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

Cen Jingyi placed another chess piece in his hand. Liu Gu was a cunning and ruthless man, but if used properly, he could be a surprising move and a sharp weapon. However, he needed to be careful not to hurt himself.

Having honed his courage in the military, he was naturally unafraid of the risks involved.

However, Lin Zhizhi's behavior was strange, and she was more perceptive than he had imagined. She noticed the problem as soon as she came into contact with the medicinal cuisine and found a solution.

Cen Jingyi then looked at the tea he had finished drinking; he had clearly put thought into its heat-clearing and detoxifying properties.

He had drunk herbal tea before, but it always clashed with the medicinal properties in his body.

But the dish that Lin Zhizhi served him alleviated his symptoms, and he felt refreshed all over.

The prince was naturally unaware that this was something Lin Zhizhi had devised in her previous life. It was rare for the prince to praise her, but unfortunately, this sentiment could not ease the prince's resentment.

That night, Lin Zhizhi waited in the private room. When the concubine came over, the prince had not yet returned.

Mu Yuan was originally supposed to keep watch outside, but after receiving instructions, she entered the cubicle and said to her, "Consort, you see that the soil in the potted plants is all dry. I don't know how you've been taking care of them. Why don't you go and water them?"

Before Lin Zhizhi could respond, she stepped forward and pulled her up, saying, "Are you trying to disobey me?"

Before she could even step into the inner room, she heard a crisp sound, followed by the concubine's nonchalant words, "Breaking a flowerpot is punishable; don't spoil the fun here."

Mu Yuan cleaned up the broken flowerpots and pulled Lin Zhizhi away from the inner room, as if afraid of being seen by the prince.

She peeked around to make sure no one was around before dragging Lin Zhizhi back to the cubicle.

He threw flowerpot shards all over the ground and tried to force Lin Zhizhi to kneel down.

These were all methods used by the concubine to torment the servants. Mu Yuan was incredibly strong and wanted to crush her shoulders.

To protect the child in her womb, Lin Zhizhi fiercely turned and bit her on the tiger's mouth, causing her to wince in pain and slap her back.

Originally, Mu Yuan didn't want to make too much noise, but at this moment she stepped forward and covered Lin Zhizhi's mouth with her clothes, and the two of them started wrestling.

The broken pieces of the flowerpot on the ground cut Mu Yuan's calf, causing her to cry out in pain.

Cen Jingyi had just returned when he heard noises coming from the next room. He was about to go and investigate when the concubine stopped him, saying softly, "The maids are ignorant; there's no need to pay them any mind."

He had no interest in anything today. He reached out and pushed aside the concubine's weak and boneless body, then entered the room and saw the two of them in a disheveled state.

Lin Zhizhi has given him just as many surprises and shocks these past few days, and he doesn't know why.

Mu Yuan dared not act rashly again and immediately knelt down to pay her respects. Lin Zhizhi did the same; even in the dim candlelight, her cheeks were noticeably red and swollen.

Fearing that Lin Zhizhi would complain, the concubine preemptively said, "This potted plant is a gift from the Emperor, and the Prince cherishes it greatly. How can you treat it so carelessly?"

She was spoiled growing up, which is why she always had such an impatient personality.

She wished the person would disappear from her sight immediately so that she could feel some relief from her pent-up emotions.

"This servant dares not. This servant did not expect that Lin Zhizhi's finger was injured and she could not hold this flowerpot properly. Please forgive me, Consort." Mu Yuan shrank back, the pain in her body was no match for the fear in her heart.

They didn't give Lin Zhizhi a chance to defend herself at all.

The concubine's expression was cold. "Since they have failed in their duties, they should be dragged away and each given twenty strokes of the cane to prevent them from doing it again."

That blow would either kill or cripple her, let alone Lin Zhizhi who was pregnant.

"Your Highness," Lin Zhizhi's voice was clear and bright, without the slightest hint of panic, "This servant noticed that the potted plant bestowed by the Emperor has been deprived of sunlight for a long time, and its leaves are turning yellow. I moved it out earlier to find someone to take good care of it. I found a suitable replacement and placed it there, but I haven't had a chance to inform Your Highness yet."

These were her duties, but the reason for the early replacement was because the system reminded her that the plant had been contaminated with a slightly toxic liquid.

Short-term contact will not cause any major problems, but continuous contact day and night is not good for a woman's health.

Lin Zhizhi thought that she would put the flower pots outside to air out while she was on night duty, and then bring them back later, so that she could get through the first three months.

But the concubine was so bold that she wanted to bite her to death so that she could never rise again.

How dare they plot against this imperial gift! If it were to be broken, even the prince would be punished.

Cen Jingyi looked at the concubine, his voice icy: "Wasn't the previous commotion enough? Do you have to spread rumors that the Prince's residence mistreats its servants and completely ruin my reputation before you're satisfied?"

He relentlessly pursued the issue of his mistreatment of servants, while casually glossed over the fact that the concubine had used the imperial gift of a potted plant to frame her.

Unsure of who had put the poison on the potted plant, Lin Zhizhi felt a chill in her heart but dared not say a word.

It seemed that the mansion was filled with things that did not want the prince to have any offspring, showing how much the emperor feared him, a prince who had long been forgotten by the emperor.

Although the prince was brave, he had no military power and was currently out of favor. However, he had gained some fame in that remote and barren region due to the wars of previous years.

The concubine immediately bowed in fear, her expression filled with disbelief, wondering why the prince was angry with her. "I am one with the prince's mansion, how could I have such thoughts?"

Previously, no matter how she punished the servants, Cen Jingyi would not be too harsh on her, but would just tell her to be mindful of the limits.

But now...

He felt even more hatred for Lin Zhizhi, who was pretending to be innocent. He thought it must be this vixen who had made the prince feel sorry for her, and she even dared to show her slapped face to others.

Lin Zhizhi deduced that the prince was already investigating the source of those rumors, and was now merely using this as an excuse to launch an attack.

Judging from the concubine's reaction, she seemed genuinely unaware of the situation.

She was right; those rumors and gossip that slandered the Prince's Mansion did her no good.

"Go back and calm yourself down tonight. Two months from now, when Princess Ling'an comes of age, you will present her with a dress that you embroider yourself, and you must not let the seamstress help you."

The concubine turned pale but dared not refuse. She had learned needlework before she was married, but after entering the mansion, these tasks were done by maids and embroiderers, and her skills had long since become rusty.

In the past, how could the prince have punished her so severely for such a thing?

The concubine's eyes were moist; she was used to using coquetry to win favor. "I know, can I not go back tonight?"

Seeing that Cen Jingyi's expression remained cold and hard, she was already angry with her.

The concubine had no choice but to leave, unable to show her resentment.

Lin Zhizhi thought that perhaps the herbal tea she had drunk during the day had taken effect, and that the prince had dismissed the concubine and had no intention of summoning her again.

After returning home, the concubine smashed a teacup in anger, glaring coldly at Mu Yuan kneeling beside her. "Useless thing! You've ruined my plans time and time again! You can't even handle a little maid!"

Granny Li came from the concubine's family and has always been of one mind with her. Today, she tested Lin Zhizhi.

He then spoke up: "That maid is much more reliable than before; she didn't even blink when she was burned. Her mother, after all, came from the palace. It was fine if she didn't care before, but now that Lin Zhizhi has become a concubine, she will definitely teach her in private. In addition, the Princess Consort will inevitably stir things up to cultivate her own power, so she may not be easy to deal with."