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

As soon as Jiang Guo'er stepped off the curved bridge, she bumped into Pei Yan.

He was still wearing his court robes and a jade belt, clearly having just returned from the cabinet.

Jiang Guo'er stopped in her tracks and subconsciously hid her veil behind her back.

Her head was lowered, revealing only her round, pale pink chin.

"Your Excellency has returned very early today."

Pei Yan's gaze swept to her right hand, which was hidden behind her back.

"Where to?"

"It's stuffy inside, I'd like to go for a walk in the garden."

Jiang Guo'er answered naturally, her eyes darting around slightly.

Once I've shooed them away, I can go out through the back door. Half an hour should be enough.

She had a clear plan in her mind, but showed no sign of it on her face.

Pei Yan was unaware of her relationship with Brother Lu and wouldn't suspect anything at the moment. It wouldn't be too late for her to come back and explain after she had met with him.

Even after all this, she still dares to lie to him!

"Wearing a veiled hat while strolling through your own garden?"

Jiang Guo'er stubbornly refused to admit her mistake and blatantly lied.

"The sun is shining on my face."

"It's cloudy today," Pei Yan gritted his teeth.

"Even on a cloudy day, there's wind, blowing...it's giving me a headache."

Pei Yan went around behind her, snatched the veil from her, and handed it to the servant behind her.

"Master Longchuan has calculated that you will suffer a bloody disaster soon. There are also bandits causing trouble in the capital. From today onwards, you and Lingyi are not allowed to step out of the mansion for two months."

Jiang Guo'er was stunned.

"Two months? What kind of bandits could cause trouble right under the emperor's nose for two months? Are the Five Cities Garrison just there to do nothing?"

The servant behind him quickly lowered his head.

Only Aunt Jiang would dare to say such a thing; they wouldn't even want to hear it.

Pei Yan grabbed her wrist.

"If you find them incompetent, I will petition His Majesty tomorrow to conduct a thorough investigation of the Five Cities Garrison from top to bottom."

That's not what I meant!

Jiang Guo'er was pulled back by him, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

Why did she have to be confined to her quarters when Brother Lu came to the capital?

[She says she trusts me, but deep down she's afraid I'll sneak out and meet with Xie Qing again!]

[What a scoundrel! Is this something we can't let go of?]

Pei Yan was so frustrated that he simply bent down and picked the person up.

Jiang Guo'er exclaimed in surprise and quickly grabbed his shoulder.

"So many people are watching!"

"You know someone's watching? Behave yourself and don't move."

Pei Yan carried her into the side room, kicked the door shut, and placed her beside the daybed.

Seeing that she couldn't fool him anymore, Jiang Guo'er remained silent for a while and then changed her approach.

She grabbed Pei Yan's sleeve, straddled his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and softened her voice.

"I heard that a new batch of storybooks and variety plays arrived on East Street, so I'm thinking of going to check them out. I'll just browse for half an hour, buy what I need, and then come right back, okay?"

"Half an hour?"

Pei Yan leaned down, his nose brushing against her ear, deliberately blowing air into her earlobe, "Not even half a step."

[Old-fashioned and unreasonable.]

He won't even give me an hour; he might as well just tie me to his belt with a red string.

Pei Yan pressed his palm against her lower back, drawing her closer.

"Alright."

Jiang Guo'er didn't understand.

"What?"

I said, I want to eat you up.

Her face flushed, and she realized he was teasing her again, so she twisted her waist in annoyance.

This hit the wrong spot.

Pei Yan's breathing suddenly became heavy.

Jiang Guo'er also froze.

[All that talk about being upright and virtuous, and having a pure and abstinent heart, it's all just a bunch of nonsense. I'm pregnant, and he still won't leave me alone.]

She tried to get off his lap, but the hand around her waist wouldn't let go.

"My lord, I won't go, okay?"

"It's too late."

Seeing that she still refused to confess, Pei Yan's long-suppressed jealousy resurfaced.

He knew why she was in such a hurry to see Lu Yunzheng.

Now that Lu Yunzheng has entered the Censorate, he has the power to report matters based on rumors, and he also has a close relationship with the Murong family, so it is indeed possible for him to help her.

She has suffered so much, and it's a good thing that she has someone willing to go to great lengths for her.

Why didn't she tell me right away?

She would rather risk leaving the mansion to seek help from Brother Lu, whom she hadn't seen for many years, than be honest with him directly.

But if... he really made things clear, Jiang Guo'er would probably let go immediately and would never again snuggle in his arms so openly, acting coquettishly and grumbling.

Pei Yan was extremely disgusted with his own contradictory and conflicted state.

It's all her fault! If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have become like this!

Jiang Guo'er noticed that his arm was tightening around her, and she felt a sudden panic for no reason.

"What's wrong with you?"

Pei Yan pulled off the soft sash from her waist, gathered her two wrists together, and tied it into a pretty bow without constricting her skin.

As her fingertips brushed against her sacrum, Jiang Guo'er's eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing? I can't..."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I've heard that pregnant women often experience lower back pain, so let me massage it for you."

Pei Yan's voice had long been hoarse.

He carefully laid her down and pressed her between the soft pillows.

Hearing the rustling sound of her own clothes rubbing together, Jiang Guo'er tensed up, turned her head away, and forced herself not to look.

She wanted to find an opportunity to continue pleading, but Pei Yan didn't give her a chance to speak.

Jiang Guo'er didn't believe before that her body would become more sensitive after becoming pregnant.

A few breaths later, he believed it.

This isn't a massage, it's clearly...

Tears welled up in her eyes, one by one.

Pei Yan noticed her knees trembling and quickly stopped, raising his hand to wipe away the moisture from the corners of her red eyes.

"Are you still going out of the manor?"

Jiang Guo'er bit her lip, too weak to even shake her head, and could only shed tears.

He lowered his head and coaxed her again.

After a long while, Jiang Guo'er's voice became hoarse.

"I'm not releasing it anymore... I'm not releasing it anymore!"

"You are the Grand Secretary, how could you... If the Old Madam finds out, she will definitely reprimand me."

Pei Yan turned a deaf ear.

Jiang Guo'er was completely exhausted in the end, and in her delirium, she didn't forget to curse him.

"Dressed impeccably during the day, but bullying people at night..."

Pei Yan then loosened the soft sash for her. Seeing that her eyelids were trembling and that she had finally let out a breath and fallen into a deep sleep, he quickly covered her with the quilt.

When Jiang Guo'er opened her eyes again, the window paper was already brightly lit.

Her stomach was growling with hunger, and she rushed out of the side room without even putting on her shoes properly.

Four servants were guarding the door.

As soon as she stepped across the threshold, the four of them moved in unison, blocking her way.

"Aunt Jiang, the Prime Minister has ordered that you are not allowed to leave the courtyard."

"Can't I even go to see the lady?"

"No, it won't work."

"Shall we go to pay our respects to the Old Madam?"

"The Prime Minister has already asked for leave on your behalf."

Jiang Guo'er stomped her feet in anger.

Luyi rushed over and took her arm.

"Aunt Jiang, the Prime Minister specifically instructed that you not to wander around. Are you hungry? Please go back to bed first, and I will go to the small kitchen to get you some food."

As Lüyi spoke, she glanced at the four servants and lowered her voice:

"Don't worry, we'll think of something in a few days."

Seeing that she really couldn't get out, Jiang Guo'er could only turn around and go back into the house, slamming the door shut.

She scooped up the doll from beside her pillow, first tickling its armpits, then its soles, and finally rubbing its lower back.

"I'm putting you under house arrest!"

"That'll teach you to be unreasonable!"

At the same time, inside the Fengtian Hall.

Pei Yan was standing at the head of the civil officials' line, listening to the Minister of Revenue report on the deficit of tax revenue in Jiangnan, when suddenly an itch rose under his armpit.

His brow twitched suddenly.

Immediately afterwards, my feet and lower back started to itch.

Pei Yan gripped the tablet tightly with his five fingers, his body taut and straight. He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing.

The emperor on the dragon throne looked at him.

"Is Pei Qing feeling unwell?"

"I am unharmed."

Pei Yan squeezed out three words from between his teeth.

Just as the censor behind him was about to present his memorial, he saw that the usually impeccably groomed Chief Minister Pei's buttocks suddenly twitch.