My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

Wei Nanxun stared blankly at the man in front of her, still finding it unbelievable. He had wanted to leave before he got drunk, but now he was saying he liked her.

The last person she trusted personally fed her poison. What about him?

Can she believe what he says?

Wei Nanxun leaned against his chest and could hear his heartbeat, rapid and strong. He was usually calm and composed, so how could he be so nervous, anxious and hurried?

"But, but weren't you leaving?"

Pei Ji's warm, large palm pressed tightly against her waist, perfectly fitting into the curve of her slender waist.

His chin rested on the top of her head, his voice seemingly right next to her ear: "I have no money, and only A-Yue is willing to take me in. Where else can I go?"

Wei Nanxun had always liked his voice; it was deep and husky, yet possessed a unique magnetism that captivated and enchanted people.

She felt as if she had been bewitched, and after a brief moment of distraction, she regained her senses.

She placed her hands on his chest, sat up straight, and looked him in the eye: "Then why did you say yesterday that you were packing your bags and saying goodbye?"

She's not a truly naive young girl; she's not that easily fooled. Don't think you can win her over with a few words of affection or intimate gestures.

"We're sending them back."

Pei Ji didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't find a good opportunity to tell her about his identity yet.

He reached out and gently smoothed her messy hair, wanting to pull her back into his arms, but she stared at him stubbornly, her face full of disbelief, her body stiff, and he couldn't pull her back no matter what he did.

He almost forgot that the young girl in front of him was different from other women. She was intelligent, bold, and had her own thoughts. She was definitely not the kind of vase that was raised in seclusion and made stupid by rules and etiquette.

"I'm not lying to you, I told them to go back and take care of things at home, and also to pick up some things."

Now that he understands her feelings, he can't let her follow him without a proper status or title. She should have the proper status and betrothal gifts.

"Didn't you say you were poor? What else is there to manage? Besides, both of them are mentally challenged; how can they go back on their own?"

“Even if I am poor, I should still have some possessions. I don’t plan to leave this place now, so I should bring all my things with me to put my mind at ease. As for them, I asked a bodyguard who was traveling along the way to take them back.”

Wei Nanxun was still suspicious at first, but when she heard that he didn't intend to leave and would bring all his family property with him, she was surprised.

Her heart started pounding again. Did he mean to stay with her forever, to settle down here, and to live with her?

He had no parents or siblings, and was all alone. She had planned for him to marry into her family. Did he have the same idea?

If she wants him to marry into her family, how much dowry should she prepare?

In her previous life, Wei Mingzhao gave her most of the betrothal gifts Pei Yuyan had given her in order to fulfill her promise; it was indeed a remarkable amount.

She gazed at his face, which seemed like that of a celestial being from a painting, and fell into deep thought. He must not be cheap.

Seeing her furrowed brows, as if she were making a very difficult decision, Pei Ji mistakenly thought that she still didn't trust him.

She said softly, "I just don't know if A-Yue is willing to continue taking me in."

Unexpectedly, Wei Nanxun also spoke up at the same time, asking, "Is ten gold coins enough?"

Their eyes met, and they were both stunned.

Pei Ji raised an eyebrow: "Ten gold pieces?"

Wei Nanxun was speechless for a moment: "No, it's nothing. I'm just calculating how much money it will cost to take you in."

Pei Ji took it seriously and forced a smile. Then, remembering something, he took out a delicate little thing from his waist and put it in her hand.

"Don't worry, once I recover, I will share the burden with you. Consider this payment for staying here for so long."

Wei Nanxun felt a chill in her palm. Looking down, she saw a smooth piece of jade being placed in her hand. She picked it up in surprise and examined it closely.

She then realized that it was a jade pendant smaller than the palm of her hand. Although the color of the jade was not very good, it was translucent and smooth to the touch. What surprised her the most was that the character "Yue" was engraved in the center of the pendant.

The characters are vigorous and rounded, showing that the engraver has a sharp pen and is extremely skilled in this art.

Wei Nanxun carefully stroked the words on the jade pendant, when suddenly a bold idea came to her.

"This, you carved this?"

This was the first time Pei Ji had given someone a gift, and he nodded somewhat awkwardly: "I noticed you seem to really like that jade."

He paused for a moment and then said, "Yesterday was your birthday. Although it's a bit late, I still wish you a happy birthday."

"Ah Yue, may you be happy every year and have everything go your way."

Wei Nanxun's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Every year on her birthday when she was a child, her mother would make her a gift by hand and say a congratulatory word.

Seeing that she seemed about to cry, Pei Ji felt even more uncomfortable. Did she not like it?

He should have listened to Ji Yun and given the girl some clothes and jewelry she liked.

A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes when he felt a soft body snuggle into his arms. His neck sank as her arms wrapped around him.

"Ji Shouzhou, I really like this gift, I really, really like it. Thank you."

Pei Ji was stunned for a moment, then his stiff arms tightened around her, the force so great it felt like he was trying to meld her into his own body.

The sunlight shone through the paper window and fell on two intertwined figures embracing.

-

Meanwhile, in the capital, during the morning court session, Pei Yuyan, dressed in a bright yellow court robe, stood at the head of all officials, handling state affairs on behalf of the unconscious emperor.

Except for the first two days after the emperor fell into a coma, when officials were filled with fear and anxiety, they have become much more accustomed to the crown prince acting as regent in recent days.

After all, the Crown Prince's abilities and talents have been evident to all over the years. He was appointed Crown Prince in his infancy, so his position is legitimate and there is nothing to question.

The Crown Prince's recent actions have been too swift and decisive. He has not only replaced many of his confidants in the Six Ministries, but also made changes to the military and political ministers.

For a time, everyone wondered if the emperor would never wake up again.

Officials who had previously been afraid to get too close to the Crown Prince for fear of arousing the Emperor's suspicion were now filled with regret and were determined to prove their loyalty to him.

After the court session ended, Pei Yuyan sat in the imperial study and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He's been sleeping only two hours a night lately, and he's really exhausted.

Upon seeing this, Chen Desheng, the chief eunuch who had served him since childhood, brought over some brewed tea and said softly, "Your Highness, you haven't had a proper rest in a long time. You should take care of your health."

Pei Yuyan also wanted to rest, but if he wanted to truly secure his position, he still had many things to resolve.

Despite being the crown prince, the emperor has never truly relinquished power to him over the years. Although it appears that all officials in the court listen to him, the cabinet is actually controlled by Prime Minister Wen, and the commanders of the Five City Garrison and the Imperial Guard are all the emperor's confidants.

Hearing that the emperor had left a will in the hands of Prime Minister Wen long ago, but that old man was so proud and unyielding that he tried to persuade him many times to no avail.

Simply rendering the emperor unconscious is not enough.

"Has the imperial seal been found yet?"

Chen Desheng shook his head: "Our men have searched His Majesty's palace thoroughly, but found nothing. I'm afraid His Majesty was prepared."

Just as Pei Yuyan was feeling troubled, a young eunuch rushed in from outside: "Your Highness, Consort Xian said she wanted to visit His Majesty, but the people outside couldn't stop her, and she led her people in and broke in."

"A bunch of trash."