Eunuch Ye, you've got guts!

The hall was deathly silent. Lanxin was already so terrified that she knelt on the ground, trembling.

Su Qingwan stood there, her body swaying as if all her strength had been drained in an instant.

The color drained from her face, her lips trembled slightly, and her usually cold phoenix eyes first showed disbelief and astonishment, followed by immense grief and despair.

"His Majesty's will... is to prevent the Su family from becoming too powerful, and to prevent me from becoming pregnant..."

She murmured to herself, then suddenly laughed softly, a laugh both desolate and shrill. "So that's how it is. So in his eyes, I, Su Qingwan, am nothing more than a pawn to win over the Su family... a tool unworthy even to bear his children... How laughable, I thought, I thought..."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back with all her might, and they turned into a deep crimson.

Overwhelmed by grief and anger, she lost all reason and violently pulled out the silver hairpin from her hair, stabbing it straight into her heart!

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" Ye Shenge was the closest, and without thinking, she rushed forward and instinctively reached for the silver hairpin with her bare hands.

With a soft "swoosh," the hairpin tip grazed Ye Shenge's palm, drawing out a string of blood beads, but it also veered off course, only piercing Su Qingwan's collar.

Lan Xin rushed forward, clinging tightly to Su Qingwan's arm, crying out, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you can't! For a concubine to commit suicide is a grave crime, punishable by the execution of nine generations of her family, Your Majesty!"

Su Qingwan was stopped by the two men. She struggled a few times, but eventually ran out of strength, and the silver hairpin in her hand fell to the ground with a "clang".

She slumped down, tears finally welling up in her eyes, but she bit her lip to keep from crying out loud. Her shoulders trembled violently, and her suppressed sobs were more heartbreaking than any loud wailing.

Ignoring the burning pain in her hands, Ye Shenge crawled two steps on her knees and said urgently, "Your Majesty! Consort Li told this to me with no good intentions!"

"She wants to make you resentful and alienate you from the Emperor. She wants to see you fall into despair and the Su family suffer!"

"If you were to end your life now, wouldn't that play right into her hands? It would cause pain to those close to you and joy to your enemies!"

Su Qingwan raised her tearful eyes to look at him, her eyes filled with despair.

Ye Shenggge continued, "Your Majesty, now that we know the harm of incense, we can take precautions. I can add a few neutralizing medicinal herbs to this incense to remove its antagonistic properties while retaining its calming effect. No one else will be able to detect it."

"As for the cold toxins that have accumulated in Her Majesty's body," he said firmly, "give this servant time to administer acupuncture and medicine continuously, and with careful treatment, it should take about six months to remove most of them. At that time, Her Majesty's body will warm up, and the matter of having children... may not be entirely hopeless!"

Su Qingwan's crying gradually stopped. She looked at Ye Shenge's cut and bleeding hand, and then at his anxious and sincere eyes.

This eunuch, having refused Consort Li's advances, risked his life to reveal the truth that even the imperial physicians dared not speak, and is now desperately trying to find a glimmer of hope for her...

After a long silence, she took a trembling breath, her voice hoarse: "Why...why did you tell me all this? You could have kept it a secret, or sided with Consort Li."

Ye Shenge lowered her eyes: "This servant is unaware of the bigger picture. I only know that since I have been favored by Your Highness and have stayed in Jingyang Palace, I should do my best to serve you. This servant will not do anything to deceive you. Moreover, Consort Li's actions... this servant cannot agree with them."

Su Qingwan remained silent for a long time. Finally, she raised her hand and slowly wiped away the tears on her face with her sleeve. Although her eyes were still red and swollen, a faint light gradually gathered in her phoenix eyes.

"Alright..." she said hoarsely, supporting herself with Lanxin's hand as she slowly stood up. Though her body was still swaying slightly, her back was straight. "I'll trust you this once. You'll handle the matter of the spices. I'll also entrust this illness to you. Six months... I'll wait for you for six months."

She looked at Ye Shenggge, her gaze complex: "If even a single word of what happened today is revealed..."

"This servant was only treating Your Highness's old ailment today and accidentally cut my hand. I know nothing else," Ye Shenge immediately replied.

Su Qingwan nodded slowly, closing her eyes wearily: "Lanxin, take him downstairs to get bandaged. Today... I'm tired."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lanxin replied, choking back tears, and helped Ye Shenge up before leaving.

Inside the hall, only Su Qingwan remained. She slowly walked to the window, gazing at the imposing palace walls outside, her fingernails digging into her palms.

……

Lan Xin carefully applied ointment to the wound on Ye Shenge's palm and wrapped it with a clean strip of cloth. Her movements were very gentle, and her eyes were still a little red.

"Eunuch Ye..." she whispered, her voice choked with emotion, "Thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, Her Majesty..."

She couldn't say anything more, she just shook her head.

Ye Shenge looked at her bandaged hand and shook her head: "It's my duty. But I'm afraid things will get even harder from now on."

He not only learned secrets he shouldn't have known, but also got caught up in an even deeper vortex.

Lanxin looked up at him: "Father-in-law, you truly care for Her Majesty; I can see that."

Ye Shenge didn't reply, but only sighed softly.

The following day, the emperor visited Jingyang Palace.

Su Qingwan greeted the emperor with proper etiquette, but her usual gentle smile was gone. She lowered her eyes, spoke briefly, and exuded an unapproachable coldness.

The emperor sat at the head of the table and initially inquired gently about her health. However, upon seeing her condition, his brows gradually furrowed, and his expression became displeased.

He glanced at the palace servants standing in the hall, his tone turning stern: "How are you all serving her? The Imperial Concubine looks so unwell, what are you all doing standing there like statues?"

Lan Xin quickly knelt down: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Her Majesty's old illness flared up again yesterday, and she did not sleep well last night, so she is feeling a little weak."

Ye Shenge also knelt down, head bowed and silent.

Su Qingwan then raised her eyes to look at the emperor, her voice calm: "It's not their fault, it's just that my health is failing me. Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, yet you still came to visit me; I feel uneasy."

She paused for a moment, then said, "The palace is stifling, and the smell of medicine is overwhelming. I think it would be better for me to stay at Ciyun Nunnery outside the city for a few days to calm my mind and pray for His Majesty's well-being. Perhaps it will be beneficial to my health."

The emperor looked at her pale and indifferent face, remained silent for a moment, then his displeasure eased slightly, and he nodded: "It's good for you to go out for a walk. Ciyun Nunnery is quiet and suitable for recuperation."

He turned to Cao Wushe, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was standing to the side, and said, "Cao, select a few capable and reliable guards to escort the Imperial Concubine there. Make sure the Imperial Concubine is safe."

"This old servant obeys the decree." Cao Wushe bowed, his voice high-pitched.

The emperor offered Su Qingwan a few more words of comfort before departing.

Once the imperial carriage had driven away, Su Qingwan's calm expression turned icy: "Escort? It's clearly surveillance!"

"Your Majesty," Ye Shenge lowered her voice, stepped forward, and reminded him, "That's precisely why we need to be even more careful. Now that His Majesty has made up his mind, you must not let him know that you already know... otherwise, the Su family will be in danger."

Su Qingwan looked at him abruptly, her chest heaving.

After a long pause, she forced herself to suppress her emotions, closed her eyes briefly, and said in a hoarse voice, "I know. This time, leaving the palace is to get away from this disgusting place and think things through."