21
“Your siblings were just excited to meet you for the first time, and in their excitement, they acted rudely.
I will personally ensure they are properly taught.”
Li Han, who had remained silent until now, spoke up with a tone of apology.
He then turned to bow deeply to Li Taixuan, clasping his hands together in a formal gesture.
“I apologize on behalf of my children, elder brother.”
Immediately, the three children of the second branch stepped forward and dropped to their knees before Li Taixuan.
“We have wronged you, Uncle.
Please punish us.”
Li Lingran said with a pale face, tears streaming continuously from her almond-shaped eyes as if on command.
Her frail shoulders trembled with her sobs, painting a picture of a delicate, pitiable young girl in her light pink dress.
She appeared as fragile as a peach blossom in the rain.
If it weren’t for the fleeting glance she threw toward Feng Yongyuan, a sweet, pleading look, even Li Yue Haili might have felt some pity for her.
Could she still play this part?
Kneeling to beg for sympathy from others didn’t always yield the desired result.
Li Yue Haili, of all people, knew that best.
She narrowed her eyes, observing Li Han.
Compared to He Shi, the second master had a cold and calculating nature.
She could not underestimate him.
Once an elder stepped forward to take responsibility, the direction of the situation could easily shift in his favor.
The young girl closed her eyes, contemplating her next move.
With many townspeople gathered around, eagerly watching this drama unfold, her parents were in no position to take decisive action.
Whether they accepted the apology or not, neither option would bode well for them.
As for her elder brother, he could be ruled out entirely—unless it involved a fight, he was best left alone.
Feng Yongyuan, being an outsider, would not intervene.
Even if he were considered part of the family, if she couldn’t handle this situation, it would be an utter waste of the eleven past lifetimes she had lived.
Letting the second branch of the family continue their theatrical display for a moment longer, Li Yue Haili suddenly opened her eyes.
She quickly ran over and wrapped her arms around the old General Li’s arm, who stood nearby with a furrowed brow.
This elder, General Li, typically disliked involving himself in household affairs.
He usually left the management of the household to the elder Furen while he lived in peaceful seclusion in a distant part of the manor.
Minor issues were rarely reported to him unless absolutely necessary.
Li Yue Haili had gathered this much from her observations.
But upon meeting him and reading his demeanor, she felt confident that the old man had little involvement in the complex schemes of the household.
How much he actually knew remained uncertain, however.
“Grandfather, Ying Ying was wrong.
I was just angry about what I heard on the way to the capital, so I foolishly took it out on my sisters.
Kneeling like this, they might get sick, Grandfather, please tell them to get up,” Li Yue Haili spoke in a trembling voice, her brows furrowed.
Her large, round eyes, adorned with a small red beauty mark, glistened with moisture, and her small lips turned downwards in a pout.
Though no tears fell, her expression was so endearing that even the hardened old general found his heart softening.
Li Yue Haili could tell that General Li and her father shared similar traits.
They had both spent their lives on the battlefield, where gentle women were cherished, but those who cried too often were seen as a nuisance.
These types of men didn’t prefer overly strong women who resembled generals, nor did they favor women who were excessively fragile.
They admired women who had their own minds, were intelligent, gentle, but strong—not the type who spent their days gossiping or weeping without reason.
Having watched her parents’ loving relationship over the years, Li Yue Haili understood this preference well.
Contrary to the saying that ‘children who cry get treats,’ she knew that if one were to cry, the timing and the person they cried to mattered greatly.
Pleading didn’t always require sobs and tears—what a simple-minded way of thinking.
“All right, enough!
Get up.
What are you kneeling for?
It’s disgraceful.” General Li scolded the second branch children with irritation.
Then, turning back to Li Yue Haili, he asked, “Yue Ying, tell me, what did you hear?
I’ll deal with whoever spoke ill of you and ensure justice is served.”
Li Yue Haili shook her head, her hair swaying.
“It’s not me, Grandfather.
It’s my elder brother who deserves justice.”
The elder Furen and He Shi were stunned.
So, that was her real goal!
No wonder she had been stirring up trouble nonstop.
But…
how did she know?
Could she possibly be aware of that?!
Watching their reactions closely, Li Yue Haili caught the panic in their faces.
She shot them a fleeting, mocking glance.
You dared to scheme against my family—plotting to eliminate my mother and destroy my brother’s future.
Did you think life was too smooth for you?
Worry not.
Now that I’m here, you’ll face many worthy obstacles.
“You…” Old Furen Li opened her mouth to intervene, the kind expression on her face fading significantly, but it was too late to stop the young girl.
In a sweet but slightly petulant voice, Li Yue Haili continued, “I don’t really understand everything, but I heard people at the horse station talking about a Miss Su.
Apparently, she was engaged to the son of a border general.
She wasn’t happy with the engagement because the man had grown up in the countryside, not in the capital, so she tried to run away.”
Li Yue Haili furrowed her brow thoughtfully before continuing, “Now that I think about it, it couldn’t have been my eldest brother they were talking about.
How could my elder brother have a fiancée without Father and Mother knowing?
It must have been just some baseless rumor.
I’m so foolish—when I saw my sisters, I couldn’t help but think of it and got angry.
Grandfather, will you punish Ying Ying for this?”
It was as though a bolt of lightning struck the Li family’s mansion, leaving the entire household in stunned silence for a breath.
In the capital, there was only one Su family—the family of Su Bo.
Until now, there had been no clear news of any marriage negotiations.
Or could it be…?
Everyone turned their eyes toward the elder Furen and He Shi.
Even though Li Yue Haili had stated that it wasn’t about Li Zhengqing, since both General Li and his wife were completely unaware, the story pointed so directly at the young man that it left no room for doubt.
The bystanders began speculating among themselves.
The second branch of the Li family had always held themselves in high regard, appearing outwardly as noble scholars of great virtue.
The second master was known for his love for his wife, and He Shi, having been married for many years without bearing a son, had allowed a maid to become her husband’s concubine—a gesture widely praised as generous.
But perhaps, after all, things were not as they seemed.