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

Pei Yan took a deep breath, strode to the window in two quick steps, and kicked the windowpane hard.

With a loud bang, half of the window, along with its wooden frame, was kicked out and crashed heavily into the yard.

The cold wind outside rushed in instantly.

There was no woman with disheveled hair and shedding blood and tears, nor was there a female ghost with a broken leg.

Only a few Imperial Guards on duty were startled by the commotion and drew their swords, cautiously surrounding the area.

"Prime Minister, what are you doing!" the leading Imperial Guard shouted.

Pei Yan stared at the empty courtyard outside, his brows furrowed into a deep knot.

What happened just now?

Is it because he hasn't been resting well these past few days that he's hallucinating?

That night, Pei Yan dared not close his eyes again.

The door lock was opened with a whoosh.

Sun Fuhai walked in, glanced at the broken window on the ground, asked nothing, and simply flicked his whisk.

"Your Excellency, the Emperor has risen and summons you to the main hall for questioning."

Pei Yan straightened his clothes and followed Sun Fuhai through several moon gates to the main hall of Youguo Temple, the Mahavira Hall.

The hall was filled with the fragrance of incense, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

The emperor sat upright on a prayer mat in front of the Buddha statue, slowly turning the sandalwood prayer beads in his hand.

Minister Gong knelt at the lower end, his whole body curled up in a ball, trembling like a leaf.

On another futon next to the emperor sat a woman with a seductive figure.

She was wearing a red dress embroidered with gold thread, with a hair ornament in her hair. She was lowering her eyes and chanting sutras with her hands clasped together.

Hearing footsteps, the woman looked up and gazed towards the door.

Pei Yan's foot, which had just stepped over the threshold, abruptly stopped in mid-air.

I have a dull pain in the back of my head, as if I've been hit hard with a sledgehammer.

The woman's skin was like jade, and her eyes and brows revealed a seductive, alluring charm. There was no trace of the timid demeanor she had when she was a maid in the Prime Minister's mansion.

The Emperor's latest favorite concubine, Consort Yu, is none other than Hongzhu!

Hongzhu looked at Pei Yan, who was stiff all over and had a gloomy face, and her beautiful lips curled up slightly.

That smile was exactly the same as the "female ghost" who shed bloody tears outside the window last night.

Pei Yan's heart pounded.

Xiao Yuzhen actually sent the crippled Hongzhu to the dragon's bed.

A disabled woman, let alone entering the palace, would not even be wanted by ordinary noble families!

According to the regulations, he was not qualified to enter the palace to serve!

How exactly did Xiao Yuzhen manage to do that?

One hated him because of love, and the other loved him but could not have him.

Today's situation is not a test of forming cliques or engaging in favoritism.

Instead, it was a deadly trap that would drive him into the abyss!

"Your Excellency is in high spirits." The emperor finally stopped what he was doing, his voice heavy and deep.

"In the middle of the night, instead of enjoying the warmth and comfort of the Prime Minister's residence, why are you running off to this desolate mountain temple to have a secret rendezvous with the Minister of Rites?"

Pei Yan straightened his wide sleeves, calmly lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt on one knee.

"I left the city under cover of darkness, not for Lord Gong's sake."

He stood ramrod straight, his tone neither hurried nor slow.

"Your Majesty, I have a shocking secret concerning the fate of the nation that I must report to you in person immediately. The matter is so sudden that I cannot disregard the rules."

The emperor let out a cold laugh.

"Is it related to the fate of the nation?"

The prayer beads were slammed onto the table, the beads clinking together with a crisp sound.

"What a silver tongue you have! I'd like to hear what earth-shattering secret you can concoct to cover up the capital offense of forming cliques for personal gain!"

Pei Yan raised his head and met the emperor's gaze without flinching.

"Does Your Majesty still remember when the Crown Prince was fourteen years old, during the autumn hunt, he shot down two eagles with a single arrow, earning the admiration of even the Mongol envoy?"

"Back then, His Highness the Crown Prince was capable of governing the country with his pen and conquering the world on horseback."

When the Crown Prince's past was mentioned, the emperor's anger froze slightly.

The former crown prince was indeed his proudest legitimate son.

Before the age of fifteen, the Crown Prince was exceptionally intelligent, and his tutors all praised him for having the appearance of a wise ruler.

How come after he turned fifteen, he became a completely different person, violent and incompetent, indulging in wine and women all day long, and even his handwriting became messy?

The emperor unconsciously clenched his fist, lowering his voice: "Why are you bringing up these old, trivial matters!"

Pei Yan straightened up: "What I wish to report is precisely the reason for His Highness the Crown Prince's drastic change in temperament. In fact, His Highness the Crown Prince—"

"emperor!"

A loud announcement suddenly came from outside the door.

Xiao Yuzhen, dressed in a magnificent empress's everyday robes, stepped over the high threshold with the help of palace maids.

He walked quickly and hurriedly, but a hint of smugness lingered in his eyes.

She walked straight up to the emperor and curtsied.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." After finishing her greetings, Xiao Yuzhen turned her head, her gaze falling on Pei Yan, and her tone suddenly turned to one of deep sorrow and indignation.

"Lord Pei, are you still unwilling to confess your crimes?!"

Pei Yan didn't respond, but simply lowered his eyes slightly.

Xiao Yuzhen's voice suddenly rose, each word like a knife.

"You took advantage of Minister Xue's birthday banquet to secretly win over important officials in the court! And you sent men to forcibly escort the Zhao family, the prefect of Suzhou, to the capital overnight!"

"And now, in the dead of night, he's come to Youguo Temple to have a secret meeting with the Minister of Rites—"

She stopped, pointed at Pei Yan, and questioned him sharply.

"What exactly do you want? Do you think the power of the Grand Secretary isn't great enough?!"

Connect his actions at the Xue residence over the past few days, including escorting Prefect Zhao and entering Youguo Temple at night.

They were falsely accused of plotting rebellion and forming cliques for personal gain.

If it were someone with a weaker constitution, they would have been kowtowing repeatedly and crying out for justice by now.

Pei Yan remained kneeling on the spot, his back not bending even slightly, and he didn't even blink.

He offered no explanation.

"Your Majesty, I haven't finished speaking."

Pei Yan's tone remained calm and composed, as if he hadn't heard those hurtful words at all.

"I invited Taoist Master Longchuan to the capital to perform a divination specifically for His Highness the Crown Prince."

"The Taoist priest spoke frankly, the reason why His Highness the Crown Prince's mind changed drastically after the age of fifteen was not because he suffered from some incurable illness, but rather—"

"Someone has secretly cast a curse on us!"

"What?!" The emperor stood up abruptly.

The prayer mat was kicked over and rolled far away.

The entire hall seemed to have been cleaved open by these four words, and everyone froze in place.

Pei Yan remained upright, but his eyes were slightly raised, his gaze coldly passing over the furious emperor and landing on the empress's face.

Just moments ago, Xiao Yuzhen was so arrogant, but now all the color drained from her face.

She swayed slightly, and only managed to stand firmly by grabbing the palace maid's arm.

Cursed arts?!

The moment those four words came out, her mind went blank.

Hidden in Xiao Yuzhen's large sleeve pocket was the silk doll that her secret guard had forced Daoist Longchuan to make!

It has no facial features, so you could say it's anyone!

If the Emperor finds out, she won't be able to explain herself even if she has a hundred mouths!

Pei Yan scoffed inwardly.

Are you afraid too?

After learning of the incident last night, he immediately set off with Xiao San.

But before leaving the city, he specifically summoned Xiao Si and gave him detailed instructions.

"Activate the informants in the Eastern Palace and spread rumors overnight that the Crown Prince's drastic personality change was due to someone in the harem using witchcraft!"

"Given the Crown Prince's volatile temper, he'll definitely cause a scene in the palace, searching for fabricated evidence."

"Once he finds nothing in the harem, he will definitely lead his men to Youguo Temple to seek the Emperor's intervention."

The moment the Crown Prince arrives will be the moment for his counterattack!