Noble Consort Xiao glanced at Xiu Yue and said lightly: “You’ve reminded this palace—rather than trying a recipe of unknown origin, it would be more reliable to ask Miss Luo to help request the Divine Physician.”

Xiu Yue smiled: “This humble woman thought that seeking a dragon son is something Your Ladyship wouldn’t want many people to know about. Our employer is indeed warm-hearted, but somewhat impulsive…”

Noble Consort Xiao’s brow twitched as she asked: “Are you saying Miss Luo doesn’t know about the medicinal cuisine recipe?”

Xiu Yue lowered her eyes and nodded: “Naturally she doesn’t know.”

Noble Consort Xiao hesitated.

If Miss Luo didn’t know about the medicinal cuisine recipe, then as the cook said, naturally the fewer people who knew about seeking a child, the better.

Although Miss Luo wasn’t the fool the world took her to be, she was someone who didn’t play by conventional rules. Moreover, she was Grand Marshal Luo’s daughter—even if she wanted to silence her, it wouldn’t be so easy.

In comparison, the cook before her was undoubtedly much easier to control.

One year…

Noble Consort Xiao’s soft fingertips gently brushed across her cheek.

She was in her prime years. She could still afford to wait one year. If there were no signs after a year, it wouldn’t be too late to find Miss Luo then.

Having made up her mind thus, Noble Consort Xiao thought of another crucial matter, but this crucial matter was difficult to speak of.

After pondering for a moment, Noble Consort Xiao ordered: “Taohong, go guard the entrance.”

Taohong hesitated and glanced at Xiu Yue.

Leaving Her Ladyship alone with a cook of unknown origins was truly unsettling.

“Go.”

Only then did Taohong curtsy slightly and silently walk away.

Noble Consort Xiao stared intently at Xiu Yue and asked that crucial question: “What if… it’s the man’s problem?”

Xiu Yue replied calmly: “Your Ladyship is in the prime of youth. Reasonably speaking, there shouldn’t be major issues—otherwise the imperial physicians would have mentioned it when taking your pulse for peace, wouldn’t they?”

Noble Consort Xiao’s eyes tightened.

She had actually considered that after so many years without signs, it probably wasn’t her problem—otherwise with so many concubines in the rear palace, how could not a single one show signs?

His Majesty was over fifty years old. Perhaps that was where the crux lay.

For this reason, she had discreetly asked a trusted imperial physician. Although the physician hadn’t dared suggest anything about His Majesty, he had said her body was healthy.

And hearing what Xiu Gu said, this was clearly the same meaning.

Thinking of this, Noble Consort Xiao’s burning heart cooled down.

If it wasn’t her problem, what use would taking medicine be?

Hearing Noble Consort Xiao ask this, Xiu Yue glanced toward the screen entrance.

Noble Consort Xiao said lightly: “Having spoken to this point, you need not avoid anything. If you have something to say, say it.”

“Then this humble woman will speak boldly. This medicinal cuisine recipe can condition a woman’s body to a state where conception is extremely easy. In this way, even if the man’s vital essence weakens with advancing age, the woman’s chances of conception will greatly increase, unless—”

“Unless what?”

“Unless the man has never had offspring.”

Noble Consort Xiao’s heart stirred.

His Majesty certainly wasn’t someone who had never had offspring. In earlier years, he had three princes and as many as six princesses—only the princes and princesses had died one after another, leaving only the Sixth Princess raised to adulthood.

Even a few years ago, His Majesty had secretly summoned imperial physicians for consultation, unwilling to accept having no biological sons.

The result of the physicians’ consultation was that His Majesty wasn’t infertile. If there was a problem, one could only say he was advanced in years and lacked some fate with children.

Of course, the imperial physicians’ words were euphemistic upon euphemistic. No one dared directly say “Your Majesty, you’re old and can’t produce anymore.”

The matter of requesting the imperial physicians’ consultation had been done secretly. Apart from His Majesty and the several imperial physicians who participated in the consultation, only she knew about it.

Noble Consort Xiao stared unblinkingly at Xiu Yue, her voice trembling slightly: “Are you saying that medicine recipe is remarkably effective for those advancing in years who seek children without success?”

Xiu Yue nodded slightly.

The Prince and Princess Consort had both been in their forties at that time. The medicinal cuisine recipe the Divine Physician developed was precisely to solve the problem of difficult childbirth at an advanced age.

Noble Consort Xiao was silent for a long while. Gripping the couch bed’s armrest tightly, she slowly said: “Then this palace will try.”

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand hope, she wanted to grasp it.

An emperor over fifty years old, a consort over twenty years old—without a single child by her side, what outcome awaited her in the future? She already knew clearly in her heart.

Noble Consort Xiao’s face regained its composure. She stared at Xiu Yue for a moment and said: “Now you can speak of what you seek.”

Taking the risk of losing her head to run before her and present a medicine recipe—surely it wasn’t because she was attracted by her beauty?

Xiu Yue pressed her forehead to the ground and prostrated deeply: “This humble woman has a grudge against the Prince of Pingnan’s manor.”

Noble Consort Xiao’s expression changed slightly. She quietly waited for Xiu Yue to continue.

“This humble woman’s master was once a cook in the Prince of Pingnan’s manor. One day, the Prince of Pingnan’s heir—uh, the current Crown Prince—fell gravely ill with severe diarrhea shortly after eating butter abalone snails my master made. Within just a few days he was on death’s door. In her fury, the Princess Consort of Pingnan ordered people to whip my master to death…”

The woman kneeling on the ground trembled all over. Although her expression couldn’t be seen with her head lowered, Noble Consort Xiao could feel the bone-deep hatred from the other party.

Noble Consort Xiao thought that such hatred couldn’t be faked.

This undoubtedly dispelled her doubts.

No wonder this cook had schemed to come before her—wanting to use her hand to take revenge on the Prince of Pingnan’s manor. She truly was audacious.

“This humble woman has had neither father nor mother since childhood. My master was like a father to me. Without avenging my father’s death, this humble woman won’t close her eyes even in death.” Xiu Yue suddenly raised her head. Her features, slightly contorted, appeared even more frightening. “If Your Ladyship has a dragon son, perhaps this humble woman can fulfill her wish—”

“You dare!” Noble Consort Xiao shouted sternly.

Xiu Yue smiled: “This humble woman dared stand before Your Ladyship, having already cast life and death aside. As long as I can avenge my master, this lowly life is worth nothing even in death.”

This time, Noble Consort Xiao stared at Xiu Yue even longer.

Xiu Yue faced her calmly.

“Xiu Gu, do you know the consequences of deceiving this palace?”

Xiu Yue replied without hesitation: “If Your Ladyship doesn’t trust this humble woman, you can secretly send people to investigate.”

What she spoke of was true to begin with.

At that time, Prince Pingnan’s heir Wei Qiang was still young and had indeed faced life-threatening danger from incessant diarrhea. The Prince of Pingnan’s manor had invited physicians everywhere without results. Prince Pingnan personally came to the Prince of Zhennan’s manor, asking the Prince to help request Divine Physician Li to make a house call.

The Divine Physician took action, and Wei Qiang quickly escaped danger.

Before the Divine Physician was requested, watching her son’s life hang by a thread, the Princess Consort of Pingnan in grief and fury had already ordered the cook who made the butter abalone snails executed.

That cook wasn’t a hereditary servant of the Prince of Pingnan’s manor but rather someone from elsewhere who had come to Nanxiang City to make his way. Having gained fame with a dish of butter abalone snails, he was hired by the Prince of Pingnan’s manor. What family members the cook had, how many disciples he had taken—after so many years, who could investigate these things?

The Princess knew of this matter because Prince Pingnan had personally come to the Prince of Zhennan’s manor seeking medical help.

Even if Noble Consort Xiao was cautious and secretly sent people to investigate this past matter, the results would only verify her words.

Unless Noble Consort Xiao went to ask the Prince and Princess Consort of Pingnan—perhaps she could obtain slightly different information, and that was still on the premise that the Prince and Princess Consort of Pingnan had an impression of that cook’s background.

Would Noble Consort Xiao go find the Prince and Princess Consort of Pingnan to ask these things?

Clearly not.

Thinking of these things, Xiu Yue’s expression became even more composed.

Her Princess never made rash moves.