That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

When Xiao Yan arrived at Zhaoyang Palace, the imperial physician was taking Consort Rong's pulse.

Consort Rong's face was beaming with undisguised joy as she gently stroked her lower abdomen with one hand, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"How is it?" Xiao Yan asked in a deep voice.

The imperial physician withdrew his finger, bowed, and replied with a hint of nervousness, "Your Majesty and Your Highness, Your Highness is not pregnant. This nausea and vomiting is due to a weak spleen and stomach, resulting in poor digestion."

Consort Rong's smile froze abruptly, her eyes filled with disbelief, followed by deep disappointment.

In contrast, Xiao Yan showed no sign of disappointment; his expression remained calm.

"My period is almost ten days late, which has never happened before. Could it be that the imperial physician has made a mistake?" Consort Rong asked impatiently.

The imperial physician quickly explained, "Your Majesty, qi and blood depend on the spleen and stomach for transformation and production. Your spleen and stomach are weak, and your qi and blood are deficient, so your menstruation will naturally be delayed. This is a common condition among women and not a sign of pregnancy."

The light in Consort Rong's eyes dimmed completely, her eyes reddened slightly, and she could not hide her disappointment.

Xiao Yan instructed, "The imperial physician shall prepare a prescription for Consort Rong."

He then turned to Consort Rong, his tone calm, "Now that the imperial physician has diagnosed the cause, just take good care of yourself. Once your spleen and stomach are healthy, everything will return to normal. Xianning, there's no need to be too anxious."

Consort Rong noticed something else: why didn't the Emperor call her "Ningning" anymore?

She suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and responded softly, "Yes," secretly comforting herself that perhaps it was inconvenient for the Emperor to be so intimate in front of others.

Xiao Yan sat for a while longer before getting up to return to the palace.

Consort Rong quickly nudged the Second Princess beside her.

The second princess immediately rushed forward, hugged Xiao Yan's leg, and cried out in her childish voice, "Father, don't go!"

"Your Majesty," Consort Rong spoke softly, "I know today is Consort Yuan's birthday, but Shu'er misses her father terribly and longs for your visit day and night. It has been so long since you have spent time with her properly. Could Your Majesty please stay and have dinner with Shu'er?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the second princess looked up at her with red eyes and pleaded, "Father, please spend some time with me, okay?"

Xiao Yan looked down at the little girl who was clinging tightly to his leg, and finally couldn't bear to refuse, so he nodded gently in agreement.

Consort Rong immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting Shu'er's little wish."

Xiao Yan turned to Li Fuquan and instructed, "Go back and tell Consort Yuan that I will be having dinner at Zhaoyang Palace tonight, and that she does not need to wait for me."

The smile on Consort Rong's face faded slightly, and a hint of displeasure welled up in her heart.

Since when did the Emperor have to specifically report to a mere concubine where he would dine?

But then she thought about it again and breathed a sigh of relief.

Consort Yuan was merely a substitute for her; the Emperor's favor towards her was ultimately just a temporary pastime.

She has nothing to fear.

After dinner, Xiao Yan played with the Second Princess for a while longer.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to get up and return to the palace, the Second Princess suddenly clutched her stomach, her little face contorted in pain.

Left with no other choice, Xiao Yan could only stay and ask Li Fuquan to quickly go and invite Imperial Physician Li.

Imperial Physician Li rushed over and examined the princess's pulse for a long time. He said that the princess's pulse was stable and there was nothing wrong with her.

But the second princess continued to cry and fuss, clutching her stomach.

Xiao Yan already understood: Shu'er probably didn't really have a stomachache; it was most likely that Consort Rong had instructed her to use this as an excuse to keep him.

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of dissatisfaction towards Consort Rong:

Why teach a perfectly good child these scheming and manipulative thoughts? Won't that ruin her character?

Xiao Yan's expression darkened. He leaned down to look at the Second Princess, his tone serious: "Shu'er, your father is asking you, do you really have a stomachache?"

Consort Rong's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly stepped forward to explain in a flustered manner, "Your Majesty, Shu'er is still very young, perhaps the imperial physicians were unable to diagnose the cause immediately..."

"I didn't ask you," Xiao Yan interrupted her coldly, his gaze still fixed on the Second Princess.

The second princess first glanced timidly at Consort Rong, then whispered, "Your subject... Your subject really has a stomachache."

"Children shouldn't lie," Xiao Yan softened his tone, gently stroking her little nose. "Children who lie will have their noses grow longer."

Upon hearing this, the second princess was so frightened that she covered her nose and cried out, "I don't want my nose to grow longer! I wasn't lying..."

Xiao Yan straightened up, and his gaze toward Consort Rong was now completely devoid of any concealment of displeasure.

He said no more and started to leave. Consort Rong hurriedly tugged at the Second Princess's arm, and the Second Princess rushed after him. In her haste, she tripped over her own foot and fell heavily to the ground.

With a muffled thud, the second princess's forehead hit the blue brick floor, and blood instantly flowed down her face.

"Shu'er!" Consort Rong exclaimed, her face turning deathly pale as she rushed over.

Xiao Yan also turned around abruptly, quickly picked up the child from the ground, and looked at the wound on her forehead.

Unable to contain himself, he roared at Consort Rong, "Why haven't you summoned the imperial physician yet!"

After all that fuss, Xiao Yan asked about the time again, and it was already past midnight.

Ningning's birthday has already passed.

He had promised Ningning that he would spend the whole day with her. But not only did he fail to keep his promise, he couldn't even get back before the day ended.

Xiao Yan felt a pang of regret, and his displeasure with Consort Rong grew even stronger.

Shu'er still clung tightly to his clothes. The imperial physician said the child might have a low-grade fever tonight and needed to be well cared for.

After much hesitation, Xiao Yan ultimately decided to stay at Zhaoyang Palace.

He thought to himself that he would explain it to Ningning properly when he returned tomorrow. She was always understanding and would surely understand.

The next morning, Xiao Yan rushed back to the Hall of Diligent Governance, only to find it empty.

"Where is Consort Yuan?" he asked in a deep voice.

The palace maid bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, last night at midnight, Consort Yuan, seeing that Your Majesty had not returned for a long time, went back to the palace on her own."

Last night at midnight...

Xiao Yan's heart sank, and he asked again, "Did she leave any message?"

"Your Majesty, no."

Xiao Yan sighed softly.

Ningning must be extremely disappointed.

Li Fuquan cautiously reminded him from the side, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, it's time for court."