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

Over the next three days, renowned doctors from the capital were invited to the Prime Minister's residence in rapid succession.

Wu Gongfeng, who had retired from the Imperial Medical Academy, Mr. Liu from Huichuntang in the south of the city, and even the itinerant doctor selling dog-skin plaster outside Dongzhimen were all blocked at the door by Afu with money.

After taking pulses, examining throats, and flipping through medical books, everyone's answers were exactly the same—

"The pulse is normal, and there is no obstruction in the throat. If it is not poisoning, then it must be an evil spirit."

Upon hearing the word "evil spirit," the old lady nearly threw her Buddhist prayer beads at the doctor's face.

"My Pei family has been loyal and virtuous for generations; where would such evil spirits come from!"

Pei Yan was unable to speak and therefore unable to attend court, so he submitted a memorial to the emperor requesting leave.

He remained calm on the surface, but his inner turmoil grew stronger day by day.

[I...poison...Prime Minister...]

The sound he heard that day resurfaced in his mind.

At that time, he convinced himself that he had misheard.

But after three days, his throat showed no improvement whatsoever, and Pei Yan's doubts were rekindled.

Day four, morning.

Pei Yan decided to personally oversee the food and drink served in the mansion recently.

More than thirty servants gathered in the main hall.

Jiang Guo'er stood behind Xue Lingyi, her hands hanging respectfully at her sides.

She vomited for some reason last night, and only drank half a bowl of plain porridge this morning. Her stomach feels empty right now, and she feels a little weak.

Pei Yan sat upright at the head of the table, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, his face as cold and aloof as frost.

Afu relayed the order: "Something strange has happened in the manor recently; a thorough investigation of the food and drink is necessary."

"Starting today, all ingredients and seasonings in the kitchen will be checked one by one."

Before he finished speaking, Pei Yan tapped his long, slender fingers lightly on the table.

Ah Fu immediately understood and raised his voice:

"Cook Zhang from the kitchen was fined half a month's salary and given ten strokes of the cane for buying fresh fish the other day without having it inspected by the inner courtyard!"

Chef Zhang knelt down with a thud and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

"This servant knows his mistake, this servant knows his mistake, Your Majesty, please forgive this servant this time!"

Jiang Guo'er subconsciously shrank her shoulders.

"Qiu Xing, a maidservant, failed to change the ashes in the inner chamber's stove three times on time. She is punished by kneeling for one hour and has half a month's wages deducted."

Qiu Xing knelt down tremblingly, not daring to utter a sound.

"Old Wang, the kitchen helper, spilled a soup bowl while delivering meals to the side room on the eighth day of last month, but concealed it—"

Afu paused and glanced at Pei Yan.

Pei Yan extended one finger expressionlessly.

"Give him ten strokes of the cane, expel him from the inner courtyard, and transfer him to the laundry room!"

Granny Wang burst into tears on the spot.

Jiang Guo'er's eyelids twitched incessantly.

Normally, these incidents would only elicit a few words of reprimand and be the end of it.

None of these incidents are major faults.

Pei Yan's commotion today is clearly not about checking food and supplies... it's a warning to others.

Moreover, they were all people who had had contact with her.

A chill ran down Jiang Guo'er's neck.

She dared not look up, much less look in Pei Yan's direction.

Could it be... that he's testing me?

But why does he suspect me?

In the main hall, Pei Yan paused slightly in his writing.

The voice echoed in my mind again—

[The Prime Minister... is cruel... terrifying...]

His narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze coldly falling on Jiang Guo'er in the corner.

This time he was certain it was Jiang Guo'er's voice.

This must be... what she's thinking right now!

She was scared.

Was he simply frightened, or... because he felt guilty?

She was a highly fertile woman of the Wujiang tribe, so it wasn't surprising that she wanted to rise in rank, but why did she want to harm him?!

Pei Yanqiang suppressed his surging doubts and wrote the character "散" (san, meaning scattered) on the paper.

Afu loudly announced the end of the event.

As everyone filed out of the main hall, Xiao San keenly noticed a thin maidservant whose steps were unsteady, and who almost bumped into the people in front of her several times.

It is a lotus flower.

She gripped her sleeves tightly with both hands, cold sweat trickling down her temples.

Lianhua hurried along the covered corridor toward the servants' quarters, her mind filled with Pei Yan's eyes from earlier.

That's not looking at people, that's looking at dead people.

She doesn't understand!

She had secretly put the family's heirloom poison, which could permanently mute someone, into the sweet potato Jiang Guo'er was given...

But how did the one who was poisoned and rendered mute become the Prime Minister?!

She only wanted a chance to get into the Prime Minister's bed; she didn't intend to harm him!

Tears blurred her face as she turned through the moon gate...

A hand suddenly covered her mouth!

Before Lianhua could even scream, she was dragged into the rockery behind the moon gate.

Half an hour later.

Jiang Guo'er escorted several doctors who had examined Pei Yan's pulse out of the inner courtyard.

The senior doctors were all more worried than the last.

The white-bearded man wiped his sweat as he spoke:

"Don't worry, young lady. The Prime Minister's pulse is still stable, and it's not an incurable disease. However, this poison has strange properties, so we need to reconsider the prescription."

Another elderly monk carrying a medicine box nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes. I will go back and review the old prescriptions again, and I will do my best."

After saying that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and hurried away.

Jiang Guo'er watched their retreating figures and sighed softly.

But if even the old temple guards are helpless, when will the Prime Minister's voice finally get better?

If he remains mute, what will happen to the imperial court?

What will happen to her revenge plan?

Jiang Guo'er rubbed her temples, turned around, and saw an old woman carrying two buckets of water, swaying as she walked towards them.

It turned out to be... Granny Li.

Since she requested to be demoted to a lowly nanny, these heavy and menial tasks have fallen on her shoulders.

The once most respectable head maidservant by the old lady's side now wears a coarse cloth jacket, her cuffs are covered in dust, and her hair has turned white.

Most of the water in Granny Li's bucket spilled out, and she almost fell over, bucket and all.

Jiang Guo'er instinctively stepped forward and supported the bucket with one hand.

"Be careful, Granny!"

Granny Li looked up abruptly, and upon seeing who it was, her pupils constricted sharply.

Jiang Guo'er helped her stabilize the bucket and place it on the ground.

"This bucket is way too heavy, why didn't you ask a maid to help?"

Granny Li didn't respond.

She straightened up, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and a trace of resentment welled up in her eyes.

Jiang Guo'er was not surprised.

Hongzhu shouldn't have harmed her, but it was because of her that the Prime Minister broke her leg and kicked her out of the Pei residence.

But she was able to enter the embroidery room thanks to Granny Li.

She never intended to kick someone when they're down.

"Then this servant will take her leave first, please take care, Granny—"

"stop!"

Suddenly, Granny Li sprang up and grabbed her wrist.

His lips moved a few times, and he squeezed out a hoarse sentence:

"Jiang Guo'er, do you know... that out of so many concubines in the manor, why is it that only you have received the Prime Minister's favor?"

Jiang Guo'er looked astonished.

"I don't understand what you're saying, Granny."

"Don't you understand?" Granny Li sneered.

"Do you really think it's because of your face? Or your little bit of seductive charm?"

"Jiang Guo'er, your benefactor is right before you, why don't you kneel down at once—!"

Jiang Guo'er stood there stunned, unable to come to her senses for a long time.

Granny Li curled one corner of her lips, and the hatred on her face grew even stronger.

She glanced around to make sure no one was there, then leaned close to her ear:

"Do you remember the plum blossom viewing party two months ago? The doll in your arms..."

"You found it that day, right?"