The pregnant woman pressed down on the wife, and the cousin collapsed into the prince's arms.

"Sow discord?" Pei Jingnian's eyes suddenly sharpened as he swept his gaze directly at Zhou Mama, coldly saying, "You insolent servant, how dare you secretly insinuate against the concubine?"

Madam Zhou's heart trembled. She lowered her head and dared not look at Pei Jingnian again. She said, "This old servant dares not speak ill of my master. I am just afraid that some people will not know the truth and misunderstand the Princess Consort's good intentions."

"Outrageous!" Pei Jingnian roared, his gaze pressing down on Su Wanrou. "This is the person by your side! Just now at Ningxiang Pavilion, Shuang'er was still soft-hearted and pleaded for you, asking me not to blame you. But your personal maid actually dared to publicly accuse the concubine of sowing discord!"

Su Wanrou was furious when she heard this. She didn't need that bitch Shen Yunshuang's pleas for mercy!

Why was Zhou's mother's seemingly flawless plan exposed so quickly? Was Shen Yunshuang truly protected by heaven, or was she a bewitching enchantress?

She looked up at Pei Jingnian, at her husband of three years, at this husband whose eyes were full of other women and who stood up for other women!

Do you know? The Shen Yunshuang you cherish is never a gentle and kind little white rabbit, but a cunning and scheming viper!

"Your Highness! I truly meant well. My sister was having a miscarriage, so I personally brought her tonics. Even in other families, no principal wife would go to such lengths. I was willing to do this for your sake, for the sake of your offspring. But now, you accuse me of harboring malicious intentions… I am utterly innocent! If you dislike me and wish to divorce me, making your beloved Consort Shen your principal wife, then so be it! In any case, being the Crown Prince's consort has become meaningless for me!"

Su Wanrou's voice was filled with despair. After speaking, she stopped arguing and instead closed her eyes, appearing as if she were resigned to her fate.

If she continues to wail and cry, Pei Jingnian's disgust will only deepen.

But seeing her so resolute and heartbroken, Pei Jingnian wavered. Had he really wronged her?

After all, those supplements are indeed good for the fetus. Su Wanrou can only be said to be unaware of pregnancy taboos, not necessarily to have the intention to harm others.

As for Su Wanrou's suggestion to divorce his wife, Pei Jingnian had not yet considered it. He truly doted on Shuang'er, but favoring a concubine over one's wife was by no means a rule of a noble family.

"Regardless of the circumstances, it's true that you sent tonics to Ningxiang Pavilion, and it's also true that Shuang'er is experiencing fetal restlessness after consuming them! From this day forward, you are forbidden from sending anything to Ningxiang Pavilion again. You are confined to your quarters for a month to reflect on your actions!"

After Pei Jingnian finished speaking, he turned and left.

After he left, Su Wanrou's body went limp, and Zhou Mama went over to support her, her eyes moist: "Princess Consort..."

Su Wanrou took a deep breath and thought to herself, although she had lost a brilliant plan, she still stubbornly refused to admit it. No matter how angry the young master was, without evidence, he could not directly convict her!

_

Ningxiang Pavilion

"Oh? Just confinement?" Shen Yunshuang stood beside the koi tank, her fingertips pinching a small pinch of fish food, slowly scattering it into the water.

Xuezhi whispered in response, "According to the people at Jinlan Courtyard, the Princess Consort insisted that she had never been pregnant and knew nothing about medicine, so how could she know about pregnancy taboos? She was just trying to be kind. The Prince seems to have been persuaded, so... he didn't punish her severely."

Xuezhi felt indignant. The Crown Princess was so vicious, trying to kill their mistress and her unborn child with a poisonous scheme, yet she was punished so lightly in the end. It was truly unfair!

Shen Yunshuang, however, did not seem disappointed. She scattered all the fish food in her hand, clapped her hands, and sighed softly, "Uninformed about medicine... Interesting."

It has to be said that Su Wanrou had only dared to secretly treat her infertility for so many years, so Pei Jingnian was completely unaware that Zhou Mama was knowledgeable about medicine.

"Since she says she doesn't understand medical principles and doesn't know about pregnancy taboos, then let me give them another big gift."

Shen Yunshuang gazed wistfully out the window and said, "Have our people contact Li Shuo and tell him everything."

Li Shuo, Yan Zhi's cousin, and Yan Zhi's childhood sweetheart, are deeply in love. Although his family is of modest means, he is intelligent, hardworking, and always burying himself in his studies.

He had long ago pledged his life to Yan Zhi, only thinking that when Yan Zhi reached a certain age and was released from the Vice Minister's mansion, he would work harder, pass the imperial examination, and marry his cousin in a grand manner, making Yan Zhi an official's wife.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Rouge's mother suddenly fell seriously ill, and Rouge had no choice but to obey Su Wanrou's arrangement and enter the Marquis's mansion, becoming a lowly concubine.

From then on, it seemed as if an insurmountable chasm separated the two lovers. Fortunately, Li Shuo was a devoted lover. Even though he knew there was no possibility for them to be together again, he never let go and often went to Yan Zhi's house to visit her seriously ill aunt.

He was exceptionally intelligent and had already noticed the strangeness of the illness, wondering why his condition was not improving despite taking the prescribed medicine every day.

Shen Yunshuang's men only needed to give him a few pointers in secret, and that would be enough for him to follow the clues and find out the truth of the matter.

After all, he is now a legitimate newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). This spring, when the results of the imperial examinations were announced, he ranked fourteenth on the first list, which means he is eligible to enter the court as an official.

He thus learned that his cousin was not after the wealth and glory of the Marquis's mansion, but had fallen into a trap carefully woven by the Crown Princess. The price behind this was not only Rouge and his affection, but also his aunt's life!

This is how the powerful and influential act with impunity, treating all living beings as ants for their own selfish desires.

Li Shuo suddenly remembered that Yan Zhi had once told him that the wife of the Vice Minister came from a family of doctors, and that Zhou Mama, who served the Crown Prince's wife, was also an expert in medicine!

That's why my aunt's prescriptions were so strange, causing my illness to fluctuate and linger.

In the past, Li Shuo was just a poor scholar, and even if he wanted to find Pei Jingnian, he probably wouldn't be able to.

But things are different now. He and Pei Jingnian are officials in the same court. Although their statuses are vastly different, it is still very easy for them to exchange a few words.