The cannon fodder heiress trembled with fear after being recognized as a member of her family.

Emperor Chu Yuan returned to the inner palace and went directly to Consort Rui's palace.

Empress Yang was also traveling with him.

The palace of Consort Rui was brightly lit, and the palace servants were well-trained, moving quickly and steadily.

At this moment, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, its light shining on the trees in the courtyard, resembling autumn water.

Empress Yang's face darkened.

She misjudged her before; Consort Rui is not a simple person.

Consort Rui has only one princess and has not given birth to another child in the past ten years.

No children have been born in the palace in recent years. If she were carrying a prince, there would probably be chaos.

But she insisted on having a good omen, so she gave birth to the little prince before the due date. It's hard to believe that she had no ulterior motives.

Before, the Kaiming Marquis's mansion was a declining mansion, on the verge of ruin, but then the Kaiming Marquis married several good wives, his luck was simply incredible.

In addition, Consort Rui gained the Emperor's favor as soon as she entered the palace. She and Consort Xu practically monopolized Emperor Chuyuan's time, and the two of them spent about ten days serving him.

Empress Yang was filled with anxiety and had been preoccupied with competing with Consort Xu all these years, neglecting Consort Rui.

This person quietly secured a place with Emperor Chuyuan.

The ornamental trees in the courtyard were specially brought from the south by Emperor Chuyuan. Every winter, the amount of charcoal used in Consort Rui's palace was several times higher than that used by other concubines.

Could this Consort Rui be as fortunate as her father, Marquis Kaiming?

Empress Yang lowered her eyes, having already made up her mind that no matter what, Consort Rui also had ambitions.

If Consort Rui gives birth to a child, both her and Changshou's positions will likely be impacted.

Granny Qi came out of the room. "Your Highness, this old servant just went to inquire. She's only dilated to two centimeters, so it will probably be a while before she can give birth. It's midnight now, and the little prince will be born at the age of sixteen."

Empress Yang nodded, "Is the baby in the correct position? Logically speaking, Consort Rui has given birth to a princess before, so this pregnancy shouldn't be too difficult."

It would be better if you turned your head and feet upside down. With such a scheming mind, you should suffer some hardship and pain.

Emperor Chuyuan and Empress Yang sat together, and they heard what Granny Qi said, but they didn't react much.

"Your Majesty, it is your dereliction of duty that no princes or princesses have been born in the palace for so long."

Emperor Chu Yuan suddenly spoke up, immediately labeling the Empress.

Empress Yang: "......"

You were the one who said that the Empress Dowager was suffering in the temple, so no new women were brought into the harem. But you didn't demean yourself. Which of those beautiful palace women in the Imperial Study didn't fool around on the dragon bed?

No children have been born in the palace. It's clearly your problem, yet you dare to shift the blame onto me. Who's more despicable than you!

Empress Yang suppressed her thoughts, her expression remaining unchanged. "It was indeed my oversight. The harem should certainly welcome some new women to liven things up. Does Your Majesty have any favorites? I will make arrangements in advance."

Who has this bastard set his sights on? Is he taking his troubles out on me because he can't sleep well?

Having been married for many years, she had figured out Emperor Chu Yuan's temperament.

In their early years, the two had moments of harmonious marriage, but as the number of concubines in the palace increased, their feelings for each other eventually faded.

Fortunately, she is long-lived, so as long as it doesn't affect her and her son, she won't take Emperor Chu Yuan's antics to heart.

Unfortunately, the situation is different now than before.

Emperor Chu Yuan may look young, but he is now getting on in years.

As people get older, they become more attached to young girls and also develop a stronger preference for young children.

Consort Rui is a perfect example.

Emperor Chu Yuan, unaware of her thoughts, simply said, "You should be the one to worry about matters of the harem. Don't you know my preferences?"

Empress Yang: "......" Shameless!

While the Emperor and Empress were clashing outside, Consort Rui was facing a critical moment.

The third wife of the Marquis of Kaiming, standing by his side, anxiously advised, "Your Majesty, the little prince is premature and if he doesn't come out soon, there may be danger. You must make a decision as soon as possible!"

Ruipin gritted her teeth and remained silent. The sweat on her head had soaked the pillow, and she looked as if she had been pulled out of the water.

Only she knows whether it was premature or not.

For the next few months, she dared not speak freely, for fear that others would notice something was amiss.

She ordered the palace servants to prepare labor-inducing drugs to induce premature labor, but she didn't drink a drop; instead, she fed them all to the flowerpot.

The palace physician then said, "We can see the head already, Your Majesty, please take the pill! It's a pill that Master Lu found, it won't harm you."

Lady Hou chimed in, "That's right! You two aren't born of the same mother, and I know that your well-being is essential for the Lu family's well-being. Your brother has caught the Emperor's eye, so your life in the palace will be easier. You siblings share in each other's glory, and I have no reason to harm you!"

The room was filled with Consort Rui's confidants, and they spoke without restraint.

Consort Rui gritted her teeth. Lu Cheng had told her a lot about the Lu family, and she couldn't quite figure it out in a short time.

"The title of Marquis of Kaiming is not something the Marquis can decide! Your elder brother has made a mistake, and the position of heir apparent has been suppressed by the Emperor. The Emperor probably knows who will inherit the title. If you want to be a support for your brother, you must ensure that your mother and child are safe."

Lady Hou stood by anxiously, speaking her heartfelt thoughts.

She had always been somewhat wary of this eldest daughter, but she never intended to harm Consort Rui.

"This pill was specially obtained by your younger brother when he went out to do business for the Emperor. It will benefit both you and your son. Only when the little prince recovers can we all recover."

If this continues, the baby will be stuck in the womb for too long and may become mentally challenged after birth.

Lady Hou is extremely anxious now. Everyone here has their own ideas and doesn't care about the lives of others at all.

Consort Rui used her last bit of strength to snatch the pill, "I'll eat it!"

She also knew her brother's identity, so the people he interacted with were naturally different.

As soon as it entered my stomach, a warm current flowed through my limbs and bones, and my body seemed to return to the state it had when I was a young girl, and I had strength again.

In less than half an hour, the baby was fully dilated and born safely.

"Knowing your plans, your younger brother specially sought out pills to strengthen the young prince's physique. It was all worth it."

The palace maids cleaned Consort Rui's body of filth, while Lady Hou carried the infant child out to announce the good news.

Ruipin lay in bed, showing no signs of fatigue.

Well, it's just a health-boosting pill; it should be fine.

If the month of conception is questioned, then she has an explanation.

Emperor Chu Yuan was overjoyed to have a son and generously bestowed many gifts upon him.

"Your Majesty, the palace's expenses have been reduced again and again. You should restrain yourself," Empress Yang advised.

With the constant natural and man-made disasters in recent years, we must be more frugal with the money in the treasury and plan ahead.

"It's not a big deal. You all take good care of her and let Consort Rui recover well." Emperor Chuyuan left without saying goodbye to Empress Yang.

"It's the fifteenth today, and he won't even give me this much face. I wonder which palace maid he's off fooling around with this time!"

Empress Yang was in a very bad mood.

"Your Majesty, please take it easy. Fortunately, His Majesty still values ​​the Fourth Prince. Perhaps he is so happy to have a son today that he has forgotten the date." Granny Qi's voice grew softer and softer, as if she could no longer continue.