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

As soon as Madam Cen left, Zhou Mingchong also kicked Cen Shaoyuan out.

Before Madam Cen had gone far, she watched helplessly as her youngest son was driven out on a stretcher.

I instinctively clutched my chest, feeling a sudden heart attack.

She had to face one thing squarely—her son truly did seem to be disliked by the Zhou family…

As a result, she saw that her unruly and troublesome son, who had been a troublemaker since childhood, refused to leave.

Lingering at someone's doorstep is like having lost your own mother.

She instinctively covered her eyes.

The trusted nanny: "Madam..."

"Someone come here..."

Madam Cen said weakly, "Carry that wretched child back with you. Stop embarrassing him here!"

The trusted nanny: "...Yes!"

……

Having finally gotten rid of the irrelevant people, Zhou Mingchong's expression softened somewhat.

Did they give you any trouble?

Mingyi shook her head. "No."

Zhou Mingchong simply didn't believe it. "That Madam Cen doesn't look like someone to be trifled with! Luckily..."

He remembered that "old scoundrel" again, and his expression suddenly turned ugly.

If it weren't for that shameless old man, how could his sister have ended up in such a passive situation?

However, judging from Madam Cen's demeanor today, even if her sister did not lose her virginity, the Cen family is by no means a good place to go.

"Is everything alright at the Hanlin Academy, brother?"

The Zhou siblings always shared good news with each other, but never bad.

Zhou Mingchong's expression changed rapidly, then suddenly became extremely gentle. "Yes, everything went smoothly."

"Did they criticize my brother because of Princess Chaoyang?"

Zhou Mingchong's expression remained unchanged.

"They dare not."

"It was His Majesty who ordered me to return to the Hanlin Academy; how dare they object?"

Zhou Mingyi nodded, "His Majesty is so dignified that they naturally dare not question his will."

A strange glint flashed in Zhou Mingchong's eyes. He was about to say something when he changed the subject.

"It's windy outside, let's go inside and talk."

……

"What did you say?"

"You mean, the reason your grandmother and father helped that young scholar was only because that bald monk at Hanshan Temple said his sister was some kind of chosen one, capable of bearing your father an heir?"

Princess Chaoyang's eyes narrowed, and she trembled.

Upon hearing this news, Consort Chen's face instantly contorted with rage.

"Have Father and Grandmother lost their minds over a nonexistent chosen one?"

After the initial shock, Princess Chaoyang simply didn't believe it.

Over the years, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have not been idle in their efforts.

Every month, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau would send someone to deliver several "auspicious days" so that the Emperor could choose the time to visit his concubines.

It is said that taking advantage of the right timing will help with conception.

The Imperial Medical Academy specially prepared a fertility-enhancing medicine for my mother, which she drank every day.

Also, last year a wandering Taoist priest said that it is best to conceive a woman who was born in a yin year, yin month, yin day, and yang hour.

Therefore, the Empress Dowager secretly instructed Aunt Zhulan to search for these women among the common people...

However, while most of those women were born at the same time, it couldn't be guaranteed that they were all beautiful.

Some of them could even be described as quite ordinary.

But for the sake of his offspring, the emperor had no choice but to reluctantly accept it.

And then...

Princess Chaoyang couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ridiculous! Father and Grandmother are still unwilling to give up? They're completely disregarding my feelings for this reason?"

"Mother, it's impossible that Father was poisoned by that strange poison..."

Before he could finish speaking, Consort Chen covered his mouth tightly.

Although no woman in the inner palace has conceived in recent years, the matter of offspring is a taboo subject for His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.

His Majesty and the Empress Dowager would naturally not criticize Chaoyang for these words, but they were afraid that they might implicate him in the future...

Although Consort Chen was indignant, she had no choice but to accept the facts.

Moreover, when it comes to offspring, Consort Chen and Princess Chaoyang have different stances.

She only had one daughter, Chaoyang, but His Majesty and the Empress Dowager never had the idea of ​​making Chaoyang the Crown Princess.

There was no precedent for this in any dynasty, so she naturally had no such idea.

She always harbored a vain hope that since she could give birth to Chaoyang, she could also become pregnant with another dragon's offspring and give birth to another healthy prince...

Only then can one have hope for the rest of their life.

Chaoyang, that girl, spoke without thinking, and somehow scared her unborn son away.

Consort Chen immediately covered her daughter's mouth.

Princess Chaoyang was very dissatisfied.

"Mother!"

Consort Chen coaxed her, "Alright, your mother knows you have no bad intentions, but if it gets back to your father and grandmother by someone with ill intentions, it would damage your harmony."

Princess Chaoyang was spoiled and did not realize that Consort Chen was doing it for her own good.

Years of stereotypes, along with her inner desires, led her to firmly believe that her father would never have any more children.

She naturally took advantage of being the emperor's only son to do whatever she wanted.

She refused to believe that her father and grandmother would disregard her, their only child.

"That Zhou family member cannot be allowed to live."

"That's nothing but nonsense spouted by a bald monk from Hanshan Temple!"

Princess Chaoyang immediately retorted, "My father and grandmother released Zhou Mingchong because of her, which made me unhappy. So I'll take it out on her!"

"Right, she hasn't entered the palace yet, so she can't be considered Father's woman."

"Even if my father and grandmother knew that I did it, they would at most scold me a few times."

Princess Chaoyang looked completely at ease.

Consort Chen, unusually, did not refute.

Although... Chaoyang is right.

In recent years, how many so-called "women destined for heaven" and "methods to help them conceive" have there been over the years?

But it was completely useless.

It seems His Majesty is truly going to die without an heir.

But if that vixen enters the palace and whispers sweet nothings in His Majesty's ear, it would be bad if she made His Majesty unhappy.

Consort Chen was well aware that if she did this herself, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor found a pretext to use it against her, she would be punished to some extent.

But my daughter is different.

She is the apple of His Majesty's and Empress Dowager's eye.

Even if she caused a major upheaval, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager couldn't bear to punish her severely.

Consort Chen couldn't help but remind you, "I'll have Granny Chen help you handle this cleanly, so that no one can find any fault with it and cause your father and grandmother worry."

Chaoyang said, "My mother always thinks of my father and grandmother, but they don't appreciate it."

Consort Chen couldn't help but feel sorry for herself.

"My mother is of plain appearance. If it weren't for the good fortune to give birth to you, she would probably have faded into obscurity in the harem. How could His Majesty and the Empress Dowager possibly have any regard for me?"

Consort Chen stroked her daughter's cheek with affection, saying, "You are different. You are the most noble princess in the world."

"Even if Mother doesn't think of herself, she will still plan for you."

Chaoyang was naturally deeply moved.

"I know my mother is the best to me."

She thought of Zhou Mingchong again.

Recalling his tall figure and handsome appearance, a determined light ignited in her eyes.

She wanted to sever his scholarly integrity and make him fall at her feet, becoming her intimate guest!

Once she deals with that so-called chosen one, her father and grandmother will have no reason to stop her.

……

Wearing a veil, Zhou Mingyi delivered the embroidery to the embroidery shop and received 218 taels of silver.

After leaving the embroidery shop, she turned into a short alley, where Emperor Qianwu's secret guards were waiting.

But after a quarter of an hour, she still hadn't come out, and the guards were terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat...