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

"All the sisters in the manor can carry the prince's child, so that the prince's lineage can continue. How much do you hate the prince that you want to get rid of me and the child in my womb? Or is it that the concubine has a grudge against the prince that you want to make the prince childless?" Lin Zhizhi said pitifully, and at this moment she protected her belly, looking like she was ready to die.

"What a silver tongue you have! The prince was bewitched by your words. I'll tear your mouth apart first."

After saying that, Granny Li stepped forward, grabbed Lin Zhizhi's cheek, and took off a hairpin.

She forcefully pried open Lin Zhizhi's mouth to grab her tongue, at which point the carriage, which had been stationary, suddenly began to shake.

Seeing that Granny Li was losing her footing, Lin Zhizhi directly bumped into her abdomen. Seeing her stagger and fall to the ground, Lin Zhizhi then ran out of the carriage with lingering fear.

She was captured by the bandits as soon as she went out, and she could clearly feel the hostility in their eyes.

Then, a slightly excited voice rang in his ears, "This little wench is quite pretty, and judging from her attire, she's a maid from a wealthy family. I've heard that those maids are at the mercy of their masters, and even if they're lost, they won't go to great lengths to find them. Why don't we take her back to the village and have some fun with her?"

"I think it's a good idea. If we let one escape and then get questioned by the important person, we won't get the money."

There was still a chance for things to turn around; Lin Zhizhi then willingly fell into the hands of the bandits.

If that old woman Li really did get rid of the child in her womb, then she…

Fortunately, both the concubine and Liu Gulan were the type of people who liked to solve problems at their root, only thinking about making her disappear from the world without considering any unforeseen circumstances.

If they hadn't been unwilling to do it themselves lest they be caught red-handed, and had actually let Granny Li throw her off the carriage earlier, she would have truly lost her life.

It seems that Feng Yao doesn't trust that coachman; perhaps the coachman is someone from the prince or princess's faction.

The purpose of bringing her here was merely to testify and confirm that she was killed by bandits.

Lin Zhizhi racked her brains for a solution. It seemed that Feng Yao had become even more difficult to deal with after Liu Gulan's help.

Seeing her obediently and submissively captured, the bandit found it amusing. "It seems she didn't have a good life in those wealthy families, that's why she was so compliant in letting us capture her."

Now the bandits were even more certain that Lin Zhizhi was not their target. If, as that nobleman had said, they were to capture her and kill her directly.

The pregnant woman shouldn't be so calm and collected; she should at least be like the two who ran away earlier, prioritizing the protection of her unborn child.

Lin Zhizhi is not showing any signs of pregnancy yet. Apart from being pretty, her clothes and behavior make her look like a maid in a mansion, not a pregnant and favored concubine.

Granny Li also got off the carriage at this moment, cursing the bandits for their incompetence.

Seeing that Feng Yao and Liu Gulan had run far away with the coachman, he said coldly, "What are you all standing there for? Kill that little slut!"

"It's her? You didn't say she was a maid." The bandit was somewhat stunned.

Lin Zhizhi seemed frightened and hid behind the bandits, whispering, "Brother, save me! I serve the master with her, but because we rarely make offerings, she has held a grudge against me ever since."

"I recently discovered that she was colluding with outsiders and plotting to harm the master of the house. She wanted to use my elder brother to get rid of the servant."

Lin Zhizhi made up a story on the spot. Seeing that Granny Li's face turned red with anger, she thought that no matter whether the bandit believed her or not, she should save her life first.

"You little slut, spouting nonsense!" Granny Li shouted, and was about to take matters into her own hands to deal with the trouble, but was stopped by the bandits beside her.

"How could you be so wicked, you old woman?" The bandit's tone was frivolous, his gaze involuntarily sweeping over Lin Zhizhi, his eyes filled with lewdness.

Granny Li immediately understood what was going on.

He cursed the bandit inwardly for being blinded by lust and ruining his master's plans.

"You took the money but didn't do anything. Aren't you afraid of being blamed by the important person?" Granny Li's tone was unfriendly. She was used to throwing her weight around in the mansion and had seen all kinds of people while following Feng Yao.

No one dared to speak when she got angry, but these bandits were reckless and fearless.

"You dare threaten me? You think I'm really afraid of you?"

Granny Li was taken aback, then looked at the bandits, who were strong and burly, not to mention that each of them was carrying a weapon.

Or an axe, a kitchen knife, a large cleaver, or a longsword.

These are all prohibited items in the capital, but the surrounding area is desolate with hardly any houses, so who would care?

She suddenly felt a little scared and lost her previous assertiveness, saying, "Your target is her. She was just talking nonsense. If you really don't believe me, then get rid of the child in her belly first. If she's not pregnant, then you can protect her. If she is pregnant, you know what to do."

"Old ginger is indeed spicier," Lin Zhizhi's eyelids twitched, and she looked extremely fearful.

The bandits also thought it made sense, and now they looked at Lin Zhizhi with hostility.

Seeing her like this, he said, "It's just a couple of punches to your stomach. If you're not carrying someone else's child, it won't hurt much. Don't be afraid."

These men were full of banditry and had absolutely no intention of showing any mercy to women.

Adhering to the principle of "better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free".

After capturing Lin Zhizhi, the bandits planned to strike her in the abdomen first.

Just as he clenched his fist, preparing to swing it down, he was lifted up by a gust of wind.

A black figure appeared and took Lin Zhizhi away swiftly and decisively, clearly demonstrating martial arts skills.

Not only were the bandits and Granny Li unaware of what had happened, but even Lin Zhizhi herself was somewhat bewildered.

"Who are you?" Lin Zhizhi asked warily, but the other party did not reply.

At this moment, she was lying on the other person's back, with only one thought in her mind: this was a bodyguard.

Could it be a prince?

Each government office secretly trains its own secret guards and assassins, but none of them ever come out, for fear that the emperor will suspect them of disloyalty.

Cen Jingyi has kept a low profile in recent years, seemingly indicating his decline. It's unexpected that he has been secretly training bodyguards.

What surprised her even more was that such a precious bodyguard would be sent to protect her.

Was it because of the child in her womb, or because she received attention for giving news about the epidemic at that time?

Regardless of whether they were sent by the prince or not, they were life-saving to Lin Zhizhi.

The bandits mounted their horses, intending to give chase, but the guards led Lin Zhizhi around erratically, and they quickly lost track of them.

When Granny Li heard the news, her face turned extremely ugly. She cursed, "You can't even handle this simple matter! Quickly tie me up and take me to see the master. You'll all be punished by the nobleman."

The bandits were at a loss when they saw Lin Zhizhi run away.

Now, hearing Granny Li's threat again, he became agitated and naturally hit her harder, cursing, "You better behave yourselves."

When they bent Granny Li's arm backward, she screamed in agony as her shoulder was dislocated.