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

The rapid clatter of a cane came from under the eaves, each strike heavier than the last.

The old lady, supported by two maids, hurriedly entered the study.

She spotted Jiang Guo'er on the ground at a glance—

His clothes were half-open, his face was covered in blood and tears, and there was a gash on his forehead from which blood was still seeping out and flowing down his brow bone.

He curled up at the foot of the bookshelf, trembling like a leaf.

The old lady's cane slammed onto the blue bricks with a loud thud, causing everyone in the courtyard to tremble involuntarily.

"Pei Zhang!"

Pei Zhang was startled, his arm froze in mid-air, before he slowly lowered it.

"Grandmother, please let me explain..."

"Explanation?" The old lady's chest heaved with anger, and she slammed her cane down again.

"Explain yourself! What were you doing to your elder brother's concubine in broad daylight?!"

"I didn't touch her! That wretched woman tore her own clothes! She's framing me!"

The old lady ignored him and went straight to Jiang Guo'er's side, bending down to look at her face.

Two handprints, one on each side, and his cheeks were swollen high.

His sideburns were disheveled, and the sash around his waist dragged on the ground.

The old lady looked at her, then at Pei Zhang, her lips trembling several times.

"Fine, fine. Your cousin isn't even married yet, and you're already rushing to seduce his concubine."

"Do you think there aren't enough women in your own yard? Or do you think I, this old woman, have lived too long and am in your way?"

"Grandmother!" Pei Zhang cried out anxiously, his face turning purple. "I came to collect some documents! She ran in by herself—"

"Fetch the documents?" the old lady interrupted him coldly.

"What gives you the right to enter Rangzhi's study? Is his identification badge on you? Or did he tell you himself?"

Pei Zhang opened his mouth slightly.

He didn't utter a single word.

Granny Qin was already squatting down next to Jiang Guo'er, covering the wound on her forehead with a handkerchief.

Jiang Guo'er grabbed Qin Mama's sleeve, crying so hard she couldn't catch her breath and couldn't utter a single complete sentence.

Just then, a shout rang out at the gate of the courtyard.

"My God! What has he done now—"

Third Madam Liu, accompanied by two maids, rushed in with great fanfare. As soon as she entered, she saw Jiang Guo'er lying on the ground.

His eyes rolled around once.

From the tear in Jiang Guo'er's thin coat, one could see the red marks on Pei Zhang's fingernails.

His expression changed repeatedly.

"Pei Zhang!" Madam Liu rushed forward and grabbed Pei Zhang's sleeve. "Who have you harmed this time?!"

Pei Zhang, his face ashen, flung her away: "What are you doing?! I didn't touch her!"

Liu ignored him, turned and went straight to Jiang Guo'er, reaching out to grab her hair.

"You vixen! Not content with the Prime Minister's favor, you also want to seduce the Third Master. What are you really up to?"

"That's enough!"

The old lady slammed her cane down heavily, blocking Jiang Guo'er's path.

"Mrs. Liu, calm down."

Liu's hand hovered in mid-air; she gritted her teeth and withdrew it.

But instead of retreating, he knelt down with a thud.

"Grandma! You must do me justice!"

She knelt on the ground, slapping her thighs, wailing and crying uncontrollably.

"I've been married into the Pei family for eight years! Eight years! I've arranged for him to take six concubines! And five maids to serve him!"

"The number of women serving him in his courtyard is countless!"

"I tolerated them, indulged them, and endured them, yet my life was worse than a dog's!"

"Now things are really messed up. Six concubines aren't enough, nor are maids; they even dare to lay hands on his elder brother's men!"

She fell face-first to the ground, her forehead hitting the ground with a thud.

"Grandma, if you don't take care of this, I'll just smash my head against the wall and die right here! I don't want to live anymore! I don't want to live anymore!"

Such a commotion alarmed half the manor.

Second Madam Qian, accompanied by her maid, stood behind the moon gate, peeking out curiously.

Fourth Madam Zhou, holding her child, gazed into the distance from the corridor.

Several head maids blocked the servants from getting close.

But Liu's voice was loud enough that she heard everything clearly, whether she should or shouldn't have heard it.

Pei Zhang's face was so dark it looked like ink was dripping from it.

He was truly wronged.

The Emperor instructed him to secretly investigate Pei Yan's study to see if there were any letters between him and the Empress.

Now that this maid has messed things up, everything's ruined!

They were also falsely accused of "forcibly taking over the eldest brother's concubine's room".

What will the Emperor think of him when he finds out?

Liu was still crying and wailing on the ground, and more and more people gathered around to watch.

Pei Zhang took a deep breath and turned around abruptly.

"Snapped!"

A slap landed on Liu's face, abruptly silencing her cries.

"Shut up!"

Liu covered her face in disbelief.

Pei Zhang ignored her and strode two steps closer to the old lady.

"Grandmother, look closely! Her clothes are disheveled. From her robe to her belt, which part is in disarray?"

"If I were really going to lay a hand on her, would I be standing here fully dressed?"

He pointed to Jiang Guo'er's collar.

"Look at this tear. It was torn from top to bottom, with the threads turned outwards. It was clearly ripped open from the inside out."

"If I had torn it, the lines should have curled inwards!"

The old lady frowned slightly.

Pei Zhang pursued relentlessly.

"She clearly tore her clothes herself and bumped her forehead herself!"

"I am Yan Ge'er's cousin, from the same clan. She's just a concubine bought from outside, framing me for forcibly taking her. How can she protect her own innocence? She's trying to sow discord between us Pei brothers!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the noise in the courtyard immediately subsided.

Even Madam Liu forgot to cry. The maids and old women who were watching the commotion whispered among themselves, their eyes all falling on Jiang Guo'er.

"Tsk tsk, that's hard to say..."

"If she's truly innocent, why doesn't she come out and call for help?"

"I'm afraid one man wouldn't be enough to satisfy all the women of the Wujiang tribe?"

Jiang Guo'er lay on the ground, blood rushing to her head.

Pei Zhang, having been in officialdom for many years, turned the situation around with just a few words.

"Grandmother, a woman with such a wicked heart will only bring trouble to the household sooner or later! It's the right thing to do to get rid of her as soon as possible!"

He seized the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, wanting to nail Jiang Guo'er to the pillar of shame.

The old lady leaned on her cane and remained silent for a long time.

But he never moved an inch away from Jiang Guo'er.

Jiang Guo'er touched the tooth in her mouth that had been loosened by the blow and spat out a mouthful of blood.

We can't let him continue.

Once everyone starts to scrutinize the details, more and more people will believe him.

Her gaze swept across the corner of the courtyard.

A blue stone well sits at the base of the wall, with a half-circle of moss growing around the well rim, and no cover on the wellhead.

Jiang Guo'er trembled all over, and supporting herself on the ground, she slowly stood up.

"Third Master is right."

Her voice was terribly hoarse, and it started to tremble with sobs as soon as she opened her mouth.

"This servant is of lowly birth, and nothing about her is of any value."

"Third Master is the master of the Pei household, how could he possibly look favorably upon a servant like me?"

Pei Zhang breathed a sigh of relief: "You know it yourself—"

"But these wounds on my body," Jiang Guo'er interrupted him, pointing to her swollen and deformed cheeks.

She then pointed to the still-bleeding wound on her forehead, "But Third Master, did I slap myself? And did I bump my head on this wound?"

Pei Zhang's words caught in his throat.

Jiang Guo'er's tears welled up again, but she didn't wipe them away, letting them flow down with the blood.

"Third Master, your grip is so strong, it's even loosened my teeth."

She moved her tongue, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

The courtyard was quiet again.

All eyes were on her face, where there were two clear handprints, one on each side, each with five fingers.

The red was almost purple, and the purple was almost bluish.

The old women opened their mouths, but ultimately dared not gossip any further.

Pei Zhang clenched his fists, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged.

Jiang Guo'er turned to the old lady, knelt down with a thud, and banged her forehead on the blue bricks with a loud thud.

"Grandma, I can't argue with Third Master, nor do I dare to contend with him."

"I am but a concubine, my life is cheap, I deserve to die."

She looked up, her face covered in blood and tears, but her eyes shone with a frightening light.

"But I was born the Prime Minister's person, and I will die the Prime Minister's person."

"I have no evidence whatsoever, and I cannot defend myself. My only recourse is death—to prove my innocence!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she stood up abruptly and rushed towards the blue stone well.

"Jiang Guo'er!" Granny Qin screamed, but it was too late to catch her.

The old lady's cane fell to the ground, and she swayed precariously.

"Quick...stop her—!"

If Yan'er's destined woman dies, what will happen to his offspring?!

Pei Zhang stood there, stunned.

Liu screamed and covered her mouth.

Jiang Guo'er's disheveled hair flew in the wind, blood was still flowing from her forehead, and her torn thin coat fluttered in the cold wind.

Three steps, two steps, one step.

Her hands braced against the cold stones, and she leaned half her body forward—

The bottom of the well was deep and dark, and a chilling mist rushed towards my face.

The instant her feet left the ground—

"Xiao San!"

A sharp yet familiar low shout came from the direction of the courtyard gate.