An Zi-yuan looked at her with a complex expression, tightly grasping her hand. He had thought she was unaware, yet it was actually she who understood most deeply—of all people, her mother must feel the wonder of a new life growing within her. How could he bear to lose either her or their child? Yet if he had to choose between her and the child, he would inevitably choose her, cherish her, even if she could never bear children again in her lifetime. In the past, he had always considered her physical condition, often making her drink medicine after each intimate moment, fearing an unexpected pregnancy. He never expected that the very time she didn’t take medicine would now bring him to this difficult dilemma. Her body had already been so frail—he truly feared that the child within her would ultimately overwhelm and drain her completely. Now seeing her in unbearable agony, he could not even employ the very method he knew would ease her pain, and felt deeply distressed—yet he could do nothing to share her suffering, only tightly holding her in his arms as her slender body convulsed and trembled helplessly. The attending physician, though renowned in the palace, was dismissed by him, as he too had no remedy for this poison. Yun Rao trembled all over, her teeth clenching and grinding against each other, her whole body shaking, her consciousness growing hazy. Yet she clutched at An Ziyuan's wrist with desperate strength, fearing he would truly send her to the cold pool. When the pain became too intense, she would involuntarily lift her thin wrist to bite down. An Ziyuan, trembling, gently pulled her hand away and, without hesitation, placed his own hand into her mouth for her to bite, so overwhelmed by anxiety that he completely forgot to offer her a towel. When the pain reached its peak, the strength in her mouth became completely uncontrollable. As she bit down, Yun Rao only felt blood filling her mouth, unaware that she had already bitten through his palm, the blood seeping into her abdomen through the streams of saliva she swallowed. The rich, metallic taste brought a slight clarity to her consciousness, and she struggled to push his hand away. Yun Rao didn't know whether the warmth and moisture on her face came from him or from her. As they kissed, their breaths seemed to gradually be squeezed out of their chests, and the tight ache in their chests slowly faded away. The world around them narrowed down to just the familiar breaths of each other—nothing else remained. She didn't know how long it had been before both of them finally began to breathe again when An Ziyuan slowly released her. He gently rested his palm against the back of her head, pressing her close to his chest, cradling her tightly against his body. With his body pressing against hers, Yun Rao's breaths carried the familiar scent of him. Her head pressed against his, so she could no longer see his expression, and he didn't let her. He wouldn't let her see, so Yun Rao wouldn't either. She simply leaned against his chest, speaking softly, "An Ziyuan, why do you still remember me?" She had never asked him why he remembered her—she had personally tested the effects of the Wàngōu San. She had forgotten her past for over ten years. It was only by chance, when the poison took hold and she was immersed in the cold pool, that the qilin bǎnzhǐ worn on her wrist emitted an eerie green glow under the moonlight. At that time, her memories were hazy, yet within that haze, she managed to piece together fragmented memories into a coherent narrative. The qilin bǎnzhǐ had a remarkable effect—she had discovered this by accident. But how could An Ziyuan possibly know? Perhaps it was because the name had been etched too deeply into her memory, making it impossible to forget—she had failed her so many times. Now, her current condition was largely due to the consequences he had caused back then. If only he had saved her then, she wouldn’t have endured these unbearable sufferings over the past decade. If only he had saved her first that day, she would never have suffered such a severe blow again. Yun Rao shook her head, her expression also somewhat bewildered. Usually, when the poison took hold, she would suffer pain all through the night. But this time, the pain had subsided within less than half an hour—never before had it been so swift. Her gaze drifted unconsciously to her own hands, still dripping with blood. As a descendant of the Wu clan, a pure-blooded Wu clan descendant, he was inherently different from ordinary people. And he had worn the Qilin ring on his fingers for years—could it be…? Her black eyes narrowed sharply. She rose suddenly, smoothing the quilt over Yun Rao’s shoulders. "You rest a while. I’ll go to the Herbal Pharmacy." The pharmacy had recently harvested fresh Chi Man Luo, and had extracted the toxic essence of Chi Man Luo. To develop a remedy, he and the chief physician, Bian, had been tirelessly seeking a substance that could counteract the poison. An Zi yuan took a portion of the Chiman Luo poison, pricked his middle finger with a needle, and held it steady, allowing the blood to drip slowly into the poison. Initially, the Chiman Luo showed no change, but as more blood dripped in, the originally turbid Chiman Luo blood gradually began to clear. When the volume of blood matched that of the poison, the Chiman Luo poison had almost fully blended with the red blood, becoming indistinguishable from it. An Zi yuan felt his hand gripping the finger trembling, his entire chest filled with overwhelming joy, and the usually composed expression on his face now clouded with an emotion he could not name. The Bian physician, who had accompanied them, stared in astonishment at the transformation, unable to believe the final fusion of the Chiman Luo and the blood. "Doctor Bian," An Zi yuan said, struggling to suppress the joy that surged within him, though his voice remained cool. "In your opinion, can the Chiman Luo poison within the Empress be completely eliminated?" "Your Majesty," the physician replied, "yes, it can be fully eliminated." "The Flat Physician bowed slightly, his brows furrowed, his expression somewhat hesitant, 'Only...' 'Speak.' After a moment's pause, carefully choosing his words, the Flat Physician said, 'The Princess has been poisoned for a long time now, and the toxins have already deeply penetrated her heart and pulse. To fully eliminate this poison, it will likely consume a great deal of the Emperor's vital energy—possibly even endangering his life. As the Emperor is of the imperial body, such a course of action would be most unwarranted.' An Ziyuan glanced at him. 'Your words are most accurate. This matter must not be disclosed in the slightest, especially not to the Princess. Do you understand?' '...' The Flat Physician furrowed his brows, uncertain whether he had heard correctly. Was the Emperor truly determined to heal the Princess of her poison? 'Please, the Emperor, reconsider.' The Imperial Physician suddenly knelt, urgently pleading, "The state cannot endure a day without a sovereign. The Emperor is sacrificing his own life to save the Consort's. Between a woman and an empire—what could be more clear? He has no ill will toward Yun Rao; in fact, he deeply admires the quiet lady. Yet, should she pose a threat to the entire realm—even unintentionally—then, as a loyal minister of many years, he cannot remain indifferent.