After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

Xu Yanqing was momentarily dazed; he didn't know if he regretted it.

But after having that dream, he always avoided looking at the person in front of him. He also found it hard to accept that he was actually coveting His Majesty's person.

"Jiaojiao is your sister after all, and she has never wronged you. I did promise you, but I never said I would hurt Jiaojiao."

"His Highness is truly devoted to my sister."

Peony was almost in tears with anger. Wasn't His Highness the Crown Prince trying to have his cake and eat it too?

Xu Yanqing looked at Shen Lingyi, not knowing what he was thinking, and said, "If you don't become His Majesty's concubine, I can also keep my distance from your elder sister from now on."

He still thought Shen Lingyi would agree.

After all, the gap between her and His Majesty was obvious. Even if she had promised Shen Lingyi before, Xu Yanqing couldn't see much of a chance, and she liked him so much.

Shen Lingyi likes him, but he is not unfaithful to His Majesty. How could she possibly be devoted to His Majesty?

On the palace road, Pei Heng slowly stopped. Xu Yanqing's words just now made him look at Shen Lingyi.

He was very curious to see how Shen Lingyi would respond.

Everyone knows that Shen Lingyi is infatuated with the Crown Prince, and he himself has heard about it. Given the choice, there's nothing to hesitate about.

Shen Lingyi did not hesitate at all. "Then I wish Your Highness and my sister well. It just so happens that my family is interested in showing this to my sister. If Your Highness is truly interested, you may wish to ask His Majesty for permission."

He added, "If Your Highness is unable to speak up, I can speak to His Majesty on your behalf."

Pei Heng glanced at Fu Quan, who coughed knowingly, instantly drawing the attention of the two men.

Fuquan said in a high-pitched voice, "Your Highness, please don't be late for court."

Xu Yanqing loosened his clenched fist. He still had a lot to say, but under Pei Heng's gaze, he couldn't utter a single word.

"Yes."

Shen Lingyi bowed to Pei Heng and then got into the carriage.

The carriage slowly drove out of the palace gate. Pei Heng did not move. His dark dragon robe made him look solemn and imposing.

"The Crown Prince is getting very close to the daughter of the General's Mansion, which means there are ministers in the court who are impeaching you for forming a faction."

Xu Yanqing's eyelids twitched, and he carefully said, "Your Majesty, I have always had some affection for Jiaojiao, but it has only been a matter of affection and propriety. We have never overstepped the bounds. Your Majesty is wise."

"I naturally trust you," Pei Heng said meaningfully, "and you are certainly a good candidate."

Upon hearing the man's words, Xu Yanqing's heart pounded wildly. Before he could understand what Pei Heng meant, the latter had already led the eunuch into the Golden Palace.

Shen Lingyi returned to the mansion in a carriage. Peony, who was standing beside her, was still angry and said indignantly, "Your Highness is really blind. The carriage that Miss uses is given to her by the old lady and is more comfortable than ours. How could she be deliberately mistreated by the servants?"

Shen Lingyi's face remained expressionless, as if the matter had not affected her at all. "I never expected anything from him. In the end, I still have to rely on myself for everything."

As Shaoyao was about to leave, she had someone call Fengren in.

I sent him to find that mad monk, but I don't know if there's been any news since.

Feng Ren knelt on the ground, a hint of shame on his face: "This subordinate is incompetent. The monk's whereabouts are unknown, and this subordinate is still searching for him."

Shen Lingyi wasn't particularly disappointed, as this outcome was expected. "It's alright, this matter can't be rushed."

He added, "If you really can't find it, you can go to Qingfeng Temple to ask."

Qingfeng Temple is a dilapidated temple, with only a few monks struggling to keep it afloat, and few people visit it on ordinary days.

Shen Lingyi suddenly mentioned it, also thinking that in the plot, Shen Tingjiao seemed to have visited the temple a few times.

After Feng Ren left, Shen Lingyi found a book to pass the time. The academy was about to open, and the teachers were teaching increasingly profound things. Even she had to read more to keep up.

There's nothing we can do about it; after all, male and female students need to keep up with each other's pace.

Just as she was working hard, a head popped out from under the window, stared at her for a while, and only spoke when no one paid any attention: "Shen Lingyi, still reading?"

Shen Lingyi turned her head and saw Xie Chichun's sly look. She said, "I just got a lecture from His Highness the Crown Prince in the palace. He said I mistreated my elder sister. I need to read some books to calm down."

Xie Chichun choked up. Even she had noticed during this time that, while she wasn't exactly kind to her older sister Shen Tingjiao, she hadn't been so idle as to deliberately make things difficult for her.

However, Shen Tingjiao always relied on her weakness, which led to many people condemning Shen Lingyi.

Sometimes, Xie Chichun would put herself in Shen Lingyi's shoes and think, "If I were Shen Lingyi, having such a scheming older sister would make me feel like ants are crawling all over me."

Looking at Shen Lingyi's gentle features, she felt the more she looked at her, the more pitiful the other woman seemed. "I'll help you get revenge, what do you think?"

Shen Lingyi put away her book and raised an eyebrow: "Tell me more."

The backyard of the General's Mansion.

Shen Tingjiao had just returned from the Prince Su's mansion. After taking off her cumbersome cloak, she prepared to go to the courtyard.

She casually tossed the cloak, its fur soaked from the water, to her personal maid: "Take it and throw it away."

After Linlang died, her personal maid was replaced. The current maid has a few freckles on her face, is thin and small, and is a servant born into the household. She is only fourteen years old, a few years younger than Shen Tingjiao.

She wasn't very close to Shen Tingjiao, and didn't dare ask why such a nice cloak was thrown away so easily, so she could only nod in agreement.

Shen Tingjiao's hair was still a little wet, and she kept shivering in the cold wind, but she felt that arranging this trip was very worthwhile.

Half an hour ago, Princess Su was passing through the Imperial Garden in the palace when she encountered a palace maid fetching water. The maid tripped and almost splashed her with water, but Shen Tingjiao pulled the princess away.

Although the price of doing this was that she was soaked, she felt it was all worth it when she thought of the Princess Consort's moved and guilty eyes.

After this incident, even if Princess Su didn't like her, she would never have any objections to her and Xu Yanqing.

Once she becomes the Crown Princess, not to mention one Shen Lingyi, even ten Shen Lingyis will be firmly trampled underfoot.

The personal maid threw away the cloak and returned. Remembering that she had just passed by the old lady's courtyard, she asked, "Miss, the old lady hasn't taken her medicine today. Should we send someone to deliver it to her?"

Shen Tingjiao's eyes were cold and indifferent. Just as she was about to say something, she pushed open the door, and the wooden bucket hanging on the door fell down, knocking her unconscious.

"Young Miss!" the maid exclaimed, looking around to see who had done it.

Why would someone in the General's Mansion harm the young lady?

Seeing that the person had fainted, Xie Chichun quickly pulled Shen Lingyi over: "Hey, stop looking! The person has fainted! Quickly call the imperial physician!"

Shen Lingyi was still thinking about the cloak that the maid had thrown into the straw basket by the side room door, and replied absentmindedly, "Never mind it, the maid called for it. You'd better leave if you don't want to get caught."