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

Yingzhu pretended to be unaware and continued searching slowly, when suddenly Liang Yunqian's voice came from beside her.

Where did those red spots on your back come from?

Yingzhu paused for a moment, as if she remembered something, and immediately turned around and wrapped herself in the brocade quilt.

"No...it's nothing, it's probably just the rash from before?"

"Your rash has already subsided; this isn't a rash at all. What happened?"

"It doesn't hurt or itch, you don't need to worry about it."

Shen Yingzhu's gaze kept darting away, and her intuition told Liang Yunqian that she was hiding something from him.

"What were your orders? Absolute loyalty! And you're hiding something again?"

When pressed for answers, Yingzhu's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she said in a soft voice, "I can't tell you, or my brother will be in trouble."

"What happened to your brother? Who's threatening you?"

Yingzhu's tightly furrowed brows were filled with fear. She seemed to be hesitating when Liang Yunqian's knuckles suddenly pinched her chin. He turned his head slightly, his voice cold and impatient.

"I'm asking you one last time. You'd better answer truthfully, or... don't even think about setting foot in Tingsong Garden again!"

Is it that serious?

Yingzhu didn't care whether his words were true or false; the more bluffing he was, the better. The more serious he made it sound, the more logical it would be for her to tell the truth.

Frightened, she blinked her tearful eyes and nodded with difficulty. Only then did Liang Yunqian release her.

"Those are needle marks on my back from Granny Cui. The Crown Princess asked me to plead for her brother..."

Yingzhu briefly recounted what had happened during the day, and as she spoke, she couldn't help but tremble.

"The Crown Princess said that if I fail to do it, Songyan will not be able to pass the test. I am very afraid that it will delay my younger brother's studies, so I dare not say it."

So it was all because of Xu Zhao again!

Liang Yunqian became upset when the matter was brought up.

"Xu Zhao fought with the son of the Prince of Zhuang over a courtesan, and even got into a fight, injuring my cousin. He is the son of an official, and many eyes are watching him. He should have been careful with his words and actions, but instead, he got drunk and caused trouble, resulting in a major disaster!"

Now that King Zhuang is going to hold him accountable, my father and King Zhuang appear to be on good terms, but there are undercurrents of discord between them. If I plead for Xu Zhao, King Zhuang might impeach me.

I've already explained the pros and cons to Xu Fanglin, telling her to stop interfering. Xu Zhao will learn her lesson after a few months in jail. Once things calm down, I'll get her out. But she won't listen and is making things difficult for you again.

It couldn't be better if Liang Yunqian refused to help.

In her past life, Xu Zhao had bullied Song Yan quite a bit, and Yingzhu secretly didn't want Liang Yunqian to help him, but she had to give an explanation to Xu Fanglin.

"What should we do now? If the Crown Prince doesn't do anything, the Crown Princess will take her anger out on my brother."

"I'll have someone keep an eye on your brother and won't give Xu Fanglin a chance to do anything."

"That's good. Thank you for your trouble, Young Master."

Yingzhu, who breathed a sigh of relief, couldn't help but worry about tomorrow. "What if the Crown Princess asks about it tomorrow?"

"If she asks, just say you tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen, and I even gave you a good scolding... Exaggerate as much as you can, just improvise."

"Will this work?" Yingzhu felt it was unreliable. "I'm afraid the Crown Princess won't believe it."

"Whether she believes it or not is not important. In this Prince Rui's mansion, she wouldn't dare to do anything to you. She's just threatening you with your brother. I will protect Shen Songyan, so you don't need to be afraid."

Liang Yunqian remained calm and composed, as if he didn't take it seriously.

Yingzhu knew that although Liang Yunqian didn't have any feelings for her, he would definitely do what he promised in other matters.

Having achieved her goal of protecting her younger brother, she said no more.

After finding the medicated plaster, she put it in the quilt, quickly put it on, tied the straps, and then lay down.

She always kept her back to him, guarding against him as if he were a thief.

Looking at her fair and jade-like skin, Liang Yunqian opened his mouth to speak, but remembering that the two of them were still arguing, he ultimately said nothing.

After lying down, Yingzhu wrapped herself in the brocade quilt and fell asleep.

However, in the middle of the night, she suddenly cried out in alarm, "Don't prick me! No! It hurts so much..."

Hearing the commotion, Liang Yunqian looked up and saw that Shen Yingzhu was crying and shouting, but her eyes were closed and there were tears in the corners of her eyes.

Judging from this state, it must be a nightmare.

"Shen Yingzhu? Shen Yingzhu!" He shook her arm and called her name several times. Yingzhu slowly opened her eyes, raised her arm to cover her head, and gasped in fear.

"Don't stab me, let go of me!"

Her doe eyes were no longer as bright as before; they were now filled with bloodshot veins that snaked with fear, and her eyelashes were wet with tears.

Liang Yunqian wrapped his long arm around her and pulled her into his embrace, patting her shoulder to comfort her.

"No one is stabbing you, don't be afraid."

His warm embrace surrounded her like a mountain, giving her a sense of security. Yingzhu gradually calmed down, but she still couldn't stop trembling.

Recalling what she had told him before going to sleep, Liang Yunqian already guessed what she had dreamed about.

"Did you have a nightmare, dreaming about Granny Cui? She's not here. This is Master's room; no one will dare prick you with needles here anymore."

Nestled in his arms, Yingzhu's breathing was unsteady, and she murmured softly.

"She would secretly stab him behind the young master's back, and it hurt so much! The young master is already fierce, but she's even more terrifying than him; her strength is immense!"

In Shen Yingzhu's eyes, he was just like Granny Cui, instilling such fear in her.

Just how much of a shadow did he cast on her?

But she's right. When he's not in the mansion, Xu Fanglin might find other ways to harm her.

After a moment's thought, Liang Yunqian said gently, "Then let's change your accommodations and stop letting her boss you around."

Yingzhu was waiting for those words. She took the opportunity to be stabbed without resisting, further enraging Liang Yunqian so that he would tear off all her clothes. This was all to find an opportunity for him to see the scars on her back!

He might not feel sorry for her, but Xu Fanglin's method of forcing Liang Yunqian to plead for Xu Zhao would inevitably be met with Liang Yunqian's disgust.

Yingzhu pretended to be uneasy and had nightmares, so that Liang Yunqian would change her residence.

But she couldn't agree immediately; she had to pretend.

"But I am the Crown Princess's personal attendant. Wherever the Crown Princess lives, I should also live there and be at her beck and call."

"Now that you are my concubine, you no longer need to attend to her. Tomorrow you will move to Wenzhu Pavilion."

Yingzhu looked up in surprise. She slowly raised her hand and tentatively touched his brow bone, staring at him blankly, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Why is the young master suddenly being so gentle? Am I dreaming, and haven't woken up yet?"

Liang Yunqian held her hand, his fingertips gently squeezing her palm. "It's not a dream, and I'm not joking. I'll send someone to help you move your things tomorrow."

The two were very close at that moment. She was held in his arms, and his eyes were unusually gentle, so gentle that it was unlike him.

Yingzhu felt a sense of unreality. She pushed him away, turned around and lay flat on her back, even moving slightly away to try to keep her distance from him.

Liang Yunqian's embrace suddenly felt empty, and he suddenly wondered if he had fallen into her trap again.

"When you need something from someone, you're gentle and obedient. But once you've gotten what you want, you turn your back on them? Shen Yingzhu, what do you take me for?"