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

As soon as the carriage arrived at its destination, Yingzhu couldn't wait to get off, while Liang Yunqian was used to glancing in the mirror and straightening his clothes before getting off the carriage.

He was only delayed for a moment, but then he heard a commotion outside.

Seeing Shen Yingzhu being talked about, he could no longer stand idly by.

The guard lifted the curtain, and everyone peered out, eager to see just how old the old man was.

The man in black boots stepped out first, and the person inside the carriage bowed slightly. When he stood at attention, his figure was as tall as a pine tree. The cloud patterns on his official robes were woven with gold and silver threads, which shone brightly in the sunlight, dazzling everyone's eyes.

"Who said it was an old man? He's only in his early twenties!"

Someone muttered something and turned to look at Miss Qin, whose eyes widened in shock.

"What's going on? It wasn't him who came to pick up Yingzhu last time! And that carriage wasn't this luxurious either."

"Such a handsome young man, dressed in official robes, what rank is he?"

A neighbor who was well-read recognized it immediately: "The pheasant's insignia...it's...it's a second-rank official!"

The onlookers were buzzing with discussion, and even Shen's mother, seeing it for the first time, dared not recognize it.

"Yingzhu, didn't you come back alone? And who is this...?"

Unsure whether Liang Yunqian was willing to reveal his identity, Yingzhu said ambiguously, "This is the third young master of the manor. Young master, this is my mother."

After standing still, Liang Yunqian nodded in greeting, "Greetings, Aunt Shen. My name is Yunqian. It's our first meeting, so I've prepared a small gift for you. I hope you'll accept it."

His noble demeanor drew everyone's attention to him, who scrutinized him closely.

Seeing so many servants standing behind her carrying gifts, Madam Shen was stunned. She suddenly realized that she had bought too few vegetables.

"Young master, you're too kind! It's an honor to have you grace our humble abode with your presence. Please come inside!"

Mother Shen beckoned her daughter and Liang Yunqian into the house, while everyone turned to scold Miss Qin.

"Didn't you say Yingzhu was serving an old man? She's clearly a young master from a wealthy family, young and handsome!"

Miss Qin rolled her eyes, dismissive. "Just a little maid, a servant girl. What's so special about her?"

"Whose master personally escorted the little maid home? And with so many gifts! Those silk ornaments must be very valuable!"

Unwilling to be questioned by everyone, Miss Qin stopped the road again to ask further questions.

"Shen Yingzhu, are you going to be someone's maid or a concubine?"

Yingzhu was finally home today and just wanted to spend more time with her mother, but someone was causing trouble and getting in her way!

Yingzhu slowly turned her head. "Who am I? What's my relationship with you? Do I need to explain myself to you?"

"Of course it's related. You've been away from home for a long time, and everyone's been talking about it, wondering what you've been up to. If you don't explain yourself clearly, your mother will also be gossiped about."

Shen's mother was indeed sad, but she didn't want her daughter to suffer any injustice.

"My daughter is an upright person. Qin Lancui, you should watch your mouth and stop being sarcastic!"

Liang Yunqian stood to the side with his hands behind his back, not saying a word, wanting to see how Shen Yingzhu would introduce their relationship to outsiders.

Yingzhu couldn't deny this identity, but she was unwilling to talk too much with unrelated people.

"I am the Third Master's maid, serving him as he reads and writes."

Qin Lancui crossed her arms and chuckled, "I knew it! She's just a lowly maid, stop praising her!"

Becoming a concubine in a wealthy family isn't something anyone can do; one needs a good family background, talent, and beauty! Shen Yingzhu, a poor peasant girl, doesn't even qualify to be a concubine!

Liang Yunqian lowered his brow slightly. "And who are you to presume to speak ill of my woman?"

He glared at her, and Lian Chuan, understanding the implication, immediately stepped forward and slapped Qin Lancui across the face!

Caught off guard, Qin Lancui clutched her cheek, pointing angrily at him in pain, and cried out, "Just because you're an official doesn't mean you're so great! Everyone come and see! This official is abusing his power and beating up ordinary people!"

"Exactly! Officials can't just beat people up! Especially a young girl! This is the capital city; officials have to abide by the law!"

People started criticizing, and the surrounding area was in chaos.

Yingzhu came over and pulled him, signaling him not to waste his breath on those people.

Liang Yunqian, however, remained as steady as a mountain and did not leave.

The woman had been shouting, and Liang Yunqian had refrained from getting angry because he didn't want to disturb Shen Yingzhu's enjoyment of reuniting with her family. But the woman kept causing trouble, so Liang Yunqian could no longer restrain himself.

He, tall and imposing, lowered his eyelids and glanced at her.

"Now that Shen Yingzhu has entered Prince Rui's residence, she is a member of the Prince's household. You openly gossiped about and slandered my woman, spreading rumors that she was bought by a merchant to serve the old man. For this alone, I can charge you with the crime of contempt for the royal family!"

"The Prince Rui's Mansion? He's actually the heir of the Prince Rui's Mansion? No wonder he was riding in a red-roofed carriage!"

The scholar suddenly realized what was going on and muttered to himself. Everyone thought he was just an official, but little did they know that he was actually a member of the royal family and the heir of a prince's mansion!

Upon hearing this, Qin Lancui stopped crying immediately. "The Prince Rui's residence? The heir?"

If you offend an official, you can file a complaint; but if you offend a member of the imperial family, there's nowhere to seek justice!

"Shen Yingzhu, how did you get into Prince Rui's residence?"

Qin Lancui was completely puzzled, but before she could ask any more questions, Liang Yunqian raised his long finger halfway, and the guard immediately covered her mouth and dragged her away.

The neighbors were startled by what they saw and, fearing they might be implicated, quickly moved away and stopped watching.

Yingzhu felt exhausted, but in order not to worry her mother, she smiled and helped her mother into the house.

Liang Yunqian observed secretly and indeed saw that when Shen's mother walked, her right leg wobbled slightly.

It seems Shen Yingzhu wasn't lying; her mother does indeed have difficulty walking.

"Auntie, what happened to your leg?"

Mrs. Shen paused for a moment, then smiled and replied, "It's an old ailment. It flared up and hurt for a few days when it rained the other day. It'll get better once the weather clears up, it's nothing serious."

"Yingzhu was worried that it would be inconvenient for you to be home alone, so she specially brought a maid over to take care of you. Cherry, come here."

Liang Yunqian called out, and Yingtao stepped forward to greet Madam Shen, saying, "This servant greets Madam."

"Oh dear, I don't deserve that title. Just call me Aunt Shen."

This arrangement surprised Madam Shen. "Yingzhu, I can take good care of her myself. I don't need a maid. This girl is so beautiful! Don't let her suffer here. You should take her back to the manor!"

Finally, Madam Shen lowered her voice and said, "Hiring a maid costs a lot of money! Don't waste it!"

Yingzhu smiled and advised, "This is a maid that the young master hired for you. He paid for it, so you don't need to worry. Just let Yingtao accompany you."

"It is my honor to serve you, Madam. I felt an instant connection with you. My mother passed away early, and I long for someone to care for me! Please, Madam, let me stay!"

Cherry's words were sweet, and a few words softened Shen's mother's heart and dispelled her concerns. In the end, Shen's mother did not refuse again.

Yingzhu secretly praised Liang Yunqian for his good judgment in choosing people. Yingying was steady, articulate, and considerate. Yingzhu felt at ease leaving her with her mother.

When Madam Shen invited the guests into the house, she intended to pour tea, but upon seeing the tea canister, she felt embarrassed. She then beckoned and whispered to Yingzhu to go to the street corner to buy some good tea.

Seeing Shen's mother's embarrassment, Liang Yunqian spoke first.

"No need to buy any. I brought two cans of tea as a gift. Just open one."

Yingzhu only prepared the things she wanted to bring for her mother; the other gifts were prepared by Liang Yunqian, who had not told her beforehand.

"Your Highness is so thoughtful, you even prepared tea? Did you anticipate that our tea wouldn't suit your taste?"

"Don't you have a younger brother? It's only right that you prepare tea."

Speaking of her younger brother, Yingzhu couldn't help but sigh, "If Songyan were home too! He's been away at the Imperial College for so long, he must be homesick, right? I haven't seen him in a long time either."

"He should be busy preparing for the Imperial Academy's entrance exam. Once he finishes the exam and is officially admitted, he can finally relax and come back to visit his family."

"Your Highness is right. Studying and taking exams are still the most important things. We must not be distracted at this time."

After muttering a few words, Madam Shen was about to go to the kitchen to cook when Cherry spoke up first:

"I can cook too. Madam, please rest and chat with the young master and Miss Shen. I'll go prepare the dishes."

Cherry, with her delicate skin and tender flesh, actually knows how to cook, which surprised Shen's mother.

"Good girl, that's kind of you, but Yingzhu rarely comes back, and she loves my cooking the most, so I'll do it!"

"Then this servant will assist you."

"Mother, I want to help too." Yingzhu wanted to spend more time with her mother, so Shen's mother took her daughter's hand and whispered a reminder.

"Please don't come to the kitchen, stay with the young master! We can't let him sit alone."

Leaving Liang Yunqian there alone doesn't seem like a good idea.

Left with no other choice, Yingzhu had to stay in the main room to keep him company.

The tea had been poured, but he didn't drink it. Instead, he stood up and said, "Where is your room? I'll go take a look."

What's so interesting about her house? Is he trying to observe something again?

Since he had this idea, Yingzhu couldn't refuse and could only take him there.

Upon entering, Liang Yunqian looked around and saw that her room was simple yet tidy, with few pieces of furniture and belongings, but everything was in its proper place and in an orderly manner.

Her sheets and blankets weren't the trendy patterns, but they were very neat, showing that she took great care of them when washing and maintaining them.

The bottles and jars on the table were arranged in an orderly manner, and Liang Yunqian had already looked around after only a few steps.

"Young Master, this house is very simple and there's nothing to admire. Let's go out for tea instead!"

When Yingzhu said this, she stood in front of a small table, blocking his view.

His intuition told him that she was deliberately hiding something.

Liang Yunqian walked past her and noticed a locked box on the table.

"Open."

"I...I don't remember where the key is."

Her eyes flickered for a moment, and Liang Yunqian became even more certain of his guess.

"Do you need me to get someone to help you search?"

Making a scene would be unseemly and would frighten my mother.

Helpless, Yingzhu could only pretend to search through two or three drawers before finally finding the key and cautiously opening the box.