"Empress Hui is still young, and now that she's pregnant, there doesn't seem to be any discomfort. This pregnancy seems quite stable." Consort Jing said lazily, leaning against the bamboo chair.

  Lin Yan looked up at her, pursed her lips and smiled: "The concubine is still in her first pregnancy, she doesn't understand anything, she just thinks that being pregnant is no different from usual, except for some changes in appetite."

  "Yes, you're young and don't understand, so you must be even more careful." Jing Fei said seemingly unintentionally: "Yesterday's incident scared me half to death. Who do you think is so vicious as to bribe the midwife into slandering you? Poor you didn't even know you were pregnant, but that person did. How frightening! From now on, let your servants and midwives take good care of you, don't let that malicious person find another opportunity."

  Lin Wan lowered her head and smiled lightly, answering softly: "I remember the teachings of Jing Fei."

  Jing Fei's eyebrows furrowed, which couldn't be seen when she entered the curtain. She had a feeling of punching cotton, since she recovered from her illness and left the Huanhuan Palace after being sealed as Jing Fei, how many people in the palace wanted to fawn on her? Was this Lin Shi really unable to understand or simply unwilling to attach herself to her?

  Yesterday's play was indeed wonderful, watching Empress Xiao being outsmarted, Consort Jing couldn't help but feel delighted. After returning to Huayang Palace, she calmed down and thought about it again, secretly shocked that regardless of whether Lin Shi had already figured it out or simply had good luck, in the end, it was her who taught Empress Xiao a lesson, gained Emperor's love and favor, and got more than a dozen attendants and guards compared to other pregnant palace consorts.

  A woman like Lin Wan makes people wary for no reason. But in Wei Miao Zhuang's eyes, she has never been afraid of anyone before. Lin Shi came to her Huayang Palace and had a deep feud with Xiao Huang Hou. If she could win her over... Naturally, with Lin Wan's ambition, it was impossible for her to be a pawn attached to someone else forever. But under the current circumstances, if she and Lin Wan could form an alliance, it would be beneficial to both parties.

  Previously, listening to the report of the lower officials, Lin Shi had been alone since entering the palace. In the past, Shen Fei and Xiao Huang Hou both wanted to win her over, but neither succeeded. And yet, this isolated and unsupported person, without a maternal family backing her, has reached this point.

  Wei Hao and Zhuang were both shocked.

  But now I feel suffocated. "Lin Mei has been in the palace for over a year, and naturally understands that life in this palace is not easy to pass." Jing Fei's tone was light and casual: "The principle of being unable to support oneself alone, sister should understand, right?"

  "Oh?" Lin Yuen opened a pair of big eyes, her expression somewhat dull.

  What an ungrateful woman! Jing Fei had lost her patience, her fingers lightly tapping on the small table, the bangles on her wrist kept making a sound, and she didn't care if they scratched the top-grade blue jade.

  "Your Ladyship, although I am of humble birth, I have also studied the Four Books and Five Classics for many years." Lin Yueru smiled as usual: "I understand what Your Ladyship means. However, if it's like Consort Tian who can recite poetry fluently, I'm afraid I'm not capable of that. I've heard that Concubine Jing was also a famous talented woman in the capital? One day, I'll have to learn from you properly, and His Majesty also likes women who are well-read... I still don't know enough..."

  The empress's face turned red with rage, and she finally flung her handkerchief, saying: "I'm tired, I'll go back first!" She then walked away, supported by the palace maid.

  ***

  From that day on, there was an inexplicable awkwardness between Jing Fei and Lin Wan. However, this didn't matter much, as although the two couldn't cooperate smoothly, they still lived in the same palace, so they maintained a harmonious facade.

  Huayang Palace is still as beautiful as brocade.

  Every day, there are concubines visiting. This time, Lin Wan did not ask the emperor to expel these people on the grounds of pregnancy, because after becoming pregnant, the way things were handled could no longer be the same as before. The dragon fetus was undoubtedly the rarest and most precious treasure in the harem of Great Qin, and also a special existence. Lin Wan had to be extremely careful and think twice before doing anything.

  The emperor, upon learning of her pregnancy, immediately and unhesitatingly appointed her as a pin, and separately dispatched soldiers to guard the Crimson Smoke Pavilion, giving her more palace maids and medical women than others - this was already enough to attract attention. She could no longer rely on her imperial favor to be arrogant, and bluntly refused entry to the concubines who came to visit, telling them how considerate the emperor was of her, which would only attract even more attention.

  But Lin Wan indulged the guests, while Jing Fei couldn't tolerate it. Jing Fei wasn't being pretentious, she was just born with this temperament, and didn't like noise. When there were too many people, she would get dizzy, lose her appetite, and sleep poorly. There was no need to ask the Emperor, as she herself held a consort position, second only to the Empress. So, she simply issued an edict in her capacity as a consort - "Anyone entering Huayang Palace must first report to Hehuan Hall before being allowed entry". Those people she didn't want to see were not allowed to enter, and with that, the number of people immediately decreased.

  Lin Wan knew it would be like this, and was delighted, smiling brightly as she praised Jing Fei for handling things properly.

  It wasn't long before the Lantern Festival on the 15th arrived. Empress Xiao was reprimanded by the Emperor due to a matter with the imperial physician, and her spirit was low, unable to muster up the energy to make grand arrangements. She only instructed the various departments of the palace to follow the usual customs as in previous years, and thus another Lantern Festival passed without anything new or interesting happening.

  Tuoba Hong was also not dissatisfied with her negative attitude, after all, it was just the Lantern Festival, and on New Year's Eve and the first day of the new year, the empress still managed things very well.

  Jing Fei coldly gazed at the Empress, and secretly sneered: "She finally knows to humble herself. If this Lantern Festival is held on a grand scale, wouldn't the Emperor be even more disgusted with her? That would be truly foolish."

  Yu Xia didn't say anything else, and several of her trusted palace maids looked at each other in confusion, some of them not understanding.

  Jing Fei just coldly smiled. The reason the Emperor dislikes the Empress is nothing more than her power being too great. As the Empress, she actually bought off all the imperial physicians and medical women in the palace, letting them gang up to harm the pregnant concubine. Not to mention her lack of virtue, this ability to cover up the sky with one hand is what the Emperor fears the most.

  At this time, the wisest approach can only be to show weakness.

  However weak she appears, the empress only intends to get through the Lantern Festival. If she really had to give some power away to others, she would rather die than do so.

  On the evening of the Lantern Festival, Jingfei was bored and cooked a pot of tangyuan in the Heping Hall, inviting Lin Yu and others to come over and have dinner together. To be honest, Jingfei's taste is too light, the skin of the tangyuan is thick and the filling is small, and it's still all bean paste inside, which is as boring as can be. When Qi Ronghua ate it, it was like eating bitter melon, Lin Yu peeled off the skin to eat the filling separately, but Zhang Wan'er and Fang Cairen had foresight and took out white sugar from their sleeves.

  As the Lantern Festival comes to an end, the festive atmosphere of the New Year gradually fades away. The lively celebrations for over a dozen days are enough; life has to go on and can't be spent celebrating day and night.

  On January 21st, someone came to Huayang Palace again.

  It wasn't a concubine, but the most favored imperial princess in the palace, Fan Yu. Jing Fei listened to the report from her subordinate and didn't even bother to lift her head, waving her hand to allow Fan Yu to visit Qiu Yan Lou.

  Lin Wan looked at the little girl who had not been seen for a month, ordered someone to bring honey milk and white sugar cake to entertain her, and smiled faintly: "How did you come here today? I heard that you have been running to Jianzhang Palace frequently these days."

  Shan Yu stole a glance at Lin Yuan's belly, which was still flat. She couldn't help but feel bitter in her heart. The child of Empress Lin had not yet been born and already received the emperor's boundless love and favor. Once born, whether it was a prince or princess, they would be noble dragon children from birth, and she was worlds apart from them.

  We're also Father Emperor's children...

  After Lin Wan became pregnant, everyone else flocked to her side, but Shan Yu stopped coming. In her heart, she knew that when Lin Wan didn't have a child, she still had some hope of relying on this favored concubine. But now that the other woman had her own flesh and blood... why would she spare a glance for this imperial daughter who was merely a passing acquaintance?

  Flattering and fawning on others will only lead to dislike.

  Fan Yu Bai Wei Za Chen, slightly lowered her head and said: "Father is very busy, I'm waiting in front of the Jian Zhang Palace every day, but the number of times we meet is very rare." She understood her identity and didn't dare to disturb Emperor Tuoba Hong, so she quietly waited in a side hall of the Jian Zhang Palace.

  But it was clear that even if her arch-nemesis Empress Xiaowen was no longer in power, Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei still did not think highly of this eldest daughter.

  Shan Yu's situation hasn't improved at all.

  She used to live in Shen Fei's place, and at first, Shen Fei was willing to take her in because she had a grudge against Empress Xiao. She kept Fan Yu around just to annoy Empress Xiao. After Shen Fei died, Fan Yu moved out of the Yongshou Palace and didn't know where to go. Everyone knew that she was an unimportant princess who was especially disliked by the empress. Taking her in would not only fail to gain favor with the emperor but also offend Empress Xiao. Who in the palace would do such a thing? At that time, the emperor was busy dealing with the Shen family's affairs and didn't have time for her. Fan Yu had nowhere to go and could only move to Qian Nan.

  Qianxi and Qiannan are both places where the princes and princesses live, but they are different. Qianxi Wu Suo is a place to raise the princes, which does not belong to the harem, it is located on one side of the Golden Temple in the front court of the emperor. The great Confucians from the Hanlin Academy were invited to be the teachers of the princes, and nearby was the archery range. The princes who lived in Qianxi were at least valued by the emperor and wanted to cultivate them with care. Qiannan, on the other hand, is a palace near Changle Palace, it's just a place for children without mothers in the palace.

  "Today is my birthday, I'm feeling terribly bored staying alone in Qian Nan, so I took the liberty of coming here to chat with you, Lin Niangniang." Fan Yu still kept her head down. After many years of living in Ming Jue Temple, her personality had been worn down, and even in front of Lin Huan, she was extremely cautious and reserved.

  Lin Wan raised her head in surprise, and suddenly smiled: "Ah, it's the emperor's birthday. Alright, I'll have someone make you longevity noodles, you can stay and play at Hongyan Building today."

  Because of her birthday, Lin Wan had to be more tolerant of her. No one in the palace would remember Fan Yu's birthday, she was lonely and helpless, coming to Hongyan Building to celebrate on this day was not unreasonable.