she'd just keep him around."It's quite a coincidence, your guess was almost right. Emilio's magical beast had problems to begin with, and he didn't deal with the demonic energy in its core in time. T..."What do you want to do Harming the imperial heir is a serious crime."

Ringlets frowned.

"Ripples, I don't make them for others. I make them for myself."

Gu Die'er said resolutely.

The ripples were a little surprised and even reached out to touch the other person's forehead. There was no fever, so why did they start talking nonsense

"I'm not feverish, nor am I confused. This is a decision I made after careful consideration."

"Give me a reason. This is contraband, and if things go wrong, the Gu family will be implicated, and I'll be buried with them."

Gu Die'er, seeing Lian Ri's serious face, knew that she wouldn't help unless she said something to get her attention. So, with a sigh, she said:

"Ripple, I know you are smarter than me and should see things more clearly. So, I can only ask for your help. This is my last bit of stubbornness."

I said it was a good marriage, that a daughter of a merchant could actually marry into the royal family. It's a blessing earned over eight lifetimes! But I'd rather not have this blessing.

Xin Yuan is the Crown Prince, and will be Emperor in the future. This means he cannot be my husband, and his heart will never belong only to me.

Even if I try my best to manage the household, even if I do everything perfectly, I can never become a principal wife. My child will always be a bastard son, no matter how intelligent and capable he is. He'll never be able to reach that position. My status as his biological mother will always be a stain on him.

"The most important thing is that I'm unwilling to have children for him. He married me out of interest and expects me to take care of the household and be grateful, which I can't do. Rather than living like this, it's better to cut off ties at the root."

>

"Because of all this, you punish yourself, with no child by your side. It's difficult to establish a foothold in the harem without one, and aren't you lonely Having a child would give you someone to lean on."

"If, and I mean if, you really fall for Xinyuan, then there's no turning back."

"No, I will make my own life good. As long as the prince is in power, he won't look down on me. Once he becomes emperor, he will definitely not let me, Gu Jia, this money bag, go. He wants to realize his grand ambitions, all of which require money."

As for saying I have feelings, I've met the Crown Prince before. If I had feelings, I wouldn't wait until today.

Although Lián Yī inwardly agreed with her statement, she still advised:

"Butterfly, sometimes it's good to be oblivious. You don't need to live so consciously."

"That's great, I feel good! LianYi, you and I are sisters, will you help me"

"This is a one-time occurrence, without precedent. Once I leave the Gu residence, I will not recognize you."

Thank you, Ripple!

Gu Die'er hugged Lian Yi tightly, burying her head in Lian Yi's shoulder, sobbing silently.

Ripples gently patted Gu Die'er's back, sighing inwardly that Xin Yuan was truly heartless. She reckoned that in this lifetime, she would only ever be unable to obtain his love.

On the other side, Xin Yuan returned to Kyoto and was blocked by Qing Ran. She said with some displeasure:

"Is that home-loving young lady really that beautiful Is she worth you traveling such a long distance to see"

"Sister, what's wrong with you You should know that I went to Youzhou not only to look after the young mistress, but also to take care of the family business. These things are very helpful to me."

Qingran's expression eased upon hearing this, and she immediately asked:

"Is it true that the Gu family is so wealthy they could rival a nation"

"That's not necessarily true; it's just a merchant family. However, their most profitable business is maritime trade. Each voyage earns them at least two or thirty thousand taels of silver, and that's what I want to seize."

After Xin Yuan sat down, he told Qing Ran about what he had seen in Youzhou.

Qingran saw that her younger brother had no romantic feelings for the heiress, only valuing her wealth. She was relieved and felt like listening to his travel stories.

No sooner had the two spoken a few words than an eunuch arrived with a message, saying that the Empress summoned them. Xin Yuan immediately washed and changed his clothes, and together with Qing Ran, went to the Phoenix Pavilion where the Empress resided.

Xinyuan bowed formally, then smiled and spoke:

"Mother, I'm home!"

Come here, let Mother have a look.

The Empress, holding her son's hand, looked and then chided:

"Su An, how have you been taking care of her I see she's lost weight."

"Mother, the child is doing well, he hasn't lost weight, he has gained muscle."

The mother and son embraced for a moment, then the Empress steered the conversation back on track.

"This time you come back, you should be ready for marriage. After marriage, give birth to an heir as soon as possible, only then will your position be more stable."

"The son knows."

Before the Crown Princess gave birth to a child, you should make all the women in your concubines' quarters drink miscarriage medicine. Only after you have an heir will you stop giving them the medicine. The identity of the child is very important.

You are the rightful heir to the throne, and that is why no one can challenge your position as crown prince. Do not let the sweet words of some seductive women lead you astray and break the royal rules.

The Empress advised.

"Mother, rest assured, your son understands and will certainly not break the rules."

Xin Yuan immediately replied, but he didn't know what was going on. Suddenly, Gu Dieer's delicate and pretty face flashed before his eyes.

Qingran remained silent on the side, but she almost tore the handkerchief in her hand to shreds. She wished she could cover her mother's mouth, but she knew she couldn't.

From the moment she first blossomed with love, she fell for Xin Yuan. This made her hesitant to face her younger brother, but avoidance wasn't a solution. The more she avoided him, the deeper her feelings grew, driving her to the brink of madness. She could only find release by tormenting palace maids and venting her emotions on them.

Now that her younger brother is getting married, she knows she can't stop him, and she doesn't even have the right to stop him. She even has to offer her blessings, which makes her heart ache even more. But she doesn't dare tell anyone about this.

"Qingran, after Xin Yuan's wedding, your marriage will also be put on the agenda. There are some suitable candidates here at the Empress Dowager's place. You can take a look first. If you find any appealing ones, the Empress Dowager will arrange for them to be summoned to the palace for you to meet."

After giving her instructions to her son, the Empress turned her head and began to show concern for her daughter.

"Mother, I am still young and in no rush to marry. When my brother ascends the throne, I will become the eldest princess. Wouldn't it be better to consider marriage then"

Qing Ran immediately fought for herself to catch her breath.

"You are right, you will have more choices when the time comes."

The Empress couldn't bear to part with her caring daughter, so she relented. This let Qing Ran breathe a sigh of relief in secret.

Six months later, Crown Prince Xia Xin Yuan got married and took Lin Pei Rong, the eldest daughter of the prime minister, as his crown princess. The crown princess brought her massive dowry into the East Palace.

A month later, the Crown Princess was diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse. Xin Yuan then officially brought in the two concubines, one honorable lady and one noble lady, to the East Palace. Gu Die'er also officially entered the palace.

When Liàn Yī sent Gu Dì'ěr out the door, she gave her the medicine she needed and instructed:

After entering the palace, there will definitely be grandmothers and imperial physicians who will check your body. You should not take this medicine for now, wait until Xin Yuan favors you and then take it.

"If one day you change your mind and want children, have the orchid people around you contact me, and I will figure out a way for you."of bed myself and closed the window. Just as I was closing the window, I seemed to see a black figure enter the attic.At that time, I thought I was seeing things, but when I looked again, there was no...