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

The two had already consummated their marriage, but Liang Yunqian was merely completing a task and never kissed her lips.

Tonight was the first time, but he was too fierce; it wasn't a kiss at all, it was more like biting!

He was neither patient nor gentle with her. The kiss did not make Yingzhu feel his tenderness, but instead made her feel frightened.

Because he was too domineering and didn't care about her feelings at all, he just pulled her down onto the couch.

She fell suddenly, and Yingzhu spun around, but he still didn't let her go, as if he wanted to tear her apart and suck her marrow.

Yingzhu, her breath uneven, pushed against his shoulder in protest, but instead of stopping, she received a stern and cold warning.

"You want a child and a reward, don't you? Then you should obediently serve the master."

That one sentence instantly brought Yingzhu to her senses, reminding her of her goal.

She lowered her fists, stopped resisting, and chose to accept the situation.

Even though she didn't refuse, Liang Yunqian could sense her unusual behavior.

She used to be shy at times, but when she was immersed in the moment and felt affection, she would take the initiative to hug him. In order to have a child, she would cooperate very actively.

But tonight she was completely different; she no longer hugged him and forced herself not to make a sound.

For her, this did not seem to be enjoyment, but rather a kind of pain.

If she had remained like this, he wouldn't have minded. But he had seen her vibrant and lively self before, and compared that to the stagnant pool of water now, Liang Yunqian felt very unhappy.

"Shen Yingzhu, what are you upset about? Are you still angry about the wood carving? Do you care about the wood carving itself, or about the person who gave it to you?"

If he didn't bring it up, she would convince herself to slowly forget it. But his repeated questioning rekindled her suppressed grief and anger, and Yingzhu lost all her temper.

"The wood carving is mine! You shouldn't have destroyed my things without permission! Song Xingzhou was a soldier who sacrificed his life for his country. He was a man of noble character and integrity, worthy of our respect. Why did you have to burn his belongings? Don't you think you're being cruel?"

Shen Yingzhu actually accused him because of another man?

Her bloodshot eyes couldn't hide the hatred, and this resentment actually came from another man?

"You're my woman! You shouldn't be keeping things given to you by other men!"

Yingzhu had been flattering and trying to please him. She had explained the wood carving matter two or three times, but he seemed to ignore her clarifications and made malicious speculations time and time again, trying to find fault with her.

Exhausted and annoyed, Yingzhu lost patience to explain and simply reminded her in a cold voice.

"I can bear your children and be loyal to you, but you shouldn't interfere in other matters."

Every word she said seemed to be correct, but Liang Yunqian could see a trace of resentment in her grief-stricken eyes, and he even began to ponder the unspoken meaning behind her words.

"So? You mean, your body belongs to me, but your heart belongs to Song Xingzhou?"

Since explaining was useless, she simply changed the subject and threw the problem back at him.

"You care about my feelings? You want me to like you?"

Yingzhu looked back at him, her eyes devoid of any womanly shyness or expectation of his reply.

This question was devoid of emotion; it was merely her rebuttal. Liang Yunqian was stunned, instinctively averting his gaze, as if meeting her eyes would allow her to see through something.

"I can't possibly care about any woman! Have you lost all self-awareness so quickly?"

Hearing this answer, Yingzhu was not disappointed, but rather relieved, because this was exactly what she had been waiting for.

"Since you don't care, then just have sex and have kids, and leave it to me!"

This was indeed the kind of relationship that should exist between the two of them, but Liang Yunqian's possessiveness was intolerable.

"As long as you remain in Prince Rui's residence, you must be loyal to me in body and soul, and you are not allowed to have any disloyal thoughts!"

Yingzhu refused to hug him, so he forcibly pried open her palms, fixed her hands to the side of the pillow, and intertwined his fingers with hers, as if to lock her in firmly!

That night, Liang Yunqian was unusually domineering. She turned her face away, unwilling to kiss him, but he forcibly grabbed her chin, forcing her to turn around and cover her lips with his again.

Unable to push him away due to her shortness of breath, Yingzhu could only push him back. Liang Yunqian, in pain, bled from his lips, but he paid no attention. His dark eyes, now filled with sinister intent, were as cold as silver snakes, once again coiling around her and imprisoning her in his arms.

The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier, and the weather was freezing cold, but the room was warm and cozy, with the heat of a blazing fire.

Yingzhu suffered terribly that night, and only managed to rest in the latter half of the night.

She and Liang Yunqian were always using each other. She never felt wronged because she wanted revenge, but he was behaving very strangely tonight.

He was the one who burned her wood carving; she should be the one who was angry. Yet he acted as if he had suffered a great injustice, as if she had done something to wrong him.

Exhausted, Yingzhu was too lazy to bother trying to figure out his thoughts like she used to.

Lying on her side, she silently shed tears, but did not cry out loud; only her shoulders trembled slightly uncontrollably.

Liang Yunqian was still angry and didn't try to appease her.

Each of them was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and their dreams were in turmoil all night.

The next morning, Liang Yunqian was the first to wake up.

He had to attend court every day, and he would wake up on his own before dawn without anyone calling him.

When he sat up, he glanced at her subconsciously and found that Yingzhu still had her eyes closed, but there were several tear stains on the side of her pillow.

She cried? Why didn't he hear anything last night?

Even when she cried, she kept it to herself and hid it from him.

For whom were she shedding these tears? Was it because he doubted her, causing her to cry? Or was it because Song Xingzhou's wood carving was burned, and she was missing Song Xingzhou?

Was that man really that important to her? Even in death, he still occupies her heart?

Liang Yunqian grew angrier the more he thought about it, so he got up and left the tent, wanting to avoid seeing it.

Yingzhu was exhausted, but she still had to get up early because Princess Rui had only given her three days' grace. Now that her knees were healed, she had no reason to refuse anymore, and she still had to go to Deshan Hall today.

As soon as I finished dressing and opened the door, a crisp, refreshing scent of winter snow wafted in.

The ground was covered in a thick blanket of white, a silvery white that blanketed the world. Dewdrops trailed along the eaves, and snow was still being blown by the wind to the edge of the eaves.

The servants in the mansion were clearing the snow. Yingzhu, wrapped in a cloak, slowly walked toward Deshan Hall.

This time, it's not about reading aloud, but about memorizing it.

This step wasn't difficult for her; the real challenge was that she had to read it continuously for half an hour!

Last night, Liang Yunqian had bullied her so much that her voice was hoarse. This morning, she still had to keep reading scriptures. She was so thirsty that she wanted to drink some water to moisten her throat, but Granny Chen wouldn't allow it. She said that one cannot be distracted while reading scriptures and must concentrate in order to show sincerity to the Bodhisattva.

Xu Fanglin sat to the side copying scriptures, but she was not at peace, because she saw red marks on Shen Yingzhu's neck from the side.

Those traces are enough to make one's imagination run wild. Just how much did Liang Yunqian crave Shen Yingzhu last night that he was so unrestrained?

Xu Fanglin could ignore the red marks, since Shen Yingzhu was just a tool for having children in her eyes.

She kept telling herself that this pampering was just a passing fancy from Liang Yunqian and wouldn't last long. For the sake of her child, she would just have to endure it.

But what Xu Fanglin couldn't accept was that Liang Yunqian didn't care about her brother's situation!

She could turn a blind eye to Shen Yingzhu stealing her husband's affection, but Xu Fanglin would not tolerate Shen Yingzhu doing anything that harmed her family's interests!

Overwhelmed with indignation, Xu Fanglin gradually increased the force with which he wrote.

When she presented the scriptures, Princess Rui immediately noticed something amiss.

"Your handwriting is becoming increasingly frivolous. Fanglin, you need to calm down. Whether you are reading or copying scriptures, you are cultivating your mind. You are writing scriptures, but you are cultivating the way of life."

Her husband was not on her side, and her mother-in-law favored her own niece. She sent Shen Yingzhu to her husband's tent, hoping only for an heir, but Shen Yingzhu played tricks on her.

Everything was going wrong, and Xu Fanglin was so angry that she couldn't calm down at all.

Frustrated, she dared not complain and could only agree.

Today is the first day of the twelfth lunar month. The whole family will come to Princess Rui's place for a meal and gathering to show family harmony.

Prince Rui's principal wife, concubines, and mistresses, as well as the young masters, ladies, and mistresses of each household, all arrived one after another.

Zhao Tangwei also arrived. As soon as she arrived, she asked the maid, "Where's my cousin? Why hasn't he come yet?"

"The young master has just returned to the manor and should be in his room changing clothes. He will be here shortly."

Yingzhu shouldn't be here on such a occasion, so she took the initiative to resign from Xu Fanglin's place.

Xu Fanglin originally intended to make things difficult for her, but after remembering Cui Mama's warning, she changed her mind.

Liang Yunqian will be here soon, so she can't order Shen Yingzhu around in front of him, otherwise he'll defend her again.

Considering the consequences, Xu Fanglin gave a soft "Mmm," and said, "Then you should go back and rest!"

Zhao Tang, who had just sat down, glanced at Shen Yingzhu. "How tactless! The banquet is so busy, what are you going back to do? Slack off? Stay here serving dishes and be ready to be at my beck and call!"