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

When Manager Zhao ran over, his face was pale.

"Who...who did this?!"

Jiang Guo'er pointed to the area under the carpet, "Every carpet has to be lifted up and checked again; not a single one can be missed."

Manager Zhao agreed immediately, and seven or eight rough-looking old women squatted on the ground and turned over the carpets from the front yard to the main room one by one.

Three more locations were discovered.

Five or six red centipedes were crammed into every crack in the brickwork, densely packed together, their purplish-red color terrifying.

Jiang Guo'er stood at the bottom of the steps, her palms sweaty.

He pressed his chest, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past the moon gate.

He was dressed in gray cloth, small in stature, and walked very fast.

Jiang Guo'er's eyelids twitched.

...Cuiping?

Her heart tightened suddenly, and she lifted her skirt and chased after him.

Passing through the moon gate and around the artificial hill, the figure disappeared into a narrow alley. By the time she caught up, there was no one there.

She leaned against the wall and gasped for breath.

We lost them.

But you can run away on the first day of the month, but not on the fifteenth!

If she finds out that Cuiping really did this, she will definitely not let her off the hook!

When they rushed back to the inner room, Lianhua was sitting at the table with her cheeks puffed out, and a few peanut shells were scattered on the table.

"..."

Jiang Guo'er stared at her without saying a word.

Lianhua immediately swallowed the peanuts guiltily and chuckled twice.

"I just ate a few, the bride's peanuts, for good luck in having a son...it's so auspicious!"

Jiang Guo'er remained expressionless.

"Clean up the peanut shells. How many are missing? Hurry up and replace them!"

Lotus hurriedly and frantically tidied herself up.

"If you steal food again," Jiang Guo'er said, adjusting the red rope on the scale, "you can forget about ever entering the inner room again!"

"Today is the Prime Minister's wedding; if anything goes wrong, who can take the blame?"

Lotus pouted, realizing she was in the wrong, and didn't dare to utter a single word in response.

At 1-3 PM, loud drumming and music began to play in the front courtyard.

The eight-bearer sedan chair had already departed from the Xue residence, and the procession of red bridal makeup stretched for miles around half of the capital.

Firecrackers went off all the way, and people crowded the roadside to watch the spectacle.

Through the window, Jiang Guo'er heard the suona horns outside getting closer and closer.

Firecrackers crackled and popped, one after another, making the windowpanes shake.

She was genuinely happy for Lingyi.

Although this marriage was essentially a political alliance, Pei Yan acted with propriety...

He will certainly not mistreat his wife.

However, happiness is like the tide; once it recedes, all that remains on the beach are small, sharp seashells that prick your feet.

She took out the doll she had been carrying in her bosom.

The little hat is crooked.

She reached out and straightened it, her fingertips touching the doll's face, stroking it again and again.

It was as if I was comforting it, and also as if I was comforting myself.

It carried a hint of attachment that she herself was unaware of.

The front courtyard and main hall were filled with guests.

Red candles burned brightly, the character for "double happiness" was pasted all over the door, and the air was filled with the fragrance of pine and cypress and the smell of gunpowder from firecrackers.

Pei Yan, dressed in a bright red python robe, stood before the wedding table.

He wore a black gauze hat with winged ornaments on his head and a jade belt around his waist. His face was handsome and aloof, and there was not a trace of a smile on his face.

It's not that I'm deliberately putting on airs.

He was born with this expression.

Xue Lingyi, her head covered by a red veil, was helped by the matchmaker to step over the brazier.

Her skirt trailed over the threshold, and the golden pheasant embroidered with gold thread shimmered and glowed in the candlelight, filling the room with splendor.

The emcee sang loudly—

"I bow to Heaven and Earth!"

The two faced the main hall and bowed in greeting.

Just as he bent down, Pei Yan felt as if someone had adjusted his hat.

Then a tingling sensation suddenly shot up from both sides of my cheekbones.

—Someone is touching his face.

The fingertips have a thin layer of calluses, like cat claws teasing you, scratching you and then retracting.

a bit.

Another one.

Immediately afterwards, a soft, warm touch came from my forehead.

Light as a flower petal.

He was all too familiar with that touch; Jiang Guo'er was secretly touching him again.

But today feels different from usual.

In the past, when she touched the doll, she would either rub it when she was in a good mood, or use it as a punching bag when she was in a bad mood.

But this time, it was neither teasing nor playing around.

It was more of an inexplicable...grievance.

Pei Yan's back tensed up inch by inch.

Her ears flushed slightly, and even her neck felt hot, but her brows furrowed involuntarily.

What is that woman thinking about now?

I can't quite put my finger on whether it's irritability or something else.

"Bowing to the parents a second time!"

Pei Yan turned to the old lady and bowed deeply, forcing himself to bring his attention back to the present.

But the lingering sensation of those caresses remained on my skin, refusing to dissipate.

What's wrong with her?

Who bullied her again?

still is……

Pei Yan composed himself and looked down at Xue Lingyi, who was wearing a veil beside him.

This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.

If his colleagues knew that during his wedding, all he could think about was a maidservant, they would probably all scold him for being out of his mind!

But deep down, a corner of my heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle.

It doesn't hurt, but something just doesn't feel right.

"Husband and wife bow to each other!"

He and Xue Lingyi stood facing each other and bowed to each other.

"The ceremony is complete—offering them to the bridal chamber!"

The matchmaker led Xue Lingyi into the bridal chamber.

Pei Yan stood at the door for a moment.

He calmly instructed, "I will go to the front hall to greet the guests," and then turned and left.

The ladies who came to offer their congratulations whispered among themselves.

"Prime Minister, this is... far too cold!"

"That's just his personality. Do you expect him to carry the bride inside?"

Shh! Shh! Shh! Don't let anyone hear!

Inside the bridal chamber, the dragon and phoenix candles crackled and popped.

Xue Lingyi sat upright on the canopy bed, a bright red veil hanging in front of her eyes, her hands neatly folded on her knees.

Green Ripple stood by and said softly, "Miss, please relax your shoulders first."

Xue Lingyi remained silent.

Lüyi stepped forward and carefully held the hairpins at the bottom of the phoenix crown, pulling them out one by one.

That phoenix crown weighed at least five pounds, adorned with gold thread, pearls, kingfisher feathers, and earrings, making one's neck ache from the weight.

The moment she took it off, Xue Lingyi let out a soft breath, her shoulders slumping slightly.

The red marks left by the phoenix crown were across her forehead, and they looked painful.

Just as Lüyi was about to say something, the curtain was lifted and Jiang Guo'er walked in carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup.

"Madam, please have some hot water to tide you over."

She almost blurted out "Lingyi," but swallowed the words back and instead called her "Madam."

Xue Lingyi looked up at her.

Their eyes met, and both were filled with complex emotions.

One was the principal wife, sitting high on her couch; the other was a meek and submissive maidservant.

They were childhood best friends, but now they are separated by an insurmountable chasm.

Xue Lingyi took the lotus seed soup and took a sip.

Taking advantage of the moment, Jiang Guo'er immediately lowered her voice and told him everything about the red centipede.

Green Ripple's expression immediately changed.

"What did you say? A centipede? Hiding under the carpet?"

"Shh—" Jiang Guo'er held up one finger, "Four places have been found. Steward Zhao has already taken care of it without causing any disturbance."

Xue Lingyi put down the bowl, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

"You suspect it's Cuiping?"

"Hmm, it's such a big day today, yet she's nowhere to be seen. It's not normal for her to sneak out to the front yard to peek."

Xue Lingyi's eyes flickered, and she subconsciously clenched her handkerchief, secretly exchanging a glance with Lüyi.

"If it really is her, she will definitely try again tonight if one plan fails."

"Shunshun, can you keep an eye on her for me?"

Jiang Guo'er nodded solemnly.

There was no time for reminiscing at this crucial moment. She quickly lifted her skirt, turned around, and was about to leave.

"Wait!" Xue Lingyi snatched the red dates from Lüyi's hand and stuffed them into her hand.

"You've been working so hard, you must be hungry. Take these with you and eat them!"

Jiang Guo'er happily accepted it, stuffed it into her sleeve, and then left.

After she walked away, Lüyi looked at Xue Lingyi nervously and leaned close to her ear.

"Miss, you're trying to take advantage of this opportunity... but... what if the Prime Minister finds out later?"

Xue Lingyi anxiously twisted her handkerchief, remained silent for a long time, and then let out a long sigh.

"Let's just put it off one day at a time. Maybe after a while I'll..."

"But tonight, I absolutely dare not consummate my marriage with the Prime Minister."