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

In late May, the heat of summer gradually sets in in Beijing.

The thick mattresses in the inner room of Qingyi Garden had been removed, and a cool, silky mat from Qizhou had been placed on top of the thin mattresses.

The incense burner with its gilded lion-shaped incense burner in the corner of the room was filled with the refreshing scent of mint.

Pei Yan kept vigil at Fengxian Hall for three days, and today he was finally able to return home.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Lvyi brought him pomelo leaf water to wash his hands.

After changing out of his rough and stuffy mourning clothes and into light everyday clothes, he lifted the gauze curtain and entered the inner room.

Jiang Guo'er was sitting on a low couch by the window, threading a needle.

A bright red silk veil was laid on her knees, and a half-embroidered mandarin duck veil was on her head.

Xue Lingyi repeatedly told her to eat less and move more to control the size of the fetus and avoid a difficult delivery.

Not daring to lie slumped all day, she thought of preparing a veil for Lingyi's future wedding in advance.

Upon seeing Pei Yan enter, she quickly put down her needlework and went to greet him.

"Is the situation already decided?" she asked softly.

Pei Yan put his arm around her waist, gently supporting her, and led her to sit down on the couch.

"It's settled. The Eighth Prince confided in me that after he ascends the throne, he will find a legitimate pretext to issue an edict to reopen the case of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence."

Jiang Guo'er stood there, stunned.

For more than a year, she had been thinking about it day and night, and dreaming about the tragic deaths of her parents, brothers, and Chunxiang.

Upon hearing these words, before my mind could even process them, my eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and large drops of tears uncontrollably fell onto the back of my hand.

She frantically tried to wipe herself with her sleeves, but couldn't help laughing and crying at the same time.

"Great...great...this day has finally come."

Pei Yan took a clean cloth from the table and patiently wiped away the tear stains on her face, one by one.

"Although the new emperor is young, he is extremely patient and patient. The fact that he was able to grow up safely in such a cannibalistic harem until the age of ten and remain so composed is entirely due to the teachings of his birth mother, Consort Hui."

Jiang Guo'er sniffed and leaned on his shoulder.

"Speaking of Consort Hui... I did see her once when I was a child."

"Years ago, when my mother and I went for a spring outing, we passed a river and saw a maid standing in waist-deep water."

"The river water was very cold in early spring; her lips turned purple from the cold, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent."

"After inquiring, I learned that she was Princess Guyang's maid. She was punished by being made to soak in water because she accidentally wet the princess's embroidered shoes."

She sighed inwardly. Who could have imagined that the maid who trembled in the water would one day become the Empress Dowager?!

Princess Guyang probably sent Consort Hui to the late emperor's bed to curry favor with him, but little did she expect that Consort Hui would bide her time and plan her moves step by step.

Four years ago, Princess Guyang was found out by the emperor for having an affair with a monk, and was subsequently placed under house arrest in her palace, never to be allowed to leave again.

"She can endure what ordinary people cannot, so the son she raises will be fine. You can rest assured." Pei Yan rubbed her lower back.

Jiang Guo'er's joy subsided slightly, and her brows furrowed again.

"We've been spreading the word about Father's belongings for a while now, so why hasn't the person behind it shown up yet? Could it be that he's sensed the trap?"

Pei Yan pulled her to lean against the pillow, one hand on her shoulder, his fingertips tapping lightly.

"Think about it yourself. What kind of situation are we in right now?"

Jiang Guo'er racked her brains for a while, but still had no clue, so she couldn't help but tug at his sleeve.

"If you can't figure it out, stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me."

Pei Yan didn't rush to answer; instead, he leaned closer.

"Say a few nice words to praise me, and I'll tell you."

Jiang Guo'er paused, feeling both annoyed and amused.

This person is quite unusual.

Everyone outside is afraid of him, he has a cold face and keeps strangers at bay, but now that he's in front of her, why does he act like a child begging for candy?

She pursed her lips, gazing intently at that aloof and ethereal face.

If it were someone else, they would probably flatter him by saying things like how handsome he is and how powerful he is.

But she just didn't want to say that.

"Although you hold a high position and act ruthlessly, even daring to scheme against the Crown Prince, Empress, Emperor, and Empress Dowager, in my heart you have never been a power-hungry courtier."

Jiang Guo'er spoke each word clearly and brightly.

"You have lofty ambitions and a strong sense of justice and morality."

"What you seek is for the people to live in peace and prosperity, and for the world to be calm and peaceful."

"Your willingness to investigate the wrongful conviction of Marquis Dingyuan is not only because of me, but also to put pressure on the powerful clans. With that kind of courage, there are few people in this world who can match you."

Pei Yan was just teasing her, wanting to hear a few sweet, coquettish words.

I never expected her to say that.

He stared at her intently, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

The officials were in awe of his power.

His mother was wary of his gloomy nature, and every time she saw him, she would warn him never to be jealous of his brother.

Yet no one has ever seen through his outward appearance to see the thoughts hidden deep within him.

Even as a shadow, he had his own ambitions from a very young age.

Unfortunately... in order to fulfill the responsibilities left by his brother, he has been pushed around by the family all these years.

Everything he did had to take the Pei family's interests into account, which made him feel constrained and prevented him from doing many things he wanted to do.

A surge of indescribable soreness welled up in his eyes. Pei Yan turned his head and pretended to pick up a teacup from the small table, his slender fingers tensing with effort.

He remained silent for a full quarter of an hour before suppressing the emotions that were about to burst from his chest.

When he turned back, Pei Yan's voice had returned to normal, though the last syllable still held a hint of hoarseness.

"It's not that he doesn't want to get involved, it's that he can't get away from it."

"Can't get away?" Jiang Guo'er was very clever, and her mind raced as she blurted out the answer.

"Now is the time of national mourning, the entire city is under martial law, and all members of the imperial family and high-ranking officials must enter the palace to mourn..."

"In that case, the person behind this must be qualified to enter the palace to keep vigil! They must be a member of the royal family, or a high-ranking official of the third rank or above!"

Pei Yan nodded in approval.

"That's right, the area is getting smaller and smaller."

"Lu Yunzheng and I have both arranged for spies to keep an eye on those few people who meet the requirements. As long as they make the slightest move, they will definitely give themselves away."

Jiang Guo'er breathed a sigh of relief, her heart finally calming down.

She turned to look out the window, where the wind was blowing through the curtains.

"It's quite a coincidence, but I had a dream a couple of nights ago."

Jiang Guo'er snuggled closer to him, finding a comfortable spot to lean against him.

"I dreamt of the Lantern Festival from more than four years ago."

"I actually met you once before our poetry contest. But then a family tragedy happened, and I was so traumatized that I forgot about that experience."

Pei Yan's arm around her shoulder suddenly stopped.

The Lantern Festival more than four years ago?

That day, he was locked in a dark room by his grandmother for training, while his brother went to the lantern festival.

"You saved a woman from jumping into the river at Changxin Bridge."

Jiang Guo'er was lost in her memories, speaking softly.

"That woman was violated by a scoundrel, and her family, disgusted by her shame, kicked her out of the house. She wanted to commit suicide, but you stopped her."

"Do you remember... what you said to her back then?"

Pei Yan lowered his eyelashes and asked, following her words, "What did I say?"

"Ask her, when no one touches a basin of water, is it clean or dirty? The woman says it's clean."

"You then asked, under what circumstances will a basin of water become dirty?"

The woman replied that mud only gets dirty when someone washes their hands or when mud falls into water.

The more Jiang Guo'er spoke, the higher the smile on her lips became.

"You smiled as you leaned against the railing."

"You say, if that's the case, then there's no reason for people to call a woman dirty! It's not the woman who's dirty, but the man who dirtied her!"

These words were deafening to Jiang Guo'er at the time, like the sun breaking through the clouds.

She had never seen such an unconventional young master from a prominent family.

Instead of discussing the writings of sages, they go and talk to a woman who has been violated.

But the reasoning behind it was so convincing that it made people feel completely at ease.

"The woman was stunned for a long time after hearing your words. She then climbed down from the bridge railing and kowtowed three times to you."

"You gave her a tael of silver and pointed her in the right direction, telling her to go to the matchmaker's place to find work."

"If you know how to sew, become a sewer; if you know how to unravel and wash, become an unravel and wash. Tell her that even if she never gets married, she can make a living with her skills."

Jiang Guo'er tilted her head back and reached out to touch Pei Yan's chin.

"At that time, I thought, how could there be such a perceptive, kind, and gentle man in this world?"

An unprecedented joy sparkled in her eyes.

"Now that I think about it, no wonder that even though I tried to restrain myself after arriving at the Pei residence, I still couldn't help but be attracted to you."

"This wasn't without reason; the seeds were sown more than four years ago!"