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

Jiang Guo'er used the excuse of refilling tea to quietly slip away from the flower hall.

He went straight back to the inner room and touched the foot of the bed, the window cracks, the corners of the cabinets, and even the legs of the daybed.

They even took apart the tent hooks to examine them closely.

There wasn't a single insect.

"This is really weird," she muttered to herself, then turned and went to the small kitchen.

He stayed by the stove and brewed a pot of medicine to treat Xue Lingyi's rash.

Simmered over a low flame, the dregs were filtered twice before being poured into a warm celadon bowl and served.

Xue Lingyi's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly upon smelling the medicine.

Pei Yan, who was sitting to the side, happened to see it.

He immediately issued the order: "The entire mansion, inside and out, not a single corner is to be overlooked; eradicate the insects completely! If even one more insect bites the Madam..."

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhao's face turned pale on the spot.

Oh no, the Prime Minister has found out!

He must know about the red centipede hidden under the carpet yesterday!

This is using this as an excuse to give him a warning!

He rushed over to confess his guilt, knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, recounting the whole story about the centipede.

Pei Yan paused for a moment, holding the teacup.

Centipede?

Under the carpet?

"Who discovered it? They deserve a reward."

Steward Zhao knelt on the ground, his voice trembling, "Reporting to the Prime Minister... it's Miss Jiang."

Pei Yan put down his teacup and slowly ran his fingertip along the rim of the cup.

In the cold winter, insects and rodents should be hibernating.

On his wedding day, however, so many highly venomous red centipedes emerged from under the carpet.

Jiang Guo'er discovered it and had Steward Zhao clean it up, without causing a commotion or alarming the guests... a great achievement.

She actually kept such a big thing from him!

Pei Yan looked down at Steward Zhao, his voice cold.

"You immediately take men and thoroughly search the manor. If you can't find the person who released the centipede, after the fifteenth, you can pack your bags and go back to your hometown."

Manager Zhao trembled and quickly agreed:

"Yes, yes! This servant will search the ground three feet deep to find that damned bastard!"

The entire household was shaken by this decree.

The news that the Prime Minister had gone to great lengths for his new bride and doted on her to the extreme spread like wildfire throughout the Pei residence in an instant.

Everyone says that the Prime Minister dotes on his new wife to the core.

What Pei Yan wanted was precisely this kind of momentum.

Only by cutting the grass can we scare away the snake.

The Empress sent people to add to the wedding dowry on the day of the wedding, which was already suspicious. These centipedes were most likely her doing.

As long as Cuiping lives, she must serve her master.

With such a commotion in the mansion, he refused to believe that the snake hiding in the shadows could remain calm!

He immediately gave a secret order to Xiao San to send men to keep a close watch on Cui Ping for twelve hours a day.

"How is Pei Zhang doing?"

Xiao San bowed and replied:

"Third Master has been very well-behaved these past two days, staying in his own courtyard."

"However... his servant always seemed to be trying to get close to Afu, whether intentionally or unintentionally."

Pei Yan's lips curled into a cold smile: "Keep an eye on it."

He returned to the inner room, but was stopped at the door by Lüyi.

"Prime Minister, Miss Jiang is inside applying ointment to Madam, you..."

Pei Yan frowned.

This inner room used to be his personal domain, where he could come and go as he pleased, but now he has to accommodate others.

"Why didn't you wipe it for Madam?"

"This servant...this servant also..." Green Rhyme's eyes darted away, "This servant was also bitten by a poisonous insect."

Pei Yan's eyes flickered, and he grabbed her wrist, rolled up his sleeves, and cleaned himself up.

Green Ripple was so frightened that her legs went weak and she almost knelt down:

"Your Excellency! It's...it's something I can't bring myself to say, I'm afraid...afraid of offending your eyes!"

Pei Yan waited patiently outside the door for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before Jiang Guo'er came out carrying an empty medicine bowl.

Without saying a word, he grabbed her wrist and led her directly to the study.

Jiang Guo'er's heart skipped a beat. Perfect timing!

I'll try to find an opportunity later to retrieve that brass key that's under the bookshelf.

Her eyes flickered slightly, her gaze landing on the jar of wine sealed with red clay on the desk.

That was a wedding gift specially sent by General Sima, a good friend of Pei Yan and the commander guarding the border.

If only the Prime Minister could get him drunk again...

"Why didn't you tell me about the centipede?" Pei Yan's cold voice rang out from above.

"Your Excellency, I have already informed Madam," Jiang Guo'er said, lowering her eyes and speaking respectfully. "I thought Madam would pass on the message to you."

"You seem quite concerned about your wife."

"This servant... once served Madam's cousin-in-law in Jiangnan, so I instinctively feel a sense of familiarity with Madam."

She used the prepared remarks and offered a word of advice.

"Prime Minister, you should spend more time with your wife. She has just married into this family and is unfamiliar with the place. As her husband, you should be more considerate of her."

His words were impeccable, showing consideration and generosity.

But as Pei Yan listened, a sudden surge of irritation arose in his heart.

This little thing, its elbow is actually turning outwards?

She was his concubine, and she should only have eyes for him and in her heart!

It was bought from outside, so it doesn't know the rules and needs to be trained.

"You're just a concubine, yet you're worrying about your master's affairs."

Jiang Guo'er smiled nonchalantly.

"My lord, I've never tasted wine from beyond the Great Wall before... Would you grant me a small cup?"

"Consider it... a reward for this servant who discovered the centipede."

She had her own little plan in mind; once the wine was opened, she wasn't worried that Pei Yan wouldn't drink it.

To everyone's surprise, Pei Yan saw through her ulterior motives at a glance.

Instead of getting angry, he had Afu bring over a few dishes of snacks to go with his drinks.

Pickled quail, vinegared celery, and pickled radish peels are all dishes she loves to eat.

He opened the bottle himself, poured a full glass, took a sip from the rim, and then pushed the glass, still warm from his presence, towards her.

Jiang Guo'er was taken aback by his actions, but she still drank from the spot where he had drunk, one cup, two cups, three cups in total.

By the time she realized something was wrong, Pei Yan in front of her had already transformed into three figures, swaying incessantly.

Pei Yan stretched out his long arm, lifted her up from the ground, and pressed her down onto his lap, his warm hands slowly roaming over her slender waist.

His burning lips pressed against her earlobe, his breath scorching: "Tell me, are you... really Jiang Guo'er?"

Jiang Guo'er felt weak all over from his caresses, and dizzily grabbed his hands that were messing with her, mumbling a complaint, "Stop shaking me..."

She raised her blushing little face and grinned foolishly.

"Yes, I am... Jiang Guo'er."

"Hehe, whose son are you? How come you're so handsome?"

As she spoke, she stretched out her slender white finger and gently poked his handsome face.

"I come from a respectable family, and I'm excellent at needlework... If you marry me... you'll be the happiest man in the world!"

Pei Yan's heart softened at her charming and silly demeanor. He tilted his head, bit her finger, and rubbed it with his teeth.

"Why do you suddenly want to drink, hmm? My sweetie, tell me the truth."

Although Jiang Guo'er was drunk, she never lost her composure.

The secret to overturning the verdict against my father and brothers and avenging my family must never be revealed, even if it means death.

Her eyes reddened, and she pouted, looking aggrieved: "I think... I've fallen for someone."

"But he...married another girl."

"I know I am of lowly status and not good enough for him, but..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a tightness behind her neck.

Pei Yan's large hand had somehow gripped the back of her head, his thumb pinching and grinding the most vulnerable flesh on the back of her neck.

It stirred a subtle tremor.

"Oh? Who is that person?"

Jiang Guo'er opened her lips in a daze, about to say something, when the handsome face in front of her suddenly loomed larger.

Pei Yan probed with his tongue, pried open her teeth, and scraped across the delicate flesh inside her mouth.

Jiang Guo'er tensed up, her toes curled up, and she nervously curled up inside her embroidered shoes, her face flushing red all the way to the base of her neck.

Just then—

"Tap, tap."

A gentle knock came at the window, and Xiao San's hushed voice came in:

"Master, Third Master has left the courtyard and is heading towards the study!"