Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Chapter 227 The Eve of the Ceremony

夜晚

Pei Mansion

Pei Wenyu, exhausted, had just lain down to rest when suddenly! A sharp whistling sound rang out, instantly waking him from his daze.

An arrow, as swift as lightning, shot straight towards the bed where Pei Wenyu was sleeping, and with a "whoosh," struck the wooden platform beside the bed squarely. A note was tied to the arrow.

Pei Wenyu only glanced at the arrow and the note, but he already knew who had sent them.

Without needing to guess, Pei Wenyu could tell that the person behind this was undoubtedly Zheng Luoqi. Filled with helplessness and annoyance, Pei Wenyu slowly stood up, walked to the front of the stage, and took the note off the arrow.

Unfolding the note, one could see it was covered in dense writing. After Pei Wenyu read it word by word, his expression grew increasingly grim and unpleasant.

Pei Wenyu slowly moved to the table, where a lit candle stood. The candlelight flickered, emitting a dim, yellowish glow.

He gently placed the note above the flames, watching as the fire gradually consumed the threatening piece of paper.

At this moment, Pei Wenyu's heart was still unsettled. He didn't know what Zheng Luoqi was trying to do.

Zheng Luoqi wrote on the note that she ordered Pei Wenyu to take action during the coronation ceremony, which was Pei Wenyu's last chance. The threatening tone in her words only made Pei Wenyu more uneasy.

This time, Zheng Luoqi did not bring the antidote as usual. Based on past patterns, the poison in Pei Wenyu's body would take effect around the time of the coronation ceremony.

Zheng Luoqi demanded that Pei Wenyu find a way to bring Chen Xianlin to his location on the day of the coronation ceremony.

Although Pei Wenyu still harbored doubts about Chen Xianlin because of Pei Wenxuan's affair, if he really followed Zheng Luoqi's orders and sent Chen Xianlin to Zheng Luoqi, Chen Xianlin's fate would be predictable.

Pei Wenyu didn't think that falling into Zheng Luoqi's hands would end well, especially since Zheng Luoqi had wanted to get rid of Chen Xianlin for a long time.

However, Zheng Luoqi used Pei Wenzhao's life as leverage. Over the years, Pei Wenzhao had never left Zheng Luoqi's sight in the capital. Zheng Luoqi knew everything about Pei Wenzhao's daily activities. Pei Wenyu had already lost one sister, Pei Wenxuan, and did not want to lose Pei Wenzhao as well.

Moreover, they are both in the capital now, and it would be almost impossible for Pei Wenzhao to leave the capital without being noticed by the Prime Minister's spies. Once Zheng Luoqi finds out that he wants Pei Wenzhao to leave the capital, it is hard to guarantee that Zheng Luoqi will eliminate him completely. Pei Wenyu himself knows that Zheng Luoqi is keeping him alive because he is still useful.

With Pei Wenzhao on one side and Chen Xianlin on the other, Pei Wenyu was caught in a dilemma and didn't know what to do.

............

Inside a teahouse in Beijing

"My lord, will Pei Wenyu really obey this time?" He Jinyu looked at the person in front of him with suspicion, frowning as he voiced his question.

Zheng Luoqi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, and she said softly, "So what if he doesn't listen? He has no other choice now."

After a brief pause, Zheng Luoqi turned her gaze to the two people standing to the side and solemnly instructed, "I have an important matter that I need you to handle. Boyu, you and Zisang will set off together to find some pregnant women. They must be at least three months pregnant and willing to make a deal with us. I want to buy a child. Bring those pregnant women back to the capital and settle them in a courtyard in the suburbs!"

Zheng Luoqi received news several months ago that Xue Huaiyu had no children after so many years on the throne and had begun to suspect that there was something wrong with his health. Although the imperial physicians kept saying that he was in good health, it was just that he was busy with government affairs, which caused some physical depletion, and that he could be cured by taking some supplements.

Xue Huaiyu had been taking the medicine as prescribed by the imperial physician and taking the necessary supplements, but there was no effect at all. Just when Xue Huaiyu was starting to doubt himself, news came that Consort Jiang was pregnant, which dispelled Xue Huaiyu's doubts.

Although Consort Jiang's pregnancy was fake, Zheng Luoqi didn't plan to stage a miscarriage like last time. He wanted to take this opportunity to send the next puppet into the palace. This child would be the future crown prince and the next emperor, and there couldn't be any mishaps.

Moreover, the child's parents cannot be chosen casually. They cannot be people with mental disabilities or genetic diseases, otherwise the child will have some genetic problems. As for the child's background, Zheng Luoqi does not have to make any demands.

However, the birth date must be seven months later, because Consort Jiang is currently "pregnant" for three months, and the child will be born in seven months. The timing of Consort Jiang's delivery must be carefully considered, but the timing of delivery is not so easy to grasp.

After all, childbirth isn't something that can be decided on any given day. It's better to have more pregnant women on hand, just in case there aren't any children born when Consort Jiang needs to give birth.

"Yes!" Boyu and Zisang respectfully cupped their hands and replied in unison, then hurriedly left to begin handling the matters assigned by Zheng Luoqi.

Zheng Luoqi turned her gaze to He Jinyu beside her and asked, "Jingyu! Between Pei Wenyu and you, who is stronger in martial arts?"

He Jinyu lowered his head slightly and answered honestly, "My lord, Jingyu's martial arts are inferior to his."

Upon hearing this answer, Zheng Luoqi pondered for a moment before asking, "In that case, if you were to actually encounter him, would you be able to escape from him with your skills?"

"Rest assured, if the situation becomes critical, I will send someone to meet you!"

He Jinyu was taken aback, somewhat puzzled by Zheng Luoqi's words. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Sir, what do you mean by that...?"

A wicked smile flashed in Zheng Luoqi's eyes as she lowered her voice and said, "According to the plan, Pei Wenyu will make his move on the day of the coronation ceremony. After the ceremony, Xue Huaiyu and Chen Xianlin will need to leave the palace to visit their ancestors at the Fengxian Temple. Their journey out of the palace will be the perfect opportunity to strike!"

"When Pei Wenyu is too afraid to make a move, you can secretly 'help' him and abduct Chen Xianlin ahead of time!"

"Then find an opportunity to slip up and let Pei Wenyu rescue Chen Xianlin! Remember, you must not reveal your identity."

"We can't make this too obvious, otherwise it won't be fun if they realize it's a trap!" Zheng Luoqi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a wicked smile, her eyes flashing with calculation.