So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Ning Yu didn't want to sleep anymore. Seeing him take off his clothes and get on the bed, she quickly gave him her seat. "You go to sleep. I'll get up first."

He suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her close, pressing her into his arms. "Sleep with me."

It's only comfortable to sleep while holding her.

The strong masculine scent filled her nostrils, and Ning Yu felt as if her waist was being gripped by an iron arm, so heavy that she couldn't breathe.

She lifted her head from his chest and struggled to push him away. "You're so heavy, you're crushing me."

Xie Xun loosened his grip, buried his face in her hair, and didn't say anything.

Seeing that he didn't react, Ning Yu twisted her waist uncomfortably.

The next second, the arm that was covering her waist suddenly pinched her waist and pressed her hard against his abdomen. She trembled all over and dared not move.

That bastard, he can be in heat anytime.

They remained in this stalemate for a while. He seemed to have fallen asleep. Ning Yu was held back and dared not move. She was so drowsy from smelling his scent that she didn't know when she had fallen asleep again.

Inside the palace.

Crown Prince Xie Jingchen looked at the unconscious emperor on the dragon bed, his gloomy expression making it hard to breathe.

"What are the people in the Imperial Medical Academy doing? Why does Father's face look increasingly grim?"

The imperial physician kneeling on the ground was so frightened that he dared not breathe. Crown Prince Xie Jingchen was tyrannical and ruthless, unlike the Seventh Prince Xie Chizhang, who was virtuous and talented and implemented benevolent policies. This was also the reason why the previous dynasty was dissatisfied with the position of Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is seriously ill. We have developed a new prescription and instructed the Imperial Hospital to prepare it."

Xie Jingchen didn't want to listen to this nonsense; the people from the Imperial Hospital always gave him the same perfunctory answers every year.

He dismissed the other imperial physicians, leaving only the chief physician, glanced at his father who remained motionless inside the imperial tent, and asked coldly, "How much time is left?"

The chief physician knelt down, rolled his eyes and thought for a moment, then said respectfully, "Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune and will surely overcome this difficulty. However—Your Majesty is busy with state affairs every day. If you cannot rest properly, your health will deteriorate again in half a month."

Half a month? It seems it won't even last ten days.

Xie Jingchen's icy gaze fixed directly on the headmaster's forehead. "If you dare to utter a single word, I'll take your head."

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."

We must stop the border war as soon as possible, stabilize the northeastern clans, and deal with them one by one after he successfully ascends the throne. We absolutely cannot allow Xie Chizhang to return with the leaders of the northeastern Balin and Muhe clans.

"Summon Lord Gao, Minister Lan, and others to the palace."

"promise."

Xie Xun slept for two hours. When he woke up, the woman in his arms was glaring at him angrily.

Seeing that he had finally woken up, Ning Yu pried his hands open and sat up abruptly.

"I'm starving! Why did it take you so long to wake up?"

Xie Xun rubbed his forehead with one hand, and seeing her sullen expression, he rolled over and got up.

"Go eat if you're hungry, or I'll feed you?"

She wanted to eat, but the moment she moved, he held her even tighter, pressing her down so hard she could barely breathe.

Ning Yu rolled her eyes at him, not wanting to waste words with him, and went to the back of the bed to wash up.

When she came out, the dining room was already filled with a table of delicious food, with her favorite soup pot bubbling and steaming.

She immediately sat down and started eating.

Seeing that she was feeling much better, the old nanny beside her quickly said, "The doctor said that Madam only needs to drink one more dose of the prescription to recover."

Ning Yu glanced at the man coming out of the restroom and hummed in response.

While the two were eating, Qingfeng came in and reported several times. Later, when Ning Yu heard that it was the eldest son of the Wei family who had come, she was stunned for a moment and subconsciously wanted to go back inside.

Xie Xun glanced at her. "What are you doing?"

"Someone's here, I'll head back now."

"Eat your food, and tell him to wait in the main hall."

The last sentence was clearly directed at him, so Qingfeng lowered his head and respectfully left.

"Even with the fire burning our eyebrows, we're still eating?" Upon hearing the reply, Xiao Zhiliu couldn't help but pace back and forth in the room, unable to calm her mind.

Wei Rongxuan was so dizzy from being turned around that he said, "Sit down."

"No, he didn't even go to the Imperial Study. He came right back after court and is eating now. What kind of food is so tempting?"

Wei Rongxuan picked up the teacup lid and chuckled lightly, "Weren't you also kept away from that Miss Shen for several days?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhiliu's expression immediately turned displeased. "I wasn't lusting after her—wait, that's not right, where would he get any women from?"

Wei Rongxuan smiled but didn't say anything.

"Tell me, what are you doing all this time, acting all mysterious?!"

"You've seen it before."

Xiao Zhiliu touched his chin in confusion. Was it the woman he met at the brothel? Wasn't she supposed to be Xie Yan's wife? Had they parted ways?

He went to another city these past two months, and quite a few interesting things happened there.

"Put women aside for now. The elders have just decided to negotiate peace with Shangliang. Wouldn't all our planning for this be for nothing?"

Xie Xun heard this sentence as soon as he entered.

Xiao Zhiliu spotted him immediately and exclaimed anxiously, "You've finally come out! You're always indulging in pleasure, aren't you afraid of exhausting yourself—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was kicked, wincing in pain. He stopped being cheeky and handed over the paper token.

"This is definitely the Crown Prince's idea. There was no peace and quiet in His Majesty's bedchamber all night yesterday. The Crown Prince stayed in the palace the whole time. When I inquired, I found that the people in the Imperial Hospital said that His Majesty woke up and fell asleep again, which is why he didn't go to court."

"I don't quite believe that. I guess it's because the Emperor is failing and the Crown Prince wants to stabilize the domestic situation, which is why he wants to negotiate peace with Shangliang. The Seventh Prince is eyeing us covetously, and all the northern lords are waiting for news from the Emperor. I think the imperial edict will be issued soon."

Xie Xun sat in his chair, looking at the issued decree, and said calmly, "Then tell our Seventh Prince that the Emperor is about to pass away."

The two were taken aback. Wei Rongxuan looked at him and said, "So fast?"

"Internal strife in the Great Xia Dynasty is unavoidable, so let's give all those with disloyal hearts a stage and let them all come back and fight."

Ning Yu, who was secretly hiding outside the window, overheard these words by sheer coincidence. She was startled, wondering if the Sage would not survive the winter.

Xie Yan had previously said that the capital was about to descend into chaos, which might have meant that the internal strife over the succession was about to erupt. No wonder Xie Xun had been so busy lately; her opportunity was coming.

"lady---"

"Shh." Ning Yu quickly stopped Qingfeng's suspicious voice, straightened up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, "The governor hadn't finished his meal yet, and I thought there was something important, so I thought I'd bring some snacks and tea."

Qingfeng glanced at the tray in her hand. "Give it to me."

"Never mind, the governor doesn't like sweets, let him go ahead with his work."

"---"

After returning to the waterside pavilion, Ning Yu rummaged through her jewelry box and complained to the maid behind her, "I heard that Tianxiang Pavilion recently received a new batch of goods. I wonder if there are any suitable bracelets."

The maid immediately replied, "If Madam wishes to go out for a stroll, I will go and inform the steward."

"Here's what we'll do: go tell Steward Zhang that I want to buy some nice clothes and jewelry, and ask him to give me a thousand taels of silver."

Why would you spend so much money on clothes? The maid didn't dare ask any more questions and respectfully left.

Before long, a steward brought over a box. Ning Yu opened it and found a thick stack of silver notes inside, each note worth hundreds or thousands of taels.

She's struck it rich! This must be tens of thousands of taels of silver. She won't have to rack her brains to make money anymore; it'll be enough for her to spend after she leaves the capital.

"I heard that Madam wishes to go out for a stroll. Would you like us servants to accompany her?"

Everything in the capital is made of gold; a single gemstone necklace from Tianxiang Tower is worth a thousand taels of silver. Fearing it wouldn't be enough, he took out more silver notes.

Lord Qingfeng has already said that the lady's expenses do not need to be recorded in the accounts; they are all from the governor's private treasury.