Midway through the banquet, the Imperial Kitchen delivered crabs.

Crabs are the perfect treat for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The crabs brought as tribute from the local area are large, plump, and full of roe, with tender and delicious meat.

The Imperial Kitchen selects large female crabs, steams them with spices, resulting in sweet, non-fishy meat and a sandy texture in the crab roe. Male crabs are shelled and the meat is used to make stuffed oranges. Other dishes include fried crab, raw marinated crab, and more.

It's still early in the season, not yet the peak season for crab production, so only the palace can enjoy such plump and delicious crabs.

The women took out the eight-piece crab-eating tool and ate the crabs slowly while chatting.

Only Shen Muyu's expression changed slightly as she looked at the crab in front of her. She was almost five months pregnant and her morning sickness was not severe, but she could not stand any fishy smell.

Right now, the smell of crabs made her feel nauseous.

She tried to hold it in, but couldn't help gagging a few times. The maidservant behind her asked with concern, "Madam, are you feeling unwell?"

Shen Muyu waved her hand, subconsciously touching her stomach which was wrapped with a cloth strip, and said while enduring the discomfort, "It's nothing, just a little upset stomach."

She was now almost five months pregnant, and her belly was already slightly protruding. Afraid of being noticed, she wrapped her belly with a wide cloth strip before attending the banquet.

She touched her relatively flat belly and felt a little relieved. Although Prince Chen had not yet announced her pregnancy, as long as no one could tell the true month of her pregnancy, it wouldn't be a big deal even if someone found out.

Shen Muyu felt relieved and was about to ask the maid to help her go for a walk when Zhou Zhenrong, who was sitting next to her, suddenly spoke up: "Sister Shen, what's wrong? I see that the crab in front of you hasn't been touched. Is it not to your liking?"

Shen Muyu was naturally not foolish enough to say that the food was not to her liking at the palace banquet. So she simply said, "It's nothing, I probably just caught a chill at night and my stomach is upset. The smell makes me feel a little nauseous."

Zhou Zhenrong looked surprised, her gaze sweeping over her abdomen before she covered her lips and said, "Your belly seems a little protruding, could you be pregnant?"

As soon as she said this, the women who were nearby all looked at Shen Muyu, their eyes lingering on her abdomen, and some whispered among themselves, cautiously discussing something.

Unexpectedly, she suddenly revealed the truth, and Shen Muyu was startled, looking around in a panic. Fortunately, she had prepared her response in advance, and after realizing what had happened, she forced a calm smile and said, "How could that be? Even if I were pregnant, it would only be a little over a month at most, and my belly wouldn't get that big. Maybe it's because I've been eating too many sweets in this hot and cold weather, which has made me gain weight and given me a stomach ailment."

Zhou Zhenrong, however, appeared concerned: "Being unwell is no small matter. Don't be afraid of the trouble; it would be best to summon the imperial physician to take a look."

As she spoke, she even looked at Empress Zhou and said, "Aunt, Sister Shen is not feeling well. Perhaps we could ask an imperial physician to come and take a look at her?"

Empress Zhou glanced at Shen Muyu with a faint look in her eyes, then nodded to the lady-in-waiting beside her and said, "Please ask Madam Shen to rest in the side hall, and then please summon an imperial physician."

The Empress had given her word, and Shen Muyu had no choice but to obey. She stood up, staring at the various expressions on the faces of the people at the table, and followed the female official who was leading the way out.

Before leaving, she glanced at Zhou Zhenrong with a puzzled look, not understanding why she was putting on this show.

Zhou Zhenrong watched her leave, then leisurely used her crab claws to crack the shell of the crab leg, muttering to herself, "The show is about to begin."

.

Shen Muyu waited in the side hall for a quarter of an hour while the imperial physician took her pulse.

After taking her pulse, the imperial physician gave her a strange look and then whispered a few words to the lady-in-waiting sent by the empress.

Shen Muyu guessed that the other party was talking to the Empress about her pregnancy.

She was actually a little uneasy, afraid that the Empress would think she wasn't dignified enough if she found out, but then she thought that the child in her belly was Prince Chen's only child, and she felt more confident.

Anyway, the Queen is the King of Qin's birth mother, and she'll find out sooner or later. Finding out sooner now shouldn't have any impact.

As Shen Muyu had predicted, the Empress indeed came to the side hall.

Upon seeing Shen Muyu, her first words were: "Is the child Prince Chen's?"

Shen Muyu nodded timidly: "Yes, Your Highness knows."

The Empress said nothing more, and showed no displeasure. She simply instructed Du, "Your pregnancy cannot be kept secret while you are taking pulses in the palace. I will have the imperial physicians announce that you are one month pregnant."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Shen Muyu stood up and bowed.

The Empress gestured to the lady-in-waiting beside her to help her up, and then asked in a soft voice, "Can you still take your seat? If not, you may rest here."

Shen Muyu nodded and said softly, "Okay."

The Empress said nothing more and had the female officials escort her back to the inner palace.

Where there are many women, there is never a shortage of gossipy people.

During the fifteen minutes that Shen Muyu was away, people at the table were quietly discussing whether she was pregnant, and if so, how many months along she was.

When she returned, everyone's eyes fell on her.

Zhou Zhenrong looked at her with a smile: "Sister Chen, are you feeling better? What did the imperial physician say?"

Shen Muyu lowered her head shyly, rubbing the handkerchief in her hand and said in a low voice, "The imperial physician said that I am indeed pregnant, but it is estimated that it is not long. My pulse is still very weak and almost undetectable. I will have to have my pulse checked again in half a month."

Zhou Zhenrong looked surprised: "See what I told you? You're actually pregnant." She sat down next to Shen Muyu with an undisguised smile, took her hand and said, "If this pregnancy is stable, the child in your belly will be His Highness's first child."

Shen Muyu was touched by what she said, and lowered her head slightly to hide the joy in her eyes, pretending to be shy.

Completely unaware that a girl in blue was frowning and looking at her from a seat not far away.