You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

Lou Yao slowly stood up, her gaze passing through the crowd at the banquet until it locked onto Xie Wanru, who was smiling sweetly beside the Empress.

After a moment of silence, she said softly, "This matter needs to be considered carefully. You should go back first, and let me think about it."

child……

She also longed to have a child. She did hate that Xie Wanru could easily gain the favor of the Empress and the Emperor, but she disdained to use such means to deal with Xie Wanru.

After all, there are too many women without children, and she also longed to have a child. She didn't want to use this to deal with Xie Wanru.

Although Shen Nianqing did not receive a clear answer, she knew that Lou Yao's attitude was much warmer than before when she was indifferent. She couldn't help but feel secretly pleased, thinking that her plan had begun to show results.

As long as she can get in touch with the Third Princess, she'll be happy to drag Xie Wanru down with her.

So she bowed respectfully and slowly retreated to her seat at the edge of the banquet, while pondering her next move.

Even if the Third Princess Consort disagreed, she still had to find a way to embarrass Xie Wanru and save face for the Shen family.

Meanwhile, Xie Wanru was completely unaware that she had become the target of someone else's schemes. At least she hadn't expected that Shen Nianqing and Lou Yao had gotten together. She was whispering with the Empress, enjoying a rare moment of warmth.

After all, she didn't have much contact with Shen Nianqing in her previous life, and it was Shen Nian'an and Shen Yanzhi who dealt with the Xie family. In this life, she doesn't show herself much in front of these two men, which unexpectedly arouses Shen Nianqing's jealousy.

The Empress looked at her with affection, occasionally interjecting with a few words of reminiscence of the past; it seemed as if the two had endless things to say to each other.

Just as the banquet atmosphere was reaching its climax, a melodious guqin melody suddenly broke the noise.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman in red sitting in the center of the banquet. Her fingers danced on the strings of a zither, and the melody was as clear as spring water and as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Everyone's attention was drawn to her, even the Diligent Emperor who was talking to Xie Yanting couldn't help but glance at her, but quickly looked away, as if afraid that others would discover that he was peeking.

"The Simons have come to announce my arrival. You must entertain them well for me and not disgrace our Great Zhou Dynasty. However, do not let them become complacent. I know my fourth son well. He has not experienced hardship and does not understand the dangers of the world. Please give him some pointers."

Emperor Qinyong patted Xie Yanting on the shoulder, showing no airs of an emperor whatsoever, acting just like an ordinary father entrusting someone to take care of his son.

In their previous life, the Simons came to Xuan, ostensibly to present gifts to the Great Zhou Dynasty, but in reality, they were trying to probe the situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty and even attempt to incite internal strife within it.

Their primary target was the Third Prince, but unfortunately, when they arrived, Xiao Yan had gone south to suppress bandits, so they turned their attention to trying to influence the Fourth Prince's thoughts.

Fortunately, although the fourth prince had just turned eighteen, he had been well-educated by the emperor and his mother and was not fooled.

They also brought a type of leaf that, when chewed directly, could relieve pain and was said to cure terminal illnesses.

Having been given a second chance at life, Xie Wanru knew that these leaves actually had no medicinal properties.

It can only numb the patient's senses, making the patient mistakenly believe that their illness has been relieved. In fact, it has no effect on the recovery of the disease. In fact, it may even cause the patient to take it for a long time in order to relieve the pain, thus indirectly creating dependence. It has become a tool for the Simons to make money.

Once you get hooked on this, it's very hard to quit. If the patient's condition isn't cured, they'll die sooner or later. Even healthy people who try it can become addicted because of its pleasurable and enjoyable effects.

In short, this thing is not a good thing for the entire Zhou Dynasty.

Apart from Xie Wanru, no one else knew about all of this.

The Emperor's reminder to Xie Yanting to be wary of the Simons was nothing more than a routine warning.

Xie Wanru felt a chill run down her spine when she thought of the people who had been poisoned by this thing in her previous life. She couldn't let her third brother know about her rebirth, but she had to find a way to stop the Simons and not let their scheme succeed.

We must not wait until the Simons arrive in Xuancheng before making our plans.

At this point in the banquet, it was time to enjoy the song and dance performances. The Empress watched for a while before going back to rest.

It was late at night after all.

Seeing the Empress leave her seat, some ladies who had no interest in singing and dancing also got up and left, leaving mostly men present. Xie Wanru and Lin Qing also prepared to leave, walking on either side of Wu Xuanyi.

"How have you been feeling lately, Sister Wu? Has this little guy affected your appetite?"

Xie Wanru asked.

"My appetite hasn't been affected. His Highness the Crown Prince had a doctor who is very discreet examine me, and the pregnancy is stable. His Highness the Crown Prince and I plan to tell the Empress Dowager the news in a few days."

Wu Xuanyi's face was filled with the joy of becoming a mother. She has always been a person without desires and indifferent to everything, but this time, because of the child in her womb, her emotions have become more complex.

Xie Wanru wanted to touch her belly several times, but she refrained in the end. "As long as it doesn't affect your appetite, that's fine. I've heard that the first three months are the most difficult for a woman. Now that the month is over, it's time to tell Her Majesty the Empress."

Lin Qing, however, was not polite at all and reached out to touch Wu Xuanyi's belly.

"I don't feel anything. Is there really a child here?"

She touched it all over, but couldn't feel anything at all.

Wu Xuanyi gently covered her mouth with a handkerchief, "It's only been a few months, how can I feel anything? I'm not showing yet."

The three of them chatted and laughed, their cheerful voices filling the air the entire way.

Upon arriving at their respective residences' carriages, Xie Wanru first helped Wu Xuanyi into the carriage, then saw Lin Qing into the carriage. After seeing both of them off, Xie Wanru walked towards the carriage of the Princess's residence.

Beside the carriage, Shen Nian'an was standing, clearly waiting for Xie Wanru.

Dongzhu was about to go and deal with the people, but Xie Wanru stopped her.

"I wonder what brings the Second Master Shen here? If he's just taking a stroll, then I won't disturb him any longer."

Xie Wanru showed no emotion, her tone indifferent.

In her past life, she wished that the man in front of her would look at her more. Over those ten years, she was gradually molded by time and became a virtuous wife and loving mother.

But it wasn't until the moment of her death that she realized that in Shen Nian'an's eyes, her efforts were nothing but showing off, hypocrisy, and even suspected of seeking revenge.

In reality, she gained nothing but a poison and betrayal. In her previous life, she never even asked the Shen family for anything in return. It was all the Shen family's own imagination that led them to label her as an ugly woman.