The inner hall was heated with an underground heating system and a stove, but Wuchun still felt a chill emanating from her heart.

She held a small glass bottle, exquisitely painted with enamel and inlaid with glaze. Hearing the curtain on the door being lifted, she poured out the black and gray pills from the bottle and ate them all.

She hid the bottle in her sleeve, and a palace maid brought her a bowl of medicine to help with pregnancy. She took the jade porcelain bowl from the maid, smiled sweetly, and swallowed the pill she had been holding in her mouth with the soup. Because the pill had been in her mouth for a while, when she spat the last mouthful of soup into the bowl, the bowl was tainted with the smell of the pill.

"Each pill in this bottle contains a small amount of musk. Take one pill before drinking the pregnancy-preserving medicine. It will dissolve in the medicine and will not harm the child. Find an opportunity to take them all. Make sure the Emperor and I are both present, so that I can bring you and the child back to the manor!"

On the eve of entering the palace, under the red candlelight by the window, Fukang'an's expression was solemn, and every word he spoke was filled with pain.

"Wuchun, if we don't gamble, you and your child will be locked up in the palace for the rest of your lives!"

Wu Chun placed her hand on her pregnant belly. Although Fukang'an had not told her the reason for doing so, she had already noticed during her stay in Cining Palace that the Empress Dowager was not as kind to Fukang'an as she appeared.

The Empress Dowager was somewhat afraid of and wary of him.

In the main hall, the imperial physician came to check the Empress Dowager's pulse. He repeated the same instructions he had given countless times, left a prescription, and then knelt down and left.

Fukang'an remained standing outside the curtain.

The Emperor knew why Fukang'an was standing there; he knew that Fukang'an's wife, concubine, and son were all kept under the control of the Empress Dowager. Thinking this, the Emperor frowned and looked at Fukang'an outside the curtain, his eyes filled with heartache.

As if no one was outside the curtain, the Empress Dowager pulled a fine jade pendant from the mink collar that tightly protected her neck. She took it off, took Consort Rong's hand, and placed it in Consort Rong's hand.

She looked at Consort Rong with a kind and gentle expression and said, "This was bestowed upon me by the Moon Maiden of Emperor Kangxi. Although it is not a priceless treasure, it will ensure your continued favor and honor!"

Consort Rong accepted the jade pendant with both hands, glistening teardrops clinging to her long, curved eyelashes. For a moment, she forgot to express her gratitude.

Of the three highest-ranking consorts in the palace, only Consort Rong had no children. Although she was favored by the emperor, she ultimately had no one to rely on. Among the three consorts, she had the lowest status.

Yan Ning, seeing Consort Dun's raised eyebrows, guessed that the Empress Dowager's action was not about the jade pendant but about her words. The Empress Dowager meant to issue an imperial edict to the Emperor, promoting Consort Rong to the head of the imperial consorts.

The Emperor smiled and said to the Empress Dowager, "Miss Yue was once deeply favored by my grandfather. My mother is making sure that I don't neglect Consort Rong!"

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "It's good that you know!"

The Emperor then took the jade pendant from the astonished Consort Rong's hand and placed it around her neck. Consort Rong, realizing what was happening, tried to kneel down to express her gratitude, but the Emperor pulled her back.

As the jade pendant fell from the Emperor's hand, it landed in Yan Ning's eyes, and her pupils instantly narrowed.

The jade pendant was exactly the same as the one she was wearing around her neck.

Startled, Yan Ning stumbled back a few steps, knocking over enamelware on the table. The Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine both looked at her.

Just as the Emperor was about to speak, a palace maid rushed in from outside. Kneeling outside the curtain, she said in a panic, "Your Majesty, Consort An is bleeding! She's lost a lot of blood!"

The Emperor said urgently, "Order the imperial physicians to return immediately!"

The palace maid responded with a "Yes" and ran out.

Fukang'an, who was waiting outside, immediately knelt down and pleaded, "Please allow me to go!"

Before the Empress Dowager could speak, the Emperor immediately said, "Granted!"

The Empress Dowager's bedroom fell silent.

The emperor and his concubine each had their own thoughts, and Yan Ning was also pondering that the Empress Dowager was probably not immune to responsibility for this matter.

The Empress Dowager's wrinkled face made it impossible to discern her expression. Her brown eyes looked at Yan Ning with a puzzled expression.

"Son, go and take a look at the Empress Dowager!"

As the Emperor rose to his feet, he passed by Yan Ning and said, "You come too!"

The Emperor showed no signs of the slenderness of a seventy-year-old, striding outwards. Yan Ning had to hurry to keep up, but thankfully she was wearing flat, low-cut embroidered shoes, so she wasn't worried about falling.

When the Emperor and Yan Ning arrived at the side hall, the imperial physician was already taking Wu Chun's pulse. Through a curtain, Yan Ning couldn't see what was happening inside.

Before she could even curtsy to the Emperor and speak, he waved his hand, allowing her to enter.

Wu Chun collapsed into Fukang'an's arms, her face as white as the winter sun, radiating coldness.

After examining her pulse, the imperial physician administered silver acupuncture and took a jade porcelain bottle from his medicine box, handing it to Fukang'an.

"Please take it immediately, Aunt An!"

Fukang'an poured a pill from the jade porcelain bottle and brought it to Wuchun's lips. Upon seeing the dark gray pill, Wuchun's face showed fear. She looked up to meet Fukang'an's warm eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then swallowed the pill.

After a long while, the imperial physician removed the silver needles from Wuchun's arm, stood up, and curtsied to Fukang'an, saying, "General, there is no need to worry. The baby in Aunt An's womb is fine!"

Wu Chun collapsed into Fukang'an's arms, two lines of bitter tears streaming down her face.

She won her gamble in the end.

Fukang'an glanced at Yan Ning, who was standing to one side unsure of what to do, and nodded to her. Yan Ning immediately stepped forward and helped Wu Chun from Fukang'an's arms.

As Fukang'an's hand brushed against Yan Ning's waist, he exerted a slight force, and Yan Ning straightened her back. She turned her head and met Fukang'an's dark, calm eyes, and her worry about Wu Chun dissipated. But doubts arose again; it all seemed like he had arranged it all.

Fukang'an and the imperial physician went out together. Yan Ning could not see what was happening outside the curtain, but she could hear a terrifying conversation.

The Emperor's voice was deep and resonant, "What is the reason for Consort An's predicament?"

The imperial physician knelt beside Fukang'an, "Your Majesty, it's caused by musk!"

After hearing the imperial physician's report, Fukang'an immediately knelt beside him, his calm eyes fixed on the Emperor. The Emperor, however, could not meet those calm eyes.

"Where did the musk come from?"

After asking the question, the Emperor immediately regretted it. Wu Chun was in the Empress Dowager's palace, so the musk could only be from there.

"Musk must have been added to her soup every day in small amounts, which is why Aunt An's unborn child was able to survive. It's probably because of the long journey today that Aunt An started bleeding."

The meals in the palace were all delivered by the Imperial Kitchen, except for Wu Chun's daily pregnancy-stabilizing soup, which was prepared by the small kitchen in Cining Palace.

Both the Emperor and Fukang'an were aware of this.

Disregarding the proper order between ruler and subject, Fukang'an rose and went to the inner palace, taking the jade bowl that the palace maid hadn't had time to send away and handing it to the imperial physician. "Please, imperial physician, check if the musk powder is here!"

The imperial physician dipped his finger into the medicinal soup in the jade porcelain bowl and immediately bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, it's in the medicinal soup."

Fukang'an stood there, his body trembling slightly. He looked at the Emperor, his eyes devoid of any emotion.