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

After Empress Dowager Jiang finished giving her instructions, she looked at Pei Ji and said earnestly, "Your eldest sister is also in the capital recently. If you finish your official business early, come to Cining Palace for a meal when you have nothing else to do."

"If you're very busy, that's fine; there will always be opportunities."

Pei Ji gave a noncommittal "hmm," neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Empress Dowager Jiang, fearing to provoke his impatience, suppressed the urge to speak further and eventually left with her entourage.

As she turned around, Pei Ji strode toward the group of people who were still kneeling on the ground.

He stopped in front of the person who had just yelled at him.

Looking down from his vantage point, he coldly observed the trembling, kneeling figure.

That man was already filled with regret, wishing he could slap himself a dozen times. What good did it do to stand up for himself like that?

He really couldn't believe that this imposing figure was the famous Prince Su!

No, he is now the regent.

When Pei Ji approached him, he didn't speak. He gritted his teeth and kowtowed so hard it shook the heavens: "This servant is blind and doesn't recognize His Highness the Regent. I didn't know His Highness the Regent had returned to the palace. I spoke rudely and deserve to die. I beg Your Highness to spare my life in consideration of my loyalty in guarding the palace."

This person was truly ruthless to himself, banging his forehead until it bled profusely, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain.

Pei Ji watched coldly, and then laughed. This scoundrel who relied on his master's power was not worth his time; dealing with him would dirty his hands.

But who could have imagined that he would run into us at that exact moment?

"Then I will grant your wish."

The man was about to rejoice, thinking that Pei Ji's words meant he was sparing his life. Before he could kowtow and express his gratitude, he heard Pei Ji's voice coming calmly.

“Gouge out his eyes and cut out his tongue, so that he may guard the palace gates for the rest of his life.”

The man's eyes widened and his face turned deathly pale. Gouging out eyes and cutting out tongues was more terrifying than death. Seeing that someone was actually coming forward to drag him away, he immediately came to his senses.

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! Godfather, Godfather, save me! Your Highness, Crown Prince, save me..."

He suddenly flung away the person who was grabbing him, lunged at the crown prince, and clung tightly to the prince's leg as if it were a lifeline.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, save me! This servant has done so many important things for you, please save me, Your Highness..."

Pei Yuyan, already frustrated, couldn't hold back his emotions any longer as Pei Yuyan listened to his increasingly outrageous remarks, which seemed to indicate he was about to reveal everything.

A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. Before anyone could react, he deftly drew the sword from the waist of a nearby guard and stabbed it straight into the man's chest.

Blood splattered everywhere, covering his once gentle and refined face.

No one expected that the Crown Prince would have such a fierce and ruthless side.

He calmly released the hilt of his sword and said solemnly, "This man is disrespectful to your royal uncle. Why dirty your hands and let your nephew share your burden?"

Pei Ji was not surprised by this; his eyes had already seen through Pei Yuyan. He gave a very faint smile.

"well done."

After saying that, he turned and strode away.

The others were stunned for a moment, then looked at the crown prince and then at his back, and all chased after him without hesitation.

"Your Highness! Your humble servant, Gong Hui, a member of the Imperial Guard, is willing to serve Your Highness at your beck and call, doing my utmost to assist you."

"Your humble servant, Wen Nian of the Ministry of Revenue, is willing to share Your Highness's burdens."

"Wei Chen..."

Pei Yuyan was left standing outside the Golden Palace, looking disheveled and powerless. It seemed that no one remembered that he was the Crown Prince of the Great Yan.

-

Wei Nanxun was completely unaware of what was happening in the palace. In the few days since returning to the capital, she had only been able to take care of her younger brother's injuries, organize the internal affairs of the West Garden, and write letters to her father.

The matter of dividing the family property needs to be decided decisively. If it is dragged on, Pei Yuyan might cause some trouble.

Originally, the West Garden was managed by her mother's maid, and Lin's mother and her husband always kept it in good order.

But when she left the capital this time, all the servants in the courtyard were locked up by Wang Shi, ostensibly for training, but in reality, it was an opportunity to punish them.

The elderly couple were wholeheartedly devoted to the second wife and remained unmoved by their threats and inducements. They suffered a lot because of this, and even after being rescued, they still had to recuperate for some time.

Wei Nanxun took on the task of managing the household affairs on her own while away from home. Although she was not yet proficient, she was determined to take over the household's accounts. If she didn't know how, she had to learn; otherwise, she would never learn.

When Lin's mother saw that her daughter was willing to manage the household, she was overjoyed, and the couple took turns doing so.

She was naturally gifted in this area and was willing to put in the effort to learn. From purchasing to managing subordinates, she quickly became quite proficient.

Seeing this, Madam Lin was overjoyed: "The young lady is just like the Second Madam when she was young. She was helping the master manage accounts and do general affairs at a very young age. They are practically cut from the same mold."

Wei Nanxun found it interesting and asked them to say more.

Because the father missed the mother so much, the elderly people in the household rarely mentioned her past, for fear that hearing it would make the father even more depressed.

"Back then, the second wife not only helped the master manage the affairs of the mansion, but she would also dress in men's clothing and help out at the shop."

“He always claimed to be the young master of the mansion, which fooled many guests and waiters, who all thought he was a handsome young master.”

"The lady was the second master I met back then. At first, the second master thought the lady was a young man and wanted to become sworn brothers with her. Later, when he found out she was a girl, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets."

Wei Nanxun found it interesting and kept pestering Lin's mother to tell him more.

After hearing it many times, I finally understood why my honest and obedient father would allow my mother to defy his stepmother, and even if it meant giving up the Wei family name, he would still marry my mother.

It's no wonder that even though his mother has been gone for more than ten years, his father has never considered remarrying or having sex with other women.

This is what she imagined a couple should be like.

Suddenly, Pei Ji's face popped into Wei Nanxun's mind, and she quickly shook her head.

No matter how handsome Pei Ji is or how sweet his words are, Wei Nanxun will not be fooled again.

I'd rather be a poor man's wife than a high-ranking man's concubine.

Once her father returns, they will separate from the Wei family and leave the capital. With the world far away, it will be the proper thing for her to find a handsome young man to marry into the family.

During this period, the eldest son's family and the old lady's side sent people to the West Garden almost every day, either saying they wanted to see her or bringing things.

They put on an act of concern and care for the younger generation.

She always accepted gifts politely. But when invited to dinner or a chat, she would only go once in ten times, and even then, she would just eat with her head down, barely saying a word.

She seems well-behaved and sensible, but she's actually a rock, impervious to both soft and hard approaches, and no amount of trickery can get you to cooperate.

Even Wei Mingzhao in the palace sent her invitations many times, but she refused them all, citing the need to take care of her younger brother and the fact that her illness had not been completely cured.

In the past, she was concerned about Wei's reputation and remembered the kindness of her cousin.

Now she has figured it out. The Wei family has nothing left to threaten her with. On the contrary, they should be worried about what to do when they run out of money after the second wife leaves.

She had been back in the capital for nearly ten days and had not stepped out of the mansion even once.

She wouldn't go out, and Pei Yuyan couldn't come in either. She wanted to see what other ideas he could come up with.

But on that very day, a young eunuch arrived at the door with a beaming smile.

Wei Nanxun thought it was Wei Mingzhao again, and couldn't help but feel annoyed. The two of them were tired of each other and couldn't understand why she had to enter the palace.

To her surprise, the young eunuch said, "This humble servant greets Miss Wei. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager invites you to the palace for a chat."

Queen Mother?