body is also dressed more lightly, wearing a linen bandeau and a leather skirt. The leather boots on her feet are new, and all the other exposed areas are crisscrossed with scratches and cuts, with t...The Empress is almost fifty years old now. She is not the current Emperor's original wife, but a concubine who became empress. She only secured her position in the imperial harem because she gave birth to a son, the crown prince.

In order for her son to ascend the throne smoothly, she spared no effort. This daughter-in-law was chosen after much deliberation and consideration of the emperor's preferences. Even knowing that the other party was a sickly person, she didn't care at all.

When the Crown Prince and Lianyi came to pay respects to the Empress, it was the first time the Empress had formally met her son's wife. She smiled warmly and received Lianyi's respectful tea without any discomfort. Then, she smilingly bestowed a statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, upon Lianyi. The meaning behind this gift was self-evident.

Ripple smiled and accepted the gift, thanking the Empress. She then presented a century-old purple ginseng prepared by the Meng family. Both parties expressed satisfaction with this meeting.

At this time, a palace maid came to report that one of the concubines had come to pay respects to the Empress.

"Bring them in. They're not here for the wine, they all want to see my daughter-in-law."

The Empress remained impassive, her voice calm as she spoke.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The maidservant exits the palace to inform the ladies-in-waiting that it's time for their daily greetings.

Then Ripple looked towards the Crown Prince, seeming a little puzzled. The Crown Prince frowned, but still soothed her in a low voice:

"All the noble consorts in the palace are idle and have nothing to do. They probably prepared a welcome gift for you. In a while, you should recognize them and accept the gifts."

"I understand."

Ripple's lips twitched, then she obediently replied.

Of course, the two people's conversation did not avoid the Queen. The Queen was very satisfied with Ripples' performance.

A quarter of an hour later, a fragrant smell came wafting in, followed by a flurry of beautiful women entering the empress's palace.

A ripple glance was enough to understand why all the princes would fight tooth and nail for that position. To be crowned meant to sit on a throne with countless beauties, and among them were even a few women around her age. That old man must have been utterly exhausted.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May the Empress live a thousand years, ten thousand years, and eternally!"

A multitude of beautiful women stood in the main hall. They first bowed under the leadership of the four noble consorts before rising when the Empress declared, "You may rise."

"The Empress is truly fortunate to have such a charming and intelligent daughter-in-law by her side. It's a blessing to have her company."

The elegant Concubine De smiled and began her opening remarks.

"A young girl, as delicate as a flower bud, what could she possibly do with an old woman like me It's far more important for her to spend time with the Crown Prince. If she were to give me a grandson soon, that's when I would truly be happy."

The Empress took a sip of tea and said softly.

"The Empress said that in the royal family, descendants are the most important. As the eldest son, the Crown Prince should be the first to marry and set an example for his younger brothers."

The noble consort smiled ambiguously.

Ripples don't answer back, this is a subtle play between the empresses. As a junior member, she listened in.

"Sister Shufei is right. I heard that the Crown Princess started taking health-preserving medicine before she was married, so it's only a matter of time before good news comes from the East Palace."

The honorable consort, holding a handkerchief, smiled and said, "Actually, she's just making fun of Lian Yi's frail body, saying she's unable to conceive a child."

"The Liang Fei said right, the Emperor is also very concerned about Lian Yi's health. He has long since sought out Taiyi Liang from the Imperial Hospital to regulate this child's body. You guys prepare gifts and wait for good news."

The Empress replied, blandly.

Dugu Liangfei could only smile awkwardly. The emperor had spoken, and even found a physician to attend to her health. At this point, if she dared curse Lianyi for being unable to conceive, it would be her who suffered the consequences.

The Empress's words ended the topic. After a moment of silence in the hall, Consort Xian led the way in presenting gifts to Lianyi. Lianyi smiled and thanked each one politely, her performance was quite impressive, causing everyone to abandon their intention of making fun of her.

The Empress, seeing that time was drawing to a close, put down the teacup in her hand. The Noble Consort De immediately tactfully rose and bid farewell. Then, all the beauties in the palace scurried away.

The Crown Prince only had three days to rest after his wedding. Besides seeing his mother, he also had to discuss with his advisors what to do next. So, after bidding farewell to his mother, he returned to his East Palace with a long list of gifts.

After leaving the Phoenix Residence, Lianshan staggered and stumbled. She supported her forehead with one hand, looking weak as she addressed the Crown Prince:

"Your Highness, I feel a little dizzy."

But are you catching a cold

"I don't know."

The ripples, weak and boneless, leaned against the prince's arms, then rolled her eyes back and fainted completely.

The Crown Prince, helpless, could only hold his Crown Princess and returned to the East Palace at the fastest speed. After Liang Taiyi felt her pulse, he pondered his words before saying to the Crown Prince:

"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has a congenital weakness. In matters of intimacy, please be gentle."

The prince blushed when he heard this, and also knew that he had overtired Ripples last night. He immediately nodded in agreement.

The Empress on the other side received the news immediately. She shook her head helplessly and instructed her maids to send a message to the East Palace, sparing Ripples from her daily greetings and allowing her to recuperate properly.

She didn't like the way he looked so sickly. If it weren't for General Meng standing behind Ripples, she wouldn't have let her son marry such a frail beauty.

The ripples had put on a show, so she was excused from her daily trips to the Phoenix Nest Palace. After the Crown Prince went to court, she would happily shut herself in and live a carefree life.

The two concubines of the prince have come to see Lian'yi twice, but they were both blocked by Sun Mama. Moreover, the reason was very legitimate, making the two concubines hate Lian'yi to death. This was a blatant slap in their faces.

But because the Empress's indulgence, the Crown Prince has almost stayed at the Crown Princess's place every day this month, he hasn't come to their courtyard at all. The two can only endure temporarily.

Lien felt that the time was about right. One morning, while accompanying the prince for breakfast, she pretended to start vomiting. At first, the prince seemed displeased, but then as if he had thought of something, he immediately ordered Quanfu to invite Liang Taiyi to feel Lian's pulse.

A quarter of an hour later, Dr. Liang smiled and congratulated the Crown Prince:

Congratulations, Prince! Congratulations, Prince! The Crown Princess is already a month pregnant.

Upon hearing the expected answer, the prince was overjoyed. His gaze softened considerably as he looked at Lian Yi, but he didn't lose his head. Instead, he turned and asked sternly:

"Doctor Liang, is Lian Yi's body weak Is the fetus stable"

"Your Highness, the woman is pregnant. The first three months are crucial. As the Crown Princess's body is already delicate, she must be bedridden for recuperation during these first three months. I will prescribe a tonic to help with the pregnancy. She should take one bowl every other day. After seven days, I will re-examine the Crown Princess. If there are no major issues, she only needs to remain bedridden."

Dr. Liang explained it very thoroughly.

"Alright, you just need to give me the prescription."

Liàn Yī now pretended to be extremely surprised, touching her stomach. After Liang Taiyi left, she happily grabbed the prince's hand and said:

"As your servant, I am truly overjoyed today. Here, our child is being nurtured."

Ripple placed the prince's hand on her stomach, her face beaming with joy.

I am also happy, this is our first child, and we will have many more children in the future.

The prince smiled and said.

"I have no ambition, I just want to give birth to this child safely."

"Don't worry, the child will be born safely."e eldest sister. She immediately became restless. If her elder sister gained military merit, what greater achievements could she possibly have"Master, those people are still waiting for our reply. Why...