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

Inside the side room, Jiang Guo'er was about to scratch again when Lu Yi's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Aunt Jiang, Aunt Sha has brought you bird's nest."

Jiang Guo'er immediately stuffed the doll back under her pillow.

Shalela carried the tray into the room, turned around to close the door and bolt it, then walked to the table, put down the bird's nest, and then slapped a piece of paper in front of Jiang Guo'er.

The paper depicts a woman with a face full of pockmarks and eyebrows that are uneven.

Jiang Guo'er stared at it for a long time.

"Who is this?"

Salera pointed at her, then at the painting.

Jiang Guo'er almost laughed out of anger.

"This is... a copy of mine?"

"Liar, prince..." Salera said, enunciating each word with a heavy foreign accent.

"He wanted me to draw your likeness and compare it to see if you resembled that deceased imperial concubine from the previous dynasty."

She pointed to the pockmarked eyes in the painting and grinned.

"I didn't draw you, I drew this to fool him."

Jiang Guo'er's gaze fell on those uneven eyes, and she couldn't help but laugh.

This Hu woman does have some guts.

Why are you telling me all this?

Salera sat down opposite her, arms crossed.

"I will not help the Crown Prince."

"I know you don't want to help him." Jiang Guo'er picked up the silver spoon and gently tapped it against the rim of the bowl. "But you don't need to help me either."

Salera's gaze darkened.

She recounted the story of the pearl pigeons delivering messages in her somewhat broken Central Plains dialect.

Jiang Guo'er then understood.

Although Salera was sent by the prince, she had no intention of aiding and abetting evil, and even deliberately drew an ugly portrait to deceive him.

She felt a little relieved, but she still remained wary.

Why did you help me?

Salera sat down opposite her.

"I find you pleasing to the eye."

"Just because of that?"

"Also because you're very smart... and very good at lying."

Jiang Guo'er's smile froze.

Salera pointed to her flat stomach.

You are pregnant.

The room was quiet for a moment.

Jiang Guo'er's fingers tightened little by little.

"No, I didn't!"

Salera had anticipated her denial and lowered her voice even further.

"You feel nauseous at the smell of fish, crave sour apricots, but are afraid of being seen by others."

"I walk sideways, afraid of being bumped into, and no matter where I sit, I always hold onto the table first when I get up."

She leaned closer and suddenly sniffed the back of Jiang Guo'er's neck.

Jiang Guo'er shrank back in fright.

"What are you doing?!"

"The women in our area can tell if someone is pregnant by smelling the sweat here."

Salera curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

"Pregnant women often experience a change in their body odor. Some women's body odor becomes more foul, while others' becomes sweeter, and yours is sweet."

Jiang Guo'er stood frozen in place, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on her back.

She steadied herself and asked, "What exactly do you want? If it's within my power, we can discuss it."

Salera crossed her arms, her eyes suddenly turning cold.

"The Crown Prince sent men to intercept and kill a caravan from the Western Regions... My father, my people... are all dead."

"His men... captured me when I was nearly killed in the quicksand, mistaking me for a woman from another caravan."

"I want him dead."

Jiang Guo'er tightened her grip on her fingertips.

Salera dared to utter such nonsense in front of a stranger; she was incredibly audacious!

But then she thought about it again, and realized that she herself was also scheming every day to find her enemy and take revenge.

Two women, both burdened with deep-seated hatred, unexpectedly came together.

"How do you want me to help you?"

"...I haven't decided yet."

Salairah's crispness.

"But the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If the Crown Prince wants to harm you, then you... are also my friend."

Jiang Guo'er took a deep breath and did not respond immediately.

"Give me three days to think about it."

"it is good."

Salera stood up, picked up the bowl of bird's nest soup, and pushed it back in front of her.

"This is what I brewed; it's not poisonous, so don't worry."

"I will come back in three days to ask for the answer. But if you dare to betray me, I will spread the word that you are pregnant."

The door opened and then closed.

Jiang Guo'er stared at the bowl of bird's nest for a long time without touching it.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage on his way back to his residence after court, Xiao San handed over a scroll of documents.

"Prime Minister, this is Lu Yunzheng's information from childhood to adulthood, as well as his recent activities."

Pei Yan unfolded the file.

Lu Yunzheng, 27 years old, is married but not yet married.

When they were studying at the Imperial Academy, he and Murong Sheng were the closest of friends.

His father was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and he and Murong Shunshun's father, Murong Kui, were once poetry friends.

Lu Yunzheng passed the imperial examination at a young age and was sent to a post outside the capital for five years. He served as governor of the Northwest for three years. This time, he was ordered to return to the capital and was appointed as the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief.

He is clearly a young prodigy, outstanding in every way.

Pei Yan closed the file.

"He's not young anymore, why isn't he married yet?"

Xiao San was stunned.

"I didn't check that."

"Inadequate handling of the matter."

"..." Your subordinate doesn't know what use this investigation could be.

Pei Yan reopened the file.

Lu Yunzheng was eight feet tall and skilled in riding and archery. He was once known as the Jade Mountain Prince in the capital.

The phrase originates from the Book of Jin: "His appearance was handsome and dashing, and people at the time called him a jade man. It was also said that seeing him was like being near a jade mountain, reflecting his image."

Jade Mountain?

He doesn't even deserve it!

This phrase was used to praise his Pei family ancestor!

Pei Yan snorted and tossed the file aside.

"He was secretly investigating several whistleblowers in the Murong case, and two of them had already been discovered. We tried to remind him not to pursue those two leads any further."

"Should we make him stop?"

"No need."

Pei Yan pondered for a moment, then tapped the end of the dossier.

"Lead him to investigate the Ministry of War official who was in charge of verifying military reports back then. That man is now retired in Baoding Prefecture, and he has our people around him, so he's at least safe."

Xiao San agreed and handed over a small bamboo tube.

"Your subordinates have determined that Salera was feeding pigeons, not doves."

Pei Yan's expression changed drastically after reading the copied message.

The Crown Prince is investigating whether Jiang Guo'er resembles Consort Yu from the previous dynasty.

In the past, the emperor forced two officials to commit suicide in order to obtain Consort Yu.

Consort Yu was strong-willed. To prevent him from threatening her with the lives of her entire family to force her to submit, she committed suicide by crashing her head against the coffin on the day of Emperor Zhao's burial.

Although the Crown Prince was only fourteen at the time, he had already met Consort Yu several times and was quite infatuated with her.

"Release the news."

Pei Yan held the bamboo tube tightly in his palm.

"It is said that Jiang Guo'er suffers from tinea versicolor, which ulcerates upon exposure to wind, and even her personal attendants can contract it."

"Make sure the message reaches the Crown Prince's Palace, and then find an opportunity to let the people in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs hear it."

That night, rumors spread from outside the mansion to the Eastern Palace and the inner courtyard of the Pei residence.

Jiang Guo'er sat in the side room and listened to Lü Yi finish speaking. She was so angry that she put down her chopsticks.

"Pityriasis alba?"

"And you said it would rot in the wind?"

Lüyi advised her, "Perhaps the message was misrepresented somewhere."

"It must be the Prime Minister. Who else would go to such lengths to spread rumors about me?"

Jiang Guo'er postponed her dinner.

"He'd even resort to such underhanded tactics to keep me locked up. Will he say tomorrow that I have tuberculosis and won't even let me open the windows?"

"Young lady, please eat a couple of bites first. Even if you're not hungry, the child needs to eat too."

"I won't eat it."

She grabbed a pillow, flopped onto the bed, and covered her head with the blanket.

Left with no other choice, Lüyi had to go to the main room to report to Xue Lingyi.

Pei Yan was having a meal with her when he learned that Jiang Guo'er had gone on a hunger strike because of a few rumors, and he let out a cold laugh.

"It's my fault for spoiling her too much; now her temper is getting worse and worse."

Xue Lingyi ladled out a bowl of fish porridge and handed it to him.

"Guo'er's condition is special now, she can't go hungry. Your Excellency should coax her gently and not frighten her anymore."

"When has the truth ever frightened her?"

Xue Lingyi didn't respond to that, but just smiled.

"She's the one who's hungry, but it's the Prime Minister who's heartbroken."

Pei Yan reluctantly carried the porridge to the side room, saw a bulge on the bed, and placed the bowl on the table first.

"Get up and eat."

There was no movement inside.

"The news about the peach blossom rash is just a temporary measure. Once the Crown Prince stops investigating, I will clear things up for you."

The person in bed still ignored him.

Pei Yan patiently said:

"Have all the storybooks and plays from East Street bought up. If you want some snacks, ask the cook to make them. Don't risk your health."

"Sweetie, get up and eat some fish porridge... The fish slices are so fresh and smooth, they're delicious."

The group didn't show the slightest fluctuation.

Pei Yan's patience finally ran out. With a sullen face, he reached out and lifted the blanket.

There were only two pillows stacked together on the tatami mat.

Pei Yan's face drained of color, and he stood up abruptly.