A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

"Second Young Master, what's wrong?"

"I've been completely captivated since I first saw that Miss Zhou. Could she be a fox spirit in disguise?"

Cen Shaoyuan's pageboy had been with him since childhood; he was a servant born into the household.

This young man is very clever, and they have a bond from growing up together. He is extremely proper and diligent in front of his wife, but he also understands his young master's temperament in private, so he speaks rather casually.

He hadn't expected his young master to pay any attention to him.

Ever since he returned from outside, the young master seemed to have lost his soul. He plopped down on a huge rock in the courtyard's artificial hill, munching on a blade of grass, staring blankly into the distance, lost in thought.

However, as soon as the storyteller finished speaking, he clapped his hands.

"Qingshu, do you really think there are truly stunningly beautiful women in this world?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Shu immediately perked up.

"Yes, of course there is. How could there not be?"

"If it doesn't exist, could it be something fabricated by our predecessors?"

Cen Shaoyuan jumped down from the artificial hill, startling Qing Shu so much that he patted his chest repeatedly. "Second Young Master, please be careful! You scared me to death!"

Cen Shaoyuan didn't care at all. He beckoned to the servant, "Prepare my horse..."

"No, could you please find out where the Zhou residence is?"

"It's rather presumptuous of me to say this, but I haven't visited you in all these years..."

Qing Shu: ? ?

"Second Young Master, which Zhou family is it?"

Cen Shaoyuan raised an eyebrow. "Who else could it be?"

Qing Shu suddenly remembered the Zhou family girl who had come to annul the engagement today, and his pupils contracted involuntarily. "You mean? Miss Zhou...?"

Cen Shaoyuan slapped his forehead. "Nonsense!"

Qing Shu suddenly understood, but still had some doubts. "Wasn't it said that Miss Zhou's appearance was damaged when she was young? Now that her engagement with you, Second Young Master, has been called off, wouldn't it be inappropriate to go and bother her again... ah, I mean, visit her?"

Upon hearing this, Cen Shaoyuan suddenly became enraged and ashamed.

"Am I the young master, or are you the young master?"

Qing Shu: "...Yes!"

……

After returning to the Zhou family home, Zhou Mingyi stayed in her room and did not go out.

At this time, in the Imperial Study of the Palace.

A masked bodyguard was kneeling before Emperor Qianwu, reporting on what he had seen and heard that day.

"Your Majesty, when Consort Zhou's father was alive, he arranged a marriage for her with the second son of Cen Fang, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."

"Consort Zhou went to the Cen residence in person today to annul the engagement."

"Apart from that, there is nothing else unusual."

"However, after it was all over, that Second Young Master Cen chased after us, seemingly dissatisfied with the annulment of the engagement, and unintentionally..."

The guard paused for a moment.

As a bodyguard assigned by Emperor Qianwu to Zhou Mingyi to protect her, he had naturally seen her face.

With such stunning beauty, what normal man could resist her charm?

That Second Young Master Cen was no exception.

"I caught a glimpse of the Empress's face by chance..."

Emperor Qianwu paused for a moment while writing with his imperial brush.

He then asked in a deep voice, "But what's wrong with annulmenting the engagement?"

The guard said, "Her Majesty has retrieved the token and torn up the marriage certificate."

Emperor Qianwu nodded, then looked down at the memorial again.

"It's good that the engagement is called off."

The guard glanced at Emperor Qianwu secretly and said, "Afterwards, that Second Young Master Cen sent someone to inquire about the Zhou family and brought gifts to visit them."

"Oh?"

Emperor Qianwu did not like fickle women.

Zhou Mingyi was already his woman, so he naturally didn't like her associating with other men too much.

Especially since the man was her former fiancé.

But then he thought about it again. His new concubine, Consort Zhou, was so beautiful that even if it wasn't her choice, it was normal for men to be attracted to her after seeing her.

Emperor Qianwu began to reflect.

Three days...is that too long?

He should bring her into the palace immediately and keep her by his side.

But since he had already promised her, he couldn't go back on his word.

Emperor Qianwu frowned. "You will continue to protect Consort Zhou closely. Before she enters the palace, do not let anyone disturb her."

Just as the guards were about to leave, Emperor Qianwu suddenly said, "You said, Zhou Jieyu's father..."

The guard bowed and said, "Lord Zhou Yanjin."

Emperor Qianwu was taken aback.

"Is she Zhou Yanjin's daughter?"

Emperor Qianwu certainly remembered Zhou Yanjin.

He suddenly recalled Zhou Mingchong's eloquent and spirited manner in the Golden Palace.

No wonder he felt this kid looked familiar.

Looking back now, it overlaps with a scene from many years ago—the same youthful spirit, radiating vitality.

However, her father was even more handsome and beautiful.

It's rare to find a man whose appearance can be described as handsome.

However, Zhou Yanjin's beauty and charm are so stunning that no other words can describe her.

To be honest, Zhou Mingchong is somewhat inferior to his father.

On the contrary, his newly acquired concubine, Jieyu, truly inherited all of Zhou Yanjin's best qualities.

In addition, Zhou Mingyi, as a woman, had a more delicate and radiant appearance, fairer skin, a graceful figure, and a supple body; he had deeply experienced that kind of beauty...

If their father is Zhou Yanjin, it's no wonder they could have such a pair of children!

However, back then, Zhou Yanjin was his loyal minister and upright advisor when he was an official.

If that old scoundrel were still alive and knew that he had taken his daughter as a concubine, he would probably stand in the imperial palace and have a three-hundred-round debate with him!

Recalling Zhou Yanjin's stunning beauty and his upright character, Emperor Qianwu felt inexplicably guilty.

That's it, what's done is done, even if that old scoundrel were still alive, it wouldn't change reality.

Mingyi, he's determined to get him!

……

As night fell, Cen Shaoyuan remained guarding the Zhou family's gate, refusing to leave.

When Zhou Mingchong learned that he was the second young master of the Cen family, his expression changed, and he gave him almost no friendly look.

They kick him out every time he comes, and won't even open the door for him.

Cen Shaoyuan was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

Finally, gazing at the high wall, his eyes darted around, and an idea came to him.

……

Zhou Mingyi was making embroidery in her room.

This is a habit she has developed over the years.

In her past life, she was sent to the Crown Prince's residence by the Cen family. Penniless and short of money, she had no choice but to return to her old profession.

Her embroidery was exquisite and could be exchanged for a lot of money.

However, the Eastern Palace was full of the Crown Princess's henchmen. The embroidery she made after working day and night only brought her a few meager sums of money.

There wasn't even enough to tip the servants.

If even a small Eastern Palace is like this, then having money is also very important for her to enter the palace.

This embroidery took her more than half a year to complete; Mingyi was aiming to exchange it for a large sum of money.

It will be finished in a few days. I can send it to a familiar embroidery shop and exchange it for at least several hundred taels of silver.

Of course, one cannot refuse money earned for free.

"Why doesn't the host take the fertility pill immediately?"

The system's cold voice suddenly rang out.

"Although I've married that man, he's been childless for many years. I conceived a child after spending one night with him in a side room at the temple. If you were him, would you believe it?"

System: "He sent secret guards to protect you, which may well be an attempt to monitor you."

"Besides, the sooner you get pregnant, the sooner you'll gain his attention."

"He must have cared extremely much about having offspring."

Zhou Mingyi understood what the system meant.

She hadn't spent much time with the system, but she had gradually grown accustomed to its companionship.

It doesn't talk much, and its voice is full of indifference.

But Zhou Mingyi felt that this kind of companionship was just right.

"I will silence the gossip."

"This pregnancy shouldn't start too early."

"Besides, things that come too easily may not be cherished."