The Grand Secretary has no heir? His concubine gives birth to triplets.

Jiang Guo'er was pressed down on the daybed, her ears filled with Pei Yan's hot breath.

Her mind was buzzing as she desperately tried to recall when she had called Xie "brother".

She's always extremely vigilant during the day, could it be... that she's talking in her sleep at night?

Jiang Guo'er's back was covered in cold sweat.

Pei Yan's hand, which was gripping her chin, hadn't loosened its hold. His eyes were as deep and unfathomable as the cold moon in the depths of winter.

"Prime Minister..." Jiang Guo'er's voice trembled, but she forced herself not to cry.

Her mind raced.

Don't panic, the more panicked you are, the more you'll give yourself away.

"Guo'er had a nightmare last night." She bit her lip and lowered her eyes. "I dreamt that I was almost hit by a mule cart when I was little, and it was Xie, the brother from next door, who pulled me out of the way."

"In my hometown alley, all the neighbors on both sides were surnamed Xie, it was just a coincidence..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again, and she reached out to touch Pei Yan's clothes with utmost care and dependence.

"Your Excellency was so fierce just now, I was scared..."

"Guo'er wasn't trying to hide from the Prime Minister, it's just that the Prime Minister was being too rough, and Guo'er couldn't breathe..."

Having said that, she buried her face in his chest, clutching his undergarment tightly with both hands.

Pei Yan stood frozen in place.

The faint scent of soap wafted into my nostrils as her soft body pressed against me, so fragile it seemed it might break at any moment.

He looked down at her and could only see the top of her hair, which was fluffy.

The urge to crush her was still there, but when she leaned against him like that, it was like pouring a bucket of cold water directly onto a fire.

It didn't extinguish the fire; it completely stifled the anger within.

Pei Yan sighed unconsciously, reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her down to lie down with him.

"I don't disbelieve you, please stop crying..."

Jiang Guo'er obediently nestled in his arms, still sobbing, her breathing gradually becoming steady, but her hands never loosened their grip on his clothes.

After a long while, her breathing became completely even and long, and she fell asleep leaning against Pei Yan's chest.

The tightness in Pei Yan's heart finally eased a little.

The little one is so dependent on him and has no defenses against him, how could he possibly be a complete fraudster?

He waited for a long time, his mind completely silent.

During that confrontation, she was so emotional that she was trembling all over, but he didn't hear her inner thoughts, which was very strange.

Pei Yan couldn't resist any longer and slowly reached inside her clothes.

My fingertips touched warm skin, and then—empty.

It turned out that the silk doll had somehow slipped out from her chest and landed in the folds of the bedding.

Pei Yan picked up the doll and examined it closely in his palm.

He got it.

Every time he could hear Jiang Guo'er's inner thoughts, she was in a state of extreme tension or fear.

The dolls were pressed tightly against her heart at that time.

Once the puppet is removed from its position... he can't hear anything anymore.

The next day, it was still dark.

When Jiang Guo'er woke up, there was no one beside her.

The bedding was still warm, so Pei Yan must have left not long ago.

She sat up and stood there in a daze for a long time.

The events of last night kept coming back to me.

Pei Yan's outburst of anger towards her could not possibly be due to a dream.

He mentioned Wen Yanzhai and Xie Qing.

Jiang Guo'er's heart sank lower and lower.

He's investigating her.

She unconsciously twisted the corner of the blanket with her hands and took a deep breath.

Don't worry, the Prime Minister has surely not found any concrete evidence yet, otherwise he would have dealt with me long ago!

So... there's still a glimmer of hope!

She couldn't just sit and wait to die.

Jiang Guo'er took a deep breath, suppressed her panic, and began to recall Pei Yan's state last night and this morning.

His eyes were red, his lips were chapped and peeling, and the veins near his temples were more prominent than usual... After the fight at Youguo Temple, and the anger he felt last night, it would be strange if he wasn't furious.

No matter how much he believes her now, the image of a devoted lover that Lingyi has created for her cannot be shattered.

The more normal she acted, the less flaws the Prime Minister could find to exploit.

Jiang Guo'er forced herself to stand up, but after taking only two steps, a wave of nausea surged up.

She covered her mouth, gripped the corner of the table, and gagged several times, but nothing came out.

My morning sickness is getting worse.

She rubbed her acupoint at the center of her chest, poured half a cup of warm water down her throat, changed her clothes, and went out.

When they arrived at Xue Lingyi's courtyard, Lüyi was helping Xue Lingyi comb her hair.

Jiang Guo'er lowered her voice: "Lingyi, I'd like to make a soup for the Prime Minister, something that can clear liver heat and reduce internal fire. You've studied under the Old Madam, do you know of any suitable ones?"

Xue Lingyi looked at her in the bronze mirror, and after a moment of surprise, she smiled.

"Ophiopogon japonicus and Solomon's seal duck soup is excellent for nourishing yin and clearing heat. But it needs to be simmered over low heat for two hours, and your body..."

"I can handle it," Jiang Guo'er smiled.

In the kitchen, Jiang Guo'er personally took charge of the cooking.

She blanched the old duck to remove the foam, and washed the ophiopogon japonicus, Solomon's seal rhizome, lotus seeds, and lily bulbs in the same way. She even squatted in front of the stove to watch over the cooking time.

The soup was bubbling in the clay pot, and the rich aroma of the stewed duck meat filled the air.

Unfortunately, the taste made her morning sickness even worse.

She ran to a corner and gagged three times, then came back to continue watching the fire.

Luyi came by once to bring her ginger candy, telling her to suck on it to help her calm down.

"Why bother, young lady?" Green Ripple muttered softly. "Wouldn't it be better to let the old woman in the kitchen do it?"

Jiang Guo'er shook her head.

She knew Pei Yan was suspicious, and if it wasn't made by his own hands, then the sincerity would be diminished.

Two hours later, the soup was ready. It was placed in a small blue-and-white porcelain bowl with a lotus scroll design, wrapped in cotton cloth, and taken to the study.

But it was delivered by Lüyi.

In the study.

Pei Yan was looking through the secret report sent by Xiao San, which detailed the details of Xie Qing's marriage agreement with the Murong family of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion.

The evidence is irrefutable, written in black and white.

When Lüyi pushed the door open and came in, he didn't even look up.

"Prime Minister." Lüyi curtsied and placed the soup bowl on a corner of the table.

"This is the Ophiopogon japonicus and Solomon's seal duck soup that Miss Jiang made herself this morning."

Lu Yi paused, then added in a low voice, "She... had severe morning sickness, but insisted on staying by the stove and refused to let anyone help her."

Pei Yan stopped flipping through the secret report.

After Lüyi left, he stared at the small blue-and-white porcelain cup for a long time without moving.

Fearing that his investigation would be detrimental to Xie Pan, they were in a hurry to use these small favors to shut him up.

Pei Yan sneered, turned his back to the soup bowl, and his face was cold and indifferent.

But the next moment, her thoughts suddenly echoed in his mind.

I wonder if he has any blisters in his mouth, or if he has any toothaches?

I even added lotus seeds and lily bulbs to that soup. Lotus seeds nourish the heart and calm the mind, while lily bulbs nourish yin and moisten the lungs. When he gets angry, he's only hurting his own body...

Pei Yan's breath hitched.

He gritted his teeth, but finally couldn't resist. He slowly picked up the bowl and lifted the lid.

The duck soup had a wonderful aroma, and even with the addition of medicinal herbs, it didn't have a strong medicinal taste.

Pei Yan patiently blew on it, picked up the spoon, and drank it all in one sip.

They even ate up the few lilies that were sitting at the bottom.

After finishing his drink, he put the empty cup back on the table and stared at it for a long time.

Fine, I'll give her another chance.

In the afternoon, Pei Yan went to the cabinet, dealt with a few important memorials, and then returned.

As soon as I stepped into the mansion gate, the steward came forward to report:

"Your Excellency, the head of the Kunqu Opera Hualin Troupe has arrived. They say you sent someone to invite them the day before yesterday. The stage has been set up outside the open pavilion east of Songhe Garden. They're asking if you'll start the performance today?"

Pei Yan nodded, continuing his steps.

"Tell the old lady that there is a theatrical performance in the mansion today, and invite her and all the ladies of the household to attend."

"Yes."

Just as the butler was about to leave, Pei Yan added, "By the way, tell the troupe leader that if 'The Legend of the Lonely Phoenix' is rehearsed properly, it should be performed today!"

The butler agreed and quickly went to deliver the message.

Pei Yan stood under the corridor, gazing in the direction of Songhe Garden, his lips pressed into a straight line.

"The Legend of the Lonely Phoenix" tells the story of a loyal minister of the previous dynasty who was framed by treacherous officials and had his entire family executed. Only his young daughter was hidden by a loyal servant, changed her appearance, and married into a high-ranking family. She then carefully plotted to get closer to her enemy and seek revenge.

He specifically asked the troupe leader to skip the bloody and tragic scenes at the beginning and start directly from the young girl's transformation into a wealthy family.

Jiang Guo'er, I've been soft-hearted enough towards you.

If you still don't appreciate my kindness and continue to lie to me... no amount of coaxing or flattery will work!