Every few steps, a hidden door would appear in the secret passage.

Driven by curiosity, Xi Xizhi placed her hand on the handle of one of the hidden doors, looked up at An Honghan, and asked, "May I go in?"

"Mm." An Honghan nodded slightly.

With a click, Xi Xizhi opened the door.

After walking a few steps inside, a staircase soon appeared. Xi Xizhi looked at An Honghan.

An Honghan said, "Let's go take a look."

“Okay.” Xi Xizhi stepped onto the stairs.

At the end of the steps, a stone door appeared. Xi Xizhi found the mechanism and turned it. The next second, the stone door slowly slid inward, revealing the sunlight outside.

The place in front of her was also very familiar to Xi Xizhi; it was the Imperial Garden that she used to pass by often.

"This...this is..."

"You guessed right. The secret passages in the Imperial Study connect to various parts of the palace. Only each emperor knows about these passages, and the intricate network of passages underneath is like a maze. Without a clear map, it's easy to get lost inside."

"Then what is your answer?" Xi Xizhi asked.

"Come with me." An Honghan closed the stone gate of the Imperial Garden and led Xi Xizhi back into the secret passage.

This time, Xi Xizhi did not open any other doors.

After walking for more than ten minutes, An Honghan and Xi Xizhi bypassed many complicated passageways and finally stopped in front of a hidden door.

Xi Xizhi's mood became slightly tense. She wanted to know what An Honghan was hiding from her, something that even she, who was by his side day and night, didn't know.

As if to reveal the answer to Xi Xizhi, An Honghan pushed open the door without any hesitation.

Just when Xi Xizhi thought there were some royal secrets inside, what appeared before her was a secret room.

"What... what kind of answer is this?!" Xi Xizhi said angrily. The next second, she saw a shadow guard slowly walking out of the secret room.

"The Sixteenth Shadow Guard pays his respects to Your Majesty."

An Honghan walked up to him and said, "No need for formalities."

The shadow guard then stood up.

An Honghan didn't even glance at him, and walked to the only table in the secret room.

Shadow Guard Sixteen immediately picked up the booklet from the table and handed it to An Honghan.

"Your Majesty, this is my schedule for visiting the inner palace in the coming days."

An Honghan glanced at it indifferently, "Was contraceptive medicine left afterward?"

Without exception, his subordinates watched as the concubines took the medicine.

These few words left Xi Xizhi completely stunned.

I've seen people cheat on others, but I've never seen someone rush to be cheated on themselves!

What did she hear?!

An Honghan actually ordered his subordinates to favor the women in the harem.

Xi Xizhi leaned down and glanced at the booklet. It showed that Shadow Guard Sixteen would visit the inner palace every seven or eight days. The booklet clearly recorded the time, place, and every conversation he had with the concubines each time he went there.

No wonder An Honghan stayed in Panlong Palace every night, and the concubines in the harem never complained!

It turns out that An Honghan had already set up a smokescreen to confuse the concubines' judgment!

An Honghan did not stay there for long. After closing the book, he continued to lead Xi Xizhi forward. Only then did Xi Xizhi discover that there was also a stone door in the southeast corner of the secret room.

An Honghan placed his palm on the switch of the stone door, and with a gentle twist, the stone door opened.

Light shone in from outside.

Xi Xizhi looked around at the furnishings; it was clearly a palace as well.

The stone gate is located at the corner of the palace, and is covered with ivy and green vines. If no one looks closely, the seamless stone gate will be impossible to find.

"Do you still remember the palace map that I once made you memorize?"

"Um."

"Then can you tell where this place is?"

Xi Xizhi answered without hesitation: "Xiande Palace, which is closest to the inner palace."

"The Sixteen Shadow Guards have been stationed here year-round. To avoid criticism from the inner palace, they disguise themselves and visit the inner palace on my behalf every now and then."

Xi Xizhi was speechless with shock, because this matter was simply too unbelievable.

However, before Xi Xizhi could finish processing this, An Honghan continued, "Therefore, I have never had another woman, and your reason for disliking me is invalid."

Xi Xi was speechless for a moment. After a long pause, she hesitated, her face turning red.

"But...you...you..."

An Honghan waited quietly for her to continue, but seeing that she remained silent, he had no choice but to speak.

"What?"

Xi Xizhi's face turned bright red. She mustered her courage and blurted out, "But...but aren't you impotent?! Look! You said you've never been to the harem, doesn't that indirectly prove you're impotent?"

"Listen to me, I don't mean to hurt you, but I actually discovered you had that kind of problem a long time ago..."

"You...don't glare at me like that. I only discovered your secret by accident. Okay, okay, don't glare at me anymore. As long as you haven't been to the harem, I'll marry you...from now on, we'll be a celibate couple. Don't worry, I'll never look down on you..."

"I told you, stop glaring at me, what... what are you going to do..." Xi Xizhi looked at An Honghan, who was furious and getting closer and closer to her, in horror.

An Honghan's anger was almost uncontrollable. Suddenly, he remembered that night a long time ago when a certain ferret refused to share a bed with him. Right, back then, in order to coax the ferret into bed, he didn't explain much. So, in other words, this ferret still remembers it and still thinks he's incapable in that area?!

An Honghan had never been looked down upon like this before. He was so angry that he couldn't help but laugh. He wanted to teach that little mink a lesson, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. In the end, he grabbed the girl, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her fiercely.

While giving him a passionate kiss, he warned fiercely, "On our wedding day, I will personally tell you whether I am capable or not!"

"Mmm." Xi Xizhi's remaining words were all blocked between her lips.

Only after An Honghan had finished venting his anger, and Xi Xizhi's lips were red, did An Honghan slowly release her.

Xi Xizhi felt like she couldn't breathe on her own; if An Honghan hadn't supported her, she probably wouldn't have been able to stand up.

Thinking back to the look in An Honghan's eyes that seemed to want to tear her apart, Xi Xizhi felt like crying and thought that she would definitely die a terrible death on the day of the wedding.

Just as she was about to back out, An Honghan seemed to have guessed what she was going to say and coldly said, "From this moment on, your objection is invalid. No matter what you choose, the wedding ceremony will proceed as normal."

He raised a slight eyebrow, seemingly still bothered by what Xi Xizhi had said, "I will certainly prove it with my own actions."

Xi Xizhi: "..."

Waaaaah!

I feel terrible! I want to cry!

In the end, she dared not say a word and was led back to Panlong Palace by An Honghan.