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

Because the Crown Princess's pregnancy resolved the Empress's biggest worry, the Crown Prince regained his attention, and her heart palpitations naturally disappeared without medication.

Lin Zhizhi had been observing the Empress's expression, but she didn't see her show any unusual behavior.

I thought that she was so eager for Cen Jingyi to have a child, and that she would feel quite uncomfortable when she learned that the Crown Princess was pregnant.

Perhaps he didn't reveal his true thoughts amidst the joyous atmosphere, or perhaps he genuinely didn't care whether the Crown Prince's residence could have any more children.

Just when everyone thought the matter would end there, a young eunuch from the Imperial Observatory rushed over, saying he had important news to report and was waiting outside.

When the Emperor heard the news, he frowned slightly, clearly not wanting to let it affect his mood.

"pass."

The young eunuch trotted along, then quickly knelt down, his face beaming with joy.

He immediately said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations! The Imperial Observatory observed the celestial phenomena and suddenly saw a purple aura coming from the east. According to the calculations, a son will be born, and in two years he will protect the prosperity of Yuanyang, expand its territory, and ensure that its people live in peace and prosperity, and flourish ever since."

"Good!" The Emperor shouted, looking at the Empress who was lying in bed. His hearty laughter carried far and wide. He continued, "The Empress has given birth to a fine son for me. She has been doing good deeds and praying for blessings every day, which is why she was able to give birth to an heir who will bring prosperity to the Yuanyang Kingdom."

Just as the Empress was about to get up, she heard the Emperor say, "No need for formalities, just rest and recuperate."

What a coincidence! At this moment, Lin Zhizhi instinctively protected her lower abdomen, trying her best to hide it and avoid being noticed.

The young eunuch, beaming with delight, continued, "It's because one of the twins is blessed with good fortune, while the other is also blessed by heaven, protecting the mother and turning danger into safety."

Upon hearing this, the princess felt a little uneasy. If the child in the crown princess's womb truly possessed such good fortune, how could it have startled anyone?

He dared not say anything at such a moment, but subconsciously looked at the imperial concubine.

"Quickly, examine her carefully. Is the Crown Princess carrying twins?" the Empress said hastily, urging the imperial physician to make another diagnosis.

The imperial physicians exchanged glances, all understanding her meaning: she simply wanted to ensure that this good thing would ultimately benefit the Crown Princess.

The people from the Imperial Medical Academy dared not offend the Empress, much less deceive the Emperor, so they had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the pulse again.

The Crown Princess sat there, letting everyone watch, but at that moment she felt uncomfortable all over and stared nervously at the imperial physicians.

For a full hour, the imperial physicians took pulses and discussed the matter, and even the emperor grew impatient with the wait.

Only then did the imperial physician cautiously speak: "The pregnancy is still too early to determine whether the fetuses are twins. The Crown Princess is blessed by Heaven; originally, with such an impact, the babies would certainly not have survived. Now that her pulse has stabilized, there is no need to prescribe any more pregnancy-stabilizing medicine."

This sounds like nonsense, and with the intention of satisfying both the Emperor and Empress, they could only give such an ambiguous answer.

"In that case, wait until the pregnancy is more advanced, and then I will have you examine the Crown Princess." The Empress's joy faded slightly, and she then said to the nanny beside her, "His Majesty previously bestowed upon me a jade pillow, but now that it is getting hotter and hotter, I'm afraid she won't be able to sleep well at night. So I'm giving it to the Crown Princess so that she can have a peaceful pregnancy."

"Thank you, Your Highness." The Crown Princess quickly stood up, carefully supported by the maid beside her.

"Go back and rest. You must protect this child well. Fortunately, you two are kind and benevolent, which is why your household is thriving. Unlike others who are prone to using underhanded methods, you are not like that. People who don't know better would think you are truly virtuous and kind. If you were truly tolerant, how could your household be so desolate?"

Upon hearing this, the imperial concubine's expression turned grim. "I am not feeling well, so I will not disturb you."

After leaving those words, she departed with the princess and her entourage. Upon returning to her residence, she coldly looked at Yueqi and said, "You kneel here and wait."

Yueqi glanced timidly at the princess, and then had no choice but to kneel down unwillingly.

Upon entering the room, the Imperial Concubine immediately launched into a tirade, "You weren't born into a noble family, and since Jingyi insisted on supporting you, I didn't say anything. But how could you be so foolish as to let the Crown Princess use you and even give her leverage against you?"

If Yueqi had no connection with the Crown Princess, why would she speak up for a maid who almost killed her unborn child for no reason?

All of this was too coincidental. The Crown Princess's actions not only revealed her pregnancy but also appeased the Emperor's anger.

Just then, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau reported that auspicious purple clouds were coming from the east and a lucky star was about to be born.

Seeing that the princess remained silent, the imperial concubine assumed that she had almost been implicated and was still shaken.

His initial dissatisfaction with her intensified, but considering that Cen Jingyi would still need the Princess's help in the future, he had no choice but to offer some guidance.

"What the Imperial Observatory said is not entirely a good thing. The Emperor is young and strong now, why would he need any children to protect him?"

"Although the Crown Prince has been keeping a low profile lately, he is still not entirely prudent."

"Your intentions are far too obvious. Do you really think the Emperor is angry with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess because of that ginseng?"

The Crown Prince's good reputation is widespread, and the Emperor has mentioned his benevolence and kindness many times, which probably means he is already wary of this.

If he continues down this path, he will simply become another Cen Jingyi who returns with a glorious military record.

Unlike the prince, the empress also has her own power in the court, while the crown prince has long been forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, constantly pushing the emperor's bottom line.

However, Lin Zhizhi should not have heard these things, as she did not know the Empress's intentions.

The imperial concubine then said, "You have learned a lesson today. You should be able to make your own judgment about who in the household can be trusted and who cannot."

The princess glanced at Lin Zhizhi before saying, "Your Highness's teachings are correct."

"Go and send Yueqi away."

After the princess withdrew, Lin Zhizhi looked up at the imperial concubine, her blank expression evident.

"Your parents are honest and upright people, and they've doted on you since you were little. They would never have any intention of profiting from you. Becoming a concubine was your own idea, wasn't it? Was it because you're beautiful and have a good figure that you deliberately tried to get close to the prince?"

Lin Zhizhi could sense her anger. She had never known the Empress's thoughts before, but the former Empress had always thought so of her.

"This servant has admired Your Highness for a long time and truly wishes to serve you. I have no other requests." Lin Zhizhi's tone was earnest, and she could feel the scrutinizing gaze of the Imperial Concubine.

"If that's the case, and you already realized that the maid was up to no good, why didn't you reprimand her? Why did you let her pounce on the Crown Princess, thus implicating the Princess?"

"This servant was caught off guard and had no idea what Yueqi wanted me to do, nor did I expect her to bump into the Crown Princess." Lin Zhizhi's voice trembled.

"Are you truly stupid, or are you just pretending? You should know that if the princess is rejected, the prince will also be implicated. No matter what, they should be of one mind as husband and wife, and you cannot bypass her."