Who said the heir would die out? The concubine is pregnant again!

Liang Yunqian paused slightly as he picked up his chopsticks, remaining silent for a long while. Xu Fanglin's heart pounded like a drum.

She pondered to herself, what she said made sense, and she probably didn't say anything wrong, right?

As she was pondering, Liang Yunqian slowly spoke, his voice cool:

"I am not as weak as you think. If you have concerns, then sit alone by yourself."

"..." Her husband actually kicked her out for a concubine?

If anyone should be avoiding suspicion, it should be Shen Yingzhu. Why should she, as the Crown Prince's wife, give way to a sick concubine?

Liang Yunqian's attitude was unexpected by Yingzhu.

In her past life, he was always indifferent to her. In this life, his views on her have changed slightly, but he seems to be more assertive than she imagined.

Even if Xu Fanglin is his wife, he will still show no mercy if she goes against his wishes!

Logically, Yingzhu should have feigned refusal, but Liang Yunqian wouldn't easily change his mind once he made a decision.

Moreover, he was offending Xu Fanglin's dignity. Yingzhu should have a good look at Xu Fanglin's red and white face, angry and anxious, but he dared not get angry because of Liang Yunqian's authority!

Xu Fanglin was furious, but she knew she couldn't leave. If she left today, who knew what would happen in the mansion, and where would she put her face in the future?

However, the prince remained stern and refused to say anything to coax her. Helpless, Xu Fanglin could only force a smile and try to save face.

"I was just worried about the young master. Since the young master doesn't mind, then I naturally won't mind either. Yingzhu, please sit down! Don't be shy."

Yingzhu sat down with a curtsy. She used serving chopsticks to pick up the food, and she only picked up the food in front of her, leaving the other dishes untouched.

Seeing this, Liang Yunqian knew she was too reserved, so he personally picked up a piece of chicken and some tofu for her.

Xu Fanglin was already full of anger before she had even eaten a few bites!

Normally, servants serve food during meals, and the prince never puts food on her plate. So why did the prince personally put food on Shen Yingzhu's plate when she arrived?

What kind of bewitching magic does Shen Yingzhu possess that has captivated the prince to such an extent?

Disapproving of the overly harmonious relationship between the two, Xu Fanglin's phoenix eyes flickered slightly, and she scoffed indignantly.

"I am so disappointed by Qiuhe's actions! Now that she has been expelled from the palace, Yingzhu has no one to serve her. I am worried about her and will have to choose another maid to serve you in your room."

Thanks to Dongzhi's testimony, you were able to clear your name. Since you sisters are destined to be together, why not let Dongzhi serve you?

Xu Fanglin smiled gently, appearing kind and understanding, but Yingzhu could clearly tell that her smile concealed a knife!

She deliberately brought up Dongzhi in front of Liang Yunqian, clearly wanting to make Liang Yunqian suspect the relationship between Yingzhu and Dongzhi.

If Yingzhu had readily agreed, Liang Yunqian would have suspected that the two of them had conspired beforehand.

"Thank you for your kindness, Princess Consort, but I cannot let Sister Dongzhi go."

Xu Fanglin clicked her tongue in surprise, "Dongzhi has been kind to you, and you're not grateful to her at all? You don't plan to repay her kindness?"

In fact, Yingzhu had also considered that if Dongzhi testified for her, Xu Fanglin would definitely suspect Dongzhi. She should bring Dongzhi to her side to ensure Dongzhi's safety.

Dongzhi, however, thought this was inappropriate. "I was just telling the truth and didn't point fingers at anyone. Even if the Crown Princess suspects something, she has no evidence."

If she tests you, you absolutely mustn't take me with you, otherwise it will confirm her suspicions. If I stay by her side, I can act as an informant. Don't worry, I can protect myself.

The two had discussed this matter beforehand, so when Xu Fanglin asked about it today, Yingzhu's attitude was unusually clear, without the slightest hesitation.

"This servant is naturally grateful, but Sister Dongzhi is the Crown Princess's head maid, and she is skilled in embroidery. She is a rare talent, and her hands must be well protected. Wouldn't it be a waste of her talent to have her serve in this servant's room?"

Yingzhu answered cautiously and reasonably, and Xu Fanglin could not find any fault with her, so he did not probe further.

"Then let's choose another one! Let Xia Guo serve you."

Xia Guo is also Xu Fanglin's confidante, and she is more cunning than Qiu He. If Yingzhu were to deal with her, she would have to put in a lot of effort, which is not a good choice.

Yingzhu didn't respond, but she didn't want to ask Liang Yunqian for help in front of Xu Fanglin, so she could only pray that Liang Yunqian would take the initiative to speak.

Holding a spoon, Liang Yunqian slowly stirred the lean meat porridge in the bowl.

"The prince has already arranged for Qingfeng to come and serve Yingzhu, so there is no need for the princess to trouble herself."

Upon hearing this, Yingzhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Last night, before Liang Yunqian left, Yingzhu specifically told him that he didn't need any maids to serve him. This was a reminder that he should make arrangements for maids as soon as possible, otherwise Xu Fanglin would definitely interfere!

Fortunately, he took it to heart, which is why he was able to make a quick decision today.

Xu Fanglin's upturned lips gradually turned downwards, but she couldn't get angry; she could only discuss it.

"Your Highness is busy with important matters, yet you still remember to make arrangements for Yingzhu. You are truly thoughtful. However, it would be good to have another maidservant. Let Xia Guo go as well!"

In her previous life, after Yingzhu became pregnant, Qingfeng served her. Knowing Qingfeng's character, she was naturally willing to let her come over.

But Xia Guo is loyal to Xu Fanglin, and Yingzhu is determined not to let her come!

"It was already an exception for the young master and his wife to arrange maids for their servants. One is enough, and they would never dare to ask for two."

After all, the other young masters in the manor also had concubines and maids, and there were fixed rules governing the maids who served them. We servants dared not overstep these rules, lest we be gossiped about.

Yingzhu brought up the rules, and Liang Yunqian glanced at her, saying coldly:

"Shen Yingzhu is not a concubine, so she doesn't have the pomp and circumstance of having two maids serving her. One Qingfeng is enough."

Yingzhu was not upset by his ridicule; on the contrary, she was glad that he stepped in to stop Xu Fanglin from sending anyone else into her room.

Xu Fanglin, however, found the scene very strange.

Liang Yunqian sometimes defends Shen Yingzhu, even at the cost of offending her, but this time his behavior seems to show that he doesn't care about Shen Yingzhu at all.

Is he pretending? Or does he actually not like Shen Yingzhu and only care about the child?

Xu Fanglin was puzzled and had no appetite.

Yingzhu didn't feel comfortable sitting there either, but she didn't mind suffering for a while in order to annoy Xu Fanglin.

After breakfast, Yingzhu excused herself, saying she needed to go back to take her medicine, and then took her leave.

She had barely left when Liang Yunqian also made an excuse to leave, not lingering for even a moment longer.

Witnessing his cold departure, Xu Fanglin felt a chill in her heart.

She often looked forward to seeing him. In the past, he would only come to have a meal with her every five or six days, but recently he has been coming to Lanzhao Garden more often.

Xu Fanglin was pleasantly surprised, thinking that the relationship between the couple had finally eased. However, after observing, she realized that every time he came here, it was for Shen Yingzhu!

A raging fire of jealousy burned within her!

"Granny Cui, what's so good about Shen Yingzhu? Why does the young master protect her so much? Is it just because she's beautiful? But there are plenty of beautiful women out there. The young master isn't naive; why is he so special to her?"

Other maids dared not speak out, but Granny Cui, being the wet nurse of the Crown Prince's wife, dared to speak frankly.

"In my opinion, it's not that Shen Yingzhu is so good, but rather that you are too kind to the servants, which makes the young master dissatisfied. That's why he deliberately contradicts you and defends Shen Yingzhu."

"Princess Rui is a strict woman, and the Crown Prince dislikes her, so I should act kindly, right?"

"Princess Rui is not the Crown Prince's biological mother, yet she strictly controls him, which is why the Crown Prince dislikes her. However, the Crown Prince himself is fair in rewarding and punishing. In his eyes, your pleading for the maid is not kindness, but rather protection."

This was a conclusion Xu Fanglin had drawn after observing for a long time. She was determined to portray herself as a kind person, but Cui Mama's words overturned her understanding.

The prince had always been indifferent to her and hadn't spent much time with her, so Xu Fanglin hadn't noticed anything unusual.

Recently, the Crown Prince has been constantly refuting her decisions, and with Granny Cui saying the same thing, Xu Fanglin suddenly began to reflect: Could it be that the direction she has been striving for has been wrong?

"You mean I should be upright and impartial, and handle this matter fairly?"

Granny Cui nodded. "As long as you are of one mind with the young master and follow his wishes, I believe he will change his opinion of you."

"Wouldn't that just benefit Shen Yingzhu? Now she's become arrogant and spoiled, how can I save face?"

At first, Xu Fanglin didn't take Shen Yingzhu seriously, thinking that as long as Shen Yingzhu could get pregnant, that would be enough.

But now, the Crown Prince has repeatedly humiliated her for Shen Yingzhu's sake, and she can't swallow this insult!

Granny Cui smiled indifferently, "Men are like that! It's normal for them to feel a bit of novelty towards new people around them. At this time, you must not go against his wishes. As for Shen Yingzhu, you don't need to do anything for her."

"Isn't Zhou Zisu coming back soon? That woman is incredibly arrogant! She'll definitely dislike Shen Yingzhu and take action against her. You just need to watch the show."

Xu Fanglin also felt a deep hatred for Zhou Zisu.

Zhou Zisu is the first person to become a concubine without ever having been the emperor's concubine!

However, due to her special relationship with the prince, Xu Fanglin could not touch her, but Granny Cui did give her a wake-up call.

"Experience truly matters; I lacked patience. So, as you say, let's wait a few more days and see what happens!"

Xu Fanglin's restless heart calmed down temporarily, and she waited for the show to begin.

After Liang Yunqian spoke, Qingfeng moved over that afternoon to take care of Yingzhu, bringing with her many tonics, saying they were a gift from the Crown Prince.

Qingfeng is efficient and decisive, which is exactly the kind of personality Yingzhu likes.

Princess Rui would send people to visit her every day, ostensibly to inquire about her condition, but in reality to urge her to go and serve the emperor.

After resting for three or four days, Yingzhu's condition improved, and she went to Tingsongyuan that evening.

At 7:45 PM, two candles were lit inside the room, but Liang Yunqian was nowhere to be seen.

The servant said that the young master had gone out of the manor, and Yingzhu was bored waiting here, so she had to find something to do by herself.

A strong north wind was blowing outside. Liang Yunqian returned home covered in frost and snow. When he entered the house, he saw a petite figure squatting by the table with her back to the door.

Liang Yunqian was already suspicious of Shen Yingzhu's background. Seeing her squatting in front of the table and behaving strangely, his suspicions intensified. He remained silent and slowly walked towards her.

He wanted to see what tricks she was up to this time!