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

The following morning, in the warm pavilion of Songhe Garden.

The old lady held Jiang Guo'er's hand, her smile so wide that the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out.

Not only did he reward her with a complete set of gold jewelry, but he also personally pushed over a sandalwood box containing a thick stack of silver notes neatly arranged inside.

Jiang Guo'er stared at the silver notes, her mind filled with unease.

She obediently lowered her head and repeatedly declined.

The old lady insisted on giving it to her.

"Rangzhi's mute poison cannot be cured by ordinary methods. Yesterday, Taoist Master Longchuan performed a divination, and the poison is extremely cold, and can only be neutralized by the most intimate and warm methods."

The old lady lowered her voice, her tone extremely solemn.

"He must find the person with whom he has the deepest affection and kiss him on the lips for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn every day, using their love to counteract the cold poison."

Jiang Guo'er was stunned.

A stick of incense? Kissing every day?

What kind of bizarre and unorthodox remedy is this?!

Even in a brothel, no one would gnaw on someone's mouth all day long, for the duration of an incense stick!

She gritted her teeth inwardly.

It must be because the scene of Lingyi's infatuation with the Prime Minister that she sang earlier was too high-profile.

Now look what's happened, even the old lady has taken it seriously.

Her ears turned bright red, and she nervously twisted the handkerchief in her hands.

"Madam... this servant is of lowly status and clumsy with words, I'm afraid..."

"This is to save Rangzhi's life! It's not some frivolous or dissolute act!"

The old lady patted the back of her hand.

"You are carrying his child in your womb, and you are so devoted to him that you even twisted your hair and buried it under a tree. Heaven can see your love."

"In this entire household, besides you, who else could shoulder this heavy responsibility?"

Jiang Guo'er's heart was pounding.

If Lingyi weren't so averse to men, she would definitely have pushed this good job onto Lingyi.

But if this is how you detoxify, then what's the point of having doctors?

It's most likely because of her "destined woman" fate.

The Japanese officer disguised this matter as something deeply affectionate and restrained, purely to guard against her.

She feared that if she knew she was the Prime Minister's destined daughter, she would become spoiled and manipulate the Pei family.

Having figured this out, Jiang Guo'er was no longer flustered.

The prime minister died young, so I have to depend on him to survive and take revenge.

They each got what they wanted.

After a long pause, she nodded emphatically: "This servant is willing to do anything for the Prime Minister."

The old lady repeatedly agreed.

Jiang Guo'er's tone softened, and a hint of worry appeared on her face.

"But Madam, ever since I learned I was pregnant, I've felt uneasy."

"There are too many people in this mansion, and if others find out that I am pregnant, they might have wicked thoughts..."

"This servant begs Your Majesty not to reveal that I am pregnant."

"It would be best to choose an honest and reliable concubine, pretend to be pregnant, and have her shield me from both open and covert attacks."

"Only in this way can the little master in my womb be born safely."

The old lady was already wary of trouble in the backyard, and upon hearing what she said, she wholeheartedly agreed.

"You've thought this through very well, girl! That's certainly the right thing to do. You should go back and rest... As for this person, I need to think it over carefully."

Jiang Guo walked briskly as she left Songhe Garden.

As soon as I reached the waterside pavilion, I saw a Taoist priest with an otherworldly air standing by the pond feeding the fish.

In the bitter cold of winter, the fish have long since hidden themselves at the bottom of the water.

The old Taoist priest had scattered some kind of bait, and suddenly more than a dozen red and white koi carp surged up on the surface of the water, their mouths agape as they fought for the food, splashing water high into the air.

Jiang Guo'er's eyes darted around, and she slowed down.

As he approached, he suddenly swayed, clutched his forehead, cried out in pain, and collapsed onto the chaise lounge beside him.

His brows were furrowed, and he looked extremely weak.

Upon hearing the sound, Daoist Longchuan turned around and strode over.

Without asking about her identity or calling for servants, he directly reached out and took Jiang Guo'er's wrist.

When three fingers are placed together, the pulse is steady and full of energy.

The old Taoist priest stroked his white beard, a string of laughs escaping his throat, and immediately withdrew his hand.

"Layman, you are in excellent health. Are you deliberately feigning dizziness to test my medical skills?"

Jiang Guo'er smiled and sat up straight.

"That is indeed my intention. Since you are so insightful, Daoist Master, may I know who I am?"

Master Longchuan slapped the bait off his hand and flicked his whisk.

"The Prime Minister's concubine, Jiang Guo'er." He spoke calmly, without the slightest inflection.

"I can see everything about you with just a few calculations."

The hairs on Jiang Guo'er's back stood on end instantly.

She dug her fingertips into her palm, trying to suppress her wildly pounding heart.

everything?

Could it be that he even knew I was the last descendant of a marquis's family, burdened with a blood feud?!

Jiang Guo'er broke out in a cold sweat, and her face paled even more.

Seeing that she was on high alert, Master Longchuan stroked his beard and laughed.

"Layman, do not panic. Although I am somewhat versed in the principles of the I Ching, I also understand that we must follow the way of Heaven."

"Everything in this world is preordained. If we interfere with everything, it will damage my decades of spiritual cultivation."

This is an indication that he won't speak carelessly.

Jiang Guo'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders slumped.

Master Longchuan took a step forward and lowered his voice.

"The reason I saved the Prime Minister is because I foresaw the unresolved karmic ties between you and the Prime Minister from a past life."

"Your destinies complement each other, which is why you were able to meet in this life."

"As long as you cherish this destiny and win the Prime Minister's heart, all your wishes will be fulfilled."

That's a rather far-fetched statement!

The Prime Minister's sincerity is not so easily obtained.

The primary reason Pei Yan was able to become the Grand Secretary was that he was cold-hearted and always put the interests of the court first.

For him, romantic love was merely an added bonus, something dispensable.

Jiang Guo'er was skeptical, but she listened attentively nonetheless.

Before leaving, Master Longchuan left one last sentence.

"Lay Buddhists can make more wishes in their hearts and think more good things on a daily basis."

"It would be best to repeatedly recite the Prime Minister's name and make a sincere wish; perhaps unexpected blessings will come your way."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves and left.

Back in the side room, a brazier was lit.

Jiang Guo'er locked the door and took out a silk doll from under her pillow.

Ever since she learned the doll's secret, she dared not keep it with her anymore.

If she accidentally touches the doll and causes the Prime Minister to embarrass himself in court, then her sins will be enormous.

But it was already afternoon, and Pei Yan should be resting.

She pinched the doll's chubby cheeks and muttered softly.

"What past life karma? That's just nonsense for kids."

"A proper old Taoist priest, could he possibly come up with the idea of ​​using kissing to detoxify?"

She rubbed the doll's chubby little hands together.

"That old Taoist priest told me to keep talking about you and make a wish. I want to see if it works."

Jiang Guo'er subconsciously pressed the doll to her chest and cleared her throat.

"Pei Yan, Pei Rangzhi."

After reading a couple of lines, she blushed with embarrassment.

That's incredibly stupid!

"Pei Yan, when are you finally going to be able to speak? If you don't get rid of this mute poison soon, I'm going to be worried to death."

She turned over and stared at Chengchen on the ceiling.

After fussing around for half the morning, my stomach started to protest.

The food in the kitchen is always the same few things, and while there are snacks, there aren't many varieties.

"Sigh, I suddenly have a craving for candied hawthorn berries..."

But the Prime Minister's residence has strict rules, so who has the time to buy those little trinkets that ordinary people eat?

She sighed, tucked the doll back under her pillow, covered herself with the blanket, and closed her eyes to rest.

As evening fell, the cold wind rattled the window frames.

The door to the side room was pushed open, and a cold draft rushed in.

Jiang Guo'er woke up with a start, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

Pei Yan stood in front of the bed with a stern face, backlit by the light.

Her ears were unusually flushed, and she had one hand behind her back, looking somewhat uneasy.

Jiang Guo'er quickly threw off the covers, but before she could even get out of bed to pay her respects, she froze.

In the dim candlelight, a bright red candy wrapped in glistening sugar coating was offered directly to her.