With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

Emperor Yan waved his hand, "It's cold today, Imperial Uncle, you should go back early. I'm fine, no need to worry."

"Since everyone is here, why not have Xuanjing take His Majesty's pulse outside the hall? He doesn't need to get close; he can do it using the 'suspended thread pulse diagnosis' method."

Pulse diagnosis via a suspended thread?

Upon hearing this term, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and even the Emperor of Yan couldn't help but feel a bit curious.

"Your Majesty, you've thought of everything; you've even prepared a suture thread. Are you absolutely determined to examine His Majesty's pulse today?"

Pei Jinxuan spoke in a sarcastic tone, almost as if he had the words "What are your intentions?" engraved on the forehead of the Prince of Liang.

King Liang remained unfazed, and said righteously, "Your Majesty, I am acting in your best interests. Do not speak such arrogant words!"

Listening to the two talking back and forth, Emperor Yan rubbed his forehead and said, "Enough, I still have official business to attend to. Let's invite Master Xuanjing another day."

"His Majesty……"

Emperor Yan raised his hand, signaling King Liang to stop talking.

King Liang had no choice but to give up.

"In that case, Your Majesty will not disturb your peace any longer."

With that, Prince Liang rose and bowed, then looked at Pei Jinxuan and asked, "Isn't Prince Jing'an leaving?"

"Uncle, you should go back first. I need to stay a while longer."

"What Prince Jing'an means is, you stay here to accompany His Majesty, while I am an outsider and cannot stay."

"Ah, Imperial Uncle, you flatter me," the Yan Emperor said with a smile, trying to smooth things over. "How can you be an outsider?"

Pei Jinxuan understood the implied meaning in the Emperor's words and replied, "Uncle, please don't overthink it. I'm staying here to teach the young crown prince his lessons."

As he spoke, he looked at the young prince and winked.

When the young prince heard the word "homework," he burst into tears and buried himself in the empress's arms.

The baby's cries were so piercing that King Liang couldn't bear it, and with a frown, he quickly took his leave.

The moment the palace doors closed behind him, the Yan Emperor's body, which he had been holding up, went limp. A layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and the composed posture he had maintained while sitting upright was completely gone, leaving only a skeleton drained of strength by illness.

Upon seeing this, the Empress quickly supported him, and in a panic, cried out towards the side room, "Imperial Physician! Lady Lin!"

Lin Ci and Judge Xu appeared upon hearing the commotion.

Pei Jinxuan strode to the bedside and supported the Yan Emperor's back. Almost simultaneously, another pair of hands reached out and together they supported the Yan Emperor steadily.

It was Lin Ci. Her expression was solemn, and her slightly dark circles showed signs of fatigue. She must have done everything in her power to save the Yan Emperor.

Their eyes met, and they both knew they had fought a fierce battle, so they couldn't help but smile.

"It's nothing." The Yan Emperor slowly raised his hand and waved it gently. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

He struggled to breathe and forced a smile, "Lady Lin... has superb medical skills. It was she who... pulled me back from the brink of death."

"Brother, stop talking and lie down." Pei Jinxuan pulled the quilt up for him and tucked the corners in.

The Yan Emperor gripped his hand tightly, panting heavily. He was fully aware of the commotion outside the palace just now.

"You have rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor; you shall be rewarded... handsomely."

"Your Majesty, I do not seek any reward, but only your safety." With that, Pei Jinxuan straightened up, looked at the Empress, and deliberately softened his tone, "Let Your Majesty rest well. Today, Lin Ci and I will stay in the palace, so Your Majesty need not worry."

The Empress understood his meaning and nodded. She took the Emperor's hand in her own palm and said with tears in her eyes, "Your Majesty, I will stay here with you and not go anywhere."

Emperor Yan closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady. He moved his parched lips and asked softly, "Yun Yao...where is Yun Yao?"

The hall fell silent suddenly, and then a crackling sound came from the charcoal in the brazier.

The Empress paused slightly, then slowly loosened her grip on the Emperor's hands. She sat up straight, gently and slowly wiping away the tears on her cheeks, and turned to Eunuch Gao, whispering, "Go and invite Consort Chang here."

Eunuch Gao bowed and accepted the order, then hurried out with small, quick steps. He returned shortly after, bringing Consort Chang with him.

Consort Chang was already in tears, her eyes swollen like walnuts. Upon entering the palace, she first bowed deeply to the Empress.

The Empress looked down at her, her face as cold as ice. After a long while, she finally said, "His Majesty wishes to see you."

Upon hearing this, Consort Chang looked towards the dragon bed and cried out, "Your Majesty!" Her voice was trembling with emotion.

Consort Chang rushed to the bedside, grabbed Emperor Yan's hand, and wept bitterly, almost to the point of death.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty...please open your eyes and look at me!"

Hearing the cries that sounded like opera singing, Emperor Yan opened his eyes with difficulty. He saw Consort Chang smiling and lovingly stroking his forehead.

"I'm...I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? Don't cry..." As he spoke, his lungs tightened, and he started coughing again.

Lin Ci, as if facing a formidable enemy, stepped forward and pressed on Emperor Yan's acupoints, his face grim, and said, "Your Majesty needs to rest. All irrelevant personnel may leave."

Her tone was stern; she didn't care who she offended, only that the patients lived or died.

"But..." Consort Chang gazed at Emperor Yan with a pitiful expression, clearly unwilling to leave.

"But what?" Lin Ci's tone was unpleasant, and she had lost her patience. "Your Majesty's health should be taken care of first. It's not too late for Your Highness to come after His Majesty has recovered."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's lips curled into a slight smile. She sat up straight, adopted an unapproachable expression towards Consort Chang, and said coldly, "Go down, do not disturb His Majesty's rest."

Consort Chang had no choice but to whisper, "Your Majesty, I am praying for you before the Buddha. You need not worry."

The Emperor of Yan nodded, his eyelids already so heavy he could barely keep them open.

Consort Chang released her grip and slowly rose to leave.

Lin Ci carefully lowered the veil and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the Emperor Yan's condition had stabilized.

"Are you alright?" Pei Jinxuan asked softly.

Lin Ci couldn't tell whether he was concerned about her or about the Yan Emperor.

"It's not as dangerous as it was before. But we'll have to observe for a few more days."

"I'll trouble you to stay with me in the palace today." Pei Jinxuan said, glancing at the Yan Emperor, his brow furrowing even more deeply. "The court cannot be without a ruler for even a day."

Lin Ci nodded. She understood Pei Jinxuan's difficulties, but she didn't understand Emperor Yan.

She walked to Pei Jinxuan's side and whispered in his ear, "Why didn't you punish him when Prince Liang was here? Why didn't you just arrest him?"

Pei Jinxuan pondered for a moment, "I guess it's because the Prince of Liang holds half of the military command, and the Tiele tribe has amassed troops on the border. If we take him down now, I'm afraid no one in the north will be able to control it. Although I think the same way, His Majesty has his own considerations, so let him make the decision."

Lin Ci only half understood what he was hearing; things outside the palace walls were far more complicated than those inside.

The two quietly left the palace. As soon as they stepped out of the hall, they heard a crisp "snap" sound, clear and bright, echoing in the empty hall corridor.

Lin Ci was startled, and Pei Jinxuan unconsciously pulled her behind him, quietly retreating behind a pillar.

Under the eaves, the Empress slapped Consort Chang, and, not satisfied, gritted her teeth and slapped her again.

With two sharp "slaps," red finger marks appeared on Consort Chang's cheeks, and her phoenix hairpin was loosened.

The Empress raised her hand again. Consort Chang immediately knelt down and grabbed the Empress's skirt, her thin shoulders trembling slightly, a pitiful sight.

"Your Majesty, I...I...don't know what I've done wrong," Consort Chang said, bowing her head and sobbing. "If Your Majesty is punishing me, at least let me know what I did wrong."

"Where did you go wrong? Humph!" The Empress flicked her wide sleeve, the edge of which, along with the wind from the sleeve, struck Consort Chang on the head.

"You vile concubine who brought ruin to the country! If you hadn't taken His Majesty to the temple that day, how could he have caught a cold?! You knew His Majesty was unwell, yet you still encouraged him to go snow-viewing plum blossoms—what were your intentions?!"

"Your Majesty, you have wronged me! It was...it was..."

"It is I." Pei Jinxuan appeared from behind the pillar and bowed to the Empress, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. There is more to this matter than meets the eye. It was I who invited His Majesty to Bailong Temple to pray for blessings. It has nothing to do with Consort Chang."

"You?!" The Empress glanced coldly at Pei Jinxuan. "Prince Jing'an, you know His Majesty's health best. Are you going to pray for His Majesty's well-being, or to invite disaster upon him?"

Pei Jinxuan raised his head to meet the Empress's gaze and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I have been worried about my brother's health day and night. Today, my brother is out of danger. Perhaps it is because the Bodhisattva saw our sincerity and protected my brother. I know that Your Majesty is anxious, but illness comes like a landslide and recovery is like a slow, gradual process. Some things cannot be rushed. It is best to properly treat my brother."

The Empress took a deep breath, forcing back her resentment. She turned her gaze coldly to Consort Chang and said, "Listen to this, Prince Jing'an is pleading for you. I've heard that you two are childhood sweethearts with an extraordinary bond, and it seems that's true."