The concubine, a former cannon fodder, becomes pregnant, and the childless prince spoils her rotten.

The Prince's mansion was unusually lively, but Feng Yao, confined to her quarters, felt uneasy, as she could hear the gossip outside every day.

At this moment, she looked at Granny Li with some panic and asked, "The Princess Consort's banquet for the women of various mansions must have cost money. What should we do if she finds out that the funds are insufficient?"

Granny Li was also keeping track of the money transactions, and Lin Zhizhi's records were so meticulous that no mistakes could be found.

He responded, "Liu Gu has added some silver these past few days, but it's not as much as the money he spent on repairing the shop before."

Mentioning that shop made Feng Yao feel depressed.

"If it weren't for my father's name, that shop wouldn't even have this much income. Now many people are dissatisfied and keep asking when Liu Gu can meet with my father's disciples, but Liu Gu is sitting still."

Feng Yao was extremely anxious, but fortunately, the house arrest was already halfway through, and her father's attitude had softened somewhat.

If she could get money from home to fill this hole, she wouldn't have to live in constant fear.

Liu Gulan was naturally in no hurry. Granny Li already knew what she was thinking. At this moment, her words were tinged with sarcasm. "She's unhappy that we haven't introduced anyone to him yet. She's already forgotten so quickly that we got him out of the government office. This little scoundrel really won't do anything without a profit."

"If he truly has real talent and ability, why should I worry about him showing weakness in front of my father? Some of his ideas are indeed refreshing, and he can design those fancy things, but his father simply cannot accept it."

Feng Yao also knew that Liu Gulan had been working day and night and studying poetry and books recently, and that her thoughts and words were in line with those of scholars.

When she secretly met with Liu Gulan at night, she could see her burning the midnight oil to read, copying down anything she didn't understand.

Naturally, the shop's operation became lax, not to mention that Lin Zhizhi could sit there and keep accounts for several days in a row.

Feng Yao was kept locked up like this, and all her food, clothing, and daily necessities were cut off.

They could barely make ends meet by relying on Granny Li to go out and buy things.

Feng Yao didn't care about these things; she would still have all the things she liked, and the servants didn't dare to be too negligent.

But she couldn't bear the fact that the prince was determined to punish her, even if it was just by reducing the amount of money given to some people.

They had received many favors from the Prince's mansion on a regular basis. If they were truly dissatisfied with her, those who had not been registered as slaves could simply go to live in other mansions.

Do they really dare to speak ill of the original owner's family?

With such a chatterbox, what employer would dare hire her?

Feng Yao grew angrier the more she thought about it. "With Lin Zhizhi keeping the accounts, it would be difficult to tamper with anything. She angered the prince just a few days ago and is already going back to him. I heard she was scolded by the prince again? All she does all day is try to please the prince with those seductive tricks."

"My lord, there's no need to get angry with her. It's not too late to deal with her after the accounts are settled. It's just a matter of petty tricks anyway. Once you regain favor, the one who will be the real troublemaker is still that other woman. You want that position, sir..."

Feng Yao gritted her teeth. She had been fighting with the princess for so many years, but her position had never been shaken.

Her emotions were in turmoil. During the month she was imprisoned, the princess had obtained the key to the storeroom so easily.

How could she be willing to have half of her power taken away?

"Since she took it under the pretext of appeasing the women and entertaining the guests, we can take it back using the same pretext," Granny Li said slowly.

Feng Yao's mind gradually calmed down.

Lin Zhizhi followed Lin Feng around busily, and finally managed to get everything settled before returning to report to the Princess.

She bowed and knelt down, but received no response from the princess.

Thinking about what she had done recently to anger the princess, she said, "This servant knows her mistake."

The princess remained silent, and the room was unusually quiet. Lin Zhizhi did not raise her head.

I can only wonder if she has learned a lot from her father recently, which has displeased the princess?

"Lin Zhizhi, I originally thought your quarrel with the Prince was just a small misunderstanding. I believe you are not the kind of person who would have affairs outside the palace, so why are you angry with the Prince? Do you still remember your status?" The Princess's voice was calm. It was her duty to mediate the relationship between the women in the palace and the Prince.

"This servant wouldn't dare." Lin Zhizhi's expression was earnest as she looked up at the Princess, only then noticing her cold attitude. "This servant doesn't know why the Princess thinks this way. This servant only has the Prince in her heart, and is afraid of angering the Prince. How could she dare to be angry with the Prince?"

"May I lift you up and let you sit down? The most urgent matter right now is to ensure the continuation of the family line. You're busy running the shop for the Prince and also helping Steward Lin with household affairs. When will you be able to conceive?"

No children had been born in the household for some time, but the imperial concubine had not urged them to have any, and had even stopped sending them tonics.

Logically speaking, it would be reasonable for the princess to worry about these things, but Lin Zhizhi knew in her heart that the princess was unhappy that she was interfering too much in the affairs of the mansion.

They wanted to make her a concubine who could never have children, because whether it was interacting with the women in various mansions or managing the shops, she had gone beyond the duties of a mere decorative maid.

The princess had already been testing her by asking her to write the invitations.

Perhaps he was dissatisfied because he saw that Lin Zhizhi hadn't messed things up.

At this moment, they want to observe her attitude and thoughts by elevating her status.

Lin Zhizhi looked up in a panic, but lost her balance due to excessive excitement, and her hands fell naturally to the ground, still gazing at the princess.

"Don't rush. You've angered the Prince so many times, how can I possibly help you?"

"This servant didn't want to either." Lin Zhizhi's eyes were moist, and large tears fell. "If Xiying hadn't been so talkative, this servant wouldn't have annoyed the prince. This servant truly had no other intentions."

Her tone still carried a hint of resentment, but she looked at the princess with expectation, "Your Highness, could you please help me? I didn't want things to turn out this way..."

"happy Ying has already learned her lesson." The princess seemed to be unwell, and her speech was much slower at this moment.

Seeing this, Lin Zhizhi quickly stepped forward and massaged her temples.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but you know the prince's temperament. If you don't live up to his potential, do you expect him to come looking for you on his own?"

"How dare I?"

Even though Lin Zhizhi now appears charming and unrestrained, still carrying the naivety of a young girl, the princess still harbors doubts.

Just as she was wondering whether Lin Zhizhi truly wanted a promotion or was just pretending to deceive her with ulterior motives, she heard Lin Zhizhi mutter in her ear, "Your Highness, I think Xiying is really not suitable to serve by Your Highness's side. She's clumsy and doesn't know how to speak properly. This time she angered the Prince, and next time she will anger Your Highness. It would be better to transfer her back to her original position to avoid causing trouble for Your Highness."

Her words were full of thoughts of ostracizing Xiying, as if she still held a grudge against the grievances she had suffered before.