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

Pei Ji knew that Empress Dowager Jiang's words were not intentional, but he was still stung by them.

His life was far from smooth sailing; his status as a prince only brought him a life of comfort, but more often, burdens. If he could, he would rather have been born into an ordinary family, where he could have achieved just as much.

Wei Nanxun is the most difficult mountain for him to climb so far, but it doesn't matter, he has plenty of patience and energy.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, Zhou Fuhai was already waiting outside, bowing respectfully.

"Your Highness, Miss Wei has woken up."

Pei Ji raised his eyes: "Don't let her know that I've been there."

Zhou Fuhai wanted to show off his achievements. He had served the Empress Dowager for many years and was one of the longest-serving servants in the palace. He considered himself to have served many masters, but he had never encountered someone as difficult to serve as the Regent.

As for the rumors that he was bloodthirsty and had a bad temper, that's not true at all. In fact, he was quite easy to please in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities.

But to say he has a good temper is absolutely not true. In all these days, he has never seen him have any other expression; he always has a blank and expressionless face.

Serious and fierce, he exudes an aura that keeps strangers at bay.

Rather than indifference, arrogance might be a more appropriate word. He was extremely arrogant and felt that communicating with others was a huge waste of his time.

This person, upon hearing news about the Wei family's daughter, revealed a different expression, as gentle as a spring breeze.

The Empress Dowager's health hasn't been very good these past few years, and it's unclear when she'll pass away, so he naturally has to find a way to secure his future.

Zhou Fuhai originally favored the crown prince, but the emperor fell seriously ill, and the responsibility of overseeing the country fell on his younger brother.

The future is still uncertain, and rather than looking for another prince, he would rather place his bet on the regent.

Upon learning that Pei Ji valued Wei Nanxun, he naturally eagerly tried to curry favor with this powerful figure.

Now that the two of them are in the same room, something's bound to happen, right?

Good heavens, the Regent actually instructed that Miss Wei not to know he had been there! What does that mean?

Not only did nothing happen, but we also had to be extremely careful and treat them like royalty.

"Yes, I understand."

"And also, those who know about this."

"This servant will take care of it immediately and make sure they keep their mouths shut!"

Pei Ji then nodded in relief. He walked with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, as described in a play, each step both expansive and steady.

Just as I was about to step out of the Cining Palace gate, I bumped into a figure walking hurriedly.

The newcomer was dressed in a bright yellow robe, with a gloomy face and eyes that did not look to the side.

They exchanged glances, and the figure opposite them suddenly paused, hesitated for a moment, and then bowed deeply.

"Uncle Imperial."

After the imperial edict appointed Pei Ji as regent, Pei Yuyan, just as he had said, gradually faded from the sight of the court officials and stopped interfering in state affairs.

Even if someone sought him out to discuss politics, he would mostly refuse to see them, saying he was reading.

In reality, people were sent to keep an eye on the movements of the court every day. Prime Minister Wen and Consort Xian had been released. Consort Xian was frightened and stayed in Jingren Palace without venturing out. Prime Minister Wen did not say anything bad about the Crown Prince, only saying that he was getting old and needed to rest.

The emperor's entourage, from the imperial physicians to the palace servants, had all been replaced, and everyone was tight-lipped. Even though Pei Ji suspected that he was behind the emperor's death, he had no evidence whatsoever.

Since there is a regent in the court, there is no need for him as the crown prince.

He wanted to see if his uncle, who only knew how to lead troops and kill people on the border, was capable of overseeing the country.

Pei Yuyan approached the situation with a sense of amusement, since even though he wasn't overseeing the country, half of the civil officials in the court still cared about him.

If he falls from power, those people will be the first to suffer. Therefore, without him saying a word, they all know how to trip up Pei Ji.

He then calmly watched from the sidelines in the Eastern Palace, waiting to see Pei Ji make a fool of himself.

But to his surprise, Pei Ji was not only capable of killing, but also ruthless and merciless in his methods.

Although Prime Minister Wen had retired and not spoken ill of him, there was still Zhang Jinchu. This man was extremely worldly and cunning, and he had tried every means to make Zhang Jinchu work for him before, but to no avail.

Now, however, he listens to Pei Ji's every word, and with Gong Hui, who is swayed by the wind, they work together in both civil and military affairs. If they encounter someone like this who tries to trip them up behind their backs, they will either be imprisoned or beheaded.

He had a secret agent hidden in the Ministry of Personnel, and no one knew about their relationship. This person was crucial in the transfer of officials.

The emperor's serious illness and the resulting turmoil in the court were largely due to this man, who was able to stabilize the situation and continue to expand his power.

Unexpectedly, just two days after Pei Ji took over the imperial study's collection of memorials, he had the man beheaded on the grounds of corruption, and his head was displayed in the Ministry of Personnel for three days.

This act of making an example of someone to scare others immediately created a climate of fear and unease in the court. Everyone shrank back and kept a low profile, and no one dared to cause trouble.

His regentship proceeded exceptionally smoothly, with no one daring to cause trouble. Even during the emperor's reign, the civil and military officials had never achieved such unity of purpose.

Even things that Pei Yuyan found difficult and troublesome when he was in charge of the country became easy tasks in his hands.

Even though everyone secretly called him the Iron-Blooded Yama, a ruthless killer, they still had to fawn over him, and no one dared to challenge him anymore.

Pei Yuyan was like a caged beast in the Eastern Palace. He himself said that he would not concern himself with court affairs and would only read books in his study. Since he had already said it, it was not appropriate for him to frequently contact officials outside the court.

He couldn't do anything. Every day when he opened his eyes, all he heard was who Pei Ji had replaced and how many memorials he had dealt with. The more successful Pei Ji was, the more frustrated he became.

He smashed all the porcelain in the study, and the eunuchs and palace maids were replaced one after another.

The only good news was that Wei Mingzhao had actually come to his senses and was going to Cining Palace every day.

The Empress Dowager even treated her differently, and more importantly, Wei Nanxun entered the palace.

He had read all the official gazettes in and around the capital the day before, and woke up late. Ironically, when the emperor was still lucid, he had to go to the imperial study before dawn every day, but now he was sleeping until noon one day.

When he opened his eyes, there was a graceful figure guarding the bedside. In a daze, he seemed to see Wei Nanxun.

Did he come to the palace to look for him?

Having been feeling stifled for days with nowhere to vent his frustration, he noticed that his wives and concubines in the house were also having a lot of headaches. Now that he saw Wei Nanxun, he naturally lost control.

Grabbing her wrist, I was suddenly tossed about by the waves.

When he regained consciousness, it was already afternoon, and a hoarse yet soft voice called him Your Highness.

Pei Yuyan immediately sensed something was wrong. He turned his head and saw Yue'e, also known as Li Shi, lying naked beside him.

She was covered in marks left by him.

He had long known that this person had impure thoughts, and the only reason he kept her by his side was because she resembled Wei Nanxun somewhat.

But he would never touch someone the old man had touched before. If he hadn't slept poorly last night and been in a daze, he wouldn't have mistaken the person for someone else.

Yue'e had no idea what he was thinking. She only thought that the Crown Prince had finally been seduced by her. When she saw him wake up, she wrapped her arms around him again, but the Crown Prince pried her arms off and coldly kicked her away.

Pei Yuyan hurriedly tied the belt of his outer robe and bumped right into Wei Mingzhao, who was rushing back.

Wei Mingzhao knew exactly what had happened. She had been busy dealing with her husband's concubines while she was away, and when she returned home, she found that a lowly maid had climbed into her bed.

How could she not break down in anger? Forgetting all about her status, she went up to the lowly maid and started cursing her, even going so far as to punch and kick her.

Pei Yuyan was even more agitated. If even the Crown Princess he married was so vulgar and unfit for public life, how could his great cause possibly succeed?

"Get out of here, all of you."

He ignored both sides and headed straight for Cining Palace, only to bump into Pei Ji again.

Ever since Pingzhen, he knew that Pei Ji also had feelings for Wei Nanxun.

As a fellow man, I can't be wrong about that possessive, burning gaze.

Fortunately, Wei Nanxun also rejected him. At that moment, he was even secretly pleased. If they were in love, he didn't know what else he could win.

After returning to the capital, he continued to place people in the Wei family. He knew very well who Wei Nanxun contacted every day and what her movements were, and he knew that she had no contact with Pei Ji.

This gave me even more confidence.

Wei Nanxun's desire to run away might simply stem from his previous verbal humiliation and his resentment at having been with someone else.

But he no longer cared. Even though she was no longer a virgin, he was willing to marry her. Although she was only a concubine, when he ascended the throne, she would be an imperial concubine. No one else could give her that.

He was too hasty before. He had already thought about what to say to Wei Nanxun when he met her, and how to move her.

He never expected to run into Pei Ji here. Based on his man's intuition, he knew that Pei Ji must also be here for Wei Nanxun.

The two have not seen each other since they returned from Pingzhen.

But the person right in front of him, with an arrogant and condescending attitude, easily took away the power he had gained, and now he wants to steal his woman.

Pei Yuyan didn't even want to cut off his head and let him die so easily; he wanted to watch him suffer a fate worse than death, bleeding to death.

Yet they had no choice but to grit their teeth and swallow their pride, bowing their heads to him.

All he got in return was a cold glance from Pei Ji, a look as if he were looking at a clown, and the other party didn't even seem inclined to speak to him.

Pei Yuyan watched as the tall figure coldly brushed past his shoulder and walked away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could only see the arc left by the sleeve.

He had never been ignored or treated so coldly in his entire life. What gave him the right to be treated this way?

Almost instantly, a surge of anger rushed to his head.

He likes Wei Nanxun, doesn't he? He didn't care whether the two had met or not; he only felt a surge of anger.

He turned and chased after him: "Uncle, did you go to see Ah Xun?"

Pei Ji clearly didn't want to pay attention to him and ignored his words, continuing to walk forward. Zhou Fuhai and the others around him had already sensed something was wrong and retreated a long distance away.

This regent and the crown prince, they can't afford to offend either of them!

The more Pei Ji remained silent, the more Pei Yuyan's anger flared. For an elder to covet what a junior loved was utterly shameless.

But he was taking such big strides that Pei Yuyan could hardly keep up.

Instead, he calmed down considerably. Looking at that tall figure, he took a few quick breaths and suddenly said, "Nephew knows a secret about Ah Xun. I wonder if Uncle would be interested?"

Sure enough, Pei Ji paused, slowly turned around, and stared intently at him.

Seemingly considering the veracity of what he said, after a few breaths he uttered a cold, curt "Come here."

He was afraid that he would speak too loudly and be overheard by others.

They certainly acted as if they were genuinely sincere.

Pei Yuyan forced a mocking smile, clenched his fists, and finally walked over.

He always thought he was taller than his peers, but he only reached Pei Ji's ear, and the fierce aura he exuded made him seem even more imposing.

It made his knees tremble slightly involuntarily.

"explain."

Pei Yuyan originally did not want to reveal Wei Nanxun's matter, as it was not a glorious thing, and only heaven, earth, and he knew about it. But now, Pei Ji was really going too far.

He was blinded by greed and no longer wanted to be suppressed or always at a disadvantage.

He might not care that Wei Nanxun was not a virgin, but what about the high and mighty Regent?

Knowing that the person he likes so much is no longer a virgin, how furious he would be! Just thinking about it makes him tremble with excitement.

“Ah Xun is no longer a virgin…”

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a burning pain on his face. Half of his face was completely twisted and numb. If he hadn't been able to stand firmly, he would have been knocked to the ground by the impact.

This was the second time Pei Ji had laid a hand on him, but unlike the last time, this time it was a slap.

Even though the pain wasn't as excruciating as before, it brought him even more humiliation.

He's still the Crown Prince; slapping him is slapping the face of the Great Yan.

Pei Yuyan looked at Pei Ji in astonishment: "How dare you humiliate me like this..."

Another resounding slap landed on his other cheek: "Officially, I am the Regent, and personally, I am your uncle. What's wrong with disciplining you?"

After speaking, Pei Ji's gaze sharpened, and his killing intent immediately surged forth.

"If I hear those words again, whether you are the Crown Prince or the Emperor, I will surely execute you."

After saying that, she gave him another cold glance, waved the hand that had slapped her, and strode away.

Before leaving, he left with the words, "You don't deserve to like her."

Pei Yuyan didn't even need to look to know that his cheeks must be red and swollen. He stared at Pei Ji's back with a venomous look in his eyes.

He had only one thought in his mind: kill him, kill him by any means necessary.

-

Wei Nanxun was unwilling to stay overnight in the palace for two reasons: firstly, her memories from her past life made her reluctant to stay, and secondly, she found the change in the Empress Dowager's attitude somewhat strange.

She was quite perceptive of others and could sense that the Empress Dowager's attitude towards her was indifferent today, and even somewhat disliked.

She was very self-aware. She was not the kind of person everyone liked, nor was she as charming and pleasing as Wei Mingzhao. Her elders disliked and hated her since childhood, so it was normal for the Empress Dowager not to like her either.

If he doesn't like her, why would he suddenly ask her to stay?

Unable to come up with a solution, I should first express my gratitude, regardless of whether she stays or not.

After asking Lingxi, he learned that the Empress Dowager was playing chess with ***, so he quickly tidied himself up and followed her to the front hall.

But just as she rounded the backyard corridor, a small, round, white fruit hit her on the head.

Wei Nanxun covered the spot where she had been hit and subconsciously looked up.

She saw a figure sitting sideways on a branch of a thick, tall ginkgo tree outside the corridor. As she looked up, he also looked down, and their eyes met across the distance.

He was an extremely handsome young man with sharp, heroic eyebrows and clear, bright eyes. He wore a deep blue robe, exuding youthful vigor and radiance, like the rising sun, captivating all who looked at him.

He was playing with these fruits in his hands; the ones that had just hit her on the head were the ones he was holding.

The two looked into each other's eyes, and he grinned.

"I'm so sorry, did it hurt you?"

Then, in a tone of praise without the slightest offense, she said, "You are so beautiful. This is exactly what I imagine a beauty from the capital should look like."