The Crown Prince truly considered her in everything.

The night before, she had asked him: since they were both in the Xuan Palace and not accompanying Emperor Xuan and Empress Xuan for the evening meal, would that be improper?

He had said it would not. If they did not wish to go, they would not go. If Father and Mother wanted to blame anyone, they would blame him. With him there, she need not accommodate anyone.

Emperor Xuan pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly. “He is no longer a child — how could he catch a chill after bathing?”

Yan Yunning shifted uncomfortably and pressed her lips together.

Emperor Xuan raised his eyelids and slanted a look at her.

Yan Yunning touched her nose tip. “Imperial Father, your daughter-in-law does not know.”

“You are Yuyu’s Crown Princess — how can you not even know how he caught a chill?”

Yan Yunning quietly retorted, “Imperial Father, your daughter-in-law was not standing beside him watching the Crown Prince bathe — how would she know how he caught a chill?”

“You!” Emperor Xuan’s cold eyes narrowed. “You dare talk back to Us? Do you know…”

“Your daughter-in-law knows she was wrong. Imperial Father, your daughter-in-law will absolutely not talk back again — please forgive your daughter-in-law this once.” Before Emperor Xuan had finished speaking, Yan Yunning was already quick to admit her fault.

“Interrupting Us — what sort of conduct is that?” Emperor Xuan regarded her with a stern, humorless expression.

Yan Yunning blinked. Those words sounded so familiar.

It seemed like the first time she had met Emperor Xuan, when she had challenged him: Consort Wu behaving like this — what sort of conduct was that!

Like father, like son — just like Xuan Yanyu, he loved to seize on one sentence and not let it go!

“Count it as this princess consort not knowing the rules — Imperial Father, what do you say?” Yan Yunning blinked at him.

The young girl blinked her bright, clear eyes — there was indeed something rather endearing about her. Setting aside her jealousy, the child she and Yuyu would have together would surely be very beautiful.

Her only flaw was her jealousy. If only she were not so jealous, how wonderful that would be.

“Then count it as this princess consort being thoughtless — Imperial Father, will that do?” Yan Yunning took a teacup from the tray a maid was holding and considerately placed it in Emperor Xuan’s hands.

“Imperial Father, the Crown Prince once said that you are the very best, and that even if I accidentally displease you, I only need to bring you a cup of tea and you will not hold it against me. Now that I see it, the Crown Prince was absolutely right.” Yan Yunning curved her lips into a smile.

“…” Emperor Xuan nearly choked on his tea and spat it out. What utter nonsense!

One talked nonsense; the other took it as truth!

“Imperial Father, you are truly too kind.” Yan Yunning smiled and poured a little more tea into Emperor Xuan’s cup.

“…” Emperor Xuan had no temper left to speak of after everything she had said.

She had spoken of him this way — if he kept taking issue with her, how petty would that make him as her imperial father look?

“Your Majesty, please forgive Ningning.” Yan Shiyao offered a gentle smile.

Following Yan Shiyao’s words, Emperor Xuan nodded. “There will be no next time.”

“Thank you, Imperial Father.” Yan Yunning smiled obediently.

Yan Shiyao raised an eyebrow. She was genuinely curious: why did Emperor Xuan indulge her so?

“Your Majesty.” Having learned from Guard Qu that they were at the gate of the Medical Institute — upon spotting the maids and eunuchs attending the emperor — Consort Wu feigned illness and had Xiao Dai support her as she arrived at the Medical Institute for a “chance encounter” with Emperor Xuan.

“This consort pays her respects to Your Majesty.” Consort Wu bit her lip, looking pitifully as she curtseyed.

“Rise.” Emperor Xuan’s tone was neither warm nor cold.

“Yes.” Consort Wu’s voice was particularly soft.

By now the entire palace was watching her make a spectacle of herself. The Emperor had bestowed the title of Commandery Princess upon the Crown Princess’s elder sister — he had not bestowed it upon her.

Why on earth?

She did not understand!

Youle Commandery Princess?

Hmph!

Could that compare to the imperial heir she carried in her womb?

What was the Emperor thinking?

“Since Shiyao has no serious injuries, you and the Crown Princess should have a good chat. We will not disturb you any further.” Emperor Xuan set down his teacup, smoothed his sleeve, and rose to his feet.

“We respectfully send off Your Majesty.” Yan Shiyao performed her obeisance properly.

“Imperial Father, take care.” Yan Yunning also made her obeisance.

Fafa: [Ah! How can Yan Shiyao be fine?!]

Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow. [My elder sister is fine, and you are disappointed?!]

Fafa: […]

Was it not obvious?

[What are you disappointed about?] Yan Yunning was puzzled.

Fafa said vaguely, [I just feel that the imperial physicians of the Xuanzhao Medical Institute are all so incredibly skilled. Master, do you not feel the same?]

[If they were not skilled, could they serve as imperial physicians in the Xuan Palace? They might as well be village doctors!] A playful smile danced on Yan Yunning’s lips.

Fafa: […]

“Youle Commandery Princess, what do you mean by that?” No sooner had Emperor Xuan walked away and Yan Yunning exchanged a few words with Fafa than Consort Wu and Yan Shiyao began to quarrel.

Consort Wu’s mood was extremely poor at the moment. She did not understand why, the moment she arrived, His Majesty had turned and left.

If the Emperor had discovered something, that was impossible — otherwise, she would not be standing here in the Medical Institute, safe and sound.

If nothing had been discovered, why was he so cold toward her?

Or perhaps the Emperor did not like sons — he only liked daughters, and his partiality toward the Crown Prince was because of Empress Xuan? That too could make sense: the Emperor was also very fond of the Elder Princess Imperial and the Fifth Princess, and even the little princess born to Noble Lady Lin was cherished by him.

From the moment of her birth, he had sent many treasures for the little princess, and frequently sent her new novelties.

Had she realized this sooner, she would never have taken this path!

A mistake!

“Consort Wu, what has Shiyao done?” Yan Shiyao tilted her head and looked at her.

Was it not simply that she had been rather curious about why Emperor Xuan had left as soon as she arrived, and had looked at her a moment or two longer?

She had overheard the imperial physicians discussing that Consort Wu was carrying an imperial son — yet Emperor Xuan had not appeared at all delighted, and was in fact rather cold toward Consort Wu.

She had simply been curious and looked a little longer — yet Consort Wu had taken offense at that.

“I carry an imperial heir in my womb. Though you are a Commandery Princess, you ought not stare at me so brazenly — you have no sense of propriety.” The discontent in Consort Wu’s heart was written plainly on her face.

These days, any time she sensed someone looking at her even a moment too long, her heart would jump — she assumed everyone was watching her become a laughingstock. She was practically suffocating from the humiliation.

“Oh,” said Yan Shiyao, regarding her askance.

In any case, Consort Wu was not in Emperor Xuan’s favor, while Emperor Xuan was this indulgent toward her — Yan Shiyao had no intention of putting herself through that indignity.

Yan Yunning pressed her hand to her forehead. Would that not only provoke Consort Wu further?

“You—” Consort Wu raised her hand in fury, her palm not yet landed, when Yan Shiyao seized her wrist and gave her a gentle push.

Consort Wu’s body swayed, and she stumbled to the floor. Her fetal position had been unstable to begin with, and the abrupt fall made her lower abdomen feel as though it was dragging painfully downward.

“Imperial Physician!” Yan Yunning called out toward the door. The imperial physicians had all been waiting outside the hall earlier so as not to disturb Emperor Xuan and Yan Shiyao’s conversation. Now inside the hall there were only Yan Yunning and a few others, along with each party’s maids.

Regardless of how Emperor Xuan regarded Consort Wu, the child she carried was still his imperial heir — and so Consort Wu could not come to harm.

The imperial physicians waiting outside heard the call, hurriedly pushed open the hall door and rushed in — and at a single glance, they saw Consort Wu sitting on the floor, her phoenix hairpin askew, spots of blood staining her garments. The physicians’ pupils contracted in fright.

“My Lady.” Xiao Dai knelt helplessly beside Consort Wu, not daring to lift her up.