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

Pei Ji had returned to the Imperial Study to review memorials, but he encountered Pei Yuyan on the way. Although he had a swollen, red face, he couldn't possibly face Wei Nanxun.

But today there were few memorials; they were either for paying respects or reciting the emperor's name, plus a messenger came to ask him if he wanted to have dinner together.

He then generously granted everyone a half-day off.

The ministers, who had been confined to the imperial study for many days, all rose to express their gratitude, their expressions genuinely moved to tears.

The recent sweltering heat wave in late summer was even more unbearable than the scorching summer, causing droughts unseen in many years in many areas.

The regent was far more hardworking than the emperor and the crown prince. As soon as he took over the reins of government, he detained Zhang Jinchu and others in the palace.

These ministers, who are surrounded by thousands of people when they are out in public, are now unable to return home. From morning till night, they are busy reviewing and approving memorials, and allocating disaster relief funds and grains is just the tip of the iceberg.

The most important thing is to decide who to send for disaster relief.

This is the people's life-saving food, but it is also a piece of fat meat in the eyes of the officials. What do the people's lives and deaths have to do with them? They are only afraid that if they are a step too slow, they will miss out on a share of the pie.

It's said that emperors need to turn a blind eye to certain things, just like stewards—you can't be a good steward if you're not deaf and dumb. Officials are human too, and humans have their own thoughts; it's unrealistic to expect them to be completely without ulterior motives.

As long as one is loyal, the emperor won't mind if one makes small moves or schemes.

The situation is different when the Crown Prince oversees the country. If he wants to secure his position as heir apparent, all parties will be willing to offer him some benefits. Otherwise, why would his subordinates continue to be loyal to the emperor and instead support him as the Crown Prince?

Only the regent Pei Ji doesn't reason with you about these things; he acts entirely on his likes and dislikes.

He was a man who couldn't tolerate even the slightest imperfection. He refused to be emperor or crown prince, but those people didn't understand his nature and continued to operate behind the scenes as before.

That's how the head hanging in front of the Ministry of Personnel came about.

Many memorials were reviewed by subordinates, and Pei Ji would throw them all away after just one glance. They were repeatedly revised, reviewed, and approved, which led to the ministers in the Imperial Study being unable to go home and developing dark circles under their eyes from exhaustion.

Recently, people in and out of the court have generally figured out the regent's temperament, and no one dares to make any underhanded moves anymore, which has made things much easier.

Upon hearing that they would have half a day off, those influential figures in the court were overjoyed.

The civil officials, who usually need to be carried in sedan chairs even for short walks, ran faster than the military officers today, fearing that Pei Ji might change his mind again.

With everything settled, he returned to Cining Palace for dinner with a clear conscience.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I stepped into the hall, I heard my older sister say such reckless words.

Pei Ji's arrival surprised everyone.

Wei Nanxun, in particular, was unaware that the two had met at noon. She thought it was a reunion after many days. The thought of her dream person appearing before her eyes still gave her a dreamlike feeling.

She only learned after entering the palace that he had been appointed regent and was working tirelessly day and night for the country; no wonder there seemed to be some bluish-gray in his eyes.

So this is what he looks like when he wears the imperial robes—majestic, solemn, and seemingly exuding an air of nobility.

In her past life, she had the honor of gazing at the emperor from afar once, but she never got to see his face. But she figured he was no better than Pei Ji.

Some people, even when dressed in dragon robes, don't look like princes, but he looks just like one. Thinking back to the time when he was dressed in plain clothes and long gowns, it was truly a disservice to him.

It is precisely this sharpness and domineering aura that often makes people afraid to look him in the eye, overlook his appearance, and forget what a handsome young man he is.

Wei Nanxun stared at that familiar face for a long time before lowering her head before those dark eyes looked at her.

At that moment, she truly realized the difference between heaven and earth.

He was born to look down upon all living beings, while she was nothing but weeds and mud; why should she pursue something that didn't belong to her?

Pei Ji's senses were sharp, and he felt the little girl's gaze. Before he could feel happy, he saw that she had already lowered her head.

His handsome eyebrows furrowed, and the atmosphere in the hall became tense with his arrival.

The deadlock was broken by the boy's cheerful voice.

"Uncle, what brings you here?"

"Do you know that my mother and I will be leaving in a couple of days? I've come looking for you so many times, but I've always been turned away. I thought you had forgotten about me."

His heart and eyes were filled with thoughts of his uncle. The Northwest and the border were not far apart, and when he was young, his mother would take him on horseback to find his uncle. Sometimes they would stay in the military camp for months at a time.

His horsemanship, archery, and swordsmanship skills were mostly learned from his uncle.

Therefore, the person he admired most since childhood was not his father or maternal grandfather, but his maternal uncle.

Upon seeing his uncle, he forgot all about the marriage proposal he had just been discussing and rushed over, chattering away incessantly, instantly becoming Pei Ji's little follower.

Pei Ji didn't hear a word he said; his gaze lingered on the petite figure.

He was consumed by jealousy.

If it were Pei Yuyan, he would never feel this way. He knew that Wei Nanxun would never be interested in a two-faced, good-for-nothing like Pei Yuyan.

But Man Xinghe was different. He was about the same age as her, and his appearance was exactly the kind of handsome young man she liked.

Most importantly, she knew her own nephew well; Man Xinghe, aside from everything else, was a good kid. At least he was of good character, and as the heir apparent, he wasn't afraid of Pei Yuyan, the crown prince. Protecting her seemed to be the best choice at the moment.

Of course, there was also a reason why Wei Nanxun did not refute it immediately.

This made him very unhappy, and he even began to question his previous decision, wondering if letting her go free was too hasty.

*** could tell at a glance that her younger brother was unhappy, fearing that her silly son might have offended someone without her noticing.

She smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I cannot beat you at chess. Let Shouzhuo play for you."

Empress Dowager Jiang also sensed something subtle, but as long as her son was willing to come and dine with her, she didn't care what his reason was.

"It has been many years since I last spoke with Shouzhuo..."

Unexpectedly, Pei Ji interrupted him without any courtesy, saying, "I'll go with Aman."

Man Xinghe, whose name was called, blinked. He had just felt frustrated, and now that he had spoken, his mouth was dry, but his uncle was ignoring him.

Upon hearing that she was going to play chess with him, she instantly became happy again.

“I’ll go, I’ll go with my uncle.”

Uncle still likes his nephew the most!

Although Empress Dowager Jiang was rejected, she liked both her son and grandson. Looking at the two grown-up juniors, the old woman felt much younger.

Naturally, they didn't object, and the two of them each took a piece and sat cross-legged.

Soon, Man Xinghe's smile completely vanished.

He was slaughtered without leaving a trace, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Finally, he simply threw down the chess piece and said, "I'm not playing anymore! My uncle is going too far!"

"If you're so careless in just one game of chess, how can you expect to find a wife?"

Full of Stars: ? ? ?

What does this have to do with whether or not one can get married?!