His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

"no."

Feng Mian shook his head regretfully: "General Yuan and General Han are both married, and Yueying has also married into the capital. She received the good news more than two months ago that she gave birth to a little prince. Now only Doctor Luo is left, and he always says that he is not in a hurry."

No wonder.

Mo Sangyu understood.

Luo Ming is only focused on studying medicine and healing the sick. Jiang Shiyu has fallen for him, but that will be a long wait.

However, since Yuan Zhao and Han Xiao had both gotten married, and Yue Ying had also married Feng Tingye, Mo Sangyu was quite gratified.

Her gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Ya Zi.

Ya Zi, who had been relaxed, noticed Mo Sangyu's gaze tighten slightly.

He is now more composed and reserved than before, and even his happiness is hidden deep in his eyes.

"Is Wanwan in the palace?"

"Wanwan mostly stays in the palace. She only leaves the palace for a few days when Ya Zi isn't busy, but..."

Feng Mian gently tugged at Mo Sangyu's sleeve and whispered, "Miss, I think Ya Zi's feelings for Wanwan are just like a brother's for his sister—loving and caring, but there's no romantic love between them..."

It's probably impossible.

Feng Mian didn't say the last sentence aloud, and Mo Sangyu simply nodded after hearing it.

When it comes to matters of the heart, you can't force them; you can only let things take their natural course.

After the excitement subsided, everyone gradually took their leave.

The imperial study quickly quieted down, the candlelight flickering, stretching and shrinking the shadows on the window paper.

As Mo Sangyu was about to get up, she caught a glimpse of a figure still standing by the door.

Yazi.

He didn't follow the others; he stood by the door with his hands at his sides, as if waiting for the right moment.

Mo Sangyu glanced at him, didn't ask any questions, and only said, "Let's go for a walk," before walking towards the door first.

Ya Zi followed silently behind, and the two of them walked through the corridor one after the other into the spacious inner courtyard of the palace.

The night breeze swept through the passageways between the palaces, carrying the cool scent of grass and trees typical of early autumn.

Mo Sangyu stopped beside a rockery and turned to look at the person behind her.

More than a year has passed since we last met, and Ya Zi has become more composed and reserved than before. He is much more muscular than before, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and his handsome eyebrows and eyes reveal a hint of sharpness.

"Miss."

When no one was around, he switched back to his old way of addressing people, his voice lower than before, like the rich aroma of a jar of wine that had been buried for many years, revealed when the seal was lifted.

"How have you been these past year or so?"

Mo Sangyu leaned against the artificial hill, arms crossed: "Do you think I'd be unhappy?"

Ya Zi looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then shook his head.

No need to ask, Miss will be fine no matter where she is.

Looking at his expression, Mo Sangyu curled her lips into a smile: "But what about you? What are you thinking if you feel sorry for Wanwan..."

"Miss."

Ya Zi interrupted her: "I treat Miss Wan like my own sister."

He lowered his eyes, as if he had pondered the words in his mind many times. When he said them now, he did not hesitate or waver.

"She's just a simple-minded girl who doesn't understand anything about love between men and women. I don't want to hurt her, but I will pamper her, protect her for the rest of my life, and let her live a happy and carefree life."

Mo Sangyu looked at Ya Zi without saying a word.

The moonlight fell on his shoulders, illuminating the calm in his eyes.

"I won't marry her," Ya Zi added, his voice very soft, as if making a promise to himself: "nor will I marry anyone else."

The night breeze swept through the courtyard, fluttering the hems of their robes.

Mo Sangyu looked at him for a long time, then sighed softly.

"Yazi".

She patted his shoulder and said softly, "Wanwan isn't your responsibility. There's no need to remain unmarried for her sake. If you meet a woman who moves your heart in the future..."

"Miss."

Ya Zi interrupted her again, his voice solemn and serious: "Don't overthink it. Wanwan is not a burden to me. I take care of her willingly. Wanwan is very well-behaved, and I am very happy when I am with her. As for marriage... let's leave it to fate."

He said he would leave it to fate, but Mo Sangyu could tell that this was a decision he had carefully considered over the past few years.

Indeed, for him to have other thoughts about a naive and innocent girl like Wanwan would feel like a crime, like he was seducing her.

But he would rather remain unmarried for life and willingly take care of her for the rest of his life, which is... very unfair to him.

"Miss, it's late, you should go home now."

After saying what was on his mind, Ya Zi felt much lighter. He bowed deeply to Mo Sangyu and said, "This is my own choice. I hope Miss will grant my request. I... take my leave."

After saying that, he turned and strode away.

Mo Sangyu returned to Zhaohua Palace.

In the sleeping hall.

She pushed open the door, and the scene before her made her stop in her tracks.

In the very center of the sleeping quarters, there was a thick crawling mat, surrounded by a fence. Scattered inside were rattles, plush toys, teething sticks, and various brightly colored toys, all of which Feng Xingyu had brought back from the modern world.

What truly stunned her was the small, swaying figure in the center of the cushion.

Zhao Zhao held onto the railing with her two little hands, her short legs trembling as she straightened up, and then... she stood up.

The four-month-old baby can stand up?!

Mo Sangyu gasped, took three steps in two, and squatted down beside the cushion, her eyes wide open.

"Feng Xingyu."

Without turning her head, she shouted, "Look!"

Feng Xingyu sat on the low couch next to her, holding a folding book in his hand. Hearing her voice, he looked up and his gaze fell on the small figure in the center of the cushion. His expression suddenly changed.

Zhao Zhao was grinning at them, her two short legs stretched straight, as if she was afraid of embarrassing herself if she sat down.

The two looked at each other and saw the same surprise in each other's eyes.

However, their surprise lasted only a moment before turning into a helpless yet knowing smile.

Zhao Zhao is no ordinary doll, after all.

A child of mixed divine and demonic blood, and born through defying fate, is inherently extraordinary.

Mo Sangyu reached out and gently supported Zhao Zhao's back, her voice soft and gentle: "Baby, why are you in such a hurry to stand up?"

As if she understood, Zhao Zhao giggled twice, then plopped back down on the cushion, grabbed a rattle with her little hand, and skillfully placed it in Mo Sangyu's hand, as if the little figure that had just stood there trembling was just a fleeting illusion.

The couple played with their daughter for a while.

Not long after, Granny Yu came in with a smile and gently picked Zhao Zhao up from the cushion.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the little princess should rest now. The wet nurse has been preparing everything and is eagerly awaiting the young master's return."

When Zhao Zhao was picked up, she was not happy. She stretched her little hands toward Mo Sangyu and made a couple of cooing sounds. But after being patted on the back by Granny Yu, her little head quickly tilted to the side and her eyelids started to droop.

The palace has always kept several wet nurses, all of whom were looking forward to the young master's return. Now that he has finally returned, the emperor and empress naturally no longer need to do everything themselves.

Zhao Zhao is actually very well-behaved. She eats and drinks her fill every day and doesn't make a fuss. She's just very mischievous and has a lot of energy. She always likes to pull Bai Tuanzi's ears and tail.

The white dumpling was being pulled so hard it screamed, unable to escape, it was a truly miserable sight.

Granny Yu carried Zhao Zhao out, and the palace door closed gently.

Only the couple remained in the bedroom, where candles burned quietly, casting a warm yellow glow over the room.

Mo Sangyu leaned back on the soft couch and stretched out a big yawn.

Feng Xingyu walked over and sat down beside her, his arm naturally resting on the back of the chair behind her, looking down at her.

"Tired?"

Mo Sangyu turned her head to look at him: "Not tired."

Finally, without the distraction of the little third wheel, Feng Xingyu's gaze remained fixed on her lips.

She curled her lips into a smile, said nothing, reached out and hooked her hand around his collar, pulling him down a little.

Feng Xingyu lowered his head and kissed her lips.

The kiss deepened, growing from gentle to burning hot. The candlelight in the hall flickered, as if ashamed to witness the enchanting scene.

Clothes lay scattered around the bed, their intertwined scents blending into the night. Outside the window, the night wind rustled through the treetops, masking their soft, low sounds.

After an unknown amount of time, the hall finally quieted down again.

Mo Sangyu nestled in Feng Xingyu's arms, her forehead pressed against his collarbone, her breathing gradually calming down.

Feng Xingyu ran his fingers through her loose hair, stroking the back of her neck intermittently. His gaze lingered on the dark patterns on the canopy ceiling, the satisfaction in his eyes not yet completely gone.

The night was quiet, warm, and fleeting.

The next day, when Feng Xingyu got up to go to court, Mo Sangyu was still snuggled in bed, not yet awake.

After he left, she lazily turned over and remembered that she had forgotten to take out the gift from the Sea of ​​Consciousness the night before.

She sat on the edge of the bed for a while, then got up, dressed, and took stock of all the things she had brought back from the modern world.

These gifts were just bought whatever I saw; I didn't specifically choose them.

Mo Sangyu tidied up the items and found that there were many different kinds of things. She didn't know how to distribute them, so she simply put them all out in the main hall and let them choose whatever they liked.

The items were dazzling and varied, all sorts of novel trinkets.

She sent someone to tell everyone that she had gifts to give away.

As soon as the court session ended, everyone gradually arrived.

Yan Qing was the first to rush in, his eyes immediately lighting up as he spotted the sneakers: "These shoes are so unique, Your Majesty, are they for me?"

"Everyone has one, but the sizes are different, so don't take the wrong one," Mo Sangyu said.

Yan Qing squatted down to the side with the shoebox in his arms and immediately began to unpack and try on the shoes.

Yuan Zhao and Han Xiao walked in unhurriedly, each carrying a bottle of fine wine, carefully studying the labels on the bottles.

Lu Jin followed behind them, his gaze sweeping across the long table before finally landing on the finely bound military treatise. He picked it up, flipped through it, and a glint immediately appeared in his eyes.

There were also fountain pens, the latest anatomical atlases, perfumes, lipsticks, face masks, ceramic painting sets, and all sorts of delicious snacks.

The fountain pen was left to Gu Jinzhi, the deciphered diagram was left to Luo Ming, and the rest were distributed among the female comrades.

Mo Sangyu also prepared gifts for the people from the Cangxuan Realm.

Especially Yun Yihe and Rong Xuanci, we'll send it to them after we've finished dealing with things here.

In the following days, Feng Xingyu spent all his time in the imperial study, dealing with several thorny issues that had recently arisen.

The spies at the border have been investigated and the masterminds have been brought to justice. The list of those responsible for the mess at the canal has also been finalized. The Ministry of Works has changed its head, the Ministry of Revenue has allocated disaster relief funds, and the disaster victims are being resettled one after another.

The investigations that needed to be conducted were investigated, the punishments that needed to be dealt with were dealt with, the rewards that deserved were rewarded, and the punishments that deserved were punished. Every single matter was handled swiftly and decisively, and the whispers and discussions in the court gradually subsided.

By the time Feng Xingyu finished approving the last memorial, it was already dark outside the window.

He put down his pen, rubbed his wrist, and got up to walk outside.

The lights in Zhaohua Palace were on, and the warm yellow light shone through the windows, blurry and gentle.

When he pushed the door open, Mo Sangyu had just finished taking a bath and was lazily reclining on the low couch.

Feng Xingyu walked to the low couch and sat down. Mo Sangyu turned her head to look at him, then lazily moved aside to make room for him.

"Are you done with your work?"

"Hmm." Feng Xingyu reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "Where's Zhaozhao?"

"Granny Yu took it to breastfeed, she'll bring it back in a bit."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of hurried and flustered footsteps came from outside the palace gate.

Granny Yu's voice arrived before anyone else, filled with surprise, joy, and panic: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the little princess...she..."

Before he could finish speaking, a small figure wobbled in through the palace gate.

Zhao Zhao steadied herself by holding onto the door frame, looked up and saw her parents on the low couch. She grinned, then let go of their hands, took two short steps, and ran steadily towards them.

It was more of a brisk walk than a run; her legs moved quickly, her feet slapping the smooth ground with a soft thud, her steps steady and fast.

Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu sat up straight at the same time.

Zhao Zhao ran to the low couch, put her two little hands on the edge of the couch, tilted her head up, and giggled at Mo Sangyu, with a drop of milk stain still hanging on the corner of her mouth.

Granny Yu followed behind, panting, with Qingwu and Yuhe also trailing behind. All three of them kept their eyes fixed on Zhaozhao, as if afraid she might bump into something.

"The little princess was walking around in circles inside the fence just now, and suddenly she grabbed the railing and climbed over it by herself..." Granny Yu's voice was filled with surprise and sigh, and she spoke intermittently.

Mo Sangyu looked down at the little pink ball of joy who was smiling up at him, paused for a moment, and then reached out to pick Zhao Zhao up from the ground.

Zhao Zhao was unhappy when she was picked up and kicked her legs a couple of times, but she couldn't break free from her mother's hold, so she gave up.

Qingwu stood to the side, covering her face and whispering, "It's only been a few days, and they're already running all over the place... Just a few days ago, they could only move by holding onto the fence."

Yuhe also looked incredulous: "Our little princess is not even five months old yet. She's not a baby, she's clearly a little genius."

As if she understood, Zhao Zhao squirmed in Mo Sangyu's arms, stretched her little hand toward Feng Xingyu, and uttered a muffled syllable: "Da".

Feng Xingyu looked down at her, reached out and took her. Zhao Zhao immediately climbed up and stood up, her little feet stomping on his legs.

Granny Yu stood by, sweating profusely with anxiety, muttering, "Slow down, slow down, my little darling, don't fall..."

Zhao Zhao turned her head to look at her, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. Then she suddenly loosened Feng Xingyu's collar, plopped down in his arms, and quietly began to nibble on her fingers.

Granny Yu: "..."

Qingwu and Yuhe exchanged a glance, both seeing the same expression in each other's eyes.

Shock!

How old is the little princess? She's already learned to amuse people!