If we tried hard, there might still be hope. However, I understood that the An family was already weak in producing offspring, and with the added Juezi wine, the chances were slim. But we wouldn’t give up. The kitchen often smelled of seahorse chicken soup. An Jin tried hard, and I worked hard too, but I still couldn’t get pregnant. As time passed, our anxious desire faded, and we decided to let nature take its course.
The true reason behind the Qi Emperor’s actions seemed to be a secret far more significant than An Jin’s previous investigation into Princess Nan Rui’s whereabouts. Pursuing this secret might disrupt our peace, so we chose to ignore it for now. I advised An Jin to find an opportunity to resign and leave Yanfeng, and he hinted he had been planning this.
The Emperor’s actions had deeply hurt my reverence for the Qi royal family. I slightly modified the novel manuscript stored with Chen Hua’s puppet and had him distribute it as a hand-copied novel. This illustrated manuscript later inspired a play called “Beating the Mandarin Ducks,” which became popular, even performed in the palace during the Emperor’s grand birthday.
This situation failed to result in a successful marriage, and we had secretly formed a grudge with the royal family. Therefore, when my elder brother came to find me, saying that Miao Yin had disappeared from the Hanlin Academy, I was not surprised.
I speculated that the empress discovered her affection for my brother and placed her under house arrest to prevent further connection with our family. My brother, unaware of her identity and difficulties, thought she had left due to an urgent family matter.
I felt somewhat sympathetic. I should have advised my brother to forget about Miao Yin and avoid further ties with the royal family, but rationality has never been my strong suit.
After learning Miao Yin’s identity, my brother fell silent. I knew he was thinking about the stark difference in their status—he was merely a small scribe, and she was the empress’s niece, complicating any chance of a marriage.
It had once been feasible, but our grudge with the royal family made it seem nearly impossible.
“Perhaps we should look for another young lady—” I tentatively suggested.
