Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Duke Yuguo, still furious, let out a heavy snort.

Pei Dingxuan sighed softly and then explained.

"It was my third brother's business. Today, he accompanied Minister Cheng and Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Works to the palace to meet the Emperor and present the newly designed water-saving mechanism. He got into a quarrel with Vice Minister Li in front of the Emperor."

"A quarrel?" Duke Yu slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clink.

"Was that a verbal argument? He slapped Vice Minister Li on the head with his ceremonial tablet, and by the time I arrived, the other man had such a big bump on his forehead."

Duke Yu suddenly stood up, pointed at Pei Yaojun, his fingers trembling with anger.

"To lay a hand on the Emperor? You must have a death wish!"

"He deserved it!"

Pei Yaojun stubbornly retorted.

"You dare to talk back!"

Duke Yu was about to take down the long sword hanging on the wall and teach him a lesson.

Pei Dingxuan reacted quickly and grabbed his arm.

"Father, please calm down. Your health is the most important thing. Even if my third brother is at fault, we should find out the whole story before taking any action."

Duke Yu's chest heaved violently. He was held down but couldn't break free for a moment. Eventually, he gave up and sat back in the main seat.

Pei Zeyu also opened his mouth, trying to divert his father's attention.

He asked, "And then what happened?"

Pei Dingxuan rubbed his temples. "His Majesty was furious. My father and I pleaded with him in front of the Emperor, and that's how we managed to bring my third brother back temporarily and confine him to his residence."

A seemingly casual remark reveals the difficulty of the maneuvering behind it all.

Although the Duke of Yu held a high position and wielded great power, pleading for the emperor's life was always fraught with difficulty.

Moreover, the Third Master acted in front of the Emperor, disgracing the court officials. It is already a stroke of luck that he was able to temporarily escape punishment.

Pei Zeyu understood the gravity of the matter and looked at Pei Yaojun: "Why did you hit Minister Li?"

Pei Yaojun chuckled, his handsome face filled with resentment and unwillingness.

"I was observing the government under his Ministry of Works. He was very harsh on me and made me sit on the sidelines. It was a hot potato that no one wanted to take on, but I took it on and did it well. He also said that he would take me to meet the emperor to report."

As a result, the audience with the Emperor was delayed again and again. Finally, I met His Majesty today. His Majesty praised the ingenuity of my work. But he didn't mention me at all. He took all the credit for himself and said that it was the result of his many days of dedicated research!

When I argued with him, he turned around and accused me of disrespecting my elders and coveting credit. I was so angry that I...

He then slapped the tablet down.

Pei Zeyu lowered his eyes and tapped his knee lightly with his fingertips.

Li Shilang, he remembered this person.

Born into a poor family, he worked hard for decades and climbed step by step to the position of Vice Minister of Works, becoming one of the few powerful figures among officials from humble backgrounds in the court.

People like him naturally harbor prejudices against scions of prominent families, especially those like his third brother.

Today's blatant plundering of the emperor's favor is a way for the common people to vent their pent-up resentment towards the aristocratic families.

The third brother's strike with the scepter was certainly impulsive.

But wasn't Vice Minister Li's behavior just as outrageous?

"His criticism and the theft of your credit are his fault, but does that justify your violence in front of His Majesty?"

The Duke of Yu was furious. "Where is the proper etiquette and decorum between ruler and subject in the court! Do you have any sense of propriety at all?"

Pei Yaojun retorted loudly, "Then what should I do?"

"I am merely an observer in the Ministry of Works, of low rank, not even qualified to submit a memorial to His Majesty to impeach him! To watch helplessly as my hard work is stolen and he distorts the truth and slanders me, am I only supposed to swallow my anger?"

Pei Dingxuan said in a deep voice, "Third brother, calm down. If this matter is not resolved properly, not only will your future career be in jeopardy, but you may even lose your qualification to serve as an observer in the Ministry of Works directly to the Emperor."

Pei Yaojun suddenly quieted down, his eyes gradually turning red.

Duke Yu closed his eyes and suppressed his anger.

"Now that things have come to this, the only way out is to admit our mistakes."

"Go to the storeroom now, pick out a few of the most valuable gifts, and personally go to the Li residence to apologize. As long as Vice Minister Li is willing to relent, your career can be saved."

"I'm not going!"

Pei Yaojun refused without hesitation.

"I did nothing wrong, why should I bow down and apologize to him?"

"you!"

Duke Yu was so enraged by his stubbornness that his vision blurred. His suppressed anger finally broke free, and he roared:

"Fine! You refuse to go, is that it? Then kneel outside the door until you've come to your senses and are willing to go to the Li residence to apologize, then you can get up!"

Seeing this, Pei Dingxuan and Pei Zeyu stepped forward to offer a few more words of advice.

Ke Yuguo was in a fit of anger and resented Pei Yaojun for being so ignorant, so he raised his hand and scolded the two of them.

"Don't plead for him! He brought this on himself, and all of you get out! No one is allowed to interfere in his affairs today!"

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

The father was stern and his mind was made up; further persuasion would be futile. He could only bow and leave Hechun Hall.

A night breeze swept through the courtyard, bringing a slight chill and causing the lanterns under the eaves to swirl.

Pei Dingxuan and Pei Zeyu stood side by side outside the courtyard gate.

Inside the courtyard, Pei Yaojun knelt on the bluestone slab with his back straight.

Pei Dingxuan was the first to break the silence.

"If this matter is not handled properly, it will not only affect my third brother's future."

"Minister Li is highly respected among officials from humble backgrounds. If he uses this as an excuse to make trouble and portray the matter as aristocratic sons abusing their power, it may incite dissatisfaction among the common people towards the aristocratic families."

This will then evolve into a new round of factional infighting in the imperial court.

"Has my elder brother forgotten that I work in the Ministry of Personnel?"

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of evaluating, promoting, and transferring officials.

Although Vice Minister Li was from the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Personnel might have kept records of his career and annual performance evaluations, and Pei Zeyu was not unaware of some of his less-than-honorable secrets.

"It is not easy for Vice Minister Li, who came from a humble background, to reach this position, nor is he absolutely clean."

Pei Zeyu spoke softly and slowly, as if stating the most ordinary fact.

"If my third brother really refuses to back down, there are other ways, but it will take more effort."

The implication in his words couldn't be clearer.

Don't be fooled by his gentle and smiling demeanor; he is a dagger hidden in brocade.

It usually keeps a low profile, but once drawn, it strikes straight at the heart of the matter.

Pei Dingxuan frowned.

"Brother, is there anything else you find problematic?"

Why are you so concerned about this matter?

Pei Dingxuan originally wanted to ask if he had changed and was very concerned about his third brother's affairs.

The three brothers, though born of the same mother, had vastly different personalities.

He was steady and reserved, his second brother was gentle and aloof, and his third brother was flamboyant and unrestrained.

Normally, the second brother would take care of the third brother, but they always kept a distance between them.

Like watching a fire from across the river, you can see it clearly, but you might not be willing to get involved.

But today he actually wants to use his influence in the Ministry of Personnel to clean up the mess left by his impulsive third brother.

This isn't like him.

Pei Zeyu ran his fingertips along the inside of the fan ribs, and the image of her pure, proud smile when she mentioned the ingenuity in the corner that day flashed through his mind.

That wasn't just the result of my third brother's hard work.

It's still hers.

"I just can't stand people who take other people's hard work for themselves, and I don't want to see some people's hard work being wasted."

The reasoning is plausible and consistent with his personality.

Pei Dingxuan believed him. "Then it's good that you keep it in mind. Don't go too far."

"Don't worry, brother."

…………