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It was just afternoon when the scorching sun was high in the sky.

As soon as I stepped outside, I felt a wave of heat hit me.

The Empress was compelled to follow outside, only to retreat back in after.

On such a hot day, it was utterly unsuitable to go out.

The Empress looked up at her son suspiciously, "Yuyu, how did you find out about Lady Shen,"

She gestured to her stomach with her hands, "Hmm?"

Xiao Jinyu’s gaze flickered evasively, "Your son, I saw it."

The Empress immediately understood, "You went to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion?"

Xiao Jinyu admitted guiltily with a nod.

The Empress said earnestly, "Yuyu, that’s the inner court of the East Palace, the Crown Prince is not there, how could you, a man, enter it?"

"Mother, it was precisely because the Crown Prince brother was not in the East Palace that your son went, to prevent others from bullying Lady Shen in his absence," Xiao Jinyu spoke with a justified and forceful tone.

The Empress knew that her son always protected the Crown Prince, and that whatever the Crown Prince said was always right.

"Alright, just be more mindful next time, people talk."

Xiao Jinyu nodded obediently, "Your son knows, I always sneak in, no one sees."

The Empress: "..." Seen or unseen, would it even be proper? This child, as a Prince, how did he learn to scale walls?

Xiao Jinyu wanted to follow along, and the Empress originally didn’t want her son to come, but after thinking it over, she let him accompany her so that he could see for himself and be reassured.

Otherwise, next time, he might sneak into the Xiaoxiang Pavilion again.

The Empress once again led her entourage with great fanfare to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Qing Ying kept fanning the Empress, but still couldn’t stop the sweat from streaming down.

After Concubine Xu left, Shen Chuwei first took her own pulse to make sure the babies were healthy.

Then she started getting cravings.

There were many foods she wanted to eat, but Chun Xi always monitored her daily menu and portions.

She looked at her swelling belly and said, "My child, once you come out, the first delicious thing should be for your mother, understand?"

"Mm, your mother knows you all heard that."

Shen Chuwei got up happily and went to the cornfield. She chose an ear of corn, broke it off, nimbly shucked the husk, revealing the yellow corn inside.

The corn kernels were tender and very fragrant when steamed.

Shen Chuwei broke off a few more ears.

Chun Xi, not seeing Shen Chuwei in the inner room, hurried out and spotted a pink figure breaking corn in the field.

She ran over swiftly, startled, "My lady, if you wanted corn just tell me and I’ll break it for you."

Seeing Chun Xi arriving, Shen Chuwei handed her the corn, "Break a few more, let everyone have a taste."

In this era, corn was not yet introduced as a staple food and was considered a rarity.

"Alright, I will break more," Chun Xi said, efficiently snapping the ears of corn.

When the Empress arrived and saw no one in the inner room, she guessed that Shen Chuwei would be in the backyard and walked along the stone-paved path to the backyard.

Xiao Jinyu followed behind the Empress unhurriedly, his handsome face full of concern.

Indeed, it was reckless to wander about while ill.

From a distance, the Empress spotted the pink figure; she noticed that Shen Chuwei loved to wear pink. With her delicate, doll-like face clothed in pink, she indeed looked very pretty.

She took a few steps forward, her beautiful eyes looking towards Shen Chuwei’s belly; the skirt was covering it, making it hard to see clearly.

"Mother, standing here we can’t see clearly. When your son saw it, Lady Shen was lying down, and her belly was very obviously bulging," Xiao Jinyu observed.

Hearing this, the Empress directly walked towards Shen Chuwei.

Xiao Jinyu quickly followed.

As Shen Chuwei was about to return to the room, she turned and saw the Empress and Xiao Jinyu.

The Empress coming to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion now, and not letting Eunuch Ren announce first?

Suddenly, it came, catching everyone off guard~

After freezing for two seconds, she curtsied: "Empress Mother, Prince Yuyu."

The Empress hurried forward a few steps and helped Shen Chuwei up, "Rise, it’s hot outside, let’s go inside to talk."

Shen Chuwei knew the Empress was a good person, but being suddenly helped by her, she felt flattered and shocked~

"...Okay."

The three of them walked to the inner room, one after the other.

From time to time, the Empress sized up Shen Chuwei’s way of walking, which was more evident than last time, resembling that of a pregnant woman.

Her gaze moved downward, eyeing Shen Chuwei’s belly, as if she could see something, a slight bulge.

Shen Chuwei always felt that the Empress’s way of walking was off, just like last time, her body leaning to one side.

Did the Empress Mother strain her neck again?

Upon entering the inner room, it immediately felt much cooler.

The Empress’s gaze stayed fixed on Shen Chuwei’s stomach, seemingly unable to resist the urge to touch it, for fear of being too abrupt and startling Shen Chuwei.

Shen Chuwei broke out in a cold sweat on her forehead, sensing that today’s Empress was a bit unusual. Could something have happened?

She reminded, "Empress Mother, please take your seat."

The Empress realized standing there was quite awkward, pulled Shen Chuwei’s hand, and led her to the couch, "You sit as well."

Shen Chuwei glanced at her hand being held by the Empress, feeling incredibly guilty. Empress Mother, what do you mean by this?

Even Xiao Jinyu, who was beside them, couldn’t bear to watch, "Mother, what are you doing?"

"You child, what do you know?" The Empress glared at her son, then turned to Shen Chuwei with a smile, "Lady Shen, do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Shen Chuwei shook her head, "Your Concubine feels very well."

"Lady Shen, if you are uncomfortable, you must speak up." Xiao Jinyu was so anxious he was almost pointing at Shen Chuwei’s belly and shouting, "You’re already like this, and you still want to hide your condition?"

Shen Chuwei looked at Xiao Jinyu with a bewildered face, "Do you understand my body better than I do?"

"Are you even more divine than Minister Lu?"

The Empress held onto Shen Chuwei’s hand tightly, restraining the impulse to check for herself.

"Lady Shen, pay him no mind, he understands nothing."

Xiao Jinyu paced back and forth in distress.

Shen Chuwei sensed something amiss in the atmosphere. The Empress looked kind and gentle, while Xiao Jinyu was the opposite, extremely anxious.

"Your Concubine will brew a cup of tea for the Empress Mother."

As she spoke, she got up, trying to escape the strange atmosphere.

"Young Mistress, allow this servant to do it." Chun Xi said and went to make the tea.

Shen Chuwei had just stood up and had to sit down again.

The Empress’s gaze remained fixed on Shen Chuwei’s belly, witnessing the act of standing and sitting, and it became clear to her that the belly looked like that of someone four months pregnant.

Since Shen Chuwei was petite, her pregnant belly wasn’t very noticeable.

Chun Xi brought over three cups of hot tea and placed them in front of the Empress, Shen Chuwei, and Xiao Jinyu before turning to fetch some fresh fruit.

Shortly after, she returned with a plate of exquisitely arranged and appetizing fruit.

Xiao Jinyu couldn’t hold back his anxiety any longer, he directly asked: "Lady Shen, don’t conceal it any longer, your belly is so much larger than usual, you must be ill, we should have an Imperial Doctor take a look."

No sooner had he spoken than the Empress hit him with a heavy blow, "What illness? If you can’t speak properly, then don’t speak at all."

Xiao Jinyu clutched his forehead, feeling deeply wronged. It was the first time