Qi Rong's matter was kept within a very small scope. People in the palace just felt that they had not seen each other for a few days, and suddenly heard the news that the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei was engaged, and Qi Rong had been sent back to the capital to prepare for the marriage.

Even though many people felt that the marriage was arranged unexpectedly, or even hastily, no one pursued it excessively except for a few complaints in their hearts. In the final analysis, this was someone else's business. The person involved felt that the world was falling apart, but for others, it was not as worrying as mosquitoes at night.

In contrast, the concubines in the harem were more concerned about another thing, that is, the confrontation between the Crown Princess and the Queen seemed to have escalated again. Empress Xiao Qi used to always pretend to be a virtuous mother, but now, when Chu Jinyao came to pay respects, Empress Xiao Qi would immediately turn cold.

Zhao Lanhui saw it, but he did not know it many times. After returning from the temporary palace, she would follow Prince Su to the fiefdom. Qingyang was thousands of miles away from the capital, and it was inconvenient to get any news. Therefore, Zhao Lanhui served Empress Xiao Qi carefully these days and made sure to please her. Prince Su knew Empress Xiao Qi's influence on the emperor, so he specifically instructed Zhao Lanhui to coax Empress Xiao Qi well. When they left the capital in the future, they would have to rely on Empress Xiao Qi to say good things to the emperor.

While Zhao Lanhui was serving Empress Xiao Qi, he was also cautiously paying attention to Concubine Shu's mood. Concubine Shu was Prince Su's adoptive mother. Zhao Lanhui was too flattering to the empress, which might displease Concubine Shu. Being caught between two mothers-in-law was really difficult, and every word he said and every thing he did had to be carefully considered.

When paying respects today, Zhao Lanhui saw Chu Jinyao standing in the temporary palace with a faint expression and eyes slightly downcast, pretending not to see the cold face of Empress Xiao Qi above. Chu Jinyao stood for a while, and when the time was enough and she would not be accused of disrespecting her mother-in-law, she found an excuse to leave. Zhao Lanhui was shocked by Chu Jinyao's almost bold action. Which new bride is not trembling in front of her mother-in-law, as if facing a powerful enemy? But Chu Jinyao stood there calmly, and left when the time came. She didn't take the young Queen Qi seriously at all. This was simply... extremely unfilial and treasonous.

Zhao Lanhui had heard about the events of the past few days. It seemed that he didn't sympathize with Qi Rong, but Chu Jinyao's attitude of tearing her face with the queen made Zhao Lanhui feel envious.

A woman is a guest in her natal family, and after getting married, she has to rely on her mother-in-law's face to live. But in the end, it is her husband who will spend her life with her, not her mother-in-law. Chu Jinyao dared to tear her face against her stepmother-in-law, and such confidence could only come from her husband.

Many people secretly told Zhao Lanhui that Chu Jinyao was inappropriate, and Zhao Lanhui also felt that it was too immoral to do so, and it was not the behavior of a virtuous woman. But for some reason, looking at Chu Jinyao and the prince, Zhao Lanhui still couldn't suppress his envy. Chu Jinyao's real mother-in-law had passed away, and Empress Xiao Qi was her stepmother. In addition, after what happened in the past, Empress Xiao Qi was not a legitimate stepmother. So, even if Chu Jinyao suffered more difficulties, you have to know that the prince and Chu Jinyao were on the same side when it came to mother-in-law. It was almost like she had no mother-in-law.

Zhao Lanhui, who suffered between two mothers-in-law, envied from the bottom of his heart. Unlike her, Prince Su respects his stepmother and obeys his adoptive mother, so she, the princess of Prince Su, is caught in the middle and suffers extra.

Zhao Lanhui watched Chu Jinyao leave on her own. When Chu Jinyao's back was out of sight, the face of Empress Xiao Qi at the top was so gloomy that it was unbearable to look at. The people in the temporary palace saw it but pretended not to see it. The Crown Princess and the Queen were fighting, and they were just small fry, so they should not get mixed up and become cannon fodder.

After Chu Jinyao came out of the harem of Empress Xiao Qi, she let out a long breath towards the sunlight outside. Empress Xiao Qi was unhappy to see Chu Jinyao, and Chu Jinyao didn't want to see Empress Xiao Qi. If it wasn't for the word "filial piety", who would have the patience to come and see her.

Linglong asked, "Crown Princess, shall we go back to Qide Hall now?"

"Don't worry." Chu Jinyao said, "The weather is good today, let's take a walk in the garden, and then go back to the palace."

"Yes."

Chu Jinyao was strolling slowly in the garden, and happened to meet Concubine Lian. Since Concubine Lian was "discovered" to be pregnant, in order to clear herself, Empress Xiao Qi specially granted Concubine Lian no need to pay respects, and just rest assured to take care of the baby. Seeing that Concubine Lian was getting older and older, she listened to the advice of the imperial physician and walked around more in the past few days. She happened to meet Chu Jinyao in the garden.

Concubine Liang was very enthusiastic when she saw Chu Jinyao, and she came up to talk to Chu Jinyao: "Crown Princess, are you also here to relax in the garden?"

"I came back from paying my respects to the Empress Dowager, and I just came here for a walk. Concubine Liang, be careful, you are heavy, so you must be careful with your steps." Chu Jinyao smiled and talked to Concubine Liang, but she was secretly paying attention to the distance between her and Concubine Liang. Concubine Liang was pregnant, and many people in the palace couldn't bear to see her give birth safely. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Chu Jinyao kept a distance from Concubine Liang. Chu Jinyao didn't want Concubine Liang to be plotted against by someone, accidentally fall down, and finally fall on her head.

Concubine Lian obviously knew her situation. In fact, she had always admired Chu Jinyao. In terms of status, Chu Jinyao was the Crown Princess, second only to the Emperor. Logically, Concubine Lian was diagnosed with pregnancy by the imperial physician, which must have been pushed by the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Emperor invited Wang Mingci to the palace to exorcise evil spirits. If Chu Jinyao and the Crown Prince had not exposed her, Concubine Lian would have drunk the evil-exorcising talisman water. Concubine Lian was frightened at the time, and she wanted the Taoist priest to exorcise her Yin Fire. However, after returning to the palace and slowly reacting, Concubine Lian immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Pregnant people have many taboos, and they are even more cautious about what they eat. If she really drank Wang Mingci's talisman water, could she still be pregnant with the emperor's child?

Concubine Liang did not dare to think about it further. Afterwards, the emperor did not pursue Empress Xiao Qi's guilt. Concubine Liang was even more frightened and dared not say a word. This was the situation in the harem. The favored concubines came and went, but Empress Xiao Qi was always there. No one could compete with Empress Xiao Qi head-on. Therefore, Concubine Liang was even more grateful for Chu Jinyao's kindness that day. She said, "Since we parted in the Western Palace, I have been in poor health and have not found a chance to thank the Crown Princess in person. Thank you, Crown Princess, for the time I fell into the water in April."

Concubine Liang was not only talking about falling into the water, but more about Wang Mingci's trickery. However, since this matter involved Empress Xiao Qi, Concubine Liang and Chu Jinyao both avoided mentioning it. Chu Jinyao understood in her heart, so she said: "Your Highness Concubine Lian is too polite. This is just my duty. Besides, even if I wasn't there that day, someone else would have jumped down to save you. Your Highness can rest assured. You have the blessing of your ancestors, and you will be fine."

"That's what you said, but the Crown Princess has been very kind to me after all, and I should thank her in person." Concubine Lian still insisted and even wanted to give Chu Jinyao a thank-you gift. Chu Jinyao quickly asked the maid to support her, and everyone was in chaos. Concubine Lian then gave up.

Chu Jinyao saw that Concubine Lian had finally calmed down, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Concubine Lian has good intentions, but the child in her belly is the public enemy of the harem, and Chu Jinyao doesn't want to be involved. Moreover, Concubine Lian came here specially today. In addition to thanking, is she also thinking of making friends with the Eastern Palace?

Concubine Lian knows too much about the dark side of the harem. She was in a panic when she became pregnant, fearing that she would anger Empress Xiao Qi. Even though she is now a concubine and is favored by the emperor, she is still afraid. Therefore, regardless of emotion and reason, Concubine Lian wants to make friends with Chu Jinyao. Her child is 20 years younger than the prince, and the emperor cannot rely on her. It can be said that the lives of her and her child are in the hands of the prince. Concubine Lian does not have the courage to beg the prince, so she can only try to please the prince's wife twice as much.

It was not difficult to guess what Concubine Lian was thinking, and Chu Jinyao did not comment on it. The concubines in the harem regarded Concubine Lian as a thorn in their eyes, but this had no effect on Chu Jinyao. Even if Concubine Lian really gave birth to a son, so what? This prince was 20 years younger than Qin Yi. Even if the emperor favored the younger son, he would not be a threat to Qin Yi. The second prince was only two years younger than Qin Yi, and he was always inferior to Qin Yi. Now he had to go to the vassal state to avoid the Eastern Palace, not to mention the baby in Concubine Lian's belly whose gender was unknown.

Chu Jinyao had no intention of getting involved in the harem struggles. She was on a different level from these concubines, and she didn't care who was favored and who was not. However, Concubine Lian was the exact opposite. So along the way, Concubine Lian was actively looking for topics to talk about. Gradually, the two talked about the child: "Pregnancy is really torture. I have been getting more and more afraid of the heat these days. Fortunately, the emperor showed mercy and allowed me to accompany him. After all, the temporary palace is much cooler than the imperial palace. Otherwise, I really dare not even think about it."

Chu Jinyao laughed after hearing this: "How can this be torture? It is obviously a blessing."

Concubine Lian touched her bulging belly, and a layer of soft light unconsciously enveloped her face: "What blessing, I wish he could come out quickly so that he won't torture me anymore."

"Why are you so anxious, Concubine Xian? You are already eight months pregnant. In another two months, the baby will be born and you won't be able to stop it." Chu Jinyao said as her thoughts drifted, "It's already July, and my sister is also pregnant. I don't know when she will give birth."

Chu Jinxian was already very ill and was due in July, so she did not accompany them on this summer vacation, but stayed in the capital to wait for the birth. However, as the Crown Princess, Chu Jinyao had to accompany them, leaving Chu Jinxian alone in the capital to wait for the birth. Chu Jinyao was extremely worried. When

Concubine Lian heard this, she was surprised and asked, "Your sister is also expecting a baby in the next two days? What a blessing! Was the previous baby a boy or a girl?"

Chu Jinyao kept smiling and corrected, "This is your sister's first baby."

Concubine Lian was embarrassed. Chu Jinyao had been married for more than half a year. It was said that the preparations for the wedding took a whole year. She thought Chu Jinyao's sister was already grown up, so she asked what the previous baby was, thinking that it would just be a good name. Unexpectedly, Chu Jinyao's sister was also the first baby.

Concubine Lian looked embarrassed. It seemed that the Crown Princess's sister had a hard time having children. Concubine Lian couldn't help but think of Chu Jinyao, and she was embarrassed to say anything.

Chu Jinyao could understand Concubine Lian's concerns and embarrassment. The harem and the court were all staring at the heirs of the Eastern Palace, but she had not made any moves. In fact, half a year was not a long time, but there were no concubines in the Eastern Palace, and Qin Yi stayed by her side every day. It was a bit unreasonable that she was not pregnant.

Concubine Lian accidentally touched upon the Crown Princess's taboos, and she felt embarrassed and scared. Chu Jinyao comforted her instead: "Your Majesty, be careful where you step."

Concubine Lian agreed. They had been out for quite some time, and Concubine Lian thought that she had touched upon the Crown Princess's concerns, so she was even more afraid to stay here and cause trouble. Chu Jinyao and Concubine Lian exchanged a few polite words, and then returned to the palace.

In Qide Hall, Qin Yi, wearing a white dress with gold trim, strode back from outside. He walked straight into the main hall, walked around the room, and turned back to ask, "Why is there no one here?"

Xiao Linzi's eyebrows jumped. He glanced at the maids in the hall and thought to himself, aren't these people considered human beings? Even though he was complaining in his heart, Xiao Linzi still smiled happily and said, "The Crown Princess went to pay her respects and hasn't returned yet. Your Highness, how about I go find the Crown Princess and bring her back?"

Go to pay her respects? Qin Yi frowned unconsciously. Now she hasn't returned yet. Could it be that Empress Qi is making things difficult for Chu Jinyao? Qin Yi walked out with a gloomy face, and Xiao Linzi and others followed him in a hurry: "Prince, where are you going?"

"Your Highness?" Chu Jinyao just walked in and happened to see Qin Yi walking out with a gloomy face. She asked curiously, "Your Highness, what's wrong with you? Why are you going out again?"

Qin Yi saw Chu Jinyao and breathed a sigh of relief silently in his heart: "Why did you take so long to pay respects today?"

"When I came back, I passed by the garden and happened to meet Concubine Lian, so I stopped and talked for a while." Chu Jinyao looked at the battle behind Qin Yi in confusion, "Your Highness, are you going out?"

Xiao Linzi watched Qin Yi's face suddenly gloomy, and then suddenly improved. Qin Yi didn't say anything, just waved his hand, and Xiao Linzi and others retreated obediently. Chu Jinyao followed Qin Yi inside. When she saw the expressions of Xiao Linzi and the others, she understood in her heart: "Your Highness, are you going out to look for me?"

Chu Jinyao was a little flattered. Qin Yi did not answer. After the two of them walked into the room, Qin Yi pulled Chu Jinyao to sit next to him. He looked at her carefully for a while and asked: "Did she embarrass you today?"

It was self-evident who this "she" was referring to. Chu Jinyao shook her head. She knew that she couldn't hide the expression on her face from Qin Yi, so she even thought about hiding it: "No, although she was not in a good mood, she was still polite to me and didn't make things difficult for me."

Chu Jinyao felt unbelievable when she said this. She had a quarrel with the queen because of Qi Rong's matter that day. Chu Jinyao was ready to be made difficult by the little queen Qi, but surprisingly, the little queen Qi just had a cold face and left her aside without paying any attention to her. Apart from that, she didn't do anything else. Chu Jinyao was surprised and secretly alert. She didn't think the little queen Qi was a generous person. The little queen Qi was vicious and narrow-minded. She was definitely not a person who could deal with things based on facts and distinguish between public and private matters. Now that Xiao Qihou didn't move, Chu Jinyao could only feel dangerous. This was like the last calm before the storm.

Qin Yi was obviously prepared, and he would not move unless the enemy moved. However, secretly, the protection around Chu Jinyao had been tightened. Qin Yi had made many preparations, but every time Chu Jinyao went out alone, he was still worried: "There are many people in the palace, so you must be careful when you are outside. If you want to go somewhere, send someone to find me, and I will go with you." Chu Jinyao

was moved to hear this. Qin Yi was the crown prince. During this time, he had to serve the emperor, receive ministers, and take time to handle state affairs in the palace. He was so busy that he could do two things at the same time. Even so, he was still thinking about himself. Chu Jinyao knew that as long as she sent someone to talk to Qin Yi, Qin Yi would definitely find a way to postpone his official duties and come to accompany her, but husband and wife should be considerate of each other, and Qin Yi's intention was enough. Chu Jinyao would not be so ignorant as to make it difficult for him in front of the ministers. Chu

Jinyao understood in his heart, but he would not refuse Qin Yi's kindness verbally. Instead, he responded very gratefully: "Thank you, Your Highness. If I often disturb Your Highness in the future, you are not allowed to find me annoying!"

Qin Yi was a master at seeing through people's hearts. Looking at Chu Jinyao's expression, he knew that she was not willing to do this. He sighed in his heart. Chu Jinyao has always been a sensible and sensible person. Qin Yi has always thought that being sensible is one of the most rare virtues of a woman, but when it comes to Chu Jinyao, he always feels distressed: "You don't have to be so careful in front of me. It's okay to be arrogant because of my favor."

Chu Jinyao smiled brightly, and her eyes were as bright as stars at that moment: "This is what you said. I will obey the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Qin Yi just sat with Chu Jinyao for a while, and then went to the study to reply to the letter. Chu Jinyao had nothing to do, so she also went to deal with the affairs of the palace. The days in the palace passed leisurely like this. One afternoon, Linglong suddenly came in with joy, bowed and said, "Crown Princess, the Zhao family just sent a message from the capital, saying that the eldest aunt gave birth!"

Chu Jinyao was surprised and happy: "Really? How is my sister?"

"Mother and child are safe, the eldest aunt gave birth to a boy!"

Chu Jinyao felt relieved, and then the overwhelming joy came up: "It's good that mother and child are safe, it's really God's blessing!"

Chu Jinyao asked Linglong many more details. The more she asked, the happier she became. She simply asked someone to take out the latest silk, and she personally made small clothes for her little nephew.

In fact, since Chu Jinxian became pregnant, Chu Jinyao has prepared a lot of clothes for the children, but today is finally the time to prepare them. Chu Jinyao is so happy that she wants to make a few more. Qide Hall is full of joy. Linglong goes to get the needle and thread basket. Chu Jinyao looks at the clusters of flowers outside the hall, and her eyes narrow slightly: "There is a withered flower there, let someone take care of it later."

When Kikyo and the others heard it, they quickly agreed. Because of Chu Jinxian's matter, Chu Jinyao has been happy for several days. However, the joy in this world always loses something for the sake of something else. One afternoon, everything was quiet, and the cool breeze was blowing. Chu Jinyao was looking through the children's clothes, and suddenly there was the sound of hurried running on the stone steps.

Chu Jinyao had a feeling that something was wrong and looked up. The eunuch who reported the news was running out of breath and said breathlessly: "Crown Princess, something bad has happened. Concubine Lian has had a miscarriage!"