For the past few days, Chu Changning has been confined to the imperial palace and has not even been able to see Ayu.

Yan Beimo was busy during the day, but he would come back at night, like a tireless wild beast, tormenting her relentlessly.

She's almost run out of contraceptives in her purse.

The crescent moon hung low in the sky, and a few scattered stars fell on the glazed tiles of the palace.

Inside the palace, the dragon-headed beasts on all four sides of the imperial pool spewed steaming water from their mouths, and the surface of the water was covered with flower petals. Two intertwined figures were faintly visible in the hazy mist.

Chu Changning was pinned down in the bathtub by him, his fair skin covered with the blushing marks he had left behind, and the water in the tub swayed and rippled.

Suddenly, a metallic taste rose in her throat, and she abruptly knocked over the golden tray beside the pool, spilling fruit and wine all over the floor.

Yan Beimo reacted quickly, immediately catching the person who had fainted backward and holding him tightly in his arms.

"Chu Changning--"

He gently patted her face, but there was no reaction. His expression darkened, and he immediately pulled her out of the water and called out.

"Summon the imperial physician."

In the middle of the night, people from the Imperial Medical Academy hurriedly arrived at the inner palace with their medicine kits.

Upon entering the bedchamber, one could see His Majesty, draped in a black and gold dragon robe, sitting imposingly on the edge of the couch. Within the bed curtains, the silhouette of a woman could be faintly seen rising from beneath the quilt.

The imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital were all very astute; they immediately realized who the woman inside was.

These days, the news has spread throughout the palace and caused quite a stir in the court. People from noble families have heard that His Majesty's first wife from his time as a prince was not dead and had returned to the palace. In the Imperial Study, the Yan clan members are making a fuss about deposing the empress.

Your Majesty, I pay my respects!

"Alright," Yan Beimo interrupted with a grim expression. "She suddenly fainted. Let's see what happened."

The imperial physicians rushed forward to examine and treat the patient.

The hall was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The Imperial Medical Academy had previously examined Chu Changning and knew that she had Jiu Yuye's poison in her body. However, the antidote had already been prepared, so why was the poison in her body not neutralized? It seemed that other poisons were mixed in.

Yan Beimo's face was cold and stern. His gaze towards the imperial physician changed several times before he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What, can't you find anything?"

The imperial physician was startled and hurriedly said respectfully, "It seems that the lady has a cold poison in her body. The catalyst for this poison is a cold nectar that grows in extremely yin places. It coexists with the cold fire in Jiu Yuye's body, which is why the lady fell into a coma."

"Antidote?"

The imperial physicians exchanged glances and knelt down.

"I can prescribe a formula to suppress the poison in your body, but to detoxify, we need the Fiery Lotus and the Ice Bloom."

"Medical books record that the stamen of the Fiery Lotus can be used as medicine to detoxify all poisons. However, few people know that the lotus seeds in the Fiery Lotus can counteract cold poisons, while the Ice Lotus can balance the two poisons."

Yan Beimo lowered his eyelids, his fingertips stroking the jade thumb ring, and spoke softly.

When will you wake up?

“The initial symptoms may not be very obvious, but if it gets serious, the lady may remain in a coma.”

Yan Beimo glanced at the person inside the curtain and spoke.

"Go down and brew the medicine."

"yes."

After the imperial physicians left, Yan Beimo walked to the window, and the night hawk outside came running at the sound.

"His Majesty."

"Order the Dragon Army to find the Fiery Lotus and the Ice Lotus as soon as possible."

Night Hawk paused slightly before speaking, "Our people went to that snow mountain before and found the Thousand-Year Cold Pool. The bottom of the pool is unfathomably deep, and there is no trace of the Fiery Lotus at all."

"Even if you have to flatten that icy pool, you must find the Fiery Lotus for me. Do you understand?"

The sudden chilling aura made the night hawk shudder, and it quickly responded.

"Send a message to Xuan Yao by carrier pigeon, telling him to return to Jiankang immediately."

"yes."

As dawn broke, Chu Changning awoke from her deep sleep. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the man leaning against the small couch with his eyes closed and his chin propped up on his hand. Beneath his long, thick eyebrows, his eyelids were full.

She paused for a moment, then remembered what happened last night. She quickly threw off the covers, looked down at her body, and her face went numb.

He changed her into a light and airy gauze dress, as thin as a cicada's wing, with an extremely elegant and flirtatious style that barely covered her vital parts.

Chu Changning rolled her eyes and, taking advantage of his sleep, immediately got off the bed to change her clothes.

But as soon as her feet touched the ground, a gaze from the side stared straight at her.

She froze, then immediately grabbed a robe and wrapped it around herself.

The bedchamber was as bright as day, with white jade paving the floor. Despite the emperor's favor, she felt no coldness even with her bare feet on the floor, but his gaze sent chills down her spine.

"Come in."

The palace door was pushed open, and a palace maid bowed as she brought in the medicine. After setting it down, she respectfully withdrew.

Chu Changning walked over, picked up the glass, and drank it all in one gulp; the bitterness made her feel terrible.

After rinsing her mouth, she poured herself a cup of hot tea and drank it. The delicate aroma of the tea filled her mouth, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Helian Ye poisoned you."

Suddenly, his slightly mocking voice came from behind.

Chu Changning paused, and judging from his tone, he didn't want to talk to him.

She glanced at the gold chain on her ankle and went to serve the meal outside.

People were already waiting outside. Hearing the commotion, the palace maids filed in carrying golden platters. Because she disliked being served, they put them down and left.

Chu Changning sat down at the table and ate his meal slowly and deliberately.

Yan Beimo glanced at her and chuckled, "On New Year's Eve, you ran away with your lover, only to be poisoned. Chu Changning, don't you find that laughable?"

"Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, spends your days and nights indulging in the pleasures of a single woman. Aren't you ridiculous?"

She glanced over casually, and her words made his expression turn cold.

Their eyes met, and beneath his calm face lay a torrent of emotions.

Chu Changning withdrew his gaze and slowly sipped the soup in the golden bowl with a spoon, speaking softly.

"His Majesty said he would kill me when he got tired of me, so why are you doing everything you can to keep me alive?"

A moment of silence fell over the air.

He looked at her quietly, his voice without any change in tone.

"You are my wife."

Chu Changning paused, holding the spoon, and looked up.

“When I first married into the Yan family, I was also your wife, but you were so heartless as to want my life.”

Her marriage to Yan Beimo was a political alliance based on self-interest, lacking any emotional foundation. He was a scion of a powerful family who wanted to become emperor, while she was a princess of a fallen kingdom who used military power to enter into a marriage. Killing her to eliminate future troubles was only natural, and she didn't care.

If it were her, she would have done the same.

But he insisted on forcing her, tormenting her and leaving her covered in wounds.

And now they still have this crazy, obsessive attitude, imprisoning her.

Not content with breaking her wings, he also imprisoned her in a cage, forcing her to submit to his pleasure and humiliation every day.

"Yan Beimo, are you really just after this body?"

She stared straight at him, her clear and beautiful eyes as bright as the water at the bottom of the sea.

Yan Beimo looked at her, silently, without saying a word.

Chu Changning swung the gold chain around her ankle and casually walked towards him, wrapped in her black and gold dragon robe.

She stopped barefoot by the couch, leaned down, met his gaze, her captivating eyes sparkling with laughter, and her voice tender and affectionate.

"Husband—have you fallen in love?"