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

A pure lie often requires countless lies to cover it up.

If any link in the chain is forgotten, the truth will inevitably be revealed sooner or later.

But if it's half true and half false...

Xue Lingyi raised her hand from her sleeve and pinched her thigh hard again.

His eyes were forced to turn bright red at the corners, and a layer of mist welled up in his eyes.

"Although Guo'er is of lowly status, merely a concubine, her love for the Prime Minister is as heavy as Mount Tai!"

Xue Lingyi raised her head, her voice trembling slightly:

"She secretly cut off a section of her own hair, and then stole a lock of the Prime Minister's hair from the comb. She tied them together, put them in her purse, and buried them under the old plum tree in the outer courtyard..."

She made a solemn vow: to live and die with you for all eternity, until death do us part!

"Even in the underworld, I want to be the Prime Minister's man!"

Pei Yan leaned back in his official hat chair, his mind going completely blank.

He stared intently at Xue Lingyi, his breath catching in his throat for a moment.

Xue Lingyi picked up a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her eyes.

"If even a fool like Guo'er is scheming to harm the Prime Minister, then there is no sincerity left in this world."

The study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After a long silence, Pei Yan picked up the wolf-hair brush and tapped it heavily on the table twice.

Xiao San immediately understood and rushed out like a gust of wind.

Xue Lingyi stood to the side with her eyes downcast, her palms covered in cold sweat.

In less than half an incense stick's time, Xiao San came running back, his hands covered in mud.

He opened his rough palm, revealing an old purse covered in mud.

Pei Yan suddenly stood up, grabbed the purse, and with trembling fingers, untied the red thread sealing it.

Lying quietly inside was a strand of black hair tied in a tight knot with a red string.

Xiao San stood to the side, his eyelids twitching wildly.

Goodness, there really is one?

Miss Jiang usually seems timid and shy, but she's actually so infatuated with the Prime Minister!

Pei Yan held that strand of hair, his breathing becoming heavy and labored.

He stuffed the purse into his sleeve, strode out of the study, and headed straight for the main room.

Inside the main room at this moment.

Although Jiang Guo'er held needle and thread in her hands, her mind was in turmoil.

Why has Lingyi been gone for so long? What happened?

With a loud bang, the door was pushed open forcefully.

Pei Yan strode in, exuding a chilling aura.

Jiang Guo'er was startled and stood up to bow.

Before she could even stand up straight, Pei Yan had already leaned forward, grabbed her shoulder, and pressed her back into the chair.

Immediately afterwards, his other hand gripped the back of her head and ruthlessly pulled the red gold hairpin out of her hair!

Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall in an instant.

"Prime Minister..." Jiang Guo'er exclaimed in surprise, her heart pounding like a drum.

She looked at Xue Lingyi, who ran in right after her, with surprise and uncertainty.

Xue Lingyi shook her head very lightly at her—stay calm and don't speak.

Jiang Guo'er was completely bewildered and could only sit there with her neck stiff.

What on earth is this living Yama doing?

Pei Yan inserted his fingers directly into her long hair, carefully searching through it inch by inch.

Finally, the fingers stopped at the back of the head, slightly below.

There was indeed a large clump of hair there, about an inch shorter than the surrounding hair, with jagged ends.

Jiang Guo'er immediately felt his breath hitting the back of her neck, which was frighteningly hot.

"Prime Minister...?"

Pei Yan pulled her into his arms and held her tightly!

The force was so great, it felt as if it wanted to knead her into his very bones.

After a long while, Pei Yan finally released her, panting heavily. He strode to the small table next to him, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote a few words.

Did you know that in my Pei family's eldest branch, no male member has ever lived past thirty?

Xue Lingyi read it aloud.

Jiang Guo'er was completely baffled by this seemingly random question.

Did he know that he had met with Granny Li?

No, probably not.

That's not it.

"This servant... seems to have... heard the old woman from Songhe Garden mention it once."

Pei Yan's long fingers, gripping the paper, suddenly tightened, his knuckles turning deathly pale.

My heart felt like it had been hit hard by a sledgehammer.

This silly girl!

Knowing full well that he was destined to die young, why would she still be willing to live and die with him?

He even swore an oath with his own hair!

She doesn't want gold or silver, and she's never jealous or quarrelsome, yet she's already made up her mind to live and die with him.

Seeing the emotion in Pei Yan's eyes, Xue Lingyi finally felt a huge weight lifted from her heart.

She immediately put on a happy face and moved closer.

"Guo'er, I have some fantastic news! I was just about to tell you, but Afu interrupted me!"

She paused deliberately, glancing at Pei Yan out of the corner of her eye.

Jiang Guo'er and Pei Yan turned their heads at the same time, their eyes both asking questions.

You're pregnant!

Green Ripple immediately knelt on the ground and sang, "Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations, Your Excellency! Our household will soon have a young master!"

Jiang Guo'er kept her mouth slightly open and remained silent for a long time.

Pei Yan stood rooted to the spot like a wooden stake, his eyes trembling violently.

After a long while, he seemed to wake from a dream, grabbed a pen and wrote it three times on the paper, the pen tip even tearing the paper:

"Really? How do you know?"

Xue Lingyi smiled and curtsied.

"I noticed that Guo'er looked unwell, and she said she couldn't stand the smell of fish, so I took her pulse."

"If Your Excellency does not believe me, you may ask the physician of the household to come and take a look."

Xiao San, standing behind Pei Yan, didn't need to be told anything; he immediately turned around and rushed out of the room.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the most skilled physician in the manor, Physician Chen, was dragged in.

"Prime Minister, what's wrong...?"

Pei Yan pointed towards the inner room.

At this moment, all the curtains around the bed were drawn, covering everything completely.

A hand covered in calluses reached out from the gap in the tent.

Physician Chen was stunned for a moment, dared not say anything, and quickly knelt on the footstool, placing three fingers on it.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the breathing of the people inside.

Jiang Guo'er lay in the tent, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

She definitely didn't have her period this month.

I've been so confused by the poisoning incident these past few days that I haven't even considered that possibility.

Father, Mother, Brother, may your spirits in heaven protect me!

Physician Chen's brows furrowed slightly at first, then quickly relaxed, and he grinned.

"This lady's pulse is smooth and even; it's undoubtedly a sign of pregnancy!"

Pei Yan stood by the table, his chest heaving violently, grabbed a pen, and wrote a few words.

"Are you sure?! How many days has it been?"

The physician, Chen, stroked his beard and replied with a smile, "The pregnancy is still in its early stages, not yet very obvious, at most forty days or so."

Pei Yan closed his eyes, his mind racing.

That matches!

More than fifty days ago, on that night, he first favored Jiang Guo'er!

An indescribable surge of joy rushed up my spine and straight to the top of my head.

Pei Yan pointed outside.

Xiao San immediately stepped forward, covered the mouth of Physician Chen, and dragged him out.

Xue Lingyi tactfully pulled Lüyi out and closed the door behind her.

Only two people remained inside.

Pei Yan strode to the bedside and yanked open the bed curtains.

Jiang Guo'er was still lying on the pillow, feeling dizzy, and hadn't come to her senses yet.

Suddenly, a tall, dark shadow crashed down.

Pei Yan immediately climbed onto the bed and carefully pulled her, blanket and all, into his arms.

He trembled uncontrollably, burying his face in the crook of her neck, each breath he exhaled hot and scalding.

Jiang Guo'er was being strangled so badly she could hardly breathe, and her consciousness gradually returned.

Is she pregnant?

She...is really...pregnant!