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

"After I enter the palace, I will have a legitimate reason to conceive a child."

"At that time, the child will be rightfully his, and who could doubt his lineage and bloodline?"

"I entered the palace to give birth to a child in order to seek revenge."

Zhou Mingyi never concealed her motives.

"But my child is innocent."

"I cannot let my children bear any stain on their background."

Despite the difficulty in having children, Emperor Qianwu was almost obsessed with the matter.

Even if she were pregnant outside the palace, he would not suspect anything.

Moreover, that man was able to stand out among dozens of princes and reign for decades. He was naturally a man of deep thoughts and not someone to be trifled with. He would naturally find out the truth.

But public opinion is a fearsome thing.

She can suffer injustice, but her brother and her children cannot.

The system is silent.

After a while, it said again, "Cen Shaoyuan tried to climb over the wall to get in."

"However, he was knocked down by that person's guards."

Zhou Mingyi remained expressionless.

He simply nodded slightly.

Based on her understanding of Cen Shaoyuan, that boy was impulsive and unruly, and would not give up until he achieved his goal.

In her past life, with his youthful passion, she could clearly feel the burning intensity in his gaze when he looked at her.

That burning passion of youth is enough to melt everything.

Therefore, she hadn't expected that he would agree to the Cen family's suggestion to send her to the Eastern Palace.

That's precisely why it's unforgivable.

……

"Second Young Master, how did you fall down again? Are there thorns on the Zhou family's wall?"

Qing Shu felt both heartbroken and helpless.

At the same time, I also found it somewhat funny.

But he dared not laugh.

If the second young master finds out, he will definitely have his legs broken.

Cen Shaoyuan's handsome face was full of hostility, but he didn't bother to explain to his page.

"I refuse to believe I can't climb over this lousy wall!"

He would never tell his servant that there seemed to be some expert guarding the Zhou family wall, and that every time he tried to climb the wall, he would be kicked down.

The person's movements were so fast that he could barely see their face or figure.

This left Cen Shaoyuan with a deep sense of frustration.

"You, get me a ladder."

Qing Shu was taken aback.

Cen Shaoyuan immediately roared, "Why aren't you going yet?"

Qing Shu scrambled forward, stumbling and crawling, "Yes!"

Before long, Qing Shu brought over a ladder. Cen Shaoyuan was so focused on climbing into the courtyard that he didn't think about the stunning beauty inside.

Just as they were about to reach the top, the ladder collapsed without warning.

Cen Shaoyuan naturally fell off the ladder.

There was another "bang".

Inside Zhou Mingyi's room.

System: "Aren't you going out to check?"

Zhou Mingyi: "Should I go out?"

The system is silent.

It must be admitted that Zhou Mingyi is definitely a qualified binder.

Because her heart is hard enough.

All of Mingyi's gentleness had been exhausted in her previous life.

In this life, only her brother and the child who will come out of her womb are worthy of her tenderness.

Her eyes were filled with coldness.

"Once you fall and get hurt, you'll naturally move on."

……

In the end, Cen Shaoyuan was carried back to the Cen residence by the people Qing Shu had summoned.

Jin and Zhao Xiuyun had already left long ago.

When Madam Cen was unable to persuade Cen Shaoyuan to return, the mother and daughter ran out of patience.

Zhao Xiuyun has a gentle personality, a childhood bond with Cen Shaoyuan, and good looks, so she has unconsciously started to speak up for her cousin.

Perhaps, just like when he was a child, he really wanted his daughter to see the birds' nests in the trees...

Kim ruthlessly shattered the girl's fantasy.

"But we can't just leave a young girl like you alone in a tree."

"Besides, do you really think your aunt wants to marry you off to your cousin because she genuinely likes you?"

Zhao Xiuyun stared wide-eyed, her face full of confusion.

Ms. Jin sighed.

Children only see love and affection, while adults weigh the pros and cons.

Her husband is now serving as a supervising secretary in the Six Ministries.

He was appointed as a censor, a seventh-rank official.

His rank was extremely low, equivalent to that of a county magistrate.

However, he wielded immense power, responsible for overseeing the affairs of the corresponding six ministries, and possessing the authority to reject imperial edicts and impeach officials.

It is a typical case of "lowly position but with great power".

The next step forward might be to be appointed as the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, which is a fourth-rank official position.

As the saying goes—the future is limitless.

However, although my brother-in-law is only a minor official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, as a member of the Qingliu faction, he has a bright future ahead of him, as he will enter the Hanlin Academy and the Grand Secretariat.

At first, Kim didn't understand these things.

She only thought that her sister-in-law loved her daughter, and that raising a daughter was ultimately about sending her off to get married.

It would be better to marry one's own nephew than to marry someone one doesn't know well.

Moreover, her brother-in-law's official position is higher than her own husband's.

Therefore, his words often implied that he was flattering his aunt.

But when her husband explained the pros and cons to her, she realized that the marriage that her sister-in-law had so strongly promoted was not a case of them marrying above their station.

Marriage is the union of two families, and it also implies climbing to new heights together.

If it weren't for her husband's promising future, would her picky sister have fallen for the daughter of a mere seventh-rank civil official?

Even if this civil official was her own younger brother.

Having figured these things out, Kim felt more confident.

"Parents who love their children will always plan far ahead for them."

"Although your marriage to your cousin will benefit your father and uncle's future, your mother always thinks that your lifelong happiness is the most important thing."

"That brat treats you so poorly, how can your mother feel at ease marrying you off to him?"

"Don't try to explain for that brat, and don't keep thinking about him until things are completely settled."

Zhao Xiuyun remained silent for a moment, then nodded obediently.

However, the girl was only in her early teens, just the age when she was beginning to experience romantic feelings. She also had the bond of playing together as a child, but it was impossible to say that she had any deep-rooted romantic feelings for him.

Zhao Xiuyun was truly terrified today.

She developed a high fever when she got home that night.

Jin complained in her heart about her aunt, Madam Cen.

……

Meanwhile, Madam Cen searched everywhere for her scoundrel son but could not find him.

They finally found the brat, only to find him covered in bruises and swollen skin, being carried back by the servants.

He was immediately alarmed.

"What happened?"

"My son! Who beat you like this?"

Cen Shaoyuan lay on the couch, howling in pain.

The physician busied himself applying the medicine to him.

Madam Cen didn't care about anything else. Seeing that she couldn't get anything out of her son, she took Qingshu and subjected him to severe torture. Qingshu had been with Cen Shaoyuan since he was a child, so he was used to such treatment.

He revealed some things, half-truthfully and half-jokingly.

Madam Cen was furious.

"How dare you! You've insulted the young master!"

Qing Shu cried out, "Madam! I'm innocent!"

"The second young master's injuries weren't from being beaten; he fell off the wall and hit his head on the ground!"

Madam Cen laughed angrily, "Are you saying that your young master is stupid and can't even climb a city wall?"

She knew her youngest son best. This kid had been restless since he was a child, chasing chickens and dogs. He had long since mastered martial arts skills, and there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do or wouldn't do, like climbing walls and trees.

How could someone possibly fall from the city wall?

"Madam, it's true, I'm telling the truth! Please, Madam, see clearly!"

Madam Cen was reluctant to hit her son, but she showed no fear towards her servants.

"You brat, you never tell the truth! Beat him! Beat him until he tells the truth!"