My Prince said he'd break my legs.

When she woke up again, it was already noon. She sat up and found herself dressed in her nightgown. She felt clean and refreshed, as if someone had already wiped her down.

Hearing her movements, Qinglan, who was waiting outside the bed curtains, quickly lifted the curtains, helped her get dressed, and after a quick wash, served her lunch.

Qinglan served her vegetables, saying, "This morning, I delivered silver notes and a contract of sale to Miss Chunmei."

"Has she left?"

In truth, Liang Zhiyi was very reluctant to part with Chunmei, but she had no choice but to let Chunmei go. Pei Yue would never let Chunmei come back; the fact that he was willing to give Chunmei a way out was already the limit.

"At first, Miss Chunmei cried and refused to leave, saying she was waiting for Liangyuan outside. I persuaded her, gave her the silver notes and the indenture, and then came back."

Liang Zhiyi nodded and said nothing more, hoping that Chunmei could think things through and stop following such a useless master.

"Where is the Crown Prince?"

"Today is New Year's Eve. His Highness the Crown Prince and Consort Xiao have gone to the palace for a banquet."

Liang Zhiyi paused, "Consort Xiao?"

Isn't it usually the principal wife who attends the palace banquet on New Year's Eve? Why did she bring a concubine along?

"The Crown Princess suddenly fell seriously ill a few days ago and has been bedridden. The imperial physicians have been invited to treat her every day, but there has been no news of improvement until now. That's why His Highness the Crown Prince brought Consort Xiao with him."

Liang Zhiyi muttered, "They really dote on Consort Xiao so much, taking her along alone out of all the other concubines."

After Qinglan helped her wash up, she poured her a cup of tea. After drinking the tea to moisten her throat, it was time for lunch.

"No," Qinglan replied while serving her food. "His Highness hasn't summoned Consort Xiao for over three months."

"Hmm?" Liang Zhiyi didn't understand Pei Yue's actions now, but then she thought about it and realized that it was normal for someone to fall out of favor and then regain it.

Sure enough, he came to "favor" her again last night.

"They were all saying..." Qinglan hesitated, "that you and Consort Xiao have fallen out of favor."

They haven't been seen for three months. What else could it be but falling out of favor? Especially Liang Zhiyi, who has been confined to her quarters.

"But His Highness the Crown Prince came to Feiyu Palace last night, and this morning he brought Consort Xiao into the palace again. The rumors have changed. Now everyone in the Eastern Palace is watching you two, and they are all waiting to see His Highness's attitude."

"Ha." Liang Zhiyi laughed; she was actually hoping to lose favor.

"So who was serving you in bed during those three months?"

She swore she was just curious. She didn't believe Pei Yue could go three months without a vegan diet. Men, especially men in high positions of power, wouldn't compromise themselves.

Moreover, she never believed that Pei Yue would be indispensable to her; his surveillance and imprisonment of her were simply because he had never encountered such novelty before.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has rarely summoned anyone to his bedchamber in the past few months. He only went to the Crown Princess's place once, Consort Feng once, Consort An twice, Consort Zhang once, and visited Li Chenghui once, but only had dinner before leaving."

"So, apart from Consort An, Consort Feng is quite favored among the newcomers."

Of the five newcomers to the Eastern Palace, only one had never served the emperor's bedchamber, which was not a good thing for a newcomer.

I'm afraid that after some time, Pei Yue will completely forget that she exists.

Qinglan had been serving Liang Zhiyi closely, so she naturally knew that Liang Zhiyi was at odds with Consort Feng. She assumed that Liang Zhiyi was unhappy because Consort Feng was favored, so she comforted her.

"As I see, His Highness the Crown Prince still dotes on our Consort. Although His Highness has confined her to her quarters, her clothing and food are all of the best. Consort, don't underestimate the tricks behind this. If His Highness hadn't specifically instructed us, who knows what the people below would have done?"

That's true.

Liang Zhiyi cannot deny this point. Not to mention in the Eastern Palace, even concubines in ordinary households have a hard time in the inner quarters once they fall out of favor.

After Liang Zhiyi finished eating, she put down her chopsticks, took a handkerchief handed to her by a maid, wiped her mouth, and walked out.

"Where is Liangyuan going?" Qinglan asked hurriedly.

Liang Zhiyi turned around and looked at her with a puzzled expression: "I haven't been out for a long time. I'm going out for a stroll, and then I'll go see the Crown Princess and also visit Chunmei."

She has already planned out her schedule for today.

Qinglan looked slightly embarrassed and stammered, "Lady Liang... His Highness has not yet lifted your confinement."

Liang Zhiyi was somewhat incredulous. She ran out to see what was happening and found that Pei Yue had not only not lifted her confinement, but there were also several times more guards surrounding Feiyu Palace, as if she were some serious criminal.

Oh shit.

Liang Zhi stormed back into the house and threw all the food on the table onto the floor.

That son of a bitch, he took advantage of me and then turned his back on me, didn't he?

"Liangyuan, be careful not to get hurt." Qinglan reacted quickly and pulled Liang Zhiyi back a little.

Liang Zhiyi pushed Qinglan away and knelt on the ground, glaring hatefully at the outside.

She had been pretending to be well-behaved and sick for the past few months, thinking that Pei Yue would lower his guard and let her out. Now it seems that she underestimated Pei Yue.

One day, she will definitely escape, escape this suffocating cage.

Evening

Feng Shuyue sat in front of the bronze mirror, and Yu'er picked up a large gold hairpin and put it in her hair.

"The hairpin that His Highness the Crown Prince bestowed upon Consort Liang is truly beautiful, making her even more stunning."

Feng Shuyue reached out and stroked her still-flat stomach, unable to hide her smile: "When Your Highness returns, I want to give you a surprise."

Her period was late this month, and she began to suspect something was wrong. A few days ago, she made an excuse to go out and see a random doctor to take her pulse. Sure enough, she was pregnant.

Yu'er smiled: "Yes, the Crown Prince has few heirs. He would be very happy if he knew that Consort Liang was pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Feng Shuyue suddenly realized something and her expression changed: "Your Highness went to Feiyu Palace again last night. I don't know what's so good about that slut that she can still seduce Your Highness even when she's locked up inside."

"Don't worry, Consort Liang. This morning I sent people to investigate. Not only did His Highness the Crown Prince not lift her confinement, but he also doubled the number of guards protecting Feiyu Palace. Do you think Consort Liang has committed some crime and has been imprisoned by His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"Hmph, it would be even better if she were Prince Chen's spy. Your Highness had better kill her." Feng Shuyue stood up with a cold laugh.

"However, that bitch Liang Zhiyi is not entirely useless. After all, her birth mother, who came from a merchant family, was able to divorce an official, which must have been due to His Highness's influence."

Yu'er's eyes lit up: "Liangyuan means..."

"If she can rely on His Highness, so can I. A mother's status rises with her son, so I should at least get a share." Feng Shuyue gently stroked her flat belly again: "Once my pregnancy is stable, I will also ask His Highness to allow my mother and father to divorce."

"But the lady's family... I'm afraid they won't agree."

Yu'er was somewhat worried, after all, her master was a member of Prince Chen's faction, and her maternal family had always been afraid of trouble and dared not offend her master.

"Don't worry, they're not that stupid." Feng Shuyue's eyes were full of smugness.

"As long as Your Highness gains power, and I am pregnant, whether I give birth to a grandson or a princess, they will not dare to hold their mother hostage. Besides, isn't there the Eldest Princess?"