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

The Lantern Festival banquet was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the continuous sounds of string and wind instruments, the atmosphere was vibrant and lively.

Pei Yan sat upright at the head of the civil officials' seats, with a long black lacquered box with gold trim next to him, inside which lay the painting "Picking Lotus Flowers".

He raised his wine cup and toasted the emperor to celebrate his birthday.

From a distance, the emperor looked unusually well today.

The dark circles under his eyes were gone, and even his hand holding the glass was much steadyer.

Pei Yan calmly returned to his seat and slightly turned his head.

Master Longchuan wasn't bluffing; his voice had improved today. Although it was still hoarse, he could finally speak in complete sentences.

The man to his right, Ma Kui, the Vice Minister of Works, was a seasoned veteran whose information traveled faster than an urgent dispatch.

Before Pei Yan could speak, he leaned closer and asked, "Lord Pei, is your throat feeling better?"

Pei Yan held his wine cup, his gaze unwavering. "Still recovering."

"Your Majesty has been unwell for some time, how come you are in such good spirits today?"

Vice Minister Ma leaned closer, his beard twitching.

"Lord Pei, you are unaware of this..."

He lowered his voice, his eyes darting around to make sure no one was watching, before whispering:

"Her Majesty the Empress has been ill recently, but she has presented the Emperor with a beautiful woman. The girl has difficulty walking, but she has some... other wonderful qualities."

"His Majesty now visits me every night, displaying great vigor. The cabinet is still discussing whether to submit a memorial to remonstrate with him."

After saying that, Vice Minister Ma smacked his lips, his face saying, "You know what I mean."

Pei Yan frowned slightly and put down his wine cup.

Xiao Yuzhen herself did not want to curry favor, so she sent a disabled beauty to the emperor.

This is utterly absurd!

She disregarded the Xiao family's century-old reputation!

A quarter of an hour later, the emperor, unable to hold his liquor, was helped off the table by the chief eunuch, Bai.

A young eunuch appeared beside Pei Yan at some unknown time, bowing and speaking in a low voice.

"Lord Pei, please follow me."

Pei Yan calmly put down his cup, picked up the long box, straightened his sleeves, and quietly left his seat.

The young eunuch led him through one dark alley after another.

The further we went, the more remote and quiet it became.

The young eunuch stopped in front of a rockery made of Taihu stones, bowed, and turned to leave.

Pei Yan stood with his hands behind his back.

The night wind blew into my sleeves, making the hem of my clothes flutter.

Behind the artificial hill, shadowy figures loomed, and withered branches groveled like ghostly claws in the moonlight.

Two owl calls came from the top of the artificial hill.

One long and one short.

Pei Yan understood immediately.

Besides Xiao San, there are two other people lurking in the shadows.

A moment later, a woman walked out of the moon gate behind the artificial hill.

She wore a moon-white jacket, a blue cloth skirt, and only a plain silver hairpin in her hair.

Even with a plain face, one cannot conceal the sharpness and nobility in one's bones.

Xiao Yuzhen.

She carried a small palace lantern in her hand, the light casting intermittent shadows on half of her face.

Pei Yan's face darkened, and he directly questioned in a low voice, "You said you found that girl, where is she?"

Xiao Yuzhen raised her face.

"If I don't find her, will you not even want to see me?"

Pei Yan remained silent.

Xiao Yuzhen chuckled, her smile filled with bitterness.

"I knew it. You only ever look at me properly when you need me."

Pei Yan's face was cold and gloomy.

"Former court officials should not meet with concubines in the harem in the first place, let alone—"

He spoke slowly, and his voice was rougher than before.

"Your Majesty is already suspicious of me."

"He sent Pei Zhang to search my study. Do you know what he was looking for?"

Xiao Yuzhen's smile vanished instantly.

"I'm looking for evidence of our affair! If you continue like this, you'll not only implicate yourself, but the entire Xiao family!"

Xiao Yuzhen tightened her grip on the lantern pole.

"The Xiao family, the Xiao family—"

She suddenly raised her voice, and her eyes instantly reddened.

"Haven't I done enough for the Xiao family?!"

"A century-old scholarly family—that sounds nice, but they're rotten to the core!"

"My father is your master, so you should repay him, fine! But what about me?"

She took a step forward, turned the lantern pole between her fingers, and the candlelight instantly illuminated Pei Yan's face.

"Four years ago at the Lantern Festival, if it weren't for me—ugh!"

Before she could finish speaking, Pei Yan lunged forward like lightning, covering her mouth with a large hand.

His fingers tightened, and his fingertips were as cold as knives in the moonlight.

"If it weren't for that incident, because of Master... I have a hundred ways to make you wish you were dead."

Xiao Yuzhen's eyes widened.

The next instant, she bit down hard on the soft flesh in Pei Yan's palm.

Pei Yan winced in pain, her fingers loosening for a moment. She took the opportunity to turn her head away and gasp for breath.

"What do you think you are?" Xiao Yuzhen asked, her voice dry and trembling as she caught her breath.

"You'll stop at nothing to achieve your goals; your heart is dirtier than mine!"

"Shouldn't the Pei family be mine?!" Pei Yan roared, but his voice went completely hoarse, leaving only a breathy sound.

The veins on his neck throbbed as he grabbed Xiao Yuzhen's arm.

"That girl... is my brother's sweetheart."

His voice was now like a broken gong, filled with intense guilt.

"I promised him I would find her, take care of her, and ensure her a peaceful and happy life."

Xiao Yuzhen stared at Pei Yan's face for a long time before slowly curving her lips into a smile.

"She's dead."

Pei Yan suddenly released his grip on her hand.

……impossible.

She was only a teenager back then, and her clothes and demeanor were far from ordinary. How could she...?

"Do you know who she is?" Xiao Yuzhen asked with a mocking smirk.

"She is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan's family." She paused deliberately for a moment.

"Murong Shunshun".

Pei Yan felt as if he had been hit hard on the back of the head.

He subconsciously reached his hand into his sleeve pocket.

The sachet I left behind last night, as if by some strange twist of fate, is still here.

He grabbed it tightly, felt a slight warmth, and then slowly exhaled.

"The Marquis of Dingyuan and his son colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. Last year, His Majesty ordered the execution of their entire family." Xiao Yuzhen tilted her head to look at him, as if admiring a piece of broken porcelain.

"She has long since turned into a pile of bones."

A muffled thud.

The long box in Pei Yan's left hand fell to the ground.

The box lid popped open, revealing a corner of the rolled-up scroll inside.

Pei Yan stood motionless in place.

The moonlight shone on his face, making it appear as pale as paper.

After several attempts, he could no longer speak, so he took off the hairpin and pen and wrote in his palm:

No, this can't be... You're lying to me!

Xiao Yuzhen scoffed lightly, bent down, and unfolded the painting "Picking Lotus Flowers".

"Why would I lie to you... You've been so mean to me, no wonder your throat is sore... Should I ask the imperial physician to take a look at you?"

"Heh, so this is the... token of love that Murong Shunshun gave to your brother?"

"Tsk, I didn't expect her to be such a talented woman."

"Well, it's fine too." She hastily stuffed the scroll back into the box.

"Perhaps they've already recognized each other in the underworld, and in their next life, they can continue their relationship."

After saying that, she went around behind Pei Yan and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Rangzhi...besides me, very few people call you that, right?"

"The old matriarch will only call you Yan-ge'er, while others will only call you Prime Minister..."

Xiao Yuzhen's voice suddenly softened, becoming lingeringly hoarse.

"You've lived in your brother's shadow since you were little."

"From childhood to adulthood, among all my cousins, only I could tell when it was you and when it was him!"

Her hand slid down his shoulder to his chest.

"He is a bright and dazzling pearl, while you are a chess piece covered in mud."

Even if you took his place for four years, you'll never become him!

Pei Yan's eyelashes trembled violently.

Xiao Yuzhen stood on tiptoe and suddenly bit his lower lip.

"But I don't care!"

She stepped back half a step, threw the lantern on the ground, and stomped it out.

"Reputation, status, family honor—none of that matters! From beginning to end, the only person who understands you best and loves you most is me!"

She pounded her chest hard.

"If it weren't for your brother's death, you would probably still be hiding in that attic, continuing to be your brother's shadow."

"I understand... finally able to live openly and honestly, you can't resist the temptation!"

"So, you can sleep with as many maids as you want, I don't care! I can marry a wife if I want, and divorce her later!"

She grabbed Pei Yan by the collar and pulled him down forcefully, forcing him to look her in the eye.

"But your heart must be mine!"

"Otherwise, the hundreds of lives lost in the Xiao and Pei families will all go to hell with us!"

Pei Yan looked down at her.

There was no shame or anger in his unfathomable eyes, no rage at being exposed, only a deathly stillness.

If someone bullies you, take it out on them; what have they done wrong?

Xiao Yuzhen let out a cold laugh.

"Innocent? Are you innocent? If your brother hadn't tried to save you, would he have died?"

These words, like a rusty knife, pierced Pei Yan's never-healed wound.