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

She usually arrives before 7 PM, why is she late tonight? Could it be that the snowy road is difficult to travel and she slipped and fell?

But if something happened to her, someone should have reported it.

After a moment's thought, Liang Yunqian couldn't help but think of another possibility—Shen Yingzhu was pregnant and therefore did not want to see him anymore.

She wanted a child and the reward money; she only approached him to get pregnant. Once she was pregnant, she would refuse to serve him anymore!

This woman is indeed a snob!

But it's also possible that he's overthinking it. Perhaps the snow is falling too fast, and she wants to wait until it stops before coming?

Lost in thought, Liang Yunqian put down his brush, got up, walked to the window, and opened it.

A cool breeze rushed in through the window, the warmth inside clashing with the chill outside, making the air feel exceptionally crisp.

Although it was already night, the thin layer of white snow in the courtyard illuminated the world.

By this time, the snow had stopped falling much, with only a few snowflakes swirling and falling in the cold wind.

Will she come over tonight...?

When this thought flashed through his mind, Liang Yunqian realized that something was wrong with him.

I remember that he was initially very resistant to Shen Yingzhu. The heavy responsibility of having offspring weighed on his shoulders, and as a result, he also disliked Shen Yingzhu.

But it's only been a little over a month, and he's already looking forward to her arrival?

Impossible! He would never expect her!

It must be because she's been coming over so often lately that he's gotten used to her visits and only subconsciously remembers her when the time comes.

He could never possibly have feelings for Shen Yingzhu!

Liang Yunqian immediately closed the window and stopped standing there.

When Lian Chuan came to deliver the letter, he caught a glimpse of this scene and instantly guessed the prince's thoughts.

After entering the house and putting down the letter, Lian Chuan said softly, "It's snowing today. Miss Shen is pregnant, and the roads are slippery, so it might be inconvenient for her to walk. Why don't you go to Wenzhu Pavilion to visit her, Your Highness?"

Liang Yunqian, holding the teacup lid, lightly stirred the dripping tea. "Whether she comes or not is up to her. Why should I go see her?"

"After all, Miss Shen is pregnant, which is a joyous occasion. It is only natural for you, Master, to go and celebrate with her."

"The master has already rewarded her and hasn't shortchanged her, so there's no need for him to go over there deliberately."

As Liang Yunqian spoke, he felt uneasy. "But it's her. She started putting on airs as soon as she got pregnant and stopped showing her face. She's really something!"

The crown prince's tone was unfriendly; he seemed angry, but was he actually complaining?

However, since the Crown Prince was in a bad mood, Lian Chuan didn't dare to say anything more, lest he anger the Crown Prince and get punished himself.

The sensible Lian Chuan withdrew, not daring to interfere any further.

After reading the letters, Liang Yunqian replied with two more. Feeling uneasy, he stopped painting and went to his tent to rest.

He woke up in the middle of the night feeling hot all over. He instinctively turned over and reached out, but his hand fell to the ground.

In the past, he could easily scoop up Yingzhu and use her as a pillow, holding her in his arms.

At this moment, there was no one beside him; no one was resting their head on his arm or putting their legs on him.

He could finally get a peaceful night's sleep, but why did he feel empty inside, as if he had a suffocating feeling that he couldn't release?

Recalling that dream, Liang Yunqian became increasingly agitated.

How could he dream of Shen Yingzhu? He couldn't possibly care about that woman; it must have been a youthful, impulsive reaction.

The restless Liang Yunqian went downstairs, poured himself a cup of cool tea, and drank it down, which calmed the burning flames in his heart.

Meanwhile, Yingzhu was dreaming.

This was probably the most restful sleep she had had in over a month. She didn't have to serve Liang Yunqian or watch his expression, and with her pregnancy, the pressure was halved, allowing her to finally fall asleep peacefully.

The next day, Qingfeng didn't wake her up, and Yingzhu slept until she naturally woke up, finally getting a good night's sleep.

"Aunt Shen, you are already pregnant, so you probably don't need to go to Deshan Hall to study scriptures anymore, right?"

"The purpose of reciting scriptures is to pray for pregnancy. Since I am already pregnant, there is naturally no need to go. However, the princess has not yet given her permission, so I still need to go and wait for her to speak, lest I give people something to gossip about."

Yingzhu was already late today, but she wasn't in a hurry and took her time.

The snow stopped and started again last night. By the time Yingzhu went out, there was a thick layer of snow, and the rooftops were covered in white. The air was crisp and cold.

Occasionally a gust of wind blows, and the snow falls softly from the branches.

The roads in the Prince's mansion had been cleared by the servants. Yingzhu, carrying a hand warmer, walked slowly.

Upon arriving at Deshan Hall, Yingzhu apologized first, "I slept too soundly and woke up late, which delayed my chanting. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Zhao Tangwei curled her lips and scoffed, "You're already putting on airs just because you're pregnant. You really know how to act high and mighty."

Princess Rui interrupted Zhao Tangwei with a smile, "You don't understand. Pregnant women are especially prone to fatigue. When I was pregnant with your cousin, I was just as sleepy and slept three times a day!"

"Yingzhu, now that you're pregnant, you don't need to come to read scriptures anymore. Just rest and recuperate. Come over when you have time to sit and chat."

The current situation is exactly as Yingzhu expected; she was just waiting for Princess Rui to say those words!

"It is my honor that Your Majesty is so considerate. I will definitely come often to listen to Your Majesty's teachings."

She was exchanging pleasantries when Granny Chen suddenly entered the room.

Upon seeing Shen Yingzhu, and recalling the scene of being reprimanded by the Crown Prince that day, Granny Chen felt resentful, but because Shen Yingzhu was pregnant, she could not punish her for the time being. She just grunted and withdrew her gaze, heading towards Princess Rui.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! I heard that the Prince has an illegitimate son outside the palace and wants to bring him back to the palace to be recognized as a member of the royal family!"

Yingzhu originally wanted to make an excuse to leave, but upon hearing about the secrets of the Prince's mansion, she continued to sit and listen for a few more minutes.

"What? An illegitimate child?" Princess Rui was shocked.

"Your Highness has always been law-abiding, only keeping women in the household and never keeping mistresses outside. How come there's suddenly an illegitimate child? How old is the child?"

"They say she's twenty-one years old!"

Princess Rui thought he was young, but she was actually in his early twenties!

"They've grown so much? After all these years, why haven't they recognized their relatives? Why are they coming to our door now?"

"It is said that the illegitimate son was injured and went blind. His mother wanted to treat his illness, but the family was so poor that she sold the jade pendant."

The jade pendant was exactly the same style as the prince's, and when the shopkeeper discovered it, he assumed she had stolen the prince's belongings and arrested her.

Upon hearing this, Princess Rui understood. "This matter must have alarmed the Prince. Only after meeting that woman did the Prince recognize her as his old flame and even reunite with his illegitimate child?"

Granny Chen nodded. "That's indeed the rumor. It's information obtained by the head steward of the Prince's mansion, so it's unlikely to be false."

"How did that woman meet the prince? What is the prince's attitude now?"

"The steward didn't mention the woman's condition, only that the prince plans to bring her and her child into the palace. It seems the prince will discuss this with you soon, so please make your plans accordingly."

As she spoke, Granny Chen secretly observed Princess Rui's expression. "Your Highness, are you planning to let them in? If they come in, there will inevitably be more trouble."

Yingzhu had often heard the neighbors say that wealthy families often had illegitimate children, but she never expected that Prince Rui would have one too!

But the thought of herself and her mother being mistaken for mistresses and illegitimate children made Yingzhu feel bitter.

Although her mother was clearly the first wife, she was misled by Xu Fanglin and her daughter and mistakenly believed to be the mistress. As for the situation of this so-called illegitimate son of Prince Rui, the mother and son remain unknown.

Yingzhu suddenly lost interest in watching the spectacle and got up to leave.

As she was leaving, she vaguely heard Princess Rui sigh.

"Now that the person is injured and blind, the prince must feel indebted and cannot abandon them. So let's just go along with the prince's wishes and let them into the manor."

Anyway, Yun Qian already has an heir, which proves that Yun Qian is fine and the position of heir will not be changed. Even if an illegitimate child enters the family, what am I afraid of? It should be Consort Li who is afraid...”

Yingzhu couldn't hear what was said after that. It involved internal strife within the Prince's mansion. It was enough for her to understand the situation; knowing too much would only cause trouble.

On the way back, Yingzhu overheard the maids gossiping, "I just saw the prince's illegitimate son! He's so handsome!"

"Wasn't he supposed to be blind? How can you tell he's handsome?"

"His eyes were covered by a veil, so you couldn't see them, but his high nose bridge, thin lips, and jawline made him look like a handsome young man!"

I also noticed a small mole at the end of his eyebrow. I've heard that's called "a pearl hidden in the eyebrow," meaning a person with good fortune!

Yingzhu suddenly remembered that Song Xingzhou also had a small mole at the end of his eyebrow, but he had already died on the battlefield. It couldn't be that the prince's illegitimate son was him, could it?