The cousin is beautiful but ruthless.

Chapter 231 Those Past Events

"My husband, I am innocent!"

Han Yueru wiped away her tears and gently knelt down, clinging to Pei Mingjian's knees.

Pei Mingjian asked her in a deep voice, "What did I do to wrong you?"

"My feelings for my husband are as clear as day. When I first met him, I thought he was just a son of a wealthy family. I never imagined he was of such noble birth. Otherwise, I certainly wouldn't have spoken so arrogantly."

Speaking of Han Yueru and Pei Mingjian's first encounter, Pei Mingjian went to Licheng on business and that's where he met Han Yueru.

Pei Mingjian dressed discreetly on that trip. When he went there by carriage, the driver was distracted and almost bumped into someone, who was none other than Han Yueru.

Han Yueru wasn't this gentle back then. She frowned and said a few words. Pei Mingjian went out and made eye contact with someone.

Pei Mingjian saw the previously chattering person suddenly fall silent, and ran away blushing with embarrassment.

Later, Han Yueru often appeared in front of him. After asking around, he learned that she had found a job in the vicinity. There was no one at home, and it was not easy for her to run out and work alone. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

What happened next was a natural progression. Han Yueru was beautiful and charming, and very docile towards him. Even though she knew he had a wife at home, she only cried and made a scene before never mentioning the matter again.

It is often said that one should marry a virtuous wife and take a beautiful concubine. Pei Mingjian wanted to take Han Yueru back as a concubine, but Han Yueru refused no matter what.

Turning our attention back to Han Yueru now, time has left its mark on her face, but she still looks heartbreaking when she cries.

Pei Mingjian's eyes flickered slightly, and the voice of the clan elder rang in his ears again.

"Don't listen to her nonsense. She's been fooled once, does she want to be fooled again? Judging from her behavior, it's hard to say whose child Pei Xingzhi is."

Han Yueru almost lost her composure. Just how much had these old fogies found out?

Did they even find out about Luo Jiang?

But that's unlikely. If Luo Jiang had been found out, he would have told her by now.

Han Yueru said affectionately, "Our first meeting was really an accident. My husband knew that I was working there. I fell in love with him at first sight. The next few times, I just wanted to see him again. I had absolutely no other thoughts."

Seeing that Pei Mingjian's expression had softened slightly, Han Yueru continued.

"After all these years, doesn't my husband understand me yet?"

Liang Ruochu lowered her head and dared not speak. She had only been married into the family for a short time, and her mother-in-law had already encountered such a thing, which also involved Pei Xingzhi's background.

If Pei Xingzhi's background is truly questionable, what will she do?

Having finally married into the Duke's mansion, Pei Xingzhi became the heir. At that time, the Pei family had already tacitly accepted him as Pei Mingjian's son, and he and Pei Mingjian clearly looked alike. If something happened at this time, it would not be good for them.

Liang Ruochu looked at Han Yueru, hoping that Han Yueru could gloss over the matter.

Pei Xingzhi arrived at this time. He had sent someone ahead to check what was going on and made preparations before coming.

Upon seeing Pei Xingzhi, the clan elders showed expressions of disgust. They already disliked Pei Xingzhi, and now that they knew about these things, they hated him even more.

Even if Pei Xingzhi really is Pei Mingjian's son, after this incident, he will absolutely not be made his heir.

Seeing Pei Xingzhi approach, Han Yueru wiped her eyes, and Pei Mingjian took a deep breath.

"Father, Mother, what's wrong?"

Pei Xingzhi pretended not to know. If Han Yueru really couldn't explain it, then at least he had to be removed from the list so that she could stay in the Duke's mansion.

The clan elder sneered, "Everyone's here, perfect. We won't agree to this if it's not resolved today."

Han Yueru was still crying, begging Pei Mingjian to see her true feelings.

Pei Mingjian lowered his head, "What's the deal with that lover from Qingyun City?"

“He’s not my lover. I saved him when he was injured. I have no relationship with him whatsoever. Husband, I am innocent. I have been devoted to you all these years. Can’t you feel that?”

Han Yueru was actually quite scared. Luo Jiang's matter absolutely could not be exposed. However, she did not expect that these clan elders could still connect Pei Xingzhi's background with Luo Jiang.

Pei Xingzhi is not Luo Jiang's child; he is indeed Pei Mingjian's child.

The clan elders didn't believe her.

"You're full of lies. We've already sent people to Qingyun City to investigate thoroughly. I'm afraid that your lover helped you get to know the Duke."

Han Yueru lowered her eyes. Luo Jiang had indeed helped her, but wasn't it Pei Mingjian who had taken the bait himself?

Han Yueru thought this to herself but dared not say it aloud, and explained to Pei Mingjian with a wronged expression.

Pei Mingjian was suspicious, but he didn't know if what Han Yueru said was true.

The two sides were locked in a tense standoff when Pei Xingzhi went over and knelt down with Han Yueru.

“Father, no matter what happened, you have to hear what your mother has to say. Over the years, your mother has always been well-behaved and done her own thing. She has never let me come to see you or disturb your life. Your mother would never do such a thing.”

Pei Mingjian sighed: "You're too young to know about the past. Your mother and I will handle it ourselves. It has nothing to do with you."

He didn't want Pei Xingzhi to get involved; after all, it was just their business.

Pei Xingzhi wanted to hear those words. He glanced at Han Yueru worriedly, but Han Yueru, not wanting to implicate Pei Xingzhi, told him to stop talking.

“Mingjian, it hasn’t been easy for you to get to this position. Don’t let a moment of confusion ruin all your hard work.”

The uncle walked up to Pei Mingjian and said, “This Duke’s mansion can’t accommodate this mother and son. Besides, you don’t only have this one son. If they were honest, I wouldn’t say anything. But this is the case. This mother and son are only after your identity. They are lying to you.”

Pei Mingjian also had this suspicion, mainly because he was very concerned about Han Yueru's lover in Qingyun City.

"If she really had no other intentions, why didn't she enter the manor while she was pregnant with Pei Xing, instead of waiting until after the Yu family girl passed away?"

This was also what Pei Mingjian couldn't understand at the time. He had mentioned inviting Han Yueru to the manor more than once, but Han Yueru had refused each time.

When Pei Xingzhi was born, Pei Mingjian said that this would allow Pei Xingzhi to be included in the family genealogy, but Han Yueru still refused.

Han Yueru pursed her lips. It was difficult to elevate a concubine to a wife, so she could only delay it again and again, letting the Yu family girl die so that she could marry into the family as a second wife.

Uncle had obviously thought of this as well.

"There are almost no examples of concubines being promoted to wives in our dynasty, let alone someone as lacking in virtue as her. I've said it to this extent, don't you understand?"

Pei Mingjian clenched his fists, and he also remembered something else: before Yu's daughter died, she asked him if he was keeping someone outside.

He had never mentioned Han Yueru to the Yu family woman. If it was really as Pei Xingzhi said, how did the Yu family woman know about it?