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

"You've become increasingly willful, taking advantage of your own nature."

Pei Yan suppressed his anger, his voice as cold as autumn frost.

"Today you dare to slack off from the servants and run off to the waterside pavilion alone; tomorrow, will you dare to climb over the wall and sneak out of the mansion to meet Lu Yunzheng at the clothing shop?"

He stared at Jiang Guo'er, the fear from not being able to find her had not completely dissipated, and his words became increasingly harsh.

"Jiang Guo'er, you still want revenge?"

"You can't even protect your own life, what are you talking about revenge for? How stupid!"

As the last three words were spoken, the room fell into a sudden, deathly silence.

The fish porridge was still on the table, and the white porcelain spoon was leaning against the rim of the bowl when it suddenly fell down with a clatter.

Jiang Guo'er raised her head, her nose stinging with tears.

What a majestic Prime Minister!

Locking her up wasn't enough; now even feeding her a few fish has become a serious crime.

From the day she entered the Pei residence, not a single day was without her walking on thin ice.

Cuiping falsely accused her of murder, Hongzhu instructed a servant to push her into the water, Granny Li deceived and threatened her, and Tanyu accused her of having an affair with Xie Qing...

She gritted her teeth and persevered through every single one of these challenges.

I was just feeling down today and wanted to sit alone for a while, but he made me sound so awful.

Tears rolled down her cheeks first.

Jiang Guo'er hurriedly raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes, the rough embroidered edge brushing against the corner of her eye, stinging her, but the more she wiped, the more tears she shed.

She had never cried like this before, even when she was starving, freezing, or on the verge of death.

Now, after being scolded by him a few times, her tears seem to flow uncontrollably.

How come I can't even control my tears when I'm pregnant? It's so annoying.

"Whose favor am I taking advantage of?"

She took a breath, her voice still trembling.

"Has the Prime Minister ever doted on me?"

Pei Yan frowned.

Jiang Guo'er, however, couldn't stop.

"If you truly loved me, why would you torment me like this?"

"You made me miss the chance to meet Brother Lu, and now I'm being scolded by you for feeding a few fish in my own garden!"

Pei Yan's expression, which had softened somewhat, darkened again.

"Brother Lu?"

He pronounced the three words extremely slowly.

Jiang Guo'er felt a chill in her heart.

Even after arguing to this extent, he's still arguing about how to address someone.

The Grand Secretary's mind is probably smaller than the tip of the smallest needle.

"You sent people to guard me because of Lu Yunzheng?"

Pei Yan did not deny it.

"The truth is that I am protecting you."

"Protect me?"

Jiang Guo'er stared at him, her chest growing colder and colder.

"So you knew all along."

Pei Yan felt a tightness and pain in his chest.

"If you hadn't kept things from me at every turn, I could have used a more gentle approach."

Jiang Guo'er even forgot to wipe away her tears.

She had always thought that only Lüyi and Lingyi knew about her plan to leave the mansion today.

Pei Yan not only knew Lu Yunzheng, but also knew where she wanted to see him.

How many spies did he plant around her?

Was it a servant boy outside the side room, or a third-class maid who attended to her daily needs?

The more she thought about it, the colder she felt, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around her sleeves.

She thought she had kept her identity well hidden.

ridiculous.

It's likely that for every lie she told, Pei Yan mocked her in his heart.

Jiang Guo'er stood up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed.

"No need to say anything more."

Pei Yan looked at her, his eyes so deep that it was impossible to discern his emotions.

Jiang Guo'er's fingertips trembled, but she did not back down.

After hiding it for so long, this day has finally come.

The knife hanging overhead, lingering without falling, was more agonizing than if it were actually about to strike.

Since he knows everything, she no longer needs to pretend to be ignorant.

She instinctively protected her lower abdomen, then quickly let go.

"I am indeed not an orphan of the Wujiang clan."

"I am Murong Shunshun, daughter of Marquis Dingyuan, Murong Kui!"

Jiang Guo'er had thought she would be scared, but when the moment actually came, she felt calm instead.

The worst that can happen is death.

With the baby in her womb, she should be able to live until the day she gives birth.

Since her parents, brother, and grandparents all passed away, every day she lives has been torture.

Death can be a kind of liberation.

"I entered the Pei residence to use your power to investigate the wrongful conviction of the Murong family."

I approach you not because I am attracted to you.

Pei Yan's hand, which was hanging by his side, suddenly tightened.

Jiang Guo'er was so focused on finishing what she had kept hidden that she didn't notice anything unusual about him.

"The 'Happy Buddha' pose and fertility of the Wujiang tribe were all made up by me."

"I thought that as long as I got pregnant, I could gain a foothold in the Pei family and find opportunities to get in touch with people and things in the court."

She gripped her sleeve, her eyes reddening, but her voice gradually steadied.

"Since Your Excellency has already confirmed my identity, why pretend you know nothing?"

"You covered for me, punished Tan Yu for me, and even shielded me from the blame for being the descendant of a disgraced official."

"They turned around and confined me, sent people to watch me, and even used Xie Qing and Brother Lu to torment me."

Jiang Guo'er looked up at him.

"Pei Yan, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Pei Yan remained silent for a long time.

He only caught bits and pieces of what she said after that.

Only the phrase "not because I love you" kept echoing in my ears.

She flattered and fawned to secure her position in the Pei household; she was willing to carry his child in order to use him and repay his kindness.

He had already heard her thoughts once before.

But hearing her say it aloud still hurts.

It hurt even more than when my mother heard the news of my older brother's death, and in her despair and disbelief, she stabbed him in the chest with a dagger.

Jiang Guo'er waited for a while, but any lingering hope in her heart vanished.

He had indeed found out long ago.

Perhaps while she was spouting nonsense with a straight face, Pei Yan was secretly laughing at her for being stupid.

Jiang Guo'er became increasingly embarrassed and angry, bent down, grabbed a soft pillow, and threw it at him.

"Speak! What exactly do you want? If you're going to kill me, then kill me, give me a straight answer!"

Pei Yan raised his hand to catch the soft pillow, his voice dry and hoarse.

"Jiang Guo'er, have you made enough of a scene? When did I ever say I wanted to kill you?"

"In your eyes, am I... just a ruthless butcher?"

She grabbed another pillow and threw it over.

"You may not have said it aloud, but dare you say you've never thought of killing me?!"

"Besides, how could you possibly believe I would have a secret rendezvous with Xie Qing while pregnant with your child? Do you really think I'm that shameless?!"

"I have never worried about Xie Qing."

"You clearly—"

"Xie Qing can't protect you, nor can he help the Murong family. He's not worth my attention."

Pei Yan bent down to pick up the soft pillow, patted off the dust on it, and put it back on the couch.

Jiang Guo'er choked for a moment.

This person is so jealous that they're picking and choosing?

"What I really mind is Lu Yunzheng."

"You'd rather beg Lu Yunzheng, whom you haven't seen in years, than tell the truth to me."

Pei Yan took a step closer, his tall figure looming over him.

Jiang Guo'er instinctively retreated until her knees hit the edge of the bed, leaving her with nowhere to go.

"We were husband and wife, after all. Am I really so unworthy of your trust?"

Jiang Guo'er's anger subsided somewhat.

She never imagined that this was what Pei Yan cared about.

But they were just master and servant, not husband and wife at all.

"When I first entered the manor, I didn't even know if I would survive the next day. Later, although I became pregnant with your child as I wished, I was still worried sick every day."

Jiang Guo'er's throat bobbed, and she choked.

"When I was living a life of luxury in the Marquis's mansion, I never imagined that there could be such a vast chasm between people."

"It wasn't until I became a concubine that I understood how lowly and miserable a woman without a distinguished family background truly is."

"I am as insignificant as an ant; one wrong move and I could offend you and bring about my death."

"So even if you really like me to some extent and are willing to favor me, I still don't dare to bring this up directly and ask you to help me."

She was afraid, afraid of this dark and cannibalistic world!

No matter how good Pei Yan is, they have only known each other for a few months.

Who can guarantee that the Pei Yan she saw was the real Pei Yan?

Even though they had been intimate and done everything together, Jiang Guo'er still couldn't see through Pei Yan.

She knew nothing about Pei Yan's past, had never heard him talk about his childhood experiences, didn't know who his friends were, or what he wanted to do besides handling official business.

What are your quirks? What makes you sad?

Do you want monogamy or polygamy?

Did you ever feel contempt for her using her body to rise to power?

It seems that apart from what happened under the bed, they never talked about anything else when they were together, and never shared their private matters.

The two appear to be close, but there are many mysteries between them.