Everyone instinctively looked toward Li Xuancang.
His posture remained upright and composed. A faint glimmer flickered in his eyes, and he swiftly grasped the full story.
Someone in the inner courtyard had resisted and secretly sent word.
Outside the Pei Residence gates, ceremonial music thundered, carriages and horses stretched like dragons, and the grand retinue of a marquis overwhelmed the entire street.
Lin Zhenyue wore the everyday robe of a marquis estate, embroidered with python patterns, his bearing solemn and imposing.
Though the marquis estate had declined in recent years, the accumulated prestige and pressure of hereditary nobility, forged over decades, still surpassed that of ordinary noble families.
At his side stood Lin Jingtan, dressed in white.
Father and son entered the Pei Residence side by side, and the Pei Family had no choice but to rise and welcome them.
The thoughts of the Pei Family had already begun to change.
In terms of official rank, the Marquis of Peace Prefecture held a lofty hereditary noble title.
In terms of family background, the Lin Residence was a century-old noble house with deep foundations.
In terms of descendants, Lin Jingtan cultivated at Wenxin Academy. In his youth, he stood above all others in the prefecture and was destined to become a pillar of Great Flame Dynasty civil officials.
By comparison, Li Xuancang, whom the entire clan had praised moments ago, seemed far dimmer.
Before Pure Elegance Hall, Lin Zhenyue went straight to the point, his tone brimming with certainty.
"Elder Pei, Assistant Prefect Pei."
"Today, Lin has brought his son here for one reason only: to fulfill the long-standing bond between these two children."
As his words fell, Lin Jingtan stepped forward, cupped his hands in salute, and spoke gently.
"Esteemed elders of the Pei Family, this junior and Miss Qing