Once they were no longer sheltered by the palace eaves, a fine, continuous rain fell on the two of them. Wu Shulai, the young eunuch who was holding an umbrella and following closely behind them, stopped by the carved phoenix pillar after being given a cold look by Fukang'an. He looked at Yan Ning with a fearful expression.

Fukang'an glanced at Yan Ning's protruding belly. If she caught a cold now, it might harm both the mother and the child. He frowned and reached out to take the umbrella from the eunuch's hand, but Yan Ning stopped him.

She harbored resentment towards Wu Shulai because he had just conspired with Yongyan to harm Fukang'an. However, he was, after all, the Emperor's confidant. Yan Ning shook her head slightly at him and smiled, "General Fucha would prefer to stroll with me in the rain!"

As she spoke, she pulled Fukang'an down the stone steps. Rather than walking in the rain, she wanted to use this rootless water to wash away the lingering resentment of Xiao Jiangzi and the eerie atmosphere she had picked up in the Empress Dowager's mausoleum, and to wash away the gloomy and musty feeling that had gathered on Fukang'an.

However, after the incident with Yongyan at the palace gate, Fukang'an's gloomy and unlucky aura turned into a cold and violent one.

The wooden bridge was wet and slightly slippery. Yan Ning was helped forward by Fu Kang'an. She looked at him, and his side was chilly in the rain and mist.

The raindrops slanted and fell heavily on Fukang'an and Yan Ning. What should have been a leisurely stroll in the rain turned into a slightly disheveled scene as the raindrops grew larger.

Yan Ning's palm wound had been wrapped with a piece of her robe that Fu Kang'an had torn off, and blood was seeping out, the clusters of red marks tightly connected. Fu Kang'an carefully protected her hand with the sleeve of his robe, afraid that the wound would get infected if it got wet in the rain. He held her tightly in his arms, even more afraid that she would catch a cold.

She turned around and saw Yongyan and Heshen standing side by side under the eaves of the palace's gilded glazed tiles. Yongyan's eyes met hers through the layers of rain and mist. It had only been half a year since they first met at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, and the fifteenth prince who was like a child in her heart had become the fifteenth prince who would do anything for power.

Yan Ning immediately turned her gaze away. He Shen, who was standing beside Yong Yan, lowered his head slightly, and she could not see the sadness in his crescent-shaped eyes.

Fukang'an's hand tightened on Yan Ning's hair. Yan Ning followed his touch and looked at his side. She felt a little happy at Fukang'an's slightly sour gesture. Walking together in the rain, supporting each other, made her more aware that she was Fucha Fukang'an's wife, and that she would likely have to go through many more storms like this in the future.

She took a breath, wiped the raindrops from her eyelashes with her uninjured hand, and pulled Fukang'an to see the faint silhouettes of the two figures emerging from under the wooden bridge.

But when she looked down, the two figures were nowhere to be seen. Only raindrops splashing on the water's surface resembled fireworks in the season, fleeting and then being splashed by new raindrops, creating new ripples.

Yan Ning felt a little disappointed and walked forward listlessly. Fu Kang'an didn't understand what she meant, so he could only hurry up to catch up with her and shield her with his body.

After crossing the wooden bridge, the servants of the Fucha family who had been waiting in the pavilion to take shelter from the rain saw Fukang'an and Yan Ning emerge and immediately stepped forward to hold up umbrellas for them. Seeing her servants, Yan Ning felt much more at ease.

The drizzle turned into a downpour, as if a hole had been hidden in the sky, letting water seep down. Yan Ning lifted the curtain of the carriage window; large raindrops, densely packed, wove a layer of smoky gray rain silk, obscuring the verdant buds of the trees. The gloom in her heart was stuck, unable to dissipate.

She couldn't help but sigh, "Fukang'an, I'm so scared, scared that I might lose my life or leave this place at any time!"

Sitting beside her, Fukang'an was puzzled as to why she was leaving. He pulled her into his arms and said, "I'm here for you!"

Yan Ning buried her face in Fukang'an's arms, unable to suppress the grievances and fear she had been holding back. All because of an imperial decree, the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Xiao Jiangzi was beaten to death, his body dragged to a mass grave.

She choked back tears and murmured, "This was originally a scheme set up by Heshen and the Fifteenth Prince, so why is it that Xiao Jiangzi is the one who ends up taking the blame? They wanted to harm you, and they wanted to force the Emperor to spare you. Is a living life so worthless in your eyes?"

Fukang'an's hand, which was gently resting on Yan Ning's hair, paused. He didn't know what she had gone through that made her aware of this seemingly foolish and self-destructive trap, which was as intricate as a silkworm's thread.

But Yongyan was nothing more than a pawn in Heshen's hands.

The Emperor is old, and even if he still wants to consolidate his imperial power, he cannot sever ties with his bloodline. Given the Emperor's "temperament" in his youth, overstepping his authority and forging imperial edicts are both capital offenses. Even if he is not beheaded, forging an imperial edict would be enough to send Yongyan to the Imperial Clan Court until he dies in despair, and overstepping imperial authority would be enough to demote Fukang'an to a commoner and spend the rest of his life in prison.

Heshen, who was always by the Emperor's side, was certainly aware of the Emperor's recent change in temperament. He had merely lured Yongyan into knowing what he most wanted to know: which was more important to the Emperor, his illegitimate son Fukang'an or himself.

Fukang'an didn't want Yan Ning to know these words; he only wanted her to live her whole life in the Fucha Mansion, enjoying the wealth and luxury he brought her.

But now, Heshen and Yongyan have clearly made her a pawn on their chessboard; if he doesn't let her understand the intricate schemes between them, he fears that she will fall into their trap again when he is not around.

After Fukang'an explained the whole story, Yan Ning stopped sobbing and exclaimed in surprise, "When did you find out they knew your identity?"

Fukang'an's lips curled into a faint smile. "I didn't know before, but I do today!"

Wu Shulai was the emperor's close attendant, and he must have known that the Fifteenth Prince was destined for greatness, which is why he pledged his loyalty to him. How could his true identity be concealed? It was nothing more than a display of sincerity in offering his allegiance.

Upon returning to his residence, Fukang'an first went to the Peony Hall to pay his respects. Yan Ning, whose clothes were wet, went directly back to the Jian Gong Zhai.

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