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

"This maidservant suffered an undeserved misfortune and spent the whole night freezing in the woodshed."

Pei Yan's voice was deep and his face was expressionless.

"Since she has been wronged, we should make amends. Let her go to the inner room and serve you."

Granny Li and her maids kept their eyes down, barely daring to breathe.

The old lady was stunned for a long time, then overjoyed, her eyes crinkling with smiles.

This iron tree, for the first time ever, is actually trying to attract people into the house!

Pei Yan, as if afraid that his grandmother would notice something, immediately turned to the side and forced his gaze toward Xue Lingyi.

"Thank you, Miss Xue, for visiting my grandmother today and for helping the Pei family uncover the suspicious circumstances surrounding Su Yue's death."

"Otherwise, this sordid affair would have tarnished the Pei family's reputation even further."

Now, the old lady's eyes shone even brighter.

Yan'er has always been cold and aloof, treating not only the noble ladies of other families but also her own sisters with icy indifference.

He actually took the initiative to thank me today!

The old lady grabbed Xue Lingyi's wrist.

"My dear girl, you absolutely cannot leave today! You must stay and dine with me!"

Xue Lingyi was worried about not having a chance to speak with Guo'er alone, so she immediately bowed and agreed.

"Since the old lady is so kind, I will take the liberty of troubling you."

The group turned and walked out of the woodshed in a grand procession toward Songhe Garden.

Jiang Guo'er knelt on the ground, her mind still buzzing.

Should I go to the inner room to serve you?

She won this gamble?!

Before I could fully recover, a cold male voice suddenly drifted from ahead.

"What are you still standing there for?" Pei Yan stopped in his tracks, half of his face hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable.

"Now that you're my personal maid, why aren't you following me?"

Jiang Guo'er shuddered and quickly pushed herself up from the ground.

As soon as I straightened up, my body went limp, as if I were walking on cotton.

They could only stumble and fall at the back of the group, closely following behind Granny Li.

Ahead, Pei Yan walked with his hands behind his back.

Occasionally, he would turn his head and exchange a few words with the old lady, or ask Xue Lingyi about the scenery and customs of Jiangnan.

As he passed through a hanging flower gate, Pei Yan glanced back.

I haven't seen Jiang Guo'er for half a day.

It wasn't until his gaze passed over the group of servants and landed at the very back that he spotted her.

Jiang Guo'er walked very slowly, her face as white as a sheet of Xuan paper used to paste a window, her steps unsteady and trembling.

Her body was so thin that even a coarse cotton-padded jacket couldn't support her; she looked as if she were about to fall apart at any moment.

That medicine was supposed to only make people fall into a deep sleep and appear to be dead, so how could it have made them this weak?

Pei Yan frowned.

"Grandmother, go back to Songhe Garden first. I'll go change my clothes and come back shortly."

The old lady smiled and agreed, then pulled Xue Lingyi along as they continued walking.

Pei Yan hid behind a wintersweet tree and raised his hand to make a gesture.

A dark figure silently landed behind him and knelt on one knee.

"How exactly was the arrangement for that bowl of medicine?"

Xiao San's scalp tightened, and he lowered his head to report truthfully:

"The medicine was prepared according to Master's instructions, but I... added a little datura. It will make you feel drowsy, but it will not be fatal."

Pei Yan's face immediately darkened.

"Who told you to add mandalas?"

A layer of white sweat instantly appeared on Xiao San's forehead, and he lowered his head even further.

"I feared the symptoms might not be obvious enough to fool Cuiping and those two old women. I know I was wrong; I shouldn't have acted on my own. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"

The maidservant spent the whole night in the woodshed freezing cold and was then forced to take medicine.

It was about to fall over with a gust of wind, because the medicinal properties of the datura had not yet dissipated.

Pei Yan stared at Xiao San's head for a long time before suppressing his inexplicable irritation.

"If you act on your own again next time, go to the torture chamber and receive your punishment! Now, get out of here."

As if granted a pardon, Xiao San slipped away and disappeared into the shadows.

On the other side, Jiang Guo'er finally breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Pei Yan leave.

His life was saved.

Not only was it saved, but it also got to serve in the inner room!

But before the joy could reach her head, she looked down at her own appearance and her mood plummeted again.

The clothes were covered in wood ash and mud, and had a faint musty smell.

Needless to say, his hands were covered in black dirt under his fingernails, and the backs of his hands were covered in chilblains and abrasions that were oozing yellow fluid.

Looking like this, how dare you serve the Prime Minister?

I'm afraid that as soon as I reach out, that living devil will slap me away in disgust.

Jiang Guo'er gritted her teeth and quickened her pace to catch up with Granny Li.

"Granny! Granny, please wait!"

"Your Excellency has shown me great kindness by sparing my lowly life. But my hands and this muddy body... I fear they will offend Your Excellency's eyes."

She pleaded in a soft voice.

"Please, Granny, grant me a clean jacket and skirt, hot water, and soap to freshen up a bit, so as not to offend your mistress."

Granny Li stopped in her tracks.

Normally, she would never get involved in this kind of thing.

But the Prime Minister not only showed leniency towards this girl, he also looked back at her several times while walking.

The hidden and profound look in her eyes was something that Granny Li had never seen in most of her life in the Pei household.

I wonder what it was about this girl that caught the Prime Minister's eye?

"Indeed," said Granny Li after a moment's thought, "your attire is indeed rather inappropriate."

"There's a private bathroom for female guests up ahead. I'll send someone to get you a new dress and go in to wash up."

"Thank you very much, Granny." Jiang Guo'er thanked her repeatedly.

Half an incense stick later, Jiang Guo'er pushed open the door to the clean room.

Hot water had already been added to the copper basin, and soap, soap, and a clean cloth were placed next to it.

On the mahogany tray lay a brand-new set of light blue vest and skirt.

If she could, she would much rather take a bath in a large wooden tub.

But she is not qualified yet.

Jiang Guo'er bolted the wooden door shut with her backhand, and quickly took off her cold, hard, and smelly coarse cloth coat.

Unbuttoning her inner garment, she carefully took out the silk doll and placed it on a dry cloth beside her.

"Today was truly a day of near-death experience."

Jiang Guo'er soaked her hands in hot water while muttering to the doll.

"The Prime Minister is more cunning than a lotus seedpod. He is ruthless and will never let you live past midnight if the King of Hell calls you to die."

She lathered the soap pods in her palms, carefully cleaned the dirt from under her fingernails, and gently massaged her chilblains as well.

"If it weren't for your intelligence and your blessing from beyond the heavens, I would be a cold corpse by now."

After washing her hands, she wrung out a hot towel and vigorously wiped her cheeks and neck.

Then, he let out a long sigh of relief, and his eyebrows and eyes curved into a full smile.

As long as she can serve him closely, she will be pregnant with Prime Minister Pei's child in no time.

Jiang Guo'er threw the towel into the copper basin, grabbed the doll, and held it up to her face to examine it carefully.

I used to think this thing was too hot to handle, but now I realize it's a real treasure.

Even her thin lips, sewn with black thread, exuded a cute and innocent charm.

"Good boy/girl, here's a sweet kiss for you."

She excitedly leaned over and pressed her lips to the doll's mouth, giving it a loud "kiss".

"Bang—!!"

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the next room, as if something heavy had been slammed to the ground.