"You lowly servant! Kneel before me!"

Chen Guifei scolded me in a stern voice, and it was clear that she was ready to push me out to save herself.

I obediently knelt down and glanced at Ying Xue, who was gloating on the side, then spoke up and apologized, "Madam, this servant deserves death, but this servant is grateful for your kindness. If I cannot repay even a fraction of the favor, I would rather die. I am truly unworthy of you. Furthermore, madam's health is weak, and it is the time when this servant should be serving you. This servant dares to ask madam for mercy."

Chen Guifei narrowed her eyes and remained silent, as if considering my words.

However, Ying Xue couldn't hold back and accused me in a harsh tone, "Cen Mingzhao, how dare you curse the imperial concubine! How dare you!"

"Madam, Cen Mingzhao is full of tricks. You must not be fooled again. In my opinion, madam should torture her to death, so that you can explain it to the empress dowager."

A cold glance from Chen Guifei made Ying Xue kneel down in fear.

Trembling, she begged for forgiveness, "Madam, please forgive me for my rash words."

Chen Guifei's gaze turned icy, and her impatient tone was filled with anger, "Ying Xue, you are getting more and more capable as a maid."

This sentence frightened Ying Xue to her core.

But Chen Guifei dismissed everyone else and left only me.

"Cen Mingzhao, what did you mean by what you said just now?"

I first kowtowed respectfully, and then said solemnly, "Congratulations, madam. Your wish has come true. You are expecting a child."

Chen Guifei was stunned, clearly unable to believe it. "What did you say?"

She was both shocked and delighted, but mostly she couldn't believe it. She immediately wanted to call the imperial physician to check her pulse.

But I spoiled the mood by reminding her, "Madam, the most urgent matter is not to call the physician, but to pass the test of the empress dowager first. The news about the Jade Lily Ointment has caused quite a stir, and you must give an explanation."

Chen Guifei didn't take it seriously. "If I am truly pregnant, it is a great joy. The emperor and the empress dowager won't blame me, will they?"

"Madam, while the emperor and the empress dowager won't pursue the matter, you must not give others a handle. You must cleanse yourself thoroughly before announcing the pregnancy, so that no one dares to tarnish your reputation."

"And, we have been very cautious with the Jade Lily Ointment. How did it suddenly leak out? Madam, one must guard against home thieves as well. If we don't eliminate them, who knows what other tricks might come up?"

Hearing my words, Chen Guifei fell into contemplation.

Soon, the thief who accused thieves, Ying Xue, was severely beaten and driven out.

Chen Guifei firmly asserted that she was innocent and had been deceived by Ying Xue.

Not only that, Chen Guifei knelt in front of the empress dowager's palace gate under the scorching sun, apologized, voluntarily demoted herself to a concubine, and stripped herself of the dress of a noble concubine.

Chen Guifei made a humble posture, which made the empress dowager hesitate for a while.

After all, Chen Guifei was appointed by the emperor himself. The empress dowager couldn't unilaterally demote her and risk damaging the mother-son relationship.

Moreover, the mastermind, Ying Xue, had already been punished, and Chen Guifei's attitude was sincere. The empress dowager's attitude was not as firm as before.

The empress couldn't accept it. Finally catching the handle of Chen Guifei, she was about to let her escape from danger. But suddenly, Chen Guifei fainted.

The empress dowager no longer had the mind to listen to the empress and immediately had people help Chen Guifei up and called for the imperial physician.

After examining her pulse, the physician happily announced to the empress dowager that the noble concubine was pregnant.

This coincidentally caught the emperor's attention, who had always been concerned about the lack of heirs.

Now that Chen Guifei was pregnant, it naturally brought him great joy.

Once again, Chen Guifei became a hot commodity.

Enraged, the empress suffered from a sudden illness in the middle of the night and was restless throughout the night.