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

This feeling was indescribable, and Yingzhu was too embarrassed to explain it to him in detail. She simply raised her slender fingers and gently stroked his lips.

"I won't tell you! You'll understand better when you experience it for yourself."

She mimicked his mischievousness, then deliberately asked, "How do you feel? Are you uncomfortable?"

"You're the one who started this fire, I'm not going to just sit there and suffer..."

Before Liang Yunqian could finish speaking, he suddenly covered her gloating lips with his. His movements were so swift that Yingzhu hadn't even had time to react before he pulled her into his arms.

She secretly regretted her decision; if she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have set an example for him.

He didn't give her a chance to calm down and directly shut down her protest.

She even advised him yesterday that it wasn't allowed during the day, but he completely ignored her.

Since resistance was futile, Yingzhu simply stopped being reserved and went along with it. She no longer pushed him away, but even embraced him back, feeling his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and eagerly responded to his kiss.

Liang Yunqian was just teasing and trying to scare her.

Based on yesterday's situation, she should have been shy and panicked, but she was acting very strangely and wasn't afraid at all.

Her subtle change in aura was like a small flame, constantly burning Liang Yunqian's thoughts.

He could no longer bear it, so he picked her up and held her up with both hands so that she could wrap her arms around him and not fall.

Since the outer room was inconvenient, he carried the person to the inner room, where the curtains hanging on the silver hooks were lowered.

The draped curtains concealed the slipping garments, leaving only soft moans that stirred the imagination...

When the raging waves subsided, Liang Yunqian glanced at the person beside him, only to see that Shen Yingzhu had already closed her eyes and was resting.

The sky outside the window was bright, and he suddenly realized that he had actually been intimate with someone during the day.

How could he lose control and share a bed with her during the day when it was something that should have been done at night?

Her closed eyes made her look charming and adorable, with long, thick eyelashes spread across her lower eyelids, so vivid that he couldn't help but raise his finger to trace them.

However, as his knuckles hovered in mid-air, he suddenly realized the strangeness of his actions.

Liang Yun immediately withdrew his hand and forcibly looked away from her face.

What's wrong with him? Why is he staring at a woman so intently?

The month they spent together made him realize that Shen Yingzhu was a very unique woman. She was intelligent, quick-witted, knew how to assess situations, and knew how to utilize the relationships around her.

He should hate this kind of woman, but she is very sensible and doesn't cause trouble. She only saves herself when trouble comes knocking on her door.

Then he had no reason to blame her, after all, her life in the manor was indeed very difficult, and so many people were targeting her, which he had seen all of this.

He could question her background, but at least so far, Shen Yingzhu hadn't caused any trouble.

Who exactly sent her? Was she simply there to give birth and collect the reward? Or did she have another purpose? We'll have to wait and see.

Yingzhu didn't get a good rest last night, but after he made a fuss, she quickly fell asleep.

When she woke up, Liang Yunqian was no longer in the room. Yingzhu did not want to stay in his room alone, so she got up and left.

On her way back, she spotted Zhao Tangwei and Liang Yunshan. If she continued walking, she would inevitably run into them and have to waste time talking. So Yingzhu stopped and hid behind the rockery, waiting for them to leave before continuing.

Upon seeing Zhao Tangwei, Liang Yunshan's lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

"Tangwei, this is the hand warmer you gave me last time. Here you go."

Zhao Tang glanced at it but didn't reach out. "I don't want it!"

"This...is it for me?" Liang Yunshan couldn't hide her surprise, while Zhao Tang pursed her lips impatiently.

"I just don't want things that other men have touched; you can throw it away too."

Liang Yunshan immediately hugged it to her chest. "I will take good care of your things. How could I bear to throw them away? I've also washed the velvet cloth covering the bronze incense burner. It's very clean!"

Why can't he understand what she's saying?

"I was in a bad mood that day and argued with my cousin, which is why I threw the hand warmer at you. It wasn't a gift. You should be able to tell that, right?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Liang Yunshan smiled dryly:

"I know, I don't mind. I know that Third Brother is very outstanding. If he likes you, I will naturally give him my blessings. But he is already married and now has a concubine. Anyone with eyes can see that he cares a lot about Shen Yingzhu."

To protect Shen Yingzhu, he even dared to contradict the dignity of the Princess Consort and the Crown Prince's Consort, which shows that he has fallen for Shen Yingzhu. Then you shouldn't be so fixated on him. I am also the son of Prince Rui, and I am no less than him. Why don't you give me a second look?"

Yingzhu, who was behind the artificial hill, disagreed with these words. Outsiders all thought that Liang Yunqian treated her very well, but little did they know how strange he was.

Yingzhu had to be very careful when she was with him, afraid that she might say something wrong and offend him again. Her life was not as easy as everyone imagined.

Zhao Tangwei knew Liang Yunshan's thoughts, but she was not one to compromise.

"With so many sons of Prince Rui, do I have to pay attention to every single one of them? I like my cousin as a person, not his status."

"But he likes Shen Yingzhu. You can't marry him as a concubine and compete with those other women for his favor. It would be beneath your dignity and a disservice to you."

Zhao Tangwei wasn't worried about that. Anyway, her aunt didn't like Xu Fanglin and would divorce that woman sooner or later. The position of the Crown Prince's wife would only be hers. As for Shen Yingzhu, there was no need to mention her.

"This is my business, you don't need to worry about it. Shen Yingzhu is just a maidservant, of lowly status. Her only purpose in being is to produce an heir for my cousin."

I am a noblewoman from a high-ranking family. To even consider a mere maidservant would be beneath my dignity. My cousin doesn't like her at all! He only shows her some respect because of the prospect of having offspring.

Just you wait and see, once Shen Yingzhu gets pregnant, your cousin will ignore her completely!

Liang Yunshan thought that Shen Yingzhu's appearance would make Tang Wei more aware of her situation, but to her surprise, Tang Wei remained stubbornly unrepentant.

"Then will he talk to you?"

Although he spoke very softly, Zhao Tangwei still heard him.

"Just because my cousin ignores me doesn't mean I'll pay attention to you! Don't dream about it!"

The two couldn't agree on anything, and Zhao Tang turned and left, leaving Liang Yunshan alone, clutching her hand warmer, her heart feeling a mix of warmth and coldness.

Only after the footsteps faded into the distance did Yingzhu emerge from behind the artificial hill.

Everyone thought that Liang Yunqian would stop paying attention to her after she became pregnant.

That was indeed the case in her past life, but can Yingzhu reverse this situation in this life? Even she can't guarantee it.

Her period is late, but we need to observe her for a few more days.

Xu Fanglin, who had been punished by the Crown Prince, returned to Lanzhao Garden and threw a huge tantrum, smashing a set of teacups and knocking over the potted plants on the shelf.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she kept smashing things. The maids were so frightened that they knelt down beside her, trembling. In the end, it was Granny Cui who stepped forward to persuade her.

"My lord, please calm down. If we make a scene, we might disturb the young master."

"I can tolerate being fined my monthly allowance; I don't lack money, and my monthly allowance is nothing. But it's about my reputation. If my allowance is halved, the whole manor will know within two days that the young master is punishing me. How will I face anyone in the manor after that?"

That wasn't what Granny Cui was worried about. "The monthly allowance is a minor matter; only the people in the household know about it. But if we don't hold a birthday banquet, outsiders will become suspicious, and that's the real headache. The birthday banquet is of great importance; you must fight for it!"

"The young master's word is law; there's no use in me begging him."

"Then let's ask the Princess Consort to intercede on our behalf."

"Your Highness? Isn't this inappropriate?" Xu Fanglin had been in the household for three years and had long since seen through the Princess Consort Rui.

"She's always disliked me. When the Crown Prince reprimanded me, the Princess Consort would only gloat; she wouldn't care about me at all."

"This time is different. Even if the princess is biased, she is still mindful of the bigger picture and will definitely help you..."

Granny Cui whispered a few words in Xu Fanglin's ear, and Xu Fanglin listened attentively and agreed wholeheartedly, so she decided to do as Granny Cui instructed.

That morning, Yingzhu went to read the scriptures as usual, but when she got to the door, she heard crying.

She lifted her skirt and embroidered shoes, and upon closer inspection, she realized that it was Xu Fanglin crying in front of Princess Rui.

Upon seeing Yingzhu, Princess Rui waved.

"Yingzhu, you've come at the right time. I heard about what happened yesterday. The most taboo thing for women in the inner quarters is jealousy and rivalry. As the Crown Prince's wife, Fanglin should be magnanimous."

You have borne Yunqian a child, making you a meritorious official of the Prince's Mansion. Fanglin shouldn't have targeted you. I have already reprimanded her. It is only right that Yunqian punished her to stand up for you.

In my opinion, the other punishments should remain unchanged, but the birthday banquet cannot be canceled. The banquet is not just for receiving gifts; its more important purpose is to maintain the relationship between the Prince's Mansion and other prominent families. The year-end banquet is especially important, as much information can be gleaned from casual conversations during the banquet.

Princess Rui was concerned about her own interests, which was why she spoke up for Xu Fanglin. Yingzhu knew this perfectly well and didn't interrupt.

"This servant is unfamiliar with these rules of the household; everything is to be decided by Your Highness."

Princess Rui wouldn't risk getting rejected.

"You know Yunqian's temper; he's very stubborn and won't change his mind easily. But you've recently won his favor, so he'll definitely give you face. Therefore, you should persuade him to continue holding the birthday banquet for Fanglin."