Chapter 452: Chapter 452

“Very simple. If one thing yields a hundred points of benefit but carries ninety-nine points of risk, unless life and death are at stake, your current host and I would never try it lightly.”

Even if the gain rose by another point, it would be the same.”

An Ning knew herself very well. Long before she transmigrated, decades of orphan life and living alone had ingrained cautiousness into her bones. Call it neither virtue nor flaw, but she understood clearly that under equal conditions, unless truly driven to the brink, she would never be the one to break the rules of the era first…

“But System, things are different now, she would!”

When she said this, An Ning’s tone unconsciously carried sincere admiration…

And she would charge ahead without hesitation, never retreating a single step.

After that, the system indeed never asked again.

Over the next half year, as the Crown Princess’s increasingly forceful handling of affairs unfolded, the court inevitably experienced repeated upheavals, and several imperial clan ministers fell from grace. No matter how vicious the struggles at court grew, those storms were firmly kept outside the mother-and-daughter duo’s gates. In the separate palace, An Ning and her husband continued to sleep until they woke naturally each day, their lives leisurely and peaceful.

Because the surroundings here were so beautiful, a few sisters would also drop by from time to time to gather and chat about daily life.

Happy days always fly by, and in the blink of an eye, their little A-Bao had reached marriageable age.

After all, as their only precious daughter, the couple had, a month earlier while winter still lingered with wind and snow, already returned to the palace early with a large retinue.

Early one morning, dawdling until finally climbing out from the warm covers, Shangguan Huai reluctantly hugged their An Ning. The prince’s usually delicate face showed rare traces of sorrow.

Especially knowing that for the Crown Princess’s harem and even future offspring, the previous court had erupted into chaos months ago.

Not only the principal consort position, even the side consort posts had ministers fighting desperately for them.

“Sigh, before I always thought A-Bao was still little, still a child, who would’ve thought she’d grow up so fast…”

Not long ago, the baby who had babbled from her parents’ arms had turned into an adult about to form a household.

Staring at their precious daughter who seemed fine on the surface yet could face childbirth danger, Shangguan Huai’s worry deepened.

“Sigh, An Ning, what do you think our A-Bao truly likes?”

Likes? She hasn’t even finished growing up!

An Ning only lifted her brow faintly, rare to remain curt with her old father’s nagging and didn’t say much.

If she wasn’t mistaken, Jun’er was by now already…

As it turned out, An Ning’s guess was right.

While the previous court was still roaring with disputes, one day the palace suddenly announced that the Crown Princess was already pregnant, now more than four months along.

As for the child’s father, sorry!

No announcement will be made!

Before the ministers could turn their eyes to the Eastern Palace to size up all the handsome men of various charms,

“You only need to know that this is the Eastern Palace, and the child was born of me personally.”

Already several months pregnant, yet not delaying attendance at court, still practicing swordplay and spearwork as usual without any sign of discomfort, the Crown Princess in a scarlet robe looked perfectly natural as she spoke.

They glanced at His Majesty above, who had not objected, and recalled this Crown Princess’s methods, and so they immediately closed their mouths.

Most importantly, with her methods, succession seemed carved in stone; the future offspring would very likely become crown prince, perhaps even future emperor.

Without the weight of the emperor’s paternal clan pressing down, how wonderful would that be…

Thinking this over, except for a few schemers at court, under the pressure of these two formidable superiors, most ministers actually found it acceptable!

Poor old father Shangguan Huai, however, fretted himself to pieces over his already pregnant precious daughter.

He no longer found the palace confining or the outside scenery particularly attractive; every hour felt like an eternity as he wanted to watch his daughter day and night.

As for the child’s biological father—honestly—the family, including Shangguan Jun herself, hadn’t really cared much.

Seeing her parents so concerned did not surprise the Crown Princess. She stroked her already-rounded belly while the imperial physicians and her anxious father watched nervously. Jun’er then deftly picked up her long sword and exercised, enjoying the stretch of her muscles.

As for the nearby, stammering, worried, and uneasy group of guards and study companions, the Crown Princess paid them little mind.

Those chosen to attend the Eastern Palace were naturally not lacking in looks; it wouldn’t be wrong to say they each had their elegant charms.

Still, while they might be fun for occasional amusement in the future, in the Crown Princess’s view they were not qualified to be fathers of her child!

It wasn’t that their statuses were low—they weren’t—but they simply failed the intelligence test.

Before deciding on an heir, she had thought it through carefully.

Judging by several generations in her family and multiple verifications, although somewhat lazy, the one with the best constitution and clearest mind was her own mother.

Compared to her, that was a level up.

That made the Crown Princess feel a little regretful.

As for why she hadn’t inherited her mother’s full physical and mental traits, even surpassing her—she glanced at her frail-looking father…

And then there was her imperial ancestor. He clearly had outstanding intelligence and constitution too, but as the stories went, he was only beautiful and somewhat talented? Hmm… he died young.

In any case, according to the imperial ancestor, even before her father had his troubles, in comparison of body and mind, cough cough…

Rubbing her already-protruding belly and thinking of the prospective father’s mind, Jun’er couldn’t help but think:

No matter what, two unquestionably intelligent parents can’t possibly produce a truly stupid child, right!

Well… if the child really turned out like the father, then let it be born early—there’d still be time for her to train a suitable grandchild.

However, if someone dared to dilute her excellent traits…

With a short, powerful sound of breaking air, a long target dozens of meters away suddenly clattered to the ground.