The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

Inside the Taiji Hall, Shen Qingruo wore a green belted long dress, her black hair tied up with a jade hairpin, her small face showing the languor and blush of someone who had just received imperial favor.

Her legs were a little weak and she was unsteady on her feet, so Shen Wangxi held her slender waist and half-carried her to sit down next to the main seat in the outer hall.

"It's all your fault..." Shen Qingruo couldn't help but look up as she sat down, giving the man beside her a coquettish glare, her voice soft and complaining.

Shen Wangxi coughed lightly, her eyes filled with doting satisfaction, but her face remained calm. She patted her back and said to Wu Tian, ​​who was waiting beside her, "Let the Princess in."

Shen Jingyan lowered her head, walked into the hall, knelt down according to etiquette, and performed the three bows and nine kowtows ceremony.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty and to the Noble Consort."

A palace servant brought over a teacup, and Shen Jingyan raised it above her head with both hands: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. Please have some tea, Your Majesty."

Shen Wangxi looked at her daughter kneeling below, and at her bright red wedding dress, and felt a sense of disorientation.

Time flies, and Ah Yan is actually getting married.

He sighed inwardly, took the teacup, and took a sip.

As she put down her teacup, Shen Wangxi's tone was slightly gentler than usual: "Get up. Ayan, now that you are married, you must be dutiful and live in harmony with your husband."

This brief instruction, though lacking in warmth, was a rare display of gentleness in recent days.

Shen Jingyan knelt on the ground, her nose tingling with emotion.

The fatherly love that was once readily available can now only be glimpsed on her wedding day.

The emperor before her, though only half a year had passed, felt like a lifetime ago.

Shen Jingyan suppressed the sob in her throat and kowtowed deeply: "Your subject will remember your father's teachings."

She rose, still bowing her head, and respectfully withdrew from the main hall, never once glancing at Shen Qingruo.

Shen Wangxi watched Ayan's figure disappear outside the palace gate and sighed almost inaudibly.

This daughter, in the end, drifted further and further away from him.

Shen Qingruo, standing to the side, noticed the complex emotions in his expression.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she stood up, her body still a little weak. She deliberately took an unsteady step, let out a soft cry, and fell towards Shen Wangxi.

Shen Wangxi reacted quickly, stretching out his long arm to pull the person into his arms and let her sit on his lap.

"How could you be so careless?" He looked down at the girl in his arms with her furrowed brows, and the little bit of melancholy he had just felt immediately vanished, replaced by worry for her.

"Are your legs still weak? Shall I carry you back so you can rest a bit more?"

Shen Qingruo shook her head, stretched out her snow-white arms to wrap around his neck, and looked up at him with her delicate little face.

Then, she took one of his large hands and stubbornly placed it on her lower abdomen.

"Your Majesty," she said softly, her voice tinged with grievance.

"It's been so long, and there's still no sign of His Majesty's baby here, Aruo."

She raised her misty eyes, looking directly into his, her gaze filled with fear:

"Your Majesty, are you hiding something from Aruo? Will Aruo be able to have any more children in the future?"

Shen Wangxi felt a pang of panic, but forced himself to remain calm. He tightened his arms around her, gently stroking her lower abdomen with his other hand. "What nonsense are you talking about? It will happen naturally."

He avoided her clear gaze, carefully choosing his words: "It's just that the imperial physician said your constitution is weaker than average, and you've also depleted your vital energy."

"These next two years will probably be tough; I need to take good care of myself first."

"Once you've recovered, our princes and princesses will naturally come."

Hearing his words, Shen Qingruo buried her face in the crook of his neck, her mood clearly downcast, her voice muffled and trembling with tears: "Really? Your Majesty didn't lie to Aruo?"

"A ruler's word is law." Shen Wangxi cupped her small face in his hands, looking at her tearful appearance, and felt extremely distressed.

He gently coaxed you, "When have I ever lied to you? Be good, don't overthink it. I will definitely have the imperial physicians use the best medicine to properly treat your body."

With his patient reassurance, the little girl in his arms gradually calmed down and nestled softly against him.

Shen Wangxi gently patted her back, comforting her.