The following day, the Empress Dowager sent someone to invite Gu Nanjiao to the palace to relieve her boredom.
Lu Yanzhao declined the gifts, citing her pregnancy and physical discomfort. Soon after, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor showered her with gifts, filling the Lu residence to the brim.
The Lu family is now very popular in the capital, and many high-ranking officials, noble ladies and young women come to offer their congratulations.
The place was immediately packed with visitors.
Three months later, news came that the Crown Prince's concubine was pregnant. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor gave her a few token gifts and then paid no further attention.
In a fit of anger, Zhou Wan smashed a fine glass vase and broke her meticulously crafted gilded armor.
Since that night, the Crown Prince has treated her like a stranger. Even when he heard the news of her pregnancy, he remained indifferent, his eyes not even flickering.
Even the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were equally indifferent. This was the first grandson of the royal family, yet they showed such disregard for him. The child in her womb was not even as precious as the one conceived by that bastard Gu Nanjiao.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't get angry right now. What if you upset the baby?" Qingci earnestly advised, hoping that Zhou Wan could calm down.
Zhou Wan listened to the advice and, with Qingci's help, sat on a soft stool, her chest rising and falling slightly. After a while, Zhou Wan put down her teacup and asked, "Where is the Crown Prince?"
"The Crown Prince has been troubled lately and hasn't left his study for three days."
Zhou Wan naturally knew what Chu Luoxun was annoyed about.
The only difference is that Lu Yanzhao and Gu Nanjiao have become very popular in the capital, while Chu Luoxun and Lu Yanzhao have drifted further and further apart.
He sent out invitations several times, but Lu Yanzhao ignored them completely. His arrogance was so great that Chu Luoxun wanted nothing more than to kill him.
Zhou Wan exhaled a few breaths, her frustration dissipating considerably. She slightly curved her lips, a calculating glint in her eyes: "Let's go see the Crown Prince."
Qingci hesitated for a moment: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is in a bad mood today. Wouldn't going over at this time be inviting bad luck?"
"How could it be considered bad luck?" Zhou Wan gently stroked the jade bracelet on her fair wrist, her deep, dark eyes gleaming with a subtle light, making her almond-shaped eyes even more charming and alluring.
Upon arriving at the Crown Prince's study, they were stopped by a palace attendant.
Zhou Wan knelt gracefully towards the study, her voice slightly raised, "Your Highness, I have a plan that can relieve your worries."
After a while, Chu Luoxun's deep voice came from the study.
"Speak while kneeling outside."
Zhou Wan was taken aback, a slight pain spreading from her heart. She clutched her chest and continued to smile gently: "Your Highness, walls have ears. This plan can only be discussed with Your Highness alone."
Suddenly, the door was flung open, and Chu Luoxun, his face grim and eyes full of impatience, asked, "What trick are you trying to pull now?"
She had drugged him under the guise of delivering lotus seed soup. He was caught off guard and ended up with Zhou Wan pregnant with his child.
He hated the Zhou family, and he loathed Zhou Wan as well. The thought that Zhou Wan was carrying his child made him feel as if he had swallowed a fly.
"Your Highness!" Zhou Wan could no longer maintain her gentle demeanor. Her voice trembled slightly, and glistening tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.
She bit her lip and forced a smile: "I heard that both Lord Lu and Your Highness are disciples of Master Zheng. Why doesn't Your Highness bring Master Zheng to the capital? With Master Zheng around, Lu Yanzhao will not dare to disobey the Crown Prince's orders."
Chu Luoxun was taken aback, then a smile appeared on his face. Ah, right, how could he not have thought of that?
Lu Yanzhao was originally a trusted confidant cultivated by Zheng Shanzhang. Now that Lu Yanzhao wants to break free of control, we'll have to see if Zheng Shanzhang is willing to accept it.
"Please rise, Consort!" Chu Luoxun was in a rare good mood and personally helped Zhou Wan up.
Zhou Wan was deeply moved, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
This was the first time she had seen Chu Luoxun smile at her, and she couldn't contain her excitement: "Your Highness, would you mind having dinner with me? My unborn child misses its father."
Chu Luoxun froze, then subtly withdrew his hand: "Let's wait a while!"
"Your Highness!" Zhou Wan looked at Chu Luoxun with a disappointed expression, her lips pressed tightly together.
"Alright, I'll have dinner with you tonight!" Chu Luoxun felt uncomfortable being stared at, so he compromised, put his hands behind his back, and went into the study.
Having received the promise, Zhou Wan was in a great mood, and when she was in a good mood, she wanted to show off.
...
Following the guidance of the porcelain, Zhou Wan arrived at a small alley. She heard that after Minister Zhou was dismissed from his post, memorials impeaching him filled the imperial desk.
In particular, Zhou Ping committed all sorts of evil deeds, including rape, plunder, and kidnapping. Minister Zhou allowed his grandson to commit these crimes. He should have been dismissed and investigated, but the memorials submitted to the emperor were like a mountain pressing down on him, and the emperor had no choice but to imprison Minister Zhou and Zhou Ping.
Zhou Wan's father, being mediocre and unremarkable, escaped this calamity.
When Zhou Wan arrived, her father was pacing back and forth, looking troubled.
With both his father and son imprisoned, he found himself with no one in the court who could speak to him, except for a few drinking buddies.
Thinking of his daughter becoming a concubine of the Crown Prince, Zhou's father had his first wife send out invitations several times, but all of them disappeared without a trace.
The Zhou family mansion was ransacked, and all the servants were dismissed. Zhou's father and the women of the household managed to escape the disaster and packed their belongings to leave the mansion.
Fortunately, the third concubine had considerable assets and paid for a small courtyard house with three courtyards and two entrances at the entrance of the alley. She and her family of women and children settled there temporarily.
The First Madam was depressed all day long, unable to eat or sleep because she couldn't save her son.
When Zhou's father learned that Zhou Wan had arrived, he was first surprised, and then excitedly invited her into the main hall.
The First Madam also perked up and came along with Zhou's father.
"May Your Highness, the Concubine, be well!"
Now that the Zhou family has encountered trouble, all their former friends have severed ties, but unexpectedly, the concubine has come.
It seems she still thinks about her family.
Zhou Wan stirred the teacup in her hand, took a small sip, and handed it to the celadon bowl beside her.
The Zhou family has fallen so low that they can't even afford Yu Luo Chun tea anymore. The tea leaves are coarse and have a stale smell. Zhou Wan picked up a handkerchief and spat them out.
After a long while, as if only then realizing it, Zhou Wan feigned surprise and helped her father and the first wife up.
"Oh dear, why are you still kneeling, Father and Mother? I've become very forgetful since I became pregnant. Please don't take offense."
"No, no!"
The First Madam spoke first: "Your Highness, Consort, you must think of a way to save your younger brother. He has never suffered since he was a child, and we don't know if he can make it through."
Thinking of Zhou Ping's imprisonment, the decisive and efficient First Madam took out her handkerchief and wiped away her tears, crying.
Zhou's father also knew that his father, who held a high position as a minister, had offended many people, and His Majesty wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible, making it extremely difficult to save him.
The task at hand is to rescue Zhou Ping so that a bloodline can be preserved for the Zhou family.
Zhou Wan sneered inwardly. Send her to save Zhou Ping?
She wished Zhou Ping would die in prison as soon as possible, and that old man who always favored his younger brother and sister.
In the Zhou household, everyone looked down on her, despising her birth mother for being a foot-washing maid. She earned her reputation in the capital through her own efforts, which had absolutely nothing to do with the Zhou family.
Now, seeing their pathetic state, while she, Zhou Wan, is the high and mighty Crown Prince's concubine. The day has finally come when they will kneel and beg her for mercy.
But will she help them?
She's already done right by not kicking them when they're down.
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