The concubine is a man, and the illegitimate son of a divine physician has a spatial ability.

Xiaoping quickly went behind Aunt Feng and began massaging her shoulders. While massaging Aunt Feng's shoulders, she softly comforted her, "Aunt, please calm down and soothe your emotions. If you rush to Madam's place like this, what if you accidentally reveal something and Madam notices something? Wouldn't she easily catch you in the act?"

Then, as if she had thought of something, Xiaoping paused slightly while massaging her shoulders, a hint of doubt appearing on her face. She asked softly, "Auntie, what if that man is just a friend of Sixth Miss? What if there's no affair between them?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Feng's face darkened immediately. She frowned and pondered for a moment, then took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She slowly sat down in a chair, picked up a cup of hot tea from the table, took a small sip, savoring the warmth and aroma of the tea, and a cold smile appeared on her lips: "Hmph, whether this is true or not, we have to make it true. I want to see how the Sixth Miss, without her virginity, will marry His Highness the Crown Prince."

She paused, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes, and continued, "There are only a few young ladies in the manor. Now that the Sixth Miss is gone, it should be the turn of Yao-jie and Feng-jie! As long as one of them can get close to the Crown Prince, their future will be very fortunate."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoping was startled, but she couldn't help but say with concern, "But His Highness the Crown Prince is gay! If you marry him, I'm afraid you'll suffer!"

Aunt Feng, however, was unconvinced and sneered, "Hmph, so what? Even if His Highness the Crown Prince is gay, he is still the future emperor. As long as Yao'er or Feng'er can become the Crown Prince's concubine, they will become imperial concubines and enjoy endless wealth and honor. Besides, with a little manipulation, their positions will naturally be secure once they give birth to children."

Xiaoping listened and felt there was some truth to it, but she couldn't help but ask with concern, "But wouldn't that girl be forced to live a life of widowhood?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Feng's eyes widened, and she glared fiercely at Xiaoping, scolding her without any politeness: "Fool! There's no such thing as having it all in this world! Being able to have one thing at the same time is already quite good."

Besides, can a man's feelings be trusted? Take the master, for example! When he was most fond of Consort Li, didn't he later take two more young, noble concubines? What is love? In the confines of a large, secluded mansion, the word "love" is a complete joke; it's utterly unreliable. Do you really expect those men to be devoted to you, to be your only partner for life, and to always side with you?

The master loved Consort Li so much, yet she was still bullied in the end, and even Sixth Miss was sent to be raised by the madam. If the master truly loved them, how could he have turned a blind eye to this and completely ignored it?

Xiaoping was so frightened by Aunt Feng's scolding that she dared not utter another word and could only stand silently to the side. Then she couldn't help but say, "Aunt, when noble families arrange marriages, especially with the royal family, they cast a wide net. Because no one knows who will end up in that position. Only by casting a wide net can the prosperity of the entire family be preserved."

"I've heard that Madam intends to arrange marriages between the Sixth Miss and His Highness the Crown Prince, and the Seventh Miss and the Third Prince. As for the other princes, Madam will choose suitable women from the Second and Third Princes for their marriages. She doesn't care at all about our Sister Feng and Sister Yao..."

Before Xiaoping could finish speaking, Aunt Feng slammed her hand on the small table on the low couch, her face grim, and said, "We're going to see Madam in a little while..."

…………

Pinxianglou

As the servant led Sheng Yixuan and Yin Zijin up to the second floor, a young man came to greet them. He was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a jade belt around his waist. He had a handsome face and a smile on his lips that was as pleasant as a spring breeze.

When Sheng Yiming saw him arrive, his face lit up with surprise and delight. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, brother. What brings you to Pinxiang Pavilion today? Is this Miss Yin Liu?"

Sheng Yixuan smiled and nodded, saying, "Isn't this to keep the beauty company?" After saying that, he looked at Yin Zijing, his eyes full of tenderness and doting.

Sheng Yiming followed his brother's gaze and looked at the woman before him. She wore a light blue long dress with a white ribbon tied around her waist, which accentuated her slender figure. She also wore a heavy black cloak, which was clearly Sheng Yixuan's.

Yin Zijin had long, glossy black hair, casually styled into a bun, with a few strands falling beside her fair cheeks, making her appear even more gentle and elegant.

After exchanging a glance, the two tacitly looked away.

Yin Zijin quickly performed a curtsy: "Greetings, sir."

Sheng Yiming quickly said, "Alright, don't stand there anymore. I've reserved a private room. Let's go together!" As he spoke, he stepped aside to make way and gestured for them to proceed.

Sheng Yixuan smiled and nodded, then took Yin Zijing's hand and walked together toward the private room.

Sheng Yiming narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the two hands that had quietly clasped together. An indescribable light flickered in his eyes, as if he were deep in thought. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips, but it carried a complex, unfathomable emotion. His steps grew heavy, as if an invisible force was preventing him from moving forward easily.

Yin Zijing noticed that Sheng Yiming hadn't followed, so she stopped, turned around, and looked at him with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong, sir? Why are you so flustered?"

Upon hearing Yin Zijing's call, Sheng Yiming snapped out of his reverie and quickly shook his head, trying to conceal his momentary lapse in concentration.