Yun Rao was just about to exhale in relief when she saw him spin back around. She stared at him straightly, puzzled by his actions. Yan Jing, the Emperor, did not look at her—he merely passed by her with a calm, composed expression, sat down again on the fine silk couch, and resumed his previous serene demeanor. With this disturbance, Yun Rao now found herself uncertain about his intentions, and could only hold her breath, standing still without speaking. He said nothing, merely tilting his head, flipping through his book. The room fell into a quiet stillness. Yun Rao thought she might as well go and find a book to read, but before she could rise, the Emperor himself grew restless. He set his book heavily beside the silk couch, took a deep breath, and glanced at her. "Do you truly love him?" "Ah?" Yun Rao was momentarily taken aback. The Emperor glanced at her, a hint of irritation in his tone. "Do you truly love that man?" Yun Rao lowered her gaze. "The humble servant does not dare to say so!" "Say it!" Compared to earlier, this word "say" carried a noticeably sharper tone of anger. Yun Rao sensed the underlying anger beneath his words and dared not speak further, knowing well the principle of knowing when to stop. Yan Jing, the Emperor, glanced at her, then suddenly rose, stepping close to her and lifting her chin with his hand, forcing her to look up at him. "Never think of that man again," he murmured, his fingertips gently tracing her lips. His voice was soft and slow. Yun Rao stared into his eyes, pressed her lips together, and spoke with respectful solemnity, "From this day forward, the Empress's heart belongs solely to the Emperor." As soon as she finished, she felt a slight pain in her jaw, but soon he released his hold and turned around. Yun Rao gazed at his back, which seemed cold and carried a hint of irritation and restlessness. At that moment, a knock sounded at the door—her medicine was ready. Xiao Man carried the bowl in and, upon entering, immediately noticed the unusual atmosphere in the room. She hesitated, not wanting to linger, and placed the medicine on the side before leaving. With Xiao Man's brief interruption, the room's earlier heaviness was somewhat lifted. Emperor Yanjing sat back at his table, stirring the medicine that Qu Xiao-man had just placed there. Yun Rao glanced at him subtly, only catching his lowered brows and composed profile—calm, distant, seemingly lost in thought. Emperor Yanjing said nothing further until her medicine had cooled slightly, then looked up and said, "Come, have a drink." Yun Rao did not hesitate; she went over as instructed, lifted the bowl, and noticed the flavor was slightly different from the one she had drunk in the morning. As soon as she took a sip, she realized the difference and lifted her gaze to him. He looked at her coolly and evenly, "No poison." "... "Yun Rao silently finished the bowl. As soon as she set it down, he had already taken her hand and began taking her pulse. He had already checked her pulse in the afternoon when he woke her, so now, watching him skillfully and gently press on her pulse points, Yun Rao found it no longer surprising—after all, it seemed utterly natural that a sovereign of the realm should be so well-versed in the art of traditional Chinese medicine. He took her pulse, his fingers pressing gently on her wrist, then turning it over, so that the fierce red thread now spreading to her wrist joint came into view. Yun Rao was not used to displaying such a striking hand before him, and instinctively reached to withdraw it, only to be held firmly in place. He looked at her, his eyes subtly conveying a question. Yun Rao gazed back at him silently, and when he didn’t ask anything further, she said nothing either. She didn’t know where her courage had come from—after merely more than a day of getting to know him—whether it was sheer confidence in her own judgment or something else entirely. She didn’t feel the need to ponder it further. “Has the imperial physician examined you yet?” he finally spoke. Yun Rao shook her head. “Not yet.” A physician could immediately discern the difference; she didn’t seem to mind living longer, nor did she seem to be seeking her own demise. “Then let the imperial physician see you tomorrow,” he said, speaking with authority, leaving no room for hesitation. The very next day, he invited the most esteemed senior physician in the palace, Bian, to personally examine her. The senior physician, having weathered many storms, though his expression grew serious upon seeing the crimson silk in the lady's hands, remained composed and respectful when addressing the Emperor Yan Jing, stating, "I will do my utmost to assist the Princess in eliminating the poison, and will not publicize this matter." Indeed, the physician kept his promise, visiting her at regular intervals to take her pulse, yet never once mentioned her illness. Since then, Emperor Yan Jing began staying overnight at the Yuehua Palace, summoning her to the Imperial Study during the day to review official memoranda, and then coming to dine with her in the evening. After dinner, he would naturally retire to her private chambers. Though he occupied half of her bed, he remained genuinely respectful and never made any improper advances—except that each night, he would tightly embrace her, wrapping her securely and tightly. Initially, Yun Rao found this somewhat resistant, but after he repeatedly invoked the Emperor's dignity, she gradually grew accustomed to his persistent presence and the intimate warmth of his embrace. Soon thereafter, word of Yun Ze Xi Yue Princess becoming the Emperor's favored consort spread swiftly throughout the palace. Court maids and eunuchs greeted her with greater courtesy and respect, while other consorts harbored growing resentment. As a princess from an enemy state, she had seized all the Emperor's favor—an issue of growing concern both within and outside the court. Indeed, anyone who had seen her described her as enchanting and alluring, and anyone who had encountered her found her beauty so striking that even if she did nothing, she was blamed as a "water of misfortune"—a source of trouble for the realm. While it was no fault for an emperor to favor a consort, excessive favoritism could become a national crisis, especially when the consort hailed from an enemy state. Since her quiet ascension to the position of the Emperor's most beloved consort, Emperor Yan Jing's imperial edicts began to mount in number—most of them urging him not to be misled by her beauty. These memorials were lengthy and heartfelt, drawing parallels from King Zhou's consort Da Ji to King You's Consort Bao Si, each expressing deep concern. The most loyal ministers even urged the Emperor to send Princess Yue into the cold palace. While Emperor Yanjing reviewed these memorials, Yun Rao was forced to stay by his side. When he saw her, he didn't conceal his feelings—he simply removed all the memoranda and handed them to her. "It's all my fault for having failed the state," he said. Yun Rao glanced at the memoranda, her spirits dampened. "I'd actually like to learn from Su Daji," she admitted. Only, she didn't have a long enough life for it. As she thought about the poison within her, she felt increasingly uneasy. Since entering the palace, she hadn't experienced any episodes of poisoning, yet her energy had been steadily declining. Despite being treated daily with medicinal soups, she couldn't regain the vitality and spirit that had slipped away. Originally, she had grown indifferent to her own life and death, but these days, through their quiet, steady interactions, a growing sense of restlessness had settled in—her thoughts were unsettled, her appetite had worsened, and lately, she even felt nauseated in the mornings. Her listless demeanor immediately caused him to frown, and he set the memoranda aside. "What's wrong?" he asked, already reaching for her hand to take her pulse. Whenever there was even Yun Rao gave her hand a slight flick and withdrew it. "I'm fine. This place is stuffy. I'd like to go outside for a walk." "Come with me," Emperor Yanjing replied, rising as well. "No, thank you. I'd rather walk alone." Looking at him, she said it sincerely—not merely polite, but truly wanting to be alone. The more they interacted, the more they began to merge into one another. She didn't like seeing the shadow of An Ziyuan in him, yet she found herself unconsciously glancing through him at that man. Noticing that she was genuinely troubled, the Emperor didn't press her. He simply summoned Qu Xiaoman to take good care of her and allowed her to go. Yun Rao had no particular thoughts. She wandered aimlessly through the garden. In the season of spring warmth and blooming flowers, the garden should have been full of life—yet she felt utterly lifeless.