Chen Ruzhu subconsciously raised her hand to touch her belly, still unwilling to lower her guard, and said, "What are you saying, cousin? I am the Eighth Prince's daughter, it's normal for me to be pregnant."
"If you want to get aborted without even realizing it, then there's nothing more to say. Alright, we've met, farewell!" Lanqin was already dissatisfied with Chen Ruzhu's actions back then, and if it weren't for the Eighth Prince's wife coming to her, she wouldn't have bothered with it.
Upon hearing this, Chen Ruzhu's expression changed, and she said, "Cousin, wait! I—"
Seeing her anxious expression, Lanqin softened her tone and said, "You should understand why I pulled you out to talk. Maybe there are people from the Eighth Prince's wife in your room."
Chen Ruzhu looked at Lanqin with a look of horror, then looked around nervously a few times before whispering, "Cousin, what should I do now? Eighth Master, he almost never comes to my room, even though I'm pregnant."
Lanqin glanced at Chen Ruzhu's belly and sighed inwardly: If she could keep this child, perhaps she would have some support for the rest of her life; if not, she would probably waste her whole life in this household.
“You chose this path yourself, so you can’t blame anyone else for how things turn out. Now that you have a child, you should think about the child. He might be a source of comfort for you, so give birth to him safely,” Lanqin said.
“I know it was I who chose the Eighth Prince. I also know it’s no use regretting it now. I only hope that in the future, he can come and see me for the sake of the children.” Chen Ruzhu’s eyes gradually welled up with tears.
Alas, even Lanqin couldn't comfort a woman like this. She was married to a prince, and could only leave if he divorced her. But who could marry a woman abandoned by the royal family?
“The Eighth Prince’s wife is not a kind person, and I’m afraid she won’t let you give birth easily. If you want to have a good birth, you’ll have to put in some effort. First, you need to figure out who around you is reliable and who are the Prince’s spies. Jin Yu is your dowry maid, and she should be the person you rely on the most. Don’t let her feel disheartened,” Lan Qin said.
Chen Ruzhu nodded and said, "Ruochun seems honest, not like a Fujin; Huamei is clever, I suspect her the most; Jiu'er is still a child, so she doesn't have any schemes."
Lanqin said, "I don't have any way to teach you. Just remember to check everything you put in your mouth and look through everything you use. The Eighth Prince's wife will definitely not be happy to see you give birth, so you have to be extremely careful with anything she gives you."
Chen Ruzhu suddenly felt a loss of confidence and asked in a trembling voice, "Cousin, how did you manage to give birth so smoothly?"
Lanqin looked at Chen Ruzhu and thought to herself: I have Fourth Prince protecting me, and the group of people in the South Courtyard surrounding and protecting me! What do you have? Eighth Prince hardly ever comes, and Eighth Princess Consort is eyeing you covetously. It's really not easy to protect your child!
"Cousin, it's too late for me to regret it now. I shouldn't have entered the Eighth Prince's mansion! Cousin, please think of something, there must be a way, right?" Chen Ruzhu couldn't hold back any longer. All her fantasies about the Eighth Prince had been shattered. The handsome and gentle Eighth Prince in public was a completely different person in the mansion! Cold, gloomy, and unfathomable!
As Lanqin listened to Chen Ruzhu recount the details about the Eighth Master, a chill ran down her spine! The Eighth Master was indeed a mask in public; behind the scenes, he was a completely different person!
"Are you sure you want to have the child? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with this person?" Lanqin suddenly felt that perhaps it would be better for Chen Ruzhu to leave the Eighth Prince's mansion!
“I have no way out! My child is my life now!” Chen Ruzhu said.
Lanqin said, "Eighth Prince is busy vying for the position of Crown Prince, so he has no energy to care about you. Moreover, he is now relying on the Guo Luo family, so even if he knows that Eighth Princess Consort has targeted you, he will not stand up for you!"
Hearing this, Chen Ruzhu was so frightened that she didn't know what to do. Before Lanqin said these words, she still held a glimmer of hope for Eighth Master, but after hearing Lanqin's words, all hope in her heart was completely gone.
The two sat facing each other in silence, with only the sound of the wind gently rustling through the bamboo forest.
"Ruzhu, you don't need to be too discouraged. What I just said was the worst-case scenario. Perhaps the Eighth Prince also values the child in your womb; perhaps the Eighth Princess Consort wouldn't dare to harm you; perhaps she doesn't have the energy to take care of you right now," Lanqin comforted her.
"Cousin, I only just realized my predicament. Was I too foolish? If I hadn't been so determined to curry favor with the prince, I might have married into an official family on par with Father, becoming the principal wife and living a carefree and comfortable life. Instead, I'm trapped in this dark and gloomy inner quarters, constantly having to be mindful of the principal wife's every whim, unable even to see the men. It's so stifling!" Chen Ruzhu seemed unable to bear it any longer. She had thought marrying into the royal family would be a glorious thing, but being an unfavored concubine was truly miserable. Although fate had granted her pregnancy, she still lacked the men's favor, making it almost unbearable for her.
"Don't dwell on the past. There's no going back. Just cherish the life you have now. If you want to have a child, you need to be fully prepared. No one can help you. If you don't even try to protect the child, who can help you keep it?" Lanqin understood Chen Ruzhu's current mental state perfectly. In the 21st century, she had seen countless women like her who only complained and were pessimistic and desperate, tormenting themselves to the brink of collapse because of a man.
"Cousin, please show me a way. If you help me, I promise I'll do whatever you say and never be willful again," Chen Ruzhu said, tears streaming down her face. She had always thought herself beautiful, but after entering this inner quarters, she realized there were many women more beautiful than herself. The Eighth Prince's wife was no less beautiful than herself, and held the position of principal wife; Mao was no less beautiful, and had served the Eighth Prince the longest; Zhang was also very beautiful, and she had given birth to the Eighth Prince's only son.
Lanqin sighed and said, "Just be a dutiful princess and don't try to compete with the Eighth Prince's wife for anything because of this child. The more low-key and obedient you are at this time, the more favor the Eighth Prince will show you, and out of consideration for the child in your womb, he will pity you a little more. And only with this little bit of pity will you have a chance to give birth to the child."
Chen Ruzhu had no other way out, so she quickly nodded.
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