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

Especially since Lin Zhizhi offended the concubine, how could that woman let go of the opportunity to torment her?

If you get caught red-handed, you're bound to suffer a lot.

In her previous life, the prince wouldn't allow her to get close to him, let alone serve him in bed at night.

She studied diligently and secretly slipped some silver into the old woman's hand.

Only then did they learn some secrets: the former princess disliked being disturbed, and her master had ordered that no one should rashly barge in before the water was ready.

Serving a concubine requires extra care. People who are not from her household will definitely be harassed. The water temperature must be just right and have a fragrance. Also, prepare her usual skin-softening cream. When twisting her hair, you must be gentle and careful.

She cherished her full head of black hair and couldn't stand the slightest frizz.

"The people who arranged for you to serve on duty are the concubine's people."

"Thank you for your guidance, Granny."

As soon as Lin Zhizhi returned, Granny Li, who managed them, came to tell her to go and serve them that night.

The concubine, who had her eye on the account book in her mother's hands, naturally wouldn't let her off easily.

Lin Zhizhi listened to the arrangements: she would be on duty tonight and during the day tomorrow, rest for one night, and then be on duty again during the day and night the day after tomorrow.

This was intended to tire her out and make her make mistakes.

The prince was busy with affairs and could only invite his wife and concubine to stay overnight three times a month. Other concubines and those like Lin Zhizhi who shared rooms were lucky to get to stay once a month.

Some concubines were not summoned for years and could only wait in the courtyard for the prince to remember them, or with the help of the princess and concubines, they could mention a few words to the prince.

Seeing that she was meek and showed no displeasure, Granny Li said, "The Imperial Concubine has always been thinking of the Prince. This morning, she sent someone from the palace kitchen to deliver some nourishing medicinal food. You should take it to her. The Imperial Concubine is kind and doesn't require the maids and concubines to pay their respects every day, but you should still do your job properly."

"Yes."

Lin Zhizhi accepted the medicinal meal. The prince always valued the things sent by the imperial concubine, but Granny Li's hands were trembling violently.

Seeing that the medicinal food was about to spill, she quickly reached out to steady it, and her fingertips were burned by the pot.

He held on firmly, as if he felt no pain, and didn't even groan.

This level of harassment is nothing compared to the ordeal of being escorted in my previous life.

Granny Li, however, spoke up dismissively: "You've grown up in this mansion, how come you're still so clumsy? This clay pot, though it keeps things warm, is scalding hot. Don't you know you should hold it by the handle?"

"The old woman is right."

Seeing that she couldn't find any fault with her, Granny Li went back home in a huff, thinking that there was still a long way to go and she would find a way to deal with her.

[Drug elimination passive activated: Existing aphrodisiac drugs have been increased in dosage. Long-term use will damage your health. Please protect yourself.]

In the first three months, the baby's position is not stable, so vigorous sexual intercourse is not advisable. However, the prince is unrestrained and will certainly not consider her health. If she were to take such a strong drug with her, it would be even worse.

Lin Zhizhi felt a chill run down her spine, not only because she was thinking about the soreness in her lower back, but also because this medicinal diet was sent from the palace, and the imperial concubine would never harm her own son.

It was delivered to her from the palace, and passed through countless hands along the way.

However, if something goes wrong when she sends it up, even if the prince knows in his heart that she is not the kind of person who would do such a thing, she will still be made a scapegoat by the people behind the scenes.

The prince would certainly not make a fuss about it, so as not to cause the imperial concubine any worry.

Lin Zhizhi took the medicinal food to the small kitchen and also took out some white porridge.

When I went to the study, I saw Cen Jingyi playing chess with Liu Gulan, and my eyes lit up.

She mixed the medicinal food with white porridge, placed a small bowl in front of the prince, stirred it carefully, and said softly, "The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and the food sent by the imperial concubine is still steaming hot. I thought that Your Highness might find it too rich, so I mixed it with some clear porridge. This way, the taste will be even more delicious. Young Master Liu, please try it too. The things in the palace are all precious, and I suppose you don't have many opportunities to come into contact with them."

His words clearly implied that he regarded Liu Gulan as a naive scholar who coveted the prosperity of the mansion and refused to leave.

"Don't be rude," Cen Jingyi said, noting that this little maid was usually quite talkative.

He glanced at the casserole dish a few more times, realizing that the imperial concubine sent it to him every day because she wanted him to have an heir as soon as possible.

Lin Zhizhi was thoughtful; she added some medicinal herbs to the porridge, which greatly reduced the bitterness.

I also prepared some refreshing and cooling tea, and after drinking it, the original feeling of heat and discomfort had long since dissipated.

Lin Zhizhi is not a snobbish person; she has already retreated to a corner. Her actions today are probably intentional.

Liu Gulan's eyelids twitched as she looked at the large bowl in front of her. This seemingly dull-witted maid was really afraid that she wouldn't be able to eat the palace delicacies, and wished she could bring the whole pot to her.

Could it be that he's all talk and no action? After just one sip, his mouth felt incredibly bitter. Could it be that they only put porridge in the prince's bowl?

Liu Gulan wanted to put down her chopsticks, but felt that doing so would disappoint the imperial concubine and offend Cen Jingyi, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and eat.

Lin Zhizhi was confident that the woman had been unharmed after drinking the medicinal food. Even if it did poison the scheming Liu Gulan, she could avoid the entire royal family being executed because of her plot.

After she finished drinking, Lin Zhizhi finally had the sense to step forward and clear the plate. Just then, she heard Cen Jingyi say, "From now on, you will be responsible for delivering all the medicinal meals from the palace."

This was a tough job. When Lin Zhizhi looked up, she met his deep, dark eyes, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Liu Gulan said, "I noticed she's quite clumsy, with so many blisters on her hands. But she's a thoughtful person, taking care of me even when she's injured."

His tone was full of dissatisfaction with Lin Zhizhi for making him drink bitter medicinal food. His seemingly unintentional words seemed to point out that Lin Zhizhi was using her injury to curry favor with the emperor, and also seemed to confirm the recent rumors of mistreatment of servants in the mansion.

I don't know how she offended this little maid, that she would treat her like this.

Could it be that, like the princess, he could tell she was a woman?

Liu Gulan felt uneasy and kept looking at Lin Zhizhi. She thought that the maid raised by this wealthy family was really beautiful, and that this down-on-his-luck prince was really lucky with women.

Perhaps it was the overly direct probing look in her eyes that made Lin Zhizhi feel uncomfortable.

Deep down, she felt uneasy, unable to explain that it was the concubine who had sent people to do it, as her position in the prince's heart could not surpass that of his master.

Whether it's currying favor or mistreating someone, both actions are taboo at this moment, and Liu Gulan can sow discord with just a few words.

It was not appropriate to linger here and spread rumors. Despite the prince's cold and hard expression, she said, "This servant takes her leave."

But I always felt that the prince knew there was something wrong with the medicinal diet, so why did he take it every day?

It's probably not that he didn't want the imperial concubine to be sad, but rather that he wanted to put the person who harmed him at ease.

Seeing that Cen Jingyi was still staring at Lin Zhizhi's departing figure, Liu Gulan took the opportunity to change the chess pieces and revitalize the game that was on the verge of collapse.

"This is not the behavior of a gentleman."

"That's not quite right." Liu Gulan felt that the medicinal soup was too strong. "If we can win with some tricks, it's just changing a pawn. Why not?"

"continue."