That evening, after taking a bath, she applied the white jade ointment that had just been sent by the Imperial Medical Academy in front of the bronze mirror.

Her sunburn today was intentional, so it wasn't serious at all; her cheeks were just slightly hot. As soon as the white jade ointment was applied to her face, she immediately felt a cool sensation, and the burning feeling disappeared.

Li Yunyan closed the lid and nodded in satisfaction. This is indeed a good product!

Thinking that Li Yunyan was waiting for the emperor, Li Mama gently reminded her, "Your Majesty, today is the first day of the month. His Majesty will be visiting the Empress, so he probably won't be coming over."

Li Yunyan wasn't waiting for the emperor, but she didn't want to argue either; it was normal for women in the harem to be devoted to the emperor.

She gave a soft "Mmm": "Granny Li, I'm tired. You and Xiangxia should go and rest!"

Xiangxia said, "Master, Xiangxia will sleep in the outer room. Please feel free to call me if you need anything!"

“I don’t like having someone guarding outside. You don’t need to keep watch for me at night. Just go back to your own rooms and rest.”

She'll be handling important matters in the future, so it wouldn't be convenient for someone to be guarding the outside room.

"But Master..."

Just as Granny Li was about to offer some advice, she saw Li Yunyan's expression harden. "In Chonghua Palace, I expect you to listen to me in everything!"

Li Yunyan was very kind to her servants, but she could also be quite stern when she was angry. Li Mama and Xiangxia immediately dared not try to persuade her anymore.

Seeing that the two women seemed frightened, Li Yunyan softened her tone: "I have had trouble sleeping since I was a child. If someone is in the outer room, I will not be able to rest well. Please remember, as long as I am in the room, you cannot disturb me."

It was their good fortune that their master was willing to explain to them. Li Mama and Xiangxia bowed and said, "We understand, we take our leave!"

Seeing that the two of them had left, Li Yunyan used her inner strength to sense the surroundings and found that there was no suspicious aura, so she lay down on the bed with peace of mind.

Thinking about his future plans, he gradually fell asleep.

*

As was customary, He Beiyi arrived at the Empress's Phoenix Palace, where the Empress, already dressed and ready, greeted him at the entrance.

He Beiyi led the Empress into the palace. He had always come to the inner palace for the sake of having offspring, and today was no exception.

The Empress didn't mention a word about what happened during the day and continued to be obedient to him, but his feelings for her were not the same as before.

He Beiyi used to think that every woman in the harem was the same; as long as she had the chance to conceive the emperor's child, he would favor her.

He wasn't particularly concerned about this matter, but he wasn't uninterested either, and he would complete the task step by step every day.

But today, he found it boring from the very beginning and felt some resistance.

Later, the image of Li Yunyan's delicate beauty kept appearing in my mind. Thinking of her, and also of my responsibilities...

The next day, the Empress looked radiant, and a smile graced her lips as she greeted the concubines who came to pay their respects. She subtly stroked her lower abdomen; surely this time, she would have good news?

Only when she saw Li Yunyan approaching gracefully did the Empress's eyes dim, and she gave a wink to Qi Mama beside her.

Qi Mama understood and looked at Ya Xing, who then arranged for the palace maids to serve tea to the concubines.

The Empress casually remarked, "These are all freshly harvested imperial teas. My sisters, please have a taste!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Yunyan picked up the teacup, took a light sniff, and immediately sensed something was wrong.

It has a very faint medicinal smell.

The system was screaming in his mind: [Host! This tea contains a drug that prevents you from having children; you must not consume it!]

A drug to prevent having children?

After scanning, the system continued: "Host, this medicine is extremely harmful to the body. Taking it once will damage your health. After three consecutive doses, you will become infertile for life, and your pulse will be undetectable!"

I see!

Looking at the concubines beside her, who were happily sipping tea, Li Yunyan suddenly realized.

Li Yunyan thought that the emperor had no children because he was infertile, but she never expected that it was because all of his concubines were infertile!

No matter how hard he works every day, that rotten vine will never bear a single fruit again!

She felt a little sorry for He Beiyi. Did he know that his empress was such a vicious person?

Li Yunyan gently blew on the still steaming tea, while the Empress's peripheral vision was fixed on her, her hands clenched tightly beneath her wide phoenix robe.

Drink it quickly!

Drink it quickly!

"System, can the antidote pills in the shop cure this poison?"

[System-made products are always top-notch; my family's antidote pills can cure all poisons!]

She's quite arrogant!

But she still didn't want to drink it!

Li Yunyan brought the teacup to her lips, and using her wide sleeves as cover, poured a third of the tea into the handkerchief hidden in her sleeves. Then she lowered her hand and smacked her lips as if by accident.

The Empress's expression immediately relaxed, and she stopped looking at Li Yunyan, occasionally responding to the concubines' conversation.

With the Empress no longer targeting her, Li Yunyan was happy to relax. She didn't like talking to people, so she picked up the delicate pastries on the table and began to savor them in small bites.

Her sense of smell and medical skills are both top-notch; she can tell whether something is poisonous just by smelling it, so we can eat with complete peace of mind.

The pastries at the Queen's Palace are indeed very good!

After the audience with the officials dispersed, Li Yunyan was stopped by Yuan Qing on her way back to Chonghua Palace and invited into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

He Beiyi sat in front of the large dragon desk and saw Li Yunyan walk in gracefully. The corners of his lips involuntarily curled up.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

"Rise."

He Beiyi put down his vermilion brush, stood up, and pulled her up. "Did the Empress make things difficult for you today?"

"No," Li Yunyan shook her head, her expression light. "Her Majesty the Empress allowed me to taste the newly arrived tribute tea today, and I also ate several pieces of pastry!"

"You think this little favor is enough to get rid of you?" He Beiyi gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand. "Are you still feeling unwell?"

"The white jade ointment Your Majesty bestowed is excellent; I am much better now!"

"That's good!" Recalling her earlier appearance, He Beiyi said, "If you like that tribute tea, I have some left here. I'll have someone send it over to you later!"

Li Yunyan gently shook her head, "The tea smelled wonderful, but perhaps I'm not used to such fine things. I only took one sip and felt uncomfortable, so I didn't drink any more."

"If you don't like it, then don't drink it. I have a few boxes of the finest Biluochun tea here, I'll give them all to you!"

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Li Yunyan had no intention of exposing the Empress's drugging at this moment, otherwise it would be troublesome to explain if she became pregnant later. She only needed to plant a small seed beforehand, so that when the truth came out, she would have an excuse to get pregnant smoothly.

He Beiyi was a diligent official. He drank two cups of tea with Li Yunyan, then got up to continue reviewing memorials. Li Yunyan then took her leave.

As he was leaving, He Beiyi pulled her close, lowered his head and gently sniffed her shoulder, whispering, "I'll come find you tonight. You wait for me."