Xia Qing's words made Xiao Du more and more worried. Although he had already made secret arrangements, he still hoped that the checks and balances between the Xia family, the emperor and himself would not be broken so quickly before everything was arranged. But if it was really as Xia Qing said, the Xia family would fall overnight, would the troops he had stationed in Ping County be enough to compete with Zhao Yan?

But while he was planning day and night for the way out of the mansion, he didn't know that another thing was happening quietly under his nose...

Early that morning, when Xiao Du had just walked out of the room, Li Ma stopped him, hesitantly, and then took Gu Xu to look inside the room. Xiao Du immediately understood what was going on, so he took Li Ma into the study, sent everyone out, and then sat down, lifting his robe and asking, "What exactly do you want to tell me? Is it about Madam?"

Nanny Li nodded with a heavy heart. She couldn't help crying as soon as she opened her mouth. She wiped her tears with her sleeves while telling the whole story. The more Xiao Du listened, the more pale his face became. His hands on the table couldn't help but tremble slightly...

At noon, Yuan Xi finished reading the medical book in her hand and began to insert acupuncture needles into the acupuncture points on her arm. The golden needles pierced into her fair skin, causing her brows to wrinkle slightly. Soon, she was sweating. After the acupuncture, she took out a porcelain box from the cabinet. The dark ointment, packed in the blue and white porcelain box, gave off a strong scent of agarwood. Yuan Xi stared at the box of ointment with a hesitant expression on her face. After a while, she sighed softly, picked up a spoon and scooped up a mouthful of ointment. Just as she was about to put it in her mouth, someone suddenly snatched the silver spoon away from behind her.

Yuan Xi was startled and turned around quickly, only to see Xiao Du standing behind her angrily, his eyes filled with confusion and pity.

Yuan Xi's eyes flashed with a trace of guilt, and he quickly lowered his head to hide his guilt, smiling and saying, "Why did you come back at this time today?"

Xiao Du glanced sharply at the gold needles and ointments on the table and said, "Tell me, what are these?"

Yuan Xi clasped her hands together, but tried to calm herself down and said, "I have been feeling a little unwell recently, so I tried to give myself an injection and take some medicine."

Seeing her getting more and more distressed, Xiao Du made a move to walk out and said, "Well, if you don't want to talk about it, I'll call Old Man Zuo over now and ask him to tell me the truth about what prescriptions he gave you!"

Yuan Xi was anxious, and quickly stood up and grabbed his sleeve. Then he reacted and asked, "You know everything? Who told you?"

Xiao Du turned his head and stared at her, his face full of pain. He trembled and said, "That's right. If no one had told me, I would not have known that I, as a husband, would have failed to such an extent. It took the nanny beside you to remind me that you went to study medicine because you wanted to cure yourself. In order to have a child, you even took the risk to try the folk remedy that Zuo Qiao found from who knows where!"

Yuan Xi bit her lip and said with a sad look, "The prescription that Doctor Zuo gave me was found in an ancient book. Although it is a bit risky, it may be effective." Before she finished speaking, her face suddenly changed color, and then she bent over in pain and held her lower abdomen, with beads of sweat the size of beans oozing from her head.

Xiao Du was startled and quickly supported her shaky body. Then he realized what was going on and asked angrily, "How long have you been like this?"

Yuan Xi clung to the warmth of his arm, barely holding back the familiar pain in her stomach, and shook her head again, "It's okay, the pain will go away after a while. Imperial Doctor Zuo told me a long time ago that these are possible reactions to the medicine, but they won't cause any harm to the body..."

Xiao Du's heart seemed to be stabbed. He quickly hugged Yuan Xi tightly in his arms, rubbing her belly with his warm palms, and said, "Why are you so stupid? Didn't I say I don't care?"

Yuan Xi felt the heat coming from her lower abdomen, and the cramping feeling was immediately dispelled. So she let out a long breath, buried her head in his neck again, and whispered, "I understand, but I still want to have our child. It's not for the sake of continuing the family line, nor for fighting with them. I just want to have a child who looks like me and you, who can hold my hand and call my mother. If possible, I would rather exchange everything for it."

Xiao Du felt cold tears flowing down his neck into his heart. He was grief-stricken and hugged her tighter, saying, "But I won't allow it! Xi'er, no one is more important than you. If you really want a child, we can try, but not in a way that will hurt you." He held her hand tightly and said bitterly, as if he had made up his mind, "If you continue to deceive yourself, I will go to the left doctor to ask for a medicine that can prevent you from having children. This will stop all thoughts and save you from suffering every day."

Yuan Xi shuddered, then tightened her arms even more, almost wanting to embed him into her flesh. She knew how difficult it was for the man in front of her to say such words. He had always been protecting her in the most decisive way, driving away all the haze for her without any retreat.

From that day on, Yuan Xi slowly let go of these obsessions, because she understood that someone regarded her as a treasure and would never want her to come to any harm. And since some flaws are irreparable, there is no need to let two people in love create rifts again.

But just when she thought that everything would pass smoothly, something happened that she had not expected. It was like a whirlpool suddenly appeared on the calm water surface, sucking them all in.

One day after the Dragon Boat Festival, Yuan Xi took An He to Jinbao Pavilion in the West Market to select newly arrived fabrics. The owner of Jinbao Pavilion took Yuan Xi alone into the inner room under the pretext of tailoring. Almost at the moment of stepping through the threshold, Yuan Xi discovered that the incense in the room was different, the aroma of camphor mixed with the smell of benzoin, which should have been a precious spice that only belonged to the palace.

Boss Zhou beside her noticed that her expression was strange, and he took a step back without making a sound, then bowed and said, "Your Excellency is waiting inside, and I am just following orders, please forgive me, Madam." Yuan Xi looked intently, and saw a bright yellow robe corner faintly visible in the inner room separated by a pearl curtain. Her heart suddenly sank, and she bowed to the inside and said, "Your Majesty."

Zhao Yan smiled softly behind the beaded curtain and said slowly, "It's been a long time since we last met. Cousin, you are still so considerate. Come in and talk."

Yuan Xi looked at Boss Zhou who hurriedly closed the door and left, and realized that he had no other way out for the time being, so he made up his mind, lifted the bead curtain and walked in.

Amid the wafting fragrance, Zhao Yan, in his casual attire, sat at the table, with Eunuch Fu standing behind him, bending over to pour tea for him. Yuan Xi hurriedly saluted him respectfully, and then secretly glanced at the two guards standing beside him, quickly thinking about Zhao Yan's purpose of meeting her this time.

Zhao Yan smiled and gestured for her to stand up. His face was always gentle and elegant. He said, "I have already told you that there is no need for such formalities between you and me. Sit down and talk first."

Afterwards, he signaled to Eunuch Fu to pour a cup of tea for Yuan Xi as well. Yuan Xi sat down cautiously, holding the cup tightly with both hands. The face opposite her seemed a little blurry in the rising white mist. She became even more uneasy, and she really couldn't guess what Zhao Yan was trying to do.

At this time, Zhao Yan put down his cup and said in a very casual tone: "Time flies. It has been nearly half a year since my cousin entered the palace. It has been almost two years since you and Chongjiang got married. Why haven't you given me a nephew or niece?"

Yuan Xi felt as if her heart was being pulled up, and her hands holding the cup began to tremble uncontrollably, but she quickly gritted her teeth to hold back the pain surging in her heart, not wanting to let this man see her vulnerability at this moment, so she just maintained a cold tone and said, "This is a private matter between me and my husband, so please don't bother with it, Your Majesty."

Zhao Yan looked at her with a sidelong glance, as if he was surprised that she could still maintain her composure at this moment, and then he said with interest: "Really? That's a pity. Chongjiang is only one year younger than me, and my eldest son is almost five years old, but Chongjiang still has no children. It's really a pity."

Yuan Xi finally couldn't bear it anymore. Her face became colder and colder. She put the cup on the table and said, "Your Majesty, why do you ask when you already know the answer? Why doesn't Chongjiang have children? Isn't it because you arranged it..." Her voice trembled a little, and the rest of the words were choked in her throat.

Zhao Yan sighed and said, "Actually, I don't want to do this either. Seeing you like this, I feel bad." Then he turned his head and stared at her with a mysterious smile, and said, "If I say I have found a prescription that can cure my cousin's illness and let you have many children, are you interested?"

Yuan Xi turned to look at him in disbelief, but soon realized that he had been stepping on her pain points, waiting for this moment. Even if there really was such a recipe, he would definitely not give it to her easily. So she tried her best not to let her face show sadness or joy, and just said lightly: "Really? Thank you, Your Majesty, can you lend me the recipe?"

Zhao Yan smiled and spread his hands back, and Eunuch Fu respectfully handed over a piece of paper. He waved the paper in front of Yuan Xi and said, "This is the secret recipe I went through so much trouble to get from Miaojiang. It will definitely cure my cousin's illness. But..." He suddenly smiled slyly and asked, "I wonder what my cousin is willing to exchange for it?"

Seeing that he finally made his intention clear, Yuan Xi calmed down. She still maintained her usual indifferent tone and asked with lowered eyes, "What does Your Majesty want?"

Zhao Yan couldn't help but feel a little disappointed because he didn't find the emotion of longing in her eyes, so he twisted the piece of paper and continued: "This request is very simple to say. I just want the weapon hanging in your husband's room that was given by the late emperor. Silver bow."

Yuan Xi was slightly startled. She had thought of many possibilities at that moment, but she never thought that he had spent so much effort to get the silver bow. Could there be some mystery hidden in the bow? At this time, Zhao Yan leaned forward slightly and said in a seductive tone: "As long as you steal the bow for me secretly, I can guarantee that I will never use such a thing to hurt you. Cousin, you must think clearly. After all, temporary favor is not as reliable as your own blood. Chongjiang may not care now, but over time, this matter will inevitably become a thorn in his heart. Women's youth is fleeting. If you don't have a child to hold his heart, I'm afraid your position as the legal wife will be in jeopardy."

Yuan Xi fiddled with the lid of the cup beside her, and suddenly wanted to sneer. She slowly stood up and bowed to Zhao Yan, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. However, I will never do anything without telling my husband, nor will I make deals with anyone behind his back." She raised her eyes and smiled slightly, saying, "If Your Majesty has no other instructions, I will leave first. I am afraid that the maid I brought with me is waiting anxiously outside."

Zhao Yan's expression changed immediately. He couldn't help but frown and stood up and said, "You really don't want this recipe?"

Yuan Xi turned around, her face shining with a soft yet firm light as she said, "My husband and I have never needed to rely on any blood ties to maintain our relationship. All we have is love and trust for each other. I'm afraid Your Majesty will never understand this." After saying that, she straightened her back, lifted the pearl curtain, and walked out.

Zhao Yan sat upright, clutching the paper, with a very unpleasant expression on his face. Eunuch Fu quickly fanned him and said, "Your Majesty, don't be angry. This wife of the Marquis Xuanyuan is really ignorant of good and evil. Your Majesty's kindness has been wasted."

Zhao Yan let out a long breath and said, "I knew from the beginning that she would not agree, but I didn't expect that she would refuse so straightforwardly."

"This..." Eunuch Fu was stunned and swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth: Why come and make trouble when you know that he won't agree?

Zhao Yan put the piece of paper in his hand into the candle flame, watching the jumping flames instantly engulf the pale yellow paper, and said slowly: "At least now, Xiao Du has understood that there is a secret hidden in the bow. When he discovers this secret, he will naturally come to me." He put on another smile and said lazily: "I just don't like the way they love each other deeply and the way they follow each other, so I can't help but want to provoke them."