The daughter of the first wife grew up in the countryside and was extremely powerful

When he and Gu Fanchu walked slowly side by side in the back, he bowed slightly, put his head close to Gu Fanchu's ear, and deliberately lowered his voice, whispering in a volume that only the two of them could hear:

"Sister, could it be that you are going to be the 'prey' today?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Fanchu's eyes widened in anger and he glared at him fiercely. Then he clenched his teeth and could only curse in his heart.

At this time, Shi Jinyan outside the door really kept his promise and came to greet her in person.

He stood quietly beside the carriage and first bowed respectfully to the old lady and Wang.

After finishing the salute, just as he turned his head, his eyes happened to fall on Gu Fanchu who was following closely behind him.

In an instant, an unconcealable look of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

It was because his gaze was too hot and burning that even though Gu Fanchu was unwilling, he had no choice but to look back in the direction he was looking.

The moment their eyes met, it seemed as if an invisible electric current was weaving through the air, making the surrounding atmosphere a little subtle.

Shi Jinyan inadvertently met the woman's inquiring gaze. His heart tightened, and he realized that his behavior just now might be a little rude.

However, to his surprise, Gu Fanchu did not look shy like an ordinary woman, but instead walked towards him gracefully and confidently.

Seeing this, Shi Jinyan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a gentle and charming smile. He generously cast an admiring glance at her and said softly:

"You look really beautiful in this outfit today."

Hearing this, a smile as bright as a spring flower finally appeared on the woman's face, just like the warm sun breaking through the clouds, brightening people's eyes. She responded softly:

"Thanks for the compliment."

Afterwards, Gu Fanchu boarded the carriage cautiously with trepidation in his heart.

The wheels rolled and turned, and the group slowly headed towards the palace outside the city.

Soon, they arrived at the vast hunting ground.

Most of the famous, powerful and influential people in the capital had arrived early.

Everyone's attention was drawn to Shi Jinyan, who was seen personally helping the carefully dressed Gu Fanchu get out of the carriage. This action naturally caused a lot of discussion among the people present.

Shi Jinyan didn't care about these gossips at all.

He calmly followed the people from the general's mansion to pay a visit to the current emperor and the empress.

When the emperor saw the two people coming together and inseparable from afar, he couldn't help but feel happy and thought to himself:

These two standing together were truly a match made in heaven, a gifted scholar and a beautiful woman! It seemed that his decision to arrange the marriage was truly wise.

But the queen kept a smile on her face stiffly, and when she saw Shi Jinyan considerately helping Gu Fanchu, she clenched her hand even tighter.

She looked at the prince who had finally appeared with anger on her face, feeling depressed. If the prince could be a little more motivated, Princess Lingyu would definitely be assigned to him.

With Princess Lingyu, the general's mansion where she lives has an extremely powerful backer!

Once the marriage with the General's Mansion is successful, this solid backing will become the most powerful bargaining chip in the hands of the prince.

The prince naturally felt the burning gaze, but he seemed unaware of it. He still lowered his head and did not react at all.

Suddenly, he covered his chest tightly with his hands and started coughing violently, as if he was going to cough out his heart and lungs.

Seeing this, the eunuch standing behind him hurriedly stepped forward, quickly took out an exquisite porcelain bottle from his arms, carefully opened the bottle cap, took out a fragrant pill from it, and put it to the prince's mouth.

The prince took the pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

Seeing this scene, the queen was so angry that she trembled all over and her face turned ashen.

She had originally hoped that the prince would perform better in front of everyone, but she didn't expect him to be so terrible.

Seeing this, Concubine Xi beside her chuckled and said:

"Sister, please don't get angry, or you'll get hurt."

After that, she turned to the emperor and pleaded:

"Your Majesty, I would like to take the old lady and several other female relatives to the side room to rest for a while and chat. Is that okay?"

The emperor was in a very good mood, so he readily agreed.

With the help of the palace maids, Concubine Xi slowly stood up and walked towards the next room.

At this time, Concubine Xi was more than five months pregnant. Due to proper care during pregnancy, her abdomen looked rounder than that of ordinary pregnant women.

When she walked, she was extremely careful and cautious, taking every step steadily, for fear of any mishap.

It is not difficult to see from her actions that she cherishes the fetus in her belly very much and is looking forward to the arrival of this little life.

Gu Fanchu wanted to go up and talk to his aunt, so he hurriedly said goodbye to Shi Jinyan.

The man did not force her to stay, but just asked:

"You're not comfortable wearing it today, so I'm afraid you won't be able to hunt later. I'll have Chang Geng and the others hunt more and send it to you."

Gu Fanchu was a little discouraged. She looked down at her cumbersome dress and felt only regret:

"Actually, I learned hunting from my adoptive father before, and I've been practicing archery recently. I didn't expect I wouldn't have the chance to try it today."

Shi Jinyan stared at the disappointed look on the girl's face, and knowing what she was thinking, he frowned and thought for a moment before saying soothingly:

"You go first, I'll figure it out."

Gu Fanchu was puzzled, but left without thinking too much.

In the next room, the old lady was holding Concubine Xi and wiping her tears, but her face looked very relieved.

After so many years, my daughter finally got her wish.

If I can have my own children in the palace, I will have someone to rely on in the future and won't be too lonely.

Gu Fanchu carefully inquired about his aunt's living habits and offered his own suggestions:

"Aunt, your pregnancy is now safe. Try to eat small meals frequently and avoid taking too many nourishing foods. Also, exercise daily. If the baby in your belly grows too big, delivery may be difficult."

After hearing this, Concubine Xi touched her slightly large belly, her brows soft:

"The palace maids also told me the same thing. I've been feeling hungry every night lately, so I ate a lot! I'll definitely be more careful in the future!"

Gu Fanchu felt relieved when he heard that there was a female official nearby to take care of him.

He then gave some reminders to the palace maid who served his aunt personally, and only stopped after seeing that she had taken careful notes.

Having not seen each other for a long time, Concubine Xi took her family aside and talked to them for a long time.

After a while, a young palace maid came outside to ask for an audience. The senior palace maid came in with people and everyone's attention was attracted by the little maid holding the tray.

The little maid said respectfully:

"Greetings to the Imperial Concubine, Old Madam, Madam Wang, and the Princess. The Grand Tutor has sent this servant to bring clothes to the Princess and ask if she would like to go hunting with us."