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

The title "little sister-in-law" did indeed displease Xu Fanglin, but she didn't bring it up in public because she could tell that Liang Yunqian was angry.

He doesn't even give his brother face, so she shouldn't bother with him at this time.

Unfortunately, Zhou Zisu, always eager for drama, deliberately compared her to Shen Yingzhu.

Everyone was gossiping, and Xu Fanglin was losing face. It was only after Granny Cui coughed that Xu Fanglin managed to suppress her anger and force a smile.

"Yingzhu is the fertile woman I chose for the Prince. The Prince values ​​Yingzhu so much, which is a sign of respect for me as his wife. Yingzhu and I are like sisters, and I won't hold these things against you. Sister Zhou, you don't need to worry about this!"

In Zhou Zisu's memory, Xu Fanglin was someone who couldn't tolerate any nonsense, so how come she was so calm now?

Even when Liang Yunqian embarrassed her in public, Shen Yingzhu wasn't angry.

Zhou Zisu didn't believe Xu Fanglin would really be so magnanimous; she thought he was just trying to save face and cover for himself.

Yingzhu didn't care about Liang Yunqian's praise, nor did she feel that Liang Yunqian's words made her feel proud.

Because she knew that he was only protecting his own face; he was competing with Consort Li and his brothers, not genuinely thinking of her.

Not wanting to become a target of their fighting, she curtsied and said:

"Your Highness, I have a headache and would like to go back to rest. Please grant me permission."

What had just happened had indeed embarrassed her, so Liang Yunqian didn't press the matter further.

With his permission, Yingzhu turned and left.

Xu Fanglin was hoping she would leave so she wouldn't be an eyesore. After the banquet, she still needed to discuss rescuing her brother with Liang Yunqian.

After Yingzhu left Deshan Hall, she felt that her ears were finally at peace.

It may seem lively inside, but it's actually full of deceit and treachery. You can get bullied for saying anything casually, so it's best to stay away.

Her four dishes and one soup weren't a lavish banquet, but at least she ate with peace of mind, undisturbed.

After lunch, she took a nap. But she had only been asleep for a short while when she was woken up by someone arguing at the door.

"Miss Shen is taking a nap. Don't disturb her. We can talk about it after she wakes up."

Qingfeng tried to stop her repeatedly, but Xia Guo bypassed her, went straight into the house, and called out loudly.

"The Crown Princess requests your presence; she has urgent matters to discuss with Miss Shen!"

What could be so important to Xu Fanglin? Her biggest worry right now is probably her younger brother, Xu Zhao.

After a moment's thought, Yingzhu realized that this trip was unavoidable.

So she sat up and tidied her appearance.

Qingfeng wanted to go too, but Xiaguo stopped her.

"The Crown Princess only invited Yingzhu, so you shouldn't go and join the fun. Just stay inside!"

The Crown Prince instructed her to serve Miss Shen, so she should go with him. The Crown Princess is stopping her from going. Is there someone she doesn't want to see?

Just as Qingfeng was about to go out to look for someone, Xia Guo immediately saw through her intentions and chuckled as she reminded her.

"You don't need to waste your time. The young master is not in the manor right now. The young master's wife only asked her to ask a few questions. There's no need for you to make malicious assumptions."

After saying this, Xia Guo turned and left. Yingzhu squeezed Qingfeng's hand, indicating that she shouldn't worry and that she could adapt to any situation.

She followed Xia Guo to the main house. As soon as she entered, she saw Xu Fanglin with a stern face, no longer gentle like she had been at Deshan Hall, only ruthless.

"Shen Yingzhu, I can turn a blind eye to your efforts to gain favor with the prince and produce offspring, but you shouldn't harm the interests of the Xu family!"

"This servant does not understand what the Crown Princess means by these words."

"Yesterday, the Crown Prince said he would deal with my brother's matter after he returned, but today he changed his mind and refused to get involved. What exactly did you say to the Crown Prince? Did you gossip about my brother?"

"Your Highness, you misunderstand. How could I speak ill of Young Master Xu? I have no idea what happened."

Yingzhu denied it without batting an eye.

Xu Fanglin guessed that she would refuse, "Is that so? Since it wasn't you who did it, then you should go and persuade the prince to agree to resolve my brother's troubles."

"How could a lowly servant like me possibly persuade the young master?"

Xu Fanglin sneered, "Who doesn't know that the young master dotes on you the most right now? Today, he even argued with Consort Li because of you! If you just act cute and say a few good words for my brother, he will naturally listen to you."

"The Crown Prince is a serious person and doesn't like to make fun of personal matters, which is why he got angry, not because of me. The Crown Princess thinks too highly of me; I don't have that ability."

Yingzhu explained earnestly, but Xu Fanglin wouldn't listen, thinking she was just making excuses.

"You dare disobey my orders? You'll regret it! Granny Cui, teach her some manners!"

Granny Cui took two steps forward, and her rough hands gently stroked Yingzhu's face.

"The Crown Princess is trying to reason with you, why won't you listen? You can't touch that pretty face of yours. If I slap you, the Crown Prince will be heartbroken."

Kneeling as punishment is not an option, otherwise you'll whine to the prince that you can't walk and want to be carried in a carriage. Since you love to tattle, I'll find a different way to teach you manners.

As she spoke, Granny Cui suddenly ripped open her jacket, tore open her inner garment, and stabbed her hard in the back!

A sharp needle suddenly pierced Yingzhu's back, and Yingzhu cried out in pain, secretly cursing Cui Mama for being ruthless.

Granny Cui rarely lays her hands on people, and when she does, she doesn't hit them in the face; instead, she pricks them with needles!

And the needles weren't pierced in easily visible places like the arms, but in the back!

The needle prick is extremely painful, but the puncture site is so small that even if it is seen, it is almost indistinguishable from a mosquito bite.

Granny Cui was certain that Liang Yunqian was unlikely to see it, and even if he did, he wouldn't suspect anything. That's why she stabbed her so hard, again and again, that Yingzhu was in so much pain that she couldn't straighten up and was covered in cold sweat.

Witnessing Shen Yingzhu's helpless and desperate appearance when she was being pricked with needles, Xu Fanglin, who had been holding back her frustration for a long time, felt extremely relieved.

A cold smile curled her red lips.

"You think you can take advantage of my good temper, right? You won't listen to reason, you insist on forcing me to take real action! I'll ask you one last time, are you willing to plead for my brother?"

Sweat dripped down her forehead, and Yingzhu spoke with difficulty.

"This servant...will try her best, but I cannot guarantee whether she can change the young master's mind."

Xu Fanglin shook her finger, making a point of correction.

"It's not about trying your best, it's about making it happen! Your younger brother Songyan is going to take the test, isn't he? If he fails the test, he won't be able to stay at the Imperial Academy."

I know someone there. As long as you take care of my brother's matter, Songyan will naturally pass the test smoothly. If you try to play tricks on me, Songyan will probably be going home soon!

Xu Fanglin actually threatened her with her brother again?

Yingzhu felt resentful, but she didn't show it. She just nodded in agreement, feigning fear.

"This servant promises to persuade the young master to rescue Young Master Xu, but I beg you not to harm Songyan!"

With her consent, Xu Fanglin smiled with satisfaction and gestured for Granny Cui to release her.

"If you had been this sensible earlier, this whole thing wouldn't have happened. Why bother? Next time, remember, whatever the Crown Princess commands, obey unconditionally and don't argue!"

Granny Cui glanced at her and warned her, and Yingzhu nodded in agreement, but she had already made her own plans.

She certainly knew the principle of not suffering a loss in front of her, but if she had agreed from the beginning, Granny Cui would not have attacked her. Then what evidence would she have to claim the benefits she deserved?

Since Xu Fanglin was forcing her to plead for mercy, she would do as he wished and make a scene over this matter!

That evening, Yingzhu went to Tingsongyuan as usual.

The wood carving incident caused a rift between the two, and under these circumstances, Yingzhu could not speak directly; she had to wait for the right opportunity.

Tonight, he was still as strong and domineering as ever. Liang Yunqian didn't say much, but just kept pressing her down and devouring her.

Yingzhu neither refused nor cooperated much; the two seemed to be sulking, betting on who would speak first.

She also deliberately pretended to be unwilling, because she knew that such an action would damage Liang Yunqian's dignity and cause him to lose his temper.

As it turned out, her calculations were accurate. Liang Yunqian was usually quite restrained, but tonight, because she kept dodging and refusing to kiss him, he stripped her clothes off without saying a word.

While Liang Yunqian wasn't paying attention, she threw her own mask outside the tent.

Only after it was over did she sit up and rummage through the tent for her clothes, murmuring softly, "Where's my ointment?"

At this moment, she was completely naked, only using a brocade quilt to cover her front. Her slightly curled black hair naturally fell to her shoulders, sliding down to the side as she rummaged through the quilt.

At the same time, Liang Yunqian could clearly see the smooth and delicate shoulder blades, but there were a few faint red spots scattered on that fair back...