“Crown Prince.”
Shen Lingyi regained consciousness, grabbing Shuqing’s hand as she anxiously asked, “Where is the Crown Prince?”
“Concubine, the Crown Prince has been deposed and is now imprisoned,” Shuqing said cautiously. As soon as the words left her mouth, Shen Lingyi raised her hand and slapped her.
The force was so great that it sent Shuqing tumbling to the ground.
“Silence! The Crown Prince is of noble status—how could he be deposed?” Shen Lingyi shouted sharply. She refused to believe it until she saw the Crown Prince’s tent guarded by soldiers, with no one allowed inside.
Shen Lingyi then went to see several ladies who usually flattered her, only to find that everyone avoided her like the plague.
Returning to her tent, Shen Lingyi stumbled and fell to the ground. Finally, the words she had heard after learning of the Crown Prince’s arrest echoed in her ears—the furious voice of the Emperor from the imperial tent:
“Crown Prince Chu Chen, with treacherous intentions, sought to rebel against his superiors. He is unfilial, unkind, and has violated human ethics. He shall be deposed!”
“Confined to the Imperial Clan Court, forbidden to leave without imperial decree!”
Deposed!
If the Crown Prince was deposed, what would happen to her, his concubine?
Overwhelmed with shock and fear, Shen Lingyi fainted once again.
…
Shen Lingshu opened her eyes, only to see darkness. The moment she saw Prince Lin, she immediately asked with concern, “Prince, are your injuries healed?”
“You!”
Prince Lin hadn’t expected her to worry about his injuries as soon as she woke up. He put on a stern face and said, “You deserve punishment!”
“I know I was wrong. I was only worried about your wounds, which is why I urged Imperial Physician Xu to treat you.”
Shen Lingshu obediently admitted her mistake. Her well-behaved appearance made it impossible for Prince Lin to keep up his stern act. He pulled her into his arms and said, “You didn’t even know you were pregnant, yet you rushed forward to block a sword for me?”
Pregnant?
Shen Lingshu looked up in shock. Meeting Prince Lin’s smiling eyes, she placed her hand incredulously on her abdomen—flat, without an ounce of excess fat. Was there really a child growing inside?
“I… I’m really pregnant? You’re not teasing me, are you, Prince?”
Shen Lingshu swallowed, feeling as though she were dreaming. In the script, the pregnancy hadn’t happened this early.
“Ouch.”
Prince Lin raised his hand and lightly flicked her forehead. “When have I ever joked about something like this?”
“It hurts!”
Shen Lingshu covered her flicked forehead, pouting pitifully. “I’m pregnant, and you’re still bullying me!”
“Does it really hurt that much?”
Prince Lin was half-convinced, half-doubtful—he hadn’t used much force.
“Look, Prince.”
Shen Lingshu removed her hand. Her skin was delicate, and even the slightest force left a red mark. Prince Lin looked at the faint redness on her forehead and her reddened eyes, which seemed to silently convey her grievance.
“Then… flick me back?”
Prince Lin lowered his head.
Shen Lingshu chuckled and said, “What’s the point of flicking you back?”
Prince Lin: “Then what do you want? I’ll grant it.”
Shen Lingshu beamed, her eyes full of anticipation. “How about, after we return to the estate, you set up a small kitchen for me? That way, I won’t have to bring food back only for it to get cold.”
“That’s all?”
Prince Lin raised an eyebrow. He had been prepared to grant any reasonable request Shen Lingshu made, but he hadn’t expected it to be just a small kitchen.
“Yes.”
Shen Lingshu nodded contentedly, adding somewhat shyly, “If possible, could you also find a cook for me? Preferably one who can make spicy dishes.”
She couldn’t enjoy a meal without spice.
“Alright.”
Prince Lin responded, and seeing Shen Lingshu’s satisfied expression, he couldn’t help but pinch her cheek. “You little glutton.”
Shen Lingshu protested, “It’s not me who’s greedy, it’s the child!”
“…”
Prince Lin gave her a complicated look. With her flat belly and the child barely a month old, how could it already know what greed was?
Prince Lin helped Shen Lingshu sit up properly and asked, “Yesterday, when your horse was startled and charged into the northern hunting grounds, saving me, was it Lady Hai whose arrow struck your horse?”
“Yes, at that time, Concubine Hai lost her footing, and the arrow hit my horse, causing it to go wild and bolt.”
Shen Lingshu still felt a lingering fear.
“Your Highness, I was clearly running north the whole time. How did I still run into you?” Shen Lingshu asked, seemingly puzzled.
Prince Lin looked at her deeply. “Because the northern area is our hunting grounds. It’s close to the mountains and deep forests, with more dangerous beasts. The southern area is flatter and only meant for women to experience the fun of hunting, mostly with pheasants and rabbits.”
“But the Concubine clearly said the southern area.” Shen Lingshu pursed her lips in confusion, murmuring, “Could I have misheard?”
“…”
Prince Lin’s gaze grew even more pitying as he looked at her. What a silly girl. What carelessness, what losing her footing—Lady Hai was definitely doing it on purpose.
As for Side Consort Fang…
“Qingwu, bring the Concubine and Lady Hai here.”
Prince Lin spoke.
As soon as Side Consort Fang and Hai Jiaren entered the tent, they knelt down together to beg for forgiveness. “Please forgive us, Your Highness.”
“Forgive you?”
Prince Lin snorted coldly. “Intentionally telling Lingshu to go to the northern hunting grounds? Intentionally losing your footing and striking Lingshu’s horse with an arrow? Making the horse go wild? If it weren’t for Lingshu’s great fortune, both she and the child might have been lost!”
He had secretly taken his father’s antidote for a long time and nursed his health for months before he could have another child. It was almost lost because of their rivalry for favor!
“Your Highness, please see clearly. I absolutely did not intentionally harm Sister Shen. If I had even the slightest intention to harm anyone, may I descend to the eighteenth layer of hell after death and never be reborn.”
Side Consort Fang raised her hand and swore a poisonous oath, each word dripping with blood. “At that time, I said the northern area must not be entered. Lady Hai can testify.”
“Yes, I heard it too. Concubine Shen must have misheard.”
Hai Jiaren nodded, suppressing the jealousy in her heart as she looked at Shen Lingshu, who was being protected by the Prince. She kowtowed and pleaded, “Concubine Shen, I know I almost harmed you, but I truly didn’t mean to.”
Hai Jiaren sobbed as she spoke, “At that time, I just lost my footing and was afraid you would leave, so the arrow struck the horse.”
“Your Highness, if I really wanted to harm Concubine Shen, how could I be so foolish as to strike her horse right in front of everyone, leaving such a big clue?” Hai Jiaren choked out.
“Whatever punishment Your Highness decides, I will accept it. I am willing to die to prove my innocence.” As Hai Jiaren spoke, she tried to dash her head against the table to die but was caught by Qingwu.
Prince Lin’s cold gaze swept over them before he lowered his head and asked, “Lingshu, what do you think?”
“Perhaps I just misheard.” Shen Lingshu blinked. She hadn’t expected to bring down Side Consort Fang with just this. It was enough to plant a seed of doubt in the Prince’s heart.
“As for Concubine Hai…” Shen Lingshu looked at Hai Jiaren, who was crying pitifully, and said, “Your Highness, I think Hai Jiaren didn’t mean it either.”
It was she who had deliberately placed the tripping vines at Hai Jiaren’s feet. Since Hai Jiaren was the one taking the blame, she would be spared this once.
“If it was a misunderstanding, then you may rise, Concubine,” Prince Lin said.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for believing in my innocence.”
Side Consort Fang gracefully stood up and said, “I am also at fault. If I had explained more clearly, Concubine Shen would not have had such a misunderstanding. Upon returning to the manor, I will voluntarily forfeit half a year’s allowance as a warning to myself.”
“I will also set up a small prayer hall in the prince’s residence, where I will copy scriptures daily to pray for Concubine Shen and the child in her womb.”