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

The news of Zhou Mama's punishment and Su Wanrou's bedridden state reached the Vice Minister's residence within two days. The Vice Minister's wife, Madam Qin, who always doted on Su Wanrou, her eldest daughter, immediately went to the Marquis's residence upon hearing the news.

Instead of visiting Su Wanrou at Jinlan Courtyard first, she went to Fuxi Hall.

Inside Fuxi Hall, Qin Shi wiped the teacup with the lid, blew on the floating tea leaves, and said softly, "My dear in-law, our Rou'er has been married into the Marquis's mansion for three years, and has always devoted herself to managing all matters, big and small. Even if she hasn't made any great contributions, she has certainly worked hard. However, since the concubine entered the mansion, she has been excessively favored. Our Rou'er is the principal wife, yet she has ended up seriously ill and bedridden. If this gets out, people will inevitably say that the young master favors his concubine over his wife, which will not look good for the Marquis's mansion's reputation."

Wang was already harboring anger, and now, after hearing what Qin said, all the politeness and gentleness on her face vanished completely.

Yunshuang is her own niece, and now she is pregnant with the Pei family's only child. She cherishes her dearly. But what about Su Wanrou? As the legal wife, she has no dignity whatsoever, and actually came up with such a vicious plan to harm her.

When Wang found out, her headaches flared up again from the anger.

If it weren't for the old favors she had received from the Vice Minister's family and the bond between the two families, how could she have kept this venomous woman?

However, Qin Shi not only failed to recognize her daughter's mistakes, but also put pressure on her with every word, trying to spread rumors that Jing Nian favored his concubine over his wife.

Madam Wang sneered, "We didn't know Wanrou's condition at first, but you knew it perfectly well. She's been married into the Marquis's mansion for three years and hasn't been able to produce an heir. A concubine's pregnancy is a joyous occasion, yet she secretly condoned her servants' plot to harm the Marquis's offspring. Such a heinous act would be intolerable even in an ordinary family, let alone a noble family like ours. The fact that she can stay peacefully in Jinlan Courtyard is already a sign of the Marquis's tolerance. How can you talk about favoring a concubine over the wife?"

Hmph, it was your Vice Minister's Mansion that first concealed the fact that Su Wanrou was infertile due to cold uterus, but then used the excuse of favoring concubines over wives and ruining my son's reputation to blackmail me. Who is in the wrong here?

If this gets out, who will lose face?

Qin's expression changed; she hadn't expected the other party to be so forceful. For the sake of a concubine, they were willing to throw away the reputation of the Marquis's mansion?

Qin felt a chill run down her spine. Shen Yunshuang was indeed no simple person. After all, she was related to Wang by blood, and Wang loved her very much.

With such a formidable opponent, if they were to clash head-on, I fear my daughter would have no chance of winning.

Madam Qin smiled and said, "My dear in-law, how could we go out and spread rumors that our son-in-law favors his concubine over his wife? Besides, he's not that kind of person. Our Rou'er was spoiled by me and grew up naive, which is why she misjudged people. Fortunately, the wicked servant has been dealt with. I'll give her a good talking to when I go to Jinlan Courtyard later. In the end, both of our families are prestigious, so we should naturally live in harmony."

Faced with Qin's initial arrogance followed by obsequiousness, Wang could only endure it, even though she disliked it.

After all, as Qin said, they were all from noble families and valued their reputation and image above all else.

If some things are publicized, the Marquis's mansion may not necessarily be in the wrong, but it will still suffer losses. Maintaining superficial harmony is indeed a good choice.

After exchanging a few more polite words, Qin left Fuxi Hall and hurriedly went to Jinlan Courtyard.

Because Su Wanrou was ill, the room was filled with the strong smell of medicine as soon as you entered.

A maid was feeding Su Wanrou medicine by the bedside. When she saw the Vice Minister's wife coming over, she stood up and bowed.

Su Wanrou's face was dull and lifeless, and her eyes were lifeless. In just a few days, she had become extremely haggard.

Seeing her mother approach, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up uncontrollably: "Mother..."

Seeing her daughter's dejected state, Qin felt both heartbroken and angry.

I heard that the one at Ningxiang Pavilion is completely unharmed and is resting peacefully in the courtyard, taking care of her pregnancy.

Instead, his own daughter has become this inhuman, ghostly figure.

It's a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead!

She strode forward and sat down by the bedside, waving away the others in the room before lowering her voice and offering a disapproving, "What serious thing happened? Is it worth you being so dramatic? And getting so sick?"

Su Wanrou cried, "Aunt Zhou...Aunt Zhou is dead."

When Zhou's mother was mentioned, a hint of pain flashed in Qin's eyes, but it quickly subsided.

It is indeed a pity that Zhou Mama died, but she was just a servant. It is not a big deal for a few servants to die in order to protect her daughter.

"The dead cannot be brought back to life, so don't think too much about it. Once things calm down, I'll find you a personal attendant. I've seen through your mother-in-law's intentions. If you get pregnant, you'll be a hero to the Pei family. You should take good care of yourself and have a legitimate son; that's the right thing to do."

Hearing her mother's nonchalant words, Su Wanrou wanted to laugh. Pregnant? She dreamed of it, but how could she get pregnant? Putting aside her physical condition, Pei Jingnian... now loathed her, and even coming to her room was a luxury. How could she get pregnant?

"My husband has already abandoned me." After saying these words, Su Wanrou choked up, a huge wave of sorrow and despair washing over her, almost drowning her.

Madam Qin frowned: "In this grand mansion, a husband's affections are just fleeting clouds. Only the esteemed status of the principal wife is the real strength to hold in one's hands."

"Just look at that little slut from Ningxiang Pavilion. So what if she's a beauty of unparalleled grace? So what if she's pregnant? She still has to honor you as the Crown Prince's consort, and she still has to bow to you when she sees you. Even after the child is born, she still has to honor you as her legal mother."

"You say Pei Jingnian is tired of you, then let me ask you, has your food, clothing, and daily necessities in Jinlan Courtyard been reduced even slightly? If he's tired of you, does he dare to divorce you? Rou'er, that's where your confidence comes from!"

Su Wanrou's eyes flickered. She listened to her mother's words carefully. Yes, although Zhou Mama was dead, her status was not diminished in the slightest. She was still the rightful heir apparent of the Marquis's mansion, and no one could change that.

Qin Shi reached out and wiped away her daughter's tears, sighing, "Mother knows you care about the Prince, but you must know that a man's love is the most illusory thing. Today he may be in love with someone else, but tomorrow he may find another. Do you know which you should choose: to rely on something that can change at any time, or to hold onto a real title?"

Su Wanrou clenched her fists tightly: "But... I'm not reconciled... Shen Yunshuang, what right does she have...?"

Qin sneered: "Whether she's lucky or cunning, you don't need to take her seriously, and you shouldn't confront her head-on. In a few days, I will send you a prescription to nourish your body. Take good care of yourself, reconcile with the young master, coax him to come to your room, give birth to a legitimate son, and then you'll have nothing to fear."

Qin Shi removed her fingers from Su Wanrou's wrist. She had just taken her daughter's pulse and knew that her daughter had a cold uterus. However, she knew that this was not a terminal illness. Years of gentle tonifying treatment had already shaken the root of the problem. As long as she continued to take the medicine properly, she would eventually conceive. Once the legitimate son was born, who would care about illegitimate sons and daughters?

There's still a long way to go.