Pure hatred makes the couple disgusted with each other.

For the previous six months, she had done this every day, paying her respects at dawn and dusk, bringing fish and crabs, and going to serve Shen Congyun at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM) to see him off to the morning court; before the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), she would arrive at Madam Shen's courtyard to stand guard and await orders.

Today is going to be a fierce battle, so it's best if Fish and Crab are not present.

Amidst the morning mist and under the moonlight, Lin Huaiyin walked alone, entering Ligou Garden with practiced ease.

The lights in Shen Congyun's bedroom were on just then, and a neatly dressed man was reflected in the window. His outline was blurry, but his handsome and dashing appearance was undeniable.

Lin Huaiyin immediately realized that he had just returned, not just woken up. He must have been discussing countermeasures with Princess Pingyang all night and was only now rushing back to change clothes and attend the morning court.

He could have easily sent someone to deliver the official robe, but instead he went through all that trouble to return; he must have come for me.

Lin Huaiyin could easily imagine that Shen Congyun was eager to get the silver so that Princess Pingyang would see it as soon as she woke up, the gloom at the Erwang Temple would be swept away, the White Lotus rebels would have as much as they wanted, and Princess Pingyang could do whatever she wanted, with her hands covered in blood.

He really spoils his beloved woman rotten.

Thinking carefully, Lin Huaiyin went up to the second floor. Chu Jiu was guarding the door and was somewhat surprised to see her come alone.

Chu Jiu stepped aside, bowed his head in greeting, and Lin Huaiyin smiled in response. She then knelt and bowed respectfully at the door, saying, "May my husband be well."

"Come in," Shen Congyun replied quickly.

Lin Huaiyin stepped inside. Shen Congyun's purple official robe was already halfway up, with a crane clinging to his chest.

As usual, she leaned closer and stood on tiptoe to help him button his shirt, but Shen Congyun coldly reprimanded her, "Get out of the way."

"yes."

Her mouth moved faster than her brain, and her knees were weaker than her brain. As if dragged by gravity, Lin Huaiyin felt dizzy and knelt down in front of Chen Congyun.

This body should be chopped up and fed to the dogs!

Lin Huaiyin hated herself, but Shen Congyun was quite satisfied. He had just returned from Princess Pingyang's gentle embrace and was still carrying her scent. He didn't want to be tainted by the lowly maid Lin Huaiyin in the slightest.

He fastened the buttons, slung the jade belt over his waist, hooked the goldfish pouch, and put on his official hat. Shen Congyun personally took care of all the steps. Finally, he put the rhinoceros horn thumb ring, which symbolized his power as the chief minister, onto his right index finger and turned the six characters "Zhongshu Menxia Xingyin" on the thumb ring into his palm.

Dressed neatly, Chen Congyun walked towards the soft couch, taking one step at a time, tap, tap, tap.

These footsteps again.

Lin Huaiyin frowned deeply, her back burning, but her eyes subconsciously followed Shen Congyun's steps, and her knees turned as well. When Shen Congyun sat down, she knelt down properly to listen to the instructions.

Despite her compliance, Shen Congyun was still not satisfied.

Yesterday's uproar at Tiefo Temple nearly ruined his reputation; he only managed to suppress the rumors by forcibly closing the temple.

The master of ceremonies recounted in detail Lin Huaiyin's reaction when she heard him. She was panicked and struggled to escape but could not. She was indeed forcibly dragged into the main hall by Liu Yinjun and bumped into him by accident.

Shen Congyun guessed that Lin Huaiyin wouldn't dare to deliberately plot against him, and was unwilling to bring up that matter again.

However, in his imagination, at this moment, Lin Huaiyin should be taking the initiative to offer up the silver notes, cautiously hoping for a word of praise from him.

But she came empty-handed and remained silent like a dead dog.

This made Shen Congyun suspicious: Did Lin Huaiyin think that she didn't need to hand over 800,000 taels of silver after hearing that Minister Zhao was dead?

She actually listened to the rumors outside, took them to heart, and even made decisions on her own?

She still had her own consciousness.

Shen Congyun couldn't help but glance at Lin Huaiyin. Seeing her dark head and the jewels adorning her head, with glittering light entering her pupils, he vaguely recalled that yesterday at noon, Lin Huaiyin had pounced on him with a face full of resentment and claws.

Whether it was an illusion or not, it is now impossible to tell.

Shen Congyun keenly sensed that something seemed wrong with the clay puppet he had sculpted himself.

This won't do. Lin Huaiyin must obey, the Lin family must collapse, and the Yuan Cong Imperial Guards must be leaderless. This line of events is even more crucial than Yuan Jie'e's "Empress of Heaven's Mandate," and there can be no mistakes whatsoever.

Shen Congyun pondered for a moment and asked, "How did things go?"

Lin Huaiyin slowly raised her eyes, not daring to look directly at him, afraid of revealing her murderous rage. She timidly fixed her gaze on Chen Congyun's front, replying softly, "It's done, but, but..."

Hesitant and timid, she trembled slightly, turning the wheel as if she couldn't open her mouth. Shen Congyun, unlike his usual impatient self, didn't interrupt or scold her, but quietly watched her performance.

Under his scrutinizing gaze, without missing a single detail, Lin Huaiyin sensed Shen Congyun's unusual patience. She felt as if a vulture was circling and staring at her, as if she were about to be torn apart at any moment. Her heart began to pound like a drum.

Sure enough, he became suspicious. I hadn't said or done anything, yet he was already suspicious of me. Lin Huaiyin lowered her eyelids, thinking: Putting aside the current Lin Huaiyin, what was the Lin Huaiyin of her past life like? How would she have responded?

In her past life, her husband, Shen Congyun, was her destiny. Being able to serve him and bear his children would make her smile even in her dreams.

She wouldn't kneel and pretend to be mute. She cared for him, respected him, and loved him. Her heart warmed whenever she saw him, and she had endless things to say to him. She would pile up silver notes and happy occasions in front of Chen Congyun. As long as she could make her husband smile, she would gladly sacrifice herself.

If she messed up her husband's job, she might just kill herself...

"My husband!"

Lin Huaiyin suddenly screamed.

Shen Congyun frowned. Lin Huaiyin quickly crawled forward on her knees, bent down and hugged his left leg, her face a mixture of tears and laughter. She blurted out, "Husband, the silver, I brought the silver back, but, the child, yes, the child, the old lady, Lan Yan, Lan Yan, she... I can't do anything about it, husband, husband—"

She was noisy and startled, her words were incoherent and incoherent, she alternated between laughing and crying, and she clung tightly to Chen Congyun's left leg, swaying it from side to side.

Shen Congyun was annoyed by her antics, but he was also extremely satisfied with her crazy, incoherent, and stupid appearance.

It seems she failed to complete the task assigned to her and has become terrified. Shen Congyun watched her madness with disdain, feeling somewhat relieved to confirm that the lowly servant was still under his control.

However, this was only a slight possibility; the possibility of feigning madness to deceive remained to be investigated. Shen Congyun's vigilance was not completely dispelled. He made no comment, only allowing Lin Huaiyin to cling to his leg, waiting for her to make her move.

He observed Lin Huaiyin, and Lin Huaiyin was also wary of him. Just now, he wouldn't even let her touch his buttons, but now he allowed her to hug his legs. She understood that Shen Congyun didn't intend to give any hints. He was putting on this unpredictable and treacherous stance to see what she would say next.

What should we do next?

Lin Huaiyin's mind raced, and she suddenly looked up, meeting Shen Congyun's eyes. She then glared at her own hands, as if she had suddenly come to her senses and realized that she had overstepped her bounds. In a panic, she loosened her legs, straightened the hem of Shen Congyun's robe, and moved her knees to kneel back.

"Husband." She lowered her head, her body trembling, her small hands shaking, her voice timid: "Yesterday, yesterday I did bring back silver notes, eight hundred thousand taels, not a single coin missing. But, but I was foolish and Lan Yan accidentally discovered it. In front of my mother-in-law, I dared not lie, so, so I could only lie and say it was for the incense money for the Buddha's Birthday, for praying for a child, because, because—"

Lin Huaiyin looked up dejectedly, her face pale but her eyes bright. She looked shyly into Shen Congyun's eyes, touched her lower abdomen and whispered, "Husband, I am pregnant. I wish to ask Guanyin Bodhisattva to grant us a son."

Before he finished speaking, Shen Congyun's pupils dilated, his jaw tightened, and his calm and composed face suddenly frosted over. His cold and piercing eyes exuded a coercive aura, as if he wanted to crush everything around him.

This was the power of the current Grand Secretary. Lin Huaiyin shrank back, her heart pounding. Even though she was filled with hatred, she felt a chill. But then she felt it was absurd and ridiculous.

In the White Lotus Sect's den of thieves, she once cherished his domineering aura, believing that his imposing presence was for her sake, that he drove away thugs and misfortune for her, and that she regarded him as her savior.

But that was nothing but a false lie, a vicious trap. Only his rage to kill her right now was the real reason!

Coincidentally, that's what I think too. I don't want your bloodline either, and I want to tear you to pieces.

Composing herself, Lin Huaiyin cradled her pregnant belly, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes red, she rushed forward, terrified but resolute, clutching Chen Congyun's legs tightly, crying desperately, "Husband, no! Husband, please keep this child! Lan Yan won't be like this forever. She'll definitely find a good husband. My mother-in-law is happy too! Husband, please, I want this child! Please keep him!"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, gathering and dripping from her chin. Lin Huaiyin cried, cried desperately, her tears falling like a waterfall, summoning the blood and tears of her past life in the imperial prison.

Her decisive actions indicated that she understood Shen Congyun's emotions and received his anger. At the same time, she had no questions in her mind about how the child came about or whether she was really pregnant. These questions simply did not exist!

She understood that her husband was angry and didn't want the child, but it was only because he was worried about his sister-in-law, Shen Lanyan.

How helpless and pitiful she was; she was just a woman who loved her husband dearly and wanted to protect the child in her womb...

She must spare no effort to guide Chen Congyun away from his path.

“If my husband were to truly abandon his own flesh and blood for Lan Yan, wouldn’t that be a loss of virtue for Lan Yan as well? My husband.” She shook Shen Congyun weakly, tears falling onto his legs. “My husband, please be clear-headed. At least ask your mother-in-law what she thinks.”

Lin Huaiyin pleaded desperately, but Shen Congyun sat silently, his figure as immovable as a mountain, except for the rhinoceros horn thumb ring, which he almost crushed.

The person he most wanted to bury in his life was this vile maid who had tainted his relationship with Pingyang.

The last thing he wanted to remember was the day of Pingyang's wedding, when he used this lowly maid to vent his anger.

Not a moment ago, he didn't want to set her on fire, burn her to ashes, and then grind her bones to dust.

That wretched woman doesn't deserve her child.

His blood was burning hot, and Shen Congyun could not restrain himself. He wanted to kick Lin Huaiyin away, crush her abdomen, and trample that filthy bastard.

But he didn't move. He reached out and pinched Lin Huaiyin's chin, piercing her face with a gaze as fierce as flames.

That scoundrel lied to him. He needs to find a flaw in her story.

Because a year ago, when the White Lotus Sect kidnapped Lin Huaiyin, they drugged her.

That was a medicine personally prepared by Gongyang Yan; after taking it, it would be almost impossible to conceive.

Gongyang Yan's poison, when administered to the emperor, went undetected by anyone in the Imperial Hospital for ten years, truly deserving of the title "unparalleled in the world."

Lin Huaiyin took medication, so it's impossible for her to be pregnant.

What is she really planning by faking a pregnancy?

Shen Congyun examined Lin Huaiyin's face inch by inch. Her face was wet, her nose was very red, her eyes were even redder, and her whole face was a little swollen. In her eyes, there was fear, panic, pleading, and adoration.

There was no flinching or deception. She even couldn't help but smile when he touched her chin and looked directly at her.

She likes it when I treat her like this.

She was moving closer.

She even considered taking the opportunity to do something.

Shen Congyun suddenly felt nauseous.

Unable to hide her disgust, Shen Congyun tried to pull his hand away, but Lin Huaiyin seized the opportunity and pounced on him, boldly embracing him and pressing her cheek against his chest, crying out, "Husband, you said yes! You said yes to me! I'm so happy!"

The woman he hated nestled in his arms, her body writhing in a wave of infatuation. He pushed her away, only to have her cling to him again. Shen Congyun felt a sudden sense of despair—Lin Huaiyin loved him too much, and he had ruined her.

She loves him so much, how could she possibly lie to him? She doesn't have the brains or the guts.

Shen Congyun could only accept the unborn child in her womb. Gongyang Yan hadn't mentioned how long the medicine would last; perhaps a year had passed and the lowly maid's health had improved, or perhaps he was just being vigorous and using his strength in the right place.

Now that things have come to this, Shen Congyun has no other choice but to deal with it as soon as possible, and absolutely not let Pingyang know. Before that happens, he can take advantage of this troublesome situation to make some noise.

He was scheming, and Lin Huaiyin was disgusting. She could tell that Shen Congyun didn't believe her, so she pretended to be stupid and pounced on him with all her might. Unexpectedly, Shen Congyun didn't kick her.

Then she could only continue to rub against him.

Shen Congyun felt even more disgusted.

"Get up and speak properly," he told her.