Ji Fengyao was initially annoyed that Shang Xiye had told such a colossal lie about the fetus.

Now, mmm, it smells delicious!

With this "baby" around, the Empress Dowager's trip to the Summer Palace was a complete waste!

As expected, the Ninth Prince was shrewd and resourceful, easily wiping out all of his opponents' pieces with a single move.

Ji Fengyao came in comfortably and went back in comfortably. Thinking about the faces in the hall that almost made her burst into internal injuries, she was so happy that she wanted to laugh out loud.

Even with her calm and composed nature, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but frown upon returning to her inner chamber.

Knowing that Princess Zhaoping was in a bad mood, he made up an excuse to send her away.

After Princess Zhaoping left, Aunt Sun asked, full of doubt, "Empress Dowager, what about the Ninth Prince's wife's pregnancy..."

"Hmph," the Empress Dowager snorted coldly, sitting idly on the cool couch and placing one hand, adorned with five-jeweled nail guards, on the low table beside her. Her voice was indifferent and cold: "I have spent most of my life in this palace, I have given birth myself, and I have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of pregnant concubines. But I have never seen a child as big as hers before."

"So, there's something fishy about the Ninth Princess's pregnancy? That's a crime of deceiving the emperor, a great disrespect to the royal family," Aunt Sun deliberately emphasized to show the seriousness of the consequences.

Emperor Shang Xiche arrived at the appointed time and saw the Empress Dowager's displeased expression upon entering. He asked, "What's wrong? Who's been so foolish as to upset Mother today?"

The Empress Dowager glanced at Aunt Sun indifferently, and Aunt Sun bowed and led several trusted palace maids out of the room.

Seeing this, Shang Xiche knew that the Empress Dowager must have something important to say. He turned to Eunuch De and said, "Go, go, you all go outside too. I want to have a private talk with the Empress Dowager."

Everyone left after I heard that.

Shang Xiche then sat down opposite the Empress Dowager and said, "I have heard about Ninth Brother bringing Ninth Princess Consort to Your Majesty. Before I came, I reminded Your Majesty that Ninth Brother was not so easy to deal with. Your Majesty should have been prepared. Why are you angry?"

"I feel that the way the Ninth Prince and that bandit were together was a bit inappropriate. I've been through this before, and I can tell at a glance what a man is like when he's truly in love with a woman," the Empress Dowager sighed softly.

Shang Xiche paused for a moment, then smiled dismissively: "Mother, you are overthinking it. What does a mere bandit compare to the daughter of the Grand Preceptor of Li Kingdom? If I can subdue one Qin Weiyang, I can subdue another. Besides, she's just a bandit. So what if he takes a fancy to her? Ninth Brother is still a man."

"What if the Ninth Prince's wife is really pregnant?" The Empress Dowager suddenly pointed out: "Emperor, don't forget who the late Emperor favored as his successor, and what kind of edict the late Emperor left in the Ninth Prince's hands; the Ninth Prince must not have an heir!"

Shang Xiche paused for a moment, his brows furrowing: "Does Mother mean that the Ninth Prince's wife is indeed pregnant?"

"The Ninth Prince has kept that bandit under tight control, preventing outsiders from easily getting close to her. Today, I wanted to assign her a royal physician, but she refused. It's still hard to say whether this pregnancy is real or not," the Empress Dowager said with a gloomy expression and slightly furrowed brows. "But Your Majesty, that bandit looks healthy and fertile. If the Ninth Prince has truly fallen for her, it's only a matter of time before she has an heir."

Shang Xiche paused for a moment, then stood up and said, "I understand. Your Majesty, please rest well."