The empress is both charming and seductive, rising through the ranks of palace intrigue.

Ning Shuyan walked gracefully to him. Xiao Yu leisurely looked her over and noticed that her cheeks had indeed become a bit rounder. At this moment, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her shy appearance gave her a charming and touching look.

Xiao Yu examined her closely and said, "Hmm... your face has become a bit rounder."

Ning Shuyan covered her cheeks shyly and pouted, saying, "His Majesty just said he wouldn't dislike me."

Xiao Yu pulled Ning Shuyan into his arms and pinched her slender waist: "Your waist is still so thin."

A smile flickered in his eyes: "But I'll have to study the other areas carefully."

As he spoke, he reached out and began to examine it closely.

"Your Majesty..." Ning Shuyan grabbed Xiao Yu's hand to stop her. In the candlelight, her skin was translucent and her slightly flushed cheeks were like those of a ripe peach, captivating Xiao Yu.

Looking at those hands, smooth and soft like asparagus, Xiao Yu's throat bobbed silently, and the deep smile in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"I've taken a look, and it seems about right. If it's a little longer, that's fine too."

Ning Shuyan gritted her teeth and sneered inwardly. If they thought she was too small, why didn't they go to the other concubines and study and play with her slowly?

Ning Shuyan tilted her head, the pearl pendant on her hairpin tumbling gently. She said coquettishly, "Your Majesty is so greedy. You want everything to be perfect. Just now you said you wouldn't mind my appearance."

Xiao Yu hadn't been intimate with Ning Shuyan for a long time, nor had he been this close to her in a long time. Seeing her coquettish appearance stirred a little ripple in his heart, and his reaction arose involuntarily.

He lowered his head and breathed heavily into Ning Shuyan's ear.

Ning Shuyan quickly whispered, "Your Majesty... the imperial physician said that my body is not fully recovered, and it is best to wait a month after the miscarriage before..."

Xiao Yu was slightly taken aback, and his eyes instantly darkened.

Ning Shuyan raised her eyes and looked at him with a hooked gaze: "After I have fully recovered, I will make it up to Your Majesty."

Xiao Yu curled his lips into a smile: "Really? Yan'er, don't lie to me."

Ning Shuyan lowered her eyes with a smile, her voice soft and gentle like a ball of cotton: "Your Majesty, I will not lie to you."

Xiao Yu smiled and put his arm around her waist, but then his expression turned serious as he suddenly remembered something. His smile seemed to freeze, and he said in a deep voice, "Yan'er, let's have another child in the future."

"I want a child between you and me."

Ning Shuyan stiffened slightly. Xiao Yu had rarely mentioned the word "child" in front of her recently, and she thought he had forgotten about it, but she never expected him to say such a thing today.

Looking up, she saw a deep sorrow between his brows. Ning Shuyan said softly, "A child is not something that I can have at will. Moreover... I'm afraid that when the next child comes, it will be just like this time."

"No way!" Xiao Yu blurted out.

"I know what you're worried about. I won't let him get hurt, and I'll raise him under your care."

Ning Shuyan looked up at Xiao Yu with astonishment, her clear, watery eyes filled with surprise.

He raised his hand and gently stroked Ning Shuyan's head, his gaze filled with tenderness and pity: "I understand your feelings, and I know you are heartbroken over the loss of your child. I am heartbroken too. But I am the king, and I cannot show it."

Ning Shuyan rested her head on his chest, wrapped her arms tightly around Xiao Yu, and whispered, "Your Majesty understands me, and I understand Your Majesty."

Xiao Yu hugged her tightly, his chin stroking the top of her head, and closed his eyes with a touch of heartache.

"Your Majesty... do you think that if I become pregnant again, the child will come back? Will it still be her?" Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, and her voice was filled with endless sorrow.

"Yes, I believe he will come back to us..."

Ning Shuyan knew that only in this way would Xiao Yu look forward to their child and not forget that there was such a child.

The next day, when Xiao Yu got up, Ning Shuyan was still asleep. He saw that the blanket had slipped down to her chest and her legs were curled up, and he couldn't help but laugh. He covered her with the blanket again.

Qiu Le came in with water, but before she could put it down, Xiao Yu said, "Keep your voice down, don't disturb your master."

Qiu Le couldn't stop smiling when she heard this. She was genuinely happy for her mistress, because at least the Emperor's concern for her mistress was now much more sincere.

When Xiao Yu finished washing up and hurriedly left the hall, he accidentally bumped into Lü Rui, who was carrying tea in. The tea immediately spilled onto the tray, and the scalding hot tea flowed everywhere, dripping onto the ground.

Fortunately, Green Pistil was held close to her, so it didn't spill on Xiao Yu.

She panicked, her face turning deathly pale. She immediately knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, I have offended you. Please spare my life!"

Upon seeing this, Yang An immediately scolded, "You palace maid..."

Before he could speak, Xiao Yu raised his hand to stop Yang An. He glanced into the inner hall and, thinking that she had gone to bed late last night, did not want to make a commotion and disturb Ning Shuyan.

"Never mind." His voice was neither cold nor indifferent, and his sharply defined face remained indifferent.

A gentle breeze drifted past Green Bud, carrying a faint, mysterious fragrance. Green Bud turned her head and stared blankly at Xiao Yu's retreating figure.

"Sister Lvrui, why are you carrying tea?" Liuli, who had just finished using the restroom, hurriedly stepped forward. Ziying had gone to the Imperial Household Department, and she had originally entrusted this matter to her, but the tea had disappeared after she went to the restroom.

Green Bud came to her senses and straightened the teacups on the tray: "I was thinking of helping you by going in to serve you tea, but I didn't expect to bump into the Emperor just now."

Liuli has recently become quite close to Lürui, so she speaks more casually: "You're really lucky. What if the Emperor blames you?" Her face is full of worry.

Green Bud smiled slightly: "It's alright. The Emperor isn't as cold as you and I imagine. For example, he didn't blame me just now."

As she spoke, her smile widened even further.

A glint flashed in Liuli's eyes, and she quickly lowered her gaze to hide her emotions. She took the tea and said softly, "Your clothes are a little wet. Did you get burned? Go and change your clothes."

Green Bud smiled and said, "Now that I'm wearing thicker clothes, I haven't gotten burned."

After Lü Rui went inside to change her clothes, Liu Li tidied up the teacups, thinking that she should definitely go in and talk to Ning Shuyan about this matter when the time was right.

After Ning Shuyan returned from paying her respects, Liuli saw an opportune moment and quickly entered the inner palace.

"My lady, today Green Bud offended the Emperor, and I suspect she has developed some ulterior motives."

Ning Shuyan's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, her beautiful eyes brightening as she sneered, "Could it be that she's planning to climb into my bed?"

Liuli said, "This servant only noticed that she kept staring at the Emperor today, but as for whether she had any ulterior motives, this servant does not know. This servant did not notice that she had such intentions before."

Ning Shuyan picked up the tea lid and slowly and methodically brushed away the tea leaves. No matter how she brushed them away, the tea leaves remained in the teacup, like prey that could not escape.

A beautiful smile curved her lips, her eyes as deep and unfathomable as the ocean: "That's really interesting."

Liuli didn't understand Ning Shuyan's words.

Ning Shuyan picked up her teacup and took two sips, saying, "Send a message to Lürui, saying that you overheard Qiule and I talking about the miscarriage being suspicious. Don't say anything else."

Liuli nodded: "Okay, this servant understands."

"If you hear about this and have any reaction or commotion, then come and tell me," Ning Shuyan said calmly.

Ning Shuyan wanted to confirm once again whether the person behind Lü Rui was Consort Zhuang.

If so, things are probably about to get interesting.