Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

With Wei Wujiu's deep affection for her, how could the emperor possibly grant him a marriage to someone else?

Yong'an couldn't accept it, and couldn't believe it. "Who did Her Majesty just say he's going to marry?"

"My elder sister, Lin Wantang."

Lin Qinglian laughed heartily and pulled Yong'an to sit down: "Sister, you don't know, but it's quite interesting. I'm having a rare day off today, so listen to my story to pass the time."

"His Highness the Crown Prince has reached adulthood, and His Majesty and Empress Dowager have been concerned about his marriage. His Highness has known my elder sister, Lin Wantang, since his early years. They have known each other since childhood and are childhood sweethearts. What a precious and rare affection they have. His Majesty and Empress have granted their consent to the marriage."

"This is a good thing. As for the family, my younger sister may have heard that my birth mother was a servant and I was born out of wedlock. Even after I came of age, it was difficult for me to find a good marriage. Fortunately, my mother was kind and compassionate and could not bear to let me marry into a family as a concubine. Also, my older sister was betrothed, so my mother and father discussed it and decided that I would marry into the Eastern Palace with my sister. My mother was thinking of me and felt that it would be very good to be His Highness's concubine."

Although they were both concubines, could the Crown Prince's concubines be compared to those of ordinary families?

Lin Qinglian spoke with a self-pitying air, a playful smile on her face: "This should have been a double celebration, a series of good things, but I was unaware that Your Highness had already had the Imperial Observatory divine my and my sister's destinies..."

Lin Qinglian slowly recounted the events of her wedding day, but deliberately emphasized that Wei Wujiu was there to witness the ceremony, but unexpectedly, Lin Wantang caught him and even declared that she would marry him.

Upon hearing this, Yong'an immediately recalled how Lin Wantang had acted so shamelessly in front of everyone that day, and how Wei Wujiu's dignity had been humiliated by Lin Wantang regardless of whether he agreed or not.

The Emperor bestowed a marriage upon them? That was only because they had no other choice, out of respect for Grand Tutor Lin and Wei Wujiu!

How could she do this?

Yong'an stood up abruptly, furious. "The legitimate daughter of the Grand Tutor! How shameless she is! How is she disciplined at home? Where is her headmistress? Raising a daughter like a prostitute, the Lin family is utterly absurd!"

"Poor Wujiu, he never had her in his heart, yet he's still being entangled by her. Now he can't disobey the imperial decree. This Lin Wantang is truly a vicious vixen!"

Yong'an was well-mannered from a young age and studied with the princes and princesses along with Wei Wujiu. Even if he hated someone, he would not say anything too vulgar.

The word "vixen" was the most vulgar thing she could think of.

"That's outrageous! I really want to..." Yong'an was furious, gritting her teeth and clenching her fingers, "I really want to kill her! But even if she dies, she'll still be occupying Wujiu's position as his first wife for nothing!"

Lin Qinglian was astonished. She knew that Yong'an and Wei Wujiu had been classmates, and with Wei Wujiu's handsome face, she guessed that Yong'an might have feelings for him, but she never expected that they would be so deep.

That's brilliant!

Lin Qinglian's eyes darted around calculatingly, but she smiled gently as she rose and pulled Yong'an aside: "Sister, calm down. I know this is my fault, but what can I do now that things have come to this?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way!"

Yong'an refused to believe it. Why should Lin Wantang be able to marry Wei Wujiu by using such despicable means? She could simply do the same and still get to Lin Wantang!

This was exactly what Lin Qinglian wanted to hear. She gripped Yong'an's hand tightly: "Sister, please calm down. This matter can't be rushed. Why don't you and I discuss it slowly and carefully?"

Yong'an took a few breaths, and her chaotic thoughts calmed down a little. But when she sat down, her peripheral vision caught sight of the white fox fur cloak, and she couldn't help but feel angry again. But then she had an idea.

"Your Majesty, my sister has been back in the capital for several days now, and it's been a long time since I've seen the ladies and young women of this city. Why don't I host a banquet, and Your Majesty would do me the honor of joining in the fun?"

Lin Qinglian scoffed inwardly. This was hardly a banquet; it was clearly an excuse to meet Lin Wantang.

"Very well," Lin Qinglian replied with a smile. "Sister, just prepare the invitations, and leave the rest to me."

Yong'an suppressed her worries and chatted with Lin Qinglian for a while. Seeing that the sun was setting, she saw Lin Qinglian off and immediately called her trusted maid, Haitang, and instructed her, "Go and inquire about that Lin Wantang."

Just as Haitang was about to respond, Yong'an added, "Be careful not to alert Governor Wei's men."

"Yes, Princess, please rest assured."

After Haitang withdrew, Yong'an took the white fox fur cloak again and gently stroked it, but the jealousy and hatred in his eyes kept surging.

That evening, at the Eastern Palace.

Lin Qinglian had just finished her meal when she saw a maid from Jinxiu Palace paying her respects and presenting her with a list of banquet guests.

"Put it down. I'm a little tired. I'll have someone send a message to the princess after I finish reading it later."

Lin Qinglian lay on the soft couch behind the screen in the warm pavilion, not seeing anyone come. She informed the eunuch and then sent him away.

Once the hall had quieted down a bit, she slightly helped herself to her feet, aided by her maid, and tasted a glistening white lychee. She then asked towards the outside, "How is it?"

"Reporting to Your Highness," the head eunuch bowed outside, "after Your Highness left Jinxiu Palace, the Princess sent Haitang out of the palace to inquire about Lin Wantang. This servant was prepared in advance and had someone embellish the story of the jinx who brings misfortune to her husband."

"Um."

Lin Qinglian smiled with satisfaction, adjusting the phoenix hairpin at her temple: "Is there anything else?"

The eunuch hesitated, then replied, "Your Majesty, there's nothing else. But Your Majesty doesn't know, the servants and lackeys in the Governor's Mansion's Jingyuan are all tight-lipped; they can't let any information out."

Lin Qinglian asked in confusion, "Oh? How could Wei Wujiu, with his extraordinary abilities, possess such influence in a mere Jingyuan Garden?"

Let alone Jingyuan, even in this deep palace, beside the emperor, aren't there spies planted by the Eastern Palace? Her husband is the Crown Prince, second only to the emperor, how could he not plant spies around Wei Wujiu?

The eunuch was distressed, thinking to himself that the court factions were nothing like the inner palace. The fact that the crown prince could place people next to the emperor was because the emperor turned a blind eye. He had intended for the crown prince to oversee the country, so he didn't bother to care too much.

Wei Wujiu wields great power and holds multiple positions; he cannot be judged in a simplistic way.

The eunuch Erxi was Jiang Fulu's godson.

Erxi thought to herself that this Crown Princess was nothing special, but on the surface she was extremely respectful and replied with a smirk, "Your Majesty does not know, but this Ninth Prince is no ordinary man, and besides, the Eastern Depot has eyes and ears everywhere."

"The henchmen and lackeys of the Eastern Depot...indeed."

Lin Qinglian sneered and didn't dwell on it. Instead, thinking of Wei Wujiu, a eunuch, she got up, walked around the screen, and jokingly glanced at Erxi: "But speaking of which, you and that Ninth Prince have some connection, don't you?"

Erxi was shocked. He had received a great favor from Wei Wujiu and was secretly adopted by Jiang Fulu as his godson. No one in the palace knew about this. Could it be...?