Shi went to the palace with Lin Xiang and chatted for a while, knowing that Lin Xiang and Zhuang Shi were going to talk about something intimate. She tactfully found an excuse and said: "Your Majesty, when I came in, I saw that the peony flowers in this Changkun Palace are extremely beautiful. May I have your permission to go out and take a look?"

  Lin Xiao smiled and nodded, allowing someone to escort her out.

  After Shi Cong went out, Lin Xiao made all the palace maids in the side hall leave and closed the door.

  Zhuang's family looked at Shi's family who had already left and sighed to Lin Xiang: "Shi's family is indeed a good child, it's just a pity that your fourth brother doesn't seem to like her."

  She could guess the thoughts of this concubine, first because she disliked Shi's appearance, and secondly because she despised Shi's low status. The brothers in the family, Cheng Sheng married the granddaughter of Tang He Dachang Gongzhu, Cheng Zhi married the eldest daughter of Jinling Zhengshi, and Cheng Ming, who was younger than him, had already settled on the eldest daughter of Xingningbo. Only he married a mere daughter of a sixth-grade commander.

  He was an illegitimate child and did not receive much attention in his family, but he had some ideas about changing his status.

  Lin Xiao smiled and said to Zhuang Shi: "I think Fourth Sister is a very perceptive person, she always has her own way of capturing Fourth Brother's heart."

  In the past, Shi's temperament was a bit wild, and she was also afraid that she would not get along with Zhuang. But looking at Shi's changes after marriage, she was overthinking.

  Zhuang shook her head and stopped talking about the illegitimate child. She then grasped Lin Xiang's hand and asked with concern, "How have you been in the palace? Has the Emperor treated you well?"

  Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Mother, do you think I look bad like this? The Emperor is also good to me."

  With no outsiders in the house, Zhuang Shi also had no more worries. It seemed as if the person in front of her was still her beloved daughter, not the high and mighty Empress. She reached out and pressed Lin Daiyu's forehead, sighing: "You!" Then she sighed again: "After you entered the palace, I don't know how worried your mother was. Afraid that other concubines in the palace would bully you, afraid that the Emperor would not treat you well."

  She frowned and said, "And how dare you be so bold? As soon as you entered the palace, you were punishing the imperial concubine and reducing her allowance. Your actions have already spread outside the palace. Can't you be more cautious? The imperial concubine has a deep foundation in the harem, what if you can't punish her successfully? You'll end up losing face instead. And reducing allowances is such a big deal, you're doing something that offends people as soon as you enter the palace, aren't you afraid of being hated by others..."

  Lin Xinyi thought that it was precisely because she knew the matter was big and important, so she did it. She wasn't like those palace ladies who had been with the emperor since his humble abode, young and inexperienced, without any achievements, facing those palace ladies who had accompanied the emperor for over a decade and had children with him, even if she had the status of an empress, it was easy to be looked down upon.

  In this situation, she can only die and then live, do something that surprises people, in order to establish her prestige in the harem, and let the people of the previous dynasty see the existence of this empress.

  Fortunately, she succeeded in this matter. Otherwise, as the empress, she would have lost face greatly.

  Lin Huan did not intend to tell these things to Zhuang Shi, she had always been protected by Lin Ying in her arms, and she also did not intend to let her come out to suffer from wind and rain, she should live a happy and fulfilling life under the care of her husband and children.

  Lin Xiao changed the subject and asked: "What do people outside the palace say about the princess?"

  "There are people who say all sorts of things, some praise you and others criticize you."

  When people praised her, Zhuang Shi naturally felt happy. But when they spoke ill of her, Zhuang Shi frowned, and what's with all this nonsense about "usurping power" and "a hen crowing at dawn" and "having the airs of Empress Lü"? She got angry just listening to it - her daughter hadn't beaten anyone or killed anyone, so how could she have the airs of Empress Lü?

  Lin Yi saw the expression of Zhuang Shi and knew that the outside palace must have some not-so-good opinions about her. Lin Yi changed the subject again: "By the way, Second Sister's wedding is approaching soon, I've picked out a few things to add to her dowry, let's bring them out together when Mother leaves the palace."

  Zhuang's wife thought of that careless daughter and complained: "This girl, Yu'e, is really worrying. She didn't want to marry Zhao Lin, but I don't know whose idea it was. She actually ran to the Zhao family and told Zhao Lin's mother that she didn't want to marry into the Zhao family, asking them to break off the engagement. After being sent back by the maid, your father slapped her in the face, and she has been locked up in her room until now."

  Lin Xiao was amazed, when did Lin Yu have such a big idea and fighting power.

  Zhuang furrowed his brow and said discontentedly: "I think she's been spoiled by following Yan Niang around since she was a child, and has learned all her bad habits from Yan Niang."

  She didn't like this concubine-born daughter anyway, and she couldn't be bothered with her affairs, letting Lin Ying worry about it herself.

  Lin Xiao asked: "What about the Zhao family? Didn't Zhao Lin say anything?"

  Zhuang said: "Zhao and your father covered up the matter together, Zhao Lin is probably still unaware."

  Lin Dai nodded, and Zhao was also a kind mother. With this move, Zhao might not like Lin Dai as his daughter-in-law, but he could tolerate it for the sake of his son's future. Moreover, with this matter, the Lin family would definitely compensate Zhao Lin doubly in the future.

  It's just that I don't know what kind of person Zhao is, but my mother-in-law has many ways to deal with her daughter-in-law. Lin Yu is also a person without a mind of her own, and after she gets married into the family, if Zhao wants to bully her, there are many ways to make her not even able to cry out in pain.

  It's just that I don't know who gave Lin Xiang such a brainless idea, the Lin and Zhao families have already set a wedding date, things like marriage can't be called off so easily, if it was really the Zhao family who wanted to call off the engagement, the one who would end up losing face would be her.

  This marriage was also arranged by the Duan family, and the Duans had a good impression of Zhao Lin. At that time, both the Lin and Duan families would have grievances.

  Zhuang said with a smile, "Right, I almost forgot to tell you. This morning, the Yuanguo Duke's residence sent over news that Ruan Niang is pregnant."

  Lin Dai's face lit up with joy and she said: "Really? How can it be so soon, it hasn't even been half a year since Niang married into their family."

  Zhuang's wife glared at her and said, "What's the hurry? Three months into their marriage, the couple is still in the honeymoon phase, which is when they're most likely to get pregnant. And it's better to get pregnant quickly, so you can settle down sooner. Do you have to be like Huan Niang, whose belly only started showing after five or six years?"

  Lin Yan smiled with her lips pursed, a joyful expression filling her face.

  Zhuang's wife patted her hand and said, "You should also hurry up and have a child with the emperor as soon as possible. No matter what, a woman needs to have a child by her side to feel at ease and establish her status, even if she is a princess."

  Lin Xiao smiled and didn't say anything.

  Zhuang's words were truly for her own good, the Lin family had an heir, and it didn't matter whether she could have another child or not. However, for a woman in the palace, having children was like holding a royal flush.

  But thinking of the Emperor, Lin Xiao shook her head.

  She is not yet ready to have a child with this man she once called "uncle".