The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

“My lord, I will never betray you under any circumstances. The reason I was threatened today was because I was concerned for you, so I went along with that young lady’s act.”

Pei Enhan ignored his subordinate's assurances and pressed on again, "What kind of leverage is it?"

After much hesitation, Pei San finally chose to confess.

Pei Enhan stood there in shock, his mouth slightly agape, momentarily forgetting to control his expression.

"A man...a man? So that's how it is!" Pei Enhan instantly felt a tightness in his anus, oh, the south wind was so pleasant.

"But upon closer examination, this is nothing more than a matter of private morality. How could you allow a woman from the inner quarters to threaten you?"

Pei San then voiced his concerns: “My lord has no children yet. I fear that because of my situation, outsiders will speculate that my lord also has such a predilection, which could then affect my lord’s great cause.”

Pei Enhan slammed his hand on the desk. "Nonsense! This prince has already taken wives and concubines. How could I be involved in any controversy!"

Pei San lowered his head and explained, "I am but rubble, but Your Highness is a jade screen. I dare not gamble on this possibility."

After a moment's thought, Pei Enhan acknowledged the loyalty Pei San had previously expressed.

He looked Pei San up and down. He was handsome, with feminine features, and fairer-skinned than most men. He was indeed a good-looking young man.

However, when Pei Enhan thought about his hobby, he almost asked him if he had a girlfriend.

Fortunately, mindful of his status, he stopped talking in time. But thinking about it, Pei San was just a homosexual, and hadn't done anything that would incur divine wrath or public resentment, so he really didn't deserve to die.

He pondered for a moment, and finally said only one sentence, "Then you shall go from the light to the shadows, and never appear in public again."

Pei San thought his career was over, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that he could continue to stay in the Second Prince's residence.

After Pei San left, Pei Enhan summoned his trusted commander and bluntly stated that he wanted to replace him with a new batch of guards.

Since Pei San was able to be caught red-handed, the other guards could also be caught red-handed for their weaknesses.

Therefore, only by replacing them with new players can we have a better chance of catching our opponents off guard.

He refused to believe that his opponent was so capable that he could find fault with everyone around him in such a short time!

The incident involving Pei San also served as a warning to the Second Prince.

It's understandable that the emperor doesn't like his sons who have come of age. He keeps a low profile.

However, he had no children, which was undoubtedly a major flaw in the eyes of the ministers who followed him.

Regardless of whether it's a legitimate son or a son born out of wedlock, he should still have the child first to prove that he has the ability to have one.

So, the Second Prince's wife suddenly received a message from her husband that day, ordering her to stop giving all the women in the inner palace contraceptive soup.

This news was like a bolt from the blue for a woman of high status.

But for those low-ranking or even nameless maids, it was good news that their status would rise because of their sons.

-----

At the Muqing Marquis's residence, Madam Shen led everyone back to the mansion. She instructed the younger generation to return to their own courtyards first, while she went to the old lady's place to report on the trip to the Jiang residence that day.

When she returned to Yimei Garden, she met He Zhizhang and He Zhizhu, the two siblings.

It's obvious what it's about.

She rubbed her forehead. "The marriage between Rong-jie and that young master Jiang should be a done deal."

He Zhizhu's face was grim. "Even if the marriage is arranged, it will still be quite a while before the wedding."

My second sister was also engaged, but in the end, the two families weren't meant to be and couldn't become in-laws.

Shen's eyes widened, "Zhuzhu!"

"We already have a second daughter who broke off her engagement. If another one does, how will you younger girls find partners?"

Others would only think that there was something wrong with the young lady of the Muqing Marquis's mansion, which is why she was repeatedly rejected in marriage.

As the matriarch of the Muqing Marquis's household, she cannot escape blame.

He Zhizhu's eyes were gloomy. "If Mother has any concerns, then tomorrow we will refuse the marriage proposal to the Jiang family and have my cousin choose one from among the candidates Mother has selected."

Madam Shen frowned and remained silent, pondering the feasibility of the matter. "Generally, when a matchmaker comes to propose marriage, it is acceptable to refuse appropriately in order to show that the woman is not worried about getting married."

Even so, as your mother, I can only postpone the treatment for a few days; it's only a temporary fix.

He Zhizhu was overjoyed, "Give me a few days and I'll be sure to persuade my cousin to choose another man to settle down with."

Madam Shen was half-believing and half-doubting, and then looked at her own son, "Zhang-ge'er, don't you think it's a good idea to marry into the Jiang family?"

We were just worried about not being able to get in touch with the Second Prince, but now that Rong'er is marrying into the Jiang family, wouldn't it be even more legitimate for us to connect with the Second Prince's household?

He Zhizhang held his teacup in his hand, remaining silent. Naturally, he did not want Hua Sirong to slip out of his control.

But compared to power, a woman like Hua Sirong is insignificant.

He had even settled the woman who bore a resemblance to Hua Sirong outside.

He looked at He Zhizhu and asked, "Zhuzhu, in your dream, was the man Rong'er married to Jiang Huaiji from the Jiang family?"

He Zhizhu's expression froze slightly, and then she said somewhat awkwardly, "The day after I had that dream, I went to see my cousin."

I told my cousin at the time that the man she married was a scholar who was supported by his widowed mother through embroidery.

Madam Shen had not previously paid attention to the marriages of the young ladies in the mansion, so she had not heard He Zhizhu mention it.

"So, then it's not this Young Master Jiang?" Young Master Jiang is so young, yet he's already serving the Second Prince, so he doesn't need to worry about making a living.

He Zhizhu looked at the two people she was closest to by blood, "No, I lied back then."

Mrs. Shen couldn't believe it. Her daughter, whom she had raised with her own hands, had already started plotting and scheming back then?

Can a dream really change a person?

He Zhizhang, on the contrary, was more accepting of He Zhizhu's transformation. He asked, "Is it Jiang Huaiji?"

To everyone's surprise, He Zhizhu shook her head. "I'm not sure."

Mrs. Shen was stunned. "He's your cousin-in-law, you can't have never met him, can you?"

He Zhizhu nodded, "My cousin got married after her three-year mourning period was over. I was also sixteen at the time, busy marrying Xin Yucheng, so I naturally didn't have any extra time to think about other people."

In fact, she was so engrossed in the web of love that Xin Yucheng had woven that she had no time to connect with her sisters in the household.

Even after discovering Xin Yucheng's true colors, she still tried to keep him.

In her past life, she first worked hard to marry Xin Yucheng.

After marriage, she was either fighting wits with her wicked mother-in-law and her husband's terrible relatives, or battling the women in Xin Yucheng's backyard.

The only connection she had with her maternal family was when she needed her father and brothers' help and hoped they could support Xin Yucheng.

Oh, and also, when she was short of money, she led Xin Yucheng's family to the Marquis's mansion to beg for help from her mother.