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

This situation was so sudden that Xu Fanglin didn't understand what had happened for a moment.

However, she had no choice but to obey the prince's order, and so she went to Tingsong Garden with Shen Yingzhu.

Seeing Shen Yingzhu's composed demeanor, Xu Fanglin asked in a low voice,

"Do you know what the Crown Prince wants?"

"I don't know, but I have a clear conscience."

Yingzhu answered frankly, but Xu Fanglin felt she was being mocked. However, since Lian Chuan was traveling with her, Xu Fanglin couldn't retort and could only proceed with trepidation.

As soon as the two entered Tingsong Garden, they saw Huaishan kneeling inside, while Liang Yunqian sat on the seat of honor, gently stirring his teacup.

Yingzhu's guess was confirmed, and she stood by and watched the show.

The moment Xu Fanglin caught sight of the yam, her heart tightened, but she pretended to be nonchalant as she approached and bowed.

"Your Highness summoned me here; is there something important to discuss?"

Setting down his teacup, Liang Yunqian scrutinized her with his gaze. "Your servant, what brings you to see Gao Hengzhi?"

His tone was relaxed, as if he were talking about something trivial, but Xu Fanglin was already sweating profusely, simply because the Crown Prince had mentioned Gao Hengzhi!

"He... is my cousin. I asked Huaishan to go to him to do something."

Do you think you can just brush this off with a simple "cousin"? Do you really think he knows nothing?

"He's not only your cousin, but he's also the one who wants to marry you!"

Xu Fanglin's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly explained, "That was wishful thinking on his part. I am engaged to the Crown Prince and have never intended to marry him!"

Yingzhu found her explanation ridiculous. Even if Xu Fanglin didn't admit it, Liang Yunqian wouldn't easily believe her.

"Since you know he has feelings for you, you should avoid suspicion. Why did you still have someone deliver things to him? Could it be that the two of you... are still having an affair?"

"I am already married to the Crown Prince and have a family. How could I possibly have an affair with another man?"

Xu Fanglin hastily denied it, Liang Yunqian slightly raised his long finger, and Lian Chuan immediately presented the evidence.

Xu Fanglin turned her head and gasped, for it was the jade Guanyin that she had asked Huaishan to give as a gift.

Liang Yunqian coldly questioned, "Huaishan, to whom did the Crown Princess instruct you to give this jade Guanyin?"

At this moment, Huai Shan knelt on the ground with his head down. He didn't dare to look at the Crown Princess, but he had been caught red-handed and dared not lie. He had no choice but to confess honestly.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort instructed me to deliver the Jade Guanyin to Lord Gao."

Liang Yunqian glanced at Xu Fanglin, his voice suddenly turning cold.

"They exchanged gifts privately, and you still say there wasn't a secret affair?"

"No, no," Xu Fanglin stammered nervously, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. I have absolutely no affair with him. Since our marriage, I have never seen him alone."

Yingzhu quickly reminded him, "Princess Consort, you should explain to the Prince why you gave Lord Gao the gift. If you explain clearly, the Prince will not misunderstand you."

A bead of sweat dripped from Xu Fanglin's forehead. She glared at Shen Yingzhu with hatred, but dared not get angry. She stammered for a long time without being able to speak.

Yingzhu naturally understood why she was in a difficult position. Gao Hengzhi was at the Imperial Academy, and her purpose in sending the gift was to get Gao Hengzhi to tamper with the test and prevent Songyan from passing.

Xu Fanglin dared not say what her true purpose was, but if she did not give a reasonable explanation, Liang Yunqian would assume that she and Gao Hengzhi had something to hide!

Xu Fanglin was caught in a dilemma, while Yingzhu watched coldly, wondering what plausible lie she could come up with.

After a long pause, Xu Fanglin finally spoke.

"Yingzhu's younger brother is studying at the Imperial Academy. I asked Lord Gao to take good care of him, which is why I sent the gift."

"What does Shen Yingzhu's brother have to do with you? Why should you worry about him?"

"Yingzhu is my personal maid, and I've always taken good care of her family. It's rare that Songyan loves reading; if he achieves something in his studies, I'll be happy for the Shen family, and it will also bring me honor as their master, won't it?"

"Shen Yingzhu, did you ask the Crown Princess to help your brother?"

Liang Yunqian didn't waste words with Xu Fanglin and went straight to Yingzhu, who refused to take the blame!

"Your Highness has been so kind as to send my younger brother to study at the Imperial Academy, which is already an immense favor! I believe my brother can pass the test on his own merits, and I would never dare to ask anyone to pull strings, lest I cause trouble for the Prince Rui's mansion."

Xu Fanglin subtly rebuked Shen Yingzhu for being so insensible, actually exposing her in public.

Liang Yunqian turned his gaze to her sideways, "Shen Yingzhu had no such intention, so it was you who acted on your own?"

"I wanted to surprise her; I'll tell her after it's all done."

Xu Fanglin believed that her explanation was reasonable, but Liang Yunqian did not give up.

"I gave you a chance to confess, but you didn't tell the truth. Men! Bring in witnesses!"

How come there are witnesses? Besides Huai Shan, who else could it be?

Xu Fanglin turned around nervously and saw a guard bringing in a servant.

The moment Xu Fanglin saw who it was, her phoenix eyes widened, for it was Shu Hai, the servant boy beside Gao Hengzhi!

The Crown Prince actually captured him too?

Shuhai was forced to kneel on the ground and kowtow to the Crown Prince.

Liang Yunqian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and questioned him in a stern voice.

"Why did Huai Shan send a gift to your master?"

Yingzhu was relieved that Liang Yunqian did not let the matter drop because of Xu Fanglin's sophistry, but instead investigated it thoroughly, leaving Xu Fanglin with nowhere to hide his evil intentions.

Shuhai glanced timidly at Xu Fanglin, seemingly hesitant.

Liang Yunqian warned in a stern voice, "Confess honestly, or Gao Hengzhi will be charged with bribery!"

This crime is too serious; how could his master bear it?

Under threat, Shu Hai weighed the pros and cons, gritted his teeth and said, "The Crown Princess sent the gift to ask my master to target Shen Songyan, a scholar at the Imperial Academy, and prevent him from passing this test."

"This servant only glanced at the jade Guanyin and did not agree to accept it. This matter has nothing to do with my master, so please, Your Highness, do not impeach my master!"

"I didn't! I said to take care of him, not to target him. Shuhai must have misheard! Your Highness, I have no grudge against Songyan, why would I scheme against him?"

Yingzhu glared at Xu Fanglin, her anger and resentment palpable.

"Songyan studied diligently, yet he was secretly plotted against! He was completely innocent! If the Crown Princess dislikes me, she can punish me instead of targeting Songyan."

Just because the Crown Prince called for water a few more times during the night? When you spoke to the Princess, she promised to persuade the Crown Prince, but you insisted that I seduced him and wanted to take revenge on me and my family!

As she spoke, Yingzhu burst into tears, crying bitterly.

She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, glancing at Liang Yunqian through it. Sure enough, his face was cold and stern.

"You heard everything clearly in Tingsong Garden, and you still complained to the Princess?"

The conflict over water only occurred today; Xu Fanglin arranged for Huaishan to go find Gao Hengzhi before this incident.

She resented Shen Yingzhu for not pleading for her brother, which is why she turned her attention to Shen Yansong.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yingzhu confused the two matters, leaving Xu Fanglin speechless and unable to defend herself, as no matter how she answered, it seemed wrong.

She could neither mention what happened two days ago, nor deny what happened at Deshan Hall today.

Caught in a dilemma, Xu Fanglin evaded the question, saying, "It was Granny Chen who said it. I was just afraid that Yingzhu would be blamed by the Princess, so I kindly advised her against it. I didn't complain about the Prince!"

Now that things had come to this point, the whole story was crystal clear. Liang Yunqian didn't press further, only warning Shuhai.

"Go back and tell Gao Hengzhi to keep his hands clean! If Shen Songyan fails the test, I'll hold him responsible!"

Shu Hai timidly agreed, then hastily rose to take his leave.

After the outsiders left, Liang Yunqian turned his gaze to Xu Fanglin.

"His Majesty is most averse to collusion between imperial relatives and officials. As the heir apparent of Prince Rui's mansion, you bribed officials for your own personal grudges, which is clearly harming Prince Rui's mansion!"

"By my decree, the Crown Princess has committed a moral failing; she is to be fined one year's salary, have her allowance halved, and copy the family rules twenty times. No one is allowed to do this for her! This month's birthday banquet is cancelled!"

Over the past year, countless favors and gifts have been exchanged inside and outside the Prince's Mansion, and Xu Fanglin has sent out so many gifts, all waiting to be returned at the birthday banquet.

The prince forbade her to hold a banquet, so wouldn't she have wasted so much money?

With her salary and monthly allowance reduced, how can she, as the Crown Prince's wife, maintain any dignity?

And the culprit behind all of this is Shen Yingzhu!

"Your Highness, Shen Yingzhu is doing this on purpose. She's trying to mislead me, to set a trap for me, and to drive a wedge between us! She seems innocent, but she's actually a vicious snake. You mustn't fall for her tricks!"

At this moment, Yingzhu didn't need any explanation, because she knew that Xu Fanglin's words were not important; what mattered was Liang Yunqian's attitude.