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

Two days later.

Inside the Prime Minister's study, Murong Shunshun sat behind her desk and opened an anonymous letter that had been thrown to the guards with a dart.

The paper was of poor quality, but the ink on it exuded an arrogant threat, specifying the conditions for Pei Yan's release.

First, hand over all the evidence of corruption by officials in the capital that Pei Yan possesses.

That was information obtained by Pei Yan and Lu Yunzheng through their extensive network of connections in an effort to overturn the case against Marquis Dingyuan. Why should they hand it over?

Second, they demanded that the Prime Minister's seal be "lent" for three days.

Murong Shunshun looked at the word "borrow" and laughed in anger.

What a huge appetite! The Grand Secretary wields immense power; once an official document bears the Grand Secretary's seal, local officials are treated as if they were seeing the person directly, and must execute it immediately.

If it's just for making money, that's one thing, but what if they use their seals to issue orders for treason, betrayal, or even rebellion within these three days?

Even if the Prime Minister regains his physical body, he won't be able to clear his name no matter what!

"We absolutely cannot lend him the seal, but we can agree to it for now."

Pei Yan raised his hand and pressed her wrist.

Shun Shun shook hands with him, then summoned the guards and, following the coded message "agree" written in the letter, threw a newly broken willow branch over the high walls of the Prime Minister's residence.

Within half an hour, the other party replied with a dart.

Three days later, at dusk, in a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city, the exchange took place: one hand handed over the item, the other over the person.

With a cold face, Murong Shunshun held the note up to the candlelight, where it burned to ashes.

As lunchtime approached, the sky became overcast.

For some reason, October this year was much colder than last year, and the wind carried a biting chill.

Murong Shunshun, dressed in a lotus-green jacket with lotus-patterned front opening and a light blue skirt with silver woven fabric, sat in the main hall of the house and received Pei Lu.

"Sister-in-law," Pei Lu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, feigning concern, "what have you thought about the method I suggested?"

Murong Shunshun's slender shoulders trembled slightly.

"Now, as soon as I close my eyes," her voice trembled noticeably.

"All I can see in my mind is the towering flames of Qingyi Courtyard..."

"If Liu Dieyi is truly such a venomous monster, I... I am truly afraid."

Seeing her terrified expression, Pei Lu's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness.

He took a small step forward and said earnestly, "Sister-in-law, it is precisely because the Gu techniques of the Miao region are so difficult to defend against that we must strike first!"

"You've worked so hard to get to this point, you can't let a young master from Miao territory ruin it!"

Murong Shunshun's fingers tightened suddenly as she listened to his threats.

She sneered inwardly.

This morning, Lu Yunzheng sent someone to deliver a message: The Prime Minister's physical body has been found!

It was in a secluded, dark room in a remote house in the capital!

Not only that, there's another piece of good news.

The butterflies released by Young Master Liu followed the scent of scales and powder left at the arson site and eventually found Pei Lu's carriage.

His carriage was stained with the same scale powder.

Because the stain was under the cushion, Pei Lu himself did not notice it.

All the clues connected suggest that Pei Lu's master is none other than Prince Chen, Zhou Xianyao!

But why did Pei Lu choose to pledge allegiance to Prince Chen?

Shunshun and Pei Yan don't understand yet.

The thieves told them to bring something to exchange for Pei Yan's body three days later at dusk.

Pei Lu also scheduled the "Shichahai Tour and Banquet" for the third day, but at noon.

Shun Shun guessed that the reason they were so close to deadline was partly because they wanted to get rid of Liu Dieyi as soon as possible.

On one hand, they wanted to use the relationship between Liu Dieyi and Brother Lu to cut off a major supporter of the Prime Minister, so that Shunshun would not dare to betray him in the evening transaction.

Murong Shunshun suppressed the hatred in her heart and pleaded with him.

"Fourth Master, I promise you I'll set a trap to catch him."

"But... I am just a weak woman, I really dare not face such a demon alone."

"Since you know the expert who can counter Gu magic, you must accompany me on the ship that day, so that I can feel at ease."

They want to use me as a tool, but they want to remain unscathed themselves?

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

Pei Lu was stunned for a moment, a flash of resistance quickly crossing his eyes.

His original intention was to control the situation from the shadows. Once Liu Qingmang and Liu Dieyi started fighting, swords and spears would not be merciless, and he did not want to be caught in the crossfire.

But he knew that if he didn't agree, Murong Shunshun would definitely not dare to send an invitation.

In order to prove his loyalty to His Highness Prince Chen and to perform meritorious service in supporting the emperor...

Pei Lu gritted his teeth, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will definitely protect you!"

Three days later, at noon.

The autumn waters of Shichahai shimmered, and pleasure boats thronged the lake. Officials and nobles often enjoyed boating and eating hot pot on the lake at this time.

A cold wind carrying moisture rushed towards my face.

Murong Shunshun pulled her dark blue satin fox-collar cloak tighter around her, and with Pei Lu's slight support, stepped onto the two-story carved pleasure boat that the Prime Minister's residence had chartered.

Inside the cabin, a brass hot pot simmered with milky-white mutton bone soup, filling the air with its aroma.

"Sister-in-law, please sit down. It's windy on the lake." Pei Lu pulled out a chair for her.

As soon as the words were spoken, a series of steady footsteps came from outside the cabin, accompanied by the subtle and crisp clinking of silver ornaments. "Clang, clang."

The curtain was suddenly lifted open.

Lu Yunzheng, dressed in a dark red brocade robe with cloud patterns, strode in.

Walking alongside him was Liu Dieyi, dressed in black and covered in Miao silver.

Pei Lu's smile froze the moment he saw Lu Yunzheng's cold and stern face.

"Young Master Liu, please come in! Lord Lu...?"

His eyes darted around nervously. "What brings you here too?"

Lu Yunzheng raised an eyebrow, sat down opposite Murong Shunshun with a nonchalant air, and a sarcastic smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Fourth Master, what a refined taste you have! The city defense officers are busy arresting arsonists, and instead of being at the Ministry of Justice handling cases, you've come here to enjoy the breeze and eat hot pot on the water?"

Pei Lu was choked and turned pale, stammering:

"This...this isn't because my sister-in-law was frightened. As her younger brother, I just wanted her to come out and have some fun to relax."

Lu Yunzheng pursed his lips, which was a tacit acceptance of his excuse.

"What? Fourth Master Pei is treating us to a meal, and he's unwilling to let me have a drink?"

"However, this is all Shunshun's fault. She sent an invitation to Dieyi saying that I would be coming too, but she forgot to tell me."

"No, no, no, how could I dare, how could I dare..."

Pei Lu broke out in a cold sweat, forced a dry laugh to hide his guilt, and hurriedly ordered the maid to serve the dishes.

"It's an honor to have Lord Lu here... Try this mutton; it's perfect for warming you up..."

Murong Shunshun subtly observed Pei Lu's embarrassed state before calling out to the stern, "Boatman, let's set sail!"

Even if Pei Lu discovers now that things are a trap, he can't escape.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Liu Dieyi beside her.

Liu Dieyi still maintained her aloof and wild demeanor, her head bowed as she fiddled with the silver bell on her wrist.

Suddenly, the large golden swallowtail butterfly that had been perched on his right sleeve slightly opened its wings.

The irregular silver-white patterns on the wings gleamed with a mother-of-pearl-like luster.

Immediately afterwards, its tentacles twitched towards the water.

A small yellow butterfly flew outside the cruise ship and twirled and fluttered around it.

Liu Dieyi lowered her head slightly and approached the swallowtail butterfly, as if listening to it speak.

Then, he pointed to the tea and wrote a few words next to Shun Shun's hand: "Master Xuan Su and my master have arrived."

Shun Shun was overjoyed, but he suppressed his excitement and wiped it away with his sleeve.

"Don't stand, everyone sit down."

Murong Shunshun smiled gently, picked up the white porcelain wine pot, and poured a cup of wine for each of the three people.

Pei Lu felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and tried to find a topic to talk about, pointing to the lake view outside the window.

"Lord Lu, look over there, those withered lotus leaves, though faded, still have a unique charm as they sway in the autumn wind..."

Lu Yunzheng didn't respond to his comment, nor did he look at the scenery.

His eyes glanced at the thinly sliced ​​lamb rolls on the table, and he raised his eyebrows dramatically.

"Wow, it really is Ningxia's Tan sheep meat!"

"In this kind of weather, transporting goods to the capital at breakneck speed would cost at least five taels of silver per pound."

"If I remember correctly, Fourth Master Pei was only a fifth-rank official, right? He made his fortune while reviewing case files in Hubei and Hunan?"

"Clatter!"

Pei Lu was so startled that his wrist trembled, and his chopsticks hit the rim of the brass pot and fell onto the table.

He hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Lord Lu is too kind. My family has some extra income, plus my long-saved salary, so buying a few pounds of lamb for my sister-in-law to calm her nerves is still manageable."

Lu Yunzheng raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further questions.

He only intended to bluff Pei Lu, but he didn't expect that Pei Lu was indeed up to something.

Prince Chen's fiefdom, Wuchang, belongs to Huguang. Could it be that... Pei Lu colluded with Prince Chen because of a certain case?

He also had his own informants in the Ministry of Justice, and decided to have them investigate what good deeds Pei Lu had been doing behind Pei Yan's back.

After the cruise ship had been sailing for 15 minutes, it arrived in the middle of Shichahai Lake, and suddenly a wind picked up on the water.

"Whoosh—Boom!"

A wave suddenly surged up on the water to the right of the cruise ship!

The icy lake water, mixed with a murderous aura, smashed through a carved wooden window of the cruise ship.

A dark figure burst out of the water like a water ghost, clutching two short knives in his hands, like the fangs of a venomous snake, and attacked Liu Dieyi!