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

Upon hearing this, the concubine felt uncertain. "Granny, what should we do? That thing hasn't been found yet; it must still be in her mother's hands."

"In this old servant's opinion, the prince's anger is not entirely because of that concubine. Why are you so fixated on her? You should be more careful lately. The rumors circulating in the manor have already reached the prince's knowledge. For example, he said that the mistreatment of the servants is probably because the previous reward money has not yet been distributed."

The concubine was so anxious that she hadn't thought of this aspect, but now that she had been reminded, she felt relieved.

If the prince truly blamed her, he wouldn't have punished her so lightly with embroidery.

Granny Li lowered her voice and said, "Recently, the Prince has been frequently reprimanded by the Emperor in court, and his situation is really difficult. We should quickly dispel these rumors to prevent them from spreading and further displeasing the Prince. But this is only a temporary solution. If the Master were willing to say a few words in his defense, the Emperor would not be so harsh on the Prince."

After saying that, she looked at Mu Yuan, who was kneeling beside her, "You're usually tight-lipped, you should know that some things, once said, are..."

"This servant understands. My family survived only because of the concubine's help, and we would never do anything to betray our mistress." Mu Yuan lay prostrate on the ground, her old and new wounds on her legs trembling slightly from the pain.

To be able to serve as a maidservant to a concubine, she must have some extraordinary qualities; no matter how the concubine tries to torment her, she remains loyal.

The concubine composed herself and helped the woman up. "It was my fault today. I shouldn't have let you discipline Lin Zhizhi in the private room. How are you? Are you hurt? Granny, quickly go and get the best medicine for Mu Yuan."

Mu Yuan was overjoyed. "Thank you, Consort."

She was used to the concubine's unpredictable temper, but fortunately, her generosity always earned her a lot of rewards.

Over the years, she has won the master's favor and has also provided a lot of financial assistance to the family.

Granny Li placed the medicine in Mu Yuan's hand with great force, her movements full of warning. If Mu Yuan were to reveal what she shouldn't say, even her family would be implicated.

Mu Yuan didn't dare to be presumptuous and just kept thanking her.

The concubine looked distressed and sighed deeply. "My father is angry that I didn't listen to his advice and married into the Prince's household. Now he doesn't even want to see me. How can he listen to my advice and help the Prince?"

She wrung out her handkerchief, feeling a pang of sympathy for the prince, and said softly, "Back when foreign enemies attacked, neither the princes of marriageable age nor the officials of the court were willing to go to that harsh and cold land to share His Majesty's burdens. They pushed the blame onto the prince, wishing he would die on the battlefield. It was only thanks to the prince's shrewdness and skill in battle that we were able to achieve peace and tranquility. Not only do they not remember these things, but they also fear the prince's rising power and have suppressed him several times."

"My lady, it's good that you understand these things, but you must never mention them again." Granny Li looked around anxiously. "I know you care about the prince and feel indignant on his behalf. But the affairs of the court are complicated. How can we casually discuss them in the backyard? If others hear this, it won't be good for the prince."

The prince returned victorious but only received a sinecure, which shows how little the emperor valued him.

Even if a concubine is spoiled, she has grown up in the household of a first-rank official and knows the advantages and disadvantages.

He tossed the tattered handkerchief aside. "There's no silver left in the treasury to distribute. Where can I get some to appease the servants in the manor?"

Lin Zhizhi slept restlessly in the cubicle, fearing that the prince would need her care if he got up at night.

[Congratulations, host, on successfully overcoming the crisis and protecting your unborn child. You have obtained one antidote pill, which has been added to your inventory.]

The more enigmatic she appears, the more inside information she knows. If she doesn't demonstrate any usable value, the Prince's mansion certainly won't keep her.

Perhaps the prince won't touch her now because of her parents' years of service, but the power within the mansion is deeply entrenched and has too much to do with the palace.

The princes faced numerous restrictions, with countless eyes watching them from the shadows.

The child in her womb was her only support, but one must be strong oneself to succeed.

If she wants to continue staying by the prince's side, she needs to do things that will please him.

He carefully timed his entry and tiptoed into the room. "Your Highness, it's time to rise for court."

Before she could finish speaking, she was pulled onto the bed by a strong force, and a large hand gripped her neck tightly, rendering her unable to move.

Once her murderous eyes regained their clarity, he pushed her away and said in a hoarse voice, "Wake me up outside the door later."

Lin Zhizhi was still in shock; no wonder the prince never allowed anyone to stay overnight.

They dared not neglect him, and quickly brought him water and helped him put on his court robes.

As my fingertips traced his waist and abdomen, I could feel the taut muscles.

It's already a miracle that she wasn't punished for what she did last night, so she became even more careful.

Her gaze swept across the room and she saw him greeting her energetically. Not daring to be presumptuous for fear of angering him, she hurriedly retreated.

The prince watched her retreating figure, his gaze sweeping over the newly replaced potted plants, suppressing the turbulent thoughts surging within him.

She still had to prepare suitable tea and snacks. When the prince saw that she was still on duty after court, he didn't say anything.

The concubine, however, held up some embroidery patterns, revealing her fingers that were pricked by needles and bled profusely, and said, "Your Highness, do you think my younger sister would like this style? It's a popular pattern recently, and this adorable panda is really endearing."

Lin Zhizhi found the design familiar; it seemed to be the work of Liu Gulan.

She sold these designs to a famous embroidery shop in the city, earning a considerable amount of money in the process.

To think they'd started paving the road so early—she'd never paid attention to these things in her previous life—her eyes betrayed her astonishment.

The concubine had hoped that by showing the prince her scarred fingers, she could elicit his pity and thus avoid further punishment.

Unexpectedly, the prince was determined to punish her and remained unmoved, so she left reluctantly.

Seeing Lin Zhizhi staring at the pattern, Cen Jingyi asked, "Is there a problem with this embroidery pattern?"

"No, I just think they're so novel and appealing. The person who drew them must have made a lot of money. They must be a very skillful woman."

Cen Jingyi paused as he was about to pick up his pen; the princess had said something similar.

Lin Zhizhi has been acting really strange lately, always subtly reminding him of something.

If he hadn't investigated and found that his mother hadn't had any recent contact with Lin Zhizhi's family, he would have assumed that Lin Zhizhi was instructed by his mother to serve her.

But is this Liu Gu a woman? Cen Jingyi pondered this.

"These ingenious ideas all came from Liu Gu. My monthly salary is simply not enough to keep the household afloat. I'm thinking of using his ideas to open an embroidery shop. You're good at bookkeeping, would you be willing to help manage it?"

She learned to keep accounts from her mother since she was a child and also knows quite a few characters.

The prince was probably worried that entrusting the shop entirely to Liu Gulan would cause problems, which is why he wanted to place her by Liu Gulan's side to manage the most important accounting matters.

"This servant is of limited talent and knowledge, but I am grateful for Your Highness's kindness. I will do my best to share Your Highness's burdens."

"Then in a few days you will discuss the shop's affairs with Liu Gu."