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

His expression left no room for doubt. After hesitating for a long time, Yingzhu finally let go.

The moment he lifted the cloth, Liang Yunqian had already imagined all sorts of possibilities in his mind. Only after he lifted it did he realize that she had embroidered a handkerchief, and on the handkerchief was a bamboo forest and a pine tree.

The bamboo forest is already embroidered, but the pine tree is only half embroidered. The stitches are intricate, and the colors blend seamlessly.

After a moment's thought, he understood.

"Is this embroidery of Tingsongyuan and Wenzhuxuan? Is it a gift for me?"

"No, that's not true!" Yingzhu immediately snatched the handkerchief from his hand.

"I only embroidered Wenzhu Pavilion, it has nothing to do with your Tingsong Garden, and it's not for you."

With that pine tree so conspicuous, it was hard for Liang Yunqian not to overthink things.

"Isn't this pattern designed for men?"

Yingzhu frowned slightly, pouted, and retorted, "Who says women can't use pine and bamboo?"

"Who was it that said last time they had so many handkerchiefs they couldn't use them all and didn't need to embroider any more this year?"

He pressed for more details, and Yingzhu inwardly remarked on his excellent memory.

"I embroidered this for my younger brother, it's not for you, you don't need any handkerchiefs."

She actually cares about her younger brother?

"You are not allowed to do embroidery for other men!"

That's too distant! "My brother is my family, he's not an outsider."

"That won't do either. From now on, girls will embroider handkerchiefs for him. You don't need to bother. You can only make embroidery for me."

Liang Yunqian made a special statement, and Yingzhu huffed unhappily, "I don't want to embroider for you."

"Why? We've already explained everything clearly and cleared up the misunderstanding, why are you still angry with me?"

"You're not angry anymore, but what about the grievances I suffered? I'm still feeling resentful!"

Yingzhu turned her head away, refusing to look at him. Liang Yunqian patiently coaxed her.

"What will it take for you to calm down?"

When asked to name her conditions, Yingzhu was at a loss for words, only vaguely replying, "It depends on your performance!"

This was his favorite phrase in the past, and he always used it to brush her off. Now, it was finally time for her to retaliate.

Only then did Liang Yunqian realize how infuriating those words were.

One sentence, "Judging by performance," leaves me completely clueless.

Fortunately, he understood Yingzhu to some extent, so he wasn't completely helpless.

"Now that you are pregnant, it is a joyous occasion, and you should tell your mother the good news."

Upon hearing this, Yingzhu's eyes lit up instantly. "That's right! It's time to tell my mother the good news. I'll go myself then! It'll be a good opportunity to visit my mother before the New Year."

"Songyan also passed the Imperial Academy's examination; shouldn't we celebrate for him?"

"I can see my brother again? That would be wonderful!"

Yingzhu was overjoyed. Liang Yunqian sighed and said, "Arranging for him to go home is not difficult, but if he comes back on his own, it will take a long time to travel back and forth, and the time you spend together will be shortened."

If I send someone to pick them up, it will save some time, but it depends on someone's performance...

Yingzhu, understanding the implication, crossed her arms and scoffed, "I was clearly giving you a chance to shine, and you've instead set a trap for me?"

"This is called negotiation; I won't force you."

"I'll find a carriage to pick up Songyan myself. It's not like I'm short of money." She also had the five hundred taels of silver that Liang Yunqian had given her as a reward!

"Can the person you found get into the Imperial College to deliver his message?"

This question stumped her. It seems that money alone is not enough; one also needs power and connections!

Yingzhu felt aggrieved, but she was unwilling to ask him for help.

Liang Yunqian knew she was stubborn, so he ultimately didn't argue with her anymore.

"I'll send someone to make arrangements. If you don't want to give me any benefits, fine. But who told me to have such a bad temper like you?"

Yingzhu retorted, "Whose temper is worse here? I greet everyone with a smile, while you can't even smile properly, and you still have the nerve to criticize me?"

Liang Yunqian admitted that he did have a bad temper, but after meeting Shen Yingzhu, there were times when he felt helpless.

"No matter how bad my temper is, I still can't resist you. If I don't come, you won't go, not even telling me you're sick. Are you planning to give me the silent treatment forever?"

"You were the one who gave me the cold shoulder first, I don't want to be disliked."

She pouted her red lips slightly, gave a haughty snort, and looked as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Liang Yunqian didn't know what was wrong with him. He used to not allow anyone to disobey him, but now he could actually tolerate Shen Yingzhu's little temper.

It's probably because she's pregnant with his child, right?

Yes, that must be it.

This is the only reason that can explain his abnormality.

"Fine! I'll let it go for you since you're pregnant. I'll send word to Songyan about your trip home to visit your family, and I'll let you know when the date is confirmed."

Overjoyed at his agreement, Yingzhu suddenly stood on tiptoe and placed a light kiss on his left cheek.

The kiss was extremely brief, like a bird flitting past his ear. He felt the softness of the feathers, but before he could fully appreciate it, the bird had already flown away, leaving only a lingering, sweet, and pleasant pomegranate scent.

Her actions surprised Liang Yunqian. When he looked up, he met Yingzhu's bright and clear eyes. A smile appeared between her small eyebrows, which made his gloomy heart brighten up.

"Didn't you... not want to show your abilities?"

"That's different! If I listen to you, I'll be threatened by you, but if I take the initiative to kiss you, it will be a reward for you."

She always has an endless supply of fallacies, which seem to make a lot of sense.

Liang Yunqian sighed softly, "What you say is right. If you're happy, then it's right; if it doesn't suit your taste, then it's wrong."

"That's not how it works. I suffer mistreatment every day in the Prince's mansion. I only dare to discuss right and wrong with you now because I'm pregnant."

Normally, I wouldn't have dared to do that. You wouldn't have indulged me either; you're only giving me face because of the child, and I know that.

Is it really just because of the child?

Maybe!

Liang Yunqian didn't dwell on the matter any further, only telling her to get plenty of rest.

"I have other things to take care of. You should focus on recovering. I'll arrange the food, the earthen stove, and the charcoal. I'll come see you again when I'm done with my work."

He gently stroked her soft cheek with his finger, gave her some instructions in a gentle voice, and then left.

After the prince left, Qingfeng, who was waiting outside, breathed a sigh of relief. She patted her chest, still feeling lingering fear.

"Just now, the young master suddenly said he was leaving, which terrified me! If it had been anyone else who said that, the young master would have turned around and left without stopping. I never expected him to stay."

Given the circumstances at the time, Yingzhu wasn't entirely confident either.

"I'm also taking a gamble. If I welcome him with joy as soon as he arrives, he will not take me seriously in the future and will only think that I can be summoned and dismissed at will."

Even if he misunderstands me, as long as he shows his face, I'll cling to him. I can't let him think I'm easy to please, so I have to argue with him and make him come back on his own.

This also lets him know that I care about his suspicions, so that he will be mindful of the consequences if he encounters a similar situation in the future.

"Your Majesty's foresight is truly remarkable. I am ashamed of my own in comparison. However, this method is indeed too risky. If the young master does not accept this approach, then all your previous efforts will have been in vain."

Qingfeng felt relieved, "It's good that the young master cares about you, that's why he stayed outside and didn't really leave."

Gently stroking her belly, Yingzhu smiled wryly:

"I was just taking advantage of my pregnancy, and he didn't really care about me. He only brought me back because I was pregnant. But that's not important. What's important is that our predicament is over, and we can finally relax for now."

Liang Yunqian kept his word, and Lian Chuan quickly completed the task he instructed him to do.

The day after the red charcoal was delivered, Lan Zhaoyuan received the news.

Upon learning that the Crown Prince had allocated the share of red charcoal to Shen Yingzhu, Xu Fanglin's heart was instantly consumed by jealousy.

"This is outrageous! Shen Yingzhu is really rebelling!"

Enraged, Xu Fanglin went to Deshan Hall to cry and make a scene with Princess Rui, who then ordered someone to bring Shen Yingzhu over.

"Yingzhu, that's not right of you. Red Luo charcoal is a top-grade material. The concubines in the mansion are not qualified to use red Luo charcoal. Only the principal wife, the secondary wife, and the crown prince's wife can use it."

How could you let Yunqian serve you charcoal? This is utterly outrageous!