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

The carriage drove out of the Pei residence, its wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement.

Pei Yan sat upright in the carriage, his eyes slightly closed, his bright red official robe perfectly in place.

Liu Gonggong and Xu Taiyi, who had been tied up like rice dumplings, were thrown onto another crude flatbed cart.

With each jolt of the cart, the two men would roll along with it, bumping into each other.

The carriage was dimly lit. Xiao San squatted to one side, bowing and asking, "Master, should we use the undercover agents in various neighborhoods throughout the capital?"

Pei Yan tapped his knees lightly with his knuckles, one tap after another, as if stepping on some kind of silent drumbeat.

"move."

Pei Yan's voice was as cold as ice forming under the eaves in winter.

"The first group went to the teahouses and taverns frequented by officials of the Six Ministries, saying that the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace, accompanied by imperial physicians, broke into the Prime Minister's residence under the guise of treating patients, and secretly hid poisoned needles, intending to harm the Prime Minister's favorite concubine."

"There's no need to make any absolute statements. Just let people know that the people from the Crown Prince's Palace entered the Prime Minister's residence, and that Lady Jiang nearly died at the hands of the imperial physician."

"The rest will be filled in by someone else."

Xiao San understood immediately; his master wanted to punish more than just Eunuch Liu and Physician Xu.

He wanted to use the lives of these two servants to drag the Crown Prince into the mud.

"The second batch," Pei Yan paused.

"Send the message into the palace walls, and pick a few old eunuchs who have spent half their lives in the palace, rising to power only by being trampled on. Just one sentence will be enough: the Crown Prince is willful and reckless, yet he wants to throw the dirty water on the eunuch faction."

Xiao San said in a low voice, "Yes."

Pei Yan slightly lifted his eyelids, his eyes deep and intense.

People in the palace are the best at seeking advantage and avoiding harm, and they are also the most vengeful.

Once they believe this, they will think of the injustices they suffered.

He doesn't need to light this fire himself; just give him a spark, and someone will naturally use the wind to turn it into a raging inferno.

With the eunuch faction alienated from the crown prince, this past obstacle became an asset for him.

They had made so many plans, but none of them were as clever as this stupid and wicked person who gave them such a good opportunity!

Time was of the essence, and Pei Yan no longer had time to consult Master Longchuan in detail about the elixir.

Anyone who dares to bully his woman must pay the price!

Even if he can't depose the crown prince, he'll definitely skin him alive today!

As the carriage traveled along the long street, the sounds of people outside grew louder.

Pei Yan suddenly remembered Jiang Guo'er.

Her face was covered in black mud, and the nettle juice caused red rashes on the sides of her neck and the backs of her hands.

The mud in that lotus pond is fishy and smelly; if you apply it for too long, it will probably cause redness and itching for several days.

Thinking of how she was huddled under the covers, clearly uncomfortable, yet forcing herself to stay awake...

The carriage happened to pass by a pharmacy with a sign that read "Xinglin Chun" hanging at the entrance.

"Stop the car," Pei Yan suddenly called out.

The coachman immediately pulled on the reins, and the carriage came to a steady stop.

Before Xiao San could ask any questions, Pei Yan had already bent down and gotten off the carriage, heading straight into the pharmacy.

A moment later, he returned with a small celadon jar and casually tossed it to Xiao San.

Xiao San caught it and looked down.

A small note was affixed to the jar: "Clears heat and detoxifies, relieves itching and reduces swelling."

"Send someone to send it back to the manor and give it to the lady."

Pei Yan cleared his throat and added another sentence.

"Have her carefully apply the ointment to Madam Jiang's face, and have the royal physician wait outside. If Madam Jiang experiences any discomfort, treat her immediately."

Xiao San held the porcelain jar, somewhat bewildered.

The master is stirring up trouble in the Forbidden City, yet he still has his eyes on Concubine Jiang.

The Crown Prince has really bitten off more than he can chew this time!

The convoy traveled all the way to the palace gate.

Liu Gonggong, who was on the cart, slowly woke up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a group of people gathered outside the palace gate, pointing at them and whispering among themselves.

"Have you heard? Eunuch Liu from the Crown Prince's Palace took the imperial physician to the Grand Secretary's residence, intending to kill Grand Secretary Pei's favorite concubine!"

"My God, is this for real? This eunuch is incredibly audacious!"

"That's not all! I also heard that Eunuch Liu was incredibly audacious and tried to make advances on the pregnant Madam Pei, but he was caught red-handed by the Grand Secretary and is now going to file a complaint with the Emperor!"

Liu Gonggong's face instantly turned from red to white, then from white to green, and finally lost all color.

"No...no!"

Liu Gonggong struggled desperately, the hemp rope digging into his flesh.

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency, spare my life!"

"I'm innocent! I was only following orders and had absolutely no intention of harming the women of the Prime Minister's household!"

Pei Yan glanced down at him, his gaze icy and devoid of any warmth.

"Once you are before the Emperor, you will have the opportunity to defend yourself."

Once he reached the emperor, how could he possibly survive?

Liu Gonggong rolled his eyes and fainted again from fright.

Seeing this, the imperial physician Xu beside him trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind, his mind a complete mess...

When he arrived before the Emperor, what should he say?

Deny it to the death?

But the poisoned needles were in the medicine box.

Will they reveal the Crown Princess's identity?

His entire family probably won't survive tonight.

Pei Yan ignored them, straightened his robes, and stepped into the palace gates expressionlessly, requesting an audience.

He calculated the time. The eunuch went in to announce his arrival, and after the emperor agreed to the summons, he would go in. It would take at least half an hour.

Those he wanted to know the news should already know by then.

...

Inside the Imperial Study, the incense burner held the calming fragrance of ambergris.

After hearing Pei Yan's account and seeing the poisoned needle he presented, the emperor was so enraged that he overturned the incense burner.

"This is outrageous!"

"A bunch of lackeys, how dare they commit violence in the residence of an official of the imperial court! Do they have no respect for the law?!"

Pei Yan stood with his head bowed, his tone sorrowful.

"Your Majesty, I dare not speak ill of the Crown Prince, but my family members have been inexplicably frightened in the palace and are still unconscious, their pulse sometimes weak and sometimes weak. My heart is breaking."

"If they dare to poison my family today, what terrible things will they do tomorrow?!"

Pei Yan was always cold and aloof.

In the past, many people wanted to send beauties to his mansion, but he didn't even lift an eyelid.

Now, for the sake of a concubine, he has actually brought people and evidence into the palace to file a complaint with the emperor.

It's clear that this time, he was truly furious.

"Where are those two lackeys?" the emperor roared.

"Your Majesty, the person is waiting outside the palace."

"Summon him!" The emperor slammed his hand on the armrest of his throne. "Go to the Eastern Palace and bring the Crown Prince here!"

"I want to ask him, why are his servants so audacious!"

The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree hurriedly left the imperial study.

However, after two incense sticks had burned, the little eunuch ran back with a long face.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is not in the Eastern Palace."

Inside the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess paced anxiously back and forth, almost biting her lip until it bled.

When news came back from the Pei family, she knew something was wrong.

The poisoned needles that Physician Xu brought were discovered during the search.

Eunuch Liu was also bound by Pei Yan and sent directly to the palace.

What's worse, the Crown Prince is not currently in the Eastern Palace.

"Where is the Crown Prince? Where did he go?!" She grabbed her personal maid's hand and questioned her sharply.

The palace maid turned pale with pain and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Highness, this servant...this servant doesn't know either! His Highness didn't return last night, you, you know that too."

The Crown Princess's vision went black.

The Crown Prince has never liked her. He didn't come home last night, so he must have been sleeping with some vixen again!

Why haven't they returned by this time?

"Quickly! Go find him! By any means necessary, bring him back before the Emperor's men find him!"

The palace maid hurriedly accepted the order and quickly left the palace.

But she hadn't gone far when she was stopped by several young eunuchs who were sweeping.

The group of men were all holding brooms, but their faces wore malicious smiles.

"Where are you going, sister?"

The head eunuch blocked their way.

"You seem to be in such a hurry, has something serious happened at the Crown Prince's Palace?"

The palace maid was in a state of utter confusion.

He was able to get the truth out of her with just a few words.

"Your Highness...His Highness might be...in the Sleeping Light Palace, with Consort Yu...I have to hurry and bring him back...Please don't stop me!"

The eunuchs exchanged glances, then immediately dispersed, rushing off to their respective masters to report.

Soon, the news reached the ears of Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Upon hearing this, Wang An was so shocked that he dropped his teacup.

The Crown Prince is having an affair with a concubine in the harem? And it's with Consort Yu, who has recently become quite favored by the Emperor?

This is an heinous crime!

He dared not delay and rushed into the imperial study.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

The emperor was already furious because he couldn't find the crown prince, and seeing Wang An's trembling appearance only fueled his anger.

"What's with the panic?! What's going on?!"

Wang An knelt down with a thud and spoke in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty...this servant...this servant has an important matter to report...regarding the whereabouts of His Highness the Crown Prince..."

"explain!"

Wang An kowtowed, steeled his resolve, and said in a trembling voice:

"Someone...someone saw...His Highness the Crown Prince enter the Sleeping Light Palace last night, to Consort Yu's quarters!"

Upon hearing this, the entire Imperial Study fell into a deathly silence.

Pei Yan's fingers, hanging by his side, twitched slightly.

Jade Noble Lady? Red Bead?

It's truly a blessing from heaven; it saved him a lot of trouble.

The emperor's face turned a deep purplish-red, and he stared at Wang An in disbelief.

"Prepare your carriage!"

After a long pause, he squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

"Prepare the carriage! Sleeping Light Palace!"

The emperor's imperial carriage proceeded in a grand procession toward the Mianguang Palace, with Pei Yan following closely behind, his face displaying just the right amount of worry and solemnity.

Inside the Mianguang Palace, Consort Yu was terrified when her maid told her that the Emperor was coming this way.

She frantically pushed and shoved the prince, who was still fast asleep on the bed.

"Your Highness! Your Highness, wake up! The Emperor is here!"

The prince, reeking of alcohol, became impatient as he was pushed around and mumbled a curse.

Consort Yu was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes, and she could only forcefully push him off the bed.

Before the crown prince could even put on his inner robes, the palace doors were slammed open from the outside.