Jiang Huaiyu angrily rebuked, "What exactly are your intentions?"

The two ignored this and then dragged Bai Yujing into another secret room as well.

"Let him go!" Jiang Huaiyu shouted anxiously and angrily.

Zhang San replied firmly, "Before the princess arrives, the three of you must be imprisoned separately!"

After saying that, he slammed the door shut and locked it tightly.

As night fell, the courtyard was shrouded in an eerie silence.

Deng Shen, severely injured and bound to a pillar, was already unconscious. Jiang Huaiyu and Bai Yujing sat in their respective rooms, the long, dark night undoubtedly a torturous one for them.

At dawn the next day.

As dawn broke, Bai Yujing's door was suddenly and quietly pushed open, and the person who entered was Zhang San. However, to Bai Yujing's surprise, his face showed a pale and exhausted look, as if he had experienced extreme fear.

Bai Yujing was filled with doubt. Just then, another person walked in from behind Zhang San.

It was an unfamiliar face, around forty years old, with fair skin and no beard, narrow eyes, and a seemingly gentle smile at the corner of his mouth. However, that smile did not give people a sense of warmth, but rather a strange chill, like a ghostly light in the frost.

He stepped into the room, and Zhang San immediately bowed deeply, silently closing the door behind him before leaving. His humble demeanor showed even more respect than when he was facing the esteemed Princess Ziyan.

The visitor spoke first, his voice slightly shrill and forceful, "The top scholar didn't seem to get a good night's sleep last night, did he?"

"Who is Your Excellency? Could it be that you were sent by Princess Ziyan?" Bai Yujing already had some guesses in his mind, but he was unwilling to believe it easily.

The visitor smiled gently, a smile that held an unfathomable meaning. "Your mind is exceptional, sir; you must have already guessed my identity. My purpose here is precisely to help you escape your current predicament. Do you wish to protect the child in your wife's womb while also saving the Bai family from disaster?"

“Of course!” Bai Yujing answered without hesitation.

"Then you just need to follow my instructions."

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn quietly passed, and the visitor turned to leave. Just as he was about to step out of the room, he turned back, his sharp gaze sweeping over Bai Yujing. "Do not divulge a single word of our conversation today, not even your wife. To break this oath is a capital offense."

Bai Yujing's heart tightened, and he immediately raised his hand in a salute, "I will definitely remember this!"

After the visitor left, he sat quietly in his chair, lost in thought for a long time, until a commotion came from the courtyard.

He knew that Princess Ziyan had arrived.

As expected, a moment later, the door was pushed open again, and Zhang San led him to the main hall.

Princess Ziyan said with a smile, "Oh dear, it's only been a day since I last saw you, and Madam Bai seems to have become even more haggard. This is very bad for the baby in her womb. Today, I have brought Doctor Liang with me. Sister Jiang, why don't you drink this medicine to help with the pregnancy? That way, we can all be happy."

She turned to look at Bai Yujing. "What do you think, Yujing?"

Surprisingly, Bai Yujing nodded, "Just as the princess said."

"Yujing?" Jiang Huaiyu exclaimed in surprise.

Princess Ziyan stared at him suspiciously, her eyes sharp. "You're not trying to fool me again, are you?"

“Everything is under the princess’s control. If I can fool the princess once, can I fool her a second or a third time?” Bai Yujing said firmly.

“That’s true, you had no choice!” Princess Ziyan waved her hand and ordered, “Bring it up!”

A bowl of dark, medicinal liquid was once again placed before Bai Yujing. He stood quietly for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Doctor Liang.

"Dr. Liang, is this really a pregnancy-preserving medicine?"

Dr. Liang calmly lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable.

Princess Ziyan's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Yujing, do you think I would deceive you?"

Bai Yujing seemed to have made up her mind. Holding the medicine bowl, she walked resolutely toward Jiang Huaiyu.

Upon witnessing the scene before her, a look of surprise flashed across Jiang Huaiyu's eyes, which then turned into deep terror. She kept retreating, like a small animal forced into a corner.

"Yujing, you promised yourself that you would never harm our child..." Her voice revealed endless fear and disbelief.

Bai Yujing gently coaxed, his voice full of soothing meaning, "Huaiyu, this is just a medicine to prevent miscarriage, drink it."

"No!" Jiang Huaiyu shook her head resolutely, denying the facts before her. "Yujing, do you really believe those absurd rumors?"

Bai Yujing held the medicine bowl firmly, gently blowing on the medicine in the spoon, trying to feed it to her, "Let me feed you."

However, Jiang Huaiyu suddenly pushed his hand away, and the medicine bowl fell to the ground with a thud, spilling the medicine all over the floor.

"You know perfectly well what's in this bowl, yet you still force me to drink it. Have you so easily forgotten your promise from yesterday?" Her voice rose, filled with disappointment and heartache.

The medicine spilled again.

Princess Ziyan's face darkened. She had thought this was just another joke by Bai Yujing and was about to lash out when she heard him calmly say, "The medicine has been poured. Please give me another bowl, Your Highness."

“No problem, I’ve already made all the preparations. I have plenty of medicine to help with pregnancy!” Princess Ziyan’s eyes gleamed as she looked at the couple with a hint of cunning.

Jiang Huaiyu was stunned. She stared intently at Bai Yujing, her eyes filled with doubt and disappointment. "Husband, the child in my womb is our child. How could you bear to do such a cruel thing to him?"

His promise from yesterday still echoed in her ears; he personally pledged to protect her and the child in her womb at all costs. Yet, overnight, without any explanation, he forced her to drink this inexplicable medicine.

“Huaiyu, we will have children in the future.” Bai Yujing’s voice became low.

"No! I will never give up my child!" Jiang Huaiyu's eyes were firm, and for the first time, she showed a guarded attitude in front of Bai Yujing.

Seeing her like this, Bai Yujing felt a pang of pain in his heart. His eyes were filled with reluctance. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but then stopped himself. Finally, he took a deep breath and said with difficulty, "But he is just an unborn fetus. Feng Yun and Hui Yi are such kind children. They both call you Auntie. You are their master. Do you really want to see them suffer?"

Jiang Huaiyu bit her lip tightly, her eyes flashing with struggle.

Feng Yun and Hui Yi are such lovely children. As their elder and their teacher, she doesn't want anything to happen to them.

She gripped Bai Yujing's sleeve tightly. "You once said there would be other solutions."

Unable to face the expectation in her eyes, Bai Yujing turned his head away and gently shook his head. "There are no other solutions."

Jiang Huaiyu's hand suddenly loosened, and she staggered back two steps. "So, this is your choice?" Her voice was filled with pain and despair.