’t she like running around everywhere? Whether she comes to our house or runs around outside, she’s using you as an excuse anyway. You might as well run around outside more yourself.”

Yu Tang had no idea what Pei Yan was thinking. She smiled and said, “She’s only about a month away from giving birth, isn’t she? How would I dare run around outside with her! Sometimes when she wants to go out, I have to coax her to stay home and make hair ornaments with me or something.”

“It’s fine!” Pei Yan said dismissively. “That’s something Yin Mingyuan should worry about. If she wants to go out and have fun, just accompany her. If you really feel it’s unsafe, go visit the Zhang or Li families. The married ladies of the Yin family all have experienced elders in their households—nothing will happen. Or you could visit the Gu family too. Gu Chaoyang’s household also has someone from the Yin family—the Yin family’s younger aunt.”

Might as well make use of the connections.

Xu Shi was still wandering around outside when she was about to give birth—why should his A’Tang be scared and worried? Those grand and young aunts of the Yin family could give orders without taking responsibility. Let them also experience Yu Tang’s hardships.

Yu Tang misunderstood.

She thought Pei Yan wanted her to drag Gu Chao into this as well.

A marriage alliance was a double-edged sword—when one prospered, all prospered, but when there was damage, all would be affected.

She smiled warmly and said, “Then I’ll ask Mrs. Yin.”

No matter what, Xu Xuan was after all pregnant. It would be better not to involve her in this.

Pei Yan smiled and tapped Yu Tang’s forehead, saying, “You always consider others too much. Sometimes you need to look out for yourself too.”

Yu Tang smiled foolishly, feeling that even her forbearance toward Pei Yan carried sweetness.

She asked him gently, “Do you still feel uncomfortable? Should I get you another bowl of honey water?”

Pei Yan spread his limbs and fell back on the bed, casually acknowledging with a sound and adding, “Don’t put so much honey in it.” His manner, rather than giving Yu Tang instructions, was more like acting spoiled toward her.

How could this be!

It was like raising a big child.

Yu Tang looked at Pei Yan’s relaxed, lazy yet differently charming face, pounced on him to kiss him once, then went smiling to have Qing Yuan prepare another bowl of less sweet honey water.

Pei Yan could feel Yu Tang’s joy.

He touched the place she had kissed and silently smiled with upturned lips.

Half an hour later, Qing Yuan found out about Gu Xi’s movements.

But when she was about to go tell Yu Tang, Yu Tang and Pei Yan’s inner chamber was tightly shut. From time to time, she could hear Yu Tang’s delicate yet unclear complaining sounds.

Qing Yuan’s face burned hot. She hurried back to the center of the courtyard and told the old servant on duty, “If there’s any movement from Third Master and Third Madam’s inner chamber, let me know. I still need to report back to Third Madam!”

That old servant was a veteran of the Pei family who had even served Old Madam Pei before. She was one of the people who had accompanied Yu Tang to the capital this time.

Hearing this, she laughed and said, “Miss Qing Yuan is still young after all. If it were me, I’d come talk about this matter tomorrow morning.”

Qing Yuan felt her face grow even hotter. She hastily acknowledged and quickly returned to her room.

But the next morning, Yu Tang got up very late. When she entered, Pei Yan had already left. A’Xing and the others had already begun helping her comb her hair, and she was still drowsily dozing there.

Qing Yuan didn’t disturb her. Only after she had finished her breakfast did she tell her about this matter: “After the eldest young mistress returned, she first went to Uncle Gu’s place. She had dinner there before coming back.”

In other words, Gu Chao knew about this matter.

This was good.

Gu Chao was also capable. Now that he was in the same boat as the Pei family, Pei Yan had gained a powerful ally.

Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief. She carefully thought about the Yang family’s matter. When Pei Yan returned from outside, she discussed with him: “Do you think we should tell the Yang family that the marriage alliance won’t work? When they come pressing, we can give them our answer then—it would make us seem like we have no other choice.”

Pei Yan thought this was feasible and said, “Do whatever you want to do! Follow your own ideas. Even if it’s wrong, it’s nothing. Just consider it practice.”

Although he said this, Yu Tang still felt a bit afraid. She said, “For this matter, do you already have a solution?”

Pei Yan smiled and said, “I don’t have a solution yet, but I’ve met with Gu Chaoyang, and the marriage between the Qin and Fei families has already been settled.”

What did this have to do with the Qin and Fei families?

Yu Tang’s eyes widened.

Pei Yan smiled and said, “This morning I had breakfast with Second Brother before going out. He said that not only do we not have any daughters of suitable age, but even if we did, we wouldn’t form a marriage alliance with the Yang family.”

To resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the home front.

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips.

“After that, I went to see Gu Chaoyang and told him about the Yang family wanting to form a marriage alliance with our family.” Pei Yan continued. “I saw Gu Chaoyang’s face change color. I took the opportunity to make clear our family’s position and also asked him to help investigate what leverage our family might have fallen into the Yang family’s hands. He even tried to give me bureaucratic excuses!”

Gu Chao wouldn’t be so lacking in awareness, but Pei Yan would spare no effort to blacken Gu Chao’s name in front of Yu Tang.

“That person is just petty-minded,” he said. “Although investigating this matter might draw him into it, if he doesn’t investigate, does he think he can distance himself from it?”

In Yu Tang’s impression, this really was something Gu Chao could do.

She said, “So did Gu Chaoyang agree or not?”

“He agreed.” Pei Yan had plenty of ways to make him agree. Having Gu Chao investigate this matter, he didn’t really expect Gu Chao to truly help him—it was mainly to pacify Gu Chao and keep him from causing trouble. Because if Gu Chao had the opportunity, he believed Gu Chao would be very willing to hold this leverage in his own hands.

Yu Tang nodded and said, “Then you should also be careful.”

Pei Yan acknowledged with great satisfaction.

As a result, that afternoon Second Madam came over, pulling her hand and saying worriedly, “Master said he wants to settle A’Dan’s marriage with the Qin family. It’s so sudden—did something happen?”

Yu Tang couldn’t say much else, but she should be able to tell Second Madam about the Yang family wanting to form a marriage alliance with the Pei family.

She told Second Madam about the Yang family’s plan to host them at a banquet.

Second Madam, who had such a good temper, started cursing upon hearing it: “Their family clearly knows Mother-in-law doesn’t want to form another marriage alliance with them, yet they still do this. Do they think we two sisters-in-law are both fools who would go over Mother-in-law’s head to agree to this marriage? They must be targeting our A’Dan.”

No wonder Second Madam thought this way.

Even though Pei Yan was the clan head, marriage alliances still required the parents’ consent. Right now, the only marriages they could decide were those of the younger generation of the main branch.

Yu Tang comforted Second Madam: “Maybe there’s another candidate?”

Second Madam was fixated on this point and said, “Then they’re targeting our A’Hong. No matter what they’re planning, I absolutely won’t agree. Otherwise, how could I face Mother-in-law?” She also complained about her own brothers: “We asked them to inquire about the Qin family’s matters—why is it so difficult?”

Yu Tang could only say, “It’s also because they’re a bit far away. How about we try to find a way to inquire ourselves?”

She was also truly afraid that in haste they would betroth Fifth Miss to someone unsuitable.

Seeing that Yu Tang’s thoughts aligned with her own, Second Madam was very pleased and hurriedly asked her, “How should we inquire?”