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

Xue Lingyi put away the pulse pillow, washed her hands with the warm water handed to her by Lüyi, and turned to sit down on the embroidered stool by the bed.

"The baby is in the correct position, and the pulse is steady. If Your Excellency is still worried, I will come to check on the baby again tomorrow."

Pei Yan stood in the lamplight without speaking, but his brows were furrowed even lower.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Guo'er couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She shifted up a bit and sat against the cushion.

"Lingyi, it's just in time for you. The Prime Minister and I have just come up with a rough outline of that important matter. Listen to what we have to say."

She began to elaborate on the topic, step by step.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.

Xue Lingyi held the teacup, twirled her fingers halfway along the rim, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay." She laughed so hard her shoulders were shaking.

"I used to think I was cunning, but now it seems that you two are even more ruthless."

"A wrongful conviction has been overturned, a marriage ordained by fate has been arranged, and a life-or-death act of loyalty has all been woven together by you."

She smiled, took a sip of tea, and then clapped her hands and chuckled.

"The common people love to hear stories of injustices being redressed and tales of talented men and beautiful women!"

"Isn't Miss Wang Yan very good at writing storybooks? If you trust her, why don't we commission her to write this preordained marriage into a storybook? Print over ten thousand copies and send them to bookstores all over the country."

Jiang Guo'er was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

"Great idea! I'll write a secret letter to Wang Yan later."

Xue Lingyi smiled and nodded, then sighed.

"Once I fake my death, the noble ladies of the capital will likely all shed tears when they talk about me."

"Only by ending in such a spectacular way can we truly say we've let down our past selves."

Jiang Guo'er's eyes welled up with tears after hearing what she said.

"It's all your aunt's fault, and your dad's too... Sigh, why can't they see things clearly?"

"I heard that after he divorced your aunt, he plans to marry an eighteen-year-old virgin as his wife?"

Xue Lingyi curled her lips into a cold smile, "His personality is something he can't change."

"Fortunately, after I faked my death, there will be no more Xue family women in this world."

She placed her hands on her knees, straightened her posture slightly, and looked directly at Pei Yan.

"Now that the decision has been made to create an assassin, I have a favor to ask."

"Speak," Pei Yan said.

"The Lu family has fallen, but the Tan and Xiao families are still not cleaned up."

Xue Lingyi spoke slowly, "Let's pin the blame for the assassination on one of the families."

Jiang Guo'er nodded in agreement.

Pei Yan nodded silently, seemingly deep in thought.

"An assassin needs a strong motive." Xue Lingyi counted on her fingers, "The Xiao family and the Pei family are related by marriage, yet the Prime Minister showed no mercy to the Xiao family. The Xiao family must be extremely resentful."

"Furthermore, Xiao Yuzhen is narrow-minded. If she were to learn that it is actually Shunshun who is carrying the Prime Minister's child, she would surely be filled with rage and filled with malice."

"The Xiao family hired a killer, attempting to ensure the Prime Minister's childlessness and unbearable grief. Who in the entire capital dares not believe it?"

"That makes sense." Pei Yan tapped his knuckles twice on his knee, making a definitive statement, "It's feasible."

"There's one more thing." Xue Lingyi's expression seemed a bit more serious than before.

"If possible, I would like to ask the Prime Minister... to also bring down the Xue family."

Jiang Guo'er was stunned. "Lingyi? What's going on...?"

The candlelight flickered.

Xue Lingyi's expression was very calm, as if she were talking about someone else's business.

"My father worked in the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of the grain transport. Every year, 30% of the losses would be 'flooded' into the accounts. They would say it was because the boats capsized, it got wet in the rain, or it was gnawed by rats."

She forced a smile, her eyes filled with unbearable bitterness.

"When I was ten years old, I went to Jiangnan by canal boat. I saw with my own eyes what was being weighed down by the boat."

"And then there's my eldest uncle, who lent money at exorbitant interest rates in Tongzhou two years ago, driving two families to their deaths."

"My father spent money to cover it up, but the poor daughters of those two families are still missing."

Xue Lingyi closed her eyes, her fair face flushed with extreme shame.

"I am ashamed to have the blood of the Xue family flowing in my veins!"

She took a breath before continuing, "After I fake my death, the Xue family will definitely use my life to make trouble for the Prime Minister and demand compensation."

"I don't want them to get away with this again!"

Jiang Guo'er's throat tightened with sobs, and she reached out to grasp Lingyi's hand.

My fingertips are icy cold.

Xue Lingyi wrapped her hand around hers, a relieved smile returning to her eyes.

"Shunshun, I'm not sad. The aristocratic families are rotten to the core. They may look respectable on the outside, but once you tear them open, you'll find nothing but festering, rotten flesh."

"Master said that once a deadly pimple appears, medicine is useless; you have to take a knife and cut it out fiercely!"

No one spoke for a moment.

Jiang Guo'er and Pei Yan exchanged a glance, and in perfect unison, they raised their hands and gave Xue Lingyi a thumbs up.

Xue Lingyi chuckled at the gesture.

"Oh my, you two, are you trying to show off your love in front of me in some complicated way?"

Jiang Guo'er's cheeks flushed, and she gave Pei Yan a shy glare, but her words were sharp:

"Hey, stop teasing us. When General Sima returns to the capital in triumph, who knows who will be showing off more?"

When Sima Di was mentioned, Xue Lingyi's cheeks flushed slightly, but also showed a hint of anger.

"Why bring him up out of the blue? That bastard hasn't even sent a letter since he left last time... Humph, isn't he afraid I'll forget about him as soon as I turn my back on him!"

Jiang Guo'er glanced at the jade pendant hanging around her neck, which she had polished until it was shiny, smiled, and said nothing.

Pei Yan remained silent for a while.

"Leave the Xue family to me."

"Your father had previously accepted bribes from Prefect Zhao. When Prefect Zhao heard about the Tan family, he was like an ant on a hot pan, running around everywhere."

"Don't worry, anyone who has taken money from the people's hard-earned money will pay the price!"

Xue Lingyi nodded, her voice choked with emotion.

"...Thank you, Your Excellency."

"No need to thank me." Pei Yan turned to look at Jiang Guo'er. "I know how many open and hidden attacks you've taken for Shun Shun."

"When you and Sima Di get married, I will give you a big gift."

Jiang Guo'er nodded hurriedly in agreement: "That's right, I still need to prepare a dowry for you!"

Xue Lingyi waved her hands repeatedly, laughing and scolding:

"Just rest now. You didn't even have a dowry when you entered the Pei household, where are you going to get one for me?"

"You don't need to worry about these things, just take care of yourself."

Jiang Guo'er pouted, secretly reached out and tugged at Pei Yan's wide black sleeve, muttering confidently.

"Anyway, it's not like I'm paying for it."

"From now on, Pei Yan and I are your family, so of course we should pay for your dowry."

After saying that, he gave Pei Yan a wink.

"Shunshun is right," Pei Yan replied earnestly.

Looking at the two of them, so harmonious and loving, Xue Lingyi shook her head helplessly, but felt a warm glow in her heart.

"By the way, Lingyi, could you please invite your female master to the capital immediately?"

"We're planning to give you a new identity as the legitimate daughter of a renowned medical family in Jiangnan. She'll be well-versed in medical texts from a young age, and possesses an exceptionally pure and virtuous character."

"With your master escorting the bride, and Sima Di personally welcoming her, the Duke of Lu won't suspect anything."

"The Duke of Lu suffers from rheumatism for many years. If you can cure him, the entire Sima family will respect you."

At this point, Jiang Guo'er lowered her voice:

"Just in case, I mean just in case... if the truth really comes out someday, considering you cured his chronic illness, the old man wouldn't have the heart to turn his back on them and break them up, would he?"

As Xue Lingyi listened, she couldn't help but smile.

"That's a good idea; you've come up with a very thoughtful approach."

"It's quite a coincidence that my master's unique acupuncture technique has a remarkable effect on treating chronic leg pain."

Jiang Guo'er immediately clapped her hands: "That's wonderful! Doesn't this just prove that there's a divine will at work?!"

Without delay, Xue Lingyi immediately went to the desk and wrote a letter to her master.

Pei Yan summoned a guard and ordered him to personally deliver the letter to the recipient.

The three of them then began discussing various details.

It wasn't until Lüyi couldn't bear to watch any longer that she reminded them it was time for dinner.

If the adults aren't hungry, then the baby in Shun Shun's belly must be hungry.

The meal was placed on a round table in the outer room.

The finest freshly pounded glutinous rice is cooked until it is crystal clear, and served with a pot of perfectly cooked ham stewed with magnolia petals, a plate of bright red and tempting eight-treasure wild duck, and Taihu whitefish steamed to perfection.

There was also a bowl of piping hot, sweet milk and bird's nest congee, along with several small dishes of crisp pickled cucumber and shredded chicken mixed with mung bean sprouts to cleanse the palate.

Jiang Guo'er couldn't resist the aroma and immediately picked up the sweet white glazed porcelain bowl as soon as she sat down.

She devoured her first bowl of glutinous rice in no time.

She filled the second bowl and ladled a large spoonful of ham and bamboo shoot soup over the rice.

They picked up the fish and crisp bean sprouts and ate with great relish.

When the third bowl was empty, she naturally handed the small white glazed bowl to Lvyi.

"Another half bowl, please."

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yan's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

"...Shun Shun".

"Hmm?" Jiang Guo'er puffed out her cheeks and looked at him blankly.

"How many bowls is this?" Pei Yan's voice was tense.

"The third bowl!" Jiang Guo'er stared with innocent, wide eyes, yet remained defiant. "This bowl is small; I'm not full yet."

Pei Yan stared at her increasingly round belly, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

He stiffly turned his head to look at Xue Lingyi sitting opposite him.

"Orderly ceremony."

"What are your orders, Prime Minister?"

"Didn't you say the other day that you wanted to control her food intake? You were worried that if she ate too much, the baby would grow too big and make childbirth difficult?"

He put down his chopsticks, his tone hesitant and uneasy.

"That's three bowls already. Is she really okay eating so much?"

Xue Lingyi was ladling soup when she laughed so hard her hands trembled halfway through.

"Prime Minister, those words were said three months ago."

"Guo'er is now over five months pregnant, and will soon be entering her six-month mark."

"These two months are the most crucial time for the baby in the womb to grow its bones and brain."

She ladled out a small bowl of bamboo shoot soup and pushed it to Jiang Guo'er's side.

"The three little ones inside are vying for her life force; if she doesn't eat her fill, the children will turn around and drain her life force."

"When that time really comes, Shun Shun's teeth will loosen, her legs will cramp, she will sweat at night, and she will be too weak to give birth, that will be the real problem."

"The foods she ate were all mild and easily digestible, and her spleen and stomach could handle them. She could eat another half bowl without any problem."