Yu Honghua chuckled, "Husband, you're too cunning."

As I laughed, tears streamed down my face.

Her husband, a man of exceptional talent, would go to great lengths for her; how could she not be moved?

Qiao Qiu wiped away her tears. "Why are you crying? Although Father Emperor won't deny it, the inner palace isn't a good place. I want to raise you outside the palace. Do you agree?"

Yu Honghua threw herself into her arms, saying, "My husband has done so much because of me. If I still can't listen to my husband, I'm unworthy to be his wife."

Qiao Qiu patted her back and looked up at the beautiful place that resembled a fairyland. "Honghua, this is my residence outside the palace. It is usually a forbidden area in Jincheng. No one is allowed to enter unless I give the order. You can stay here in peace. I will come back to see you from time to time. If you want to go out, you can go out anytime. I will send two maids to serve you."

"Will you go shopping with me?" Yu Honghua asked, looking up.

Qiao Qiu smiled indulgently, "Of course I will. If it's not so convenient in Nanyang, it's so close in Jincheng, so I'll naturally make time to accompany you."

Yu Honghua's eyes lit up, and she smiled and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you to come shopping with me. I usually stay in this courtyard and don't go out. This courtyard is so beautiful, like a fairyland. With you by my side, I live such a free and easy life. I don't even have to take care of my parents-in-law. No one's life is as comfortable as mine."

"Whatever you want, just tell the servants to do it, and they will get it for you." Qiao Qiu put some distance between them and looked into the distance. "Hong Zhao, Xuan Yin."

Two girls, around fourteen or fifteen years old, leaped out and landed in front of the two men. One wore a pink dress and the other a purple dress, both with their hair styled in double buns, each adorned with a palace flower of the same color as their dress.

Both of them are very cute and look harmless.

"Hong Zhao".

"Xuanyin."

"Greetings, Master and Madam!"

"From today onwards, you two will follow Madam, serve her, and protect her. There must be no mishaps," Qiao Qiu instructed.

"Rest assured, my lady, from now on, we sisters will protect you with our lives and ensure that you do not suffer any harm," Hong Zhao said firmly.

Qiao Qiu said to Yu Honghua, "Honghua, you don't need to be polite to them. Just tell them what you need."

Yu Honghua had never been served by anyone before, and suddenly two people came to serve her. She was a little unaccustomed to it, especially at night... What if her secret was discovered?

"My husband..."

Qiao Qiu noticed her hesitation and said to her, "It's okay, even if they find out, they won't tell anyone."

"But..." Yu Honghua still had some reservations. She was afraid that she would scare them, that they would look at her strangely, and that she was not good enough for such a perfect husband.

Qiao Qiu pulled her into her arms and gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid. Spend more time with them and you'll find that they're different from others."

Hong Zhao and Xuan Yin exchanged a glance. Is the new lady shy? We must make a good impression and insist that she stay!

Yes, that's right!

Having reached a consensus, the two girls were full of fighting spirit.

"...Okay." To avoid worrying Qiao Qiu, Yu Honghua could only reluctantly agree. Hopefully, Yu Honghua wouldn't cause any trouble that night and would sleep peacefully.

"I'll be back tonight," Qiao Qiu reassured her.

Yu Honghua breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Then I'll wait for you to come back."

Qiao Qiu returned to the palace and went directly to the East Palace.

In the past two days, almost all the young ladies-in-waiting have fallen ill one after another, and the rumors circulating in the streets about the crown prince being a jinx to his wives have become increasingly rampant.

The emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation into the source of the rumors, and strictly forbade any discussion of the matter within the palace.

As for the young ladies-in-waiting, the imperial physicians were ordered to go and treat them.

However, the imperial physicians were all helpless, and none of them could find the root cause of the illness.

They suddenly developed a high fever and fell into a coma.

After several days, the fathers of the young women finally couldn't bear it any longer and knelt outside the Imperial Study, begging the Emperor to remove their daughters from the list of candidates.

At this moment, only the Emperor and the Crown Prince remained in the Imperial Study, staring at each other intently. One glared angrily, the other remained calm.

The emperor slammed the memorial in front of Qiao Qiu, his anger blazing, and said, "If you don't want to get married, fine, but what are you trying to do by creating this mess? Are you tired of being the crown prince and don't want to be one anymore?!"

Qiao Qiu, whose truth had been revealed, couldn't help but touch her nose, her expression becoming even more innocent.

“Father, how could this be something I caused? Don’t forget, after the selection of the ladies-in-waiting, I went to Nanyang.”

"Under the whole heaven, there is no one else who can do this so seamlessly," the emperor said angrily.

“Why not?” Qiao Qiu retorted.

"Who else do you think is in the picture?"

"Heavens above! They are far more powerful than yours."

"You, are you trying to anger me to death?" The emperor's face turned ashen. As a wise ruler, to make him believe in the existence of God was utter nonsense.

"If Father Emperor doesn't believe me, you can simply designate a candidate for Crown Princess right here, and I will stay here with you to wait for news." Qiao Qiu looked righteous and awe-inspiring, as if she were proving her innocence.

In fact, she was the one proving her own 'innocence'.

However, this 'innocence' was something the emperor did not want to see.

The emperor stared at her intently for a moment, then said, "No one knows a son better than his father. I have noticed any changes in you. If you have any ideas, you can tell me. If I think they are feasible, I will support your actions."

Upon hearing these candid words, Qiao Qiu did not reveal her true feelings, but simply said, "Your subject understands."

"No, my son, don't you understand?" The Emperor shook his head and said earnestly, "After me, only you can support our empire today. Since I ascended the throne, I have seen and met countless people, and I have never misjudged anyone. Wu Che, you have your own ideas, and your father knows that if I bind you to this position, you will try every means to escape. I have simply granted your wish, but wherever you are in the future, I hope you will prioritize the empire today!"

Qiao Qiu's eyes flickered slightly. She hadn't expected her father, the emperor, to be so perceptive, able to guess what she was doing, even though it was something she had been doing so discreetly.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

Seeing that she truly understood, the emperor nodded, then turned and walked behind the dragon throne, took out a golden whip, and walked to Qiao Qiu's side. "This is the Nine Dragon Golden Whip, which can be used to strike down tyrannical rulers and behead treacherous officials. When this whip is used, it is as if I am personally present."

This whip was bestowed by each emperor upon his most upright son, who had no military or political power, but possessed the highest supervisory authority.

It was precisely because of this whip that emperors throughout history kept their mission in mind.