Chapter 295: Li Bishuo’s Provocation

Chapter 295: Li Bishuo's Provocation

The group emerged from Bishui Pavilion.

The news of Li Bishuo's pregnancy quickly spread throughout the Marquis's Mansion.

When Lady Qin and the old Marquis learned that Cheng Yunshuo's concubine was pregnant, all their recent worries vanished.

Lady Qin took the initiative to find Lu Lingyun and praised her. The Cheng family had few descendants, and during her many years as the head of the household, only Cheng Yunshuo remained as the sole heir. Lu Lingyun, who had married into the family less than two years ago, had already borne four children for the Cheng family.

This was a significant achievement.

And it deserved even more recognition!

Generously, Lady Qin bestowed upon Lu Lingyun many rewards—gold, silver, jade, fabrics for clothes, and some tonics, all to be distributed by Lu Lingyun.

Lu Lingyun left Lady Qin's room laden with gifts.

Meanwhile, Qiu Ling and Ling Long emerged from Bishui Pavilion bewildered.

After leaving, the more they thought about it, the more they felt they had been deceived.

"That Li Bishuo is a scheming woman!" Ling Long gritted her teeth in anger.

Originally, if Li Bishuo had quietly been pregnant, they would have been jealous at most. But now it was clear that she had deceived them!

She had been spreading the word that she was infertile, winning their sympathy, and using that to befriend them. It was all a ploy to lull them into complacency and manipulate them!

She had taken them for fools!

"She pushed Cheng Yunshuo onto us because she knew she was pregnant and couldn't be intimate with him for the first few months! And I actually believed her, thinking of her as a sister!"

Ling Long thought of all the things Li Bishuo had done recently and was furious.

Thinking back to how they had spoken up for Li Bishuo in front of Lu Lingyun, they felt completely duped.

They wished they could go back in time and slap themselves—and then slap that vile Li Bishuo twice!

"That Li Bishuo has a truly cunning mind," Qiu Ling said slowly after piecing everything together.

They had been too naive, and the inner courtyard of the Marquis's Mansion had never been a place of much intrigue.

Lady Qin was not one to stir up trouble, and with Lu Lingyun keeping things in order, the inner courtyard had always been peaceful. Even Aunt Xing and Aunt Du, who had been lively in the past, only played small tricks in their competition for Cheng Yunshuo's favor.

Over time, they had come to believe that this was how the Marquis's Mansion should be.

Lady Qin was kind, and the concubines only vied for affection. They had never encountered someone like Li Bishuo, who used every trick in the book—both overt and covert.

She put on a friendly facade in public but was scheming behind the scenes. Truly, a palace-trained schemer, full of dark secrets!

"This time, we've seen through her. Let's not fall for her tricks again!" Qiu Ling, now fully aware of Li Bishuo's true nature, was filled with disgust and rejection.

"I can't swallow this anger, Sister Qiu Ling. You don't know how she came to me privately some time ago, pretending to be so sisterly and considerate," Ling Long said with resentment. "I never imagined she was full of schemes! It's utterly despicable!"

Qiu Ling sighed, "In this inner courtyard, only Lu Lingyun is truly good. From now on, we must keep our eyes open and stay close to her."

"You're right!"

After this incident, Qiu Ling and Ling Long had seen through Li Bishuo's true nature and would no longer believe her sweet words.

At this moment in Bishui Pavilion.

Cheng Yunshuo returned.

"Crown Prince," Bishuo greeted him with small steps as soon as she saw Cheng Yunshuo.

"Are you pregnant?" Cheng Yunshuo had heard the news as soon as he returned to the mansion and, seeing her approach, quickly asked her to stop.

"Yes, I just received the good news today," Bishuo lowered her head, her face full of shyness and surprise, "Thanks to the young mistress, who called a doctor to check my pulse, I found out."

"Lu Lingyun always handles things reliably. From now on, you must follow her arrangements for the pregnancy," Cheng Yunshuo said.

Hearing this, a faint light flashed in Li Bihan's eyes, but she still wore a smile on her face, "The young mistress is kind and will naturally treat me and the child well, but..."

She paused, hesitating to continue.

"But what?"

"Nothing," Li Bihan quickly shook her head, "Forget it."

Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo's eyebrows furrowed, "If you have something to say, say it. Don't hesitate."

"It's just that Bishuo feels unworthy of this child."

"How could you think that!" Cheng Yunshuo immediately raised his voice and looked at her.

Bishuo looked at Cheng Yunshuo, tears in her eyes, "Bishuo is humble. It's already a great fortune to have your favor in this lifetime. Now, with this child, I am truly anxious. Bishuo is not blessed enough, afraid I cannot keep this child."

"With me here, who dares to touch you and the child!"

"No, no, Bishuo is not saying someone will harm the child, but truly feels unworthy," said Li Bihan, wiping the tears from the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, "Bishuo has already caused envy by receiving your favor, and now with the pregnancy, it's inevitable that others will be jealous. Bishuo is just an orphan, relying entirely on you in the Marquis's Mansion, afraid that my lack of fortune will not protect the child."

Li Bihan's words were clever and profound. Although she did not directly mention Lu Lingyun, Qiu Ling, and Ling Long, she subtly hinted at them all.

Now that she was pregnant, those people might all be jealous of her, envy her, and secretly wish her harm!

She was still isolated and helpless in the Marquis's Mansion, a poor little thing who could only rely on Cheng Yunshuo, unable to cope with the malice from all sides.

Hearing her words, Cheng Yunshuo said without hesitation, "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you again."

"From today onwards, all meals in Bishui Pavilion will be prepared separately. I will transfer two maids from my courtyard to you. From now on, no one is allowed to enter Bishui Pavilion without my permission. If the young mistress calls for you, you can refuse and wait for my return."

Bishuo smiled at this, "Thank you, Crown Prince!"

Not long after, Cheng Yunshuo's preferential treatment for Bishuo spread throughout the Marquis's Mansion.

All the servants knew about it and understood the importance their Crown Prince placed on this new concubine, and none dared to slight her.

In Autumn Fragrance Courtyard, Ling Long, who had just planned to leave, learned that Cheng Yunshuo had returned and had arranged special meals for Bishui Pavilion and transferred servants to her. The most infuriating thing was that no one was allowed to enter Bishui Pavilion without permission, and even if Lu Lingyun called for her, she could refuse.

What does this mean!

Isn't this just guarding against the two of them and Lu Lingyun!

Ling Long, furious, ran back to Qiu Ling to curse Bishuo again.

That woman is truly extraordinary in her scheming. Just as she revealed her true colors, before they could settle accounts with her, she had Cheng Yunshuo set up a barrier for her.

Lu Lingyun, hearing in her courtyard about the rules Cheng Yunshuo had set for Bishuo, lazily snorted.

That Bishuo is really cautious, afraid that someone might harm her belly. She had made her pregnancy public, and the more public it was, the more it showed she didn't want to harm her child, but then she turned around and incited defenses against her.

"This Concubine Li is truly ungrateful!" said Nanny Wan.

"And she had the Crown Prince arrange special meals for her? Made Bishui Pavilion off-limits without permission? Made it so she doesn't even have to come to the young mistress's place anymore! She really has a lot of nerve!"