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

Lin Zhizhi understood his temperament and would never look down on Liu Gulan just because she was a woman.

As long as Liu Gulan remains a help to the Prince's mansion, the Prince will not easily abandon her.

So all Lin Zhizhi could do was remind him that someone who doesn't even dare to be honest about their true identity and gender is definitely not trustworthy.

As long as a seed of doubt is planted, when Liu Gulan later outwardly complies but inwardly defies authority, uses the Prince's mansion to curry favor with the powerful, and then turns around and bites back at the Prince's mansion, the Prince will have a strategy to deal with it.

We won't be caught off guard like we were in my previous life.

Liu Gulan relied too much on what she read in the book, so how could she know that the cannon fodder or villains she saw would act the way she thought they would?

Lin Zhizhi said, "My cousin is acquainted with the Fifth Prince's concubine. I know that she has a penchant for these exquisite designs and a keen eye for business. We've arranged to meet, and if the Prince is planning to open a shop, perhaps she could help inform the women in the city and open up a sales channel."

Mentioning the Fifth Prince indeed caught the Prince's attention, who noticed that Lin Zhizhi's eyes were bright and she was simply talking about something very ordinary.

He seemed unaware of the long-standing discord between him and the Fifth Prince, and was simply doing his best to look out for him.

Lin Zhizhi is probably only twenty-nine years old and still naive, so perhaps it was unintentional and I didn't press her further.

The concubine was busy trying to plug the holes and eliminate the rumors in the mansion, and had no time to trip up Lin Zhizhi.

She was happy for two days, but worried about the prince's unclear attitude towards her.

Fortunately, he did not seem displeased when she served him closely, but he remained silent about summoning her to serve him at night.

However, there's no rush. Things like rashly moving away problematic potted plants should be avoided.

If the existence of the system were exposed, she would probably be tied up and burned.

On the day she had arranged to meet Lin Shangya, she had been suffering from unbearable abdominal pain for the past few days, and because of the foul odor emanating from her body, she refused to see any guests.

She looks much thinner now, and you can smell a strong, pungent scent of perfume even before you get close.

Lin Shangya complained somewhat that she hadn't visited, saying, "We sisters have become quite estranged. In the past, you would think of me even if we didn't see each other for half a day, let alone three days. Now that I've been bedridden for several days, you're avoiding me like the plague. Are you afraid that I'll pass on my illness to you?"

She always spoke with such veiled innuendo, as if afraid that those around her wouldn't hear her, and her voice was always much louder than usual.

She wanted everyone to know that Lin Zhizhi was a cold and heartless person. She explained, "These past few days I've been on duty day and night. I finally managed to find some time, and I still have to serve my master when I get home at night."

Knowing that she had offended the concubine and was having a hard time, Lin Shangya felt much better and stopped dwelling on the matter.

"I know you're frugal, you can't bear to throw away spoiled pastries, but anyone who didn't know better would think you were deliberately trying to cheat me." Lin Shangya had hoped to get something out of her, after all, she had been sick for three days, and if Lin Zhizhi was a considerate person, she should at least give her some compensation.

Only after she finished speaking did she realize that the pastries were a gift from the princess. If people heard her talking about her master in private and it caused gossip, she would not be able to continue working at the mansion.

She looked around immediately, then earnestly advised, "Sister, you must listen to your older sister. You must not get too close to that princess. She has ill intentions."

"The princess is always kind and benevolent. My cousin must have misunderstood. Since we've already made an appointment, let's hurry over and not be late and keep others waiting."

Lin Shangya also wanted to sow discord between Lin Zhizhi and the Princess Consort, thinking that if she offended the Princess Consort, she would definitely have a hard time in this mansion.

Then we can only ask her for advice, and then she will have a chance to get close to the prince.

Unexpectedly, Lin Zhizhi has become so cunning, not falling for her tricks at all, and not even waiting for her to steer the conversation toward the prince.

Lin Shangya didn't have that much money, so she had to book a room in the lobby downstairs.

Normally, the Fifth Prince's concubines would follow him to the private room for a life of pleasure and disliked the noisy and crowded main hall, feeling it was beneath them.

She was wearing a dress embroidered with gold thread and the most fashionable hairpin of the moment, trying to appear elegant and noble, so as to match the refined atmosphere of Xiangminglou.

Although made of silver, its exquisite design makes it stand out, with two bells hanging from it that make a clear, crisp sound when you walk.

The ladies of the house come from wealthy families and are all dignified and polite; they would never wear such eye-catching ornaments.

She was deliberately showing off in front of Lin Shangya to demonstrate how much she had been favored recently.

Little did they know that Lin Shangya, who had boasted about coming to this Xiangminglou, couldn't even afford a private room, leaving these people to watch and gossip for nothing.

If Lin Shangya hadn't mentioned Cen Jingyi, she would have left long ago. Why would she suffer such grievances here?

When she saw Lin Zhizhi, her displeasure turned into surprise, and then she became wary.

A concubine like her, who had no family to support her and relied on her beauty to climb into bed, felt that Lin Zhizhi was her equal the moment she saw her.

Remembering the Fifth Prince's peculiar hobby, her first thought was that she must not let the Fifth Prince see this maid.

Looking at the inexplicable tension and hostility in the concubine's eyes, Lin Zhizhi had seen her once before in her previous life, and she had the same attitude.

At that time, she was cautious and careful in her actions, and she was afraid of offending people and being tortured for it.

Unexpectedly, this concubine conspired with Lin Shangya to slander her, and in less than half a day, her scandalous news spread throughout half the city.

She deserves half the credit for the Fifth Prince's skillful use of public opinion.

Unfortunately, she was unaware of her own predicament and only thought that the Fifth Prince indulged her so much because she was beautiful.

The concubine stared at Lin Zhizhi for a long time and felt that she was more and more alluring. But when her gaze swept over Lin Shangya, she was startled by her appearance.

His face was pale, and his lips were completely bloodless, making him look like someone who had just recovered from a serious illness and was suffering from both qi and blood deficiency.

In my memory, this guy who was sucking my cousin's blood was a shrewd and opportunistic person.

How could he have degraded himself to such a state? It seems that this Prince's mansion, like the Fifth Prince's mansion, is all show and no substance.

She even forgot about arguing about having reserved seats in the lobby, and took the initiative to say, "Let's go to a private room; it's not convenient to talk here."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shangya looked at Lin Zhizhi with some hesitation. Seeing that Lin Zhizhi showed no intention of spending any money, she put her hand in her pocket and rummaged for her money pouch.

I don't know if I have enough money today. If I don't have enough to pay the bill, I will lose face in front of the concubines, and it will be extremely difficult to squeeze into their circle in the future.

Lin Shangya is a year older than Lin Zhizhi, and it's rare to see someone here who is still unmarried. She doesn't want to become an old maid.

She only had the opportunity to get to know the important figures in the city by becoming acquainted with this concubine. Unlike Lin Zhizhi, she didn't only recognize the one in the Prince's mansion.

Lin Zhizhi understood her thoughts. At this moment, her face was kind and she seemed very approachable. She even asked shyly, "I already feel embarrassed to have my sister treat me, how can you be so extravagant?"