The Marquis's line has ended? The pregnant maid is pregnant again!

Ye Shu clearly saw Shen Qinghe as well, and the two exchanged greetings.

"This humble servant greets Miss Biao."

"Shu'er greets her younger sister-in-law."

Ye Shu's voice, which was quite loud, drew the attention of many of the guests who were giving gifts.

Because Qin's birthday banquet was so successful and lively a few days ago, there are now very few people in Chang'an who don't know what Qin looks like.

Everyone in Chang'an knew that Qin Shi was Lu Jihan's legal wife, but when they turned around, they saw Shen Qinghe's face.

Although she was indeed beautiful and stunning, she didn't have Qin's face. However, Ye Shu clearly called her "sister-in-law," which inevitably caused some discussion.

At this moment, Lu Jihan's attitude was extremely important: "Get up, all of you."

As he spoke, Lu Jihan reached out and helped Shen Qinghe up, and then helped Ye Shu up as well.

It can be said that they did a very thorough job, leaving no room for others to say anything.

Shen Qinghe thought to herself, "Ye Shu really is Lu Jihan's white moonlight. Even someone as clueless and straightforward as that dog of a man has learned to be diplomatic."

Is this the power of the white moonlight?

Shen Qinghe sighed inwardly, not even noticing the sudden pang of disappointment that had welled up inside her.

The old lady is seventy-two years old this year, which is truly an age to enjoy her retirement with many children and grandchildren.

Therefore, the guests who come to offer their congratulations are very thoughtful in choosing birthday gifts.

Fortunately, Shen Qinghe had prepared in advance, so she didn't feel uneasy at all when she took it out.

Shen Qinghe knew perfectly well that the old lady would definitely like it.

There were just too many guests queuing up. Once inside, one inevitably had to exchange pleasantries, drink tea, and chat with the old lady. The usually spacious Yuhe Hall seemed especially crowded at this time.

As a junior, and a concubine at that, Shen Qinghe could only wait obediently.

But Lu Jihan and Ye Shu are his grandson and granddaughter, and according to the rules, they can go in directly, and they are the host family.

Why are you standing still?

Shen Qinghe glanced to the side without making a sound, and then heard Lu Jihan's concerned words: "Shu'er, it's windy outside, standing here will be tiring. You're not fully recovered yet, you should go inside first."

Ye Shu's eyes were red. She originally disagreed and even said that she wanted to stay and accompany Lu Jihan.

Shen Qinghe watched the whole thing without making a sound, and thought to herself, "This is the treatment a white moonlight receives."

Even the young nobleman made of stone has learned to care for others.

Shen Qinghe's body became unsteady after standing for a while, and Qing'er, who was standing next to her, quickly reached out to support her, but someone else beat her to it.

Shen Qinghe tensed up instantly. If she were to be exposed for having contact with another man now, with so many people talking, she would be in deep trouble no matter what.

But upon smelling the familiar ambergris, Shen Qinghe quickly recognized who was holding her.

As the name suggests, ambergris has been reserved for emperors since ancient times. If a prince or crown prince is favored by the emperor, he may also use it.

Only those who have rendered great service can receive rewards from the emperor.

Of all the civil and military officials in the court, apart from the Grand Tutor, Lu Jihan is the only one whom the Emperor has personally approved for his use and bestowed upon him.

Lu Jihan's voice came from above: "If you're tired, lean on me. You don't need to be stubborn right now."

Shen Qinghe sighed. Since becoming pregnant, her body had become noticeably more delicate.

She pursed her lips and asked abruptly, "Sir, according to the rules, I think you can go in, right?"

Lu Jihan responded, "The young masters and ladies of the first, second, and third branches of the Marquis's mansion, as well as I, can go in directly. Naturally, our wives and relatives can also go in."

"Wives and relatives..." Shen Qinghe repeated these three words several times, her eyelids drooping slightly to conceal the emotions in her eyes.

Lu Jihan seemed to sense Shen Qinghe's thoughts and explained, "Only the legal wife and the concubine..."

"I understand!" Shen Qinghe immediately raised her eyes, and when she looked at Lu Jihan again, a smile had appeared on her face. She looked no different from her usual bright and happy self.

In truth, Shen Qinghe had already made up her mind. She truly understood what Lu Jihan hadn't finished saying earlier—only the principal wife and concubines could be considered proper wives and relatives, and proper masters of this Marquis's mansion.

Shen Qinghe is currently favored and is a concubine. Although everyone in the Marquis's mansion respects her, in formal occasions, not following the rules is still not following the rules.

A concubine wasn't enough. Now that Shen Qinghe had fought her way up to this point, she was like a boat sailing against the current; if she didn't advance, she would fall behind.

She would rather keep fighting until she became the rightful master.

A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier; someone who's after money and power but not love, Shen Qinghe secretly encouraged herself.

After all... everyone has a white moonlight in their heart, so she was very self-aware as a substitute and didn't feel ashamed at all.

She didn't steal Ye Shu's husband, and besides, Ye Shu rejected Lu Jihan herself, so what is she ashamed of?

With Lu Jihan leaning against her, Shen Qinghe was indeed feeling much better as he bore almost all of her weight.

After waiting and waiting, it was soon time for Shen Qinghe to go in and present her gift.

Shen Qinghe was thus helped into Yuhe Hall by Lu Jihan.

Those who knew the inside story remained silent. Even Taozi, who was jealous of Shen Qinghe, wore a nonchalant smile.

Qin looked at Shen Qinghe with a concerned smile and asked, "What's wrong, Qinghe? Are you tired?"

Upon hearing this, the old lady worried about her great-grandson: "Quickly, quickly, give Qinghe a seat, don't let her get tired."

At this point, several of the old lady's friends found it very strange.

Especially the matriarch of General Li's mansion, seeing how much the old lady cherished Shen Qinghe, asked with some concern, "Elder sister, could this young lady be the one you chose for Ji Han...?"

The old lady received a cold look from her as soon as she said this.

The old lady pretended to just realize what had happened, and immediately chuckled as she smoothed things over: "Don't be angry, elder sister. It's rare to see you so attentive to a young lady. I wonder what's so special about this girl? She seems to have a very refined air about her, and looks like someone quite extraordinary!"

The old lady's sisters chimed in with smiles, "Yes, yes, it's truly you, elder sister! Any maidservant you randomly pick from your manor would be a lady in an ordinary official's household. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also well-mannered and know their place, making them instantly likable. Unlike my eldest son, who is as strong as an ox and has absolutely no bearing. But thankfully, he's fertile. A couple of days ago, he said he wasn't feeling well, and when the doctor came, it turned out he was pregnant."

As soon as the old lady spoke, she glanced at the old lady beside her without making a sound.

Someone else chimed in, "Well, you know! My second wife is the same. Forget about manners and propriety, they're barely passable. But her skills are truly impressive. She's only been married for three years, and she's already given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Now she's pregnant again. If she keeps having more, I'm afraid I won't be able to afford to support this little official's wife."

Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "That's right. The Lady of Anding Marquis also had her great-grandson last month, and the full-month celebration had dozens of tables."

The ladies chatted amongst themselves, seemingly making small talk, but every word they uttered was aimed at the old lady's heart.

The second branch of the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion only has Lu Jihan and Lu Huai'an. The two inner quarters are quiet, and the concubines they have taken in have not produced any offspring. There have long been rumors that the Marquis's mansion "will be cut off in this generation."

The old lady's expression didn't change; she was used to it. The phrase "carry on the family line" was always the subject of ridicule from these people.

Qin sat to the left of the old lady, a smile plastered on her face, but her nails dug into her palms—she knew better than anyone that these words were ostensibly meant to stab the old lady, but in reality, they were meant to slap her in the face.

In this circle, it's the most shameful thing for a legal wife to be childless.

The old lady's fingers tightened slightly as she held the teacup. "Hmph! So what if they set up a dozen tables? Do they think their Zhenguo Marquis's mansion can't afford to?"

The old lady stood up, pulled Shen Qinghe to sit beside her, and said with a smile, "That's wonderful! Tomorrow, when my great-grandson is born, my Zhenguo Marquis's mansion will host a three-day, three-night banquet, inviting everyone in the city. You all have to come!"

In the past, the old lady would always speak politely with a stern face, but this time it was obviously different, clearly indicating that something good was about to happen.

It couldn't possibly be the Qin family. In an instant, everyone's eyes fell on Shen Qinghe!