On the other hand, the princess’s escape brought shame to the Qi royal family, and the Qi Emperor, concerned with saving face, could not apologize to Nanrui. This deadlocked the relationship between the two countries.
Xiliang emerged as the greatest beneficiary. Previously in difficulty, it now became the object of courtship from both Nanrui and Qi. When the new Xiliang Emperor proposed a marriage alliance with Qi, the Qi Emperor eagerly agreed to marry off all his daughters.
“My father-in-law sighed, ‘So the Seventh Princess’s marriage to Xiliang today is entirely due to the Nanrui princess’s escape a year ago. A single move can affect the entire situation.'”
I was stunned to learn that my impulsive act of releasing the Nanrui princess had such a severe impact on Qi, ultimately resulting in the Seventh Princess’s marriage to Xiliang. Although I didn’t have good feelings toward the Seventh Princess, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for inadvertently causing national damage.
The lack of severe punishment for my mistake was surely because An Jin had shouldered all the blame for me, yet he never detailed the implications nor reproached me. I was overcome with shame, my face turning pale.
Among my father-in-law’s friends was a doctor, Liu, over sixty years old and extremely skilled. He glanced at me, noticing my poor complexion, and asked, “Arao, are you feeling unwell?”
I quickly shook my head. Father-in-law laughed, saying, “Ah Yao probably doesn’t like hearing these things.”
Doctor Liu stroked his beard, commenting, “That makes sense. Speaking of which, Ah Yao and his wife have been married for over two years. Why haven’t they had any good news? Ah Yao, why don’t I take your pulse?”
My heart stirred. Since reconciling with An Jin, we’ve been intimate almost every night, and it’s been over half a year with no sign of pregnancy.
After feeling my pulse, Doctor Liu said, “Ah Yao’s health is very good.”
Father-in-law immediately asked, “Does that mean the problem is with Jin’er?”
Several old masters laughed, and father-in-law’s face turned red. “You guys, instead of helping, you’re making fun of us?”
I lowered my head, suppressing my laughter, thinking about how An Jin would react if he knew his father doubted his ability to continue the family line.
