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

Qianyuan Hall.

Separated by a wall, yet they are two different worlds.

Outside the hall, the faint sounds of string and wind instruments and the clinking of cups could be heard.

Inside the palace, it was so quiet that only the flickering candlelight could be heard, and even the footsteps of the palace servants were barely audible.

After entering the palace, Emperor Yan could no longer hold on and collapsed onto the couch, his forehead covered in cold sweat. The palace maids and eunuchs quickly and efficiently wiped his body and changed his clothes. Taking advantage of this moment, Lin Ci prepared a bowl of hangover remedy, carefully brought it to the couch, and knelt down to feed him spoonful by spoonful.

Emperor Yan drank a small portion of the bowl, but found it too bitter and refused to drink any more. He waved his hand and pushed it away, and Lin Ci, no longer pressuring him, gently placed the bowl on a plate.

"I never imagined that I wouldn't even be able to drink alcohol anymore." He smiled bitterly, his eyes full of helplessness.

Lin Ci wanted to say something auspicious, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Will I live to see the start of summer?"

The Yan Emperor turned to look at her, his eyes shining with a longing for a chance to live.

"Of course." Lin Ci nodded confidently. "This humble woman can assure Your Majesty."

The Emperor of Yan laughed, but his laughter was more bitter than the hangover cure. He said calmly, "The Crown Prince was born on the day of Lixia (the beginning of summer). On that day, he will be four years old. How can a four-year-old child, who only knows classical Chinese, shoulder the great responsibilities of the realm?"

He sighed, his voice softening further, "You and Prince Jing'an have had a hard time these past few days. Without your help, I fear I would have long since lost my seat on the throne. Tell me... after the start of summer, can Prince Jing'an assist the Crown Prince and stabilize the hearts of the people?"

Lin Ci remained silent for a moment before replying, "What Your Majesty is saying is beyond my understanding. I only know how to cure Your Majesty's illness and how to develop new medicines to relieve Your Majesty's worries."

Emperor Yan smiled gently. He did not ask any further questions, but simply raised his cold and withered hand and gently patted the back of Lin Ci's hand. His actions showed no romantic feelings, only appreciation and entrustment.

"Your Majesty, I wish to see you..."

Consort Chang's voice came from outside the palace; it was melodious and sweet, but sounded a little more anxious than usual.

Emperor Yan nodded slightly. Eunuch Gao then went to open the palace gate.

Consort Chang stepped into the hall, lifting her skirt with one hand and carrying the infant prince, not yet two years old, in the other. A peony flower adorned her hair, and her crimson palace dress made her look radiant. The little prince in her arms was exquisitely beautiful and adorable.

Consort Chang set the young prince down. The moment his feet touched the ground, the little prince opened his arms and stumbled towards the Emperor, calling out in his childish voice, "Daddy, Daddy~"

The Emperor of Yan smiled when he saw this. He sat up and stretched out his arms to hug the soft little body onto his lap.

The little prince opened his big, bright eyes and asked innocently, "Why didn't Father come to see me today? Is Father feeling unwell?"

After saying that, he touched the Yan Emperor's forehead, like a little imp.

The Yan Emperor smiled and held the small hand, without replying.

Consort Chang paused slightly upon seeing Lin Ci, then curtsied and said, "Your Majesty, when I saw you leave your seat, I thought something had happened and I was very flustered. Lin'er also insisted on seeing Your Majesty, so I brought him along as well."

"With Physician Lin here, you don't need to worry," the Yan Emperor replied with a smile.

Consort Chang's eyes were brimming with tears, her gratitude overflowing. She bowed gracefully to Lin Ci and said, "Physician Lin, you have worked hard."

Lin Ci returned the greeting, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind; this is merely the duty of a common woman."

Having said that, she straightened up. Seeing the three people in front of her enjoying themselves, she felt somewhat uncomfortable being caught in the middle. So she bowed and asked to take her leave, saying, "This humble woman is on duty tonight. If Your Majesty is unwell, you may summon me at any time. This humble woman will take her leave now."

The Emperor of Yan nodded in agreement.

Consort Chang affectionately took Lin Ci's hand and said with a gentle smile, "Physician Lin, I'll see you off." With that, she escorted her out of the Qian Yuan Palace.

As soon as the palace gates opened, a lively scene unfolded outside. Fireworks were being set off from some mansion, clusters of them rising into the sky and exploding into a dazzling display, illuminating half the night sky.

Lin Ci looked up and couldn't help but laugh. Consort Chang, however, frowned deeply, showing no interest in watching the fireworks.

"How is His Majesty's health?" Consort Chang asked softly.

"His Majesty was in high spirits today and drank a few extra cups of wine; it's nothing to worry about. Your Majesty need not fret."

"Is that so?" Consort Chang lowered her eyes, her worry deepening. "I always feel that His Majesty is getting worse day by day."

Before he could finish speaking, another cluster of fireworks exploded overhead with a loud bang, making everyone's heart race.

Consort Chang's shoulders trembled, and she shivered.

Lin Ci said softly, "Your Majesty, with the New Year approaching, please don't think about unlucky things."

"Yes..." Consort Chang snapped out of her daze, her almond-shaped eyes glistening with tears, as if she had accidentally committed some grave mistake and was at a loss for words. "Look at me, how could I say such things? It's all my fault!"

"Your Majesty, concern makes you confused." Lin Ci smiled gently, taking her hand to comfort her. "It's getting late, Your Majesty should go and keep His Majesty company. I have to keep watch tonight, so I'll take my leave now."

Consort Chang nodded and turned back to the Qian Yuan Palace.

The palace doors slowly closed behind her, shutting out the smoke and noise.

Lin Ci stood under the corridor, watching the crimson figure disappear inside before turning his gaze away.

"Dr. Lin is gone?"

As soon as Consort Chang entered the palace, the Emperor of Yan began to inquire about her.

"Hmm." Consort Chang walked gracefully to the bedside and couldn't help but exclaim, "Such a discerning woman, not to mention Prince Jing'an, even I find her pleasing."

As she spoke, she tried to sit down, but the Emperor of Yan put his index finger to his lips and shushed her.

Consort Chang quickly stood up straight and looked down. She saw that Lin'er had fallen asleep on Emperor Yan's lap at some point, his little hand still clutching a corner of Emperor Yan's robe.

Consort Chang chuckled softly and said, "Normally, no matter how the wet nurse tries to coax her to sleep, she won't fall asleep. But when she's with His Majesty, she falls asleep so soundly after just a short while."

The Emperor of Yan looked up at her, his eyebrows curving into a smile, and then reached out to gently stroke Lin'er's soft little face.

"He looks like you."

Consort Chang carefully sat down next to Emperor Yan, gently patting Lin'er's back with one hand. Her gaze, though gentle, returned to Emperor Yan.

"Your Majesty, I think he resembles you." She lowered her head, carefully examining the sleeping face, her fingertip lightly tracing its contours. "Look at that nose, and that mouth..."

"What's so good about being like me?" The Yan Emperor's voice gradually softened. "Every day you're begging the King of Hell for a living."

"Your Majesty!" Consort Chang's voice rose slightly, but she realized her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth and quickly lowered her voice, though her eyes were already red. "On New Year's Eve, don't say such things."

The Emperor of Yan smiled, seemingly having long since let it go.

"It's alright. I can't stop others from deceiving me. But as for deceiving myself... that's unnecessary."

"Isn't there Physician Lin?" Consort Chang lowered her eyes, pondered for a moment, as if carefully choosing her words, "She will surely be able to cure His Majesty. Why doesn't Your Majesty keep her in the palace and appoint her as a Shanggong? That way, she can keep an eye on the Emperor's health at all times."

"I've mentioned the matter of bestowing rewards upon her many times," the Emperor Yan said, leaning back against his pillow, his gaze falling on Lin'er's sleeping face. "She politely declined."

Why?

"They probably felt that it would be inconvenient to do things after entering the palace."

Consort Chang's eyes flickered slightly as she softly said, "Did Your Majesty not explain things clearly to Physician Lin, causing her to mistakenly believe that Your Majesty intended to take her as a concubine? I've heard that Physician Lin and Prince Jing'an are in love, so perhaps that's why she didn't agree."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Yan shook his head helplessly, a rare moment of relaxation appearing on his face.

"I saw it long ago. I don't know if Physician Lin has feelings for Prince Jing'an, but my good-for-nothing younger brother practically has those words etched on his forehead. Every time I summon Physician Lin to the palace, he thinks I'm trying to steal him from him, and even when he's too sick to get up, he insists on crawling into the palace to keep an eye on him."

At this point, even the Emperor of Yan couldn't help but chuckle again.

Consort Chang covered her lips with her sleeve and laughed along, but her heart felt as if it were being pricked by fine needles, a pain mixed with sourness.

She then said, "His Majesty has seen everything. Why not issue an imperial decree to grant them a marriage and fulfill their wish?"

The smile in Emperor Yan's eyes gradually faded, his handsome brows furrowed slightly, and he remained silent for a long time.

Consort Chang noticed his hesitation and said softly, "Could it be that His Majesty finds Physician Lin, being a widow, unsuitable for the Prince of Jing'an's family?"

Emperor Yan nodded, sighed, and said, "Prince Jing'an is twenty years old, well past the age for marriage. But he is, after all, a prince, and marrying a princess is a matter of state, concerning the dignity of the royal family and cannot be taken lightly. Physician Lin is good, but he is still a newly widowed woman, which is really inappropriate."