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

Pei Yan walked closer and looked down at the sandalwood on the ground.

"Tell me in detail, how...how did she steal him?"

Upon seeing Pei Yan, Tan Yu was overjoyed and broke free from Lü Yi, crawling over on all fours to hug Pei Yan's leg.

Pei Yan frowned deeply, a strong sense of disgust flashing in his eyes.

But he didn't rush to kick the person away; he just coldly lowered his eyelids.

Completely oblivious to the murderous gaze emanating from above, Tan Yu began to cry pitifully.

"My lord, you've finally arrived! You must do me justice!"

"Several incense sticks ago, I passed by the quiet room and overheard Aunt Jiang and Young Master Xie being intimate inside!"

In order to solidify her conviction, she simply recounted all the scattered words she had overheard outside the window.

"The man said... to me, repeat it again, and added that if I acted quickly, I wouldn't be discovered!"

"Aunt Jiang even said that the Three Pure Ones were watching... and that man actually said he could help her if she wanted to!"

"Your Excellency, such lewd words make me blush and my heart race!"

Jiang Guo'er stood next to Xue Lingyi, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

[I'm going to die! I should never have let the Prime Minister run wild! It's all his fault!]

Pei Yan listened to Jiang Guo'er's coquettish words and let out a soft laugh.

Tan Yu thought the smile was directed at her, and was overjoyed.

"Prime Minister! That's not all! This Jiang Guo'er is not some orphan girl from the Wu Jiang clan at all!"

"I've investigated. The embroidery technique used on her sachet is the unique double-needle braid embroidery technique of Hu Meiniang, a renowned embroiderer from the previous dynasty! Ordinary women simply cannot learn it!"

"She must be the daughter of a mistress that Marquis Dingyuan is keeping outside! She's the illegitimate child of a disgraced official; her infiltration of the Pei household must be for some ulterior motive!"

"Your Excellency, quickly drown her in a pig cage and beat her to death with sticks!"

Tan Yu tilted her chin up, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.

Jiang Guo'er, you're dead!

With two charges against her—having an affair with a foreign man and being the daughter of a disgraced official—no matter how much Pei Yan dotes on her, he would never let her live!

The surroundings were completely silent.

Xue Lingyi held Jiang Guo'er's hand, her palms covered in cold sweat.

Pei Yan did not fly into a rage, nor did he order the arrest of the person.

He slowly took the sachet embroidered with pomegranate flowers from Lvyi's hand.

Then, in front of everyone, he tied it to his jade belt.

Tan Yu's smile froze.

"Prime Minister...Prime Minister?"

Pei Yan reached out, grabbed Jiang Guo'er's wrist, and pulled her into his arms.

He looked down at Tan Yu, his eyes extremely dark, but his smile grew even stronger.

"The man who was being intimate with her in the quiet room just now was me."

???

After these words were spoken, the surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

The wind stopped, the birds fell silent, and everyone seemed frozen in place.

The old women and maids who had been whispering were all petrified on the spot, their jaws nearly dropping to the ground, their eyes wide open in disbelief.

Xue Lingyi suddenly loosened her clenched fist, let out a long sigh, and her whole body went limp.

As Tan Yu knelt on the ground, the smugness and resentment on her face froze completely, shattering into a blank space.

She tilted her head back, her mouth slightly open, as if she had heard something unbelievable and could not comprehend what was happening before her eyes.

Your Excellency... what are you saying?

Jiang Guo'er was completely encircled in Pei Yan's arms, the man's body heat continuously seeping through the fabric, carrying a reassuring sandalwood fragrance.

Her mind was buzzing, and her scalp was tingling.

[He's gone mad! He...he actually admitted it...How could he admit something like this in public! Doesn't the Grand Secretary care about his reputation?]

Was he doing this to...protect me?

A strange yet intense emotion, like melted candy, flowed slowly through her heart.

Pei Yan clearly heard her thoughts and gently squeezed her waist with his fingers.

Jiang Guo'er trembled all over, as if a cat's claw had scratched her heart, and her cheeks burned instantly.

This time, he was even more furious than when he confronted Xie Qing earlier.

[You scoundrel! Shameless! You even tried to grope me in public!]

Pei Yan's lips curled into a subtle smile that was barely noticeable to others.

"No, impossible!"

Tan Yu snapped out of her utter shock and pointed at Jiang Guo'er in Pei Yan's arms, looking almost frantic.

"Prime Minister! Don't be fooled by her! I heard everything clearly—her secret rendezvous with Young Master Xie in the quiet room!"

"You...you must have been so angry that you came up with this method to save face for the Pei family!"

She couldn't believe it, and didn't want to believe it.

But what's done is done; words spoken are words spoken, and there's no going back. She can only grit her teeth and take a desperate gamble.

"My lord! Even if you don't believe me, you should at least believe the physical evidence!"

"The embroidery technique used on her sachet is the unique double-needle braid embroidery method of the former dynasty's embroiderer, Hu Meiniang!"

"I've specifically inquired about this; this acupuncture technique is only known to noble ladies in the palace. How could an orphan girl from the common people possibly know it!"

"And what's more! I personally overheard her and Lüyi talking in the room about 'the injustice done to the Marquis of Dingyuan's family and revenge'!"

"She is clearly a remnant of the Murong family, the Marquis of Dingyuan, hidden outside the palace. She infiltrated the Prime Minister's residence to assassinate you and overthrow the court!"

"My lord, this woman is cunning and scheming; she cannot be allowed to live!"

This series of accusations is even more vicious than the previous charge of "adultery," pointing directly to treason.

The atmosphere became tense again, and everyone's eyes darted back and forth between Pei Yan and Jiang Guo'er.

Xue Lingyi's heart leaped into her throat again, and she subconsciously clenched her handkerchief.

Pei Yan didn't even raise an eyebrow, and even casually stroked the wind-blown strands of hair at Jiang Guo'er's temples.

He finally shifted his gaze from Jiang Guo'er and glanced coolly at the hysterical Tan Yu.

"The double-needle braid embroidery technique?"

He scoffed, his laughter filled with the contempt and disdain of someone in a superior watching a clown's antics.

"As far as I know, in her later years, Hu Meiniang was rescued by the Wujiang tribe of the Southern Frontier to avoid the turmoil in the palace, and lived in seclusion in the Hundred Thousand Mountains."

"To repay the life-saving grace, she taught this acupuncture technique to the local Wujiang women, a story recorded in the 'Tales of the Southern Frontier'."

Pei Yan's voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"You dare to spout such nonsense and slander Jiang Guo'er based on nothing but hearsay?"

He then countered, "You say you overheard their conversation, but is there anyone else who can testify for you?"

Tan Yu felt as if her throat was blocked; how could she possibly have witnesses!

Jiang Guo'er, nestled in Pei Yan's arms, quietly looked up at his sharply defined jawline, her eyes sparkling with tiny stars.

[The Prime Minister knows so much... But isn't this true? Hu Meiniang is my master, how come I didn't know she had been to the Southern Frontier?]

Could it be that he just made that up on the spot?

She took a deep breath.

Not only is he...not only is he amazing in that area, but he's also incredibly intelligent!

The warm breath brushed against his collarbone, and Pei Yan felt his ears burning.

Hidden beneath the wide sleeves of his robe, he secretly took her slightly cool hand in his.

Seeing that all her carefully planned schemes had been completely thwarted by Pei Yan's few words, Tan Yu's last glimmer of hope was shattered.