The mother-in-law stared at me, her black eyes deep and dark as twilight. The sharp east wind rustled the leaves in the courtyard, making the silence even more unbearable. Yuanxiao whimpered, nestling close to me for support.
The mother-in-law descended the steps, walking towards me, her gaze never leaving my face.
“Juezi wine,” the stiffness on her face finally dissolved, revealing the sorrow beneath. “One wrong step, and every step goes wrong.”
“Juezi wine?” I finally awakened from my confusion. “The wine bestowed by His Majesty—”
“Ah Yao, does the An family owe you, or does Jin’er owe you?” The mother-in-law looked at me in a daze, as if asking me, yet also lamenting.
“Mother!” An Jin suddenly appeared in the half-open study doorway. “Stop talking.”
The secret imperial medicine of the Qi Kingdom’s royal family, Juezi wine, could prevent a person from bearing children, effective for both men and women. The Emperor had given three choices: marry Miao Yin, An Jin to be rendered infertile, or me to be rendered infertile.
Perhaps even the Emperor had not expected An Jin would choose to render himself infertile rather than me.
I sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, thinking for a long time. From the time I stole An Jin’s sugar cake at three and became his little follower, to rejecting a suitor at fifteen, to the noisy red candle wedding at eighteen, and the bridal chamber. I thought we were the most ordinary, most delightful childhood sweethearts, simply accompanying each other for life. He was my husband, the man who would always be by my side, the father of my children.
We were supposed to have two children, one like me and one like him.
How did such a good marriage invite disaster? I knew there were countless unsolved mysteries, but at this moment, I didn’t want to think about anything.
Yuanxiao lay at my feet, occasionally looking up at me. An Jin stood behind me, waiting quietly.
“Brother Jin,” I turned and beckoned to him. “I understand. Not having children isn’t a big deal. We’ll just find more wives for Yuanxiao to have dozens of puppies running around the house, more lively than children.”
Yuanxiao, hearing his name, raised his head in shock, his bottom firmly pressed to the ground, probably guessing I was plotting something.
