Pei Xueji was full of confusion. Why did he have to make A He come and plead with him in person?
"Uncle, I'm pleading with you. A He is scared when she sees you, and you still want her to come and see you in person..."
"Didn't you say this is very important to her? Handing it over through someone else shows it's not that important!"
After Pei Yan chao finished speaking, he stepped down the steps and walked towards the study.
Pei Xueji wanted to chase after him, but was grabbed by Yan An.
"Seventh Miss, the master still has official business to attend to. Why don't you go back first!"
As Yan An spoke, he winked at her.
Pei Xueji wasn't stupid. She understood that Yan An was telling her to stop pushing things too far.
But Uncle hadn't agreed to what A He had asked for. How could she explain it to A He tomorrow? If even just handing over something wasn't allowed, what would A He think of her?
"Seventh Miss, the master has been busy with court affairs today. Why don't you go back first..."
Yan An was thinking of getting this young miss out of the way quickly. Looking at the master's gloomy face, it was almost as dark as the bottom of a pot, and the seventh miss was still being so oblivious.
"But..."
"Don't say 'but'..."
Just as Yan An and Pei Xueji were talking, Pei Yan chao suddenly turned around and said,
"I'll take you to the academy early tomorrow morning!"
"Ah...?"
Pei Xueji didn't react at first.
But Yan An immediately understood. He quickly pulled Pei Xueji aside.
"What the master means is that he'll take the seventh miss to the academy tomorrow morning. Then, if Miss Jiang Er delivers the thing to him herself, it'll be settled!"
Pei Xueji scratched her head. "No, is my uncle crazy? Why does he have to make things so difficult?"
"Seventh Miss, if Miss Jiang Er wants someone to help her, shouldn't she show some attitude?"
"Well, that's true..."
Yan An continued to guide her. "Think about it, Seventh Miss. Miss Jiang Er is so insincere. The master definitely won't be willing to help!"
Pei Xueji nodded. "I think you seem to be making some sense."
Yan An was relieved that he had managed to persuade this young miss.
"So, Seventh Miss, explain it well to Miss Jiang Er tomorrow and just let her deliver the thing to the master herself!"
"My uncle is really such a fussy person..."
Pei Xueji finally gave in. She hugged the cloth bag and turned back.
Yan An chased after the master to the study. When he saw the master sitting at the desk dealing with official business, he quickly poured a cup of cold tea.
"Master, calm down your anger!"
Hearing this, Pei Yan chao looked up. "What anger?"
Yan An scratched his head. "Miss Jiang Er might just be too embarrassed to see you. It definitely isn't because she's trying to avoid suspicion with you!"
"Too talkative..." Pei Yan chao said coldly.
It didn't matter if he was too talkative. It was better than the master being moody these days!
"Send this list to the Ministry of Rites tomorrow and ask them to arrange these people into the White Deer Academy..."
The list Pei Yan chao had made was of some talented poor scholars who were coming to the capital for the autumn imperial examination this year.
"Master, if you openly support these poor scholars like this, what if those old stubborns find out? Will it..."
Pei Yan chao sneered. "That's exactly what I want. I want them to get restless!"
"After they enter the White Deer Academy, I'll go and see them myself!"
Yan An nodded.
Pei Yan chao rubbed his forehead and asked in a low voice, "How long until the people from the Eastern Moon Kingdom arrive?"
"About three days' journey!"
"It's a bit too late. Have someone cause them some trouble on the way and delay them until after the engagement with the He Mansion. Then let them enter the capital..."
Hearing this, Yan An thought for a moment and said, "Understood. I'll go and make the arrangements right away."
...
After Yan An left, Pei Yan chao picked up the teacup and took a sip of cold tea. He had felt extremely irritated during the confrontation with those old foxes in the court today.
He bent down and opened the drawer beside the desk. Inside was a cyan silk ribbon with a lucky knot. He reached inside and took out a slightly dirty light gray lucky knot...
When Aunt Lin had someone send it from the manor that day, he had recognized at a glance that this was the lucky knot Jiang Sihe had made.
Aunt Lin had said that this lucky knot was picked up by a dog on the manor from the back window of the room where Jiang Sihe had stayed. She thought the material was good and was afraid that the young miss had lost it, so she had someone send it to him.
If she was just embarrassed about what had happened that day and was avoiding suspicion with him, why had she thrown the lucky knot she had made for him out of the back window of the manor?
When he heard that she had asked Pei Xueji to hand over the medical record of the eldest miss of the Jiang Mansion, he had felt inexplicably unhappy in his heart, which was why he had behaved so inconsiderately at the door.
Thinking about it now, he had overreacted. It was right for Jiang Sihe to ask Xiao Qi to hand it over and to avoid suspicion with him. It was he who had overstepped his bounds...
...
When Pei Xueji returned to her room, before she could even stand still, a maid came to report.
"Seventh Miss, the mistress wants you to go to the Cloudy Evening Courtyard!"
Pei Xueji frowned. "It's so late. Why does Second Aunt want to see me?"
"I don't know, miss!"
Pei Xueji put the things away and followed the maid to the Cloudy Evening Courtyard.
As soon as she entered, Lady Pei was checking the items for the engagement with the He Mansion in two days.
"Xiao Qi is here."
Pei Xueji stepped forward. Looking at the boxes with big red happy characters on them, she couldn't help but feel unhappy.
He Wenyu had resorted to tricks. Second Aunt didn't know, but Uncle clearly did. Why was he still going ahead with this engagement...
"You can all go down!"
Lady Pei sent all the maids in the room away.
"Xiao Qi, I have a few things I want to ask you..."
"Ah? Ask me..."
Seeing Second Aunt looking so serious, Pei Xueji felt a bit nervous. Could it be that the matter of tying up Pei Wan'er a few days ago had been exposed?
"You're the only one in the mansion who's close to Zi Qian. Do you know if he has..."
"Has what?"
Pei Xueji let out a sigh of relief. It turned out to be a question about Uncle.
"Has that..."
Pei Xueji frowned and asked back, "What?"
"Just a mistress... Does your uncle keep a mistress?"
"Ah... Impossible. Second Aunt, where did you hear such nonsense?"
Seeing Pei Xueji's reaction, Lady Pei couldn't help but doubt the news that had come back from the manor today.
Some servants on the manor had said that Pei Yan chao had brought a stunningly beautiful young miss and stayed on the manor for a day.
They had described it so vividly that she had almost believed it.
"It's nothing. Since you don't know, it must be someone talking nonsense!"
"With my uncle's personality, Second Aunt, you don't even need to think hard to know that he wouldn't keep a mistress..."
Lady Pei nodded. She knew her son well.
"Then does he have a girl he likes?"
Pei Xueji thought of how her uncle had been so cold and heartless when he had made things difficult for a young girl like A He. She sneered. "Impossible. He probably hasn't even awakened that kind of feeling..."
"Well, I think you're absolutely right..."
Lady Pei also very much agreed. That was why she had come up with the idea of setting him up with He Wenyu at the birthday banquet. But that plan hadn't succeeded. Why had he agreed later...?
She was just a bit confused in her heart. And with the rumors coming back from the manor, she had started to suspect...
"Second Aunt, I think those servants just want to get a reward from you, so they made it up on purpose!"
Lady Pei nodded. "Xiao Qi is still smart!"