Looking at the man before her whose brow had furrowed ever so slightly, Feng Jiu’er reached out and poked him between the eyebrows.

“What’s wrong? Can’t you even agree to such a simple condition?”

“If you can’t, then forget about marrying me!” Feng Jiu’er let out a cold snort and turned to leave.

Di Wu Ya casually reached out and restrained her before him.

“Why, because of you, can one not have children?” the man asked in a low voice.

Feng Jiu’er met the man’s gaze, which was filled with confusion, and her brow furrowed lightly.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, do you not know that some couples who are together cannot have children?”

“I did not know.” Di Wu Ya shook his head.

Feng Jiu’er scratched her head, not daring to doubt his words.

“Not being able to have children has many causes. In any case, even if I explained it to you now, you would not understand, and…”

“Speak. I will understand.” Di Wu Ya cut off Feng Jiu’er’s words.

Feng Jiu’er looked at him and suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

Seeing the little girl make no sound, Di Wu Ya said softly, “Yu Jingfeng only said that some men lack the… ability. I have it.”

Upon hearing Di Wu Ya’s words, Feng Jiu’er’s face flushed red with a whoosh.

She covered her lips and kept herself from laughing out loud.

Who said her Ninth Imperial Uncle was not adorable? Right now, he was very adorable indeed — it was just that others never had the chance to see it.

Feng Jiu’er lowered the hand covering her lips and asked softly, “How do you know that you have it?”

“I…” Di Wu Ya suddenly stood up, looking down at the woman in his arms from above. “I cannot explain it. The only way is to prove it.”

Feng Jiu’er grabbed his hand and pushed him back down into the chair.

“Sit down. Standing that tall to speak with me — don’t you think my neck would ache?”

Most importantly, she was genuinely afraid he might act on his words.

Di Wu Ya sat back in the chair, still holding Feng Jiu’er’s hand and refusing to let go.

Feng Jiu’er glanced at him and let out a light sigh. “In many cases, it is not about whether a man has that ability.”

“Then why?” Di Wu Ya asked with utter seriousness.

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and sat down before him.

Sometimes, she felt that talking with Ninth Imperial Uncle was rather exhausting — especially when he turned serious. He was very difficult to deal with.

Di Wu Ya took the opportunity to pull her into his arms and asked again, “Then why? Speak, I will understand everything.”

“I cannot explain it either. In any case, when two people are together, there is no guarantee of one hundred percent having an heir.”

“But I have also said — if it is my problem, then you may dismiss me and find another.”

“I will not.” Di Wu Ya lowered his head, bringing it close to the little girl’s. “No matter what, in this lifetime, there will only be you.”

When Feng Jiu’er turned her head, she nearly brushed her lips against the man’s. She leaned back, and only then did a sliver of space open between them.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, why do I feel you have been growing more and more flirtatious of late?”

“Do not forget — you are the Crown Prince, and very soon you will become the Emperor. The three thousand of the imperial harem reduced to just one person. I dare not even imagine it.”

“Unfortunately, now I am in too deep to back out. Otherwise, I would truly need to think carefully about whether to board this carriage.”

“Go ahead and board.” Di Wu Ya gave a faint smile, and the weariness on his face vanished entirely. “I will not disappoint you.”

The man’s warm breath fell against her face, and Feng Jiu’er suddenly came to her senses and stood up.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, it is getting late. Why not bathe and rest early?”

“Mm.” Di Wu Ya nodded, his gaze never leaving Feng Jiu’er’s face.

Feng Jiu’er paid him no more attention, turned around, and jogged away.

A man who was tall, grown, and handsome — truly a bringer of trouble. It was not until just now that Feng Jiu’er had recalled: this man was the Crown Prince, and one day he would be the Emperor.

How many women who had married an emperor had ever found happiness? Feng Jiu’er could not think of a single one at that moment — and indeed, it seemed there truly were none.

Could she still retreat now?

Feng Jiu’er came to the doors of the hall, pushed them open, and poked her head out.

“Yu-dada, prepare the bath — quickly!”

“Yes.” Yu Jingfeng dipped his head and turned, vanishing like the wind.

Watching the direction in which he had left, Feng Jiu’er only now remembered that she had just told him to hurry.

No wonder Yu-dada had given her such a strange look. He had surely misunderstood.

She glanced up at the sky outside, then turned and slowly made her way back.

Emperor, Empress — was she really going to become Empress? It seemed… she did not quite want to.

She did not want to be Empress, yet she wanted to marry him. What on earth was she thinking?

Watching the little girl drift back in an absent-minded daze, Di Wu Ya stood and stepped forward to meet her.

“What is the matter?” He stretched out his long arm and wrapped her inside his robe.

Feng Jiu’er raised her head and looked at the man before her. “Ninth Imperial Uncle, I suddenly do not want to be Empress. What should I do?”

“Why?” Di Wu Ya’s thick brows furrowed lightly as he asked.

Feng Jiu’er pouted her rosy lips and shook her head. “I do not know.”

She gently pushed the man away and stepped toward the inner chamber.

“In any case, I cannot think of a single Empress who was ever happy.”

“What does it matter to be the mother of the realm? What does it matter to have wealth and splendor? In the end, does one not still have to share one man with other women?”

Such an impossible task — your servant truly cannot do it!

Feng Jiu’er entered the inner chamber and began gathering clothes for Di Wu Ya.

Ninth Imperial Uncle needed to bathe, and with her here, it was impossible that she would not attend to him.

Besides, right now she was unwilling to let anyone else wait upon her man — not even another man.

Di Wu Ya followed Feng Jiu’er into the inner chamber and walked up behind her.

“You do not trust this Prince’s promise?” The one who was not trusted felt a small pang of hurt.

Feng Jiu’er gathered a set of clothes and turned to meet Di Wu Ya’s gaze.

In the end, she let out a soft sigh and walked toward the dressing screen.

“We are so happy today — let us not speak of these unhappy things.” In any case, even if she explained, he would not understand.

Was she to tell him that having studied history for so many years, she could scarcely recall a single emperor who had taken only one wife for his entire life?

When Feng Jiu’er was in school, history had been her weakest subject — or perhaps there had been such an emperor and she simply had not remembered.

Soon, the sound of knocking came from outside. Feng Jiu’er turned and walked a few steps toward the door.

“Come in.”

With her permission, Yu Jingfeng pushed open the door and led the household attendants inside.

The attendants at the front carried in a large bathing tub, while others went into the inner room and moved out the smaller tub that had been there before.

One by one, the attendants then brought in buckets of bathwater — it was quite a spectacle.

Yu Jingfeng appeared before Feng Jiu’er holding a basket of rose petals.

Feng Jiu’er looked at him, then looked at the basket of rose petals on his arm, and could not help covering her lips to stifle a light cough.

Yu Jingfeng gave Feng Jiu’er a small smile and looked up at Di Wu Ya standing behind her.

“Your Highness, the brothers have brought your bathing tub over from your chamber — you mentioned that the one here was not… quite to your liking?”

When Feng Jiu’er turned to look, she could clearly see the expression of genuine unknowing on Di Wu Ya’s face. Yet seeing how things had been arranged, he appeared rather satisfied with Yu Jingfeng’s doing.

Di Wu Ya glanced down at his little girl, then came over and wrapped an arm around her, guiding her toward the inner room.