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

When talking about the past, he even shed some tears, "Ji-ge'er, the Empress died young because of you two brothers."

She is already the Empress, and even without children, she is the most honored woman in the world, and will later be honored as Empress Dowager.

"But she ruined her health for the sake of you two brothers, and eventually passed away."

Ji-ge'er, although she didn't raise you, she did give birth to you despite her own life-threatening circumstances.

"Uncle begs you, please have mercy and grant her last wish!"

As if listening to someone else's touching story, Jiang Huaiji wiped away the tears welling in his eyes, convinced that it was all useless. He asked in return,

“I have granted her wish, I have granted your wish, I have granted… Your Highness, then who will grant my wish?”

"Uncle, tell me, who will grant my wish?"

Before Master Jiang could reply, Jiang Huaiji was about to leave without lingering any longer. Just as the study door opened and Jiang Huaiji had already stepped out,

Mr. Jiang suddenly stood up from his chair, straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes, and hastily wiped away the tears and snot streaming down his face.

His face, which had just been filled with guilt and remorse, was gradually replaced by cold indifference. "Ji-ge'er, if you step out of this room today, don't blame your uncle for being ruthless in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaiji's eyes were filled with mockery and a hurt that he could not tell outsiders.

He looked up and saw the still clear, cloudless sky beyond the courtyard wall. His other foot followed closely behind, and he slowly left Master Jiang's study...

All that remained were Master Jiang's hysterical cries of "Ji-ge'er," "stupid thing," and "wicked son," echoing in the study.

----

Second Prince's Mansion

Pei Enhan looked at his uncle, who rarely visited his residence, with a moment of surprise. "I wonder what brings you here, Uncle? Have the servants in your household been negligent?"

Master Jiang shook his head slightly, "I have come today only to discuss family matters with Your Highness. Please dismiss all attendants and ensure that no one is overheard."

Pei Enhan frowned slightly, but still nodded in agreement.

Given that Master Jiang had previously provided Pei Enhan with a large sum of money, the Second Prince, despite his high status, personally poured tea for Master Jiang.

Mr. Jiang had just been humiliated by Jiang Huaiji today, so he felt that Pei Enhan's courteous treatment was well-deserved and that he had not misjudged Pei.

He drank half a cup of tea before slowly explaining why he had come today…

Pei Enhan was initially offended by Master Jiang's arrogance.

But what Mr. Jiang said next completely overturned his understanding.

The teapot he was holding fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, just like his feelings at that moment—too complicated and helpless to sort out.

His tone even carried an unprecedented sense of fear and unease, "Uncle, are you joking? Don't make jokes like that again, they're not funny at all."

Master Jiang, however, remained serious, showing no sign of lying. “Brother Han, this is a serious matter. I would not joke about something like this.”

Pei Enhan casually brushed away the water stains on his sleeve, and after a long while, he asked the question that had been bothering him, "Why did Uncle show mercy back then?"

If looks could kill, Pei Enhan would have already torn this good-for-nothing bastard in front of him to pieces!

A complex emotion flashed in Master Jiang's eyes, and his palms couldn't help but sweat. "In the second year of His Majesty's reign, the Empress took the Second Prince back to her maternal clan for a visit..."

'Snapped'!

The teacup that Pei Enhan was holding tightly shattered once again.

Unable to withstand Pei Enhan's murderous gaze any longer, Master Jiang knelt down on the ground, his back covered in cold sweat, which felt like sharp needles piercing his bones, reminding him of the wise saying, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger!"

"Your Highness, I am guilty!"

Pei Enhan stood up, drew his sword from the shelf beside him, and pointed the tip at Master Jiang's neck. "You are indeed guilty!"

"The crime of spreading rumors and misleading the public!"

"The crime of confusing the imperial heir!"

"To implicate the late Empress in an unjust crime!"

"His crimes deserve to be punished!"

Master Jiang felt a slight pain in his neck, but was immediately stunned by Pei Enhan's action of throwing away his sword, and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Ignoring the wound on his neck, he looked up at Pei Enhan, his face already covered in tears of regret.

Pei Enhan looked at this lowly merchant, whom he used to fawn over, with disgust, a bloodthirsty smile creeping across his lips.

"What, Uncle, are you scared now? Regretting your momentary act of kindness back then?"

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he stepped on Mr. Jiang's hand, which was bracing itself on the ground, and it seemed as if the sound of bones creaking could be heard.

Old Master Jiang was in so much pain that cold sweat poured down his forehead, but he dared not utter a sound.

Pei Enhan's eyes flashed with disdain, "Oh dear, Uncle, your nephew accidentally stepped on you, why didn't you say anything?"

Master Jiang replied with a heavy heart, "I wouldn't dare!"

He paused and continued, "I do not regret what happened back then."

"Both of you are Her Majesty's flesh and blood. To sacrifice either of you would be to take Her Majesty's life. I only came up with this clumsy plan out of pity for my elder sister, in order to save your lives."

Pei Enhan raised his foot and kicked Old Master Jiang right in the heart.

Mr. Jiang immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. Before he could even beg for mercy, Pei Enhan's next words left him with no hope of survival.

Pei Enhan stepped forward and grabbed Master Jiang by the collar. "Uncle, listen carefully."

"I am the Second Prince, the late Empress's only legitimate son! Remember that, the only legitimate son."

What brother or sister? Jiang Huaiji is just a poor man, does he even deserve that title?

Back then, they only gave him a job because of his connection to a branch of the Chiang family, and he actually thought he was someone important?

"Since he is now relying on the fact that he bears some resemblance to the late Empress and is so ambitious that he is trying to confuse the public, then I would like to trouble you, Uncle, to make amends and get rid of this rat in the gutter!"

He even patted the dust off Mr. Jiang's clothes and straightened his slightly wrinkled collar.

Master Jiang tried to persuade him one last time, "Then I will go back and begin to work on his transfer to another post?"

When the topic of being transferred to another post came up, Pei Enhan became angry and embarrassed once again.

You should know that Master Jiang had clearly arranged everything, but Pei Enhan was unaware of the details and was fooled by Jiang Huaiji, who personally ordered that the man be kept.

He even personally orchestrated the scheme, pushing people step by step towards his father, the emperor.

Originally, he hoped that Jiang Huaiji's face, which resembled the late empress by two or three points, would make His Majesty remember the good things the late empress had done when she was alive, and thus give him, the only legitimate son, more favor.

Who would have thought that they would regret it so much? It's like they shot themselves in the foot!

Now that Mr. Jiang has brought up the old matter again, it is like a knife to Pei Enhan's heart!

"Now that things have come to this, does Uncle still intend to show womanly compassion?"