Meanwhile, on their way back from the garden, Consort Chun and Granny Zhang, who had spotted Xuan Yuanhan's figure flashing by in the distance and called out to him but he seemed to hear nothing as he headed towards the back mountain, were also curious and followed closely behind, arriving at this place after Xuan Yuanhan.

Seeing that her usually highly vigilant son had been completely unsuspecting of her following them all the way, and was now witnessing all of this, Consort Chun was stunned.

She gazed in awe at the picturesque scenery before her, a landscape so beautiful it seemed like a fairyland or a celestial maiden descending to earth. Completely mesmerized, she asked Zhang Mama beside her, "I've been back at the palace for some time now, how come I never knew that this small island behind the palace, abandoned for so many years, had transformed into such a breathtaking sight?"

Zhang Mama, who was also deeply attracted by the beautiful scenery before her, suddenly came back to her senses upon hearing the voice. She hurriedly searched her mind again and again, but in the end, she could only helplessly reply, "This... this old servant has never heard anyone in the manor mention when this place became like this, but it really does look very beautiful now."

After an unknown amount of time, Consort Chun finally slowly withdrew her gaze and shifted it to Xuan Yuanhan's face. Looking at his profile, which was usually cold and stern, she saw a faint smile that was rare and almost never seen before, and the gentle light emanating from his eyes.

Then he remembered that ever since he returned to the manor, it seemed that only when it came to matters concerning Yi Shangyun would such a smile and light occasionally appear on his face.

Finally, she sighed heavily and said, "I never imagined that one day my son would have a weakness. He has really gone to great lengths for this Princess Yongning!"

Hearing her master's words and recalling the countless times she had spent with Yi Shangyun in the Prince's mansion, Zhang Mama sighed heavily.

As for that kind and pitiful girl whom he had once witnessed and whom everyone knew, he could only feel deep regret and say, "Why couldn't Heaven have given such a good girl a peaceful and stable life? She lost her mother at a young age and suffered endless scorn because of her appearance. She finally found her biological father, only to lose him again as soon as they recognized each other. Even if she had just come from a humble family like the Yi family, she would have been a hundred or a thousand times better off than this so-called princess who now walks on thin ice, cautious and timid at every step! And to have come this far, and now she's pregnant out of wedlock... How is she going to live the rest of her life?"

Upon hearing the words "pregnant before marriage," Consort Chun suddenly came to her senses and carefully recalled the days she spent with him in Taohuadian Village in the south of the city.

Although she didn't know why her views were so different from those of the world, she was certain that Yi Shangyun, who appeared gentle and docile on the surface, was not the kind of woman who could be manipulated and had no sense of propriety.

Right now, all she needs to do is carefully confirm the guardian's exclusive phoenix mark on her body once more. If it is confirmed, as a descendant of the guardian, she will possess a powerful and mysterious force, making her virtually untouchable by anyone in the world.

Therefore, there must be some unspeakable secret about her pregnancy.

Recalling how Xuan Yuanhan's actions were exposed in Dongning Kingdom and he was imprisoned, yet he was able to return to Xi Qin unscathed and so easily.

It is also said that Princess Yongning is favored by the old king and will be married to the Kingdom of Nan'an, so that the two countries can show their goodwill in forming an alliance.

However, after the death of the old king of Dongning, there was no further news about this matter. It is likely that this marriage alliance was shelved because of the child in Yi Shangyun's womb.

Everything seemed to solidify her conviction. As Consort Chun pondered this, she shifted her gaze from Xuan Yuanhan back to Yi Shangyun, who was now dancing gracefully amidst the sea of ​​peonies, like a legendary flower goddess.

In an instant, a slight smile appeared on her lips as she said, "Actually, if you think about it carefully, I do believe that the child in her womb might very well be..."

Before he could finish speaking, he paused, his gaze sweeping over the vast grounds of the Prince's mansion before him, and said only, "This enormous Prince Qin's mansion has been far too quiet for many years, without any joyous occasions. Perhaps... our mansion... will soon be blessed with double happiness..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mama, who was standing beside her, was so shocked that her legs suddenly went weak and she almost fell to the ground. The Consort Chun grabbed her in time.

After standing still, Zhang Mama stared blankly into her mistress's eyes, then exclaimed in disbelief, "Your Highness, do you mean... Princess Yongning's child... is... is our Highness's?!"

Seeing that Consort Chun clearly believed it to be true, Zhang Mama thought for a moment and said impatiently, "But this Princess Yongning is actually a descendant of the guardians of our Western Qin. She is the person the Emperor has been searching for at all costs. If she becomes the Princess of Qin, and her identity is exposed, wouldn't the Qin Prince's Mansion be doomed and face annihilation?"

Consort Chun was well aware of the seriousness of this matter.

But now, facing these two people who have gone through so much life and death together, who clearly love each other so much and are inseparable, how could she bear to stop them?

So, the smile on her face gradually faded, and she said, "Never mind, all living beings have their own destiny."

She sighed softly and said, "What is meant to be will be. Let them be! Right and wrong, sometimes, may not be so important. As long as she is sincere towards the prince, I am willing to pay any price and bear all the blame in the future."

Looking at Yi Shangyun's retreating figure, Zhang Mama hesitated and said, "But Your Highness, are you sure she is truly devoted to His Highness?"

Consort Chun thought for a moment and said, "Is that so? We'll know as soon as we ask."

Granny Zhang looked at her mistress's face in surprise and said, "Your Highness, you mean to..."

Consort Chun took a deep breath and said, "It's time to meet."

As the sun set and Xuan Yuanhan left, Zhang Mama helped Consort Chun onto a small boat left behind by Xuan Yuanhan, and they arrived at the peony field on the island.

A warm breeze caressed the small island, carrying the fragrance of flowers. On the swing, Yi Shangyun was staring blankly at the afterglow of the setting sun at the end of the lake, lost in thought.

Seeing that Yi Shangyun had already moved on to her master without her noticing, Zhang Mama was about to step forward and speak.

Consort Chun hurriedly reached out a hand to stop him, then shook her head and continued walking forward alone until she stopped beside Yi Shangyun.

Following the direction of Yi Shangyun's gaze, he looked at the same scenery with her for a long time. Unexpectedly, she was completely unaware of his presence, so he wondered to himself, "What is she thinking about? Why is she so focused?"

Left with no other choice, she could only clear her throat to interrupt her boundless thoughts and sigh, "The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it's only a short time before dusk."

At this point, Yi Shangyun finally came to her senses, turned her head to look at the profile of Consort Chun standing beside her, and felt that her voice was somewhat familiar, so she asked in confusion, "You are...?"

Consort Chun remained focused on what lay ahead and said, "I have long heard that Princess Yongning of Dongning Kingdom is exceptionally intelligent and beautiful, with a face that could topple kingdoms. Seeing her today, I can confirm that she is indeed extraordinary."

As soon as he finished speaking, he glanced at Yi Shangyun's face.

The moment Yi Shangyun met Consort Chun's eyes, she felt a sudden jolt in her heart, as if her heartbeat was about to stop, and she could no longer utter a word.

Consort Chun smiled faintly and said, "What? It's been so long, does the princess not remember me?"

Yi Shangyun clearly couldn't believe her eyes. She suddenly stood up, looked around, and saw no one else except for the familiar Zhang Mama. She asked in great confusion, "Madam? You... how did you get here?"

Before Consort Chun could speak, Granny Zhang interjected, "What old lady? This is the mistress of Prince Qin's residence, the Consort Chun. Hurry up and pay your respects!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun was taken aback: "So the Imperial Concubine, who had been living incognito in Peach Blossom Village in the south of the city, has already returned to the Prince of Qin's mansion."

There was no time to think further. She quickly took two steps back, lifted her skirt, and bowed respectfully to the Empress Dowager, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! Long live the Empress Dowager!"

Consort Chun stepped forward, bent down, and helped him up, saying with concern, "Good child, are you alright? You're still pregnant, please get up!"

"Your Highness, you already know?" Yi Shangyun asked nervously, looking into the eyes of the Consort Chun.

Consort Chun carefully helped her up and asked, "Even though I know everything, I just don't understand why you would so cruelly abandon Prince Qin when you and he were clearly in love? Don't you care at all about the child in your womb? After all, Prince Qin also has a share in this child, doesn't he?"

Upon hearing Consort Chun's words, Yi Shangyun quickly realized that she was testing her. Apart from herself and Young Master Yi, no one else knew the truth about the child's origin.

With this thought in mind, she feigned composure and replied, "I wonder if Your Highness has some misunderstanding? This child has absolutely no relation to His Highness Prince Qin. Who is His Highness Prince Qin? How could I possibly covet such a high position?"

After analyzing the situation for a long time, Consort Chun was quite certain that the child in Yi Shangyun's womb was Xuan Yuanhan's. However, when she heard the result from Yi Shangyun's own ears, she still hesitated...