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So, their Little Fifth hadn't stolen or snatched anything, nor had she casually accepted gifts from others. That was fine! As for the gift b
So, their Little Fifth hadn't stolen or snatched anything, nor had she casually accepted gifts from others. That was fine! As for the gift being from Wei Tingyu, then of course, there was even less of a problem! She was his person anyway, sooner or later, so a gift was just a gift!
"Wait, something's not right?" However, Fourth Daughter Hao De blinked and said, "When did Brother-in-law give you pearls? Why don't I know about it?"
"Could it be that today you said you wanted to teach that Young Master Yang a harsher lesson, so you took it from him?"
At Fourth Daughter's words, everyone present was stunned for a moment, especially Lady Li Niang, who looked at her fifth daughter with a questioning gaze.
"Little Fifth! Did you take someone's things?" Lady Li Niang's upbringing had always been strict, and she absolutely would not tolerate such petty thievery from her daughters. So, her tone was quite severe!
"I..." Fifth Daughter Le Shan blinked, then her small eyes darted around before she said, "What if I did?"
"That Young Master Yang bullies men and women! He dared to harass a virtuous woman in broad daylight!"
"Even if I took his things, it was just a slight punishment!"
"You..." Upon hearing Le Shan's words, her sisters and mother all sighed helplessly.
"He did wrong because of his poor character!" Eldest Daughter Shou Hua spoke with a grave and earnest tone, educating her fifth sister, "But if you stole his things, then you are in the wrong!"
"Mother! Look, Eldest Sister is scolding me!" Fifth Daughter Le Shan immediately became indignant and turned to Lady Li Niang, whining.
"Your Eldest Sister is right!" However, Lady Li Niang didn't indulge her daughter. Instead, she frowned and said, "Although these pearls aren't big, they look bright and dazzling; they definitely aren't ordinary! Your actions might bring disaster upon our family!"
"Alright, alright! I won't tease you anymore!" Seeing this, Fifth Daughter Le Shan could only sigh helplessly, then shook her head and said, "Though I, the dignified Fifth Lady Li, am mischievous at times, I have never stolen anything! How could you truly believe that?"
"So, you were just tricking us?" Upon hearing Le Shan's answer, the other Li family daughters all breathed a sigh of relief. For Le Shan's words did make sense! They still understood Little Fifth's character; they just hadn't thought of it in their haste earlier!
"So these pearls were really from Brother-in-law?" At this moment, Fourth Daughter Hao De's eyes suddenly lit up. After all, the pearls in Le Shan's hand were valuable and certainly not something she bought herself. Judging by this, the possibility that her initial statement about Brother-in-law Wei Tingyu gifting them was very high!
"That's right!" Fifth Daughter Le Shan nodded solemnly, then looked at her fourth sister, "I said yes before, but you didn't believe me!"
"Then why didn't Brother-in-law give them to me?" Upon hearing this, Fourth Daughter Hao De immediately pouted her small lips, feeling wronged. At the same time, Third Daughter Kang Ning, who had been silent, also felt a slight pang of bitterness. After all, it was always like this: it's not the scarcity that causes problems, but the unequal distribution. If Wei Tingyu, their Marquis brother-in-law and future husband, hadn't given any to anyone, that would have been fine. But to only give to their Little Fifth, wouldn't that be too unfair to herself and Fourth Sister?
"It's nothing!" At this moment, Shou Hua, sitting beside Kang Ning, saw the displeased expression on her third sister's face. She quickly and gently pulled her hand, then softly advised in her ear, "The Marquis probably gave it to Little Fifth simply because she's lively and adorable; it doesn't mean much!"
"Yes! Yes!" Second Daughter Fu Hui, who was not far away, also nodded repeatedly, "The Marquis treats all wives and concubines in the residence equally! We can testify to that; you'll know when you enter the Marquis's Residence in the future!"
"Eldest Sister! Second Sister!" However, Kang Ning shook her head slightly and said with a smile, "How could I be jealous of Fifth Sister? Don't overthink it!" Of course, Kang Ning's words were a bit disingenuous. After all, even though she kept telling herself not to be jealous, the bitterness in her heart was uncontrollable! This made Kang Ning herself quite troubled and annoyed! Of course, she wouldn't blame Fifth Sister for this; she just clenched her small fists tightly and silently grumbled a few more complaints about Wei Tingyu in her heart. After all, a husband who couldn't treat everyone equally was definitely the culprit for unrest in the inner courtyard!
"Oh, alright, alright! I won't tease you anymore!" Fifth Daughter Le Shan, seeing her fourth sister looking as if she were about to cry, could only purse her lips, then pulled out two exquisite small pouches from her sleeve. Then, to everyone's astonished gaze, she handed one small pouch each to Hao De and Kang Ning.
"This is..." Hao De was stunned. She opened the small pouch and took a look, then raised her head with a shocked expression! She saw what was in the pouch, but at this moment, she was too excited to speak! Instead, Kang Ning poured all the contents of the pouch into her hand. Everyone saw then that the pouch contained dozens of small, brilliant pearls. Their quality was almost identical to the ones Le Shan wore on her head, indistinguishable in grade.
"These pearls are..." Lady Li Niang was also bewildered. She looked at the handful of pearls in Kang Ning's hand, then turned to Le Shan and asked.
"Brother-in-law gave them to me!" Fifth Daughter Le Shan said with a helpless pout, "Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and I each got a pouch, fair and square!"
"When we returned to the Li family entrance, you pulled Eldest Sister and ran inside."
"The Marquis didn't have time to stop you, so he gave all three pouches to me, asking me to pass them on to you two!"
"That's good! That's good!" Lady Li Niang finally got the answer she sought, and she was relieved. And she was certain that Fifth Daughter Le Shan's words were absolutely true! After all, pearls of such excellent quality, neatly divided into three small pouches, clearly indicated that the gift had been prepared in advance. Considering that her three daughters hadn't yet entered the Marquis's Residence, Wei Tingyu's actions were normal. Of course, no one doubted that Le Shan might have secretly kept these two pouches of pearls for herself. She must have already planned to hand the pouches over to her two sisters in public; otherwise, she wouldn't have worn the pearl makeup on her forehead and paraded it around for her sisters to see! And thinking about it carefully, how could a sincere young girl like Le Shan, who so disliked that Young Master Yang, put his pearls on her forehead? Even if Young Master Yang had personally tried to give them to her, she would certainly have disdained them and even felt disgusted. Of course, if these pearls were from Brother-in-law Wei Tingyu, that would be different, and no wonder this young lass proudly wore them on her forehead for her sisters to see!
"Are you happy now?" Shou Hua looked at her third sister sitting beside her, seeing her staring blankly at the pearls in her hand, and chuckled softly. Of course, Shou Hua and Fu Hui wouldn't care about this at all! After all, they were already living in the Marquis's Residence, so how could they be jealous of the small bag of pearls their sisters received?
"Eldest Sister!" Kang Ning was still deep in thought when Shou Hua's question made her face flush. She shifted slightly, feeling a little miffed. However, it was indeed as Eldest Sister said; the sourness and jealousy she had felt earlier had now completely vanished. This fellow has a conscience! He didn't forget me!
Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, Second Daughter Fu Hui suddenly frowned, and the expression on her face became serious.
"What's wrong?" Lady Li Niang was the first to notice that her second daughter seemed unwell and quickly asked.
"Mother, I suddenly remembered!" Fu Hui blinked, her face showing a look of sudden realization, "Could this Young Master Yang, whom Fifth Sister mentioned earlier, be the younger brother of Concubine Yang Mei in the palace?"
At these words, everyone present immediately fell silent again. Previously, they only knew that this fop was a Young Master from a powerful family, but they didn't know his specific identity or which powerful family he belonged to.
"This..." Fifth Daughter Le Shan frowned, because she was also a bit uncertain. "Hmph! This capital truly is different! Whenever you go out and bump into someone, they're either rich or noble!"
"Since he's a Young Master from a powerful family, he should also come from an influential background!"
However, Le Shan's tone was very light, clearly indicating that she still felt the matter was nothing major!
"Oh dear! What's wrong with officials?" At this moment, Lady Li Niang looked quite composed. She swayed her round fan and said with a smile, "If he dares to come knocking on our door, I'll use the door bolt to chase him out!" With Wei Tingyu's backing, Lady Li Niang's courage was much greater than before! In her opinion, ordinary official families would definitely not dare to provoke a noble family with a title!
"Mother!" However, Fu Hui had, after all, arrived in the capital two years earlier than her mother and sisters, so she naturally understood the ways of this place better. Seeing Lady Li Niang's nonchalant attitude, she quickly said, "If this Young Master Yang truly has connections with that person in the palace, he's much more powerful than an ordinary official!"
"That Concubine Yang Jieyu is the current Emperor's most favored concubine!"
"In the palace, she's even more formidable than the Empress Dowager!"
"The Emperor just posthumously granted her grandfather the title of Inspector of Guizhou!" "And he's even going to give him an additional official title!"
"If he really is Concubine Yang Jieyu's younger brother, and we injured him, that person in the palace will surely hold our entire family accountable!"
"It might even implicate the Marquis!"
Fu Hui's rapid-fire words directly frightened her mother and sisters thoroughly! After all, in their understanding, no matter how high the Marquis's status was, he couldn't compare to the Emperor in the palace!
"At that time, Young Master Yang did seem to say that the current Emperor was his brother-in-law, in terms of relations!" At this moment, Shou Hua also remembered some details that happened earlier in the day and quickly said. "I thought at the time that this fop was just trying to scare me by borrowing power!"
"He and Concubine Yang Jieyu are both surnamed Yang, and now it seems... could it be true?!"
Shou Hua's words immediately made everyone present frown simultaneously. After all, it seemed that this possibility was becoming increasingly likely!
"They're both surnamed Yang... but that doesn't mean they're biological siblings, does it?!"
Lady Li Niang chuckled awkwardly twice, then said, "There are so many concubines in the palace! There might be several surnamed Yang! Maybe it's just some distant relative of an unfavored concubine trying to gain status!" Of course, Lady Li Niang also felt that her own words were unlikely to be true, but at this moment, she could only say this to comfort herself and her daughters.
"Alas! I hope so!" Fu Hui could only sigh after hearing her mother's words, then nodded, "But Mother, for the sake of our sisters and the Li family, promise me! No matter whether that Young Master Yang truly comes knocking, you absolutely must not be aggressive!"
"But Brother-in-law clearly recognized that Young Master Yang today!" At this moment, Fourth Daughter Hao De suddenly remembered something and clapped her hands, saying, "But he wasn't afraid of Young Master Yang, which means this fop shouldn't be anything to be afraid of either!"
"The Marquis will protect us no matter what!" Eldest Daughter Shou Hua said after a period of contemplation, "But we can't always cause trouble for the Marquis! Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to bother the Marquis with this matter again!"
"I say, you surnamed Chai!" At this moment, in the Panlou, Yang Xian was pointing indignantly at Chai An, shouting loudly, "Are you intentionally playing a trick on me?"
"What are you saying, Young Master?" Chai An chuckled upon seeing Yang Xian's bruised and swollen face. The day's events had already spread throughout the capital's streets and alleys; Yang Xian was now a well-known figure in the aristocratic circle! Fan Lianghan, standing nearby, was desperately clenching his lips, barely managing not to burst out laughing. Compared to his own miserable state when Wei Tingyu knocked him unconscious in the Fan family courtyard, he at least hadn't lost face as publicly as Yang Xian, becoming known throughout the capital!
"You clearly knew that two of the Li family's daughters had already married into the Marquis's Residence as concubines, yet you still incited me to cause trouble for the Li family?" Yang Xian's teeth ached with hatred, but no matter what, Chai An was still a former royal family member, and he had to show him respect on the surface. If it were anyone else, the lawless Yang Xian would have long since thrown wild punches and violently beaten the other party!
And when this question came up, Fan Lianghan finally stopped smiling, the suppressed smile on his face freezing. Didn't the two Li family daughters who married Wei Tingyu include his original fiancée, Fu Hui? It was a pity that he had never understood the benefits of that young woman back then, and had been instigated by his mother to bully her every day... Now that Fu Hui had completely left, he regretted it, but the other party hadn't left him even a shred of hope. All of Fu Hui's belongings, from small hairpins and jewelry to used mattresses and bedding, had been packed and taken away. For Fan Lianghan and the Fan family, it was as if that woman had never existed there at all! And now, hearing Yang Xian say this, Fan Lianghan's heart was churning with pain.
"Now look! I harassed the Marquis's noble concubine and got beaten by the Marquis in the street, then stripped naked by a bunch of unknown beggars!" Yang Xian grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, his entire face turning crimson.
"Even if I reported this to my sister, she probably wouldn't side with me!"
"So, I can only swallow this bitter pill!"
"And all of this is your fault!"
When he spoke the last sentence, Yang Xian almost used all the strength in his body to shout it out.
"Young Master Yang! What you're saying is a bit biased!" Chai An naturally wouldn't argue with Yang Xian like this. Instead, he smiled calmly and asked, "The Li family has five daughters, you know! Even if two have married into the Marquis's Residence, aren't there still three left unmarried?"
"So what?" Yang Xian grew even angrier upon hearing this, "I also saw the other two daughters of the Li family during the day! They seemed to be the youngest two!"
"The way they were following Wei Tingyu, even a fool could tell!"
"These five Li family daughters will all enter the Marquis Jining's Residence sooner or later!"
"And you still deliberately incited me to embarrass myself! It's simply too much!"
Yang Xian pursed his lips, then thought of the Li family daughter with twin pigtails he had seen during the day, and his heart pounded like a startled deer. At the same time, he also felt a pang of regret. He would have liked to marry such a girl into his residence too, but seeing the way she looked at Wei Tingyu, Yang Xian knew he had no chance at all!
"What you're saying..." Chai An, seeing Yang Xian's expression, immediately understood. He smiled and said, "The three youngest Li family daughters haven't married yet, have they? Then Young Master Yang still has a chance!"
"Hmm?" Yang Xian was startled upon hearing Chai An's words, but then his eyes darted around. It seemed there was some truth to that! Harassing a noble concubine who was already married into the Marquis's Residence was indeed his fault, and he didn't dare to make too much of a fuss about it. But as for the three unmarried daughters of the Li family, if Wei Tingyu could pursue them, why couldn't he? When it came to status in the capital, although his Yang family currently held no noble title, relying on his sister Concubine Yang Jieyu's favor, they were not inferior to the Marquis Jining's Residence!
"Or is Young Master Yang admitting defeat?" Chai An, of course, understood how to provoke. Seeing that Yang Xian's resolve had already softened, he quickly continued. At the same time, a disdainful expression appeared on his face, as if to say, I knew you didn't have the guts, and sure enough, you lost the bet to me, didn't you?!