I asked Jiang Yunqiao to persuade Hongdi to change his mind, but she gleefully said the emperor’s words couldn’t be retracted. This was the consequence of choosing the wrong friend, who took pleasure in my predicament.
I had to meet Hongdi, attempting to reason with him to reject this condition. He smiled and asked, “Are you sure you want to refuse?” I hesitated, and seeing my uncertainty, he nodded. “Or you can meet him first. You will definitely like him.”
I gritted my teeth. “Thank you for your kindness, but I currently do not want—”
A tall, elegant man stepped out from behind the screen, stunning me and causing me to forget my prepared reasons. Hongdi laughed, “I knew you wouldn’t want to refuse him.”
The man wore a blue robe and a wooden hairpin, smiling gently. “A Yao, I’m back.”
The princess of Nanrui and the doctor who cured her cold soon married, and this romantic story spread throughout Nanrui and two other countries. An Jin’s presence was just the remedy for my heartache; with him here, what illness could not be healed?
After the incident in Qi Kingdom, An Jin returned with Xia Zhichun, hoping to reunite with his mother-in-law and put the secret department behind him. However, she refused to leave Qi Kingdom for Nanrui. Just as he was about to inform me of the situation, his mother-in-law passed away.
Grief-stricken, An Jin began preparing her funeral, burying her and his father-in-law together per her wishes. While managing the chaotic funeral arrangements, he encountered a group of highly skilled assassins. Despite his martial arts abilities and assistance from several elders, he was injured, severing the tendons in his left hand. Without timely treatment, that arm lost its function, and I wept bitterly, holding his powerless hand. An Jin reassured me that he had returned and everything would be fine.
The assassins were likely sent by Yan He and Xia Zhichun. Neither Western Liang nor Qi Kingdom could accommodate us, leaving Nanrui, under the protection of the royal family, as our only safe option.
I begged Hongdi for another wedding to give An Jin an official status in Nanrui. Although Hongdi had initially hoped I would marry General Shen for the family’s loyalty, he eventually agreed due to my insistence and An Jin’s possession of the black gold symbol.
Thus, An Jin became Nanrui’s grand consort, Wang Jun of Yu King. Transitioning from the master of Qi Kingdom’s secret department to my husband, he quickly adapted, forming friendships with Jiang Yunqiao’s consort and enjoying a carefree life in Fengzhu City.
In contrast, my life became desolate. Rising early for court became routine, and with Jiang Yunqiao’s absence due to travel, I managed both the Ministry of Personnel and other affairs, often working late into the night. Our roles had flipped; I was overwhelmed with responsibilities while An Jin enjoyed leisure.
Originally, I imagined a dynamic where the outgoing woman and introverted man would complement each other, but it fell short of my expectations.
The only consolation was that the officials who once looked down on me gradually changed their attitude, and support for Liu Hua was increasing, even surpassing the Cen Taisai faction.
However, due to constant busyness, I had little time to spend with An Jin. By the time I returned home at night, I was so exhausted that I wanted to collapse into bed, often falling asleep before any intimacy could occur.
An Jin felt resentment about this. He had thought that after a long separation, we would be inseparable, but my schedule left no time for us to even have dinner together. He decided that I should bring home the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Personnel, with him guiding me. This greatly saved time.
For personnel arrangements, salary reviews, household registrations, and silver casting, he could quickly identify key issues and offer multiple solutions. I only needed to choose the best option and add my annotations, which was much easier than before.
What surprised me most was that after just a few months in Nan Rui, he had thoroughly understood everyone in the court and was well-versed in its undercurrents. Truly a divine being.
I felt I had found an extraordinarily capable man and was incredibly excited. He simply smiled silently, calmly facing my admiration.
Not long after, Jiang Yun Qiao returned to Feng Zhu. After traveling with her family, she seemed preoccupied and her attitude toward me had changed. Although she still joked when we met, she appeared busier and declined several of my invitations.
With Jiang Yun Qiao back in the Ministry of Personnel, I felt much more relaxed, planning to reconnect with An Jin and discuss our future.
However, An Jin believed we should first make up for the bedroom “homework” we had missed over the past six months.
The direct consequence of this was—we rolled in bed for three days.
Three days! I was speechless. This kind of non-stop cultivation is something ordinary people couldn’t understand.
After three days, as soon as my foot touched the ground, I went limp. An Jin quickly had someone bring a bowl of brown sugar syrup, and I lay weakly in his arms, catching my breath. “I can’t… I’m getting old… time spares no one…”
An Jin was torn between laughter and tears, pinching my bottom. “What nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t we say we’d have two children? Are you backing down already?”
I asked, “Did you get the antidote for the sterility potion?”
His expression darkened, and he looked away.
An Jin had followed Xia Zhi Chun back to Yan Feng to find the antidote for the sterility potion, a secret known only to the Qi Emperor. When they rescued him from the secret prison, he was mentally unclear and near death. An Jin was worried he might reveal the secret department to Xia Zhi Chun, but the Qi Emperor never regained consciousness.
Only on the brink of death did the Qi Emperor have a moment of clarity, prompting An Jin to threaten him for the antidote’s whereabouts. The Qi Emperor just laughed mockingly, claiming there was no antidote.
He ultimately died amid his laughter. An Jin had believed there must be a solution, but he never expected the drug to be so potent.
The secret department had experts in medicine, but they were helpless against the sterility potion’s consequences. They suggested that increasing the frequency of intimacy might bring a miraculous turn of events.
I sighed, hugging his waist. “Even if the department can’t help, it doesn’t mean no one in the world can undo this potion. I’ve heard Nan Rui has extraordinary talents. What if I offer a reward like my uncle did?”
His expression became serious. “Absolutely not. This must not reach the Nan Rui royal family.”
I was stunned as he explained, “You are the future heir of Nan Rui. If people knew we couldn’t have children, it would threaten your position.”
I laughed helplessly. “Do you think I want that position? Now that you’re by my side, I can give it up. Let Jiang Yun Qiao take it; she’s more suitable.”
An Jin sighed. “If only it were that simple. The Emperor is determined to give you this position. Once he learns you gave it up because of me, what do you think he’ll do?”
I understood his meaning, and my heart sank. “You mean—he might harm you?”
“He might harm me, or he might forcibly assign you another husband,” he said with a bitter smile.
“Either way, it would bring us great trouble.”
“But Uncle seems kind and doesn’t seem cruel…” I hesitated.
“He is indeed kind to you,” An Jin said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “But he is still an emperor. An emperor’s love can sometimes be a form of restraint. If I hadn’t produced the black gold token, he might not have agreed to our marriage or allowed me to be your consort.”
My heart grew cold. “So, we need to keep this a secret. How long can we hide it?”
