Pei Shutong immediately understood what the Prince of Second Rank meant. But she felt no heartache over it — it was not His Majesty’s child, after all.

If the Prince truly seized His Majesty’s throne, she would find a way to rescue His Majesty and keep him in a private residence. In the future, the child in her womb could only have His Majesty as its father — she wanted only a child that was His Majesty’s.

If it were a boy, she would see to it that her child with His Majesty ascended to the seat of the Xuan King. Xuanzhao would still be a descendant of His Majesty’s line.

As for Yan Yunning and His Majesty’s son — Pei Shutong curved her lips ever so slightly. She would find a husband for Yan Yunning, and let His Majesty watch them live in conjugal bliss. As for the child — she would…

“Tongtong? Tongtong?”

The Prince furrowed his brow. Why did he have the feeling she seemed rather pleased?

Pei Shutong came back to her senses. Her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. “Your Highness, what do you mean by this?”

“Tongtong, be good. This Prince will make it up to you.” The Prince’s tone was impatient.

Pei Shutong nodded with an aggrieved air. “What must I do to help Your Highness?”

“In two days’ time, His Majesty will be holding a palace banquet for Her Highness the Xuan Empress. The ministers and their principal wives will certainly receive invitations. By convention, a concubine of your status cannot attend — however, this Prince will find a way to bring you along.”

The Prince reached under the bedding and produced a packet of medicine, pressing it into Pei Shutong’s palm. “Tongtong, find a way to administer this to His Highness the Crown Prince, and then fall in front of him.”

Even if the matter were exposed, he could distance himself from it. He would insist he knew nothing — that he was innocent, and that it had been Pei Shutong acting alone.

After all, had Pei Shutong not once nearly become His Majesty’s secondary consort?

It was only natural she would harbor resentment toward the Crown Prince.

He had also lost a child. What grounds would the Grand Emperor have to blame him?

At worst, he would be punished — and the methods would certainly be harsh. As the one left to suffer the consequences while being claimed innocent, having had his legs crippled on top of everything, it would only lend more justification to his bid for the throne.

“Very well. To be of service to Your Highness, Shutong is willing.” Pei Shutong’s eyes were red as she tightened her grip on the medicine packet in her palm.

“Your Highness, the letter of apology has been written. Please review it and let this subordinate know if any changes need to be made.” A guard bowed respectfully and presented the completed letter.

The Prince ground his teeth. “No need. Take it and carry this Prince into the palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Your Highness, the Grand Emperor really has gone too far.” Pei Shutong stamped her foot, her gaze fixed on the Prince full of tender concern.

The Prince pulled the corner of his mouth. “This Prince will have his revenge.”

Pei Shutong rolled her eyes inwardly but kept her expression soft. “Of course. Your Highness will have his revenge in due time.”

The Prince smiled with a cold coolness. One day, he would make that old man the Grand Emperor kneel at his feet and beg for mercy.

——

Xuan Palace — Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Xuan Yanyu was quietly watching the color of Yan Yunning’s expression, uncertain why — ever since last night, from the moment he had held her as they bathed, she had been treating him with cool indifference.

“Change it.” Yan Yunning said evenly.

“Of course.” The man obediently set down the preserved cherry he had just picked up and brought the gleaming golden braised shark’s fin to Yan Yunning’s lips.

Yan Yunning looked down, idly turning her teacup in her hands. Without even glancing at what Xuan Yanyu had selected, she said, “I don’t like it. Change it.”

The maidservants in the hall shrank their necks in fright, not daring to make the slightest sound.

“Of course.” The man showed not the faintest impatience. He selected the dish that Yan Yunning most often favored and ventured carefully, “Ningning, try this one and see whether you like it. If not, this Emperor will have the Imperial Kitchen prepare something new.”

Yan Yunning did not answer him. She turned to Ye’an standing behind her. “What time does Xiaoxiao finish his morning lessons?”

Ye’an cleared his throat tactfully. “Your Highness the Xuan Empress, this subordinate does not know. You had best ask His Majesty.”

Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Xuan Yanyu spoke of his own accord. “Ningning, Xiaoxiao should be done with his morning lessons in about half an hour.”

“Oh.” Yan Yunning responded flatly.

The man pressed his lips together. “Where has this Emperor gone wrong? Is it because of what this Emperor wanted last night…”

“Be quiet.” Yan Yunning’s face flushed red as she pressed her hand over his mouth.

“Then why won’t you speak to this Emperor?” Xuan Yanyu lifted her hand away and held it in his palm.

Yan Yunning smiled thinly. “Xuan Xixi, I would like to have another cup of that soup you had me drink a few days ago.”

The man’s gaze shifted. He answered with composed calm, “Didn’t you say you no longer wanted to drink it?”

“I want to drink it now.” Yan Yunning pulled his large hand away, took hold of his collar, and looked directly into the man’s slightly unsettled eyes. “Explain yourself — how exactly was that soup good for the body, Xuan Xixi!!”

Xuan Yanyu lowered his head, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Everyone, leave.” Yan Yunning swept her eyes across the maidservants standing in attendance.

“Yes, Your Highness the Xuan Empress.”

Once everyone had withdrawn from the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Yan Yunning grabbed Xuan Yanyu by the ear and smiled coldly. “Xuan Xixi, you deceived me.”

She stated it with complete certainty.

“I’m sorry, Ningning.” Xuan Yanyu wrapped his arms around her waist, his low voice carrying just a trace of a nasal quality. “This Emperor was afraid — afraid you would leave again.”

What he had given Ningning to drink was a specially prepared medicinal broth — devised under Physician Wen’s direction, using dozens of mild and gentle tonifying ingredients, with the collaboration of the entire Imperial Medical Academy.

It did have a tonifying effect on the body, but it also carried a contraceptive property. It would cause absolutely no harm to Ningning’s body. Only after confirming this had he coaxed her into drinking it.

He could not lose her again. He truly could not lose her again.

Yan Yunning was stunned. “So you secretly gave me a contraceptive brew,” she said, at a loss, “and lied to me by calling it a tonic?”

Was it because she had left after giving birth to Xiaoxiao, and he was afraid she would leave again because of another child?

So he had coaxed her into drinking the contraceptive brew — and when she said she no longer wanted to drink it, then last night… last night…

He still had no sense of security…

Yan Yunning bit her lip. Her gaze fell on the man’s arms, crisscrossed with layers of scars, both light and deep. She felt both vexed and tender at once.

“I did not deceive you. It truly is a tonic — only that medicinal broth also… also prevents conception.” Xuan Yanyu said quietly.

Yan Yunning enunciated each word clearly, her eyes meeting his with sincerity. “Xuan Xixi. I will not leave you again.”

The man buried his face against her shoulder, and a faint sheen of moisture gathered at the corners of his eyes. “This Emperor believes you.”

His mouth said “I believe you.” Yet in the days that followed, his restraint was so proper it seemed unlike him entirely.

When Yan Yunning deliberately tried to tempt him, he would close his eyes and clench his fists tightly. Had it not been for his throat working up and down uncontrollably, Yan Yunning would almost have thought he had fallen asleep.

When he could bear it no longer, he would get up and go bathe — never crossing any line — and then come back to bed, only to repeat the whole ordeal again. This cycle went on such that every morning he slept nearly until noon.

For this reason, Yan Yunning had specially asked the maidservants to bring in an extra quilt, because each time a certain person returned to the bed after bathing, he radiated a head-to-toe chill.

Yet by the following morning, that quilt was always to be found crumpled in a corner.

The morning light sifted through the latticed windows into the sleeping quarters. Yan Yunning carefully stepped over the sleeping man, drew aside the bed curtain, and took a medicine ointment from the cabinet — one she had asked the Imperial Physician to provide. She crouched beside the bed and gently rolled up the man’s sleeve, then applied the ointment slowly and evenly with a careful hand.

The cool sensation spread over his arm. As her fingertips worked the ointment in, a slight tingling numbness followed. Xuan Yanyu’s eyelashes trembled.

“Shh, it’s nothing. Sleep.” Yan Yunning soothed him the way one soothes a small child.