After returning to Crystal Spring Pavilion, Mu Yunjin saw Chu Li flying in at almost the same moment.

Seeing Chu Li, Mu Yunjin paused briefly, then went to meet him, examining him up and down. “Are you alright?”

Chu Li pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin relaxed somewhat. She took Chu Li’s arm and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, gently resting her hands on his shoulders.

“There are two matters,” Chu Li suddenly said.

“Oh? What matters?” Mu Yunjin leaned forward, moving closer to Chu Li.

Chu Li took her hand, turned, and wrapped his arm around Mu Yunjin’s waist, placing her on his lap. Looking at her, he said, “First, Chu Qing has escaped.”

“Second, Qin Munan was secretly harboring Qin Muyue at the military camp in Lin Yin Prefecture and has been reported.”

“What?” Mu Yunjin wasn’t surprised by the first matter, but the second left her bewildered.

…

…

Was Qin Munan stupid?

How could he hide Qin Muyue, a known rebel, in the Western Yuan Kingdom’s military camp?

Wasn’t that asking for death!

“Where is Qin Munan now?” Mu Yunjin asked.

“He’s being escorted back to the city along with Qin Muyue,” Chu Li answered.

Mu Yunjin pouted, offering no comment on the matter and not caring to discuss it further.

“Today, my master and I also discovered something,” Mu Yunjin said, embracing Chu Li’s neck.

“Hmm?” Chu Li looked puzzled.

Mu Yunjin frowned slightly. “Shen Wanning’s birthmark on her chest is fake. She is not Master Murong’s biological daughter.”

“Hmm…” Hearing this, Chu Li responded with a light hum, seemingly unsure how to comment on the matter.

As the two were talking, a coughing sound came from the entrance of Crystal Spring Pavilion. “Ahem…”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li turned to look and saw Qingmeng standing at the courtyard gate carrying a medicine box.

Seeing Qingmeng, Mu Yunjin instinctively tried to stand up, but her waist was held firmly by Chu Li’s hand. “Sit still, don’t move.”

Mu Yunjin frowned and gave Chu Li a reproachful look.

Qingmeng walked closer and sat down on a nearby stone bench. “By His Highness’s command, I’ve come to check on the Princess Consort’s pregnancy.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin obediently extended her wrist.

Qingmeng placed her hand on Mu Yunjin’s wrist to examine the condition of the fetus.

Watching anxiously, Chu Li frowned and asked urgently, “Is it a girl?”

“Your Highness, I don’t have such advanced medical skills to determine whether the child in the Princess Consort’s womb is male or female. But judging from the pulse, the child is doing very well and is now four months along,” Qingmeng said, withdrawing her hand.

Hearing that everything was fine, Mu Yunjin felt relieved. She didn’t care whether it was a boy or a girl, as long as the child was born safely.

Seeing that the pregnancy was progressing well, Chu Li’s smile deepened, and he also felt relieved.

In the coming time, you may gradually feel the baby move. I’ll write you a new prescription for pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. You must take it on time, understand?” Qingmeng looked at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin nodded.

“I’ll go prepare a bowl of the medicine for you to take now.” After speaking, Qingmeng stood up and left the courtyard.

After Qingmeng left, Mu Yunjin touched her belly, which was not yet showing, and suddenly felt a sense of anticipation, looking forward to feeling the baby’s first movements.

“Chu Li…” Mu Yunjin looked toward Chu Li, just about to speak, when an angry voice sounded from the courtyard entrance.

“Hmph, I’m furious!” Huang Yan stormed into the courtyard of Crystal Spring Pavilion and sat down in the seat Qingmeng had just vacated.

Mu Yunjin glanced at Huang Yan, then looked at Chu Li.

Chu Li exchanged a glance with Mu Yunjin, then turned to look at Huang Yan. “Why are you here?”

“Princess Consort, please remove the Phoenix Wing Hall’s spirit mark from me. I won’t go to your Phoenix Wing Hall anymore!” After speaking, Huang Yan extended his wrist, pointing at the glowing Phoenix Wing Hall spirit mark on it.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow. “Do you think our Phoenix Wing Hall is a place you can come and go as you please?”

“Ahhh!!!” Huang Yan went crazy.

“Silence!” Chu Li shouted, “Don’t frighten my precious daughter.”

Hearing this, Huang Yan became even more frantic, wanting to wail out loud, but could only pout, not daring to make a loud noise.

After a moment, he cast a pitiful look at Mu Yunjin and Chu Li.

“Today I was firmly rejected by Hua Ying…”

“She said she’s fallen in love with a snake spirit, they belong to the same system and are well-matched…”

“So, do I have no chance at all…”

As Huang Yan was speaking, he was about to wail again when Chu Li suddenly shot him a murderous glance. Huang Yan promptly closed his mouth.

Mu Yunjin scratched her face, feeling helpless at Huang Yan’s words. She patted his shoulder and said, “Better a short pain than a long one.”

Beast spirits and humans couldn’t be together anyway. Huang Yan’s single-minded devotion to Hua Ying would only lead to heartbreak sooner or later.

When Qingmeng entered carrying the medicine bowl, she saw Huang Yan with a dejected face and raised an eyebrow. “Well, what’s wrong with Young Master Huang?”

“Got dumped,” Huang Yan replied gloomily.

“Is that so? That’s nothing unusual. Why are you acting like it’s the end of the world today?” Qingmeng said while handing the medicine bowl to Mu Yunjin.

Chu Li held Mu Yunjin with one arm while using his other hand to take the spoon from the medicine bowl. He scooped up some medicine, gently blew on it, and brought it to Mu Yunjin’s lips.

Mu Yunjin took a sip of the medicine and immediately frowned deeply.

“Princess Consort, pregnancy-stabilizing medicine is always bitter, but good medicine tastes bitter. Bear with it, and don’t eat preserved fruits afterward, lest they disperse the medicinal effects,” Qingmeng reminded her.

Mu Yunjin nodded.

Huang Yan sat to the side, watching as Chu Li fed Mu Yunjin the medicine spoonful by spoonful, his thoughts gradually drifting away.

There was a time when His Highness was a cold-faced man who stayed away from women. Now, in less than a year, not only did he have a woman by his side, but he could show such care and affection…

Indeed, in this world, love is the most wonderful and also the most hurtful.

“Princess Consort…” When he saw Mu Yunjin taking the last sip of medicine, Huang Yan finally spoke up.

Mu Yunjin looked at Huang Yan.

“Since learning that Hua Ying is a beast spirit, I’ve looked through many ancient records. One ancient record mentioned a way for beast spirits to completely transform into humans,” Huang Yan said.

Mu Yunjin was startled, somewhat incredulous. “What method?”

“Changing time and space.” Huang Yan uttered four words.

“Huh?” Mu Yunjin thought her ears were playing tricks on her.

Changing time and space…

How does one do that?

Like her, by crossing over?

“Sigh, saying it is as good as not saying it. Changing time and space—who knows how to do that?” Huang Yan sighed, standing up and walking out.

Seeing that Huang Yan had left and Mu Yunjin had finished her medicine, Qingmeng didn’t want to disturb the couple further and followed him out.

In Crystal Spring Pavilion, only Chu Li and Mu Yunjin remained.

Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes, suddenly thinking about how, a thousand years ago, the subordinates in Phoenix Wing Hall each had immortal spirit bodies. She wondered what had happened in between to transform them from immortal spirits to beast spirits.

Lost in thought, she was suddenly lifted by the waist and carried into the room.

Inside the room, Mu Yunjin was lying on the bed. Chu Li bent down and captured her lips, which still carried a faint bitter taste of medicine.

Mu Yunjin’s starry eyes were filled with smiles as she looked at Chu Li, reaching up to embrace his neck.

These ten months would turn Chu Li into a hungry wolf…

After a long while, Chu Li released Mu Yunjin’s lips and, as usual, let out a sigh. “What a pity…”

“Prince Ning, do you want no regrets or do you want a daughter?” Mu Yunjin teased Chu Li with a smile.

“Both,” Chu Li answered.

Mu Yunjin blinked at Chu Li. “Prince Ning is so greedy.”

“No matter how greedy I am, I’m only greedy for you alone,” Chu Li said, holding Mu Yunjin, his handsome eyebrows slightly raised.

Mu Yunjin was delighted by these words, her eyes curving with pleasure.

“Silly girl.” Chu Li contentedly held her in his arms, his chin resting on her head.

The room was filled with warmth.

…

In the time that followed, things were remarkably peaceful for Chu Li and Mu Yunjin.

In the blink of an eye, two months flew by, from early spring in February to late spring in April.

Mu Yunjin was now more than six months pregnant, and her belly had gradually grown larger.

However, for Mu Yunjin, this period of tranquility felt both unreal and precious.

“Ouch, it kicked me again.” Mu Yunjin had changed into light and thin spring clothes and was sitting in a pavilion in the garden, basking in the sun, when her belly suddenly contracted.

Chu Li was beside her, peeling grapes. Hearing her voice, he set aside what he was doing and placed his hand on Mu Yunjin’s belly.

Sure enough, he could feel Mu Yunjin’s belly moving.

“I feel like it’s a boy. The kicks are so strong they make my bones ache,” Mu Yunjin frowned, looking at Chu Li.

“Perhaps it’s a girl, fierce like you,” Chu Li chuckled.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin frowned even more. “Are you complimenting me?”

“Of course,” Chu Li answered with a smile.

“Miss, lunch is ready,” Zixiang and several young maids set the meal on the table in the pavilion.

Mu Yunjin stood up from the rocking chair and, looking at the table full of food, felt a surge of hunger.

Lately, her appetite had been getting better and better, and she had become increasingly plump…

“Eat now,” Chu Li picked up a piece of fish, removed the bones, and placed it in Mu Yunjin’s bowl.

Mu Yunjin picked up her chopsticks and ate silently.

At this moment, Ding Xian approached and looked at Chu Li and Mu Yunjin. “Your Highness, His Majesty has announced to the world that in five days, the Empress’s coronation ceremony will be held.”

“Mm,” Chu Li nodded.

Hearing the words “Empress’s coronation ceremony,” Mu Yunjin felt deeply emotional.

She never expected that in just two short months, the Li family, originally of the seventh rank with a county magistrate, would undergo such earth-shattering changes.

First, Li Mingzhong was exceptionally promoted to Right Chancellor for his meritorious service in managing the northern drought, and moved into the Right Chancellor’s Mansion that Chu Ye had already ordered to be built.

Then, Li Mingzhong’s daughter, Li Yingxuan, was appointed by Chu Ye as the new Empress of the Western Yuan Kingdom.

Now, it seemed no one would dare look down on the Li family anymore…

At the same time, Chen Pu’s daughter, Chen Yuyan, had also been named as a first-rank Imperial Noble Consort.

…

“Why did you eat so little today?” Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin, who had only eaten one bowl of rice, and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

In the past few days, her appetite had increased to nearly three bowls…

Mu Yunjin pouted and shook her head. “I’m full…”

“Oh?” Chu Li raised his eyebrows. “Qingmeng said that if a pregnant woman starves herself, it will affect the baby’s growth, and might even affect intelligence and other aspects…”

“I’ll eat! I’ll eat! Quickly give me more rice!” Someone immediately became anxious!