The empress is both charming and seductive, rising through the ranks of palace intrigue.

After lunch, Ning Shuyan lied and said she felt a little tired and wanted to take a nap, and Xiao Yu left.

She quickly extended her hand for Qiu Le to take her pulse. Qiu Le placed her hand on it and exclaimed in surprise after a moment, "My lady, this is a slippery pulse."

Ning Shuyan wasn't as surprised this time. "Qiu Le, could it be that my medication has lost its effectiveness?"

Qiu Le pondered for a moment: "Logically speaking, no, that pill is absolutely effective at preventing pregnancy."

Ning Shuyan felt a tightness in her chest as she thought about it, and couldn't help but cover her chest, frowning as she asked, "Is she really pregnant? And she even has morning sickness now."

Qiu Le was also very puzzled: "We'll have to wait and see, but this pulse is definitely a pregnancy pulse."

Ning Shuyan touched her forehead, her watery eyes losing all their luster and becoming dim: "But I don't want to be pregnant, this is really bad timing."

She was not prepared to be a mother, and she already had a great fear and trauma about childbirth, so she suddenly felt exhausted.

Moreover, given her current status and position, she could barely protect herself, let alone her child.

Even if we save her, we don't have the right to keep her by our side.

Qiu Le sighed softly, "Now that you are pregnant, please don't think too much. If you feel anything is amiss, we will check your pulse every day and we will know any changes."

Ning Shuyan rubbed her temples: "That's all I can do. I'm really exhausted. I'm going to take a nap."

I woke up just before sunset.

Seeing Ning Shuyan get up, Qiu Le quickly came over and whispered, "My lady, Lü Rui was acting suspiciously just now, as if she was about to go out, but Linglong called her back because of something."

Ning Shuyan perked up: "Okay, keep an eye on her. If she goes out and meets anyone, make sure you see clearly."

"Your Highness, Ziying and I are keeping an eye on her secretly."

She paused for a moment, then added, "The Emperor just sent over a lot of things, including fragrant herbs, which you always love, Your Highness. Would you like to try some?"

Upon hearing that Xiang Luan was involved, Ning Shuyan became somewhat interested and stood up, saying, "I'll have Lü Rui go to the Imperial Household Department to get my skirt later." She gave a subtle wink.

Qiu Le immediately understood: "Yes, this servant understands, please rest assured, Your Highness."

The fruits served to the emperor were all of the finest quality. The flesh of the Chinese tallow tree was a translucent red, each fruit glistening with luster. The flesh was crisp, tender, sweet, and juicy, not much different from the taste of modern fruits.

She picked up a petal and offered it to Ziying, but Ziying quickly declined, saying, "This servant dares not eat it. This was given to you by the Emperor, and there's only one left."

Ning Shuyan separated a piece of fruit and stood up to stuff it into her mouth.

Ziying looked at Ning Shuyan with a blank expression, her pouting lips looking adorable. Ning Shuyan chuckled, "Swallow it quickly! I know you like to eat it too."

Ziying lowered her eyes somewhat shyly, chewed carefully, and said happily, "So sweet, so delicious."

Ning Shuyan chuckled, picked up the fragrant fruit and handed it to her. This time, Ying didn't refuse, mainly because it was so sweet, and she was also a bit greedy.

Ning Shuyan watched her eat with a satisfied expression and couldn't help but recall the days in the Marquis's mansion. Her eyes gradually became misty: "Although we are in the palace now, we are still like we were in the Marquis's mansion. I will share any good food I have with you."

With tears glistening in her eyes, Ziying whispered, "Miss treats me so well."

Since her mistress entered the palace, she has matured a lot and doesn't laugh as much as before. She really felt sorry for her, after all, her mistress was only sixteen years old.

Ning Shuyan looked at her with exceptional gentleness and smiled, "Alright, hurry up and eat."

Before she knew it, she had eaten most of it and rested for a while. When she saw Qiu Le rush in with a serious expression, Ning Shuyan knew that Lü Rui must be up to something.

"My lady, when Green Bud went to the Imperial Household Department, I personally saw her pause for a while next to Eunuch Wang, as if she was slipping something to him."

Ning Shuyan slowly drew circles on the table with her finger and said calmly, "Eunuch Wang and Lü Rui are both working for the same person."

So the palace maids that Eunuch Wang sent back then were probably all problematic.

Ziying was slightly startled: "Who is it? Is she positioned next to Miss to spy on her?"

Ning Shuyan clenched her fists tightly on the table, her clear eyes darkening slightly, flashing with a chilling light: "There are only a few people with this ability, and whoever fears me the most is the one."

If even Chief Steward Wang of the Imperial Household Department could be bribed, one can imagine that he must be a senior figure in the palace, and of high rank.

Thinking about it carefully, isn't the reason why the Emperor is so wary of her? The person behind her is either the Empress or a favored concubine, because the Empress does not allow concubines to be too favored.

Although the Empress would never harm herself, and even hoped that she and Consort Zhuang could be evenly matched and kill each other, she might also want to take precautions. If she became the second Consort Zhuang, the Empress would still know her every move.

Secondly, there was the favored concubine, because he feared he would pose a threat to her and thus diverted her favor.

Consort Rong was under house arrest, so she was barely able to protect herself at the time. How could she have the energy to plant spies around her?

That leaves Consort Zhuang...

Ning Shuyan roughly had an idea in mind...

"Should we find a fault and expel Green Bud from Lan Yue Pavilion?" Qiu Le asked.

"Need not!"

Ning Shuyan narrowed her eyes slightly and said coldly, "Now that she has come to Lanyue Pavilion, we must make good use of her, otherwise it would be a waste of the meticulous planning of the person behind her."

Sending her away like this is really not worth it, especially since she wants to know who's behind her.

Neither of the two servants, Lü Rui, would get close to her or enter the inner hall. She didn't believe that such behavior could lead to anything.

Several days passed without any further movement from Lürui, and the eunuch Wang from the Imperial Household Department also remained silent. It must be said that the person behind this was extremely cautious.

These past few days, Ning Shuyan has felt weak all over and has been feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit.

She sat on the tatami mat, reaching out to stroke her lower abdomen. Was she really pregnant? Was she really going to be a mother?

When Xiao Yu entered, he saw Ning Shuyan gently stroking her lower abdomen, looking thoughtful. She wasn't wearing any makeup after becoming pregnant, but that couldn't hide her stunning beauty; instead, it made her even more ethereal.

It just goes to show that: "Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any artifice."

Upon seeing Xiao Yu arrive, Ning Shuyan quickly stood up and slightly bent her knees, saying, "Your Majesty has arrived."

Seeing that Ning Shuyan was wearing a light purple, loose-fitting brocade dress today, and her eyes were full of smiles, Xiao Yu felt that she would definitely be a good mother in the future.

Unlike other concubines who continued to wear heavy makeup even while pregnant and wore form-fitting dresses to accentuate their slender figures, showing no regard for the health of their unborn children.

Ning Shuyan didn't actually wear this outfit for the sake of the child; she was just feeling a bit unwell lately and wanted to dress more loosely and comfortably.

After sitting down, Xiao Yu also reached out and gently placed his hand on Ning Shuyan's flat stomach, his brows and eyes relaxed with a smile.

"When will the baby start to move?" Xiao Yu looked at her lower abdomen with gentle eyes, a hint of anticipation in them.

Ning Shuyan smiled faintly: "It seems to be around four months."

"That's when Xi Jieyu will be around. Her belly will start to grow bigger then." Xiao Yu gently stroked her lower abdomen with his large hand.