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

Using rules as a pretext...

The most dangerous place... is...

Pei Yan's gaze was like a knife, passing over the Imperial Guards and the enraged emperor, landing directly on the gilded Buddha statue behind the emperor in the center of the hall.

"Oh……"

A low, cold laugh escaped Pei Yan's throat, sounding particularly abrupt in the somber hall.

He ignored the embroidered spring knife that was pressing against his neck, boldly deflected the blade, and strode towards the Buddha.

"Your Majesty," Pei Yan said in a booming voice, his words resounding and clear.

"Her Majesty the Empress is indeed free of any witchcraft or sorcery. It's simply because Her Majesty is well-versed in military strategy and knows the darkest hour is right under Your Majesty's nose!"

He suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Xiao Yuzhen.

"Your Majesty is using this sacred Buddhist sanctuary as a front; what a clever scheme!"

"I humbly request that this Buddha statue be searched!"

Xiao Yuzhen, who had been wearing a smug expression just a moment ago, froze instantly, her eyes filled with fear.

But in an instant, she gritted her teeth and angrily rebuked:

"Pei Yan, stop making baseless accusations! This is a sacred Buddhist site; how dare you conduct such a reckless search?"

"The solemnity of the Buddha statue has disturbed the gods, bringing calamity upon the Great Chu Kingdom. Can your Pei family bear the consequences?!"

Pei Yan sneered, lifted the hem of his robe, and slammed his knees heavily against the Buddha statue in front of the emperor and all the guards in the hall.

"If Your Majesty harbors any reservations, I swear a solemn oath, on the century-old reputation of the Pei family and the lives of my entire clan!"

"If no filth is found inside the Buddha statue, I am willing to endure the punishment of being sliced ​​to death without complaint!"

The emperor was stunned by Pei Yan's do-or-die attitude.

If one were not absolutely certain, how could a prime minister dare to gamble with the lives of his entire family?

I would rather trust it to have it than to trust it to have nothing.

The emperor gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and waved his hand fiercely: "Search for me!"

Pei Yan suddenly stood up and walked around the Buddha statue several times.

Immediately afterwards, he grabbed the yellow silk cloth covering the edge of the Buddha statue's base with both hands and forcefully pulled it outwards!

"Rolling around—"

A tiny, faceless silk figure rolled out of its base and landed alone in the center of the hall.

The main hall was deathly silent.

Xiao Yuzhen's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, her face pale.

If she hadn't hidden here, she could have used the excuse that this thing had no facial features or birth date to forcefully cover it up.

But she was guilty and scared, so she hid the doll here.

It's over, it's over.

The emperor stared at the puppet, trembling with rage.

"You wicked woman...you wicked woman! Guards, find out exactly who this vile creature is!"

Pei Yan walked up to Xiao Yuzhen, leaned slightly forward, and chuckled softly.

"You actually had plenty of time to burn this thing, but you just couldn't bring yourself to do it."

"Do you really think that the destiny of a chosen woman can be forcibly changed by Master Longchuan simply by making a new puppet and sticking on a talisman?"

"You really think I empathize with this doll?"

Xiao Yuzhen suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open as if they were about to tear apart.

No wonder!

No wonder Pei Yan didn't even flinch when she was squeezing and fiddling with the doll this morning!

It turns out that ever since the last time, he's been playing with her like a monkey!

"Xiao Yuzhen, Xiao Yuzhen, your mind was clouded by your obsession, and you truly deserved to lose."

Pei Yan straightened up and dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves.

"You wicked woman, you've ruined me! I'll kill you—!"

Although the Crown Prince had lustful thoughts towards Xiao Yuzhen, what did Xiao Yuzhen amount to in the face of the throne?

His eyes were bloodshot, and he snatched the sword from the Imperial Guard beside him, about to slash at Xiao Yuzhen.

"Your Highness, you mustn't!" Pei Yan reacted quickly, grabbing the Crown Prince's wrist.

He leaned close to the crown prince's ear and whispered:

"Your Highness's hard-won opportunity to turn things around, is it really going to be tarnished and wasted because of a vile woman?"

The prince shuddered, his eyes bloodshot as he gasped for breath. With a clatter, he threw down his knife and knelt down, weeping bitterly.

"Father! For years I have been controlled by witchcraft and sorcery, behaving recklessly and causing you immense heartache!"

"Your subject swears that it will never happen again!"

Pei Yan also lifted his robe and knelt down before the emperor.

"The Empress has lost her virtue, resorting to such insidious tricks to wreak havoc in the palace and shake the foundations of the nation. Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an edict to depose her!"

"Issue my decree!" The emperor averted his gaze in disgust. "Xiao is wicked and cruel; strip her of her title as Empress and banish her to the Cold Palace!"

"No one is permitted to visit without my decree!"

The man in brocade robes outside the hall stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Yuzhen, and tried to pull her out.

"Let me go! I'm innocent! I'm innocent!!!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you are confused—the Crown Prince's personality changed drastically five years ago, but I only entered the palace four years ago and was made Empress!"

"This doll has absolutely nothing to do with me. I know nothing about it, absolutely nothing!"

Xiao Yuzhen struggled, her hair disheveled, putting up a stubborn resistance.

Pei Yan picked up the doll and smelled it.

"If I'm not mistaken, is this scent of spring blossoms in the snow?"

"This incense is reserved for the Empress alone in the entire palace. If it weren't for yours, would it even have this fragrance?"

Xiao Yuzhen was struck dumb, speechless.

Ever since she believed that Pei Yan and this doll shared a synesthetic connection, she carried it with her day and night, which is why it inevitably became imbued with her fragrance.

Pei Yan!

You even considered this step, didn't you!?

She stared intently at Pei Yan, and after a few breaths, let out a chilling, eerie laugh.

"Pei Yan, you have been unkind to me, so don't blame me for being ruthless in return!"

"Soon, all the powerful and influential families in the world will know the secret of your Pei family! You're finished, and the Pei family is finished too! Hahahaha..."

Pei Yan's long eyelashes trembled uncontrollably twice, but he quickly regained his composure.

He had all the evidence in his hands that Xiao Yuzhen was raising a private army, colluding with palace eunuchs, and lending money at exorbitant interest rates outside the capital.

If she dares to reveal her secrets, they could destroy the entire Xiao family.

Pei Yan glanced at the Crown Prince, whose face was full of doubt, and scoffed.

"The deposed empress has gone mad; she's just a mad dog biting wildly before it dies."

With the turmoil at Youguo Temple temporarily subsided, the Emperor, exhausted, left the Crown Prince to accompany him in continuing his Buddhist rituals and, incidentally, to request an everlasting lamp for the late Empress.

When Pei Yan walked out of the Mahavira Hall, it was already close to dusk.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the temple's glazed tiles a deep red.

A long wind blew by, billowing his cloak.

The day and night of fighting had almost exhausted him.

When Pei Yan reached the carriage parked outside the mountain gate, he swayed and almost bumped into the door frame.

"Prime Minister, be careful!" Xiao San quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"It's alright." Pei Yan sat in the carriage, his tense jawline revealing a hint of anxiety. "Let's go, let's get back to the manor quickly!"

The carriage sped along the official road.

Pei Yan leaned against the soft pillow, closed his eyes, and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Suddenly, Jiang Guo'er's thoughts echoed in his mind again.

[Phew...it's finally over.]

I wonder how the Prime Minister is doing now? I hope nothing bad has happened to him.

May Heaven grant the Prime Minister a safe return home; I, the faithful woman, am willing to be reborn as your ox or horse to repay this vow in my next life…

Pei Yan felt a sense of comfort, and the coldness at the corners of his mouth gradually disappeared, replaced by an uncontrollable upward smile.

All my fatigue was washed away by this warmth.

That silly girl, she had just escaped from the jaws of death, yet her heart and mind were still preoccupied with him.

Pei Yan opened his eyes, his deep gaze fixed on the fleeting light and shadow outside the car window.

All he wanted to do was go back quickly and hold the little one who loved him so much tightly in his arms.