Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

"Clang—"

Bai Ze dropped the knife in his hand, hitting the back of his foot. He grimaced in pain but forgot to cry out.

Jiang Yining froze, her mind going completely blank.

"What...did you say?"

She wondered if she had misheard, or if Ji Lingxiao had gone mad.

I said, I want to marry you.

Ji Lingxiao repeated himself, his tone as calm as if he were asking what to eat for dinner.

"That's impossible!"

Jiang Yining pushed him away abruptly.

"I am a widow! You are the Prime Minister!"

"That's absolutely unacceptable!"

Ji Lingxiao frowned, seemingly displeased with her reaction.

"The Chu family's crimes have been cleared."

"As for widows..."

He scoffed, "I don't mind."

"I mind!"

Jiang Yining was so anxious that she kept pacing around in circles.

"Lord Ji, I know you're doing this to take responsibility, or to quell the rumors."

"But we were just... just one night of folly."

"Wouldn't it be better if bridges remained bridges and roads remained roads?"

Seeing her eagerness to distance herself from him, Ji Lingxiao felt a surge of anger rise within him again.

Does this woman really not want to marry him?

She didn't say that when she was begging for mercy under him last night.

If she dares to refuse, he will lock her up.

"Even if we settle accounts?"

Ji Lingxiao pressed closer and closer.

"The whole capital knows that you slept with me."

"You've ruined my reputation, and now you want to call it even?"

Jiang Yining: "???"

Bai Ze: "???"

What kind of insolent and lewd words are these?

Who exactly ruined whose innocence?

"Anyway, there's no room for discussion."

Ji Lingxiao made the final decision: "Rather than let everyone criticize us, we should solidify this title."

"The title of 'Grand Secretary's wife' sounds better than all the criticism."

Jiang Yining remained silent for a moment, neither agreeing nor refusing directly.

"This is too sudden, please give me some time, sir."

Ji Lingxiao raised an eyebrow slightly.

He remembered the woman in his dream that morning, clinging to him tenderly, pleading softly and affectionately...

"I'll give you one day."

"At this time tomorrow, I will have someone deliver the betrothal letter to the Chu residence."

"If you don't agree..."

Ji Lingxiao didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was obvious.

The fate of the Chu family now rests entirely in his hands.

Jiang Yining grabbed Bai Ze, who was still cursing, and fled the Prime Minister's residence as if she were escaping.

Stepping outside, the sunlight was a bit too bright.

"Ningning! Are you really going to marry that hypocrite?!"

Bai Ze slammed his knife into the ground, his eyes turning red with rage.

"He's taking advantage of someone in distress! What do you mean by taking responsibility? I think he's just lusting after her!"

"No, I'm going to kill him right now!"

Jiang Yining grabbed his arm.

"Just shut up!"

She rubbed her temples wearily.

"As you've seen, the Chu family's case has been overturned, and this was all Ji Lingxiao's doing."

"If I were to turn against him now, the Chu family would still be finished with a flick of his finger."

Bai Ze stamped his feet in frustration: "No, if you want to remarry, marry me, and I'll take you to the border."

"I'm younger than him, and more capable than him..."

Jiang Yining covered Bai Ze's mouth: "Stop! What nonsense are you talking about?"

Bai Ze didn't hear a thing; his entire attention was focused on those soft little hands.

He subconsciously pouted and pressed his lips together.

Jiang Yining hurriedly let go of his hand, and was about to shoo him away when Bai Ze pulled her into an empty alley.

Before he could even speak, he was turned away from Bai Ze and locked between the walls.

Jiang Yining: ? ! !

Bai Ze whispered in her ear, "Ningning, if I hadn't gone to the border back then, you wouldn't have married Chu Jinglan."

"Forget about the Chu family, okay? Come with me."

Just as Jiang Yining was about to speak, she sensed something amiss behind her.

Having already experienced it before, she immediately understood, her eyes widening in disbelief: "You...how could you..."

Bai Ze held the woman's slender waist tightly, his whole body tense.

"I'm sorry, I..." How embarrassing, but this is a symbol of his love for Ningning~

The thought of Ji Lingxiao taking advantage of her filled Bai Ze with a frantic urge to destroy, to... her.

"I feel so bad, please help me..." A pair of large, unruly hands.

Jiang Yining whirled around and slammed her hand on his shoulder, yelling, "We're on the street! Don't go crazy!"

"You should go back now, don't follow me."

Bai Ze couldn't think of anything else. He lowered his head and kissed the lips he had longed for for so long, his kiss fierce and urgent, like a wild beast possessing him.

"you……"

It took Jiang Yining quite a while to break free.

"Enough, Bai Ze, do you intend to disregard my wishes too?"

Jiang Yining's voice trembled as she was kissed.

She pushed Bai Ze away forcefully, ignoring his expression, and ran out to get into the Chu family's carriage.

The carriage wheels turned, rolling over the bluestone road.

Jiang Yining leaned against the car wall, closing her eyes to rest.

Back in the alley where the Chu residence was located, Jiang Yining lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside.

The Imperial Guards, who had formed an impenetrable encirclement, had all withdrawn.

"Young Madam! You're finally back!"

Old Zhao had been waiting at the door. When he saw the carriage stop, he was so excited that tears streamed down his face, and he ran so fast that his shoes almost fell off.

"They've all left! They've all left!"

Old Zhao pointed at the empty streets, speaking incoherently.

"Someone just arrived from the palace, saying that that old scoundrel, the Minister of War, has been imprisoned! Our General's name has been cleared!"

"Our Chu family... is safe!"

Jiang Yining got out of the car and looked at Lao Zhao's face, which was filled with joy and tears. The huge weight in her heart finally lifted.

It seems Ji Lingxiao wasn't lying to her.

This efficiency truly befits the position of Grand Secretary.

"How is your mother-in-law?"

"The old lady has woken up and is in much better spirits. She just drank a bowl of medicine and was talking about you."

Jiang Yining nodded and stepped inside.

As she walked through the front yard and looked at the general's mansion, which, though somewhat dilapidated, still stood tall, she felt a mix of emotions.

I originally thought it was a dead end.

Unexpectedly, the situation was resolved in such an absurd way in the end.

Jiang Yining sighed and walked heavily toward the old lady's courtyard.

As soon as I arrived at the door, I smelled a strong medicinal odor.

The room was dimly lit.

Chu's mother leaned against the headboard, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand. Although her face was still pale, there was already a glimmer of light in her eyes.

"daughter."

Jiang Yining went in and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Ningning is back?"

Chu's mother grabbed her hand; those hands were withered and thin, but surprisingly strong.

"I heard from Old Zhao that our Chu family is alright now."

Chu's mother's eyes were a little red, and her voice trembled: "My good child, you've suffered so much."

"These past few days you've been running around for this family, and I remember it all."

Jiang Yining felt a little uneasy.

If the old lady knew that she got this result by sleeping with the prime minister, I wonder if she would throw this string of Buddhist beads in her face.

"Mom, it's good that you're alright. As long as our family is safe and sound, a little hardship is nothing."

Jiang Yining lowered her head, not daring to look the old lady in the eye.

Chu's mother patted the back of her hand and sighed.

"Ningning, there are some things that I don't know whether I should say or not."

Jiang Yining's heart skipped a beat.

There are no secrets in this world.

The whole capital was buzzing about her romantic affair with Ji Lingxiao. How could the old lady not have heard a word about it?

"Mother, please tell me."

Jiang Yining was mentally prepared.

Chu's mother looked at her with a complicated expression, and hesitated several times before slowly speaking.

"Mother has heard all the rumors circulating outside."

Jiang Yining's palms began to sweat.

"Mother, that is..."

"You don't need to explain."

Chu's mother interrupted her.

"Although Mother is old, she is not senile."

"Why would someone like Chief Minister Ji suddenly step in to save our Chu family if there wasn't a specific reason?"

When Chu's mother looked at the red mark on Jiang Yining's neck, which was covered up but could still be seen upon closer inspection, a hint of pain flashed in her eyes.

"You went to him to save us, didn't you?"

Jiang Yining was surprised that the old lady guessed so accurately.

Although the process differed slightly, the result... was about the same.

"Mother, I have let the Chu family down and brought shame upon them."

Jiang Yining followed up on the conversation and admitted her mistake.

"Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"It is our Chu family that has wronged you."

"You should have left when Lan'er died in battle; we're the ones who dragged you down."

"Now... now you've been stigmatized like this."

Jiang Yining felt a pang of sadness.

Chu's mother shed tears.

"If it weren't for you, our whole family would have been meeting the King of Hell long ago. How could we be alive here talking about whether it's shameful or not?"

"You are a benefactor to our Chu family."

"Mother, let's not talk about this anymore."

Jiang Yining wiped away the tears from the corners of Chu's mother's eyes.

"Now that the rain has stopped and the sun is shining, as long as our family is together, that's better than anything else."

"As for the rumors outside, they will naturally dissipate in a while."

She didn't dare mention Ji Lingxiao's forced marriage.

"Ningning, Mother has something to ask of you."