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

Otherwise, what if Liu Yuniang and Wang Hu go to the capital and make up false confessions and accuse people?

If things were to somehow involve Lin Rucong or Wei Wujiu, it would undoubtedly be tantamount to falling into Shen Huai'an's trap again.

"But has the Grand Commandant figured out how to explain this to the Emperor? Also, if I'm not mistaken, the stolen luminous pearl has probably already been hidden in my house, in the Grand Tutor's mansion."

If you want to frame someone, what's the most obvious way to do it?

The plan was to go all out, lay out the whole scheme, and hide the stolen, important item, the luminous pearl, directly into Lin Rucong's Grand Tutor's mansion. Everything else was taken care of; time would solve everything.

Regardless of who discovered the luminous pearl first, Lin Rucong could not escape suspicion of colluding with bandits to rob tribute and harbor the luminous pearl, and his serious crime was a foregone conclusion.

Lin Wantang pushed away the bowl of porridge in front of her, then touched the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, her expression solemn and uneasy: "But I don't want to agree. The person behind this must be Shen Huai'an, but why is he trying so hard to frame my father?"

To put it bluntly, Lin Rucong practically watched Shen Huai'an grow up, and never criticized him in the slightest, always showing him respect and humility.

Even if Shen Huai'an is heartless, would he really be so enraged by Lin Wantang's broken engagement that he would try to implicate Lin Rucong? That's too much of a romantic entanglement.

Wei Wujiu rested his chin on his hand, silently watching Lin Wantang. After a long silence, he finally said, "No need to doubt it, you've already guessed the answer."

Lin Wantang asked in surprise, "Me? Shen Huai'an did all this because of me?"

Wei Wujiu's gaze was direct and unbiased, which could be considered a very frank response.

Lin Wantang turned her face away, took several deep breaths, still finding it hard to believe: "So he did this to destroy the Grand Tutor's mansion, to get my father dismissed from his post, imprisoned unjustly, and to turn all the hundred-plus people in the mansion into slaves. Naturally, I would also fall from grace because of this, but..."

"Other things might happen," Wei Wujiu interjected, offering clarification. "For example, rumors, or the long-standing grudge between you and the princess. If things escalate even slightly, it could ruin our marriage, making you no different from everyone else in the Grand Tutor's mansion—demoted to a courtesan. If you disagree, what will you do?"

"I..." Lin Wantang's stunned face lost some color. She really didn't expect that Shen Huai'an could be so ruthless to her, not only harming the innocent but also being disgusting and filthy!

"I will never give in to him! He is simply...despicable! Shameless! How can such a person be worthy of the position of crown prince, and how could he possibly become a wise and virtuous ruler!"

Lin Wantang got up again indignantly and paced back and forth, venting her anger and resentment.

Especially when she thought back to the day of their engagement, Shen Huai'an secretly found her and made a promise, vowing never to let her down in this life. Now, every word made her feel so disgusted that she almost vomited!

Wei Wujiu remained silent for a long while, then pulled her to sit beside him and patted her back reassuringly: "Alright, don't be angry, it's not worth it."

"Now you know all the secrets, but what if you still know nothing after all of this has happened? When everything is settled, you'll be all alone and helpless, and you'll have no choice but to ask him for help, which is what he ultimately wants."

Shen Huai'an wanted to see Lin Wantang turn back into the little girl who once trusted him completely, whose heart and eyes were filled with him, and who obediently submitted and nestled behind him.

Shen Huai'an wanted Lin Wantang to be obedient, well-behaved, and understanding.

He wanted her to become the second Lin Qinglian, to have him as her heaven and earth, to be obediently by his side, and even if she couldn't have children, she could still be a plaything for him to relieve his loneliness.

As for oaths, those things have never been reliable.

Lin Wantang's face showed horror, her heart hardening. She narrowed her eyes, weighing the situation carefully, and finally gritted her teeth, resolutely declaring, "Absolutely impossible! I, Lin Wantang, would rather die than repeat the same mistake!"

The previous life is over. In this life, she would rather die than live in dishonor. She would risk everything and never let Shen Huai'an have his way!

Meanwhile, inside the Guanghua Hall deep within the palace.

Lin Qinglian, dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with jewels, sat regally on a high seat, looking down at the little maidservant kneeling below, offering teacups. Because she had been kneeling for a long time, Cuihe's hands, which were holding the teacups, were trembling uncontrollably.

"You insolent brat! How dare you be disrespectful while serving Her Highness?" The old nanny scolded the maid for her lack of manners.

Cuihe lowered her head in a panic, her voice almost trembling with tears: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this servant deserves to die..."

Lin Qinglian, still seething with resentment, glanced at the old woman, signaling her to leave, then looked at Cuihe and said, "You've been carrying this for so long, you must be tired. Come on, lift your head."

Cuihe replied timidly, "This servant dares not."

"Don't you understand what I'm saying?"

Cuihe then dared to slowly raise her head. Her face, streaked with tears, was remarkably beautiful, and upon closer inspection, her sorrowful eyes bore a striking resemblance to Lin Wantang.

No wonder Shen Huai'an has been treating Cuihe differently these past few days. Last night, he even said that Lin Qinglian was pregnant and not suitable to serve her, so he sent away the palace servants sent by Lin Qinglian and only kept Cuihe to serve him for one night.

The Crown Prince's favor was an immense honor. The next day, after Cuihe helped Shen Huai'an change into his court robes and leave, she was made a concubine by Cui Fuhai.

But Lin Qinglian was unaware of all this. Once she found out, she had no choice but to retaliate against Cuihe under some pretext.

Lin Qinglian was filled with anger, resentment, and jealousy. Her clenched fingers were so tight that she wanted to scratch Cuihe's face!

"You're quite good-looking. You'll have to serve Your Highness diligently from now on. I'm tired, so I'll leave now." Lin Qinglian couldn't find any more fault to punish him, so she could only turn a blind eye to it.

After Cuihe left, Granny Li hurriedly brought over a cup of tea and offered it to Lin Qinglian: "Your Highness, there's no need to worry. Now that you're pregnant..."

"What body?" Lin Qinglian interrupted, her face contorted with barely suppressed anger. "You know perfectly well, how could I be pregnant? How could this body conceive!"

It's been two years since she was diagnosed with frail health and difficulty conceiving. She's taken herbal medicine every day and tried all sorts of folk remedies, but what's the result? She still can't conceive. The joy of being pregnant now is just a lie!

Granny Li looked around helplessly, signaling Lin Qinglian to watch her words, and also lowered her voice to say, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words. It's common for Your Highness to be restless and irritable while pregnant. You should try to think more positively."

Seeing Lin Qinglian's increasingly worse complexion, Granny Li said helplessly, "Your Highness, please rest assured. What is fake can eventually become real. We have already found a surrogate mother outside, and the lady of the house has also said that she will ensure that this matter is kept secret. Your Highness can rest assured and wait to become a mother and hold your son."

Hearing this, Lin Qinglian's expression softened slightly, but she was still uneasy: "Really? Can that pregnant woman be trusted?"

"Don't worry, that person is all alone and completely unaware of the situation. Your Majesty, just wait for good news."