Lin Xie’s fingers slowly traced the rim of his porcelain teacup. The faint fragrance of plum lingered in the air, but it couldn’t mask the bitterness curling in his chest.
She came out of nowhere.
Pregnant. With the Crown Prince’s child.
And yet, no rut? No record. No mark. No royal decree.
Just a woman in silk and whispers claiming to carry blood that never touched her.
“Yun’er,” Lin Xie called softly.
The young servant girl rushed forward, head lowered. “Yes, Your Grace?”
“Tell me,” he said, swirling the tea, “when did Lady Mei arrive at the palace?”
Yun’er blinked. “Just last month, I believe. Assigned to the Southern Courtyard. She was said to be recovering from a fainting spell.”
“And now suddenly full with royal lineage?” Lin Xie murmured. “How... miraculous.”
He rose from his seat, walking to the window. “Send Xu Mian to me.”
Yun’er curtsied and left quickly.
The wind teased at his sleeves. Outside, petals danced in the courtyard — too soft for a world like this.
The door creaked open moments later.
Xu Mian entered with his usual smugness. “Let me guess. You’re wondering how someone got pregnant without rutting?”
Lin Xie gave him a flat look. “That, and how she managed to enter this palace without even a trace of scent from His Highness.”
“She’s clever,” Xu Mian said, dropping onto the couch. “Claimed she was too ‘shy’ to share details with the midwives. Gave the physician a pouch of silver to note her as 'possibly with child.’ No one dared question it further.”
“She has backing,” Lin Xie said, voice low.
“Who?”
He turned to the door as Yun’er peeked in again, whispering, “Your Grace… I overheard something while fetching tea from the Eastern Wing.”
She approached and gently held out a folded note. “One of Lady Mei’s servants said she was summoned… to the Empress Dowager’s residence last night.”
Lin Xie paused.
Of course.
He walked back to his table and sat down, perfectly composed, eyes cool.
“She’s no fool,” he said. “If she wanted to dethrone me without a single drop of blood, this is how she’d do it.”
Xu Mian’s jaw tightened. “The Empress Dowager’s involved?”
“No proof,” Lin Xie replied, sipping his tea. “Not yet. But a lie this grand… someone’s pulling the strings.”
“Want me to dig?”
“No,” he said calmly. “Let them believe I’m still weakened. Let her believe I’m still soft.”
He smiled faintly, eyes like moonlit daggers. “I’ll feed them silence… until they choke on it.”
Yun’er lowered her head and whispered, “You’re still His Highness’s official consort. No one can take that.”
Lin Xie glanced toward the window.
“We’ll see,” he murmured. “If they want to use a womb to rewrite history, they better prepare for war.”
-------------------------Introduction------------------------------
...
...
...Name: Yu’er (玉儿)...
...Age: 17...
...Gender: Female...
...Status: Personal maid of Lin Xie...
...Background: Chosen personally by Lady Shen before her death. Raised in the Lin household from a young age. More of a younger sister than a servant to Lin Xie. Fiercely loyal and devoted....
...Personality:...
...Sharp-tongued and bold when defending her young master...
...Calm and observant in public; knows how to navigate palace gossip...
...Fearless when facing nobles who try to humiliate Lin Xie...
...Protective, quietly emotional, and secretly watches over Lin Xie’s well-being...
......Only smiles around Lin Xie — loyal to the point of self-sacrifice......
...Name: Lady Mei (梅氏)...
...Age: 20...
...Gender: Female...
...Status: Low-ranking noblewoman...
...Background: A minor noble’s daughter, Lady Mei was pulled into the palace schemes as a disposable pawn. In Lin Xie’s past life, she falsely claimed to be carrying the Crown Prince’s child right before his wedding to Lin Xie. The scandal delayed the marriage and severely damaged Lin Xie’s honor. She was manipulated by the Crown Prince’s mother, promised protection and favor, only to be discarded once her purpose was fulfilled....
...Personality:...
...Weak-willed and easily manipulated...
...Greedy for status, but lacks true courage...
...Publicly pitiful and fragile; privately desperate and sly...
...Knows her role as a pawn, but tries to hold onto relevance...
...In the current life, still working for the Empress, though she's being watched closely by Lin Xie...
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