After the Liaodong King's Wife paid respects to the Empress Dowager, that evening the palace held a welcoming banquet for the Liaodong King's family.

The Liaodong King was a member of the imperial clan and a descendant of the Founder Emperor. To show their importance, not only did Yuwen Lan lead a group of concubines to attend, but even the Empress Dowager made a rare appearance.

It could be said this was a family gathering for the Yuwen Clan.

In fact, ever since the new emperor ascended the throne, the Liaodong King's family would come to the capital at the end of each year to pay their respects.

Therefore, there would be a welcoming banquet at the end of every year.

But Yanshu had only recently been promoted in rank, so this was her first time attending.

To be honest, she didn't really want to come.

— After all, not only were there guests at today's banquet, but she now also bore the responsibility of being a target, with who knows how many eyes watching her.

Even if she wanted to focus solely on eating, she wouldn't be able to enjoy it!

If one couldn't fully enjoy the food, what was the point of this banquet?

However, times had changed, and even if she wanted to make up an excuse to be absent, she couldn't.

So despite her reluctance, she obediently came.

But come to think of it, having just heard gossip about the Liaodong King yesterday, it would be good to see the main characters today.

At this moment, the hall was brilliantly lit, and both hosts and guests had taken their seats.

Yanshu quietly looked around and saw that today, aside from Consort Ning who was still confined and Consort Li in the Cold Palace, everyone from the harem had come.

This included Consort Zhou, who had recently been demoted, and Consort Wang, who was responsible for announcing the time.

Of course, Consort Zhou's demeanor was already different from before, and Consort Wang was huddled in a corner, seemingly not wanting the emperor to notice her.

Today, Yanshu was seated at the same table as Consort Xu.

She was also someone who didn't like to talk much and hadn't participated in any of the harem factions, so her presence was somewhat low-key.

The emperor and Empress Dowager sat at the head, followed by the various consorts, and below the consorts were the Liaodong King's family.

Yanshu secretly observed the Liaodong King, Yuwen Hao. She saw that he looked a few years older than the emperor. As cousins, the two had somewhat similar facial features.

However, the Liaodong King was more robust in build, perhaps due to the nourishing environment of Liaodong. His face also looked more good-natured, bearing some resemblance to his wife.

As soon as the banquet began, Yuwen Lan raised his cup and said, "Cousin, you must be tired from your long journey."

Yuwen Hao hurriedly stood up with his wife and children and replied, "Your Majesty is too kind. It is an honor for my family to return to the capital each year to pay respects to Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager."

He then instructed his three sons, "No matter when, even if I'm not around anymore, you must always remember that you are of the Yuwen bloodline. During festivals and New Year, you must pay respects and offer greetings to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager without fail."

As soon as he finished speaking, his eldest and second sons immediately responded in unison.

Only the youngest son, Jing, was a bit slow, responding with a "Yes" after his two brothers had finished.

For a moment, his little voice echoed in the hall, sounding very adorable.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said to Yuwen Lan, "When Your Majesty first came to me, you weren't even as big as Jing."

The Liaodong King said, "This child is young and doesn't know better. We've embarrassed ourselves in front of the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty."

But the Empress Dowager said, "Children are naturally like this. Your Majesty used to cry often when you were young. Now you can't tell at all what you were like back then."

At these words, everyone in the hall laughed.

Yuwen Lan also smiled and said, "Thanks to Mother's careful nurturing, I was able to grow up safely. Mother, you've worked hard."

The Empress Dowager said, "Being able to be mother and son with Your Majesty is also my good fortune."

But then she sighed and said, "Having children brings life. Your Majesty, look at how good their family is? If there were a few children in the palace, the atmosphere would surely be even better."

As soon as she finished speaking, all the consorts quietly paused.

The Liaodong King, however, laughed heartily and said, "If the Empress Dowager doesn't mind, we could have these three come to the palace often to pay their respects to you in the coming days."

The Empress Dowager nodded and smiled, "That would be wonderful."

Yuwen Lan finally spoke up, "It's my fault for making Mother worry. I will try harder in the future."

As he said this, he actually glanced at Yanshu.

Yanshu thought, "???"

Why was he looking at her?

This wasn't her problem either!

Oh...

She suddenly understood a little. Was the emperor trying to shift blame?

— Later, when no children were born for a long time, he would blame it on her, saying she couldn't bear children?

Tsk, truly sinister!

Yuwen Lan thought, "???"

This girl!

That wasn't what he meant at all!

He really wanted to teach her a lesson right then and there!

However, they were in the great hall at the moment, with so many eyes watching, so he could only endure again and again, not letting his expression show any abnormality.

But the Liaodong King and his wife caught this moment.

The couple exchanged a glance, both pondering in their hearts —

The rumors that only Yanshu was favored in the palace seemed indeed to be true.

After drinking the opening toast, palace servants began to bring out the dishes.

Yanshu had originally planned to just go through the motions like everyone else, not eating much.

However, with those delicious dishes right in front of her eyes, various sweet, fragrant, sour, and spicy aromas tempting her, she struggled briefly before finally giving up and starting to eat in earnest.

Mmm, the crispy pork tenderloin was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside;

The yellow croaker with tofu was soft and fragrant; the sweet and sour pork was tangy and delicious.

The most wonderful was the snow chicken dish. When first served, it looked like white clouds, and you could hardly tell what ingredients it was made from. Upon tasting it, it felt soft and smooth. After savoring it a bit more, she could taste the unique flavor of chicken, only then realizing it was actually made from chicken.

Indeed, eating chicken without seeing chicken – how marvelous!

And just as the snow chicken dish was finished, the Peking duck came out.

Those thin slices of duck with skin, permeated with the aroma of fruit wood, were wrapped in paper-thin pancakes. One must not forget to add scallions, sweet bean sauce, and cucumber strips. After carefully wrapping it up and putting it in your mouth, chewing slowly, the unique richness of duck meat spread layer by layer between your lips and teeth, making one utterly satisfied.

She declared that Peking duck was the best way to eat duck!!!

Yanshu was immersed in the deliciousness of the Peking duck, and it wasn't until she had eaten three duck wraps in a row that she belatedly noticed a little fellow curiously watching her from not far away.

It was none other than the Liaodong King's youngest son, Jing.

Tsk, look at this little one, staring at her mouth moving without even blinking.

Yanshu thought, "..."

Why was he looking at her? The Peking duck on the table smells so good, little baby!

She suddenly felt sympathetic, so she asked, "Does Jing want to eat too?"

The little one shyly nodded.

His little face was quite adorable, and Yanshu's heart suddenly overflowed with love. She wrapped a duck pancake and reached out to hand it to him.

The little one also reached out to take it and put it in his mouth to eat.

Seeing this, the Liaodong King's Wife quickly scolded, "This child, don't you have some in front of you? Why are you asking Yanshu for food?"

Yanshu hurriedly said, "It's no trouble, I just did it without thinking. Please don't blame him, Your Highness."

Hey, they say kind people attract children's favor. This proves she's very kind, surely just like an angel.

Yuwen Lan, who had been quietly observing her from the head table, thought, "..."

— You're overthinking it. That child just saw you eating so deliciously and got hungry.

Just then, someone said, "Does Yanshu perhaps have some special secret? How is it that even such a young boy likes you?"

The speaker was none other than Consort Zhou, who had recently been demoted.

Tsk, it's impressive that even though she's no longer a Noble Consort, her tone is still so sarcastic.

Yanshu pretended not to understand and said, "Noble Consort is joking. I'm just closer to Jing, so he wanted to play with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Xu at the same table suddenly also wrapped a duck pancake and handed it to Jing, saying, "Little prince, try mine too and see if it's good?"

Jing immediately took it.

Everyone was somewhat surprised —

What was Consort Xu's intention? Was she actively helping Yanshu out of the situation?

Consort Zhou laughed again and said, "Is Consort Xu learning from Yanshu? Forgive me for saying, but you're different from Yanshu. I'm afraid you can't learn it."

Consort Xu said, "I just think Jing is cute, that's all."

As soon as she finished speaking, they heard the emperor address Consort Zhou, "Has your alcohol tolerance become so much worse than before? You're drunk after just one cup?"

Yuwen Lan's eyes held no trace of a smile, looking rather frightening.

Consort Zhou then paused and lowered her head, saying, "Yes, I spoke out of turn."

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward, until the Empress Dowager spoke up to ease the tension, "Such an adorable child, who wouldn't like him?"

As she spoke, she also personally wrapped a duck pancake and called the little one over, "Come to Great-grandmother."

The little one obediently ran over, his little face stuffed like a bun, causing everyone to laugh.

The atmosphere finally eased a bit, and the banquet continued.

While savoring the delicacies, Yanshu inwardly clicked her tongue. Despite such a big setback, Consort Zhou still hadn't grown any wiser.

What was the point of making sour remarks to hurt others in such an occasion?

Moreover, how was Consort Xu trying to imitate her?

She was clearly just greeting Yuwen Hao.

Indeed, according to the gossip she had heard yesterday, this seemingly good-natured King of Liaodong, Yuwen Hao, had actually planted spies in the palace as early as when the emperor ascended the throne.

And this spy was none other than Consort Xu.

Not far away, the emperor, who was chatting and laughing with Yuwen Hao, felt a subtle pause in his heart.

That Consort Xu is Yuwen Hao's spy?

He had long known that Yuwen Hao was not as obedient as he appeared on the surface.

He had also anticipated that spies had been planted in the palace.

He just hadn't figured out who it was yet.

Until now, when he heard Yanshu's inner thoughts.

Just then, he heard Yanshu think, [Hmm? Wasn't she trained in martial arts? How are her hands still so delicate? What kind of hand care does she use?]

This, Yuwen Lan wasn't surprised about.

Any spy would necessarily have superior martial arts skills.

However, the fact that the other party had arranged for her to enter the harem suggested that she might be more than just a simple spy.

He calmly took a sip of wine.

Suddenly, Yuwen Hao said, "Your subject has brought some gifts for Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and all the consorts on this visit to the capital. It's a small token of my respect."

With that, he ordered his personal servants to bring the gifts into the hall.

The gift for Yuwen Lan was a large sable fur cloak, made entirely of dark gray sable fur, looking extremely valuable.

For the Empress Dowager, it was a ginseng from Changbai Mountain, which probably cost tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Yanshu and the other consorts also received sable fur scarves.

Of course, Consort Zhou's was of better quality to demonstrate her noble status.

Everyone expressed their gratitude to the King of Liaodong.

Yuwen Lan also nonchalantly invited Yuwen Hao to raise a glass again, "I must thank my cousin for his thoughtfulness."

Yuwen Hao smiled good-naturedly, "Your Majesty is too kind. These are just specialties from Liaodong. I'm glad if you don't mind them."

As he spoke, his eyes glanced over to Consort Xu's position, and he inwardly sneered, [Useless thing.]

Before they knew it, the banquet was coming to an end.

The Empress Dowager left first, and the King of Liaodong's family also bid farewell and left the palace.

Yuwen Lan returned to Qianming Palace and immediately dispatched his men.

From Yuwen Hao's inner thoughts earlier, he had already deduced that Yuwen Hao must have made more preparations for this visit to the capital.

Just as this group of men left, the Imperial Guard came to report.

"Your Majesty, we have confirmed that Zhang Shengkang, the Chief of the Imperial Hospital, indeed once studied medicine under a physician named Xun Ji, who used to run a clinic in the northern alley of the capital. It's said his medical skills were quite exceptional, and those seeking treatment were endless."

Yuwen Lan's heart steadied.

Yes, Xun Ji.

That was the name.

"Where is he now?" he asked.

The Imperial Guard lowered his head, "He passed away many years ago."

Having already known this from Yanshu, Yuwen Lan wasn't too disappointed. He simply asked, "Did Xun Ji have any other disciples besides Zhang Shengkang?"

The Imperial Guard replied, "No, but it's said he had a son who disappeared after his death. We haven't been able to find any information about him yet."

Yuwen Lan said, "Keep searching, increase the manpower, and find him as soon as possible."

The Imperial Guard complied.

—Usually, medical skills are passed down within the family, so Xun Ji's son should have learned his medical skills.

After tonight's events, he felt an even more urgent need to cure himself.

The Empress Dowager's reaction to that child tonight was far from normal.

Although there was nothing unusual in the Empress Dowager's thoughts, having been mother and son for so many years, he knew that the Empress Dowager wasn't particularly fond of children.

Even when Duke Cheng'en had brought his grandson to pay respects to the Empress Dowager in the past, she had never been so enthusiastic.

Let alone Yuwen Hao's children, who had no blood relation to her at all.

After bathing and changing clothes in Qianming Palace, Yuwen Lan still came to Ganlu Palace.

It was late, and Yanshu had also just finished washing up, so the two went to bed.

Yuwen Lan wasn't sleepy for a moment, and unconsciously placed his hand on Yanshu's lower abdomen, asking, "If we have our own children in the future, would you want a son or a daughter?"

—Although she often angered him to the point of losing his reason, judging from her reaction to that child tonight, he felt she would be a good mother in the future.

Yanshu was taken aback and said, "...Forgive this concubine, Your Majesty, but I haven't thought about this question yet. However, a son or daughter would be fine. Whatever heaven gives us would be the best."

Yuwen Lan made a sound of agreement, "That makes sense."

But he still looked deep in thought.

Yanshu observed his expression and silently pondered, [Why would he suddenly ask about this?]

[Could it be... he was affected by seeing the King of Liaodong's three sons?]

[Tsk, poor emperor, especially with what the Empress Dowager said tonight, he must be feeling a lot of pressure.]

[Imagine if his condition never improves, wouldn't that mean he'll never have children?]

[Tsk tsk, this is a big deal!]

[It would be just like when the late emperor passed away, with the imperial clan restless. There might be another bloodbath!]

[Oh no, the late emperor at least had two children, but the emperor doesn't have any. It would probably be even more brutal then.]

Yuwen Lan silently nodded.

This girl finally seemed to understand a bit.

—If Yuwen Hao was already impatient now, what more if he continued to have no children?

So, this matter was extremely important to him, and he was indeed facing great pressure.

Just then, he heard her think, [But come to think of it, is this condition hereditary? The late emperor also had weak offspring, tsk.]

Yuwen Lan immediately dismissed this possibility in his mind—

In fact, the late emperor just had few children who survived.

Before he was born, the late emperor already had two sons and two daughters, but unfortunately, three of them died young, with only Princess Yuwen Yan living to adulthood.

However, after he was born, indeed no more siblings were born in the palace.

He recalled that the late emperor later became obsessed with elixirs, which might have affected his fertility.

But in any case, he had never taken any elixirs, and had always been normal before. It was only after ascending the throne that he mysteriously began to gradually lose that function.

At first, he thought it was due to the stress and fatigue of state affairs.

But later, when he suddenly gained the ability to read minds, he couldn't help but wonder if this was a joke played on him by heaven?

Or was it some kind of test?

To make him exchange this price for the ability to read minds, to be a good ruler.

However, this seemed impossible too, because he was now showing signs of improvement.

Every night he slept here, he would experience changes the next day.

These changes must be related to her.

Thinking of this, he unconsciously stroked her hair, his movements very gentle.

But then he heard her think, [It's not like there's no solution.]

Hmm?

Yuwen Lan paused. What solution?

[I could pull a switch!]

Yuwen Lan was confused. What did she mean by pulling a switch?

Then he heard her continue, [First pretend to be pregnant, then when it's time to give birth, adopt a child from outside the palace, and then say it's the emperor's flesh and blood!]

After all, that's how it always happened in those melodramatic TV dramas.

Yuwen Lan, "???"

How could she have such an idea???

[No, no, first of all, this would require the emperor's cooperation, but he definitely couldn't cooperate with me. Because once he knows that I know his secret, he would definitely chop me up first!]

Yuwen Lan, "..."

Tsk, he had known for a long time, and still hadn't done anything to her.

She continued to ponder, [Besides, his child is supposed to inherit the throne, how could an outside child do? It's also not good to separate a child from their birth parents, that's too cruel!]

Yuwen Lan listened silently, almost unable to hold back his laughter—

Was she writing a novel?

How could her mind be filled with so much nonsense?

Just then, he heard her say, "By the way, Your Majesty, this concubine plans to write a novel and would like to ask for your opinion."

Hmm?

Yuwen Lan found it intriguing. She actually wanted his opinion?

Although unexpected, he decided to see what she was up to for now.

So he said, "Let's hear it."

He saw her clear her throat and say, "Once upon a time, there was a wealthy family. The head of the family was extremely rich and had five sons. Before the first family head died, he passed the position to one of his sons. Later, when this son grew old, he passed it on to his own son."

At first, Yuwen Lan listened with some confusion.

Was this story of hers different from her previous ones in style?

She continued, "Unfortunately, the rest of the old patriarch's descendants met with accidents and passed away one after another. After a few years, only this young master and his cousin remained in the family."

Hearing this, Yuwen Lan finally understood—

Ah, she was talking about him.

The old patriarch was the Founder Emperor, his grandfather, and the second master was the late emperor.

This young master was naturally himself.

And Yuwen Hao was that cousin.

Sure enough, he heard her think, "【I'm talking about you, did you get it?】"

Yuwen Lan nodded with a suppressed smile, "Indeed very unfortunate. What happened next?"

She continued, "It was only natural for the current master to inherit the family business, and he always took good care of his only remaining cousin. However, greed got the better of the cousin, who harbored ill intentions and sent a spy to the master's side to gather important information."

At this point, she looked up at Yuwen Lan, "Your Majesty, do you think the cousin should choose a beautiful woman or a man to approach the master?"

Yuwen Lan pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, "I think it should be a beautiful woman. A man would certainly not be able to get close to the master easily."

Yanshu nodded eagerly, "I think so too, Your Majesty."

Yuwen Lan deliberately asked, "Then, did this master fall for his cousin's trap?"

Yanshu hurriedly replied, "The master is no ordinary person and has always been very vigilant. To successfully send the beauty to the master's side, the cousin went to great lengths to change her identity, making it impossible to tell she was his person."

Yuwen Lan nodded seriously, "This person is indeed full of schemes. What happened next?"

Yanshu thought to herself, "What do you mean 'what happened next'?

Haven't you realized this is about you?

You're that fooled master, and Yuwen Hao is that relentless scheming cousin!

Although we don't know what Consort Xu is up to yet, Yuwen Hao is up to no good, you need to be on guard!"

Yuwen Lan listened silently, feeling both amused and touched.

So, she had gone to such lengths tonight to warn him.

So, she did care about him after all.

He looked at her with a smile, as she said, "I wanted to ask Your Majesty, do you think this master will discover the beauty's plot, or will he fail to? After all, a man's thoughts are hard to guess."

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "A man's thoughts are hard to guess? I think you've got it wrong. It's a woman's thoughts that are hard to guess."

Just like her, who appeared greedy, gluttonous, and timid on the surface, but in fact cared about him the most, didn't she?

Yanshu didn't want to waste words on this issue, so she hastily said, "Your Majesty has a point, but please answer my question first."

Yuwen Lan nodded, "I think he should be able to discover it. After all, this master is wise and powerful, how could he be easily fooled by such a small trick?"

Yanshu nodded meaningfully, "I think so too."

In her heart, she was shouting, "【I've said this much, have you understood yet???】"

Touched by her efforts in crafting such a story, Yuwen Lan's heart warmed even more. After some thought, he added, "But for such a wise and powerful master to remain alone is not ideal. He should be paired with a beautiful and intelligent woman who can share his burdens, bear his children, and spend the rest of their lives together..."

Before he could finish, he heard her exclaim in her thoughts, "【What? Another beauty?】"

"【I went through all this trouble to make up this story to warn you, and now you want a bicycle?】"

Yuwen Lan: "???"

What did she mean by "bicycle"?

He couldn't understand again.

Then he heard her think indignantly, "【Indeed, all men are the same. Whether capable or not, they only know how to like beauties. Scumbag!!!】"

Yuwen Lan: "???"

What did she mean by "whether capable or not"???

And how did he suddenly become a... "scumbag"?

He remembered that "scumbag" referred to people like Chai Weizhong who deceived women.

But why was she calling him that?

Was it wrong to like beautiful women?

Wasn't she a beautiful woman herself?